Midday Market Minute: Stocks Edge Higher on Wall Street
The stock market edged higher on Thursday as investors waited for more indications on the health of U.S. companies from earnings reports. Economic reports were mixed.
The stock market edged higher on Thursday as investors waited for more indications on the health of U.S. companies from earnings reports. Economic reports were mixed.
World stock markets rose Wednesday after the fourth-quarter earnings season got off to a positive start in the U.S. with aluminum giant Alcoa forecasting higher demand for 2013. Demand for aluminum has been hurt by the weak global economy, but Alcoa predicted a 7 percent increase in demand this year, slightly better than the 6 percent increase in 2012.
Sometimes, no matter how many months a company invests in development or how many millions it spends on marketing, a new product can fall flat on its face. That's what happened to these new offerings, the biggest product flops of 2012.
An early gain on the stock market shrank after House Speaker John Boehner said little progress was being made in budget talks. The DJIA had been up as much as 77 points Thursday, then briefly turned negative after Boehner's remarks at 11:30 a.m. But markets rapidly headed back into positive territory again.
The Dow Jones industrial average is ending the day down 185 points at 12,570. The Standard & Poor's 500 index is down 19 at 1,355. The Nasdaq composite index is closing down 37 at 2,846.
Major stock-market indexes climbed Tuesday as investors waited for the finish of a closely fought U.S. presidential election.
U.S. stock exchanges are looking at opening on Wednesday after monster storm Sandy receded from New York, and the New York Stock Exchange is testing a new plan to help resume trading.
A number of major U.S. companies postponed quarterly earnings reports Monday as Hurricane Sandy bore down on the East Coast and financial markets were closed: Among the biggies waiting until the rain stops: Pfizer, Thomson Reuters, NRG Energy, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Disappointing earnings reports from McDonald's, Microsoft and other companies dragged the stock market down Friday.
Inflation is low, earnings are high, investors are happy. Stocks shot higher Tuesday, giving the market its biggest gain in a month. Results at Mattel, Goldman Sachs, and Johnson & Johnson were all above expectations.
Stocks rose on Monday after a strong gain in retail spending suggested that consumers could be getting more confident about the economy. Bank stocks rose broadly after Citigroup delivered a strong earnings report.
Stocks closed out their worst week since June after investors looked over third-quarter corporate earnings reports and decided there wasn't much to get excited about.
Stocks slumped Tuesday on Wall Street after the International Monetary Fund predicted weaker world economic growth and as investors waited for what they expected to be lower corporate earnings.
The stock market staged a huge rally after investors got the aggressive economic help they wanted from the Fed. The Dow finished up more than 200 points at 13,540, its highest level since December 2007, the start of the Great Recession.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 15 points to close at 13,307. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up nearly six at 1,438. The Nasdaq composite rose less than point at 3,136.














