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rtk earnings tomorrow...
dxd is red for the moment...thank goodness !
290,000 jobs created in April; jobless rate 9.9%Story
Comments Screener (14) Alert Email Print ShareBy Jeffry Bartash WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The American economy added 290,000 jobs in April, which was much better than expected despite temporary hiring for the 2010 U.S. Census. Excluding Census workers, 224,000 nonfarm jobs were created, with the unemployment rate edging up to 9.9% from 9.7%, the Labor Department reported Friday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected the economy to add 185,000 jobs, with the jobless rate holding steady at 9.7%. The data for February was also revised to show a 39,000 increase in nonfarm jobs, compared to an originally reported decline of 14,000. Job gains in March were also revised up to 230,000 from 162,000. Meanwhile, the average workweek in April rose 0.1 hour to 34.1 hours for all nonfarm workers. Average hourly earnings ticked up 1 cent to $22.47.
acls...
$2.01 x $2,000.00
Stock futures rise a day after market turbulence
Futures rise as traders try to sort out Thursday's wild ride; focus on Greek debt, US jobs
Buzz up! 0 Print..Topics:Stocks.Stephen Bernard, AP Business Writer, On Friday May 7, 2010, 6:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are rising Friday, a day after one of the most volatile sessions in Wall Street history.
A computerized sell-off, which might have been triggered by a simple typographical error, sent the Dow Jones industrial average down by a record nearly 1,000 points in about 30 minutes Thursday afternoon. The market started to steady itself and regained two-thirds of that loss before the end of trading.
Still the 348-point, or 3.2 percent, drop on the Dow was the worst day for the index since February 2009 when the market was swooning and headed toward a 12-year low. The Dow has lost 631 points, or 5.7 percent, over the last three days.
Stocks had been trading lower throughout Thursday on concerns about Greece's ongoing debt problems. There are fears over whether a $140 billion bailout for Greece would stem a spread of debt issues across the continent that could unravel a global economic recovery.
Leaders of the 16 countries that use the euro are meeting in Brussels Friday to complete the Greek rescue plan and determine how to avoid future debt crises. Germany's parliament is expected to vote on its contribution for the loan package. As the largest country using the euro, Germany is on the hook for the largest portion of the bailout, which is also being funded by the International Monetary Fund.
Greece's parliament passed an austerity plan Thursday night, despite heavy protesting from citizens throughout the country. It needed to approve the plan to receive the bailout money, a portion of which will be needed to cover debt payments on May 19.
Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 75, or 0.7 percent, to 10,532. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 10.50, or 0.9 percent, to 1,132.90, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 20.00, or 1.1 percent, to 1,906.00.
The turbulence on Wall Street Thursday and ongoing European debt worries are overshadowing what is normally the biggest economic report each month in the U.S.: the Labor Department's monthly jobs report.
The Labor Department is expected to say employers added 200,000 jobs in April, according to economists polled by Thomson Reuters. However, as many as 120,000 of those new jobs could be tied to temporary hiring of U.S. census workers.
Investors will pay close attention to private company hiring to see if there is any true improvement in the labor market. Economists say private employers probably hired only 75,000 workers last month, which would be a drop from the 123,000 added in March.
The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 9.7 percent, where it's been since January.
Stocks had risen steadily between February and April as economic reports regularly showed the economy was recovering, albeit slowly.
Investors want to see continued growth in the jobs market because it would likely boost consumer confidence and spending. Consumer spending accounts for the majority of economic activity in the country.
Uncertainty about debt problems in Europe and the stock markets recent turmoil could keep employers nervous and slow hiring in the short term.
Meanwhile, bond prices fell sharply after Thursday's big gains. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.46 percent from 3.40 percent late Thursday.
The dollar, which has been rising sharply particularly against the euro, retreated early in the day. Investors had been pouring money into the dollar and pulling out of the euro because of worries that the European common currency could eventually collapse under the weight of the mounting debt problems.
Gold and oil both rose.
Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.8 percent, Germany's DAX index dropped 1 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 1.5 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 3.1 percent.
