Stocks rallied Thursday, rebounding off of the prior session's rout, after reports showed the economy grew more than expected last quarter and jobless claims fell. The Dow jumped more than 2 percent—its best day since July.

Stocks rallied Thursday, rebounding off of the prior session's rout, after reports showed the economy grew more than expected last quarter and jobless claims fell.

Stocks rallied Thursday, rebounding off of the prior session's rout, after reports showed the economy grew more than expected last quarter and jobless claims fell.

Futures pointed to a positive open for Wall Street on Thursday ahead of the all-important U.S. third-quarter gross domestic product data.

Stocks tumbled to session lows late Wednesday, with the Dow down more than 100 points, as worries about the recovery gripped the market.

Stocks were lower at the halfway point Wednesday as investors shrugged off some good news and worries about the recovery gripped the market.

Stocksskidded Wednesday, despite a rise in durable-goods orders and some earnings beats, as worries about the recovery dragged on the market.

The weak consumer confidence report that hit U.S. stocks on Tuesday is having a lingering effect this Wednesday, with global stock markets falling and stock index futures pointing to another lower open on Wall Street.

Qwest Communications International Inc. said Thursday it will be ending its cell phone service on Oct. 31.

Especially in volatile times, dividends can be a way for investors to more effectively safeguard returns.  Many publicly held corporations pay out a portion of their  earnings to shareholders, giving investors a payback whether the stock price goes up or down.  Cramer's Rule Number Four in his "15 Rules for Playing Defense" calls these "buffers." Calculated as a percentage of share price, dividends have the potential to be cut or changed and yields vary as share prices fluctuate. For the purposes of this report, dividend yield calculations are based on trailing dividends, so dividend cuts yet to occur have not been taken into account. In fact, the #1 company on this list announced a cut in its dividend earlier this year, from $1 to $0.75, but in all likelihood it would remain in the top spot, given its current share price. 

The Supreme Court has refused to hear former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio's appeal of his insider trading conviction.

The Supreme Court has refused to hear former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio's appeal of his insider trading conviction.

An appeals court has ordered a new, shorter sentence for ex-Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio, saying his 6-year term for insider trading was too long.

Stocks declined Wednesday as weak demand for today's Treasury auction and a sharp drop in oil prices dragged on the market. A disappointing durable-goods report didn't help either.

Stocks declined Wednesday after a report showed a much sharper drop in durable-goods orders than expected. Plus, a sharp selloff in China dragged on oil prices, which also weighed on the market.