Markets: The world may be on edge, but investors...
Markets:The world may be on edge, but investors haven’t noticed. The S&P 500 enters the week at an all-time high, buoyed by a resilient US economy, lower inflation, and hype around tech advances. Netflix shares have been surging ahead of its earnings report tomorrow.
Movie musicals are so back, as Mean Girls topped the box office for the second straight week.
Nick Dunlap, a University of Alabama sophomore, became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Unfortunately, he is not eligible to collect the $1.5 million first-place check.
Chicago’s infamous rat hole was filled by an unknown assailant early Friday, but residents banded together to restore the hole later that day. If you know who vandalized the hole, reporting them to authorities would make you a—well—you know.
A study found a strong correlation between Bigfoot sightings and the local black bear population.
This week, U.S. energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in three...
This week, U.S. energy firms added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in three weeks, Baker Hughes reported as the combined oil and gas rig countrose by one to 620 in the week to Jan. 19.
U.S. oil rigsfell by two to 497 this week, their lowest since mid-November, while gas rigs rose by three to 120.
The U.S. combined count is still151 less than a year ago when the total of oil and gas rigs was 771. In the past year, the decline included 116 oil rigs and 36 gas rigs.
Oklahomaslipped by one to 42 rigs, still far below the 64 rigs reported a year ago.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil for February delivery fell 67 cents to $73.41 per barrel Friday. Brent crude for March delivery fell 54 cents to $78.56 per barrel.
Wholesale gasoline for February delivery fell 2 cents to $2.16 a gallon. February heating oilfell 3 centsto $2.66 a gallon. February natural gas fell 18 cents to $2.52 per 1,000 cubic feet.
S&P 500 closes at first record high in over two years as tech fuels U.S. stocks
(Friday market close) The S&P 500® index (SPX)...
(Friday market close) The S&P 500® index (SPX) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average® (DJI) powered to record-closing highs Friday due to a continued resurgence in "mega-cap" technology shares combined with better-than-expected earnings results and an unexpectedly strong consumer confidence reading to buoy investor confidence that the Federal Reserve may be able to engineer a "soft landing" for the economy.
According to Nathan Peterson, director of derivatives analysis at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, investors have made an unexpectedly strong turn back into tech shares, which slumped sharply at the beginning of the year.
"Strength in technology is acting as the locomotive, helping pull the 'S&P 500 train' above resistance to fresh all-time highs," Peterson said. Tech shares "have received more focus from investors as the recent rise in Treasury yields has led to money leaving rate-sensitive sectors, such as utilities, real estate, and small caps." Here's where the major benchmarks ended:
The S&P 500 index rose 58.87 points (1.2%) to 4,839.81, up 1.2% for the week;
the Dow Jones Industrial Averagegained 395.19 points (1.1%) to 37,863.80, up 0.7% for the week;
theNasdaq Composite® (COMP) increased 255.32 points (1.7%) to a two-year high of 15,310.97, up 2.3% for the week.
The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) fell about 1 basis point to 4.132%.
The Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX) fell 0.83 to 13.30.
The energy sector is experiencing a mixed to higher start supported by...
The energy sector is experiencing a mixed to higher start supported by mild strength in the crude complex and in the major equity futures. U.S. stock index futures climbed, as chip and megacap stocks continued their ascent, while the ongoing corporate earnings season and hints on the timing of interest-rate cuts dominated investors' watch list.
WTI and Brent crude oil futures are trading near the flatline after two consecutive sessions of gains as Middle East tensions and oil output disruptions caused by cold weather in the U.S. balanced concerns about the health of the Chinese and global economies.Although the Middle East tensions have not shut down any oil production, supply outages continue in Libya and about 40% of oil output in North Dakota remained shut due to extreme cold.
Natural gas futures are extending their slide for the fourth-straight day as record demand and shut-in production due to freeze-offs is more than offset by seasonally warmer forecasts for the back third of January.