Spring is just around the corner and as we begin cleaning up our homes and adding a fresh coat of paint to our walls, there are stocks that could benefit. Nikhil Hutheesing and Dan Burrows face-off on three springtime stocks: Sherwin Williams, Toro and Home Depot. Watch the video for the bull and bear cases.
After a rough opening session on Monday, stocks rebounded sharply on Tuesday. The Dow enjoyed a triple-digit gain after oil prices eased and bank shares bounced higher on the possibility of further dividend payouts and share buybacks.
Increasing violence in Libya caused oil prices to rise and stocks to fall 80 points to close at 12,090 on Monday. It didn't help that a Wells Fargo analyst also downgraded the semiconductor industry, sending shares of Intel down by 1.6%.
During a volatile week, stocks bounced between Mideast turmoil and generally strong economic reports. Even with the jobless rate's surprising drop, equities ended on a down note. Still, stocks eked out a tiny overall gain on the week. [Video]
Can you profit from the turmoil in the Middle East? Oil is now flirting around $100 a barrel and gold is continuing its upward trend. For investors, this could present an opportunity in oil and gold stocks. Here is the bull and bear take on three stocks that could rise on Mideast unrest.
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.
The market suffered its biggest swoon since August last week as chaos swept Libya and oil prices hit multiyear highs. With the geopolitical landscape uncertain for the foreseeable future, don't be surprised if stocks come under further selling pressure in the days ahead. [Video]
It was a rough (even if short) week on Wall Street. But at least the Dow ended higher after losing more than 300 points in the previous three days. Some month-end bargain-hunting also helped stem the slide. [Video]
Gold bugs love bad news, and civil war in Libya, Africa's third-largest oil producer, couldn't have come at a better time. After dropping a hundred bucks in January, February's upheavals have pushed gold back within striking distance of nominal all-time highs.
Stocks fell again on Wednesday, and oil prices briefly crossed the $100-a-barrel mark after violence escalated in Libya. Oil traders are spooked about the possible spread of turmoil. Tech bellwether HP's disappointing outlook also hurt.
The Dow suffered a steep triple-digit loss Tuesday as turmoil in Libya ignited a global sell-off in stocks. Oil prices rose sharply, as did safe-haven assets such as Treasurys and the dollar. Disappointing news from Walmart didn't help matters.
Stocks closed broadly if modestly higher Friday on light volume as traders avoided making any big bets ahead of a long holiday weekend. The equity markets closed up for the third straight day and extended their winning ways to a third consecutive week.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway liquidated its positions in a number of high-profile companies during the fourth quarter, but the Oracle of Omaha has hung on to his huge stake in Coca-Cola. And Coke's nearly 4% drop is a weight on Buffett's portfolio.
Last week, traders had ample opportunity to take some profits -- and yet the market kept rising. With fewer big reports on tap this week and a key technical hurdle overcome, stocks could very well extend their gains in the sessions ahead. [Video]
Wicked winter weather played havoc with the government's employment situation resulting in an inconclusive jobs report on Friday. Still, stocks ended the week higher. But how much longer can stocks continue to gain?