See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 12/31/08

With one market session left in the year, it now appears as though 2008 will go down in history as the third worst in the 112-year history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

With one market session left in the year, it now appears as though 2008 will go down in history as the third worst in the 112-year history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. See less

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 01/02/09

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks gained for a second day, trimming losses at the end of the market’s worst year since the Great Depression, as fewer Americans filed for jobless benefits and the Treasury said it will expand aid to the car industry.... See more

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks gained for a second day, trimming losses at the end of the market’s worst year since the Great Depression, as fewer Americans filed for jobless benefits and the Treasury said it will expand aid to the car industry. Macy’s Inc. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. climbed more than 9 percent as initial unemployment claims dropped by 94,000 last week to the lowest level in almost two months. Lear Corp., the world’s second-biggest maker of vehicle seats, jumped 23 percent after the Treasury said it may provide funds to more companies in the auto industry. Stocks in Europe and Asia advanced, paring the biggest annual declines on record for regional indexes. See less

Highlights: “They will write about this year for a long time,” said Duncan Niederauer, chief executive offi...

See this at: blogs.wsj.com| Added on 12/29/08

It is often said that markets hate uncertainty, but in 2008, one of the few certainties was just that — uncertainty. Even investors who believed they had witnessed every strange trick and bizarre outcome found their head spinning after some of what... See more

It is often said that markets hate uncertainty, but in 2008, one of the few certainties was just that — uncertainty. Even investors who believed they had witnessed every strange trick and bizarre outcome found their head spinning after some of what occurred in 2008. “In 28 years in the business, I’ve never seen a year quite like this,” said Don Galante, senior vice president at MF Global. Here, then, is a list of the most surprising moments of the year, the jaw-dropping events that left many speechless. Feel free to include your own overlooked moments in the comments. See less

Highlights: 1. Lehman Brothers Dies. On one weekend in September, the entire financial system was turned upside down. Merrill Lynch sold itself to Bank of America. American International Group announced a major restructuring. But Lehman found itself outmaneuvered by Merrill’s John Thain and without a...

See this at: blogs.wsj.com| Added on 12/29/08

It’s been a terrible year for most major asset classes — stocks, real estate, hedge funds, and commodities. One of the assets that investors might have expected to do a bit better in such an environment, when the vast majority fled to higher ground,... See more

It’s been a terrible year for most major asset classes — stocks, real estate, hedge funds, and commodities. One of the assets that investors might have expected to do a bit better in such an environment, when the vast majority fled to higher ground, was gold. But gold’s performance this year has been a disappointment. See less

Highlights: As of Wednesday, gold closed at $847.10 per troy ounce, up 1.5% on the year. Compared with a 40% decline in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index and a 60% drop in crude oil, that’s just fine — it is, after all, a return of capital. But analysts say gold failed to capitalize during market...

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 11/28/08

U.S. stocks end higher, leaving the market with monthly losses but with large gains for a holiday-shortened week that saw investors increasingly confident that much of a dire economic outlook already has been priced in.

U.S. stocks end higher, leaving the market with monthly losses but with large gains for a holiday-shortened week that saw investors increasingly confident that much of a dire economic outlook already has been priced in. See less

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 11/28/08

U.S. stocks gained, capping the biggest weekly advance for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in 34 years, on speculation that government bailouts will shore up the economy. Citigroup Inc., which had $306 billion in troubled assets guaranteed by the... See more

U.S. stocks gained, capping the biggest weekly advance for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in 34 years, on speculation that government bailouts will shore up the economy. Citigroup Inc., which had $306 billion in troubled assets guaranteed by the government last weekend, rallied 18 percent for its fourth straight gain. General Motors Corp. climbed 8.9 percent and Ford Motor Co. surged 25 percent as the automakers considered cutting debt and labor costs to win federal aid. Target Corp. slumped 3.9 percent as retailers extended discounts to lure shoppers amid what is forecast to be the slowest holiday shopping season in six years. “It’s going to be a really tough Christmas shopping season, but a lot of this is built into the stocks, and there is huge stimulus coming down the pipeline,” Alan Gayle, senior investment strategist at Ridgeworth Capital Management in Richmond, Virginia, said on Bloomberg Television. “We are cautiously bullish.” Ridgeworth manages $70 billion. See less

