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The major averages wrapped up a memorable year with a forgettable final session. The S&P 500 added 0.4%, extending its 2013 price return to 29.6%.Given its banner year, it was appropriate for the index to end 2013 at a fresh all-time high of 1848.35. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared... Read More
The S&P 500 ended flat after spending the entire session inside of a four-point range. The quiet trading day did little to upset the S&P 500’s return for the year as the index will enter tomorrow with a 29.1% year-to-date gain. Interestingly, while the S&P 500 was challenged by its... Read More
The major averages did little to distinguish themselves in the final session of the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 both ended flat while the Nasdaq underperformed, shedding 0.3%. Today’s trading range was limited to just five points in the S&P 500, but that masks the fact... Read More
Not much stood in the way of the major averages on Thursday as they continued their year-end rally. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.8%) logged its sixth consecutive gain while the S&P 500 (+0.5%) posted its fourth advance in a row. However, both ended the session at fresh record highs.br... Read More
Twas the night before Christmas so few joined the fray The lack of concerted leadership did its part, keeping both buyers and sellers at bay. The volume was light and trading ranges were tight In fact, the New York Stock Exchange had less than 300 million shares in its holiday... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their pre-market highs. The S&P 500 futures trade ten points above fair value. Also of note, Nasdaq futures trade 32 points above fair value as Apple (AAPL 568.38, +19.36) provides support after the company entered into a multi-year iPhone agreement with China Mobile (span... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold modest gains amid cautious overseas action. The S&P 500 futures trade less than one point above fair value. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei +0.1%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.3%, and China’s Shanghai Composite -2.0%. Economic data was limited: The Bank of... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold modest gains with the S&P 500 futures trading less than two points above fair value. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei +2.0%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +0.3%, and China’s Shanghai Composite -0.1%. Investors received several economic data points: China’s House Prices rose 9.9%... Read More
Equities spent the bulk of today’s session in the red, but afternoon buying interest helped the major averages end just below their respective flat lines. The S&P 500 shed 0.3% as eight of ten sectors registered losses. Meanwhile, the Dow (-0.1%) traded ahead of its peers all session long as... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.6%, snapping its four-day losing streak. Despite today’s gain, the benchmark index remains lower by 1.1% in December. The bulk of today’s advance occurred shortly after the open as the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 notched their highs during the initial 30 minutes. Small-caps... Read More
The stock market experienced a flat finish to an otherwise-forgettable week. The S&P 500 shed less than one point, maintaining its December loss of 1.7%. Small-caps outperformed as the Russell 2000 gained 0.4%, but the index remains lower by 3.1% this month. Equities registered opening gains, but the early strength... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade modestly lower amid cautious overseas action. The S&P 500 futures hover roughly two points below fair value. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended lower. China’s Shanghai Composite -0.1%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei -1.1%. In regional economic data: Japan’s weekly foreign bonds buying... Read More
Equity indices settled on their lows following a steady, session-long slide. Similar to yesterday, small-caps paced the retreat as the Russell 2000 fell 1.6%, extending its December loss to 3.6%. The S&P 500 settled lower by 1.1%, widening its month-to-date decline to 1.3%. There was no specific news catalyst behind... Read More
The major averages spent the entire session in a steady downtrend, but despite persistent selling pressure, today’s losses were limited in scope. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq shed between 0.2% and 0.3% while the Russell 2000 lagged, falling 0.9%. The underperformance of the Russell 2000 was likely owed in... Read More
There wasn’t a lot of excitement in the stock market today and there is nothing wrong with that. After rallying in broad-based fashion on Friday, the major indices stood their ground (for the most part) amid a lack of conviction from buyers and sellers alike. Today wasn’t a case so... Read More
U.S. equity futures are exhibiting a bullish bias ahead of the November employment report at 08:30 a.m. ET. The S&P futures are currently trading 0.4% above fair value, positioning the cash market for a noticeably higher start. Given the market-moving potential of the employment report, however, the current indication... Read More
U.S. equity futures are little changed ahead of a barrage of economic data that includes the initial claims and second estimate for Q3 GDP reports at 8:30 a.m. ET. Both the ECB and the Bank of England left their key lending rates unchanged at 0.25% and 0.50%,... Read More
The S&P 500 shed 0.1%, registering its fourth consecutive decline. Today’s session proved to be a bit of a roller coaster ride for stocks as the S&P 500 opened in the red, rallied into positive territory, fell to fresh lows, and regained the bulk of its losses into the close.... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their lows amid cautious overseas action. The S&P 500 futures trade lower by 0.3%. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.5%, Japan’s Nikkei +0.6%, and China’s Shanghai Composite +0.7%. Investors received a fair share of data: Japan’s monetary base rose... Read More
Equity indices finished the holiday-shortened session on a mixed note. The Nasdaq stayed true to a theme that has held throughout the week, finishing ahead of its peers. The tech-heavy index advanced 0.4%, extending its week-to-date gain to 1.7%. The S&P 500 shed 0.1%, but still managed to secure its... Read More
Equity indices finished the holiday-shortened session on a mixed note. The Nasdaq stayed true to a theme that has held throughout the week, finishing ahead of its peers. The tech-heavy index advanced 0.4%, extending its week-to-date gain to 1.7%. The S&P 500 shed 0.1%, but still managed to secure its... Read More
Equity indices posted modest gains with the Nasdaq (+0.7%) setting the pace for a second consecutive day. The tech-heavy index climbed steadily throughout the session, extending its week-to-date advance to 1.3%. The Nasdaq received support from many of its top components as Apple (AAPL 545.96, +12.56), Oracle (ORCL... Read More
The S&P 500 added less than a point while the Nasdaq outperformed with a gain of 0.6%. Stocks saw a brief dip during the opening hour, but the relative strength of the tech-heavy Nasdaq was enough to encourage the S&P 500’s deliberate, day-long climb. Similar to yesterday, a final-hour sell... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.8%, snapping its three-day losing streak. The tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed with an advance of 1.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.7%) registered its first close above the 16,000 level. Stocks climbed throughout the session with the Nasdaq bolstered by some of its recent... Read More
The S&P 500 futures trade one point below fair value amid cautious overseas action. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended on a mixed note. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +0.2%, China’s Shanghai Composite +0.6%, and Japan’s Nikkei -0.3%. In regional economic data: Japan’s trade deficit widened to JPY1.09 trillion... Read More
Equities posted modest losses, ending near their lows, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq shedding 0.4% to pace the decline. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.1%. Stocks displayed some strength during the opening hour as an early bid catapulted the Dow above the 16,000... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their pre-market highs amid generally upbeat overseas action. The S&P 500 futures trade higher by one point above fair value. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended mostly higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +2.7%, China’s Shanghai Composite +2.9%, and Japan’s Nikkei settled flat while USDJPY slipped... Read More
Equities registered modest gains as the S&P 500 added 0.4%, registering its sixth consecutive weekly gain. The benchmark index spent the bulk of today’s quiet session inside of a four-point range until the now-familiar final-hour rally sent the index to a fresh nominal record high of 1798.18. The Dow Jones... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.5%, extending this week’s advance to 1.1%. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq underperformed with a gain of 0.2% as Cisco Systems (CSCO 21.36, -2.63) weighed on the tech-heavy index. Shares of Cisco plunged 11.0% after the company reported below-consensus top-line results and said it expects second quarter... Read More
The major averages settled on their best levels of the session despite showing some early weakness. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% while the Nasdaq outperformed with an advance of 0.7%. Stocks began the session in the red as cautious action in Europe contributed to the lower open. Although European indices... Read More
