Soros Fund Management, the hedge fund run by billionaire investor George Soros, increased its holdings in U.S. stocks to $6.2 billion from $4.2 billion and bought a stake in Ford Motor.

By Dhanya Skariachan

Among the earnings stories for Monday, Nov. 16, from AP Financial News:

Home Depot Inc., the largest U.S. home-improvement retailer, reports earnings for the fiscal third quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

Lowe's, the second-largest U.S. home improvement chain, posted a 30 percent drop in quarterly profit as consumers put off big renovations as the U.S. housing market remains sluggish, sending shares down 2.1 percent in premarket trading.

By Phil Wahba

By Leah Schnurr

What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Monday,  Nov. 16.

Stocks advanced Tuesday as the two-year Treasury auction was met with solid demand and the dollar retreated.

Lowe's is reaffirming its fiscal 2009 profit and sales forecasts and may write off up to $100 million during the second half of the year.

Stocks finished near their highs for the day Tuesday, snapping a two-day losing streak. American Express led the Dow after an analyst upgrade.

Stocks bounced back Tuesday after a sharp selloff Monday. Financials were among the day's biggest gainers and AmEx led the Dow after an analyst upgrade.

Stocks bounced back Tuesday after a sharp selloff Monday but gains were modest after a disappointing housing report.

The "correction" many on Wall Street had been waiting for finally happened on Monday - now, the question is how long it will continue. Based on activity in overseas markets and U.S. stock index futures, Monday's drop may be a one-day wonder, with all signs pointing to a rebound at the open.

Lowe's Cos. said Monday it is expecting consumers will spend cautiously this holiday season on trees and gifts like power tools but said it sees signs the housing market is slowly improving.