stock markets

Stocks climbed Wednesday following news of stronger earnings at Hewlett-Packard. Stocks also got a boost from some encouraging news about the U.S. economy.

Stocks closed slightly higher Tuesday following news from the Commerce Department that approvals for housing permits rose in October at the fastest pace in five years. Those applications indicate that builders expect heightened demand. Most of the growth in the report came from apartment permits, not homes, but investors felt the data was positive.

Stocks ended mixed on Monday.Investors had little company-specific news to digest, although the U.S. and other world powers reached a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program, an event that pushed down oil prices and energy stocks. The slow day represented a pause in the market’s strong run-up, capped by another milestone on Friday, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed above 1,800 for the first time.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed above 1,800 for the first time on Friday, capping seven straight weeks of gains. The broader index is on track for its best performance in 15 years as a combination of solid corporate earnings, a strengthening economy and easy-money policies from the Federal Reserve draw investors to stocks.

The Dow has been on fire lately, propelled higher by a combination of solid corporate earnings, a steadily strengthening economy and easy-money policies from the Federal Reserve. Since the start of the year, the blue-chip index is up 22% If it holds onto those gains, the Dow will have its best year since 2003.

Stock and bond prices fell Wednesday after minutes from the Fed’s latest meeting showed that the U.S. economy was improving steadily enough to warrant a reduction in stimulus in “coming months.”

Stocks edged lower Tuesday, but even with the slight decline the S&P 500 is still up 25 percent so far in 2013 and has risen for six weeks straight, the longest winning streak since February. The extended run-up has prompted a number of market watchers to call for caution.

Stocks rose from the opening bell Monday, lifting the Dow Jones industrial average above 16,000 for the first time and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index past 1,800, two big markers in a historic bull market. But by the end of day, both indexes had fallen below those levels.

Stocks climbed to all-time highs for the third straight day on Friday as investors assessed the prospect for further economic stimulus from the Federal Reserve. Several factors have been driving the market higher this year. The Federal Reserve has kept up its extraordinary efforts to stimulate the economy. And while the U.S. economy’s recovery has been plodding, it has been strong enough to enable corporations to keep increasing their profits.

The Dow Jones averaged hit another record high on Monday. Stock trading volume was among the lowest of the year, and bond markets were closed for Veterans Day. Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange held a moment of silence in observance of the holiday. The Dow has advanced for five straight weeks and is up 20 percent so far this year.

The Dow hit another high on Friday following news of a jobs survey that left investors grappling with how to interpret this week’s surprisingly strong economic data and what it means for the Federal Reserve’s economic stimulus program.

Twitter wowed investors with a 73% surge on its first day of trading Thursday. The broader market, however, had its worst day since August as traders worried that the Federal Reserve could cut back on its economic stimulus. The cause of that worry was a surprisingly strong report on U.S. economic growth in the third quarter. That led investors to believe the Fed could start pulling back as soon as next month, sooner than many anticipated.

Many stocks climbed again Wednesday as investors focused on the big economic news this week that has yet to come: U.S. third-quarter economic growth on Thursday and the October jobs report Friday. Both reports could signal how much longer the Federal Reserve will keep up its $85 billion a month in bond purchases. That program has held down interest rates, kept bond yields low and made stocks more attractive for investors.

Some weak corporate earnings reports on Tuesday held the market back, pushing the major indexes slightly lower. The market is still close to record levels after a surge that has put the Standard & Poor’s 500 index on track for its best performance since 2009. Stocks have advanced this year as the Federal Reserve kept up its stimulus program to help the U.S. economy recover.

Major indexes posted slight but widespread gains Monday. So while there was no dramatic rally and no records were set, all 10 industries tracked in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose. Twice as many stocks rose as fell. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose more than one percent, the biggest gain among U.S. market benchmarks.

The Fed is in the middle of a two-day policy meeting at which it’s expected to maintain its $85 billion worth of bond purchases every month and that drove up stocks Tuesday. That program is aimed at stimulating economic growth by keeping borrowing rates very low. The Fed will announce its decision Wednesday afternoon.

Higher profits from Ford and others drove stocks higher Thursday. It’s one of the busiest weeks on Wall Street for corporate earnings. Roughly a third of the S&P 500 will report results, including some of the world’s best-known companies.

A plunge in Caterpillar’s third-quarter profit Wednesday discouraged investors and stalled a two-week surge in the stock market. Energy stocks dropped as the price of oil fell to its lowest in almost four months.