The S&P 500 shed 0.2% after spending the entire session in negative territory. The index sold off steadily through the first four hours of action, but managed to regain most of its losses by the close. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq ended flat as the relative strength of technology (+0.3%) underpinned the... Read More
The S&P 500 added just over a point (+1.28) after spending the entire session inside of a five-point range. Excluding the first 30 minutes of action, the benchmark index was confined to a two-point range as many participants elected to sit today’s session out. With the bond market closed for... Read More
U.S. equity futures have slipped from their highs, but the S&P 500 futures continue to hover just above their flat line. Some additional volatility is expected around 8:30 ET when the October nonfarm payrolls report crosses the wires. The Briefing.com consensus expects the reading to come in at 100,000 while... Read More
The major averages ended on their lows after opening gains turned into broad-based losses. The S&P 500 fell 1.3% while the Nasdaq underperformed with a decline of 1.9%. Prior to the open, the European Central Bank cut its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.25% after recent data... Read More
The major averages registered broad gains at the open, but only the Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.8%) and S&P 500 (+0.4%) were able to end in positive territory while the Nasdaq (-0.2%) and Russell 2000 (-0.4%) posted modest losses. The Dow finished at a fresh record high of 15,746.63 as... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their lows amid cautious overseas action. The S&P 500 futures trade lower by 0.3%. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended on a mixed note. Japan’s Nikkei +0.2%, China’s Shanghai Composite +0.4%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.7%. In regional economic data: China’s HSBC... Read More
The major averages kicked off the new trading week with modest gains as the S&P 500 added 0.4%. The Russell 2000 (+1.1%) outperformed, but its relative strength came after the small cap index struggled to keep pace with the last week’s advance in the broader market. Outside of the notable... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold modest pre-market gains with the S&P 500 futures trading higher by 0.2%. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +0.2%, China’s Shanghai Composite +0.4%, and Japan’s Nikkei -0.9% as the yen endured a volatile session. USDJPY fell below 98.00 before climbing back above... Read More
Happy Halloween! U.S. equity futures sport modest losses with the S&P 500 futures trading just below fair value. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended lower. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.4%, China’s Shanghai Composite -0.9%, and Japan’s Nikkei -1.2%. In regional economic data: The Bank of Japan maintained its key interest rate... Read More
The S&P 500 registered its first decline in five sessions, losing 0.5%. Small caps faced additional selling pressure as the Russell 2000 fell 1.4%. Stocks held modest losses into the afternoon, but slid to fresh lows after the Federal Reserve released its latest policy directive, which was little changed from prior... Read More
The S&P 500 registered its fourth consecutive advance, climbing 0.6% to extend its October gain to 5.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.7%) outperformed the benchmark index while the Nasdaq (+0.3%) lagged after starting the session in-line with the S&P. The tech-heavy Nasdaq posted a modest advance of 0.3% after... Read More
The S&P 500 punctuated an uneventful session with a modest gain, adding 0.1% to extend its October advance to 4.8%. Stocks alternated between gains and losses through the first two hours of action before the S&P climbed to a fresh record high of 1764.99. Final-hour selling cut the S&P’s gain in... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade modestly higher. The Nasdaq futures lead with an advance of 0.8% versus fair value as shares of Amazon.com (AMZN 358.75, +26.54) contribute to the early strength. The online retail giant holds a pre-market gain of 8.0% after reporting top- and bottom-line results ahead of analyst... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold modest gains with the S&P 500 futures up 0.3%. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei +0.4%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.7%, and China’s Shanghai Composite -0.9%. In regional economic data: China’s HSBC Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.9 from 50.2 (50.5 expected).br... Read More
The major averages posted losses across the board as the Nasdaq (-0.7%) led to the downside. Stocks slumped at the open as cautious-sounding headlines from China combined with continued weakness among momentum names conspired to keep equities in the red throughout the session. Reports out of the Middle Kingdom suggested the largest... Read More
The major averages finished today’s uneventful session near their flat lines as the S&P 500 ended flat while the Nasdaq added 0.2%. The outperformance of the Nasdaq resulted from the relative strength of the technology sector (+0.5%), which was the leading cyclical group of the session. Top component, Apple (AAPL... Read More
The S&P 500 registered its third consecutive gain, rising 0.7% to extend its weekly advance to 2.4%. However, the Nasdaq (+1.3%) was today’s standout as Google (GOOG 1011.41, +122.61) made a significant contribution to the relative strength of the tech-heavy index. Shares of Google surged 13.8% after the company... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover in the red with the S&P 500 futures off 0.1%. Meanwhile, Dow futures trade lower by 0.4% as Goldman Sachs (GS 158.31, -3.94) and IBM (IBM 173.28, -13.35) weigh. The two top-weighted index components reported bottom-line beats, but both reported significant revenue misses. Goldman... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 1.4% with participants rushing into equities as Washington lawmakers appeared to be on the verge of striking a deal that would fund the government through January 15 while extending the debt ceiling until February 7, and maintaining the sequester. Stocks registered opening gains after it... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade modestly lower with the S&P 500 futures off 0.1%. Overnight, Senators Reid and McConnell continued working on a deal to avoid breaching the debt ceiling and putting an end to the partial government shutdown. Although a final agreement is not yet in place, reports from Washington... Read More
Once again, equity indices posted modest gains even as the agreement to end the partial government shutdown and extend the debt ceiling remained elusive. The S&P 500 added 0.4%, extending its year-to-date gain to 19.9%. Stocks slumped at the open after the weekend ended without any concrete progress in Washington.... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.6% to extend its weekly gain to 0.8%. The Nasdaq outperformed with an advance of 0.8%, but finished the week with a loss of 0.4%. Stocks climbed amid morning reports indicating a new proposal has been put forth by Republicans that would end the government shutdown... Read More
The S&P 500 jumped 2.2%, turning its October loss into a gain of 0.7%. The Nasdaq outperformed, advancing 2.3%, but the tech-heavy index remains lower by 0.3% for the month. Equities registered the bulk of their gains at the open amid indications the budget stalemate may be getting a bit closer... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.1%, but was unable to regain its 100-day moving average (1,662) after flirting with that level throughout the afternoon. The tech-heavy Nasdaq underperformed throughout the session, sliding 0.5%. Equities began the session with slim gains amid reports President Obama was set to nominate Janet Yellen as the... Read More
It was day eight of the partial government shutdown and it was day two this week in which the major indices fell victim to broad-based selling interest. Once again, the budget/debt ceiling impasse in Washington was largely to blame. The Nasdaq Composite was the biggest loser today, sliding 2.0% on the... Read More
It was a poor start to the week for the equity market and the same thing could be said for politics in Washington. The two were inextricably linked today as stock market participants were put off by some revelations from House Speaker Boehner over the weekend that made it sound... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold modest gains with the S&P 500 futures up 0.2%. Reviewing overnight developments: In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.3%, Japan’s Nikkei -0.9%, and China’s Shanghai Composite was closed for Golden Week. Regional economic data was limited: The Bank of Japan maintained its policy stance, leaving its... Read More
The S&P 500 fell 0.9% as the government shutdown continued for the third day without any strong indications a resolution to the stalemate may be on the horizon. Even though stocks appeared largely unconcerned during the first two days of the shutdown, today’s session featured a reminder from the Treasury,... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their lows with the S&P 500 futures down 0.5% as the government shutdown enters its second day. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended mixed. Japan’s Nikkei -2.2%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng +0.6%, and China’s Shanghai Composite remained closed for the Golden Week. In regional economic data:... Read More