Buzz up! 0
Black Box Trading
http://www.blackboxtrading.net/
is the cashless society upon us...
Rush for euro-zone nations to approve Greece loans
Euro-zone nations scrambling to approve bailout for Greece
Buzz up! 0 Print..Raf Casert, Associated Press Writer, On Thursday May 6, 2010, 12:56 pm EDT
BRUSSELS (AP) -- Most of the 15 euro-zone nations are scrambling to approve the bailout of partner Greece in time for Friday evening's summit of government leaders, with the big contributors poised to be on time.
The euro-zone nations have pledged to contribute euro80 billion ($100 billion) of the euro110 billion ($140 billion) bailout plan for Greece over the next three years with the rest coming from the International Monetary Fund.
The 16 nations have pledged to make haste with the national approval of the funds and rescue package, hoping to have it finished for Friday's emergency summit. Major nations like Germany, France, Italy are likely to have concluded the process by then.
Crucially, the Greek parliament approved the Greek austerity bill, on which the whole program hinges, late Thursday despite major protests.
Germany, long Greece's toughest critic, was debating legislation that would provide the go-ahead to euro22.4 billion ($28.6 billion) in credit that Berlin wants to grant Athens.
It already passed the lower house's budget committee -- a day before a vote by the full house.
The coalition led by Chancellor Angela Merkel has a comfortable majority in parliament and could pass the law without opposition help. Nonetheless, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has asked the opposition for support.
"The markets will pay attention to how the help is being backed on a national level," Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. The Social Democrat opposition party is likely to abstain.
France, after Germany the No. 2 contributor to the plan with euro16.8 billion ($21.4 billion), already had the backing of the National Assembly since Monday and the Senate was expected to approve it late Thursday to finalize it. The two nations together already guarantee just under 50 percent of the euro-zone contribution.
In Italy, ministers are expected to approve an emergency decree during a Cabinet meeting on Friday for up to euro5.5 billion ($7 billion), almost a third of its share of euro14.7 billion ($18.7 billion). Finance Minister Giulio Tremtoni told parliament Thursday that the measure will not affect Italy's deficit, because it is a loan.
Spain, targeted itself by recent market speculation in the wake of the Greek bailout, plans to approve it early Friday by decree in a weekly Cabinet meeting, after which it must be approved by parliament -- most likely next week. Madrid is penciled in for euro9.8 billion ($12.5 billion).
Those four together almost provide 80 percent of the euro-zone loans.
Opposition has come from some small contributors.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico says he first wants to see that "Greece is doing its homework." Fico said it was unlikely that Slovakia would provide its share of euro800 million ($1 billion) before the country's general election scheduled for June 12.
The Netherlands and Portugal are also set to approve it Friday.
isn't june the month for fund repositioning...
almost 1k...
Greece needs access to an initial portion of the money by May 19 to cover $11.6 billion in debt payments, or else it will likely default.
Even if Greece gets the money it needs, there are still worries that would be only a temporary fix to a growing debt problem across the continent. Portugal and Spain have also seen their debt ratings downgraded recently
Mixed economic reports fail to revive stock market
Stocks edge lower as mixed news from retailers, job market aren't enough to bring in buyers
Buzz up! 0 Print..Companies:Gap Inc.Macy's, Inc.Target Corp..Related Quotes
Symbol Price Change
GPS 23.53 -1.15
M 23.11 -0.11
TGT 55.54 -0.52
XOM 65.74 -0.43
{"s" : "gps,m,tgt,xom","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Stephen Bernard, AP Business Writer, On Thursday May 6, 2010, 10:29 am
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mixed news on the U.S. labor market and retail sales weren't enough to lift stock prices Thursday as worries lingered that Greece's debt woes would spread to other parts of Europe.
The euro fell further against the dollar, hitting a new 14-month low. The euro has tumbled against the dollar since last fall on as faith in Europe's shared currency has dwindled. Greece's debt crunch is widely seen as a test of Europe's ability to restore fiscal discipline to the weak economies in its union and keep the decade-old currency viable.
The dollar's rise pushed commodities prices lower, especially oil. That sent prices of oil companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron lower.
