Today's Market (TheStreet.com breaks down the day's market action. Provides a detailed look at trends impacting the major indices and how upgrades, downgrades, and mergers and acquisitions of the hottest stocks are moving the market. Updated throughout the trading day.)
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks settled firmly in positive territory Monday as Greece appeared on its way to a bailout approval and Apple shares jumped over $500, fueling gains on the Nasdaq.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 72.8 points, or 0.6%, at 12,874. The S&P 500 rose 9.1 points, or 0.7%, at 1352. The Nasdaq added 27.5 points, or 1%, at 2931.
Apple, breaking above an intraday level of $500 a share for the first time, helped the Nasdaq outpace gains on the Dow and S&P. The company, which hit $400 a share just a little over six months ago, has escalated its legal battle against Samsung by asking a California court to block sales of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. In the suit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Apple accuses Samsung of violating four Apple patents with its new phone, according to a Dow Jones . The new Samsung phone is considered by many to be the strongest competitor yet to its iPhone, posing a robust threat to Apple's market share.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures advanced Monday after Greek lawmakers passed a package of austerity measures to satisfy the terms for a bailout from the country's international creditors.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 83 points, or 89 points above fair value, at 12,850. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 9.3 points, or 10.4 points above fair value, at 1350. Futures for the Nasdaq were up 16.7 points, or 20.4 points above fair value, at 2565.
The market welcome Greece's drastic plans to cut spending and wages, even as economists said that these same measures may be detrimental to the country's long-term growth. Riots spread across Athens overnight, with thousands of people protesting the latest round of stringent demands from Greece's creditors.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks posted their largest one-day decline of the year Friday as fears of a disorderly Greek default and signs of global economic slowdown dinged sentiment.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was dropped 89.2 points, or 0.7%, to 12,801. The S&P 500 slid 9.3 points, or 0.7%, to 1,343, to snap a five-week rally, and the Nasdaq erased 23.4 points, or 0.8%, at 2,904.
As market uncertainty ticked up Friday, the CBOE Volatility Index rose 12% to 20.78.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were falling Friday as the fate of Greece's bailout was called into question and reports suggested global economic growth continues to face pressure.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 94 points, or 101 points below fair value, at 12,748. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 12.4 points, or 12.8 points below fair value, at 1336, and futures for the Nasdaq were behind by 19.5 points, or 19.6 points below fair value, at 2542.
U.S. stocks advanced Thursday as investors digested a Greek debt deal and another sign of a better domestic jobs market.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stocks advanced Thursday as investors digested a Greek debt deal and another sign of a better domestic jobs market.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 6.5 points, or 0.1%, at 12,890, for a year-to-date run up of 5.5%. The index finished the previous trading session at its highest closing level since May 2008.
The S&P 500 rose 2 points, or 0.2%, at 1,352, having climbed 7.5% year-to-date to a seven-month high. The Nasdaq gained 11.4 points, or 0.4%, to 2,927, helped by heavyweight stocks such as Apple, which was up 3.5%.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were pointing to a higher open Thursday a Greek debt deal was reportedly reached and initial jobless claims unexpectedly fell.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 17 points, or 18.1 points above fair value, at 12,860. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 1.6 points, or 1.9 points above fair value, at 1349, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 3.8 points, or 5.5 points above fair value, at 2549.
Stocks finished higher Wednesday as the market digested news that the ECB remains divided over how it will contribute to a Greek debt restructuring and as Prime Minister Lucas Papademos began negotiations with Greek political leaders.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks finished higher Wednesday as the market digested news that the European Central Bank remains divided over how it will contribute to a Greek debt restructuring, and as Prime Minister Lucas Papademos began negotiations with Greek political leaders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 5.75 points, or just 0.04%, to 12,884. The S&P 500 rose 2.9 points, or 0.2%, to 1,350, and the Nasdaq finished 11.8 points higher, or 0.4%, at 2,916.
"With a lack of economic data today, the markets are focused overseas with the financial problems in Greece," says Stephen Carl, head equity trader at Williams Capital Group. "Without a concrete agreement the markets will not show much strength."
