February 11, 2009 4:46 PM
U.S. Stocks Rally On Jobs, Inflation, Factory Data
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks were solidly higher Friday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average set yet another new record, bolstered by an enthusiastic response to data that showed more jobs were created May than projected.
Adding to the market's cheer was another report showing that inflation has fallen back into the Federal Reserve's comfort zone and a national survey pointing to an increase in manufacturing activity last month.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average last was up 57 points at 13,685, after setting a new intraday record of 13,692
The S&P 500 was 8.73 points higher at 1,539.35 as the Nasdaq Composite rose 18.61 points to 2,623.13.
On Thursday U.S. stocks gave a mixed performance. Overnight, Shanghai stocks lost 2.7% of their value on speculation that the Chinese government will roll out a capital-gains tax.
On Friday investors drew encouragement from the Labor Department's report that 157,000 jobs were created last month, exceeding a MarketWatch forecast of 150,000. Unemployment held steady at 4.5%.
"This news is a bit better than people were expecting," said Georges Yared of Yared Investment Research. The data shows steady economic growth and confirm the underlying strength of the equities market, Yared added.
Separately, the Commerce Department reported that core consumer price inflation increased just 0.1% in April, bringing the year-over-year increase down to 2%. This marks the first time in 14 months that core prices have been inside the Fed's unofficial target zone of 1% to 2%.
In another positive sign for the economy, the Institute of Supply Management said its May index of manufacturing activity rose to 55% from 54.7% in April. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected the ISM to drop to 53.5% in May. During the last four months, the ISM has shown more manufacturing business growing than shrinking.
However, the University of Michigan's May consumer sentiment survey cut against the picture of economic improvement. The headline reading was revised down to 88.3 from 88.7.
The pending home sales index for April also showed deterioration. The index, which tracks contracts that have been signed for transactions that have not closed, posted a decline of 3.2%.
In addition, May sales figures for Ford Motor Co. , General Motors Corp. and Chrysler will be released during the trading session.
Stocks of note
Shares of Dell were 3% higher at $27.70. On Thursday the company reported a slight drop in quarterly earnings and said it would slash 10% of its workforce, or about 8,800 jobs. The company is attempting to recoup some of the market share it has lost to the likes of rival Hewlett-Packard Co. .
Shares of Dow Jones shot up 14.4% to $60.94. The stock price jump follows news that the Bancroft family, which holds a controlling interest in the media company, said it will meet with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. -- and any others interested -- about a possible sale.
Forest Laboratories last was down 1.6% at $49.91. A drug for strokes that it holds the U.S. and Canadian rights for did not meet a Phase Three endpoint in a clinical trial.
Among Dow components, 3M was off 10 cents at $87.85. The company has acquired the manufacturing and marketing rights to the Peridex brand periodontal rinse product from Zila Inc. for $9.5 million in cash.
Other markets
Treasurys extended their losses after the May jobs report. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note last was down 11/32 at 96-20/32 with a yield of 4.935%. Bond analysts think the benchmark yield is likely to shoot through the 5% level in coming sessions.
The dollar rose against other major currencies, touching a three-and-a-half month high versus the yen, after the jobs report reinforced the view that the Fed won't drop rates this year.
The euro was last down 0.2% at $1.3423, while the dollar was up 0.3at 122.04 yen.
Commodities were higher, with crude futures up 19 cents at $64.19 a barrel and the front-month gold contract up $5.50 at $666.50 an ounce.
Jon Nadler, a gold analyst at Kitco, said metals market participants "observed resilient crude-oil prices and only small changes in the U.S. dollar and were otherwise lacking fresh price drivers for the metal."
By Leslie Wines
Adding to the market's cheer was another report showing that inflation has fallen back into the Federal Reserve's comfort zone and a national survey pointing to an increase in manufacturing activity last month.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average last was up 57 points at 13,685, after setting a new intraday record of 13,692
The S&P 500 was 8.73 points higher at 1,539.35 as the Nasdaq Composite rose 18.61 points to 2,623.13.
On Thursday U.S. stocks gave a mixed performance. Overnight, Shanghai stocks lost 2.7% of their value on speculation that the Chinese government will roll out a capital-gains tax.
On Friday investors drew encouragement from the Labor Department's report that 157,000 jobs were created last month, exceeding a MarketWatch forecast of 150,000. Unemployment held steady at 4.5%.
"This news is a bit better than people were expecting," said Georges Yared of Yared Investment Research. The data shows steady economic growth and confirm the underlying strength of the equities market, Yared added.
Separately, the Commerce Department reported that core consumer price inflation increased just 0.1% in April, bringing the year-over-year increase down to 2%. This marks the first time in 14 months that core prices have been inside the Fed's unofficial target zone of 1% to 2%.
In another positive sign for the economy, the Institute of Supply Management said its May index of manufacturing activity rose to 55% from 54.7% in April. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected the ISM to drop to 53.5% in May. During the last four months, the ISM has shown more manufacturing business growing than shrinking.
However, the University of Michigan's May consumer sentiment survey cut against the picture of economic improvement. The headline reading was revised down to 88.3 from 88.7.
The pending home sales index for April also showed deterioration. The index, which tracks contracts that have been signed for transactions that have not closed, posted a decline of 3.2%.
In addition, May sales figures for Ford Motor Co. , General Motors Corp. and Chrysler will be released during the trading session.
Stocks of note
Shares of Dell were 3% higher at $27.70. On Thursday the company reported a slight drop in quarterly earnings and said it would slash 10% of its workforce, or about 8,800 jobs. The company is attempting to recoup some of the market share it has lost to the likes of rival Hewlett-Packard Co. .
Shares of Dow Jones shot up 14.4% to $60.94. The stock price jump follows news that the Bancroft family, which holds a controlling interest in the media company, said it will meet with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. -- and any others interested -- about a possible sale.
Forest Laboratories last was down 1.6% at $49.91. A drug for strokes that it holds the U.S. and Canadian rights for did not meet a Phase Three endpoint in a clinical trial.
Among Dow components, 3M was off 10 cents at $87.85. The company has acquired the manufacturing and marketing rights to the Peridex brand periodontal rinse product from Zila Inc. for $9.5 million in cash.
Other markets
Treasurys extended their losses after the May jobs report. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note last was down 11/32 at 96-20/32 with a yield of 4.935%. Bond analysts think the benchmark yield is likely to shoot through the 5% level in coming sessions.
The dollar rose against other major currencies, touching a three-and-a-half month high versus the yen, after the jobs report reinforced the view that the Fed won't drop rates this year.
The euro was last down 0.2% at $1.3423, while the dollar was up 0.3at 122.04 yen.
Commodities were higher, with crude futures up 19 cents at $64.19 a barrel and the front-month gold contract up $5.50 at $666.50 an ounce.
Jon Nadler, a gold analyst at Kitco, said metals market participants "observed resilient crude-oil prices and only small changes in the U.S. dollar and were otherwise lacking fresh price drivers for the metal."
By Leslie Wines
MarketWatch
