Never Satisfied

Markets are never satisfied! Yesterday was a bell ringer day. Today, the employment report was quite rosy, and, suddenly, the good news turned questionable. With tightening labor markets, investors again became concerned about inflation. It's never about what happened today but about what COULD happen tomorrow. We seesaw back and forth between a slowing economy and an overheated one. It's the nature of stock investing. The losses reported today were minimal. Dow -24.75 NASDAQ -6.52 S&P 500 -1.86

Addicted to Coke

A report showing a higher-than-expected report for the services sector of the economy (almost 70%) gave investors a much needed boost. Trading was up and confidence grew. Leading the pack was Coca-Cola (my personal addiction), gaining 2.5%. Pfizer is still taking a beating after pulling its "good cholesterol" drug, but its competitor, Merck, jumped 1.5%. The Dow ended just shy of a new closing record, and that makes me feel warm on this very cold day. Others leading the pack are...Bono?!? Time Magazine has announced their "Persons of the Year." Among the top are U2's Bono and the Gates (Bill and Melinda - not Robert). DJIA: +47.75 Nasdaq: +3.99 S&P 500: +5.64

Bank Surge

Bank of New York announced a plan to merge with Mellon Financial in a deal that will create a financial giant with a market value near $50 billion. Several other financial stocks did very well today as a result of the announcement. Not only were Bank of New York and Mellon Financial up, but Citigroup, American Express, and J.P. Morgan Chase all gained more than 1%. Now that's a day to bank on! DJIA: +89.72 Nasdaq: +35.18 S&P 500: +12.41

Waiting Till the Last Minute

Traders were cautious today as reports showed the economy might slow, and trading was down. However, there was a very strong rally in the last hour, with the Dow pulling back up 100 points. My toy store, Home Depot, led the way. The home-improvement giant climbed 2.8% after a leaked report claimed a possible buyout. I'm keeping my ears to the ground on this one... Speaking of my ears, they almost froze today. After having beautiful September-like weather all week, today was a cold shock to my body. And I'm not the only one. Flights were canceled and traffic froze all through the midwest during this snowstorm. I'm just glad I have enough hot chocolate to last the weekend! DJIA: -27.80 Nasdaq: -18.56 S&P 500: -3.92

Mid-Week Ups and Downs

Pfizer was the winner today. The drug company jumped 1.6% when they introduced a new drug that will increase good cholesterol. Exxon Mobile also had a good day, rising 1% on higher crude. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to outweigh DuPont's and GM's falls. Kerkorian is continuing to pull out of GM, forcing the auto maker to lose 1%. I've especially enjoyed watching which retailers are doing well this season. Online shopping is having a huge impact, and some larger retailers (like Wal-Mart) are showing a surprising decline. Target seems to be on top of things so far; it should be very interesting to see how this race ends. DJIA: -4.80 Nasdaq: -0.46 S&P 500: +1.15