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Rough days for the markets have a way of converging around the end of a quarter, particularly since the credit crunch began. With one more day before the end of the second quarter, the Dow Jones Industrial Average o ...

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Stocks prices on Friday dropped to the levels last seen in March, back when investors feared that the global financial markets were on the verge of collapse.

That earlier selloff had all the hall ...

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The likelihood that the U.S. in a recession appeared to increase Friday, following weeks of hopes that the country might be skirting one.

Unemployment rose sharply and payrolls shrank for the fifth consecutive month. The economy news came on a day that oil surged to record prices, the dollar weakened and the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged nearly 400 points. The deteriorating job numbers led markets to scale back the ...

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On Friday stock markets struggled amid rising oil and gas prices, and a mix economic news that did little to temper fears about a slowdown. SP 500 (C Fund) gained 0.2% for the week and about 1% for the month of May.

Stocks sank last week as oil prices hit an all-time high around $135 a barrel and investors backed off ahead of a long Memorial Day weekend. But this week, stocks have been on the rise as the dollar has f ...

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A record high in crude oil and a consumer confidence reading that recalled the 1980s recession hampered the stock market Friday, leaving major indicators mixed but up for a week. Oil futures finished up $2.17 at a records settlement of $126.29, boosted by a report from Goldman Sachs commodity analysis, who said investors are underestimating the inevitability of further increases in crude and other raw materials. Other commodities follow ...

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Wall Street’s optimism confronted reality during the week. Reality won.

American International Group (AIG) dropped 8.8%. The insurer late Thursday posted $7.8 billion loss and unveiled the plan to raise $12.5 billion in capital. General Motors (GM) was the second-worst blue-chip after AIG falling 4.1%. FedEx also added some negative news to the mix. After the closing bell, the shipping company, an economic bellwether ...

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It was a respectable week for stocks overall, helped by another cut in short-term interest rates by Federal Reserve. While investors responded positively to the employment report, analysts said it reflects a stalled economy. Friday, the Fed unveiled an expansion of its Term Auction Facility to provide extra cash to struggling banks.

The Standard and Poor 500 index (C Fund) gained 1.1% for the week. Treasury bonds fe ...

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Investors shrugged off soaring oil prices and crumbling consumer confidence to push stocks higher Friday with a hope the credit crisis might be waning. The consumer survey also found that inflation expectations are rising. Underlining that worry, crude oil surged.

Some Wall Street analysts believe that the worst may be over. Oil hit another record high but has pulled back. The dollar has finally started to show som ...

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The U.S. economy lost 80,000 jobs in March, the biggest drop in five years, as weakness in the labor market spread beyond housing and finance to engulf a broad swath of businesses. The bigger than expected employment drop keeps pressure on policy makers at the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates aggressively when they meet at the end of April.

Stocks mounted a valiant effort to move higher Friday in the face of bad news ...

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The stock market tried but failed to shake off its worries Friday, tying a grim ribbon on a mostly downbeat week. For each bit of good news Friday, there was bad news to offset it. Standard & Poor 500 index (C Fund) fell 1.1% on the week and is down 10% this year.

A Commerce Department report on personal income and spending was not entirely abysmal raising hopes the economy might yet avoid a deep recession. Oil futures ...