The S&P 500 kicked off the fourth quarter on an upbeat note, climbing 0.8%. Stocks made the bulk of their advance during the opening 90 minutes before spending most of the afternoon near their highs. Late afternoon trade saw some profit-taking, but a final-minute surge sent the indices back to... Read More
The S&P 500 fell 0.6% in the final session of the third quarter, trimming its quarterly advance to 4.7%. Stocks stumbled out of the gate as political uncertainty in Washington and Italy caused participants to reduce their risk exposure. In Washington, the federal government is on track to shut down at midnight... Read More
Equities ended the week on a lower note with the S&P 500 shedding 0.4%. The index widened its loss for the week to 1.1% as participants exhibited caution ahead of the weekend given the uncertainty associated with the ongoing budget showdown. Earlier today, the Senate passed a funding bill that would... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.4%, snapping its five-day losing streak that saw the index surrender almost 2.0%. Although the benchmark average settled in the green, it was unable to maintain all of its early gain or register a close above the 1,700 level. In general, some of today’s price action resembled... Read More
The S&P 500 shed 0.3%, extending its losing streak to five sessions. Including today’s decline, the benchmark index has surrendered 1.9% since last Thursday. Stocks endured a sloppy session as the S&P made two unsuccessful attempts at holding the 1,700 level. After opening just above its flat line, the S&P 500... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.3%, registering its fourth consecutive loss. Small caps outperformed the benchmark average as the Russell 2000 added 0.2%. Stocks slipped during the opening hour in reaction to a below-consensus consumer confidence report for September. Gains in the stock market were unable to thwart pessimism in... Read More
The major averages began the week on a lower note as the S&P 500 shed 0.5%. Stocks spent the first half of the session in a steady retreat, but managed to regain a portion of their losses during afternoon action. Seven of ten sectors finished in the red while technology (+0.3%),... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.7%, but managed to end the week with a solid gain of 1.3%. The major indices spent the entire session in a steady retreat off their opening levels with industrials and materials leading to the downside. Sellers remained in control throughout the day amid divisive... Read More
Equity futures point to modest gains at the open as the bulls look for follow through buying after yesterday’s foray into record territory. However, current levels may prove problematic, at least for the near-term, as trade tests trendline resistance that dates back to November 2008. Data out this morning was... Read More
U.S. futures suggest little change at the open as traders await today’s highly anticipated FOMC decision. Most participants believe an announcement of Fed tapering is a foregone conclusion, but are unsure as to the size and whether or not it will occur in Treasuries, MBS, or both. Yesterday’s... Read More
There wasn’t much to be said about the trading action in the stock market on Tuesday because there wasn’t a whole lot of trading action. Volume at the NYSE totaled a piddly 577 mln shares versus an average of 661 mln shares. The light volume reflected a wait-and-see mindset... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.6% after a pair of weekend headlines provided an opening boost to equities. Stocks began the session sharply higher after Larry Summers, who was thought to be the hawkish frontrunner, withdrew his name from consideration to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve. In addition, news... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.3% to extend its weekly gain to 2.0%. Today’s session was very quiet as participants displayed tepid demand for equities ahead of next week’s highly-anticipated FOMC meeting where a tapering announcement may occur. Excluding a brief dip during the opening hour, the major averages were confined... Read More
The S&P 500 registered its first September decline, shedding 0.3% as nine of ten sectors ended in the red. After posting gains in each of the past seven sessions, several of this month’s top performers fell victim to some profit-taking. Financials, industrials, and materials led to the downside with losses ranging... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their lows despite generally upbeat overseas trade. The S&P 500 futures are lower by 0.1% while Nasdaq futures trade down 0.4% as Apple (AAPL 476.80, -17.84) weighs. The largest tech stock trades lower by 3.6% after the company’s product refresh event did not reveal... Read More
The S&P 500 climbed 0.7% as all ten sectors settled in positive territory. Stocks registered the bulk of their gains during the opening hour after upbeat economic data from China combined with Syria’s agreement to put its chemical weapons under international control lured participants into equities. In addition to sparking a risk... Read More
Equity futures points to slim gains at the open as the S&P 500 looks for its seventh gain in the past eight sessions. Friday’s session was bookended by the 50- (1665) and 100-day (1642) moving averages so traders will be watching those levels closely. It was a sea of green across... Read More
The S&P 500 eked out the slimmest of gains (+0.09 point) to register its fourth consecutive advance, maintaining its September advance at 1.4%. Prior to the opening bell, it was reported that August nonfarm payrolls increased by 169,000, which was below the 177,000 expected by the Briefing.com consensus. Private payrolls... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.8%, regaining its 100-day moving average (1640/1641) shortly after the open. The Dow and S&P started the session by chopping around their respective flat lines before the two indices began tracking the Nasdaq, which outperformed with a gain of 1.0%. This morning, reports from Fox... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.4% after intraday weakness pressured the benchmark index below its 100-day moving average. Equities displayed broad strength at the open after global indices rallied yesterday while U.S. markets were closed for Labor Day. The early gains did not hold past the initial two hours as late-morning... Read More
The major averages ended August on a lower note as the S&P 500 shed 0.3% while the Nasdaq fell 0.8%. Small caps endured a rough session with the Russell 2000 falling 1.6%. With the Labor Day weekend ahead and the likelihood of military action in Syria also looming, participation was very... Read More
The S&P 500 added 0.2% as eight of ten sectors posted gains. The session kicked off on a lower note, but still managed to finish in positive territory despite an afternoon stumble. Prior to the open, investors received the news that second quarter GDP was revised up to 2.5% from... Read More
Equity futures suggest a flat open as bulls look to end the modest two-day skid. Yesterday’s weakness dropped the S&P 500 below its its 100-day moving average (1638), and bulls will surely look to retake that level over the next couple of days. However, the potential conflict with Syria poses... Read More
The major averages settled on their lows after broad-based selling persisted throughout the session. Sellers were in control, reacting to the increased likelihood of U.S. military involvement in Syria. In addition, investors exhibited caution amid news indicating the debt ceiling will be reached in mid-October and that Congress has yet to... Read More
Equities ended on their lows as the S&P 500 shed 0.4% while the Nasdaq settled flat. The major averages held modest gains into the final hour of the session when comments from Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the situation in Syria contributed to broad-based selling. Mr. Kerry said additional information... Read More
U.S. equity futures hold slim gains with the S&P 500 futures up 0.1%. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended on a mixed note. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng -0.2%, China’s Shanghai Composite -0.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei +2.2% as USDJPY climbed to test the 99.00 level. Economic data was limited to just... Read More
The major averages registered gains across the board, but a three-hour halt of all Nasdaq-listed issues prevented normal trading from taking place throughout the afternoon. Stocks climbed out of the gate after upbeat survey data from China and the eurozone reassured investors. China’s HSBC Manufacturing PMI jumped to 50.1... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.4% to snap its streak of four consecutive losses. Small caps outperformed as the Russell 2000 rose 1.5% after registering five declines in a row. Unaffected by another round of losses across emerging markets, stocks climbed at the open, but gains were limited as the... Read More
Today marked the beginning of a new week for the stock market, yet the story played out much the same way it did last week. Long-term rates continued to rise, the stock market continued to sink, and trading volume remained light. The major averages were mixed and little changed for much... Read More
The stock market fluttered on Friday, trying to bounce back from Thursday’s drubbing while at the same time contending with a further rise in the 10-yr note yield, which hit 2.86% at its highest level of the day. The latter got in the way of rebound efforts as the major... Read More
