The S&P 500 has closed at a fresh record high, while the Dow ended above 18,000 for the first time in 2015 following good economic data out of Germany. The broad-based S&P 500 gained 8.51 points (0.41 per cent) at 2,096.99, almost 6.5 points above the prior record set December 29. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46.97 (0.26 per cent) to 18,019.35, while the Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 36.22 (0.75 per cent) to 4,893.84.
U.S. stocks climbed Thursday, buoyed by sharp gains in European markets and strong results from Dow component Cisco Systems Inc. Stocks got an early lift from advancing European markets after French and German leaders brokered a deal to end Ukraine's conflict with Russia-backed separatists. Germany's DAX index gained 1.6%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 index added 0.7%. Meanwhile, Eurozone finance ministers vowed to continue negotiations after six-hour talks failed to find a way to resolve Greece's financial issues. U.S. consumer spending slumped for a second straight month, damping market expectations that the Federal Reserve might move up its timeline for raising interest rates.
Wall Street stocks have finished little changed as investors eyed key Brussels talks on Greece's demands to renegotiate its international bailout as the risk of a debt default looms. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,862, down 7 points, and the broad-based S&P 500 was steady at 2,069, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 14 point to reach 4,801.
U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, buoyed by hopes for a deal between Greece and its international creditors. The Dow added 0.8% and the S&P 500 gained 1.1%. Tuesday's stock market move reversed Monday's losses, when stocks fell amid worries about Greece's debt negotiations with creditors. Coca-Cola shares rose 2.7%, leading the Dow higher, after the company reported fourth-quarter profit and revenue that topped analyst expectations. China added to overall market worries Tuesday as the world's second-largest economy posted its lowest inflation print since 2009, according to the country's statistics bureau. The consumer price index increased just 0.8% in January from a year earlier.
U.S. stocks fell on Monday afternoon as investors eyed a flare-up in tensions between Greece and its international creditors. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 95 points, or 0.5%, to 17,729, while the S&P 500 shed 9 points, or 0.4%, to 2,047. The declines come on the heels of a tumble in European markets, after Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras unveiled plans Sunday to undo several austerity measures that were a condition of the country's international bailout. Concerns about weak growth overseas, the months-long slide in oil prices and the strength of the U.S. dollar have cast a shadow over fourth-quarter earnings season, buffeting stocks this year. Year to date, the S&P 500 is down 0.4%, following last year's 11% gain.
Wall Street stocks have finished a buoyant week with a whimper, ending the session lower in a drop attributed to profit taking. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 60.59 points (0.34 per cent) at 17,824.29 on Friday. The broad-based S&P 500 lost 7.05 (0.34 per cent) at 2,055.47, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 20.70 (0.43 per cent) to 4,744.40. The losses followed a strong jobs report that sent US stocks higher in the morning. The Labour Department said the US economy added 257,000 jobs in January, better than the 235,000 projected by analysts. The report included large upward revisions to jobs growth in November and December. Hourly wage growth gained 0.5 per cent, a big improvement after a December drop.
U.S. stocks rallied Thursday, as a rebound in oil prices and upbeat company news helped push the Dow into positive territory for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 160 points, or 0.9%, in midday trading to 17834. With those gains, it is up 0.1% for 2015. The S&P 500 gained 16 points, or 0.8%, to 2057, and Nasdaq Composite Index added 32 points, or 0.7%, to 4749.
US stocks have given up late gains after the European Central Bank put fresh pressure on Athens by lifting its waiver on the use of Greek bonds as collateral. The move darkened hopes that Greece's new government could quickly reach a deal on modifying their bailout and avoiding a new eurozone crisis. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished at 17,637 on Wednesday, up 7 points (0.04 per cent). The S&P 500 lost 9 points, or 0.4%, to 2,042.
The Dow has gained more than 300 points as US stocks rallied on higher oil prices and greater optimism over a deal to renegotiate Greece's debt. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 305.36 points (1.76 per cent) to 17,666.40. The broad-based S&P 500 powered higher by 29.18 (1.44 per cent) to 2,050.03, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 51.05 (1.09 per cent) at 4,727.74. US oil prices surged seven per cent to the highest level of 2015, adding some relief to markets that fear the steep drop in the commodity signals major global economic problems.
U.S. stocks slipped after data showed slowing activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector, though the energy sector gained. The energy sector rallied after oil prices staged a push higher. Shares of Chevron climbed 1.3%, while fellow Dow component Exxon Mobil Corp., which reported better-than-expected earnings, advanced 0.8%. The Dow advanced 196 points, or 1.1%, to 17,361 and the S&P 500 increased 26 points, or 1.3%, to 2,021.
