Daily Market Commentary for March 17, 2011

FedEx

Stocks got a boost this morning after FedEx said its earnings estimates for the present quarter may beat expectations. (Read more at Millennium-Traders.Com)

Economic data released today:

Chicago Fed:
January Resources Output fell 0.7% Month on Month; rose 4.5% Year on Year; January Machinery Output rose 1.0% Month on Month; rose 14.2% Year on Year; January Steel Output rose 1.3% Month on Month; rose 18.2% Year on Year; January Regional Auto Output rose 4.1% Month on Month; rose 8.9% Year on Year; January Midwest Mfg Index rose 1.1% Month on Month; rose 9.2% Year on Year.

CPI:
U.S. Real Average Weekly Earnings fell 0.5% in February; U.S. February CPI Energy Prices rose 3.4%; Food Prices rose 0.6%; U.S. February CPI Unrounded rose 0.546%; Core rose 0.199%; U.S. February CPI Ex-Food & Energy rose 0.2%; Compared to Consensus of an increase by 0.1%; U.S. February Consumer Prices rose 0.5%; Compared to Consensus of an increase by 0.5%.

Initial Jobless Claims:
U.S. Jobless Claims fell 16K to 385K in March 12 Week; Compared to Survey of a decrease by 9K.

Continuing Jobless Claims:
U.S. March 5 Week Jobless Claims Revised to 401K from 397K; U.S. March 5 Week Continuing Claims fell 80K to 3,706,000.

Industrial Production:
U.S. January Industrial Production Revised to +0.3% from -0.1%; U.S. February Industrial Production fell 0.1%; Compared to Consensus of an increase by 0.6%.

Capacity Utilization Rate:
U.S. January Capacity Use Revised to 76.4% from 76.1%; U.S. February Capacity Utilization fell 0.1-Point at 76.3%; Compared to Consensus of 76.5%.

Bloomberg Consumer Confidence:
U.S. Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index fell 48.5 Last Week.

Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index:
Philadelphia Fed March Inventories 12.0 versus February 2.1; Philadelphia Fed March Delivery Times 8.5 versus February 10.0; Philadelphia Fed March Shipments 34.9 versus February 35.2; Philadelphia Fed March New Orders 40.3 versus February 23.7; Philadelphia Fed March Employment 18.2 versus February 23.6; Philadelphia Fed March Price Received 22.6 versus February 21.0; Philadelphia Fed March Price Paid 63.8 versus February 67.2; Philadelphia Fed March Business Index Expected 30; Philadelphia Fed March Business Index 43.4 versus February 35.9.

Leading Index:
U.S. Conference Board: February Lagging Index rose 0.2%; U.S. Conference Board: February Leading Index rose 0.8%; U.S. Conference Board: February Coincident Index rose 0.2%.

At the NYSE closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange, here is how the major world indices and major U.S. stock indices ended the trading session on the world markets as well as the emerging markets including the stock market closing bell price:
DOW (Dow Jones Industrial Average) triple digit gain 161.29 points, EOD 11,774.59
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) triple digit gain 138.27, EOD 8,068.14
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) gain 18.76 points, EOD 2,635.58
S&P 500 (SPX) gain 16.18 points, EOD 1,273.06
BEL 20 (BEL20) gain 34.75 points, EOD 2,557.71
CAC 40 (CAC40) gain 89.65 points, EOD 3,786.21
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain 97.88 points, EOD 5,696.11
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) shed 131.05 points, EOD 8,962.67

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 2,250, declined stock prices 843, unchanged stock prices 73, stock prices hitting new highs 31 and stock prices hitting new lows 35. NYSE quotes for volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the New York Stock Exchange stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: RIO gain 2.63, HOD 65.14, LOD 63.94, EOD 64.63; SI gain 6.30, HOD 127.00, LOD 125.21, EOD 125.75; MHS shed 1.49, HOD 56.99, LOD 52.68, EOD 54.74; CF gain 3.08, HOD 131.03, LOD 127.78, EOD 129.97; CCJ shed 1.42, HOD 30.82, LOD 28.10, EOD 28.22; CRM shed 1.61, HOD 126.24, LOD 122.09, EOD 122.55.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,594, declined stock prices 1,035, unchanged stock prices 128, stock prices hitting new highs 40 and stock prices hitting new lows 63. NASDAQ quotes, volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the NASDAQ stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: AAPL gain 4.64, HOD 339.61, LOD 330.66, EOD 334.65; LULU shed 2.95, HOD 80.77, LOD 74.53, EOD 76.40; GMCR shed 0.13, HOD 62.84, LOD 60.26, EOD 61.27; APKT shed 1.09, HOD 72.29, LOD 68.68, EOD 68.88.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 325, declined stock prices 159, unchanged stock prices 34, stock prices hitting new highs 3 and stock prices hitting new lows 10.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES) Mar 10: EOD 1269.50; Change 15.50
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) Mar 10: EOD 2,225.00; Change 16.50
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) Mar 10: EOD 11,712; Change 134
Nikkei 225 (Yen) Mar 10: EOD 8835; Change 315

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7134 to U.S. Dollars 1.40
Japanese Yen 79.0650 to U.S. Dollars 0.0127
British Pound 0.6195 to U.S. Dollars 1.6100
Canadian Dollar 0.9862 to U.S. Dollars 1.01
Swiss Franc 0.8990 to U.S. Dollars 1.11

COMMODITY MARKETS:
Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (April 11) gain $3.44, EOD $101.42 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (April 11) gain $0.06, EOD $3.06 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (April 11) gain $0.22, EOD $4.16 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (April 11) gain $0.10, EOD $2.95 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (April 11) gain $8.10, EOD $1,404.20 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (May 11) shed $0.21, EOD $34.26 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (April 11) gain $6.40, EOD $1,706.90 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (May 11) gain $0.14, EOD $4.34 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (June 11) gain $2.50, EOD $97.85
Pork Bellies (March 11) unchanged, EOD $117.00
Live Cattle (June 11) gain $1.15, EOD $111.80
Feeder Cattle (August 11) gain $1.32, EOD $132.18

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (May 11) gain $30.00, EOD $646.50
Soybeans (May 11) gain $48.25, EOD $1,335.25

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