T-Note Surge Puts Dow Off 173

(NEWSER) - Markets were mixed today, but the Dow closed at its highest end point in 2009 even as tech and material stocks pulled down other indices, the Wall Street Journal reports. The resurgent dollar cut deeply into the commodities sector. A NYSE computer malfunction also temporarily halted trading in some stocks. “Computers break,” one trader said. “But then they replace them.” The Dow was up 28.34 to 8,799.26, the S&P up 1.32 to 946.21, and the Nasdaq down 3.57 to 1,858.80. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets were up today on a successful sale of 30-year Treasury notes and other indicators of economic recovery, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bank of America saw a 9% upswing after its CEO testified on Capitol Hill. The Dow gained 31.90 to 8,770.92. The S&P rose 5.74 to 944.89. And the Nasdaq tacked on 9.29 to finish at 1,862.37. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets fell today as an auction pushed yields on 10-year Treasury notes higher, the Wall Street Journal reports. A 30-year sale is scheduled for Friday. “Higher interest rates are not good for anyone,” said one broker. “It’s going to kill the refinancing boom.” The Dow was off 24.04 to 8.739.02. The S&P lost 3.28 to end at 939.15. And the Nasdaq shed 7.05 to 1,853.08. More»

(NEWSER) - A well-received auction of Treasury notes and a jump in the price of crude oil pushed markets up today, the Wall Street Journal reports. “There was some real fear coming into this,” a strategist said of yesterday’s worries about government debt. “Clear-cut case of sell on the rumor, buy on the news.” The Dow was up 103.78 to 8,403.80. The S&P rose 13.77 to 906.83. And the Nasdaq added 20.71 to finish at 1,751.79. More»

Analyst chalks it up to psychology

(NEWSER) - Stocks had their best day in more than a week today, with the Dow jumping a whopping 322 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P gained 101 and 39 points respectively. Investors are betting that the Federal Reserve will heap more stimulus on the economy this week, Bloomberg reports, while a market analyst tells MarketWatch that the rally should be chalked up to “a shift in investor psychology.” More»