stock markets

Retail stocks edged higher Tuesday boosted by a report that showed retail sales increased in December, helping the major indexes reverse early losses.

Stocks were little changed on Wall Street Monday. “The market is definitely in wait and see mode,” said Brian Gendreau, a market strategist at Cetera Financial Group. Investors will be scrutinizing revenues to assess whether the drawn-out debate over the “fiscal cliff” had an impact on consumer spending.

Stocks gained for a second straight week as companies have started to report earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012, but no clear pattern has emerged as yet.

Stocks finished Thursday higher despite a U.S. government report that weekly applications for unemployment benefits ticked up last week. The Labor Department said applications rose 4,000 to 371,000, the most in five weeks. The previous week’s total was revised lower.

Stocks closed Wednesday with gains as companies began to issues some positive earnings reports.

Market-watchers expect the quarter’s results could include many surprises because of events like Superstorm Sandy, the presidential election, and the narrowly avoided tax increases and spending cuts known collectively as the fiscal cliff. “Earnings is going to be the big driver for the next couple of weeks, and we’re just sitting around waiting for it to begin,” said Kim Caughey Forrest of Fort Pitt Capital Group, an investment management firm.

The markets closed down Monday as cautious investors await corporate America’s seasonal parade of earnings reports, which starts Tuesday.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 closed at its highest in five years Friday after a report showed that hiring held up in December, giving stocks an early lift.

Stocks faded Thursday after an account of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting revealed a split between bank officials over how long the Fed should keep buying bonds to support the economy.

Stocks soared Wednesday following news of the budget deal that politicians hammered out. However, despite the euphoria, many investors remained cautious.

Stocks ended Thursday mostly flat after being whipsawed by “fiscal cliff” talks in Washington that once again failed to reach an agreement.

U.S. stocks fell Wednesday for the third trading day in a row. Disappointing holiday sales weighed heavy on retail companies, and the unwelcome “fiscal cliff” package of higher taxes and lower government spending loomed nearer.

Stocks fell sharply Friday after House Republicans called off a vote on tax rates and left federal budget talks in disarray 10 days before sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.

Many traders now expect that the Republicans and Democrats won’t reach an agreement before Christmas. The political haggling kept markets muted, and trading volume was low on Thursday.

Stocks dropped Wednesday as both sides sniped at each other over the “fiscal cliff” talks. Obama said that he and House Speaker John Boehner were “pretty close” to a deal to avoid the tax increases and spending cuts. But the president also said that congressional Republicans keep finding “ways to say no as opposed to finding ways to say yes.”

Stocks posted gains Tuesday on optimism that a federal budget deal is near. “People are cheering the prospect for some compromise in Washington right now,” said Joe Costigan, director of equity research at Bryn Mawr Trust Co. “At the moment there is some pretty good news and the market is reacting favorably to it, but the deal isn’t done yet.”

Stocks moved higher Monday as progress in federal budget talks was reported. Marc Chaikin, CEO of the Philadelphia-based market research firm Chaikin Analytics, said investors became more hopeful for a resolution in the budget talks after House Speaker John Boehner made an offer to increase tax rates on high-income Americans.

Stocks edged lower Friday following a lack of progress in federal budget talks and UBS cut its earnings estimates and price target for Apple, which lost $19.90 to close at $509.79.

Stocks ended lower Thursday as investors watched to see if any progress was being made in budget negotiations in Washington.

Stocks finished Wednesday mostly flat after the Fed aid it will keep spending $85 billion a month on bond purchases to drive down long-term borrowing costs and stimulate economic growth.

Stocks gained Tuesday following budget talk optimism, and stimulus from the Federal Reserve.

Stocks edged higher Monday; Dow boosted by news of a pickup in McDonald’ssales that gave investors something positive to focus on as Italy’s sudden political turmoil sent a jolt through European markets.

Stocks shot higher in the early morning, after the government reported that the U.S. added jobs in November. But Apple, which has been flailing in recent weeks as investors wonder how long its momentum can continue, dragged down the indexes that it’s part of.

Stocks edged up again Thursday as investors keep an eye on Washington. Investors’ biggest concern remains the automatic tax increases and federal spending cuts scheduled to start Jan. 1. “Everybody is paying close attention to the soap opera in Washington,” said John Canally, investment strategist and economist at LPL Financial.

Stocks gained on Wednesday on hope by investors that a quick deal could be made to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” “We can probably solve this in about a week, it’s not that tough,” Obama said in lunchtime remarks to the Business Roundtable in Washington.

Stocks were little changed Tuesday as investors are waiting on developments from Washington in the budget talks, which are aimed at avoiding the “fiscal cliff.”

Stocks inched lower Friday as investors waited on news of a congressional budget agreement. Optimism that a deal will be done was greeted with rallies, while pessimistic comments from lawmakers were followed by sell-offs.

The stock market took a brief turn lower Thursday when House Speaker John Boehner said little progress was being made in budget talks in Washington, but then positive economic reports sent stocks climbing later in the day.

Indexes shrugged off an early loss and rose in afternoon trading Wednesday on hopes for a deal in Congress that would avoid the “fiscal cliff.”

The Dow was little changed around midday Tuesday but turned lower in mid-afternoon trading after Harry Reid, the Senate’s majority leader, expressed frustration with how talks to narrow the U.S. government’s budget deficit were going.

Stocks were mixed as Wall Street returned to work Monday. The major U.S. economic reports were not due until later in the week, leaving investors to rehash the European debt crisis and talks in Washington over the “cliff” of tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1.

Traders were encouraged by positive economic news from Germany and China, two engines of global growth. Technology stocks soared after a few weeks of selling. And early reports from retailers suggested strong consumer spending.

A warning from the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, about the dangers of the “fiscal cliff” also weighed on the market in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped as much as 94 points shortly after Bernanke spoke.

Investors seized on hope that Washington will reach a deal on the federal budget and drove stocks to their biggest gain in two months on Monday. A pair of strong corporate earnings reports also helped.

The market started lower Friday but spiked higher shortly before midday as the top members of the House and Senate spoke at the White House following a closed-door session with Obama. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell both said they offered higher tax revenue as part of a deal.

Weak retail reports led to stocks closing lower on Thursday. Wal-Mart, Ross Stores and Limited Brands, the owner of Victoria’s Secret, all fell after issuing forecasts that disappointed financial analysts.

Stocks fell sharply Wednesday, and even a signal from the Federal Reserve that it could launch a program in December to speed job growth failed to encourage investors.

Stocks finished Monday nearly unchanged Monday on light trading as investors worried about the nearing “fiscal cliff,” government spending cuts and tax increases that are scheduled to kick in at the beginning of the new year, unless a divided Congress and the White House can work out a compromise before then.

The stock market finished one of the worst weeks of the year Friday, pushing Washington to work out a deal to avoid the tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1.

Stocks slid on Wall Street Thursday, extending the sell-off that began the day before. The two-day slump came in the wake of Obama’s re-election to a second term as investors turned their focus back to Europe’s problems and the so-called fiscal cliff.