Stocks Flat in Bull/Bear Standoff

(NEWSER) - Stocks sunk swiftly at the open after disappointing sales reports from retailers. The Dow tumbled 160 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P fell 1.5% and 2.1% respectively. Retail sales were down a more-than-expected 0.4% in April, from a revised-downward 1.3% drop in March. RealtyTrac also announced a 32% jump in foreclosures last month, meaning a housing rebound isn’t imminent. Ford was down 4% as it prepared to sell 300 million shares in a secondary offering. More»

Housing, oil continue to pummel equities

(NEWSER) - Stocks fell today, rounding out a gloomy week as the familiar themes of housing malaise and energy costs manifested in widespread big losses, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 145.99 to close at 12,479.63, the Nasdaq lost 19.91, settling at 2,444.67, and the S&P 500 fell 18.42, closing at 1,375.93. More»

It's Dow's best finish since 2008

(NEWSER) - Today's rosy jobs report did wonders for the markets. The tech-heavy Nasdaq, in fact, closed at an 11-year high, reports MarketWatch , while the Dow finished at its highest level since May 2008, notes the Wall Street Journal . The numbers:

• Dow: Up 157, 1.2%, to 12,862
• Nasdaq: Up 46, 1.6%, to 2,906
• S&P 500: Up 19, 1.5%, to 1,345

Market has its best day this month

(AP) - Encouraging signs out of Europe and a surprisingly strong report on the US housing market drove the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 330 points today. It was the best day for stocks this month. The Spanish government pulled off a successful debt auction, and gauges of business and consumer confidence in Germany rose unexpectedly. The Commerce Department, meanwhile, said builders broke ground on 685,000 new homes last month, a 9.3% jump from October. That's the highest level since April 2010. More»

Dow drops triple digits

(NEWSER) - Stocks plunged at the opening bell today, thanks to the super committee's failure to reach a deal and the ongoing debt crisis in Europe. As of 9:37am, the Dow was down 158 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P were down 40 and 19 points, respectively, as investors bet that the US would suffer yet another credit rating downgrade. More»