A First for Tokyo

Tokyo had to shut down trading half an hour early today. It was the first time ever that trading was suspended across the board. Closed in an effort to keep computers from being overwhelmed by a flood of sell orders, the exchange stated it would resume normal trading tomorrow, although there were no guarantees that it be remain open all day. This early close caused a slight slump today; the Nasdaq was down 1% from disappointments in Intel and Yahoo results. eBay played a small part in that slump, for although its sales were high during the holiday season, investors were slightly disappointed and shares fell late today. I'm ready for the market to be back up! DOW: -41.46 Nasdaq: -23.05 S&P 500: -5.00

It Ain't Over Till It's Over

It's the second day of the week but the first day of trading. Dr. King and I both celebrated our birthdays yesterday. Don't even ask! My sister-in-law and I have an agreement to always tell each other how young and thin we look. Never mind what anyone else thinks. The fight is back on. Boston Scientific has upped the ante in its bid for Guidant. Johnson & Johnson looked like they had the deal sealed, but, in the corporate world, it ain't over till it's over! Look for another offer from JNJ. It was a down day on Wall Street, with all indexes dropping in the 1/2% range. After market close, the news on the high-flying tech sector was not the best. Intel saw a 25% jump in profit, but it wasn't enough for investors. Yahoo had the same problem. Boy, those Wall Street guys are demanding! I want to go back to the first week of January. Dow -63.65 NASDAQ -14.35 S&P 500 -4.68

A Little Slip

Thursday saw Wall Street back up significantly for the first time this year. Not to fear, though. GM is making noises about cutting its dividend, a move welcomed by bondholders but shunned by stockholders. This major bit of news seemed to weigh down the indexes. Sirius is still the talk of the town, first with the official arrival of Howard Stern and now with its CEO purchasing a BUNCH of shares. Hmmm... And more money news. We have a new nickel. Let's just hope inflation doesn't turn it into a penny. Dow -81.08 NASDAQ -14.67 S&P 500 -8.12

No Mid-Week Blahs Here

It's the middle of another good week on Wall Street. Techs are still rolling, gaining about 3/4% today. The Dow and the S&P also posted gains, although less percentage-wise. The Enron trials are set to begin shortly and will occupy much of the business news. The bookies are already taking bets on the outcomes. As for me, I'm working on my usual New Year's resolution... lose weight and exercise! For the latest trends in the supermarket, check out http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/10/news/companies/food_trends/index.htm. Dow +31.86 NASDAQ +11.04 S&P 500 +4.49

Holding Steady

It was a flat day on Wall Street, notable because of the sizable increases so far this year. GM is fighting to keep its head above water, planning to cut prices on all models. Some are calling for the big carmaker to cut its hefty dividend. Bad news for stockholders, but good news for bondholders. On the other side of the coin, Apple keeps coming up with good ideas. The electronics show is in full force, and Apple has announced its intention to sell devices with Intel chips, leaving IBM in the cold. I think the folks at GM need to call the folks at Apple for a few good ideas! On the strange news front, a mummified body was found in front of a television set. I think I'll go home tonight and read a good book! Dow -0.72 NASDAQ +1.63 S&P 500 -0.49