News Tuesday of possible additional stimulus by the Federal Reserve lifted stocks. Investors also were encouraged by strong earnings from major U.S. companies such as Whirlpool, Delta Air Lines and Kimberly-Clark.

Earnings will hold investors’ attention this week as major U.S. companies including McDonald’s, Boeing and Procter & Gamble report their results. Rising profits have been one of the key supports for this year’s rally in stocks.

The S&P 500 pushed further into record territoryFriday. The broad index of 500 companies, up 22 percent this year, added 11.35 points, or 0.7 percent, to a record 1,744.50. The gain this year is the index’s best since 2009, when it began its bull run.

The market rose throughout the day Thursday as investors got back to focusing on corporate earnings and economic data. American Express and Verizon rose the most in the Dow Jones industrial average after reporting earnings that beat expectations from financial analysts.

Stocks were flat or down all day Tuesday, but the size of the losses waxed and waned depending on which politician was giving a press conference. Indexes were down only slightly early in the day, when Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate reported that a deal over increasing the nation’s borrowing limit appeared to be getting closer. But after House Republicans came up with their own competing plan later in the day, and it was rejected by Democrats, stocks fell further.

Stock prices rose for a second day in a row on Friday as investors bet against a U.S. debt default. A partial government shutdown pushed the Dow below 15,000 this week before President Barack Obama and House Republicans met on Thursday to talk about the outlines for a possible deal. Obama and Republican senators met on Friday, too.

Stock markets rebounded Thursday on news that Republican leaders and President Barack Obama finally seemed willing to end a 10-day budget standoff that has threatened to leave the U.S. unable to pay its bills.

Stocks ended Wednesday mostly higher following signs that a compromise may be within reach in Washington. President Barack Obama is making plans to talk with Republican lawmakers at the White House in the coming days as pressure builds on both sides to resolve their deadlock over the federal debt limit and the partial government shutdown before the U.S. Treasury’s borrowing authority is exhausted next week.

Stocks closed lower again Tuesday, the result of squabbling in Washington over raising the nation’s debt limit and a government shutdown that has dragged on for more than a week. Moderate losses for the stock market in the first days of the shutdown have accelerated this week as the U.S. has moved closer to an Oct. 17 deadline for lifting the government’s borrowing authority.

Stocks fell Monday as the government shutdown dragged on and there was no progress reported on raising the federal debt ceiling by the Oct. 17 deadline.

Stocks posted modest gains Friday, driven by budding optimism among traders that Washington’s bickering politicians can reach an agreement on the budget and on increasing the government’s borrowing limit soon.

Stocks fell Thursday, the third day of the government shutdown. The stock market losses on Thursday marked an acceleration of gradual declines over the last two weeks. Stocks have fallen eight of the last 10 days as investors anticipated that negotiations over the federal budget would fail. If the shutdown persists, the weak economic recovery could falter.

The U.S. stock market ended lower Wednesday as traders, Europe’s central banker and Wall Street CEOs urged Congress to stop the two-day government shutdown that has closed national parks, put hundreds of thousands of federal employees on furlough and forced President Barack Obama to cancel an overseas trip.

Despite the political rancor in Washington, investors didn’t push the panic button Tuesday. That suggests that, at least for now, they aren’t anticipating that the stalemate will cause enough disruption in the economy to threaten a gradual U.S. recovery and a four-year bull run in the stock market.

Investors pulled back from stocks Monday as a budget standoff between Republicans and Democrats in Congress threatened to push the government into a partial shutdown for the first time in 17 years. Lawmakers have until midnight Tuesday to reach a budget deal that would keep government in full operation.

Stocks slipped Thursday with the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index pulling back from their record highs the day before. Gold, historically a haven for nervous investors, had its biggest one-day jump since the onset of the financial crisis in September 2008.

Stocks traded slightly lower throughout the morning, but took off immediately after the Fed’s decision in the early afternoon to continue with its economic stimulus program.

Stocks edged higher Tuesday as the Federal Reserve kicked off a two-day meeting at which investors anticipate it will announce a slowing of its economic stimulus program on Wednesday.

Stocks rallied Monday following news that Larry Summers, who had been the leading candidate to replace Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, withdrew his name from consideration.

The market got a lift Friday from two economic reports, one showing that inflation remained tame in August and the other showing that Americans spent more at stores last month.

A seven-day rally in U.S. stocks faded away Thursday. The Dow did better than other indices because of Walt Disney, which jumped after the company said it plans to buy back up to $8 billion of its own stock starting next year. Disney rose $1.55, or 2%, to $65.49.