The companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index have reported 16 straight quarters of double-digit earnings growth. If upcoming reports show that this spectacular growth continued in the second quarter, earnings per share may be pushed into double digits not because of stellar performance, but thanks to share buybacks and higher interest rates.
Surging oil prices pulled stocks sharply lower for a third straight session Friday, with bland earnings at General Electric Co. and weak consumer data further dampening the economic outlook. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 396 points in the past three days.
Dow Jones Industrials
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.
Stocks plunged Wednesday as a broker's downgrade of Dell Inc. and higher oil prices aggravated Wall Street's worries about a shaky start to second-quarter earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average sank more than 121 points.
Dow Jones Industrials
Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.
Stocks finished an uneasy session mixed Monday as investors grew nervous ahead of the second-quarter earnings season. Weakness in the technology sector dragged on the Nasdaq composite index.
If you've spent this past week thinking about Kenneth Lay, Enron Corp.'s founder and a convicted felon who died Wednesday at 64, turn your thoughts to something more constructive: your own portfolio.
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.
Dow Jones Industrials
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.
Concerns over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and record oil prices sent stocks lower Wednesday and added to Wall Street's worries about the economy and interest rates.
Dow Jones Industrials
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Monday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock markets closed early on Monday.
Wall Street kicked off the third quarter with a sharp advance Monday as mild manufacturing and construction data lifted hopes about interest rates and energized investors in light pre-holiday trade.
Hedge funds seem so glamorous, but small investors who lack the money for their minimum investments and hefty management fees shouldn't shed a tear — hedge funds' recent performance just doesn't look that stellar.
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market:
Stocks ended a turbulent second quarter with a moderate decline Friday as money managers, doing some last-minute adjustments, locked in gains from Thursday's big rally.
Dow Jones Industrials
A relief rally carried Wall Street sharply higher Thursday after the Federal Reserve appeared to soften its stance on future interest rate hikes, saying it would consider both the economy's health and inflation as it formulates its policy. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 215 points, its biggest one-day point gain in more than three years.
Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market.
Stocks advanced Wednesday in light trading as Wall Street recovered from the previous session's selloff and awaited Thursday's expected interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve.
Wall Street slumped Tuesday as investors looked past another round of acquisitions and grew increasingly anxious about the Federal Reserve's upcoming decision on interest rates. The Dow Jones industrials tumbled more than 120 points.
Dow Jones Industrials