Dow Climbs 80 as Stocks Hit 2009 Highs

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.

Indices all post solid gains for the week

(NEWSER) - Stocks posted gains today, closing out a strong week as consumer stocks saw advances, the Wall Street Journal reports. Procter & Gamble gained 3.21% after Citigroup upgraded the firm’s shares to “buy.” Optimism about a recovery in consumer spending drove Starbucks up 3.64%, with PepsiCo and Philip Morris also gaining about 1%. The Dow added 36.28 points to close at 9,820.20. The Nasdaq rose 6.11, settling at 2,132.86, and the S&P 500 gained 2.81to close at 1,068.30. More»

(NEWSER) - Markets ended higher today after a dismal start, buoyed by an ascendant energy sector, the Wall Street Journal reports. The seesaw comes as no surprise to one strategist: “This market is highly vulnerable to get pushed around right now. That’s a factor of light volume.” The Dow, once down 50, finished up 61.22 at 9,279.16. The S&P 500 rose 6.79 to 996.46. And the Nasdaq tacked on 13.32, to 1,969.24. More»

Monthly unemployment report will show recovery's progress

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed lower today ahead of a July unemployment report due tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reports. Procter & Gamble weighed on the Dow with a 4.7% decline, over doubts about its sales strategy. The Dow fell 25 points to close at 9,256. The Nasdaq lost 20 points, settling at 1,973, and the S&P 500 shed 6 points to close at 997. More»

(NEWSER) - Yesterday’s rally segued into a regular day today as markets remained mostly flat on mixed economic data, the Wall Street Journal reports. Home sales were up, but incomes down, and an expected report on rising US oil reserves hurt energy stocks. “It's a day of consolidation after we've had a very strong run,” an analyst says. The Dow was up 33.63 to 9,320.19, the S&P rose 3.02 to 1,005.65, and NASDAQ gained 2.70 to end at 2,011.31. More»