Equity futures point to a heavy open as last night’s disappointing guidance from CSCO weighed early, and this morning’s data ignited another wavwe of selling. The downbeat guidance from CSCO casts a shadow on on the prospects of a pickup in the second half of the year, and... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.5% after broad-based selling persisted throughout the session. Equities were confined to a downtrend from the open, and even the news of the first expansionary eurozone GDP reading in 18 months could not spark a bid. Nine of ten sectors registered losses while technology posted... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.3% despite enduring some early weakness. Stocks slipped out of the gate after this morning’s Treasury selloff in reaction to July retail sales suggested the market believes the report strengthened the case for the Fed to start scaling back its asset purchases at the September... Read More
Equities ended today’s quiet session on a mixed note as the S&P 500 shed 0.1% while the Nasdaq added 0.3%. Stocks began in the red after Japan’s second quarter GDP report (0.6% actual, 0.9% forecast) missed expectations. Another piece of news out of Asia indicated the People’s Bank of China... Read More
The major averages ended a down week on a lower note as the S&P 500 shed 0.4% to widen this week’s loss to 1.1%. Shortly after opening in the red, the benchmark index briefly turned positive, but just like yesterday, it was unable to make a sustained move above the... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.4% despite enduring a first-hour selloff. Equities began the session with modest gains after upbeat data from China helped ease some concerns regarding the pace of global growth. The Middle Kingdom reported an increase in exports (+5.1% actual, +3.0% expected) and imports (+10.9% actual, +2.1%... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.4% to register its third consecutive decline. The benchmark index fell to its lows during the first hour of action before spending the remainder of the session in a slow climb. Stocks sold off at the open after Asian indices endured a downbeat session with... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.6% as all ten sectors registered losses. Stocks slipped out of the gate after today’s better-than-expected economic data was unable to spark an opening bid. The June trade deficit narrowed to $34.2 billion from May’s downwardly revised $44.1 billion (from $45.0 billion). That was the smallest... Read More
The S&P 500 ended today’s quiet session modestly lower with eight of ten sectors settling in the red. Stocks slipped out of the gate after better-than-expected economic data from China and Great Britain was unable to spark an early bid. In China, the Non-Manufacturing PMI rose to 54.1 from... Read More
The S&P 500 ended today’s session with a modest gain of 0.2% after spending the entire day in a slow climb off its opening lows. The opening slip took place as investors reacted to a weaker-than-expected July jobs report. Nonfarm payrolls added 162,000 jobs after adding a downwardly revised 188,000... Read More
The major averages settled near their highs as better-than-expected Manufacturing PMI data out of China (50.3 actual, 49.9 expected), the eurozone (50.3 actual, 50.1 expected), and the U.S. (53.7 actual, 53.1 expected) helped entice investors into bidding up global equities. The S&P 500 jumped above 1,700, a level the... Read More
The S&P 500 settled flat after being unable to clear the 1,700 level, which has presented stern resistance over the past few sessions. Stocks held slim gains into the afternoon when the latest policy directive from the Federal Open Market Committee sent the Nasdaq and S&P 500 to fresh highs.... Read More
The S&P 500 ended little changed while the Nasdaq advanced 0.5%. The S&P notched its high at the open before spending the rest of the session in a steady retreat. The selling intensified during afternoon action, sending the S&P into the red as participants displayed caution ahead of tomorrow’s advance... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.4% as seven of ten sectors registered losses. Equities began the session in negative territory after the third consecutive decline in Japan’s Nikkei contributed to the cautious sentiment. With few earnings of note and no market-moving economic data, the session proved to be relatively... Read More
It was a tough start to the day, but an otherwise smooth end as the major indices overcame large losses early to end the session little changed but in positive territory. A 3% decline in the Nikkei set the tone for a negative beginning, as did a series of mixed earnings... Read More
U.S. equity futures are trading higher again this morning, with positive responses to earnings reports helping the tone. AAPL headlined last night’s earnings, and the stock is +4.2% as earnings and revenue/margin guidance surpassed low expectations. This is helping Nasdaq futures (+1.0%) outperform the broader market (S&P futures... Read More
The major averages ended in mixed fashion as the Dow Jones added 0.1% and the S&P 500 shed 0.2%. The Dow outperformed the broader market as the relative strength of United Technologies (UTX 105.16, +3.05) provided the price-weighted index with enough support to keep it in positive territory throughout the... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session with modest gains. The Dow added less than two points while the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to mark its twelfth advance in thirteen sessions. Last week, the first round of second quarter earnings brought a fair share of top line misses. This week started on... Read More
Today’s session featured disappointing earnings from technology heavyweights, Google (GOOG 896.60, -14.08) and Microsoft (MSFT 31.40, -4.04), but that could have gone unnoticed if someone were to only focus on the performance of the S&P 500, which ended with a slim gain of 0.2%, notching a new record... Read More
The S&P 500 settled with a gain of 0.5% after notching a fresh intraday record high of 1693.13. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq underperformed, ending unchanged. Equities climbed at the open and received an additional boost after the July Philadelphia Fed Index, which is a survey of regional manufacturing conditions, spiked... Read More
U.S. equity futures are little changed after climbing out of the red. The S&P 500 futures are holding their flat line. Market participants are anticipating today’s testimony by Ben Bernanke in front of the House Financial Services Committee. Mr. Bernanke’s prepared remarks are set to be released at 8:30 ET... Read More
The S&P 500 ended lower by 0.4% to snap its streak of eight consecutive gains. Today’s decline marked only the third time this month where the S&P registered a loss, and first with a decline of more than one point. Heavily-weighted sectors, including financials and health care, pressured the broader market... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.1% to mark its eight consecutive advance. The utilities sector ended atop today’s leaderboard with a gain of 1.6%, but the relative strength of three influential sectors (financials, industrials, and technology) helped the S&P end at a fresh record high of 1682.50, less than... Read More
The major averages registered gains after a final hour rally pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their highs. For its part, the Dow ended flat. Quarterly earnings were in focus this morning after JPMorgan Chase (JPM 54.97, -0.17) and Wells Fargo (WFC 42.63, +0.74) announced their results.... Read More
The major averages saw gains between 1.1% and 1.6% with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 closing at fresh record highs. Equities registered the bulk of their advance at the open after yesterday’s comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke created some push back against the idea the Fed may begin... Read More
The major averages ended in mixed fashion as the Dow shed 0.1% while the Nasdaq added 0.5%. For its part, the S&P 500 ended flat. Equities held their levels into the afternoon as market participants awaited the Minutes from the June 18/19 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. Most notably,... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.7% after seeing steady buying over the course of the session. Growth-oriented groups paced today’s advance even after the International Monetary Fund cut its 2013 global growth outlook to 3.1% from 3.3%. The materials sector gained 1.6% as steelmakers and gold miners outperformed. The Market... Read More
U.S. equity futures are continuing higher this morning, with S&P futures +8 following a mixed performance overseas. The Asian session started off strong, but a couple of uninspiring Chinese growth outlooks turned sentiment negative in the region. First, the Securities Journal thinks Q2 GDP could come in around +7.5%,... Read More
The major averages entered the weekend on a positive note. The S&P 500 settled higher by 1.0% as nine of ten sectors posted gains. Equities opened in the green after the June nonfarm payrolls report handily beat expectations (195K actual, 166K Briefing.com consensus). However, the details of the report took some... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade in the red with the S&P 500 futures down 0.5%. The overnight weakness follows developments in Portugal where two key government figures (finance minister and foreign minister) have submitted their resignations. In addition, reports indicate two more ministers (agriculture and social security) are set to resign.... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.1% after recovering a portion of its losses into the close. Equities saw little change at the start of today’s session after index futures surrendered their pre-market gains just ahead of the opening bell. The decline in futures coincided with euro weakness after reports indicated... Read More