In economic news, Labor Department said new claims for jobless benefits fell lass than expected last week. It also said productivity rose more than expected in the first quarter, but that was due in part to a drop in labor costs, which is a negative signal for consumer spending.
Greece held a heated debate in its Parliament over $141.9 billion aid package from the 15 other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund. The bailout calls for unpopular cuts in Greek public spending in pensions and other areas, as well as tax increases.
Greece needs access to an initial portion of the money by May 19 to cover $11.6 billion in debt payments, or else it will likely default.
Even if Greece gets the money it needs, there are still worries that would be only a temporary fix to a growing debt problem across the continent. Portugal and Spain have also seen their debt ratings downgraded recently.
In morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average fell 8.01, or 0.1 percent, to 10,860.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 1.82, or 0.2 percent, to 1,164.08, while the Nasdaq composite index futures fell 1.88, or 0.1 percent, to 2,400.41.
The Dow has dropped 284 points over the past two days.
The Labor Department's weekly report on initial jobless claims showed 444,000 workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. That's down from a week earlier, but fell short of the 440,000 estimated by economists polled by Thomson Reuters.
It was the third straight weekly drop in new claims. While claims are falling, economists say they have not yet dropped to levels that would indicate consistent job growth. Initial claims would have to dip to around 425,000 to signal employers are adding jobs and the unemployment rate is falling. High unemployment remains one of the key issues facing the U.S. economy as it continues to rebound.
The weekly claims report comes a day before the Labor Department is expected to say the unemployment rate remained at 9.7 percent in April.
A separate Labor Department report showed first-quarter productivity rose at an annual rate of 3.6 percent, better than the 2.5 percent forecast by economists. The gain was due in part to a drop in labor costs, which means companies should be able to maintain strong profit margins. However, it also means that consumers' incomes continue to be squeezed, which could slow a rebound in spending.
That slow rebound in spending was seen as retailers provided a mixed picture for April sales. Sales largely slowed from March's strong pace, partly because Easter was earlier this year. Macy's Inc. was among the retailers that topped forecasts. Gap Inc. and Target Corp. fell sharply after reporting disappointing monthly sales results.
Macy's shares rose 12 cents to $23.34. Gap fell 77 cents, or 9.6 percent, to $7.22, while Target dropped $1.04 to $55.02.
In energy stocks, Exxon Mobil Corp. fell 35 cents or 0.5 percent to $65.82, and Chevron fell 37 cents or 0.5 percent to $79.82.
About three stocks fell for every two that rose on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 58.7 million shares, compared with 108 million shares traded at the same point Wednesday.
Bond prices were little changed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.55 percent from 3.54 percent late Wednesday.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 0.43, or 0.1 percent, to 698.15.
Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.7 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.3 percent and France's CAC-40 rose 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average, which had been closed the past three days for holidays, fell 3.3 percent.
must be caucasions...lol
dxd is bouncing from red to green...
Futures narrowly mixed; Euro debt remains a worry
Stock futures narrowly mixed as Greek debt problems still a worry; ahead of weekly jobs report
Buzz up! 0 Print..Topics:Currencies.Stephen Bernard, AP Business Writer, On Thursday May 6, 2010, 8:05 am
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures traded in a narrow range Thursday on persistent investor worries about whether a Greek debt crisis will spread across Europe.
European markets rose slightly, though investors remain concerned about whether the debt problems will upend a global economic recovery.
The euro is extending its decline against the dollar, a sign that investors are not sure whether a Greek bailout will stem the mounting problems. The euro is at its lowest level against the dollar in 14 months.
Greece is trying to tap a $144 billion aid package from the 15 other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund. The nation needs access to an initial portion of the money by May 19 to cover $11.6 billion in debt payments, or else it will likely default.
Even if Greece gets the money it needs, there are still worries that would be only a temporary fix to a growing debt problem across the continent, and others like Portugal and Spain will eventually need similar rescues.
The European Central Bank is meeting Thursday and expected to discuss the growing debt problems.
