The Dow Jones Industrial Average
Index |
Change |
Ending Value |
---|---|---|
Dow Jones Industrial Average | +34.59 [0.27%] | 13,080.73 |
S&P 500 |
+4.33 [+0.31%] | 1,397.11 |
The only news this morning was that sales of new homes fell 1.6% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 313,000. That's down from 318,000 in January and below analysts' expectations of 325,000.
There's been a hodgepodge of housing data this week giving off mixed signals. February home sales were down month over month and slightly below analyst forecasts. However, existing-home sales were still at their highest levels of the past five years. While sales were slightly down, in a joint release the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that building permits rose 5% in February. Amidst all this mixed news, the important thing to note is the last stat. Building permits are a forward-looking indicator and indicate that housing activity is expanding.
The main focus of today's rally were cyclical and energy stocks, which are rising on general sentiment that the global economy is improving. Both European and U.S. markets were up for the day. Caterpillar, Alcoa, and Chevron all rose roughly 1%, with many more cyclicals positive for the day.
Top winner
Hewlett-Packard
Top loser
Verizon
The best approach
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