The S&P 500 advanced 0.5% to begin the third quarter on an upbeat note. Although the S&P registered a solid gain, the index closed almost 12 points below its session high after being rejected by its 20- and 50-day moving averages. Stocks climbed at the open, taking a cue from gains... Read More
Stocks concluded their down week on a lower note as the S&P 500 shed 0.4%. Equities slipped out of the gate amid weakness in Treasuries. The 10-yr note sold off into the cash session open before erasing most of its losses. The benchmark 10-yr yield ended higher by two basis points... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their pre-market highs with the S&P 500 futures up 0.5%. Reviewing overseas developments: Asian markets ended on a mixed note. China’s Shanghai Composite shed 0.1% while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.5%, and Japan’s Nikkei jumped 3.0%. In regional economic data: Japan continued to be a net seller of... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 1.0% as all ten sectors registered gains. Equities began the session on an upbeat note despite today’s disappointing economic news, which indicated first quarter GDP growth was revised down with the third estimate to 1.8% from 2.4%. Typically, revisions to GDP in the... Read More
Equities settled near their highs, but came up a bit short in their attempt to erase yesterday’s losses. The S&P 500 climbed 1.0% as all ten sectors ended with gains. The majority of today’s advance occurred in the first 90 minutes of the session amid a global rebound. Notably, China’s Shanghai... Read More
The stock market began the week on a fitful note as rising interest rates at home and falling equity markets abroad conspired to keep the major averages in negative territory throughout today’s trading. The focal points on those fronts were the 10-yr note yield, which spiked to 2.66% in early... Read More
Stocks End Down Week on a Mixed Note The major averages ended on a mixed note as the S&P 500 added 0.3% while Nasdaq shed 0.2%. Technology stocks lagged from the opening bell with Oracle (ORCL 30.14, -3.07) contributing to the underperformance. Shares of the software company fell 9.3%... Read More
The major averages ended in the red after early gains evaporated during the opening hour amid a confluence of factors. Yesterday, the S&P 500 bounced off its 50-day moving average, but today’s session saw the index get rejected by its 20-day average in the 1642 area. In addition, two heavily-weighted... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade with modest losses amid cautious overseas action. The S&P 500 futures are lower by 0.2%. Reviewing overnight developments: Asian markets ended broadly lower. Japan’s Nikkei fell 6.4%, China’s Shanghai Composite tumbled 2.7%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 2.2%. In regional economic data: Japan continued to be a net seller... Read More
Equity futures point to strong gains at the open as the bulls look to recover yesterday’s losses. Overnight, Japan’s Nikkei (-0.2%) slipped back below the 13,000 mark before regaining the bulk of its losses amid a volatile session. Elsewhere, Australia’s ASX (-0.7%) slipped into correction territory for the first... Read More
U.S. equity futures hover near their pre-market lows amid downbeat overseas trade. The S&P 500 futures trade lower by 0.9% with the overnight weakness coming after the conclusion of the Bank of Japan’s most recent policy meeting where the central bank elected to keep its policy stance unchanged. Investors reacted... Read More
Unlike Friday, the stock market didn’t provide a lot of trading excitement today. The major indices spent time on either side of the unchanged mark, but were never able to achieve a good deal of separation either way as buyers and sellers alike lacked conviction. There was some initial excitement when... Read More
Equity indices entered the weekend on an upbeat note as the S&P 500 settled higher by 1.3%, ending just three points below its 20-day moving average. Stocks spent the bulk of today’s session near their highs after receiving a pre-market boost from the nonfarm payrolls report. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 175,000 jobs... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.9% despite having to endure early weakness. The benchmark average spent the first half of today’s session attempting to climb above yesterday’s afternoon highs. However, the index was unable to clear those levels as its fourth attempt was followed by a steep slide to session... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 1.4% after steady selling persisted throughout the session. Today’s loss came on the heels of yesterday’s weakness and the continued decline caused the benchmark average to slide more than 2.0% below Tuesday’s high. All ten sectors ended in the red as declining issues outpaced advancers by... Read More
The major averages ended with modest losses as the S&P 500 shed 0.6%. Equities opened the session on an upbeat note as the Dow Jones Industrial Average appeared poised for its 21st consecutive Tuesday of gains. However, that changed midway through the trading day when the major averages dipped into the... Read More
The major averages registered modest gains with the Dow Jones Industrial Average leading the way, adding 0.8%. The Nasdaq eked out a gain of 0.2% while the S&P 500 climbed 0.5%. After showing little change in the opening minutes of today’s session, the three indices jumped to their highs in the... Read More
The major averages ended on their lows as afternoon selling caused the S&P 500 to settle lower by 1.4%. Equities saw losses in the opening minutes of the session as cautious overseas action kept buyers at bay. Contributing to the overseas softness was chatter questioning the strength of tonight’s manufacturing span... Read More
The major averages settled with modest gains as late afternoon selling took hold following a headline from Nikkei news, indicating Japan plans to impose new foreign exchange margin trading rules. The news caused dollar/yen to slip into the red while also weighing on equities. Six of ten sectors ended in the... Read More
The major averages settled with modest losses as the S&P 500 shed 0.7%. Equities slipped out of the gate as sellers drove the major averages to their lows 90 minutes into the session. This marked the return of bargain hunters, who helped the S&P return to its opening levels. However, the... Read More
The major averages ended with solid gains as the Dow Jones Industrial Average logged its 20th consecutive advance on a Tuesday. Equities surged out of the gate, but the early enthusiasm faded an hour into the session when the major averages notched their highs, and began their retreat towards Friday’s closing... Read More
Stocks entered the weekend on a mixed note as the S&P 500 shed 0.1% while the Dow ended with a gain of 0.1%. The major averages began the day on a lower note as nine of ten sectors saw losses of more than 0.5%. The consumer staples sector... Read More
The major averages ended modestly lower with the S&P 500 shedding 0.3%. The benchmark average saw an opening loss of 1.2% after Japan’s Nikkei tumbled 7.3%. Japanese stocks sold off amid continued volatility in Japanese Government Bond futures as the 10-yr yield spiked almost 16 basis points to 1.002 before... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.8% after early strength turned into afternoon weakness. Today’s headline event came in the form of Ben Bernanke’s testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. During his remarks, Chairman Bernanke said premature tightening of monetary policy could stall the pace of recovery. This followed weeks of... Read More
Stocks ended modestly higher as the S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, and the Dow added 0.4% to register its 19th consecutive Tuesday of gains. The major averages saw little change during morning action, but afternoon buying interest helped lift the indices to session highs. Most cyclical sectors (with the exception of materials... Read More
The Russell 2000 crossed the 1,000 level for the first time ever today and the S&P 500 established a new all-time, intraday high. Those were some of the more memorable highlights of what was an otherwise nondescript day of trading. By and large, there just wasn’t a lot of conviction on... Read More
The S&P 500 ended this week with a bang, roaring to a new all-time high on the back of stronger-than-expected economic data, influential leadership, and an ongoing appreciation for the Fed’s monetary policy support. The bullish bias was evident in premarket action as the S&P futures pointed to a higher... Read More
The major averages settled in the red as the S&P 500 lost 0.5% while Nasdaq shed 0.2%. The three indices hovered near their respective flat lines for the majority of the day before sellers emerged in the afternoon, and drove equities to their first loss in five days. Nine of ten sectors... Read More
The major averages settled with modest gains despite an afternoon stumble. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to bring its week-to-date gain to 1.5%. Equities opened in the red as domestic and foreign economic data reminded investors of a cloudy growth picture. However, the opening strength of defensive sectors quickly overshadowed the... Read More
The major averages ended near their highs as the S&P 500 rose 1.0%. Prior to the open, equity futures suggested slim losses at the start of the session. However, futures climbed off their lows as fund manager David Tepper shared his bullish viewpoint during a morning appearance on CNBC. When the... Read More
