Stock Market '06

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 12/29/06

Stocks closed the last trading day of 2006 near their session lows, but the modest selling pressure couldn't put a dent in what has been a very successful year overall for the bulls. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Friday at 12,463.15, down... See more

Stocks closed the last trading day of 2006 near their session lows, but the modest selling pressure couldn't put a dent in what has been a very successful year overall for the bulls. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Friday at 12,463.15, down 38.37 points, or 0.31%. The S&P 500 was down 6.43 points, or 0.45%, at 1418.30, and the Nasdaq Composite gave up 10.28 points, or 0.42%, to 2415.29. Only seven of the Dow's 30 components escaped losses. JPMorgan Chase (JPM - news - Cramer's Take - Rating) was the biggest decliner, finishing down 1.3%. Intel (INTC - news - Cramer's Take - Rating), the average's biggest loser this year with an 18% drop, was down 0.8% to $20.25. The major indices started this holiday-shortened week on a high note, surging the first two sessions before edging lower on Wednesday. During the previous day, the Dow slipped 9.05 points, or 0.07%, to 12,501.52. The S&P 500 lost 2.11 points, or 0.15%, to 1424.73, and the Nasdaq was off 5.65 points, or 0.23%, at 2425.57.... See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 12/29/06

Just about every Wall Street strategist is bullish on stocks for 2007. But there's no consensus on which sectors will provide the best returns amid uncertainties about the economy, the Federal Reserve and corporate profits -- not to mention... See more

Just about every Wall Street strategist is bullish on stocks for 2007. But there's no consensus on which sectors will provide the best returns amid uncertainties about the economy, the Federal Reserve and corporate profits -- not to mention geopolitics. For example, PNC Advisors' Jeffrey Kleintop likes tech and health care, while Citigroup's Tobias Levkovich prefers tech and consumer discretionary stocks. Prudential Equity Group's Ed Keon would still bet on financials, while T. Rowe Price's Larry Puglia would choose biotech and acquisitive mega-caps. (See the table below for details.) The dichotomy of opinion suggests strategists and prognosticators are confronting dueling fears: If investors don't take risk, they'll miss out on the best returns. But at the same time, the consequences of a quick reversal in the liquidity landscape or market sentiment could be dire. The markets suffered such a reversal in April and May, when investors retreated from risky investments after Japan pulled... See less

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 12/29/06

See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 12/28/06

Stocks in New York saw their short advance come to an end Thursday, the next-to-last trading day of 2006, as profit-takers decided to pocket some of their recent gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 9 points, or 0.1%, to 12,502. At their... See more

Stocks in New York saw their short advance come to an end Thursday, the next-to-last trading day of 2006, as profit-takers decided to pocket some of their recent gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 9 points, or 0.1%, to 12,502. At their worst point of the session, the industrials had been down as many as 32 points. The S&P 500 lost 2 points, or 0.2%, to 1425, and the Nasdaq Composite was off 6 points, or 0.2%, at 2426. On Wednesday, the Dow rallied for the second straight day and rose 102.94 points, or 0.8%, to 12,510.57, its best-ever close. The gains were driven by increases of more than 2% in Alcoa (AA - commentary - Cramer's Take - Rating), Citigroup (C - commentary - Cramer's Take - Rating) and General Motors (GM - commentary - Cramer's Take - Rating). In fact, the bulls had their way during the first two sessions of the holiday-shortened week, as the Dow has picked up nearly 170 points, the S&P 16 points and Nasdaq about 30. Crude futures ended their decline after the... See less

Highlights: The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 9 points, or 0.1%, to 12,502. At their worst point of the session, the industrials had been down as many as 32 points. The S&P 500 lost 2 points, or 0.2%, to 1425, and the Nasdaq Composite was off 6 points, or 0.2%, at 2426. On Wednesday, the Dow...

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 12/14/06

Buyers came off the sidelines Thursday and bid up U.S. stocks despite a sizable advance in the price of crude oil, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its best-ever finish.

Buyers came off the sidelines Thursday and bid up U.S. stocks despite a sizable advance in the price of crude oil, lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its best-ever finish. See less

Highlights: After a sluggish start, the Dow took off and closed higher by 99 points, or 0.8%, at 12,417, another record in a quarter that's seen the index repeatedly set new benchmarks. Only four of its 30 components failed to end in positive territory. Pacing the industrials were American Express...

