closing bell

Wall Street saw a slight gain on Tuesday led by banks, insurers and other financial companies with a little boost from tech companies as well. 

The S&P and Dow Jones industrial averages closed at new highs, extending gains from last week. Trading was subdued for much of the day, however, as investors looked ahead to the next two-day meeting of the Federal Reserve. 

Stronger than expected profits from AT&T, Boeing and others helped push the markets further into record territory Wednesday. Stocks that pay big dividends were particularly strong after the Federal Reserve took a pause in its campaign to lift interest rates.

Telecom stocks rose 1.3% on Friday, leading the markets to another record high. The Dow closed up 53.62 points, while the Nasdaq rose 26.26.

Tech stocks helped push the markets to new record highs Wednesday. The Dow rose for the ninth consecutive day, finishing up 36.02. The Nasdaq ended the day up 53.56.

It was a mixed day on Wall Street mostly due to a mixed set of corporate earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average inched 25.96 points higher for its eighth consecutive gain to set another record, while the Nasdaq slipped 19.41.

The stock market continued its upward swing on Monday, shrugging off the weekend’s failed coup attempt in Turkey. Telecom stocks had a particularly strong day, rising 22.1%. overall, the Dow finished up 16.50 and the Nasdaq rose 26.19.

Markets ended pretty much where they started Friday, putting the brakes on a five-day rally. The Dow was up 10.14 points, enough to set another record high. The Nasdaq ended the day down slightly, slipping 4.47 points.

U.S. markets stretched their winning streak to four days on Friday, finishing the week strong after a slow start and coming close to regaining the ground lost after Britain’s vote last week to leave the European Union.

After a day of relatively quiet trading, the stock market closed Thursday posting a weekly loss for the first time since mid-February. Banks and other financial companies fell, while telecom companies were up. 

As prices for oil, metals and other commodities weakened, stocks closed lower on Wednesday. Energy and mining companies suffered the biggest declines.

U.S. stocks closed mostly lower today as travel companies in particular sink after the terrorist attacks in Brussels.

Stocks were able to shake off an early loss to end mostly high Monday. Shares of Starwood Hotels and Valeant Pharmaceuticals both rose. 

Stocks are notching their best gain in nearly two weeks as investors respond to some positive earnings surprises. The Dow, Jones industrial average, Standard & Poor’s 500 index and the Nasdaq composite are all up.

Stocks dropped Friday afternoon in response to the Federal Reserve’s decision not to raise interest rates, a move investors interpreted as a sign that the global economy is weak. The Down Jones industrial average dropped 279 points, or 1.7%.

U.S. stocks closed higher today as two factors — China’s currency and crude oil prices — stabilized. Nordstrom and J.C. Penney climbed after better-than-expected second quarter earnings.

U.S. stocks closed mildly lower on Tuesday as investors eyed continued gains in oil and the dollar ahead of the unofficial start of earnings season on Wednesday.

Earnings reports from Microsoft and others pushed the market to a stroing finish for the week — its best week in nearly two years. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 127 points and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was up 13 points. The Nasdaq ended the day up 30 points.

Stocks fell Tuesday, dragged lower by the Detroit automakers and consumer-focused companies such as GameStop and Amazon.com. The market could be headed for its first weekly decline since early October, putting at risk a remarkable rally that has sent indexes to record highs.

An expansion in U.S. manufacturing last month got the stock market off to a strong start for November. According to the Institute for Supply Management, the manufacturing index increased to 56.4, the highest level since April 2011. That number was better than the 55.1 economists were expecting.

Fear of a potential government shutdown brought down the stock market Friday. The government could shutdown Tuesday unless Congress agrees to a new spending bill. But even if that happens, the dispute is expected to continue into the middle of October as legislators debate raising the nation’s borrowing limit.

Good news about jobs and the retail industry helped stocks snap their longest losing streak of the year.

Bloomberg News reported Wal-Mart is cutting orders with suppliers as unsold merchandize piles up, which spooked the stock market Wednesday, pushing stocks lower for a fifth straight day. A Wal-Mart spokesman called the report misleading.

Mixed economic reports and concern about a government shutdown dragged stocks lower in the final half-hour of trading.

Concerns about a potential budget fight in Washington pushed down the stock market Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell for a third straight day.

Encouraging news about jobs and housing sent stocks climbing Thursday. As the Dow moved to within sight of 13,000, applause broke out at the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Stocks closed higher Friday after all 17 nations that use the euro agreed to sign a treaty that allows a central European authority closer oversight of their budgets.