Equities ended the day little changed as the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.2% while the Nasdaq added 0.1%. The S&P 500, for its part, ended flat. Stocks registered losses at the open as Thursday’s afternoon rumor turned into a Friday evening headline. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Federal... Read More
After enduring a choppy session, the S&P 500 settled higher by 0.4% to end the week with a gain of 1.2%. The Nasdaq outperformed the benchmark average throughout the day as the tech-heavy index advanced 0.8%. The outperformance of the Nasdaq was largely due to the relative strength of biotech as... Read More
U.S. equity futures trade lower amid cautious overseas trade. The S&P 500 futures are off by 0.1%. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended with modest losses as Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.1%, China’s Shanghai Composite declined 0.6%, and Japan’s Nikkei lost 0.7%. In regional economic data: The Bank of Korea cut its... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.4% to register its fifth consecutive gain. That streak appeared to be in jeopardy when stocks began the session on a lower note. However, the three-point slip at the open was enough to entice bargain hunters who sent the benchmark average to a fresh record... Read More
Equities settled with modest gains as the S&P 500 rose 0.5% to close at a new all-time high while the Dow notched its first close above 15,000. Similar to yesterday, earnings shaped the early price action in the absence of notable economic data. The energy sector charged out of the gate as... Read More
The major averages ended on a mixed note as the S&P 500 rose 0.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed five points. With no economic news of note and two major foreign markets closed (Japan and the United Kingdom), investors reacted to quarterly earnings. The now-familiar pattern of anemic top-line growth... Read More
The major averages registered strong gains as the April jobs report boosted stocks at the open. The S&P 500 jumped 1.0% and notched a fresh record close at 1,614.40 while the Dow added 0.9% after peeking above 15,000 in morning action. On the surface, the employment report for April looked... Read More
Stocks surged as the S&P 500 erased all of yesterday’s losses. The benchmark average rose 0.9% while the Nasdaq outperformed with a gain of 1.3%. In addition to earnings reaction, investors welcomed further easing from the European Central Bank as the ECB cut its key interest rate by 25 basis... Read More
Equities ended today’s session on their lows as global growth concerns reemerged. The three major indices all lost 0.9%, but the underperformance of small cap stocks was notable as the Russell 2000 slid 2.5%. Although most markets across the globe were closed in observance of Labor Day, some countries continued reporting... Read More
Equities ended today’s session on a modestly higher note as the Nasdaq rose 0.7% and the S&P 500 added 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, for its part, tacked on 0.1%. The major averages spent the day climbing off their lows after it was revealed that manufacturing activity in the Chicago... Read More
Today proved to be a one-sided affair as equities climbed throughout the session. As a result, the S&P 500 settled higher by 0.7% to notch a fresh record close while the Nasdaq rose 0.9%. The Nasdaq displayed relative strength from the onset as technology stocks paced today’s advance. Major sector components... Read More
The major averages entered the weekend on a mixed note as the S&P 500 slipped 0.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%. The final session of the week began on a cautious note as downbeat overseas trade and mixed corporate earnings pressured equity futures. In addition, a disappointing first... Read More
Equity futures point to solid gains at the open as global equity markets continue their advance. The market seems to be able to shrug off a growing number of revenue misses as top line numbers are still coming in ahead of expectations. Economic data out this morning showed both initial... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session on a mixed note. The Dow shed 0.3% while Nasdaq and S&P 500 ended flat. Defensively-oriented groups were among the leaders of the first-quarter market rally. Today, however, three defensive sectors finished firmly lower after top-line results from major components failed to justify the considerable... Read More
Equities settled with strong gains as the S&P 500 climbed 1.0%. Although stocks ended near their highs, an afternoon headline from a hacked Twitter account of the Associated Press suggested two explosions occurred at the White House, sending the S&P lower by 15 points and back to its flat line before... Read More
The S&P 500 ended higher by 0.5% despite enduring some intraday weakness while the Dow added 0.1%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.9%. Technology stocks led from the start with Microsoft (MSFT 30.83, +1.06) providing considerable support after ValueAct announced a $2 billion stake in the software company. Other tech... Read More
The major averages entered the weekend on a mixed note. The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.9% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended with a slim gain of 0.1%. The 30-stock Dow trailed behind the broader market as General Electric (GE 21.75, -0.92), McDonald’s (MCD 99.92, -1.99), and International... Read More
The major averages followed yesterday’s decline with another round of selling. The S&P 500 shed 0.7% while Nasdaq lost 1.2%. Interestingly, the S&P 500 closed below its 50-day average for the first time this year. The Nasdaq underperformed as technology stocks displayed broad weakness. The largest tech stock, Apple (AAPL... Read More
After yesterday’s session saw the S&P 500 log its second-largest one-day advance of the year, today’s action was dictated by the sellers. The S&P fell 1.4% as all ten sectors ended in the red. There was no single catalyst responsible for today’s decline. Instead, persistent global growth concerns coupled with rumors... Read More
Equities climbed steadily throughout the day, and the S&P 500 ended higher by 1.4%. For the most part, today’s session served as a rebound from yesterday’s broad-based selling. All ten economic sectors settled in the black, and nine groups ended with gains of at least 1.0%. The materials sector, which lost nearly... Read More
Equities sold off steadily throughout today’s session, and the S&P 500 ended lower by 2.3%. The major averages were pressured from the opening bell as global growth concerns returned to the forefront. In China, first quarter GDP rose 7.7%, which was below the expected growth of 8.0%. The disappointing report... Read More
After logging four consecutive gains, the S&P 500 entered the weekend on a lower note. The benchmark average shed 0.3% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended flat. Equities ended lower as two economically-sensitive sectors pressured the broader market. The notable underperformance of energy and materials was largely due to the... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.4% after spending the bulk of today’s action in the black while the tech-heavy Nasdaq ended flat. The technology sector was under pressure after the International Data Corporation indicated first-quarter PC shipments plunged 14%. This marked the largest decline on record since IDC began... Read More
After alternating between gains and losses for 14 straight sessions, the S&P 500 has pulled a hat trick this week. It has now scored gains in every session this week and, boy, the third time was a charm. The market rallied sharply, bolstered by its confidence in the support of... Read More
Stocks settled just off their best levels of the session with the S&P 500 gaining 0.4%. After opening on a higher note, equities alternated between gains and losses until afternoon action sent the major indices to their highs. As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a new record high... Read More
Equities spent the bulk of today’s session in negative territory before afternoon buying lifted the major averages out of the red. As a result, the S&P 500 settled higher by 0.6%. Although stocks finished with gains, leadership was mixed, suggesting a certain level of indecision was present among market participants. Both... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session with modest losses. The S&P 500 shed 0.4% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.7%. The bulk of today’s selling occurred at the open as three points of concern sent investors in search of safety. Headlines from Asia indicated North Korea has not toned down its... Read More
April 5, 2013 The major averages ended today’s session with modest losses. The S&P 500 shed 0.4% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.7%. The bulk of today’s selling occurred at the open as three points of concern sent investors in search of safety. Headlines from Asia indicated North Korea has... Read More
U.S. equity futures have slid off their highs and the S&P 500 futures are now flat. The major Asian bourses ended mostly lower as a flare-up in tensions with North Korea offset the Bank of Japan’s increase to its bond buying scheme. Yesterday, the United States announced it was moving a... Read More
Equities began the day on a mixed note with the S&P 500 climbing out of the gate while Nasdaq slipped into the red, where it spent the majority of today’s session. Although the S&P saw early gains, the index notched its highs within the opening minutes, before sliding into negative territory.... Read More
