Retail Drives Dow Down 122

Wal-Mart among big winners as indices rebound from 3 days of losses

(NEWSER) - The markets rebounded from a 3-day losing streak today as retailers posted strong sales and weekly claims for jobless benefits fell, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow climbed 213.97, closing at 12,604.45, and the Nasdaq gained 46.80 to settle at 2,549.94. The S&P 500 added 26.85 to finish at 1,404.05. More»

Dow sees triple-digit rise

(NEWSER) - Is the panic over on Wall Street? The Dow shot up around 131 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq were up 13.5 and 26.2 as of 9:39am EST. Part of the gain came from Google’s blockbuster acquisition of Motorola , which sent the latter’s stock up 60%, according to the Wall Street Journal . Traders were also watching two other major deals—Time Warner is reportedly close to an agreement to buy Insight Communications, and Bank of America sold its credit card portfolio to Toronto-Dominion Bank. More»

Energy sector leads stocks lower; financials up on BofA settlement

(NEWSER) - Energy issues pushed stocks lower today after indexes hung around opening levels and briefly wandered into positive territory. Bank of America's settlement with the SEC over its acquisition of Merrill Lynch last year boosted financials, the Wall Street Journal reports.

• The Dow fell 18.97 points to close at 10,383.38.
• The Nasdaq lost 1.84, settling at 2,242.03.
• The S&P 500 dropped 1.16 to close at 1,108.01.

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.

Dour day cuts into weekly gains

(NEWSER) - Stocks fell today as optimism about economic recovery waned in the face of disappointing earnings. Bank of American and General Electric’s financing division both posted quarterly losses. IBM, which reported strong profits but spooked investors with downbeat comments on the readiness of businesses to spend on technology, fell 5.2%, weighing down the price-weighted Dow. The Dow fell 67.03 points to close at 9,995.91. The Nasdaq lost 16.49, settling at 2,156.80, and the S&P 500 fell 8.88 to close at 1,087.68, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»