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were pointing to a mixed open Wednesday as investors viewed reports about the possibility of a Greek debt deal with cautious optimism.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 11 points, or 15.8 points above fair value, at 12,842. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 0.6 points, or 0.7 points above fair value, at 1344, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 2.3 points, or 2.1 points above fair value, at 2532.
Stocks closed higher Tuesday after Greek media reported that officials were close to signing an agreement that would help the country secure its next bailout.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks closed higher Tuesday after Greek media reported that officials were close to signing an agreement that would help the country secure its next bailout.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 33.1 points, or 0.3%, at 12,878. More than half of the 30 components on the blue-chip index traded higher, with McDonald's, American Express and Coca-Cola leading gains. Leading losses were Verizon, Boeing and Bank of America.
The S&P 500 was up 2.7 points, or 0.2%, at 1347. The Nasdaq finished up 2.1 points, or 0.1%, at 2904, helped by Apple, which set an all-time high at over $468 per share.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were pointing to a slightly lower open as negotiations with Greece to secure a second bailout package for the country dragged on.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 9 points, or 27.1 points below fair value, at 12,767. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 2.1 points, or 3.7 points below fair value, at 1337, and futures for the Nasdaq were off 5.5 points, or 5.5 points below fair value, at 2520.
Stocks finished lower Monday as investors remained cautious about Greece's debt situation.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks finished lower Monday as investors remained cautious about Greece's debt situation.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 17.1 points, or 0.1%, to 12,845, but pared back earlier losses of as much as 0.5%. The S&P 500 lost 0.6 point, or 0.04%, to 1,344, and the Nasdaq slid 3.7 points, or 0.1%, to 2,902.
The market's attention turned to the possibility that Greece may be headed for a default. The country is still trying to receive its second bailout package €130 billion ($171 billion) ahead of March 20, the deadline for €14.5 billion ($19.1 billion) in bond repayments.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were signaling a weaker open Monday as Greek debt worries once again put a damper on investor enthusiasm.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were falling 39 points, or 57.2 points below fair value, at 12,754. Futures for the S&P 500 were falling 5.5 points, or 7.7 points below fair value, at 1334, and futures for the Nasdaq were sliding 9 points, or 12.5 points below fair value, at 2514.
On Friday, the major U.S. stock indexes finished their second best day of trading this year after investors celebrated an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in almost three years.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The major U.S. stock finished their second best day of trading this year after investors celebrated an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in almost three years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 156.8 points higher, or 1.2%, at 12,862. The S&P 500 advanced 19.4 points, or 1.5%, to 1,345. The Nasdaq gained 46 points, or 1.6%, to 2,906, pushing the week's gains to 3.2% -- the best weekly performance in two months.
Only three components of 30 on the Dow traded lower. Bank of America, Alcoaand Caterpillarled the Dow higher. Merck, Procter & Gamble and Pfizer were slipping 0.1% , 0.7% and 0.1%.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures were extending gains Friday after a report showed the U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly fell last month to its lowest level since 2009.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 103 points, or 116.6 points above fair value, at 12,769. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 12.1 points, or 13 points above fair value, at 1,335. Futures for the Nasdaq were up 23.5 points, or 22.8 points above fair value, at 2,515.
The Bureau of Labor statistics announced Friday morning that the U.S. economy added 243,000 jobs in January to push the unemployment rate down to 8.3%, the lowest level since February 2009. Economists had expected the addition of 150,000 new jobs last month, and for the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 8.5%.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks finished mixed Thursday as investors weighed optimistic statements from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke on the U.S. economy against lackluster earnings results.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished slightly higher after disappointingMerck earnings and a Pfizer recall dragged the index lower most of the day. The blue-chip index lost 11.1 points, or 0.09%, at 12,705.
The S&P 500 rose 1.4 points, or 0.11%, to 1,325. The Nasdaq climbed 11.4 points, or 0.4%, to 2,859.
