Thursday

Stocks declined today, weighed down by an analyst downgrade of the semiconductor sector and as new economic data failed to quell investor jitters about the U.S. economy. The dollar and Treasurys gained, while commodities slipped as participants scaled back the risk in their portfolios. In particular, traders and analysts say small investors are getting increasingly antsy about making new bets on the market. We will see if this is going to be an ongoing decline or just temporary. Only time will tell! DJIA -93.87 S&P 500 -14.90 NASDAQ -36.32

Thursday

Today, stocks crumpled as many investors either sold recent winners or stood pat awaiting confirmation that the U.S. economic recovery will translate into better profits. Energy stocks led the market lower, hurt by a slide in crude after new data showed surprising flush U.S. reserves of the commodity. The financial and telecom sectors were also among the market's big losers in a session marked by light volume. The market held near break-even through late morning, but steadily marched lower thereafter. Losses accelerated somewhat in the afternoon after a weakly big auction of 30-year Treasury bonds. DJIA -93.79 S&P 500 -11.27 NASDAQ -17.88

Terrific Thursday

Today, stocks posted an across-the-board gain, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average about the 10000 level, amid optimistic news about the economy on the eve of October payrolls data due out Friday morning. The rally marked the Dow's first triple-digit point move in November, continuing a more volatile trend that began last month. Until today, that volatility had worked mostly to send stocks down, with fear spreading about the sustainability of the U.S. economic recovery. Traders and analysts said those fears haven't completely vanished, but they did ease considerably today! DJIA +203.82 S&P 500 +20.13 NASDAQ +49.8

Magnificent Monday

Today, stocks took a scenic route to a higher close, fueled by upbeat economic data but bogged down along the way by fears about the recovery's staying power. The session continued a recent pattern of more volatile trading, including triple-digit point moves in six of the last eight sessions. Traders said investor conviction in this year's market gains has gone wobbly in recent days, with many participants apt to sell quickly during rallies to book profits rather than wait for the next round of gains. We are hopeful that things are going to keep improving! DJIA +76.71 S&P 500 +6.69 NASDAQ +4.09