Equities spent the bulk of today’s session near their highs before a late afternoon stumble dropped the S&P 500 back near the middle of its range. As a result, the benchmark average finished higher by 0.5%. Notably, the Russell 2000, which tracks small cap stocks, ended lower by 0.5% after losing... Read More
The major averages ended near their lows, and the S&P 500 lost 0.5%. With European markets shuttered for Easter Monday, equities saw little change at the start of today’s session. However, that changed quickly once the March ISM Index was reported below expectations. The Index was reported at 51.3, which... Read More
The major averages ended the last session of the holiday-shortened week with slim gains. The S&P 500 added 0.4%, and notched its highest close of all-time, eclipsing the previous record close set on October 9, 2007. The day began on a rather uneventful note, but the flat open was followed by... Read More
The major averages ended the day on a mixed note. The S&P 500 ended lower by 0.1% while Nasdaq added 0.1%. Although the broader market ended little changed, that did not serve as an accurate portrayal of the day’s developments. The S&P 500 began the session lower by 0.8% as European worries... Read More
Equities finished today’s session with firm gains and the S&P 500 settled higher by 0.8%. After starting the day on a positive note, the benchmark average spent the balance of the session in a six-point range. An otherwise quiet session was interrupted by a brief morning stumble when Reuters cited a... Read More
The major averages ended today’s headline-filled session with modest losses, and the S&P 500 settled lower by 0.3%. Equities began the day amid broad strength, which brought the benchmark average within a point of a record high close. The morning gains came about after Cyprus and the Eurogroup agreed on... Read More
Equity indices finished today’s session firmly higher and the S&P 500 settled with a gain of 0.7%. Stocks began the final session of the week on a positive note with notable strength in consumer stocks. The consumer discretionary sector paced today’s advance from the opening bell after Nike (NKE... Read More
Equities finished today’s session near their lows, and the S&P 500 lost 0.8%. The major averages began the day in the red with tech stocks driving the early decline. The technology sector underperformed notably after disappointing earnings and cautious revenue guidance from Oracle (ORCL 32.30, -3.47) contributed to selling... Read More
The S&P 500 settled higher by 0.7% after spending the entire session in positive territory. Equities opened firmly higher amid continued speculation over the future of Cyprus as well as the impact of the parliamentary decision to reject eurozone bailout conditions. Quiet trade continued into the afternoon as the S&P... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session on a mixed note. The Dow registered a slim gain of 3.76 points while S&P 500 shed 0.2%. Stocks began the day with slim gains, but the early strength lacked conviction as uncertainty continued to surround Cyprus and the terms of its proposed bailout.... Read More
The major averages settled firmly lower with the S&P 500 down 0.6%. Equities began the session amid broad losses after the conditions of a Cypriot bailout put the package in jeopardy of being voted down in the country’s parliament. Per the original agreement, Eurozone rescue funds would provide Cyprus with... Read More
The major averages finished the week on a lower note and the S&P 500 shed 0.2%. Elsewhere, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.2% and snapped its streak of ten consecutive gains. Equities slipped out of the gate with today’s quadruple witching providing additional volume at the start. The lower... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session with modest gains. The S&P 500 advanced 0.6%, and settled within two points of a record close. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average registered its 10th consecutive gain. After the previous three sessions adhered to the script of early weakness resulting in steady dip buying,... Read More
U.S. equity futures are modestly lower amid downbeat overseas trade. The S&P 500 futures are off by 0.2%. Looking at overnight developments: Asian markets ended on a lower note. Japan’s Nikkei shed 0.6%, China’s Shanghai lost 1.0%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended lower by 1.5%. Regional economic data was limited: New Zealand’s span... Read More
The major averages finished today’s session on a mixed note. The Dow registered a slightly higher close while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended in the red. With today’s lower close, the S&P 500 has snapped its streak of seven consecutive winning sessions. After starting the day on a lower note,... Read More
Equities finished today’s quiet session near their highs and the S&P 500 gained 0.3%. Including today’s advance, the S&P 500 is now less than 10 points away from its highest close of all-time. The major averages began the day with slim losses. The cautious early trade followed downbeat overseas action... Read More
The major averages ended the final session of the week with modest gains. The day started on an upbeat note after February nonfarm payrolls were reported well ahead of expectations. However, the opening strength did not hold and the S&P 500 promptly slid back to yesterday’s closing level. After returning... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session on a positive note. After spending the day in a narrow range, the Nasdaq settled as the top performing index with a gain of 0.3%. In many ways, today’s session mimicked yesterday’s range bound affair with financials and materials settling in the lead. Major... Read More
The major averages began today’s session on a positive note, but the initial strength was unable to hold throughout the day. The Dow managed to settle near its highs while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished near their lows. The first sign of weakness manifested itself when the Nasdaq turned... Read More
Today began with all eyes turned to the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the blue chip index ended yesterday’s session just 37 points below its all-time closing high. However, the anticipation was promptly removed after the bell when equities jumped higher and the Dow marked its fresh all-time best at... Read More
The S&P 500 settled with a gain of 0.5% despite spending the majority of the day in negative territory. The first session of the week began amid cautious trade resulting from news out of China where officials announced steps to curtail the rapid rise in the country’s housing prices. The... Read More
Stocks finished the first session of the month on a positive note despite showing early weakness. The downbeat start took place as the markets digested disappointing PMI readings from China and the United Kingdom. In China, the country’s manufacturing PMI slipped to 50.1 from the 50.2 reported in... Read More
Equities ended February on a negative note as the S&P 500 settled with a slim loss of 0.1%. The key averages saw some morning indecision but late afternoon buying pushed the benchmark index to session highs before the index surrendered its gains. Stocks opened the session amid some initial chop... Read More
Today’s session saw an extension of yesterday’s buying as the S&P 500 managed to erase the remainder of its losses from Monday. The broad rally occurred with six of 10 sectors adding in excess of 1.0%. Cyclical stocks led the way with industrials and materials exhibiting relative strength from the... Read More
The S&P 500 ended today’s session with a gain of 0.6% despite enduring some early weakness. The benchmark average started the day on a positive note with upbeat economic data proving insufficient in staving off the early selling pressure. However, markets staged a rebound in afternoon trade with the key... Read More
Equities endured a broad sell off which saw the S&P 500 drop 1.8%. Bearish sentiment built into the afternoon as the likely deadlock in the Italian general election weighed on markets. Stocks got off to a broadly higher start as early “instant polls” suggested Pier Luigi Bersani, who is a... Read More
The S&P 500 gained 0.9% to rebound from its two-day slide which saw the index drop just under 2.0%. However, despite today’s rally, the benchmark average was unable to register a higher close for the week, thus snapping its streak of seven consecutive weekly gains. Stocks began the session on... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 0.6% after today’s session saw an extension of yesterday’s selling. Equities began the day in the red and continued sliding into the afternoon when bargain hunters stepped in and lifted the major averages off their lows. The S&P 500 managed to hold the psychologically... Read More
The S&P 500 settled lower by 1.2% after spending the entire session in negative territory. Equities began the day on a lower note amid mixed housing data and hovered near their lows ahead of the Fed’s minutes. Stocks then fell to fresh lows after the minutes indicated Committee members saw... Read More
At midday, the S&P 500 trades higher by 0.5%. Including today’s gain, the benchmark index has added over 7.0% since the start of the year. The major averages began the holiday-shortened week with an upbeat open assisted in part by a strong German ZEW Economic Sentiment Survey. The key... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session on a mixed note. The Dow added 0.1% while S&P 500 shed 0.1% after late-afternoon weakness pressured the index to its lows. Equities saw little change into the final two hours of trade when reports indicated Wal-Mart (WMT 69.30, -1.52) saw a slow... Read More
