|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Dow : 10583.96 up 155.91 | S & P : 1132.99 up 17.89 |
| NASDAQ: 2308.42 up 39.27 | Bond (10Y): 3.82%, 96.31
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
MARKETS:
Stocks start off 2010 with a rally
Major indexes end the day at 15-month highs as investors bet a
strong manufacturing report is a good sign for the economy.
U.S. STOCKS START THE YEAR OFF STRONG
U.S. stocks jump on the first trading day of the year as the dollar
sinks and commodities prices rise.
MONDAY'S BIGGEST GAINING AND DECLINING STOCKS
MarketWatch's daily rundown of major gainers and decliners in the U.S.
stock market.
OIL TOPS $81 ON CHINA DATA, WEAKER DOLLAR
Crude-oil futures rise more than 2%, climbing above $81 a barrel,
boosted by upbeat economic data in the U.S. and China and by a weaker
dollar.
NATURAL-GAS ETF BURNED INVESTORS IN 2009
United States Natural Gas Fund lost almost 60% in 2009, but its
difficulties went beyond falling prices for natural gas due to the
poor economy and oversupply issues.
LOW RATES DIDN'T CAUSE BUBBLE, BERNANKE SAYS
Lax supervision of toxic mortgages was the bigger cause, Fed chief says.
December ISM reading shows greater-than-forecast U.S. manufacturing strength
1/4/2010 10:03:03 AM EDT
Crude-oil futures touch an intraday high above $80 a barrel, finding
support from continued expectations for a global economic recovery and
rising oil demand in the New Year.
Fed chairman Ben Bernanke defends the Fed's record in inflating the
housing bubble and calls for more regulation.
STOCKS MAY STRUGGLE WITH LESS GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Economic data in early January may test recovery, set tone for 2010.
STOCK-FUND INVESTORS GREET NEW YEAR WITH A GRIMACE
What goes down mustn't go up, but for investors in U.S. stock
mutual-funds this year, the law of gravity reversed -- and in a big
way.
STOCKS IN FOCUS FOR MONDAY
Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active tradfing
Monday are Wells Fargo, Time-Warner Cable and Nesws Corp. U.S. markets
are closed Friday for the New Year holiday.
POST-BEAR JANUARYS BODE WELL FOR STOCKS
The first January after the end of a bear market has been consistently
strong, yielding a 3.7% gain for stocks on average since the 1930s,
according to Standard & Poor's.
RATE WORRIES AND LOW VOLUMES PUT DAMPER ON STOCKS
A late burst of selling leaves stocks with a hefty loss Thursday as
traders take cash off the table at the end of a banner year,
highlighted by the biggest annual percentage gain in the Dow Jones
Industrial Average in six years.
Nasdaq sets pace for indexes' 2009 gains, up 44%; S&P rises 23.5%; Dow, 18.8%
12/31/2009 4:07:25 PM EDT
