Pharma, Tech Kill Early Gains

Dow sees triple-digit rise

(NEWSER) - Is the panic over on Wall Street? The Dow shot up around 131 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq were up 13.5 and 26.2 as of 9:39am EST. Part of the gain came from Google’s blockbuster acquisition of Motorola , which sent the latter’s stock up 60%, according to the Wall Street Journal . Traders were also watching two other major deals—Time Warner is reportedly close to an agreement to buy Insight Communications, and Bank of America sold its credit card portfolio to Toronto-Dominion Bank. More»

September rally sees slight pullback

(NEWSER) - Stock indices finished mixed today after the markets reached what most traders saw as a slight pause in a very strong September, the Wall Street Journal reports. Financials led declines: AmEx fell 2.9%, while Bank of America lost 1.8%. Google rose 1.1% after Citigroup analysts boosted their third-quarter estimate. The Dow closed down 41.34 points at 9,778.86. The Nasdaq gained 5.18, closing at 2,138.04, while the S&P 500 lost 3.64, finishing at 1,064.66. More»

Merck surges on proposed merger

(NEWSER) - Stocks made gains today, extending a winning streak into its fourth day, MarketWatch reports. Merck rose 12.5% on announcement of its merger with Schering-Plough, while General Motors built on recent gains with a 22.9% jump. The Dow closed up 53.92 at 7,223.98. The Nasdaq rose 5.40 to close at 1,431.50, while the S&P 500 gained 5.81 to settle at 756.55. More»

Dow rises 92.34 on component's earnings, big oil merger

(NEWSER) - Stocks rallied across the board today, after a number of major buyouts and earnings reports diverted traders' attentions from the foundering subprime market and an enervated dollar once again. The Dow was up 2.34 to 13943.42 after drug-maker Merck, a major component of the index, reported its best earnings since April, a far better result than expected. More»

Energy sector leads stocks lower; financials up on BofA settlement

(NEWSER) - Energy issues pushed stocks lower today after indexes hung around opening levels and briefly wandered into positive territory. Bank of America's settlement with the SEC over its acquisition of Merrill Lynch last year boosted financials, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow fell 18.97 points to close at 10,383.38.
• The Nasdaq lost 1.84, settling at 2,242.03.
• The S&P 500 dropped 1.16 to close at 1,108.01.