Symbol	Name	Price		Change	%Change
DJIA	Dow Industrials	18419.30		+18.42	0.10%
S& P 500	S& P 500 Index	2170.86		-0.09	0%
NASDAQ	NASDAQ Composite	5227.21		+13.99	0.27%

 

Stocks close mostly flat as jobs report approaches

U.S. stocks closed mostly flat Thursday as investors digested a slew of economic data ahead of Friday' s key jobs report.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed about 15 points higher, after briefly falling more than 100 points. The S & P 500 fell less than a point, after being dragged by a 1 percent fall in financials. Utilities were the greatest laggards at the close. The Nasdaq composite outperformed, gaining about 0.3 percent.

The ISM manufacturing index for August came in at 49.4, the weakest read since January. The Markit manufacturing PMI index, meanwhile, came in at 52.0. A number above 50 reflects expansion, while a number below 50 shows contraction.
" The ISM was a very bad number," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial. " It shows manufacturing is back into recession and that clears way for the Fed to hold in September."

Second-quarter productivity dropped at a 0.6 percent annualized rate, while weekly jobless claims came in at 263,000, slightly better than expectations.

" With initial claims at 263,000, that was very much expected," said Thomas Wilson, senior investment manager at Brinker Capital. " Then the productivity number that came in was not as positive."

" There' s a lack of volume because a lot of folks are out on vacation, but people are also waiting for Friday' s jobs report," said Katie Stockton, chief technical strategist at BTIG.
The August employment report is due for release Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists polled by Reuters forecast the economy added 180,000 jobs in August.

In oil markets, U.S. crude settled 3.45 percent lower at $ 43.16 a barrel, as supply glut worries resurfaced after Wednesday' s inventories report from the Energy Information Administration.

Gold futures for December delivery settled $ 5.70 higher at $ 1,317.10 per ounce.

Read more....

 

 

 

Symbol	Name	Price		Change	%Change
DJIA	Dow Industrials	18400.88		-53.42	-0.29%
S& P 500	S& P 500 Index	2170.95		-5.17	-0.24%
NASDAQ	NASDAQ Composite	5213.22		-9.77	-0.19%

 

 

Stocks close lower as energy lags S & P snaps 5-month winning streak

U.S. stocks closed lower Wednesday, the last trading day of the month, as investors digested falling oil prices and looked ahead to Friday' s jobs report.

" We did not get a lot of information today, and part of what we' re trading on were the higher-than-expected oil inventories," said Kim Forrest, senior equity analyst at Fort Pitt Capital. " A lot of our clients are looking at September and are a little worried. "

The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 100 points in midday trade before closing about 50 points lower, with Boeing and Chevron contributing the most losses.

The S & P 500 fell about 0.25 percent, as energy and materials fell more than 1 percent and nearly 1 percent, respectively. Energy extended losses after after the Energy Information Administration said inventories rose by 2.3 million barrels last week. US crude futures settled 3.56 percent lower at $ 44.70 a barrel.

Gold futures for December delivery settled $ 5.10 lower at $ 1,311.40 per ounce.

Read more.....

 

Symbol	Name	Price		Change	%Change
DJIA	Dow Industrials	18454.30		-48.69	-0.26%
S& P 500	S& P 500 Index	2176.12		-4.26	-0.20%
NASDAQ	NASDAQ Composite	5222.99		-9.34	-0.18%

 

Stocks close lower as utilities drop 1 pct Fed, jobs report in focus

U.S. stocks closed lower Tuesday, with utilities falling 1 percent, as investors analyzed strong consumer data while keeping an eye on Federal Reserve ahead of Friday' s jobs report.

" After coming off of Jackson Hole, ... all the attention is now to the jobs report," said Bob Phillips, managing principal at Spectrum Management Group. " If it comes out to be a decent number, I think the market will sell off. "

Economists polled by Reuters expect the U.S. economy to have added 180,000 jobs in August.

Investors continued searching for clues regarding the Fed' s next move Tuesday, after Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said the US job market is almost at full strength. Fischer made his remarks less than a week after telling CNBC that the August jobs report will weigh on the central bank' s decision on whether to raise interest rates.

" We also have the big jobs report due Friday, and the closer we get to that, it' s likely the market gets more tentative," Frederick said.

In oil markets, US crude settled 1.34 percent lower at $ 46.35 a barrel amid dollar strength.The US dollar rose against a basket of currencies, with the euro near $ 1.114 and the yen at 102.95. The Japanese currency hit its lowest level versus the greenback since july 29 earlier in the session.

Gold futures for December delivery settled $ 10.60 lower at $ 1,316.50 per ounce.

Read more....

 

 

 

 

The Nikkei 225 surged more 2.3 percent yesterday.

 

Symbol	Name	Price		Change	%Change
NIKKEI	NIKKEI	16715.11		-22.38	-0.13%
HSI	HSI	22821.34	---		0%
ASX 200	S& P/ASX 200	5501.00		31.78	0.58%
SHANGHAI	Shanghai	3069.99			0%
KOSPI	KOSPI Index	2045.63		13.28	0.65%
CNBC 100	CNBC 100 ASIA IDX	6835.26		19.22	0.28%