Bears Reign in Early Trading

Goldman report sends life insurance down

(NEWSER) - Stocks declined today as poor earnings reports made investors bearish, the Wall Street Journal reports. Although news of the Fannie/Freddie plan to speed refinancing efforts for distressed homeowners checked midday losses, the Dow dropped 176.58 to close at 8,693.96. The Nasdaq dropped 35.84, settling at 1,580.90, and the S&P 500 fell 20.26 to close at 898.95. More»

Indices all post solid gains for the week

(NEWSER) - Stocks posted gains today, closing out a strong week as consumer stocks saw advances, the Wall Street Journal reports. Procter & Gamble gained 3.21% after Citigroup upgraded the firm’s shares to “buy.” Optimism about a recovery in consumer spending drove Starbucks up 3.64%, with PepsiCo and Philip Morris also gaining about 1%. The Dow added 36.28 points to close at 9,820.20. The Nasdaq rose 6.11, settling at 2,132.86, and the S&P 500 gained 2.81to close at 1,068.30. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks got a modest boost at the open, as better-than-expected earnings battled with stress test anxiety. The Dow rose 51 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq added 0.6% and 0.4% respectively, the Wall Street Journal reports. Ford skyrocketed 19% after reporting a mere $1.4 billion—and more importantly burned through less cash. American Express and Microsoft also beat estimates; the Dow components were up 12% and 3.4% respectively. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks barely budged at the open, after a good quarter from Apple and a lousy one from UPS. The Dow fluctuated between gains and losses, and was recently down 13 points. The S&P and Nasdaq were similarly flat. Apple rose 3% after beating expectations with a 15% earnings jump. Radio Shack and JetBlue also posted nice numbers. But other reports were less rosy: Dow component UPS saw its net income fall 56%. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks headed lower at the open today, thanks to another round of dour corporate earnings. The Dow fell 44 points, while the S&P and Nasdaq dropped 0.9% and 0.8% respectively. Morgan Stanley tumbled more than 8%, after reporting a quarterly loss, and slashing its dividend. Wells Fargo, on the other hand, reported a 52% income jump, but its shares were still off 2%. In a bad sign for consumer credit, Capital One reported a loss, sending shares down 8%. More»