U.S. stock shrugged off their recent bout of pessimism today, posting their first day of gains so far this week. On the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Today’s driving forces
Europe played a major role in today’s bullishness. In Spain, the government unveiled its 2013 budget, which included substantial budget reductions and reforms. The Spanish government hopes the measures will adequately persuade markets that their fiscal reforms are indeed taking root. The announcement helped ease skittish investors, and drove the market’s "fear gauge," the VIX
The second storyline came on the other side of the planet, as China’s central bank took measures to inject increased liquidity into its banking system. The overall amount, which totaled $57.9 billion, right ahead of the weeklong National Day festival, should help Chinese banks stay highly liquid, even as demand for cash increases. Investors cheered the event, as general sentiment has grown increasingly skeptical over the last six months. And, despite these big picture stories, individual stocks offered some of the most compelling storylines of the day.
Around the markets
One of the day’s most widely covered storylines came out from Tempur-Pedic International
Today's most impressive news on the earnings front actually occurred after the market’s close. Struggling Canadian smartphone maker Research In Motion
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