European debt concerns have been overshadowing signs of a U.S. economic recovery in recent days. Investors will get reports Thursday that are expected to show initial claims for jobless benefits fell last week and productivity continued to rise in the first quarter. Retailers are also reporting April monthly sales throughout the morning.
Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 4, or less than 0.1 percent, to 10,838. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 1.40, or 0.1 percent, to 1,165.30, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 1.25, or 0.1 percent, to 1,957.25.
The Dow has dropped 284 points over the past two days.
The Labor Department's weekly report on initial jobless claims is expected to show fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters predict claims fell to 440,000 last week, from 448,000 a week earlier.
It would mark the third straight weekly drop and be a positive sign heading into Friday's monthly jobs report. The unemployment rate likely held steady at 9.7 percent in April. High unemployment remains one of the key issues facing the U.S. economy as it continues to rebound.
A report on first-quarter productivity is expected to show a gain of 2.5 percent compared with the previous quarter. Productivity surged 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter.
Both reports are due out at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
Bond prices fell after rising steadily in recent days as investors sought safer investments. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.59 percent from 3.54 percent late Wednesday.
Gold and oil both rose.
Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.2 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.6 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average, which had been closed the past three days for holidays, fell 3.3 percent.
i'm sure he knows...
i hope he's loaded..
gsat avg vol 500k...
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=GSAT+Historical+Prices
Stock futures rise though Greece remains a concern
Stock futures rise ahead of jobs, productivity reports; European debt problems still a concern
Buzz up! 0 Print..Topics:International.Stephen Bernard, AP Business Writer, On Thursday May 6, 2010, 6:54 am
NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are rising slightly Thursday, steadying themselves after two days of sharp market drops tied to fears Greek debt problems would spread across Europe.
European markets rose, though investors remain concerned about whether debt problems will upend an economic recovery.
The euro is continuing to fall against the dollar, a sign that investors are not sure whether a Greek bailout will stem the mounting problems. The euro is at its lowest level against the dollar in 14 months.
Greece is trying to tap a $144 billion aid package from the 15 other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund. The nation needs access to an initial portion of the money by May 19 to cover $11.6 billion in debt payments, or else it will likely default.
Even if Greece gets the money it needs, there are still worries that would be only a temporary fix to a growing debt problem across the continent, and others like Portugal and Spain will all eventually need similar rescues.
The European Central Bank is meeting Thursday and expected to discuss the growing debt problems.
European debt concerns have been overshadowing signs of a domestic recovery in recent days. Investors focused on the U.S. economy will get reports Thursday that are expected to show initial claims for jobless benefits fell last week and productivity continued to rise in the first quarter. Retailers are also reporting April monthly sales throughout the morning.
Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 27, or 0.3 percent, to 10,861. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 4.50, or 0.4 percent, to 1,168.40, while Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 2.25, or 0.1 percent, to 1,960.75.
The Dow has dropped 284 points over the past two days.
The Labor Department's weekly report on initial jobless claims is expected to show fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week. Economists polled by Thomson Reuters predict claims fell to 440,000 last week, from 448,000 a week earlier.
It would mark the third straight weekly drop and be a positive sign heading into Friday's monthly jobs report. The unemployment rate likely held steady at 9.7 percent in April. High unemployment remains one of the key issues facing the U.S. economy as it continues to rebound.
A report on first-quarter productivity is expected to show a gain of 2.5 percent compared with the previous quarter. Productivity surged 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter.
Both reports are due out at 8:30 a.m. EDT.
Bond prices fell after rising steadily in recent days as investors sought safer investments. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.58 percent from 3.54 percent late Wednesday.
Gold rose, while oil dipped.
Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.2 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.6 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.1 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average, which had been closed the past three days for holidays, fell 3.3 percent.
i'm not in it, but i hope it goes to the moon for you!
could i get a chart for...
pcbc
tia!
are they on sale now?
European markets regain poise as eyes turn to ECB
European stocks steady despite Asian drop as eyes turn to ECB to help contain debt crisis
Buzz up! 0 Print..Topics:International.
