How High?

While the Dow continued its climb to make a 4 month high, the broader index of the S&P 500 and the tech-laden index of NASDAQ hit 4 YEAR highs! What a stellar day. Business continues to blossom. Interest rates are still, relatively, low, and inflation appears in check. Maybe I should hold my breath, cause I'm afraid to relax too much! Dow +68.46 NASDAQ +12.22 S&P 500 +6.93

Can You Hear Me Now?

Sprint posted great earnings on its wireless business, as technology continues its roll. Markets responded positively to this news, as well as news that inflation appears to be staying in hiding. Gains were in the 1/2% range again. Hey, if we can get 1/2% every day, WOW, what a year! Don't count on this every day. Dow +57.32 (0.53%) NASDAQ +10.23 (0.47%) S&P 500 +5.63 (0.45%)

A Day Late...

It's Tuesday, but it feels like Monday to me. This week is busy, busy. I'm preparing to move my office, and the details are killing me! Phone numbers, internet service, moving vans... so many things to attend to, all the while keeping up with Wall Street. The Dow gave back today, sliding slightly, while NASDAQ gained almost 1/2 %. This was on the news that several tech companies reported good numbers. Verizon, Motorola, and Texas Instruments all posted nice increases and indicated the ball will keep on rolling. Dow -16.71 NASDAQ +9.25 S&P 500 +2.13

Finally Friday

Oil (yes, I'm mentioning oil again) closed at 58.65 this afternoon. That's up 1.52 a barrel. Despite this increase, Exxon was a big mover today. Other than that news, all was pretty quite today on Wall Street. Chalk it up to just another sleepy summer afternoon. DOW +23.41 NASDAQ +1.14 S&P 500 +6.64

Thunderstorms

Wednesday ended with stocks sliding after several days of stellar gains. Microsoft's earnings increased a whopping 38%, while Google's nearly tripled. Sounds good to me, right? But Wall Street spent the day giving back (about 1/2%). My day ended with stormclouds rolling through, strong enough to knock out the computer and turn off the lights. On the international front, the Chinese are causing a few storms with their monetary policy. Dow -61.38 NASDAQ -9.97 S&P 500 -8.16

Hot, Hot, Hot

Temperatures are soaring around here as the heat wave continues. My favorite weather sight, weatherunderground.com, shows a red hot map. Walking from the blazing heat into a deep freeze of air conditioning is a shock to the system. Wall Street continues its hot streak, as Ebay reports another red hot set of earnings numbers. Having just made a purchase this week on Ebay, I can attest to their allure. Dow +42.59 NASDAQ +15.39 (0.7% increase!) S&P 500 +5.85

Don't Ya Luv It!

Markets surged on IBM's good news and falling oil prices. We were waiting for other tech companies to report to see if this train is going to keep on chugging. We weren't disappointed. Intel posted a 16% rise in profits, and Motorola saw an increase of 17%. Don't Ya Luv It! NASDAQ (percentage-wise) sailed past the stodgy Dow with a 1.3% jump. Finally, technology is showing real signs of life. Dow +71.57 (0.6%) NASDAQ +28.31(1.3%) Today's winner! S&P 500 +8.22(0.6%)

Tuesday's Earnings

Tuesday is starting off with a bang. Citigroup's poor earnings news from yesterday are being shaken off. IBM gave Wall Street something to cheer about. Other earnings reports are looking good, namely Johnson & Johnson and Merrill Lynch. Intel reports after the close today and will be an indicator for the tech group. If the 1% increase on NASDAQ this morning is any indication, the news should be good.

Not So Hot Monday

It's burning up in Mississippi! The sun is blazing down, and I wilt every time I step out the door. I've given up on my hair, as the humidity takes its toll. Wall Street cooled off a bit today, with Citigroup reporting less than stellar earnings. This is a big week for earnings announcements, so expect some ups and downs on news. Childhood memories flooded back as I read about Mattel's struggles. Barbie is no longer queen. Harry Potter has taken over, along with Hasbro. Another American mainstay, Maytag, is going by the wayside as suitors line up. Whirlpool is poised to take over the company. Dow -65.84 NASDAQ -11.91 S&P 500 -6.79 Just a breeze! Just one breeze! Somebody, turn up the AC!

Good Friday

Well, it wasn't two days in a row on the market bounce, but it wasn't a slide... just a so-so day. The good news on the earnings front just keeps on coming. GE produced a wonderful report with a 24% increase in earnings. Interestingly enough, ad sales at the networks were down. The times, they are a'changin'! Dow +11.94 NASDAQ +3.96 S&P 500 +1.42 Have a great weekend!

