Today's Market

Stocks Finish With Mild Losses

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:04:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks fell for the fourth straight session Wednesday as nagging worries about the political disarray in Greece and its future within the eurozone continued to weigh on sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 33 points, or 0.3%, to finish at 12,598. The blue-chip index ran as high as 12,722 early in the session and closed just above its low for the day of 12,597.

Sharper-than-expected increases in housing and industrial production data had inspired buyers earlier in the session but the market lost steam in the afternoon, similar to the pattern on Tuesday when stocks saw a steady decline in the final hour of trading. The Dow has now closed in the negative for 10 of the past 11 sessions. ...

Click to view a price quote on DE.

Click to research the Industrial industry.

Stock Futures Up as Housing Starts Rise

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:53:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were rebounding Wednesday after a better-than-expected housing starts report helped divert some of the market's attention away from troubles in the eurozone.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 63 points, or 70 points above fair value, at 12,668. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 7.8 points, or 7.8 points above fair value, at 1,336, and futures for the Nasdaq were ahead by 15 points, or 14.3 points above fair value, at 2,593.

On Tuesday, the major U.S. equity indices all finished at their worst levels in more than three months as Greece's ongoing uncertainty continued to damage sentiment. ...

Click to view a price quote on DE.

Click to research the Industrial industry.

Stocks Succumb to Selling Pressure

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:16:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks again finished in negative territory Tuesday as the failure of Greek political leaders to form a new government continued to damage sentiment.

There were reports late in the volatile session that Greek banks were seeing heavier than normal outflows.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 63 points, or 0.5%, to finish at 12,632, its worst close since Jan. 31. The blue-chip index is now down in nine of the past 10 sessions and has lost more than 223 points, or 1.7%, in the past three days. ...

Click to view a price quote on GRPN.

Click to research the Internet industry.

Stock Futures Rally on Strong German GDP

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:52:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures held onto strong gains Tuesday as signs of economic strength in Germany helped ease some eurozone fears brought on by Greece's political stalemate.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 72 points, or 66.7 points above fair value, at 12,727. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 9.4 points, or 7.8 points above fair value, at 1,344, and futures for the Nasdaq were rising 22.8 points, or 21 points above fair value, at 2,608.

Stocks tumbled Monday as Greece's inability to break a political impasse fueled speculation the country may eventually have to leave the eurozone and destabilize the entire continent. ...

Click to view a price quote on GRPN.

Click to research the Internet industry.

Stocks Tripped Up by Greek Political Disarray

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:04:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks tumbled Monday as Greece's inability to break a political impasse fueled speculation the country may eventually have to leave the eurozone.

Worries about the stability of the single-currency bloc were also being aggravated by Spain's financial health, the outcome of local elections in Germany, and weak regional economic data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 125 points, or 1%, to close at 12,695. The blue-chip index ranged from 12,661 to 12,819 during the session. ...

Click to view a price quote on JPM.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stock Futures Plummet on Greece, Eurozone Concerns

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:05:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were pointing to a steeply lower open Monday on growing doubts about Greece's ability to stay in the eurozone.

Worries about the stability of the eurozone were also being aggravated by Spain's financial health, the outcome of local elections in Germany, and weak economic data.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 105 points, or 101.6 points below fair value, at 12,683. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 13 points, or 13.6 points below fair value, at 1337, and futures for the Nasdaq were down 23 points, or 24.8 points below fair value, at 2588. ...

Click to view a price quote on JPM.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stocks Cap Down Week With Mixed Finish

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:49:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks closed mixed Friday as the highest reading on consumer sentiment in more than four years limited the fallout from JPMorgan Chase's surprise $2 billion trading loss.

The performance capped a second consecutive week of losses for the major U.S. equity indices with trading driven by resurgent worries about Europe following transformational elections in France and Greece that cast doubt on region's ability to commit to austerity. There were also signs of growing cracks in the Spanish banking system.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 34 points, or 0.27%, to close 12,820.60. The blue-chip index fell 1.7% for the week, and is now up 4.9% so far in 2012. ...

Click to view a price quote on JPM.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stock Futures Tumble on JPMorgan Loss

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:55:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were retreating from the fallout of JPMorgan Chase's announcement that the bank's Chief Investment Office suffered a trading loss of $2 billion.

The loss took place in its synthetic credit portfolio, offset by a $1 billion securities gain, as a strategy to re-hedge its portfolio backfired.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was falling 77 points, or 60 points below fair value, at 12,757. Futures for the S&P 500 was down 9.3 points, or 6.7 points below fair value, at 1348, and Futures for the Nasdaq was down 12 points, or 6 points below fair value, at 2607. ...

Click to view a price quote on JPM.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stocks Hang On to Snap Losing Streak

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:49:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks finished mixed on Thursday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 booking modest gains, but the Nasdaq unable to overcome Cisco's deep decline.