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 12/14/06

U.S. stocks rose, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average toward a record, as profits that topped analysts' estimates lifted shares of retailers and computer- related companies. Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse club, led chain... See more

U.S. stocks rose, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average toward a record, as profits that topped analysts' estimates lifted shares of retailers and computer- related companies. Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse club, led chain stores higher as demand for fresh food helped boost net income. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. had the biggest gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index after the second-largest computer- chip maker forecast a 20 percent increase in shipments next year. Today's reports added to evidence that companies' financial results will hold up even as the economy slows. A drop in jobless claims, along with data this week showing a rebound in retail sales, signaled consumer spending will keep driving growth. ``Corporate earnings are continuing to be strong,'' said Patrick Becker, who helps manage $2.3 billion as chief investment officer at Becker Capital Management in Portland, Oregon. ``The slowdown isn't here in any major way. That's part of the reason we're... See less

Highlights: Costco Wholesale Corp., the largest U.S. warehouse club, led chain stores higher as demand for fresh food helped boost net income. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. had the biggest gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index after the second-largest computer- chip maker forecast a 20 percent...

See this at: today.reuters.com| Added on 11/25/06

U.S. stocks could face a challenge next week to bounce back from Friday's post-Thanksgiving drop unless there's some tempering of the dollar's weakness that sparked the sell-off. Early signs of how the U.S. holiday shopping season is shaping up also... See more

U.S. stocks could face a challenge next week to bounce back from Friday's post-Thanksgiving drop unless there's some tempering of the dollar's weakness that sparked the sell-off. Early signs of how the U.S. holiday shopping season is shaping up also will drive the week's activity, as will a full agenda of economic data. Investors will review readings on economic growth, inflation, consumer confidence and manufacturing activity, among other data. The week will wrap up with the latest sales figures from the struggling U.S. auto sector. "We may be entering a period of trouble for stocks and a sharp drop in the dollar may provide more excuses to sell," said Michael Metz, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. See less

Highlights: U.S. stocks fell on Friday, retreating from highs reached earlier in the week, on concern that U.S. shares became less attractive to foreigners after a steep drop in the U.S. dollar. On Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 46.78 points, or 0.38 percent, to end at 12,280.17....

See this at: biz.yahoo.com| Added on 11/17/06

See less

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 11/16/06

U.S. stocks closed higher Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing at another record high level, as tame consumer-price inflation and a big drop in crude oil prices helped offset bad news from technology bellwethers Applied Materials... See more

U.S. stocks closed higher Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing at another record high level, as tame consumer-price inflation and a big drop in crude oil prices helped offset bad news from technology bellwethers Applied Materials Inc. and Dell Inc. Crude for December delivery lost $2.50, or 4%, to close at $56.26 a barrel, tracking a big drop in natural gas. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU : 12,305.82, +54.11, +0.4% ) rose 54 points to close at 12,305, another record high close. It earlier hit an intraday record of 12,325. Boeing Co. (BA : 88.71, +1.63, +1.9% ) was the best performer on the Dow, gaining 2% to $88.71. It rose 1.6% Wednesday after a report that the company may see $10 billion more in jet business in the near term. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM : 72.67, -2.13, -2.8% ) posted the biggest drop among blue chips, losing 2.1% as oil prices slumped. The S&P 500 index ($SPX : 1,399.76, +3.19, +0.2% ) gained 3 points to 1,399, just below a key technical... See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 11/14/06

Stocks rallied late and closed higher Tuesday after the S&P 500 rose through a key technical level and a Federal Reserve banker offered encouraging commentary on interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at another all-time high,... See more

Stocks rallied late and closed higher Tuesday after the S&P 500 rose through a key technical level and a Federal Reserve banker offered encouraging commentary on interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at another all-time high, advancing 86.13 points, or 0.71%, to 12,218.01. The index was aided by gains of 4.2% in Home Depot (HD - news - Cramer's Take - Rating) and Intel (INTC - news - Cramer's Take - Rating). The S&P 500 rose 8.80 points, or 0.64%, to 1393.22, reaching its best level in six years as it surpassed a resistance point at 1389. The Nasdaq Composite added 24.28 points, or 1.01%, to 2430.66. About 3.08 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, and volume on the Nasdaq was roughly 1.95 billion shares. Winners outpaced losers roughly 2 to 1. By sector, semiconductor stocks were the big winners of the session. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Sector Index rose 2.8%. Precious metal stocks were among the hardest hit, with the Philadelphia Gold &... See less

Highlights: Helping to lift equities was St. Louis Fed President William Poole, who said in a speech that rate policy is probably about right, suggesting the central bank will continue to remain on pause.

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 11/08/06

U.S. stocks rallied for a third day, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record, as investors bet on companies that would benefit from a Democrat- controlled Congress.

U.S. stocks rallied for a third day, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record, as investors bet on companies that would benefit from a Democrat- controlled Congress. See less

Highlights: Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company, led the Dow's advance as rising crude prices lifted energy producers. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., the biggest producer of ethanol, had its steepest gain in six months on speculation Democrats may expand subsidies for the fuel. Geron Corp....

