Month: December 2014

December 28. 2014

Market Review

U.S. stocks rallied for Christmas holiday shortened-week, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 Index closing at record highs. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.4 percent, to 18,053.71. The blue-chip index closed at a record for the 38th time this year. The S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent from last Friday's close to 2,088.77. Its 52nd record close this year. The Nasdaq advanced 0.9 percent over the week to 4,806.86. The technology-laden index closed at its highest level since March 2000. Eight out of the 10 key S&P sectors ended in positive territory for the week, led by utilities. The CBOE Volatility Index, a measure of investor uncertainty, fell to 14.5. Read More

December 21. 2014

Market Review

U.S. stocks ended a turbulent week with the biggest weekly gain since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 3 percent from the week-ago finish to 17,804.80. The Standard & Poor?s 500 surged 3.4 percent from the prior Friday's close to 2,070.65, slightly below its all-time high. The broad index recorded its biggest weekly gain in nearly two years. The Nasdaq advanced 2.4 percent from last Friday's close to 4,765.80. All key S&P sectors finished the week in positive territory, led by energy. The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, fell 22 percent in the week to 16.49, the most since October. Read More

December 14. 2014

Market Review

U.S. stocks finished the week in negative territory, with all major benchmark indexes posting sizable weekly losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 3.8 percent from the week-ago close to finish at 17,280.83, its worst weekly loss since November 2011. The S&P 500 suffered a weekly loss of 3.5 percent to end at 2,002.34. The broad index recorded its worst weekly hit since May 2012. The Nasdaq recorded a weekly decline of 2.7 percent to 4,310.65. Most key S&P sectors ended in red for the week, led by energy. Utilities were the only gainers. The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, a measure of investor uncertainty, jumped to 21.08. Read More

December 07. 2014

Market Review

Last week, all three major U.S. averages finished the week with a mixed performance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.7 percent, to close the week at a record of 17958.79. The blue-chip benchmark advanced for a seventh consecutive week. The S&P 500 increased 0.5 percent over the five days to a record of 2075.37, extending the benchmark index?s rally also to a seventh straight week. The Nasdaq declined 0.2 percent to 4780.76, it first weekly drop in seven. Of the 10 major sectors, consumer stocks led decliners, while financials led advancers. The CBOE Volatility Index, a measure of investor uncertainty, fell to 11.84. Read More