Wall Street took a breather from the eurozone worries that have dented sentiment this week as Greece took steps to form a new government. The U.S. economic data also cooperated as weekly initial jobless claims held steady.

The Dow gained a mere 20 points, or 0.2%, to finish at 12,855. Still, the blue-chip index managed to snap a six-day losing streak, its longest since August 2011. Earlier in the session, the Dow traded as high as 12,932. ...

Click to view a price quote on ^DJI.

Stock Futures Rise After Jobs Data

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:02:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were ticking higher Thursday as the market cheered some better-than-expected U.S. economic data.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 54 points, or 56.9 points above fair value, at 12,849. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 10.6 points, or 10.3 points above fair value, at 1362, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 13.5 points, or 14.9 points above fair value, at 2633.

Stocks were driven lower Wednesday by persistent worries about the stability of Spain's banking system and Greece's future in the eurozone. ...

Dow Falls for Sixth Straight Session

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:14:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks were driven lower again Wednesday by persistent worries about the stability of Spain's banking system and Greece's future in the eurozone.

The deepest losses came early in the volatile session but a rebound off the lows that allowed the Nasdaq to briefly break into positive territory ran out of steam. The bounce was fueled by indications that eurozone officials still plan to release Greece's next round of bailout money this week, a move that will alleviate some near-term pressure on the country while its government is still in transition following this weekend's elections.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 97 points, or 0.7%, to close at 12,835, closing in the red for a sixth-straight session, its longest losing streak since August. ...

Click to view a price quote on AOL.

Click to research the Internet industry.

Stock Futures Fall Amid Greece Uncertainty

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:42:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were signaling a lower open Wednesday as investors remained deeply uncertain about Greece's future in the eurozone.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were shedding 77 points, or 92.1 points below fair value, at 12,790. Futures for the S&P 500 were falling 9.5 points, or 11.1 points below fair value, at 1349, and futures for the Nasdaq were losing 19.5 points, or 23.3 points below fair value, at 2603.

U.S. stocks dropped Tuesday as political turmoil in Greece renewed concerns about the country's ability to meet the terms of its bailout and remain a member of the eurozone. ...

Click to view a price quote on AOL.

Click to research the Internet industry.

Stocks Drop on Greek Political Turmoil

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - U.S. stocks dropped Tuesday as political turmoil in Greece renewed concerns about the country's ability to meet the terms of its bailout and remain a member of the euro zone.

The major U.S. equity indices did stage an impressive bounce off their lows late in the session though, provide some small silver lining for the bulls.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished lower by 76 points, or 0.6%, to close at 12,932. The blue-chip index ran as low as 12,810 during volatile trading, a level unseen since intraday action on April 23. ...

Click to view a price quote on MCD.

Click to research the Leisure industry.

Stock Futures Decline on Eurozone Fears

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:49:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were sliding Tuesday as the political gridlock in Greece spooked investors.

Reports that Spain will bailout the country's third-largest bank by assets, Bankia, was also adding to ongoing uncertainty in the eurozone.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were giving up 33 points, or 26.5 points below fair value, at 12,926. Futures for the S&P 500 were shedding 2.1 points, or 2.2 points below fair value, at 1364, and futures for the Nasdaq were losing 7.3 points, or 6.7 points below fair value, at 2629. ...

Click to view a price quote on MCD.

Click to research the Leisure industry.

Stocks Finish Mixed After European Elections

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse and Michael Baron) — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:46:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks barely budged Monday as Wall Street reacted with restraint to the shifting political landscape in Europe following weekend elections in France and Greece.

The subdued response implies that investor worries about efforts to instill austerity in the eurozone as well as long-term questions about the overall stability of the single-currency bloc were already priced in to a large extent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down nearly 30 points, or 0.23%, to finish at 13,008.53. The blue-chip index sank as low as 12,970 earlier in the session. ...

Click to view a price quote on T.

Click to research the Telecommunications industry.

Stock Futures Fall After European Elections

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:53:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were falling early Monday after the outcomes of elections in Greece and France over the weekend stoked fresh concerns about eurozone stability.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 39 points, or 64.3 points below fair value, at 12,918. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 4.1 points, or 7 points below fair value, at 1358, and futures for the Nasdaq were slumping 9.5 points, or 18.6 points below fair value, at 2616.

Wall Street sold off Friday after investors learned that the United States added only 115,000 jobs last month, the latest disappointing piece of data pointing to sluggishness in the economy. ...

Click to view a price quote on T.

Click to research the Telecommunications industry.

Europe Elections, Jobless Claims in Focus for Coming Week

twocents@thestreet.com (Alexandra Zendrian) — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:14:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The French presidential election will get plenty of digital ink on Sunday, but it may not have much of an impact on U.S. markets in the coming week because Wall Street likely has priced in the expected victory of Francois Hollande over Nicolas Sarkozy.

What's more likely to roil equities is the drama at the polls in Greece, where the population is frustrated with both the socialist and conservative parties.