Stocks edged higher in the morning as Bernanke said the U.S. economy has shown continued signs of improvement, but remains vulnerable to shocks. The chairman, speaking before the House Budget Committee, encouraged the committee to reduce the U.S. budget deficit to further bolster the country's situation.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures pointed to a lower open Thursday as investors digested the morning's mixed jobs data before further employment figures from the government on Friday.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 9 points, or 20 points below fair value, at 12,663. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 1.3 points, or 1.7 points below fair value, at 1319. Futures for the Nasdaq were down 1.3 points, or 1.8 points above fair value, at 2486.
Ahead of Friday's monthly unemployment report, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas reported that U.S. companies planned to cut 53,486 jobs in January, a 28% increase over the 41,785 jobs cuts announced in December.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stocks finished higher Wednesday after strong manufacturing reports from the U.S., Europe and Asia boosted optimism.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 83.3 points, or 0.7%, to 12,716. The S&P 500 climbed 11.7 points, or 0.9%, to 1,324. The Nasdaq rose 34.4 points, or 1.2%, to settle at 2,848.
All but four of 30 components on the Dow rose. McDonald's, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Chevron fell, while Bank of America, Hewlett-Packard and United Technologies led gains among the blue chips.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures pointed to a strong start for the first trading day of February ahead of a release that may show a rise in U.S. manufacturing activity.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 83 points, or 81 points above fair value, at 12,660. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 6 points, or 6 points above fair value, at 1314. Futures for the Nasdaq were up 11 points, or 11 points above fair value, at 2475.
Wednesday is chock-full of important economic figures, starting with a preview of Friday's government jobs report from payroll processing firm Automatic Data Processing. Companies added 170,000 new jobs in January, according to ADP, falling short of the 185,000 estimate from Thomson Reuters. December payrolls were downwardly revised to 292,000 from 325,000. Monthly gains in employment have averaged 223,000 over the last three months, suggesting that the jobs recovery remains anemic.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks trimmed losses Tuesday as the S&P 500 completed its best January in 15 years, overshadowing worries about a batch of negative U.S. economic data.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 20.8 points, or 0.2%, to 12,633, after falling as much as 0.6% earlier in the day. The Dow closed the month 3.4% higher. The S&P 500 lost 0.6 point, or 0.05%, at 1,312. The S&P 500, advanced 4.4% this month to bank its best January performance since 1997.
The Nasdaq was the only index to finish the day higher to finish the month with a solid out performance. The Nasdaq advanced 8% in January, and finished Tuesday up 1.9 points, or 0.1%, at 2,814.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were rising after European leaders agreed to tighter budget rules designed to try to help nations avoid unsustainable debt costs.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 47 points, or 49 points above fair value, at 12,649. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 6 points, or 6 points above fair value, at 1315. Futures for the Nasdaq were up 11 points, or 11 points above fair value, at 2471.
A meeting between European leaders in Brussels yielded no agreement over how Greece would receive its next bailout installment. The country is still trying to reach a deal on a debt-swap with private bondholders. Meanwhile, Germany is pressuring the Greek government to relinquish partial control over the country's budget orders to its European creditors before receiving bailout help.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks fell Monday, but finished the day well off of intraday lows, as investors warily eyed a possible resolution on Greek debt talks and soaring Portuguese borrowing costs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 6.7 points, or 0.05%, at 12,654 after coming back from a 1% drop earlier in the day. The S&P 500 slid 3.3 points, or 0.3%, to 1,313. The Nasdaq was down 4.6 points, or 0.2%, at 2,812.
Portuguese bond yields were moving higher, sparking concerns that the country would also need a second bailout like Greece. Yields on the ten-year bond had surged more than 200 basis points to 17.26% Monday.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were falling Monday as market attention turned to a European debt summit and the still unresolved problems in Greece.
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Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 102 points, or 95 points below fair value, at 12,512. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 12 points, or 12 points below fair value, at 1301. Futures for the Nasdaq were down 20 points, or 22 points below fair value, at 2436.
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European Union leaders meet in Brussels Monday for their first summit of 2012 to finalize steps for a rescue fund of $661 billion to be up and running later this year. Greece and its private creditors, meanwhile, signaled they would agree on a deal in which investors will accept a bigger cut on their government debt holdings. The two sides are "close" to an agreement following three days of talks in Athens, according to Bloomberg.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stocks finished mixed Friday as good consumer sentiment data failed to distract investors from a disappointing read on gross domestic product.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped 74.2 points, or 0.6%, at 12,660, with Chevron, the second-largest U.S. energy company, weighing on the index following disappointing quarterly earnings. The energy stock was down over 2%.
