Stocks finished mixed Tuesday as techs struggled after a downgrade on Intel. Transports rose following news that that Warren Buffett is buying Burlington Northern railroad. Industrials also gained after this week's encouraging manufacturing reports.
Stocks tumbled Tuesday, led by techs after an analyst downgrade on Intel. Transports rose following news that Warren Buffett is buying Burlington Northern railroad.
With the markets in volatility mode, investors will likely be focusing on the Federal Reserve Tuesday, even though the 2-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting that begins this afternoon won't conclude until Wednesday.
Stocks struggled to stay in positive territory for any length of time Tuesday as profit-taking after Monday's blockbuster rally overshadowed a fifth-straight rise in pending-home sales.
Unemployment hit 8.9 percent in April and some predict that number could climb to over 10 percent in 2009 as major companies streamline operations to combat the recession. But how far can this streamlining really go? For many companies, revenues hinge on worker productivity, and for most operations, per-worker profits and revenues are many multiples of average employee salaries. The measure of revenue per employee also helps shed light on a firm's money-making efficiency and likelihood it will retain jobs. The best companies require the least number of workers to make the most money.
While the Burlington Northern deal is getting a lot of attention, it has not brought pre-open trading in the S&P futures into positive territory yet... Read More