At midday, the S&P 500 is seeing little change after overcoming early weakness. The benchmark index began the session on a lower note after several Eurozone economies reported disappointing fourth quarter GDP readings. France, Germany, Greece, and Italy all saw their economies contract during the final three months of... Read More
The major averages finished today’s session on a mixed note despite this morning’s strength. The Dow slipped 0.3%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq eked out gains of 0.1% and 0.3% respectively. The S&P 500 began the day on an upbeat note amid strength in industrials and discretionary shares. The... Read More
Equities finished the day on a mixed note. The Dow climbed 0.3% and registered its highest close of the year while the S&P 500 added 0.2%, and Nasdaq shed 0.2%. The day got off to a slow start as the major averages spent the entire morning near their respective unchanged... Read More
The S&P 500 ended today’s quiet session with a slim loss of 0.1%. Equities started the day amid mixed European trade where Italian and Spanish stocks trailed behind the remainder of the region. The relative weakness came amid continued political turmoil. In Italy, markets showed caution as Silvio Berlusconi speculated... Read More
The S&P 500 punctuated a somewhat volatile week by adding 0.6%. Though the benchmark index ended firmly in the black, the bulk of its advance took place during the initial minutes. After notching a session high in the 1518 area, the index spent the remainder of the day in a... Read More
Equities ended the day with slim losses causing the S&P 500 to slip 0.2%. Though stocks saw little change at the outset of the session, sellers were able to take control within the first 30 minutes, and drive the major averages to their respective lows. The early broad-based weakness came... Read More
Equities ended little changed after spending the vast majority of today’s session in the red. The major averages began the day on a cautious note as European indices retreated in anticipation of an update from Monte dei Paschi regarding the size of derivative-related losses suffered by the world’s oldest bank.... Read More
Today’s session brought resilience to the markets as the key averages recovered the majority of their losses from Monday. The S&P 500 settled higher by 1.0% after spending the duration of the day in a steady climb. The morning sentiment was aided by upbeat European trade where Italian and Spanish... Read More
The S&P 500 ended lower by 1.2% after European concerns returned to the forefront. Equities began the day with a broad sell-off as a downbeat European trade weighed. Italian and Spanish indices were the source of continent-wide weakness as controversy continued to plague the troubled sovereigns.In Italy the MIB... Read More
Stocks saw broad gains during today’s session and the S&P 500 ended higher by 1.0%. Meanwhile, the Dow climbed 1.1% and settled above 14,000 for the first time since October 2007. The day was busy with economic data, most of which surprised to the upside. Overseas, China’s HSBC manufacturing... Read More
The major averages saw little change during the last session of the month. The S&P 500 shed 0.2%, while Nasdaq outperformed and ended flat. Mixed trade unfolded amid economic data which was largely in-line with expectations. Weekly initial claims were reported at 368,000 (Briefing.com consensus 345,000), which supports the notion... Read More
Equities began the day on a mixed note, but the slightly bearish bias which persisted throughout the day caused the major averages to end near their lows. The S&P 500 slipped 0.4%, and was the weakest performing index. Shortly before the open, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said fourth quarter... Read More
Equities finished today’s session on a mixed note. The Dow and S&P 500 gained 0.5% each, while the Nasdaq underperformed, and ended flat. However, looking below the surface revealed the sector rotation which took place today. The energy space paced today’s advance thanks in part to strong earnings from Valero... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session largely where they began. The S&P 500 and Dow registered modest losses, while the Nasdaq added 0.2%, seeing relative outperformance from Apple (AAPL 449.83, +9.95). The largest tech stock ended higher by 2.3% after disappointing earnings caused it to lose nearly 13.0% last... Read More
Stocks began the final session of the week on a strong note as upbeat European trade supported U.S. equity futures. The positive sentiment across the old continent resulted from a strong German Ifo Business Climate Index, which beat expectations on both componentsbusiness expectations and the current assessment. Meanwhile, a disappointing... Read More
The major averages ended today’s session near their opening levels. The Dow was an exception as the blue chip index finished higher by 0.3%. The 30-stock average outperformed as 19 components registered gains. The Nasdaq trailed the broader market for the duration of the day after a disappointing earnings report... Read More
The major averages finished today’s session on a positive note despite early weakness in the S&P 500. Today’s focus centered on earnings as technology heavyweights Google (GOOG 741.50, +38.63) and International Business Machines (IBM 204.72, +8.64) reported fourth quarter results which were received warmly by the market. Both... Read More
Equities managed to finish today’s session with slim gains despite a mid-morning stumble. The S&P 500 and Dow were able to overcome the early weakness thanks in part to upbeat earnings from major sector components. The 30-stock Dow Jones led the way as earnings from DuPont (DD 47.82, +0.83), Travelers... Read More
Equities began the session on a rather uninspiring note, but managed to climb back into positive territory by day’s end. The key indices got off to a slow start despite China reporting its 2012 GDP growth at 7.9%. While the reading beat expectations, investor optimism was contained to the... Read More
The major averages opened today’s session on a strong note after weekly initial claims and housing starts were reported ahead of expectations. Meanwhile, a disappointing Philadelphia Fed Survey was not enough to cool optimism. Key indices spent the duration of the day in a steady upward climb, and the S&P... Read More
Major stock market averages started the day on a mixed and uneventful note and that’s pretty much how they traded the rest of the day. There were plenty of storylines, which we will introduce shortly, but there just wasn’t any conviction on the part of buyers or sellers outside of... Read More
Equities began the day with a slightly bearish bias after Germany’s 2012 GDP was reported below expectations. Though the news weighed at the open, the major averages showed resilience, and spent the remainder of the session climbing off their lows. As a result, the S&P 500 added 0.1% while... Read More
Today’s session began on a lower note after pre-market weakness in Apple (AAPL 501.75, -18.55) weighed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 marked its session low in the 1465 area an hour into the session. The benchmark index then reversed and spent the remainder of the session... Read More
The major averages saw little change during today’s session, and the S&P 500 remained at its five-year high. However, equities slipped out of the gate as data out of China indicated the country’s consumer price index rose by 2.5% year-over-year. The news put a damper on expectations for future stimulus... Read More
Equities began the day firmly higher before surrendering a portion of their early gains. The S&P 500 marked its session high in the 1469 area during the initial minutes, and followed the upbeat open with a slide back to its flat-line. The index has since returned to the middle of... Read More
Stocks began the day on a positive note after Alcoa (AA 9.08, -0.02) kicked off the fourth quarter earnings season with a strong top line result. With no notable economic data, the remainder of the session was largely uneventful as the key indices retreated off their respective highs, ending with... Read More
The S&P 500 ended lower by 0.3% after spending the duration of the session in the red. With little economic data of note and below-average volume, the key indices traded in range bound fashion ahead Alcoa’s (AA 9.10, 0.00) earnings report, which will kick-off the fourth quarter earnings season. Consumer... Read More
Stocks registered modest losses during today’s quiet session. With no economic data or notable earnings to dictate the tone, the major averages were trapped in a relatively narrow range. The S&P 500 opened in the red, and traded near its opening levels for the duration of the session. As a... Read More
The S&P 500 gained 0.5% to punctuate a week which saw the index climb over 4.0%. Today’s advance was notable as it took the benchmark average to its best close since December 2007. The weeklong rally arrived after Washington lawmakers were able to avoid the fiscal cliff by agreeing to... Read More
The S&P 500 shed 0.2% after the Federal Reserve released the minutes from its December policy meeting. The markets keyed in on comments from several members who voiced concerns over the duration of the asset purchase program. In addition, some participants “thought that it would probably be appropriate to slow... Read More
Equities began the New Year with a robust open after the U.S. Congress approved measures aimed at averting the fiscal cliff. As a result of yesterday’s agreement, individuals making less than $400,000 per year will see an extension of their recent tax rates, while those making over that amount will... Read More
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