Poor Day Ends Horrible Week

Late rally evaporates after Fed confirms cut, but most of Tuesday's gains are preserved

(NEWSER) - Volatility ruled Wall Street today as investors waffled in their response to the expected Fed rate cut, MarketWatch reports. Though the session’s final hour saw the Dow rocket to a 250-point gain in light trading, that evaporated and the Dow closed down 74.16 at 8,990.96. The Nasdaq, however, finished up 7.74 at 1,657.21, while the S&P 500 lost 10.42 to close at 930.09. More»

Bargain hunters spur big gains as markets jump late

(NEWSER) - Stocks zoomed past the 9,000 mark late in today's session as investors ignored a rock-bottom consumer-confidence rating, focusing on blue-chip gains and the likelihood of another rate cut by the Federal Reserve, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow shot up 889.35 to close at 9,065.12. The Nasdaq climbed 143.57, closing at 1,649.47, and the S&P 500 rose 91.59 to settle at 940.51. More»

Alcoa offers dismal earnings report to start third-quarter season

(NEWSER) - Stocks fell nearly 190 points in a volatile day, with investors showing mixed opinions on whether an unprecedented global rate cut by the Fed and foreign central banks would help the credit crisis. After swinging in a 433-point range, the Dow closed down 189.01 points at 9,258.10, MarketWatch reports. The Nasdaq lost 14.55 points, closing at 1,740.33, and the S&P 500 fell 11.29 points to 984.94. More»

Oil hits $71.2 a barrel, highest price in a month

(NEWSER) - Stocks rallied today on signs of a turnaround for US manufacturing, the Wall Street Journal reports. Oil rose $2.13, to $71.27 per barrel, its highest price in a month, and banks HSBC and Barclays reported strong quarterly earnings. The Dow closed up 114.95 to settle at 9,286.56. The Nasdaq added 30.11, settling at 2,008.61, and the S&P 500 rose 15.15 to close at 1,002.63. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets fell today after the Federal Reserve warned of a more prolonged recession than it previously expected, the Wall Street Journal reports. Financials and tech contributed to the plunge, which even a 6-month high in oil prices could not stop. “We’re just dealing with a stock market that was defying gravity,” a broker said. The Dow was off 52.81 to 8,422.04. The S&P fell 4.66 to 903.47. The Nasdaq lost 6.70, ending at 1,727.84. More»