A burst of hiring in February pushed stocks higher on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 67.58 points, or 0.5 percent, to 14,397.07, surpassing its previous record close Tuesday and logged a sixth straight increase Friday.
The Dow is closing at a record, beating the previous high it set in October 2007, before the financial crisis and the Great Recession. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 126 points, or 1 percent, to 14,253 Tuesday, beating its previous record by 89 points.
Stocks opened lower Friday but reversed course after a letter surfaced from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, suggesting there was room for the central bank to do more to help the economy.
Monday is the only day the stock market is more likely to fall than to rise. The Dow Jones industrial average has been down 10 of the past 11 Mondays. And the two worst days in market history are both known as Black Monday.
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.
Some of the best online stories for investors, including: Why the Nvidia-Intel deal is a win-win for everyone; the top 20 most influential blogs in financial media; what if Apple had gone into the Dow instead of Cisco?
Stocks closed broadly higher Wednesday after Portugal's government had no trouble in tapping global debt markets, helping ease European debt fears. The euro gained at the dollar's expense, which lifted a broad basket of commodities as well as U.S. equities.
After putting up solid gains this year, the case for the stock market in 2011 is more of the same. And when the Fed finally raises short-term rates, one pro says, the smart traders will be those who jump on the opportunity to do some serious bargain-hunting. [Video]
Stocks are closing out 2010 with a double-digit bang. Veteran NYSE trader Teddy Weisberg says those gains coming amid gut-wrenching volatility should be no surprise, and he points to three important lessons from the market's behavior that will help guide investors in 2011. [Video]
Improving economic conditions, strong corporate profits and the Fed's easy money have some money managers bullish on equities going into 2011. Plus, companies are staring to deploy their cash hoards on M&A, dividends and share buybacks. [Video]
Stocks closed modestly mixed on light volume Friday in the last full trading week of the year, which marked the third week in a row of overall gains. While drugmakers Pfizer and Merck put a damper on the Dow, robust earnings from Oracle and Research In Motion helped lift tech stocks.
The Dow tumbled Tuesday as part of a global sell-off in stocks fueled by further speculation that China will hike interest rates to fight inflation and renewed worries over the wobbly finances of Ireland, Portugal and Greece.
Solid quarterly earnings and anticipation of more stimulus from the Fed have helped lift the Dow by 400 points over the past two weeks. However, another boost is coming from individuals who've begun moving money from bonds to equities.
Stocks closed mixed Friday as another round of solid third-quarter earnings reports was checked by rising anxiety about the dollar. Despite the uncertainty, stocks pulled off their third straight week of gains.
Stocks rose Friday and the Dow crossed the 11,000 level for the first time since early May. September's dismal jobs reports raised traders' expectations for another round of monetary easing from the Federal Reserve.
The aluminum giant matched Wall Street's profit expectations and exceeded the revenue estimates. Company execs say they see demand picking up as the year progresses. Alcoa shares jumped in after-hours trading.
Stocks kicked off the final quarter of the year with moderate gains Friday as more encouraging data on consumer spending, consumer sentiment and auto sales were partly offset by a slowdown in manufacturing activity.
Despite the last day's profit-taking slippage, it was a September to remember for stocks, especially after their gruesome performance in August. It's all the more noteworthy because September is hardly a highlight month historically.
The strength of the market surge depends on economic news -- particularly unemployment data. Consumer confidence, personal consumption and GDP are three other big items on this week's calendar.
Stocks rallied sharply Friday to extend their winning ways to a fourth consecutive week. That's the longest rally since late April, when the markets hit their last peaks.
Stocks closed ever-so-slightly higher Friday as traders weighed some better-than-expected earnings news and inflation data against slumping consumer sentiment.