Thriving Thursday on Wall Street

Markets rallied today in light of strong earnings reports from Apple and AMD, while consumer spending increased in June. Southwest Airlines made headlines by reporting higher earnings then expected, while other airlines continued to raise rates. The S&P 500 rose to a 4 year high today, while oil prices declined by more than $2 a barrel. DJIA +71.50 (0.68%) NASDAQ +8.71 (0.41%) S&P 500 +3.21 (0.26%)

The Morning After

Maybe we've heard the last of the WorldCom scandal. What a sad chapter in Mississippi history! What does the larger world think of the sentence? Check out the results of the WSJ poll. I don't think there's much compassion out there for former CEOs! Financial news was good this morning. The latest figures caused Wall Street to stand up and take notice, gaining about 1/2 of a percent.

What a Day!

Ebbers received a stiff sentence... 25 to life! Certainly, more than I expected. Some felt justice was done. I'm probably of the opinion that this was harsh. Yes, he deserved to pay for his role in WorldCom's fraud, but I don't think he deserved this long of a term. Local papers were buzzing. Meanwhile, Apple continues to be the teacher's pet, turning in VERY impressive numbers. The market's response to the bad news/good news? The Dow gained significantly, but other indexes were, basically, flat. Dow +43.50 NASDAQ +0.96 S&P 500 +1.08

Baited Breath

It's the big morning... the sentencing of WorldCom's Bernie Ebbers. Will he speak? Will Judge Jones send a stern message to other white collar criminals? Out in the Gulf, Emily still churns and casts a shadow over oil prices. The market's response to these events? We're up slightly this morning.

Tuesday Close

Markets were mixed today, with the Dow ending in (slightly) in the negative territory. Really, pretty flat for ole DJ. NASDAQ gained about 1/3 of a percent, and the S&P 500 was up slightly. Technology still seems to be holding up, but some old line companies are reporting good numbers, too. Pepsi reported good earnings, showing that, while the soft drink business is "soft," the snack business is getter fatter! DJ -5.83 NASDAQ +7.72 S&P 500 +2.77

No Blue Monday

What a great start to this mid-July week. Technology continues to churn, with the NASDAQ gaining over 1% on the day. The Dow and the S&P 500 posted respectable gains, as the economy appears to keep chugging. Oil prices fell, as producers breathed a sigh of relief over the outcome of Hurricane Dennis. Personally, we escaped damage at our little place in Fort Morgan, Alabama. I'm not crowing too much, though. It's still early! The only one crying today is Bernie Ebbers. He faces loss of wealth and loss of freedom this week. Ahh, the winds of justice. Dow +70.58 NASDAQ +22.55 S&P 500 +7.58

Friday-- Street Watching & Storm Watching

Unbelievable! One day after news of a terrorist attack in London, and Wall Street soars. The jobs report was OK, but, hey, it wasn't THAT good. I don't get it, other than business is on a roll and nothing can deter that now. That's good news for investors. Technology is still the winner, picking up 1.7%, with the big dogs adding 1.4%. Of course, I'm watching Hurricane Dennis and may be heading to Fort Morgan tomorrow to board up. This is getting old and so am I! Dow +146.85 1.4% NASDAQ +37.22 1.76% S&P 500 +13.99 1.15%

A Calmer End to the Day

The morning started wild with word of bombings in London. Before market opening in the U.S., futures were looking grim. The morning showed a 1/2% downturn, but by mid-afternoon, things had calmed down. I don't know if we're getting used to these events (that's a strange thought) or if we, as Americans, simply aren't as concerned about overseas problems. Regardless, our markets ended with an up day. Dow +31.61 NASDAQ +7.01 S&P 500 +2.93 Meanwhile, attentions turned back to the Gulf of Mexico as Hurricane Dennis (now a category 3) churns for the U.S. Check out its path. This event, closer to home, may cause more of a stir on Wall Street.

A Difficult Morning

Memories of 9/11 crossed my mind as I watched the news this morning on the London bombings. Tragedy on the world stage affects us all. I feel for the victims. I feel for the people in London living through a scary day. I'm angry with the people who commit these crimes. News of the event rocked financial markets, as well. The FTSE (the London Exchange) dropped 3%. The G8 Summit has been interrupted. Wall Street, surprisingly, has only fallen 1/2% on the news. I hold my breath, but I feel the resolve of people everywhere to overcome. I don't know who "they" are, but I know "they" will NOT win!

Monday... oh, no it's Wednesday

I took a long weekend to celebrate the 4th of July. Excuse my absence. This is my first day back. We had a great time on the beach, lots of boiled shrimp and lots of family time. We left just in time for the tropical storms to appear. Our time was unclouded, thank goodness. Now, we're holding our breaths... Dennis is threatening. Speaking of threatening, oil prices headed back up in celebration of the 4th, as well. Markets took a tumble in response. Dow -101.12 NASDAQ -10.10 S&P 500 -10.05 I'm wishing those threatening clouds away!