Dow Breaks 14K, Briefly

Exchange differences exacerbated plunge

(NEWSER) - As markets open today, the cause of last week's trading chaos remains unclear, but investigators believe mismatches in rules between the NYSE and newer electronic exchanges, combined with fast, complex computer trading systems, triggered the panic. The sudden drop of a futures contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange appears to have pushed down other stocks, triggering some market "circuit breakers" to slow trades. But because the exchanges didn't slow together transactions couldn't match the precipitous plunge. More»

Dallas Fed chief reiterates commitment to low interest rates

(NEWSER) - Stocks retreated from an earlier rally but closed with solid gains after the Dallas Fed president reaffirmed the central bank's commitment to keeping interest rates low. Meanwhile, home-builder Toll Brothers announced a surge in contracts for the third quarter, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow gained 44 points to close at 10,291.
• The Nasdaq added 16 points to settle at 2,167.
• The S&P 500 rose 6 points to 1,099.

(NEWSER) - The tech sector drove a substantial market rally today led by rosy projections from chipmaker Intel, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other technology stocks followed Intel—up 7.5%—as investors predicted a resurgence of the consumer electronics market. Good news from the Fed and the credit industry also helped fuel the surge. The Dow was up 257.62, or 3.1%, to 8,616.21. The S&P gained 26.83, to 932.67. And NASDAQ tacked on 63.17 to end at 1,862.90. More»

Tech leads declines, Dow falls from triple-digit gain

(NEWSER) - Stocks swung back to losses as optimism from last week’s rally faded today, the Wall Street Journal reports. Investors treated last week’s announcements that many troubled financial institutions ran operating profits in the first two months of 2009—ignoring “toxic securities” on their balance sheets—with skepticism. The Dow closed down 7.01 at 7,216.97. The Nasdaq fell 27.48 to 1,404.02, and the S&P 500 lost 2.66, closing at 753.89. More»

Traders worry non-financial stocks may still feel recession's bite

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed lower today after an earlier rally died down as worries about consumer-discretionary and tech stocks overcame investors’ faith in global actions to quell the credit crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow, up nearly 400 early, ended off 76.62, to 9,310.99. The Nasdaq, especially hard hit, lost 65.24 to close at 1,779.01. The S&P 500 dropped 5.35 to 998.00. More»