The Markets

There’s a run on the post office today as Americans snap up first class stamps before they cost a penny more on Monday, the Los Angeles Times reports. If the 42-cent price seems insignificant, just think of Netflix, which sends and receives nearly 2 million parcels a day, and pays both ways. More »

Stocks performed poorly today, battered by another new oil high and bad news from AIG and Citigroup, Bloomberg reports. The Dow lost 120.90 to end at 12,745.88, with a weekly loss of 2.4%. The S&P 500 shed 9.50 to 1,388.28, while the Nasdaq dropped 5.72 to settle at 2,445.52. More »

The markets achieved solid gains today as better-than-expected sales from big-box discount retailers encouraged investors worried over oil prices still in record territory, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow gained 52.43 to close at 12,866.78, while the Nasdaq rose 12.75 to 2,451.24. The S&P 500 rose 5.11, settling at 1,397.68. More »

Stocks zoomed downward today as oil topped $123 a barrel, hastening a sell-off by anxious investors. "You can still get a lot of nervousness when they see these daily moves in crude, along with follow-through in the stock market," an analyst tells the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 206.48 to 12,814.35, the Nasdaq 44.82 to 2,438.49, and the S&P 25.69 to 1,392.57. More »

Stocks rallied and recorded modest gains today after initially falling on on bad news from Fannie Mae. But analysts cautioned against excessive optimism. "The fact that we're not imploding doesn't me that we're OK," a strategist told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended up 51.29 at 13,020.83, the Nasdaq 19.19 at 2,483.31, and the S&P 500 10.77 at 1,418.26. More »

Stocks fell today as Yahoo shares plummeted 16% and crude prices jumped past $120 a barrel. "People have gotten in, but they don't want to be in a big way," a investment officer told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow fell 88.66 at 12,969.54, the Nasdaq 12.87 to 2,464.12, and the S&P 500 6.41 at 1,407.49. More »

The markets ended mixed today as a rally spurred by news of fewer April job losses than expected and the Fed's bank-liquidity expansion died down before the closing bell, MarketWatch reports. The Dow rose 48.20, closing at 13,058.20, and the S&P 500 gained 4.56 to end at 1,413.90. The Nasdaq fell 3.72, closing at 2,476.99. More »

Despite economic gloom spreading along Main Street, things on Wall Street are perking up, the New York Times reports—enough that analysts see a glimmer of hope for a turnaround beginning this year. The stock market rebounded almost 11% in recent weeks, junk bonds and other risky securities are rallying. More »

Stocks rallied today on strong performances by several big tech firms, MarketWatch reports. Investors also poured money into financials in anticipation of the dollar boost the Fed will cause by holding interest rates steady after yesterday’s cut. The Dow climbed 189.87 to at 13,010.00, the Nasdaq rose 67.91 to 2,480.71, and the S&P 500 jumped 23.72 to 2,480.71. More »

News of today's Fed interest-rate cut swept away a market rally, and stocks ended down. Language in the Fed statement indicating that further trims were unlikely spooked investors, the Wall Street Journal reports, though that news was expected. The Dow ended down 11.81 to 12,820.13; the Nasdaq was off 13.30 to 2,412.80; and the S&P down 5.35 to 1,385.59. More »

Stocks ended mixed but mostly down today as cautious investors digested bad economic news while the Fed met, presumably to discuss further rate cuts. "In many ways, the economy seems fundamentally weaker now" than during the last official recession in 2001, an economist told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 39.81 at 12,831.94, the Nasdaq up 1.70 at 2,426.10, and the S&P 500 down 5.43 at 1,390.94. More »

IBM raised its quarterly dividend for the thirteenth consecutive year today after posting strong Q1 earnings two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reports. The firm expects to pay $2.5 billion to shareholders this year after raising its dividend 25%, from 40 to 50 cents. IBM also expects to pass along another $12 billion to investors through stock buybacks. More »

Stocks ended mixed today as concerns that the Fed might not cut rates at this week's meeting overwhelmed earlier gains that followed announcements of big deals, reports the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 20.11 at 12,871.75, the Nasdaq up 1.47 at 2,424.40, and the S&P 500 down 1.47 at 1,396.37. More »

Stocks were mixed today as financials rallied but Microsoft dragged down the tech sector.  Nevertheless, all three major indexes recorded back-to-back weekly gains for the first time since February, Bloomberg reports. The Dow closed up 42.91 at 12,891.86, the Nasdaq dipped 5.99 to 2,422.93, and the S&P 500 rose 9.02 to 1.397.84. More »

Stocks rallied to solid gains today as good news from Merrill Lynch and better-than-expected jobless claims data overshadowed poor housing and durable-goods news, MarketWatch reports. The Dow gained 85.73 to close at 12,848.95, while the Nasdaq rose 23.71 to 2,428.92. The S&P 500 gained 8.89, ending at 1,388.82. More »

Treasury is putting its rebate money where its mouth is—ahead of schedule, Reuters reports, with the first wave of checks going out Monday. “We're a little bit ahead of schedule, so we will start right on Monday with direct deposits," Henry Paulson tells Reuters. The Treasury secretary is happy to get cash into Americans’ pockets a little quicker, in order to stave off worsening economic conditions. More »

Stocks ended slightly up today on mixed news, as techs did well but many financials struggled. "Tech is one of the few bright spots across a sluggish earnings quarter," a market strategist tells the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended up 42.99 to 12,763.22, the Nasdaq 28.27 to 2,405.21, and the S&P 4.04 to 1,379.98. More »

Stocks fell today as oil prices soared and the flow of disappointing earning reports continued. Texas Instruments and UnitedHealth were both hit hard. "We're likely to see stocks continuing to be under pressure," one researcher told Bloomberg. The Dow was down 104.79 to 12,720.23, the Nasdaq 31.10 to 2,376.94, and the S&P 500 12.23 to 1,375.94. More »

Stocks ended mostly down today after a poor quarterly report from Bank of America and spiking crude prices. "We got a reminder this morning that banks and financials are still digesting credit problems," an investment strategist told the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 24.34 at 12,825.02, the Nasdaq up 5.07 at 2,408.04, and the S&P 500 down 2.16 at 1,388.17. More »

A surprise hike in a widely used interest rate is expected to soon send many US borrowers reeling, the Wall Street Journal warns. The London interbank offered rate, a yardstick for financial instruments including resettable mortgages, jumped sharply yesterday. The increase, a signal that banks are becoming more cautious about lending, could affect $9 trillion in debt. More »