"That's why the Greek election is more important for the market, because what you may see is a template in Greece of citizenry just basically saying we don't want this austerity," said Quincy Krosby, Prudential Financial market strategist. ...

Click to view a price quote on ^DJI.

Dow Slides on Weak Jobs Report

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Fri, 04 May 2012 18:31:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Wall Street sold off Friday after investors learned that the U.S. added only 115,000 jobs last month, which stoked concern about the sluggish economy.

Investors also dialed back risk on signs of weak business activity in Europe and ahead of French and Greek elections this weekend.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 168 points, or 1.3%, to 13,038. The S&P 500 finished down 22.5 points, or 1.6%, at 1,369, and the Nasdaq closed down 68 points, or 2.3%, to 2,956. ...

Click to view a price quote on DUK.

Click to research the Utilities industry.

Stock Futures Mixed After Jobs Report

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were trading mixed after Friday's nonfarm payrolls report from the Labor Department.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 6 points, or 2.6 points below fair value, at 13,149. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 1.1 points, or 0.8 points below fair value, at 1387, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 2.8 points, or 6.4 points below fair value, at 2695.

The Labor Department reported a disappointing nonfarm payrolls number for April. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 115,000 in April, falling short of the 170,000 jobs economists polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting. However, the March figure was upwardly revised to 154,000. ...

Click to view a price quote on DUK.

Click to research the Utilities industry.

Stocks Finish Lower Ahead of Jobs Report

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse and Michael Baron) — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:59:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- A mixed batch of economic data sent stocks lower on Thursday as Wall Street showed some apprehension ahead of Friday's big April jobs report.

Weekly initial jobless claims came in better than expected this morning, sending futures higher, but the optimism quickly faded. The majority of the other early headlines were negative as a report on activity in the U.S. services sector was disappointing and same-store sales for last month came in relatively soft.

In addition, the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged but commentary around the decision seemed to quash hopes for more near-term stimulus for the region. ...

Click to view a price quote on KFT.

Click to research the Food & Beverage industry.

Stock Futures Up; Jobless Claims Down

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:07:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were rising Thursday following data showing a deeper than expected decline in initial jobless claims last week.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 32 points, or 23.4 points above fair value, at 13,236. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 3.7 points, or 2.8 points above fair value, at 1401, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 8.3 points, or 5.1 points above fair value, at 2736.

On Thursday, the Labor Department said that the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims for last week fell 27,000 to 365,000, from an upwardly-revised 392,000 the prior week. It was the largest weekly drop since early May 2011. ...

Click to view a price quote on KFT.

Click to research the Food & Beverage industry.

Stocks Tread Water With Mixed Finish

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse and Shanthi Bharatwaj) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:27:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It was a mixed finish for stocks Wednesday as investors pondered a disappointing private-sector employment report ahead of Friday's official April jobs data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 11 points, or 0.1%, to close at 13,268. The blue-chip index was in negative territory all day but did manage a healthy bounce off a session low of 13,192. On Tuesday, the Dow hit a high of 13,359.60, its best level since late 2007.

The S&P 500 slipped nearly 4 points, or 0.2%, to settle at 1402, trading in a rough range of 11 points. ...

Click to view a price quote on UBS.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stock Futures Drop After ADP Report

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:48:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures weakened considerably early Wednesday after a much weaker-than-expected private-sector employment report.

Worrisome eurozone data was also putting a damper on investor sentiment.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 50 points, or 55.3 points below fair value, at 13,168. ...

Click to view a price quote on UBS.

Click to research the Banking industry.

Stocks Start May on Positive Note

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse and Shanthi Bharatwaj) — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:37:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks kicked off May on a strong note Tuesday, posting smart gains after a much better-than-expected report on U.S. manufacturing activity.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 67 points, or 0.5%, to close at 13,280, after hitting an intra-day high of 13,338, levels not seen since late 2007. The S&P 500 gained 8 points, or 0.6%, to finish at 1406, and the Nasdaq added 4 points, or 0.1%, to close at 3050.

Breadth within the Dow was positive, with 22 stocks ending in the positive territory. The biggest percentage gainers among the blue chips were JPMorgan, Bank of America, Alcoa, Intel and Hewlett-Packard. ...

Click to view a price quote on BP.

Click to research the Energy industry.

Stock Tick Higher Ahead of Manufacturing Data

twocents@thestreet.com (Andrea Tse) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:15:00 GMT

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were edging up Tuesday ahead of a key U.S. manufacturing activity report.

Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 14 points, or 11.4 points above fair value, at 13,169. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 0.9 points, or 0.6 points above fair value, at 1395, and futures for the Nasdaq were ahead by 1.8 points, or 1.4 points above fair value, at 2721.

Stocks finished modestly lower Monday, marking the first monthly decline for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq in 2012, as shaky U.S. economic data dominated the headlines. ...

Click to view a price quote on BP.

Click to research the Energy industry.