Pedestrian are reflected in the electric stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, May 6, 2010. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average plunged 3.2 percent to 10,710.02 on Thursday morning in the first business day after the "Golden Week" holidays. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Carlo Piovano, Associated Press Writer, On Thursday May 6, 2010, 6:13 am
LONDON (AP) -- European stocks steadied Thursday despite a plunge in Asian markets as investors worried that Greece's debt crisis could spread to other countries but hoped that the European Central Bank could offer some guidance and support later in the day.
Britain's FTSE 100 was flat at 5,434.41 while Germany's DAX was up 0.1 percent at 5,964.35. France's CAC-40 was down 0.3 percent at 3,626.88.
Asian markets fell heavily, with Japan's index down 3.3 percent, although Wall Street was expected to edge up on the open -- Dow futures were up 0.1 percent at 10,846 and Standard & Poor's 500 futures were up 0.3 percent at 1,167.
With protests in Athens against new austerity measures culminating Wednesday in the death of three people, markets are worried that Greece could fall out of control or that its fiscal problems could affect other weak countries such as Portugal and Spain.
Moody's ratings agency said Thursday that the banking systems in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Ireland and the U.K. would be threatened if the debt crisis spread around Europe.
Hopes are now pinned on Greek lawmakers, who are expected to pass the new spending cuts as early as today, as well as the ECB, which may announce new support measures for the market.
Besides keeping interest rates at the record low of 1 percent and after lowering requirements for Greek debt to be used as collateral for ECB loans, the bank may take more aggressive steps to help. Some analysts suggest it may even announce bond purchases to support markets and keep borrowing costs down.
"We would not rule out such a move in future -- any port in storm, after all," said Jennifer McKeown, senior European economist at Capital Economics in London.
Last weekend, Greece's 15 partners in the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agreed to give the country euro110 billion ($141 billion) to avoid an imminent, disastrous default. That is expected to be cleared by governments, but is increasingly seen to be a short-term fix to a long-term solvency problem.
Given the amount of civil unrest in Greece, many fear the government there will be unable to pull off the size of austerity cuts it has planned. Because such uncertainties linger in the markets, the ECB is under pressure to deliver some sort of extra support.
"It should regain its leadership in tackling the crisis following a complete communication and coordination failure among euro area fiscal authorities around the Greek crisis," said Jacques Cailloux, chief eurozone economist at Royal Bank of Scotland.
Against this backdrop, the euro continued to weaken, falling as far as $1.2738 in trading Thursday -- lows last seen in early 2009 -- before recovering slightly to $1.2783. That is still well below the $1.2827 it bought the day before in New York trading.
In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average dived 3.3 percent to 10,695.69 for its biggest one-day fall in over a year while China's Shanghai benchmark sank 4.1 percent. Japanese markets were closed Monday through Wednesday for holidays.
South Korea's Kospi dropped 2 percent to 1,684.71, Hong Kong's Hang Seng retreated 1 percent to 20,133.41, Australia's benchmark lost 2.2 percent and Indonesia sank 2 percent in a regionwide rout. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, India, Malaysia and Thailand also slid.
The weaker euro hurt Japanese companies who do significant business in Europe. Canon Inc. was down 3.3 percent, and rival camera maker Nikon Corp. fell 3.1 percent.
Financial issues declined across Asia, with Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. down 4.3 percent and South Korea's KB Financial Group Inc. tumbling 4.6 percent.
Oil prices extended losses from the day before. Benchmark crude for June delivery fell 15 cents to $79.82 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract lost $2.77 to settle at $79.97 a barrel on Wednesday.
Associated Press writer Alex Kennedy contributed from Singapore.
Buzz up! 0
Jessica Rabbit - Why don't you do right
The Heavy - How You Like Me Now?
u better get in egt before it's too late...lol
egt...
held up on very low vol..lol
psychedelic shack~~temptations
http://www.myspace.com/thetemptationsofficial/music/albums/anthology-19630
;o)
dxd is dropping...lets hope it goes red soon
i do, too...
if a bailout has to happen, then why not give the money to the citezens and let them spend it in their own country...
dxd continues to climb