Stocks Post Modest Gains

Georgian conflict raises supply fears; analysts downgrade financials

(NEWSER) - Stocks saw mixed results today as the Dow and S&P 500 managed to claw back from early losses due to surging oil and a weak dollar, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed up 12.78 at 11,430.21; the Nasdaq fell 8.70 to 2,380.38, while the S&P 500 gained 3.18 to finish at 1,277.72. More»

Dow up 50

(NEWSER) - News of Osama bin Laden’s death cheered markets today, with the Dow gaining 50 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq rising 4 points and 8.5 points, respectively, Politico reports. Oil futures meanwhile, fell 2%, and the dollar rose. The gains followed similar increases in Japan and South Korea overnight. Click to read more . More»

Traders pessimistic about Google, IBM earnings

(NEWSER) - A rally in crude oil lifted shares of energy firms and saved stocks from a tech-driven slump. Oil rose $2.40 to $77.55 a barrel, boosting the likes of Chevron and Exxon. Google and IBM both saw losses as traders bet against the firms ahead of their third-quarter earnings reports. The Dow rose 47 points to close at 10,063. The Nasdaq added 1 point, settling at 2,173, and the S&P 500 gained 4 points to 1,096, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

Crude oil tumbles $2.65

(NEWSER) - Stocks pulled back today after hitting their 2009 peaks in yesterday's session, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite modest declines, transportation stocks—considered the first to benefit in a recovery—remained strong, with FedEx up 6.43%. Crude tumbled $2.65 to $69.20 a barrel. The Dow lost 22.07 points to close at 9,605.41. The Nasdaq fell 3.12, closing at 2,080.90, and the S&P 500 lost 1.41 to settle at 1,042.73. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed with modest advances on strong economic data and a drop in oil prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. Advances in second-quarter home prices and a boost in July consumer confidence propelled stock indices to new 2009 highs shortly after the open, but oil’s $2.32 drop moderated gains. The Dow gained 30 points to close at 9,539. The Nasdaq added 6 points, closing at 2,024, and the S&P 500 rose 2 points to close at 1,028. More»