Dow Sinks 411 on Bad News

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 headed lower at the open, with the Dow off 42 points, the S&P down 4.75, and the Nasdaq behind 17.58. Intel was a big loser, dropping 4% after reporting a better-than-expected 55% decline in profits, and projecting flat sales. “The ‘beat and raise’ scenario that investors had hoped for did not pan out,” said one analyst. Starbucks, meanwhile, sunk 6.1% after a Deutsche Bank downgrade. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks gained today despite retailers' dour holiday prospects, because the market has already priced in much of the bad news, MarketWatch reports. Amid very light trading, the Dow gained 102.43 points to close at 8,829.04, extending its positive streak into a fifth day. "There's a bit of confidence returning," said an economist. "This market has discounted a lot of negative news." The Nasdaq eked out a 3.47-point gain, closing at 1,535.57, while the S&P 500 rose 8.56 to settle at 896.24. More»

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»

Weekly losses for Dow and S&P

(NEWSER) - Stocks erased morning gains on poor consumer spending news to wrap up today's session in negative territory. The Dow and the S&P 500 racked up weekly losses of 1.2% and 1.1%, Bloomberg reports. The Dow fell 86.38 today to close at 12,216.08. The Nasdaq fell 19.65 to 2,261.18, and the S&P 500 fell 10.54 to 1,315.22. More»