Tuesday Close

The morning rally did not hold. Dow +16.04 NASDAQ - 8.60 S&P 500 -0.25 An interesting aside. The Chinese government has ordered that all Chinese websites and blogs must be registered. The fine for blogging without permission? About $120,000. It seems freedom of speech is not so free.

Tuesday Bounce

The markets are bouncing higher this morning, with the Dow being up over 78 points and NASDAQ up over 13. What's happening? Oil prices are lower, and that always helps stocks. Also, long-term interest rates have dipped lower. Check out www.bankrate.com for the latest averages. Mr. Greenspan says this dip may not signal tougher times ahead but may be due to globalization. Lower interest rates tend to push stocks higher, but they can also mean lower demand for credit, signalling a business slowdown. I don't buy the slowdown argument, based on the activity in my little town. It's all systems go around here.

Yawn...

The blahs of Monday morning bled into a flat afternoon. Dow +6.06 NASDAQ +4.33 S&P 500 +1.49 It's HOT in Mississippi, and the warm, humid air is zapping my strength. Stocks appear to be languishing, as well, waiting for some big news. Meanwhile, all around me, business is booming. For sale signs are being replaced by "sold." Construction is everywhere. Summertime and the economy is heating up!

Monday Blahs

I usually never sleep past 7 am, so I was surpised when I woke up to find it was already 8 o'clock. I was late. The week started off with clouds and rain (the reason for my longer snooze). Markets seem to be in the same mood. Everything is flat this morning, no big moves either way. Domestic car manufacturers are trying to pull themselves out of the doldrums. GM is offering employee discounts to anyone who buys before July 5th, quite a deal. I still get those discounts because of my late husband, so I know what a plus this is. I'd recommend the Saab, if your pocketbook can stand it. It's smooooth! Check out pricing at www.gmbuypower.com.

First Friday in June

Those sagging jobs numbers weighed on stocks today: Dow -92.52 NASDAQ -26.37 S&P 500 - 8.27 While the day looked dim, overall, the week was pretty flat, with the Dow down about 7 points on the week, and the NASDAQ up about 3 points. I guess you'd call it a wash for the first Friday in June. Down in Birmingham, the jury is deadlocked over HealthSouth's Scrushy. Read all about the trial. Could this foretell events in the Michael Jackson trial? Ahh... justice.