Dow

Promises from French and German leaders to strengthen European banks gave investors something to smile about this Columbus Day. The Dow soared 330 points or 3%. The S&P and Nasdaq also rose sharply.

It's been heck of a ride on Wall Street: the ups, the downs, a 500-plus point selloff. But some stocks suffered far more than others this week. Here's a look at 10 of the biggest decliners.

It you're feeling sick to your stomach, you're not alone. The stock-market roller coaster of the last couple of weeks -- culminating with Thursday's 500-point plunge on the Dow -- has been enough to make even the most stoic investors sweat. But here's how you can turn uncertainty into opportunity.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed its best start to the year since 1999 Thursday, rising 6.4% in the first three months. The index of 30 large companies gained 742 points in that stretch -- the largest point gain since 1998 and the second best on record.

The first trading day of the month is usually good to equities, but after a two-day respite, stocks went back back to broad-based declines. The sharp rise in oil prices overshadowed some encouraging corporate and economic news.

Investors and traders greeted Dow 12,000 with cheers Tuesday after the blue-chip index closed at the highest level since 2008. Where do we head from here? It all depends on the economy. And considering the possible headwinds, the market's rapid rise so far seems pretty fragile.

Stocks closed sharply higher Monday with the Dow Jones posting a triple-digit gain as technology stocks rallied after Intel raised its dividend and expanded its share buybacks by $10 billion. The index last saw 12,000 in June 2008 -- on the way down.

It's been a long time since the DJIA reflected just America's smokestack economy. But today's economic rebound is being led so far by manufacturers. And if you plot those Dow components as a group, you'll see they're leading the larger pack by far.

Stocks ended the week on a positive note despite economic reports that fell short of expectations. But Cort Gwon of FBN Securities says there was lots to cheer about as fears over the debt crisis in Europe lessened and U.S. companies announced stellar earnings.

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