The Markets

The markets slid into negative territory after Ben Bernanke's Congressional testimony on the state of the economy today, but trading was generally low-key. "Flat is good," an economist told the Wall Street Journal . "People are getting their nerve back." The Dow ended down 45.44 at 12,608.92, the Nasdaq down 1.35 at 2,361.40, and the S&P 500 down 2.65 at 1,367.53. More »

The Dow leapt almost 400 points today, the best kickoff to a second quarter since 1938. Lehman Brothers and UBS announced plans to raise capital, cheering investors and convincing many that big banks can work through the credit crisis, Bloomberg reports. The Dow ended up 391.47 at 12,654.36, the Nasdaq 83.65 at 2,362.75, and the S&P 500 47.48 at 1,370.18. More »

Small banks, credit unions, states, and assorted politicians wasted no time ripping into the Bush administration’s plans to rework federal regulation of the financial industry, calling it an amateurish attempt by a “bunch of guys from Wall Street,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “It’s because none of those guys ever worked in a regulated, chartered bank," said one lobbyist for small banks. More »

Lehman Brothers is selling $3 billion in new shares to allay fears after its stock dropped 42% this year, Bloomberg reports. "We still maintain that we don't need capital, but we've realized that perception is the dominant issue in today's markets,'' said CFO Erin Callan. Lehman fell up to 48% this month on rumors that it lacked cash and faced a Bear Stearns-style meltdown. More »

The Treasury plan unveiled today will never rein in free-wheeling markets because it isn't intended to, Paul Krugman writes in the New York Times . President Bush, who for 7 years has slashed at regulations, ignores how well they harness deposit-taking banks. And he denies that "non-depository" banks like Bear Stearns need them too. More »

Stocks closed up today as the year's dismal first quarter came to an end. Lower oil prices, improved business activity and a favorable reaction to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's new regulation plan helped to boost the markets, Bloomberg reports. The Dow ended up 46.49 to 12,262.89, the Nasdaq rose 17.92 to 2,279.10, and the S&P 7.48 to 1,322.70. More »

Stocks erased morning gains on poor consumer spending news to wrap up today's session in negative territory. The Dow and the S&P 500 racked up weekly losses of 1.2% and 1.1%, Bloomberg reports. The Dow fell 86.38 today to close at 12,216.08. The Nasdaq fell 19.65 to 2,261.18, and the S&P 500 fell 10.54 to 1,315.22. More »

Stocks fell today amid a new wave of recession concerns, Bloomberg reports. A big drop by Citigroup led financials to their worst plunge in almost two weeks, and oil prices jumped back up after inventory showed supply unchanged from last week. The Dow ended down 109.74 to 12,422.86, the Nasdaq off 16.69 to 2,324.36, and the S&P 11.86 to 1,341.13. More »

Durable goods took an unexpected tumble in February, the Commerce Department announced today, with a 1.7% drop headlining a raft of bad economic news. Analysts expected a 0.8% increase. “Businesses definitely have shown they are beginning to retrench,” one analyst told Bloomberg. “Demand is weakening.” New-home sales, meanwhile, fell 1.8% to a 13-year low, despite a median-price drop to $244,100. More »

Markets took a breather today after several wild sessions and ended in mixed territory. Lousy news on consumer confidence and a big drop in home prices were balanced by surging commodity prices and Monsanto's stellar earnings report. The Dow ended down 16.04 at 12,532.60, the Nasdaq up 14.30 at 2,341.05, and the S&P 500 up 3.09 at 1,352.97. More »

Stocks ended up today, thanks to JPMorgan's increased bid for Bear Stearns and unexpectedly strong monthly home-sales data. Still, investors remained cautious, the Wall Street Journal reports. "Who knows if there's going to be another Bear Stearns out there?" an analyst asked. The Dow finished up 187.32 at 12,548.64, the Nasdaq 68.64 at 2,326.75, and the S&P 20.31 at 1,349.82. More »

The best way for the Fed to help reverse the sagging economy is for it to buy some of the $6 trillion in outstanding mortgage-backed securities that have Wall Street so nervous, investors say. The move would ease the credit crunch but put taxpayers at risk. It’s an option the Bush administration has been reluctant to take, reports Bloomberg. More »

The Big Board is closed today—but the reason is open to some debate, Bloomberg reports. The last time the markets opened on Good Friday was 101 years ago, when they saw one of two huge crashes that made up the Panic of 1907. Fear of repeating that catastrophe may be what keeps traders home, but it may also be the lasting influence of Irish Catholic execs. More »

Investment banks got a brief lift from Wall Street results this week, but surprising reports from Credit Suisse are likely to send their confidence back into the basement, the Financial Times reports. The Swiss firm issued an unexpected first-quarter profits warning yesterday—and said “intentional misconduct” from its own traders was partly to blame. Credit Suisse's shares took a 9% dive following the disclosure. More »

Stocks enjoyed a steady rally today off of surprisingly good manufacturing data and renewed investor confidence in Fannie and Freddie Mae, achieving the first weekly gain in a month, since the market is closed tomorrow, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow rose 261.66 points, ending at 12,361.32; the Nasdaq gained 48.15 points to 2,258.11; and the S&P 500 added 31.09 to close at 1,329.51. More »

Stocks slid fast today as commodity prices plunged. Investors rebalanced their portfolios after pumping cash into commodities such as gold and oil for insurance against seesawing stocks, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow ended down 293 points to 12,099.66, the Nasdaq 58.3 to 2,209.96, and the S&P 32.2 to 1,298.54. More »

The Federal Reserve's latest rate cut might boost the economy with cheaper credit, but economists worry a freed inflation genie could be behind any magic, the Washington Post reports. Commodity prices rose to record levels in expectation that the rate cut would keep demand high, and the price hikes are liable to soon filter down to the checkout line. More »

Visa pulled in almost $18 billion in its initial public offering yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The credit card company's IPO was the biggest by far in US history and the second biggest ever. The $44-per-share price investors paid was $2 higher than the company's highest estimate, and the price is expected to rise steeply when the shares hit the New York Stock Exchange this morning. More »

Stocks in Asia had their best day in a month as investors reacted to the Fed's 75-point rate cut and a top Chinese company announced higher-than-expected earnings. The Nikkei climbed 2.5%, with financial stocks leading gains, reports Bloomberg. Companies with substantial business in America also did well—Canon jumped 6.3%, Nintendo 5%—as the dollar made its biggest gain against the yen in almost a decade, pushing back above ¥100. More »

Stocks blasted off today, with the Dow up more than 400 points after the Fed rate cut and a rally by investment bank stocks. "The run on the investment banks would appear to be over,'' a strategist told Bloomberg. The Dow ended up 420.41 at 12,392.66, the Nasdaq up 91.25 at 2,268.26, and the S&P 500 up 54.14 at 1,330.71. More »