Financials Propel Dow Up 185

Dow falls 289 on financial uncertainty

(NEWSER) - Stocks saw deep declines today as uneasiness over banking spilled into the broader market, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bank of America slid 22% on word of growing losses in its credit-card unit. Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase also fell on reports of a Treasury move that may dilute shareholder value. The Dow lost 289.60 to close at 7,841.73. The Nasdaq shed 64.86, to 1,608.21, and the S&P 500 lost 37.21 to 832.39. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks turned south this morning, as a series of downgrades and bad news for the Sun/IBM deal spooked investors ahead of earnings season, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow dropped 92, the S&P 12. Financials sank after a veteran analyst downgraded 11 major US banks. The Nasdaq fell 33, after a downgrade from Cisco and a report that the Sun takeover deal was in jeopardy. More»

Citigroup leads financials after announcing profitable January and February

(NEWSER) - Stocks rallied today as financials jumped on news of Citigroup’s profitable January and February, the Financial Times reports. Investors also were cheered by talk of reform from Ben Bernanke—who said the recession could end next year if all goes well—and Barney Frank. Citi, Bank of America, and JP Morgan all jumped at least 20%. The Dow rose 379.44 points to close at 6,926, its biggest single-day gain since November. The Nasdaq gained 89.64 points to close at 1,358, and the S&P 500 rose 43.07 to 720. More»

Nationalization talk spurs financial sell-off

(NEWSER) - Stocks lost value again today as talk of nationalizing top US banks spurred investors to sell financials, MarketWatch reports. The Obama administration tried to tamp down the nationalization chatter, but without success. Meanwhile, General Electric and General Motors fell 6% and 16%, respectively. The Dow lost 100.28 to close at 7,365.67. The Nasdaq closed down 1.59 at 1,441.23, and the S&P 500 lost 8.89 to settle at 770.05. More»

Financials see gains for the day

(NEWSER) - Stocks were mixed today as bargain buying in the financial sector bolstered some amid a torrent of poor earnings and outlooks from GE, Xerox, Harley Davidson, and AMD, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 45.24 points to close at 8,077.56. The Nasdaq gained 11.80, closing at 1,477.29, and the S&P 500 gained 4.45 points to close at 831.95. More»