Author: Thomas Heath
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Stocks’ worst week in a decade
The signature market turbulence of the past several weeks resumed Friday as stocks bobbed up and down before sliding deep into losses by the end of trading. U.S. stocks rebounded briefly after comments by a Federal Reserve official eased investor worries that the central bank was locked into raising rates in 2019. But an hour…
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Stocks dive after White House ups the chance of government shutdown
Trailing on a global rout, U.S. stocks dropped deep into the red as investors digested the Federal Reserve’s rate increase and its softer outlook for 2019. They sank deeper still on the news that President Donald Trump would not sign the spending bill that would avert a government shutdown. Also lurking are growing concerns about…
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Uncertainty rocks markets
Oil prices spiked and stocks dove on Friday as uncertainty roiled global markets. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 559 points, or 2.2 percent, to 24,388 on a disappointing jobs report Friday morning that seemed to cement worries that an economic slowdown is ahead. The Standard and Poor’s 500-stock index was down 2.2 percent and…
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Fed chair’s comments send markets soaring
WASHINGTON • Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday suggested the central bank could be close to slowing down the pace of its recent interest rate increases, saying rates are now just slightly below what he considers a “neutral” level. His comments marked a sharp change from his position last month, when he said…
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Markets show tech sector cooling
WASHINGTON • U.S. markets dropped Monday on renewed fears that the tech sector has run out of steam. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 602 points, or 2.3 percent, to 25,387.18, in the session. The blue-chip barometer was dragged lower by the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index, which tanked 2.8 percent on the weak technology shares.…
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Market pushes higher after midterm elections
The Dow Jones industrials like a divided government — so far. The blue-chip index notched a more than 500-point gain after Democrats took back the House in last night’s midterms and Republicans strengthened their hold on the Senate. It’s the Dow’s sixth up day in seven sessions, gaining 545 points, or 2.1 percent, to hit…
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Why GE’s penny dividend signals a sad turn for ‘widow and orphan’ stocks
Last month signaled a sad turn for the “widows and orphans” stocks — classic income providers that were once bread-and-butter favorites of investors. General Electric knocked its dividend down to 4 cents a year, which is essentially zero, and slammed the door shut on more than a century of rock-solid dependability, as a business and…
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Dow plunges more than 600 points
The Dow Jones industrial average dove more than 600 points Wednesday as another wave of volatility swept through U.S. financial markets. The blue-chip index bobbed in the red most of the session, dragged down by a weak housing report and a beleaguered technology sector. The tech-heavy Nasdaq took the steepest losses of the day, down…
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Dow drops sharply as two industrial giants warn of trouble
U.S. markets spent most of the day deep in the red on one of the busiest earnings sessions of the year as a global sell-off and a disappointing report by 3M — a major industrial company that is a window into the U.S. economy — sent nervous investors out of stocks. By close of trading,…
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Dow, S&P surge to record closes as economy steams ahead
U.S. stock markets smashed records Thursday as investors tuned out politics, natural disasters and trade to focus on a flourishing economy that is producing robust corporate earnings. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average closed at record highs on Thursday, finishing up .79 percent and .95 percent respectively. The S&P closed up 22.80 points…