Highlights: The S&P 500 has rebounded 19 percent from an 11-year low last week. It is still down 43 percent from its October 2007 record as credit-related losses and writedowns at global financial companies approach $1 trillion. It fell 7.5 percent in November following a 17 percent slide in October...

See this at: reuters.com| Added on 11/28/08

* S&P 500 has best week since at least 1980 * Dow marks five straight days of gains * GE, financial sector help lift Dow and S&P * But retailers slip on "Black Friday" jitters * Dow up 1.2 pct, S&P up 1 pct, Nasdaq up 0.2 pct *

* S&P 500 has best week since at least 1980 * Dow marks five straight days of gains * GE, financial sector help lift Dow and S&P * But retailers slip on "Black Friday" jitters * Dow up 1.2 pct, S&P up 1 pct, Nasdaq up 0.2 pct * See less

Highlights: U.S stocks rose on Friday on light volume in an abbreviated session, capping the best week for the S&P 500 since at least 1980, as investors hoped government and central bank moves unveiled this week would boost the economy. For the Dow industrials, Friday's close marked five straight days...

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 11/28/08

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks posted the biggest two- day rally since 1987 after the government guaranteed $306 billion of troubled Citigroup Inc. assets and lawmakers pledged to pass another economic stimulus package.

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks posted the biggest two- day rally since 1987 after the government guaranteed $306 billion of troubled Citigroup Inc. assets and lawmakers pledged to pass another economic stimulus package. See less

Highlights: Citigroup, which lost 60 percent of its market value last week, rebounded 58 percent after the Treasury also agreed to inject $20 billion into the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. jumped more than 21 percent, catapulting the Standard & Poor’s 500 Financials Index to...

See this at: nytimes.com| Added on 11/14/08

After slumping to some of its lowest levels of the year, Wall Street soared in a late rally on Thursday and closed significantly higher, during a chaotic session in which the Dow ranged across nearly 900 points.

After slumping to some of its lowest levels of the year, Wall Street soared in a late rally on Thursday and closed significantly higher, during a chaotic session in which the Dow ranged across nearly 900 points. See less

Highlights: The surge lifted shares 10 percent from their daily lows and ended three days of losses on Wall Street. The Dow shot up 870 points over three hours, and the broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index closed up 6.92 percent after hitting its worst point in five years. The Dow Jones...

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 11/14/08

Stocks in the U.S. rose off their lows and turned sharply higher into Thursday's close, erasing early losses that had been spurred by a sharp rise in unemployment numbers and discouraging news from the retail, auto and technology sectors.

Stocks in the U.S. rose off their lows and turned sharply higher into Thursday's close, erasing early losses that had been spurred by a sharp rise in unemployment numbers and discouraging news from the retail, auto and technology sectors. See less

Highlights: Robert Pavlik, chief investment officer at Oaktree Asset Management, said that after the S&P 500 got down to an intraday low of 818.69, buying interest was sparked. Pavlik said that although reports suggested that large institutional purchases of the SPDR (SPY Quote ) ETF stirred the...