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 11/08/06

Wall Street overcame morning selling pressure and closed to the upside Wednesday as traders shook off fears about the power shift in Congress. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to another all-time high, gaining 19.77 points, or 0.16%, to... See more

Wall Street overcame morning selling pressure and closed to the upside Wednesday as traders shook off fears about the power shift in Congress. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to another all-time high, gaining 19.77 points, or 0.16%, to 12,176.54, after falling as many as 53 points earlier. The index, which beat the previous record close set on Oct. 26, was supported by gains of 1.3% in Altria (MO - news - Cramer's Take - Rating) and Exxon Mobil (XOM - news - Cramer's Take - Rating). As for the other indices, the S&P 500 was up 2.88 points, or 0.21%, at 1385.72, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 9.06 points, or 0.38%, to 2384.94. "The reversal is pretty impressive," said Jay Suskind, head of institutional equity trading with Ryan Beck & Co. "With the sense that maybe all that much won't change, the market has an optimistic viewpoint for the next few months. We've now had a good couple of days, but we need some more guidance from the political standpoint."t fe About 2.88 billion... See less

Highlights: "With the sense that maybe all that much won't change, the market has an optimistic viewpoint for the next few months. We've now had a good couple of days, but we need some more guidance from the political standpoint."

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 11/08/06

Shares of health-insurance providers such as Humana Inc. and drugmakers including Pfizer Inc. fell after voters gave control of the U.S. House of Representatives to Democrats who've pledged to cut government health-care payments.

Shares of health-insurance providers such as Humana Inc. and drugmakers including Pfizer Inc. fell after voters gave control of the U.S. House of Representatives to Democrats who've pledged to cut government health-care payments. See less

Highlights: Shares of Humana Inc., the second-largest provider of Medicare drug benefits, dropped as much as 7.6 percent. New York-based Pfizer Inc., the world's biggest drugmaker, fell as much as 3 percent, while Schering-Plough Corp. declined as much as 3.7 percent. House Democratic leader Nancy...

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 11/08/06

11/6/2006

11/6/2006 See less

See this at: financialnews-us.com| Added on 11/08/06

The likely Democratic takeover of Congress in this week’s mid-term US elections could create “headline risk” for some industries and hit share prices, according to research by UBS. Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, coal and telecoms... See more

The likely Democratic takeover of Congress in this week’s mid-term US elections could create “headline risk” for some industries and hit share prices, according to research by UBS. Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, coal and telecoms could see their share prices hit by more aggressive Democratic policies. Thomas Doerflinger, author of the research, said: “It’s an important investment theme that could come from the Democrats having more power.” Pharmaceutical and biotechnology stocks are vulnerable if Democrats succeed in winning back either the House of Representatives or Senate this week, because the party will seek to give the government more power to negotiate lower drug prices. Even if the Democrats win either house, their majorities would be small and President George Bush could veto any legislation. Therefore, UBS suggested the pharmaceutical industry faced more sentiment risk than meaningful legislative action. “In some of these industries, it’s more about headline... See less

Highlights: Clean-energy companies would receive a boost from a sharper focus on climate change, while Democrat opposition to lower estate and capital gains taxes increases demand for life insurance, which could be a boon to that industry. With the polls showing a knife-edge race to win control of...

See this at: msnbc.msn.com| Added on 10/19/06

After seven long years, much of it spent of wandering in the investment wilderness, the 30 major stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial average notched another millennial milestone Thursday. And though it took the market several tries to cross... See more

After seven long years, much of it spent of wandering in the investment wilderness, the 30 major stocks that make up the Dow Jones Industrial average notched another millennial milestone Thursday. And though it took the market several tries to cross the 12,000 line, some investment analysts say the current rally still has legs on it. After taking less than six weeks to rocket from 10,000 to 11,000 in the spring of 1999, the widely watched stock market index began the new century in a long, slow slide – thanks to a steep slump in corporate profits. By Sept. 2002, the Dow had fallen below 7,300. Now, with corporate profits rising, energy prices falling, and the Dow making new highs, “this is a great time to be an investor,” according to Michael Farr, an investment manager based in Washington, D.C. See less

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 10/19/06

U.S. stocks ended higher Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above 12,000 for the first time after a raft of upbeat earnings reports led by Apple Computer Inc., eBay Inc and the Coca-Cola Co. eased concerns about a slowing... See more

