After Ben Bernanke pulled a trick from the 1960s Fed handbook to twist down long-term interest rates, experts are mixed on how it will affect the U.S. economy. Wall Street reacted negatively to the news. The Dow fell 284 points.
U.S. bond prices fell Wednesday on violence in Libya. An auction of $35 billion in five-year notes met with little demand, while 10-year Treasury prices fell 22 cents per $100 invested. Stocks also declined as a result of the Libyan instability.
U.S. mortgage rates have grown for five straight weeks, in the last week hitting their highest levels in seven months. Ten-year Treasury note yields have been climbing on inflation concerns, driving the higher rates.
The markets ended the week on a high note with encouraging economic news, a surprise jump in consumer sentiment and a drop in the trade deficit, among other things. Is the Fed's latest round of stimulus working?
Stocks closed a bit higher after flitting around breakeven on light trading for much of the day. Financials outperformed, while commodities suffered. Treasury bond yields hit their highest intraday level since June. End-of-year strangeness?
It's no secret that stock investors have suffered through roller-coaster volatility this year for little or no return, while bond investors have been having a ball. The longest-dated Treasury mutual funds have returned nearly 20%. Stocks, meanwhile, have done zilch.
Stocks enjoyed a respite from what some see as a bubble in pessimism, and that sudden turn should be unnerving to a fast-growing crowd of individual investors: those who have recently raced into ultrasafe holdings like U.S. government bonds.
A record plunge in existing-homes sales last month sent equity investors skittering toward safety Tuesday, pushing the Dow to a triple-digit loss. The Dow fell 1.3% to finish at 10,039.
With more big names raising concerns about overheated T-bonds, what's an investor with a Treasury-heavy portfolio to do? Some ideas: Consider corporate bonds or perhaps stick with government debt, but only short-term securities.
The major averages rallied sharply Wednesday with the blue-chip Dow closing up 274 points, fueled by a rosier earnings forecast from money manager State Street Corp. and anticipation of strong monthly retail sales reports on Thursday.
The stock market ended the second quarter with a whimper Wednesday as all three major averages collapsed late in the session. It was a fitting end to a lousy three months and first-half for stocks.
A surprise plunge in consumer confidence sent U.S. stocks to the year's lowest close, with the blue-chip Dow down well below 10,000. Again. With the report coming after bad news in Asia and Europe, U.S. equities never had a chance.
The Dow jumped more than 270 points to close solidly above 10,000 Thursday as encouraging economic data out of China and a soothing growth forecast from the European Central Bank once again whetted traders' appetite for risk.
Global appetite for U.S. financial assets slowed markedly in December, and demand for federal debt fell by a record amount as China dumped more than $34 billion in American IOUs, the Treasury said Tuesday. China cut its holdings for a second straight month.