See this at: nytimes.com| Added on 11/12/08

Shares on Wall Street tumbled more than 4 percent on Wednesday as frightened investors wondered how long the economic slowdown will last, how deep it will cut, and whether Washington can do anything to stanch the bleeding. Financial markets... See more

Shares on Wall Street tumbled more than 4 percent on Wednesday as frightened investors wondered how long the economic slowdown will last, how deep it will cut, and whether Washington can do anything to stanch the bleeding. Financial markets compounded their early losses in afternoon trading, ending down for a third day. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 411.30 points or 4.73 percent, while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was down more than 5 percent for the day and nearly 9 percent for the week. See less

Highlights: “It’s just a downward spiral caused by fear,” said Richard Sparks, senior equity analyst at Schaeffer’s Investment Research. “We’ve got bad news everywhere.” Wall Street spent the day looking at Washington for guidance and reassurance, and investors did not like what they saw, analysts...

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 11/12/08

U.S. stocks fell for a third day as the Treasury's plan to use bailout funds to shore up consumer lending and Best Buy Co.'s warning of a ``seismic'' slowdown in spending stoked concern the credit crisis is far from over.

U.S. stocks fell for a third day as the Treasury's plan to use bailout funds to shore up consumer lending and Best Buy Co.'s warning of a ``seismic'' slowdown in spending stoked concern the credit crisis is far from over. See less

Highlights: Citigroup Inc. and the Standard & Poor's 500 Financials Index slid to 12-year lows as the Treasury scrapped plans to buy mortgage assets and shifted focus to consumer credit. American Express Co. tumbled 10 percent on a report the company may need government aid.

See this at: cnbc.com| Added on 11/09/08

On a week where the US closed the chapter on a historic election, the markets rallied on Friday, up almost 2.5% or greater, however, all the major indices finished the week down about 4%. Small-cap companies continue to lag, with the Russell 2000... See more

On a week where the US closed the chapter on a historic election, the markets rallied on Friday, up almost 2.5% or greater, however, all the major indices finished the week down about 4%. Small-cap companies continue to lag, with the Russell 2000 down almost 6% for the week. -IBM [IBM 86.27 1.12 (+1.32%) ] had the most negative impact on the Dow, down over 7% for the week -Coke [KO 46.25 1.76 (+3.96%) ] had the most positive impact on the Dow & the S&P 500 up almost 5% for the week *Five Dow Components were positive on the week: KO, MMM, VZ, T and CAT -Bank of America [BAC 20.49 0.37 (+1.84%) ] had the most negative impact on the S&P 500, down over 15% for the week -Comcast [CMCSA 17.41 0.71 (+4.25%) ] had the most positive impact on the NASDAQ 100, up almost 11% for the week -Google [GOOG 331.14 -0.08 (-0.02%) ] had the most negative impact on the NASDAQ 100, down almost 8% for the week Nine out of ten sectors were negative for the week led by Financials. Telecomm was the only... See less

Highlights: Small-cap companies continue to lag, with the Russell 2000 down almost 6% for the week. -IBM [IBM 86.27 1.12 (+1.32%) ] had the most negative impact on the Dow, down over 7% for the week -Coke [KO 46.25 1.76 (+3.96%) ] had the most positive impact on the Dow & the S&P 500 up almost 5% for...

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 11/05/08

U.S. stocks sank hard Wednesday to finish with hefty losses as traders took in some bearish corporate news and dreary economic data, while sizing up their prospects following Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election.

U.S. stocks sank hard Wednesday to finish with hefty losses as traders took in some bearish corporate news and dreary economic data, while sizing up their prospects following Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election. See less

Highlights: The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 486.01 points, or 5.1%, to 9139.27, and the S&P 500 was lower by 52.98 points, or 5.3%, at 952.77. The Nasdaq dropped 98.48 points, or 5.5%, to 1681.64. Several bits of data about the broad economy painted a grim picture. Automatic Data Processing...