The S&P 500 fell 2.1 points, or 0.2%, at 1,316, and the Nasdaq finished in positive territory, up 11.3 points, or 0.4%, at 2,817 with the help of some decent technology earnings.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stock futures fell Friday after data showed that the U.S. economy expanded less than expected in the fourth quarter.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were dropping 32 points, or 28.6 points below fair value, at 12,652. Futures for the S&P 500 were falling 3.5 points, or 2.5 points below fair value, at 1311, and futures for the Nasdaq were down 1.5 points, or 0.6 points above fair value, at 2452.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported early Friday that the total output of goods and services in the U.S. expanded 2.8% quarter-over-quarter during the fourth quarter, which was less than the 3.1% expansion that economists polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting. In the third-quarter, gross domestic product increased 1.8%.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks dropped Thursday as disappointing housing numbers and weak jobless data overshadowed strong earnings from a handful of corporate heavyweights.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22.3 points, or 0.2%, at 12,735, well off of morning highs that gave the index a 0.6% gain. The S&P 500 erased 7.6 points, or 0.6%, at 1,318, and the Nasdaq fell 13 points, or 0.5%, at 2,805.
"I think the weak housing data took some of the starch out of the rally here," Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at RockwellGlobal.com, said. "But basically the market is doing just fine because earnings are, for the most part, coming in on target and in some cases beating expectations. What's really holding up is corporate guidance."
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were signaling a stronger open after the Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates low for a prolonged period and strong earnings from several corporate heavyweights.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were rising 66 points, or 49.2 points above fair value, at 12,754. Futures for the S&P 500 were up 6.1 points, or 4.4 points above fair value, at 1326, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 9.3 points, or 7.6 points above fair value, at 2469.
Stocks closed higher on Wednesday after the Federal Open Market Committee announced its decision to hold interest rates low until late 2014.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Stocks surged after the Federal Open Market Committee announced a decision to hold interest rates low until late 2014.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 83.1 points, or 0.7%, at 12,759 after starting the day down as much as 0.7%. The S&P 500 gained 11.4 points, or 0.9%, to 1,326. The Nasdaq was up 31.7 points, or 1.1%, at 2,818.
Markets moved higher Wednesday after the Federal Open Market Committee announced its intent to keep the benchmark federal funds rate at its current low level at least through late 2014, extending an earlier pledge to keep the rate low through mid-2013.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were pointing to a mixed open Wednesday as the markets weighed strong Apple earnings and expectations about the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee announcement on interest rates.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were losing 50 points, or 46.8 points below fair value, at 12,576. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 4.4 points, or 3.6 points below fair value, at 1307, and futures for the Nasdaq were up 18.3 points, or 25.1 points above fair value, at 2456.
U.S. stocks ended mixed for a second day Tuesday as tepid corporate earnings failed to impress, and an impasse between Greece and private investors in debt talks increased fears of a default.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stocks ended mixed for a second day Tuesday as tepid corporate earnings failed to impress, and an impasse between Greece and private investors in debt talks increased fears of a default.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 33.1 points lower, or 0.3%, at 12,676, but off intraday lows.
The S&P 500 dropped 1.4 points, or 0.1%, to 1,315, also backing away from the day's lows and the Nasdaq creeped up 2.5 points, or 0.1%, to 2,787.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- U.S. stock futures were falling Tuesday as investors became fixated on the possibility that Greece could default on its debt obligations.
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were sliding 54 points, or 59.8 points below fair value, at 12,596. Futures for the S&P 500 were down 7.3 points, or 8.1 points below fair value, at 1304, and futures for the Nasdaq were lower by 10.5 points, or 9.4 points below fair value, at 2425.
Efforts toward providing debt-laden Greece with its second bailout package, backed by the European Union and International Monetary Fund and worth about 130 billion euros ($168 billion), have suffered another setback amid ongoing disagreements over a debt write-down deal.
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