U.S. stocks ended higher Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above 12,000 for the first time after a raft of upbeat earnings reports led by Apple Computer Inc., eBay Inc and the Coca-Cola Co. eased concerns about a slowing economy. The Dow industrials ($INDU : 12,011.73, +19.05, +0.2% ) rose 19.05 points to 12,011.73 led by gains for Coca-Cola (KO : 44.91, +0.95, +2.2% ) and Altria Group (MO : 80.19, +1.85, +2.4% ) while both AT&T (T : 33.75, +0.81, +2.5% ) and Verizon Communications (VZ : 37.21, +0.62, +1.7% ) rallied on upbeat commentary from broker Lehman Bros. Honeywell International Inc. (HON : 41.58, -1.05, -2.5% ) was the biggest percentage decliner on the blue-chip index, down 2.5% on concerns over its earnings outlook. The Nasdaq Composite Index ($COMPQ : 2,340.94, +3.79, +0.2% ) eked out a late-day gain to end up 3.79 points at 2,340.94 while the S&P 500 Index ($SPX : 1,366.96, +1.00, +0.1% ) rose 0.94 point to 1,366.90. "We're a little bit tentative... See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 10/16/06

The Dow Jones Industrial Average came up just short of crossing the 12,000 mark Monday for the first time in its history, but the index still set another all-time closing high. When trading was done for the day, the Dow had collected a gain of 20.09... See more

The Dow Jones Industrial Average came up just short of crossing the 12,000 mark Monday for the first time in its history, but the index still set another all-time closing high. When trading was done for the day, the Dow had collected a gain of 20.09 points, or 0.17%, to 11,980.60. Of the 30 stocks that make up the industrials, 17 were in positive territory, led by Alcoa (AA - news - Cramer's Take) and Exxon Mobil (XOM - news - Cramer's Take), both up more than 2%. AT&T (T - news - Cramer's Take) and Home Depot (HD - news - Cramer's Take) were the primary laggards. About 2.35 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and on the Nasdaq 1.88 billion shares changed hands. Winners beat losers roughly 2 to 1. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 added 3.43 points, or 0.25%, to 1369.05, and the Nasdaq Composite tacked on 6.55 points, or 0.28%, at 2363.84. Earnings season began in earnest this week, and among the companies with results was Mattel (MAT - news - Cramer's Take). The toymaker... See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 10/13/06

10/13/2006

10/13/2006 See less

See this at: biz.yahoo.com| Added on 10/13/06

The Dow Jones industrial average inched to another record close Friday to mark the third straight week of triple-digit increases in the blue chip index. The Dow spent much of a quiet session Friday in the red following a strong surge Thursday in... See more

The Dow Jones industrial average inched to another record close Friday to mark the third straight week of triple-digit increases in the blue chip index. The Dow spent much of a quiet session Friday in the red following a strong surge Thursday in which it broke through 11,900 for the first time to set closing and trading highs. Thursday's advance came amid optimism over the health of corporate earnings and Friday's gain put the Dow 12,000 benchmark within closer reach. The index's gain Friday marked the Dow's sixth record close in two weeks. Stocks showed little overall movement Friday as traders were unimpressed with a profit report from General Electric Co. and after brokerages issued negative comments about Home Depot Inc. Oil prices, which have driven stocks as they have fallen in recent weeks, moved higher Friday, holding the major indexes to modest gains. "I think more than anything today we're sort of consolidating yesterday's gain," said Mike Malone, trading analyst at Cowen &... See less

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 10/13/06

The Dow Jones Industrial Average continued to rewrite the record book, hitting another all-time closing high Thursday and finishing above 11,900 for the first time ever. After leaping out of the gate, the Dow ended up by 95.57 points, or 0.81%, to... See more

The Dow Jones Industrial Average continued to rewrite the record book, hitting another all-time closing high Thursday and finishing above 11,900 for the first time ever. After leaping out of the gate, the Dow ended up by 95.57 points, or 0.81%, to 11,947.70. Of the 30 stocks on the index, 21 finished the session in positive territory. Gains in McDonald's (MCD - news - Cramer's Take), Microsoft (MSFT - news - Cramer's Take) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ - news - Cramer's Take) were the driving force behind the advance. Meanwhile, Citigroup (C - news - Cramer's Take) and Alcoa (AA - news - Cramer's Take) were the main laggards, but both were down less than 1%. Elsewhere, the S&P 500 rose 12.88 points, or 0.95%, to 1362.83, and the Nasdaq Composite was higher by 37.91 points, or 1.64%, at 2346.18. Volume was little changed from Wednesday's levels, but breadth drastically improved. About 2.54 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, and volume on the Nasdaq was roughly 2.04... See less

Highlights: After leaping out of the gate, the Dow ended up by 95.57 points, or 0.81%, to 11,947.70. Of the 30 stocks on the index, 21 finished the session in positive territory.