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 11/05/08

U.S. stocks hastened their sharp declines, erasing the largest Election Day gains in more than two decades, as investors pondered the task ahead for President-elect Barack Obama in confronting the poor shape of the economy. "Obama's honeymoon with... See more

U.S. stocks hastened their sharp declines, erasing the largest Election Day gains in more than two decades, as investors pondered the task ahead for President-elect Barack Obama in confronting the poor shape of the economy. "Obama's honeymoon with the markets was a short one as stocks unwound their Election-Day relief rally... as the credit and financial mountain remains a tall one to climb," said analysts at Action Economics. The potential for a deep U.S. recession and the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression gives Obama little time to bask in the afterglow of his victory, economists said. Read more. "Yesterday's market action was in anticipation of an Obama victory -- it looks like more of a landslide -- now we're down to business and the market is going to wait until he talks about an economic plan," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners. Stocks quickened the pace of their losses in afternoon trade, with financial shares hammered the... See less

Highlights: The blue-chip index had gained 3.3% the prior session, topping the 1.2% advance tallied in 1984 when Ronald Reagan won a second term. On Wednesday, all of the Dow's 30 components posted late-session declines, with the losses led by Citigroup Inc. (C:12.69, -1.99, -13.6%) , off 14%, and...

See this at: forbes.com| Added on 11/05/08

Enthusiasm for Barack Obama's Election Day victory was unable to spark a rally on Wall Street, as sour economic data and profit-taking after Tuesday's run-up marked a rocky session. Wednesday's slide accelerated into the bell, as the Dow Jones... See more

Enthusiasm for Barack Obama's Election Day victory was unable to spark a rally on Wall Street, as sour economic data and profit-taking after Tuesday's run-up marked a rocky session. Wednesday's slide accelerated into the bell, as the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 486 points, or 5.1%, its first triple-digit loss in over a week, to close at 9,139. The S&P 500 slid 53 points, or 5.3%, to 953; and the Nasdaq dropped 98 points, or 5.5%, to 1,682. Trading was rocky from the open, after two precursors to Friday's monthly jobs report spooked investors. Payroll manager Automatic Data Processing said its employment survey showed private-sector companies trimmed 157,000 jobs in October, while outplacement agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas said planned layoffs at U.S. firms jumped to 112,884 during the month. While the reports are not a perfect crystal ball for Friday's government data, the figures are not promising. Analysts already had been expecting a relatively weak government report.... See less

Highlights: Financials were among the biggest losers Wednesday, even as the slide hit virtually every industry. A Citi analyst report suggested the Obama presidency could spell trouble for the sector, including brokers & asset managers that would be hurt by an increase in the capital gains tax. The...

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 11/05/08

Whether you take all this as good or bad news probably depends on your political affiliations. Those of you who had thought that Obama will be bad for the economy and the stock market can take solace that Wall Street, with its money rather than just... See more

Whether you take all this as good or bad news probably depends on your political affiliations. Those of you who had thought that Obama will be bad for the economy and the stock market can take solace that Wall Street, with its money rather than just with its political biases, collectively doesn't agree with you. See less

See this at: money.cnn.com| Added on 11/04/08

Stocks surged Tuesday, with the Dow gaining over 300 points, as millions of Americans battered by the weakened economy turned out to vote for the next President of the United States. The Dow Jones industrial average gained around 305 points, or 3.3%,... See more

Stocks surged Tuesday, with the Dow gaining over 300 points, as millions of Americans battered by the weakened economy turned out to vote for the next President of the United States. The Dow Jones industrial average gained around 305 points, or 3.3%, according to early tallies. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 4% and the Nasdaq composite rose 3.1%. Stocks rallied last week at the end of one of the worst months in Wall Street history. For the week, the Dow was up 10.1%, the S&P 500 was up 9.5% and the Nasdaq had gained 9.8%. See less

Highlights: "The election has been a source of worry for the market, so you're getting some relief that it's finally here," said Michael Church, senior portfolio manager at Church Capital. Church said Tuesday's session was also continuing the recent trend of calmer trading, after months of...

See this at: ftalphaville.ft.com| Added on 11/04/08

Apparently we’ve got the strongest signal to buy equities in six years, according to Morgan Stanley’s super-bear bull Teun Draaisma - a “full house” of indicators that together have a “near-perfect” track record.

