Dow Down 22; Stocks Gain for Week

(NEWSER) - Markets tacked on solid gains today, with the Dow and S&P 500 up for a third consecutive month, the Wall Street Journal reports. Oil was up to a 6-month-high, as were transport stocks on hopes of orders. “There are signs things are being transported,” a manager said. The Dow was up 96.53 to 8,500.33. The S&P gained 12.31 to 919.14. And the Nasdaq added 22.54, ending at 1,774.33. More»

Dow up 50

(NEWSER) - News of Osama bin Laden’s death cheered markets today, with the Dow gaining 50 points, and the S&P and Nasdaq rising 4 points and 8.5 points, respectively, Politico reports. Oil futures meanwhile, fell 2%, and the dollar rose. The gains followed similar increases in Japan and South Korea overnight. Click to read more . More»

Traders pessimistic about Google, IBM earnings

(NEWSER) - A rally in crude oil lifted shares of energy firms and saved stocks from a tech-driven slump. Oil rose $2.40 to $77.55 a barrel, boosting the likes of Chevron and Exxon. Google and IBM both saw losses as traders bet against the firms ahead of their third-quarter earnings reports. The Dow rose 47 points to close at 10,063. The Nasdaq added 1 point, settling at 2,173, and the S&P 500 gained 4 points to 1,096, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

Housing starts rise, but come in below expectations

(NEWSER) - Stocks posted small losses today as the modest rally of the last two weeks ran out of steam, the Wall Street Journal reports. Housing starts for August rose 1.5%, less than expected. FedEx shares dropped after the company reported a 53% drop in quarterly profit. The Dow fell 2 points to close at 9,790. The Nasdaq lost 6 points, settling at 2,127, and the S&P 500 dropped 3 points, to 1,065. More»

(NEWSER) - Stocks closed with modest advances on strong economic data and a drop in oil prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. Advances in second-quarter home prices and a boost in July consumer confidence propelled stock indices to new 2009 highs shortly after the open, but oil’s $2.32 drop moderated gains. The Dow gained 30 points to close at 9,539. The Nasdaq added 6 points, closing at 2,024, and the S&P 500 rose 2 points to close at 1,028. More»