By NEW YORK (Reuters) -The S&P 500 and the Dow were on track to notch new all-time closing highs on Monday as surprisingly robust economic data stoked investor risk appetite, while cryptocurrency market cap breached the $2 trillion hurdle.Friday’s employment report, which showed 916,000 jobs added in March and the unemployment rate falling to 6%, driven by vaccine deployment and stimulus, marked the beginning of what could be the strongest yearly economic performance in decades.“Today’s action was set by Friday’s employment report,” said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) -The S&P 500 and the Dow were on track to notch new all-time closing highs on Monday as surprisingly robust economic data stoked investor risk appetite, while cryptocurrency market cap breached the $2 trillion hurdle.Friday’s employment report, which showed 916,000 jobs added in March and the unemployment rate falling to 6%, driven by vaccine deployment and stimulus, marked the beginning of what could be the strongest yearly economic performance in decades.“Today’s action was set by Friday’s employment report,” said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street jumped on Friday as encouraging earnings stoked risk appetite and President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID advisory team said it was not considering a nationwide shutdown, but oil prices slid as Libyan output rose and investors worried the resurgent pandemic could hurt global demand.The bellwether S&P 500 and the small cap Russell 2000 both reached record closing highs.“Profits have been refreshingly healthy,” said David Carter, chief investment officer at Lenox Wealth Advisors in New York. “It’s really a credit to companies’ ability to adapt and grow even...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street jumped on Friday as encouraging earnings stoked risk appetite and President-elect Joe Biden’s COVID advisory team said it was not considering a nationwide shutdown, but oil prices slid as Libyan output rose and investors worried the resurgent pandemic could hurt global demand.The bellwether S&P 500 and the small cap Russell 2000 both reached record closing highs.“Profits have been refreshingly healthy,” said David Carter, chief investment officer at Lenox Wealth Advisors in New York. “It’s really a credit to companies’ ability to adapt and grow even...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tech pushed the Nasdaq to close sharply higher and oil prices extended their rally on Wednesday, as hopes of potential COVID-19 were tempered by spiking coronavirus infections and the looming threat of a new round of lockdowns.While the S&P 500 also advanced, the blue-chip Dow ended the session slightly in the red.A return to technology-focused market leaders, which thrived during COVID shutdowns but sold off earlier in the week as investors pivoted to economically-sensitive cyclical stocks, put the Nasdaq out front.“This week we saw a bit of rotation from growth...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tech pushed the Nasdaq to close sharply higher and oil prices extended their rally on Wednesday, as hopes of potential COVID-19 were tempered by spiking coronavirus infections and the looming threat of a new round of lockdowns.While the S&P 500 also advanced, the blue-chip Dow ended the session slightly in the red.A return to technology-focused market leaders, which thrived during COVID shutdowns but sold off earlier in the week as investors pivoted to economically-sensitive cyclical stocks, put the Nasdaq out front.“This week we saw a bit of rotation from growth...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street closed higher at the end of a whipsaw session on Thursday as investors juggled hopeful and pessimistic news on the progress of stimulus talks Washington amid signs of waning momentum of economic recovery from the pandemic recession, now entering its ninth month.All three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher, with the Nasdaq in the lead and the Dow seeing the smallest gain.A spate of data, including jobless claims and consumer spending, suggested that the plodding economic recovery could be losing steam.Investors now look to the Labor Department’s...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street closed higher at the end of a whipsaw session on Thursday as investors juggled hopeful and pessimistic news on the progress of stimulus talks Washington amid signs of waning momentum of economic recovery from the pandemic recession, now entering its ninth month.All three major U.S. stock indexes closed higher, with the Nasdaq in the lead and the Dow seeing the smallest gain.A spate of data, including jobless claims and consumer spending, suggested that the plodding economic recovery could be losing steam.Investors now look to the Labor Department’s...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street closed higher and the Nasdaq reached an all-time closing high on Thursday as investors headed into their long holiday weekend buoyed by a record surge in payrolls, which provided assurance that the U.S. economic recovery was well under way.All three major U.S. stock averages advanced, with the benchmark S&P 500 posting its fourth straight daily gain.Massive stimulus and hopes for a speedy economic rebound have returned the S&P 500 and the Dow to 7.6% and 12.6% below their record highs reached in February.The indexes registered strong gains for the...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street closed higher and the Nasdaq reached an all-time closing high on Thursday as investors headed into their long holiday weekend buoyed by a record surge in payrolls, which provided assurance that the U.S. economic recovery was well under way.All three major U.S. stock averages advanced, with the benchmark S&P 500 posting its fourth straight daily gain.Massive stimulus and hopes for a speedy economic rebound have returned the S&P 500 and the Dow to 7.6% and 12.6% below their record highs reached in February.The indexes registered strong gains for the...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street suffered its biggest one-day loss since the 2008 financial crisis on Monday and recession worries loomed large as tumbling oil prices and ongoing coronavirus fears prompted investor panic on the anniversary of the U.S. stock market’s longest-ever bull run.All three major U.S. stock averages plunged sharply at the opening bell, triggering trading halts put in place in the wake of 1987’s “Black Monday” crash. The Dow plummeted a record 2,000 points out of the starting gate on a day that marked the current bull market’s 11th year.S&P 500 futures declined...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street suffered its biggest one-day loss since the 2008 financial crisis on Monday and recession worries loomed large as tumbling oil prices and ongoing coronavirus fears prompted investor panic on the anniversary of the U.S. stock market’s longest-ever bull run.All three major U.S. stock averages plunged sharply at the opening bell, triggering trading halts put in place in the wake of 1987’s “Black Monday” crash. The Dow plummeted a record 2,000 points out of the starting gate on a day that marked the current bull market’s 11th year.S&P 500 futures declined...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street tanked on Thursday, slamming the book on the longest-ever U.S. bull market after new travel restrictions to curb the coronavirus spread spooked investors and rattled world markets.President Donald Trump’s Europe travel ban, announced late Wednesday, sent all three major U.S. stock indexes into a tailspin, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq confirming their first bear market since the financial crisis.The blue chip Dow suffered its worst one-day loss since October 1987’s “Black Monday.”The benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq have lost over a quarter of...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street tanked on Thursday, slamming the book on the longest-ever U.S. bull market after new travel restrictions to curb the coronavirus spread spooked investors and rattled world markets.President Donald Trump’s Europe travel ban, announced late Wednesday, sent all three major U.S. stock indexes into a tailspin, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq confirming their first bear market since the financial crisis.The blue chip Dow suffered its worst one-day loss since October 1987’s “Black Monday.”The benchmark S&P 500 and the Nasdaq have lost over a quarter of...WW…