Apparently we’ve got the strongest signal to buy equities in six years, according to Morgan Stanley’s super-bear bull Teun Draaisma - a “full house” of indicators that together have a “near-perfect” track record. See less

Highlights: But what are those indicators? First there is composite valuation: This is a traditional tool comparing equity valuations with inflation and official interest rates, the strategist says. Morgan Stanley uses a variety of weighted indices on real and nominal bond yields, dividend yields,...

See this at: timesbusiness.typepa...| Added on 10/29/08

The financial events of recent weeks have filled many of us with shock and panic. Surely no one could have predicted that we would be in this mess? Well, actually, they did. Here are ten people who saw the financial meltdown coming...

The financial events of recent weeks have filled many of us with shock and panic. Surely no one could have predicted that we would be in this mess? Well, actually, they did. Here are ten people who saw the financial meltdown coming... See less

Highlights: 5. Nouriel Roubini - economics professor Aka Dr Doom, Dr Roubini is an economics professor at New York University. On September 7, 2006, at an International Monetary Fund meeting, he announced that a crisis was brewing. He said that the United States was likely to face a...

See this at: thestreet.com| Added on 10/28/08

Stocks in New York thundered higher in the final hour of trading Tuesday to close the day with remarkable gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 889.35 points, or 10.9%, to 9065.12, and the S&P 500 added 91.59 points, or 10.8%, to 940.51. The... See more

Stocks in New York thundered higher in the final hour of trading Tuesday to close the day with remarkable gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 889.35 points, or 10.9%, to 9065.12, and the S&P 500 added 91.59 points, or 10.8%, to 940.51. The Nasdaq jumped 143.57 points, or 9.5%, to 1649.47. See less

Highlights: The Dow's rise marks the second biggest single-day point gain in the history of the index. (On Oct. 13, it gained 936.42 points.) "You got a good day, a good advance, good volume," said Paul Nolte, director of investing at Hinsdale Associates. "I don't know if we've stemmed the tide or...

See this at: bloomberg.com| Added on 10/29/08

Stocks rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its second-best point gain as the cheapest valuations in 23 years lured investors and increased commercial paper sales signaled credit markets are thawing.

Stocks rallied and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its second-best point gain as the cheapest valuations in 23 years lured investors and increased commercial paper sales signaled credit markets are thawing. See less

Highlights: Alcoa Inc. jumped 19 percent, leading the Dow to an almost 900-point advance, after the shares slid to their lowest price- to-earnings ratio on record. General Electric Co., the largest issuer of commercial paper, soared 9.9 percent after sales of longer-term debt grew 10-fold yesterday as...

See this at: boston.com| Added on 10/29/08

Propelled by a feverish end-of-session rally, stocks rebounded dramatically yesterday, pushing the benchmark Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 900 points in its second-largest point gain ever and extending a white-knuckled season of market... See more

Propelled by a feverish end-of-session rally, stocks rebounded dramatically yesterday, pushing the benchmark Dow Jones industrial average up nearly 900 points in its second-largest point gain ever and extending a white-knuckled season of market volatility. See less

See this at: reuters.com| Added on 10/29/08

Two days left, and we have a real shot at making the top 10 list of the worst months for stocks in U.S. history. The S&P 500 is down 19.3% so far in October, already qualifying it for the ninth-worst month ever.

Two days left, and we have a real shot at making the top 10 list of the worst months for stocks in U.S. history. The S&P 500 is down 19.3% so far in October, already qualifying it for the ninth-worst month ever. See less

Highlights: Before a powerful rally Tuesday, it looked like we might have had a shot at snatching first place away from September 1931. In that month -- the early stages of the Great Depression -- the S&P 500 fell 29.94%. Fortunately, for those of us whose 401(k)s are tied up in entertainment stocks,...

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 10/29/08

On Black Thursday, Oct. 24, 1929, Richard Whitney, chief floor broker for J. Pierpont Morgan, strode onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where he would later serve as president, headed to the post where United States Steel was... See more

On Black Thursday, Oct. 24, 1929, Richard Whitney, chief floor broker for J. Pierpont Morgan, strode onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where he would later serve as president, headed to the post where United States Steel was trading -- which, like virtually every stock on the exchange, was in all but total freefall. He proclaimed in a stentorian voice: "I bid 205 for 10,000 steel." See less

Highlights: While better, quicker information means that misery can spread more quickly around the globe, it may also mean that relief could spread more quickly as well. Cycles may well turn out to be sharper, yet shorter, then before. As we monitor daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly the profits...

See this at: telegraph.co.uk| Added on 10/26/08

Wall Street clawed back heavy early losses to close down 312.3 points on the 79th anniversary of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 as investors reacted to a global stock market rout driven by rising fears of a worldwide recession.

Wall Street clawed back heavy early losses to close down 312.3 points on the 79th anniversary of the Wall Street Crash of 1929 as investors reacted to a global stock market rout driven by rising fears of a worldwide recession. See less

Highlights: Away from the equity markets, the “Vix” volatility index – which measures the amount of volatility in the markets – hit an all-time intra-day record high at $89.53, highlighting investor’s uncertainty about the future direction of share prices. Meanwhile the US Treasury said Hank Paulson...

See this at: news.bbc.co.uk| Added on 10/26/08

Between 29 October and 13 November 1929, when stock prices hit their lowest point, more than $30bn disappeared from the US economy. As stock values plummeted, investors with all their savings in the market realised the scale of their losses,... See more

Between 29 October and 13 November 1929, when stock prices hit their lowest point, more than $30bn disappeared from the US economy. As stock values plummeted, investors with all their savings in the market realised the scale of their losses, prompting mass panic. See less

Highlights: As the gloom spread to all parts of US industry, the number of unemployed people reached upwards of 13 million and signs saying "No Men Wanted" began to be displayed around the country. For Mr Bickell and his colleagues, the downturn forced them to take compulsory leave as their firm...

See this at: cnn.com| Added on 10/26/08

Friday marks the 79th anniversary of the day that launched the stock market crash of 1929.

Friday marks the 79th anniversary of the day that launched the stock market crash of 1929. See less

Highlights: First some facts about that earlier experience. The Great Crash and the Great Depression were two separate events. The Crash was a financial panic, the Depression an economic downturn. The one does not necessarily lead to the other; the market has collapsed several times in American...

See this at: marketwatch.com| Added on 10/16/08

U.S. stocks shoot dramatically higher in a late-session bounce back from the prior day’s rout, with energy shares pacing the climb after the price of crude drops below $70 a barrel for the first time in more than a year.

U.S. stocks shoot dramatically higher in a late-session bounce back from the prior day’s rout, with energy shares pacing the climb after the price of crude drops below $70 a barrel for the first time in more than a year. See less

Highlights: After trading in a 815-point range, the Dow Jones Industrial Average powered higher in the final hour, rising 401 points, or 4.7%, to end at 8.979.26, a far cry from intraday lows that had the blue-chip benchmark down more nearly 400 points. "We've got options expiration for October...

See this at: money.cnn.com| Added on 10/16/08

Stocks rallied Monday afternoon, with the Dow rallying 976 points during the session, as investors bet that the worst of the credit crisis is over, following a series of global initiatives announced over the last few days.

Stocks rallied Monday afternoon, with the Dow rallying 976 points during the session, as investors bet that the worst of the credit crisis is over, following a series of global initiatives announced over the last few days. See less

Highlights: The Dow Jones industrial average ended 936 points higher, after having risen as much as 976 points during the session. The advance was the largest ever during a session on a point basis. The point gain was equal to 11.1%, the best one-day percentage gain since Sept. 1932 and the fifth-best...