Daily Market Commentary for February 24, 2010

Bernanke

Bernanke gave his semi-annual report to Congress on the economy today, with some positive comments stocks rose off of their two-day retreat. (Read more at Millennium-Traders.Com)

Economic data released today:

MBA Mortgage Applications;
U.S. MBA Market Index fell 8.5% at 549.5; Last Week 600.5; U.S. MBA Purchase Index fell 7.3% at 196.8; Last Week 212.3; U.S. MBA Refinance Index fell 8.9% at 2605.3; Last Week 2860.1.

New Home Sales:
U.S. December New Home Sales Revised to 348K from 342K; U.S. January New-Home Sales Fall to Record Low; U.S. January New Home Sales fell 11.2% to 309K; compared to consensus of 355K.

Crude Oil Inventories as reported by Department of Energy [DOE]:
U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles rose 3.034 Million Barrels at 337.537 Million Barrels; U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles rose 3.034 Million Barrels in week; was seen increasing by 1.9 Million Barrels; U.S. Gasoline Stockpiles fell 0.895 Million Barrels at 231.17 Million Barrels; U.S. Gasoline Stockpiles fell 0.895 Million Barrels in week; was seen increasing by 0.5 Million Barrels; U.S. Distillate Stockpiles fell 0.591 Million Barrels at 152.664 Million Barrels; U.S. Distillate Stockpiles fell 0.591 Million Barrels in week; was seen decreasing by 1.2 Million Barrels; U.S. Refineries Ran at 81.17% capacity versus 79.75% week ago.

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) gain 94.77 points, EOD 10,377.18
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) gain 50.07, EOD 7,030.67
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) gain 22.86 points, EOD 2,236.30
S&P 500 (SPX) gain 10.6 points, EOD 1,105.20
BEL 20 (BEL20) shed 4.69 points, EOD 2,498.20
CAC 40 (CAC40) shed 8.19 points, EOD 3,698.87
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain 27.83 points, EOD 5,342.92
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) gain 16.09 points, EOD 10,198.83

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 2,251 declined stock prices 860, unchanged stock prices 85, stock prices hitting new highs 138 and stock prices hitting new lows 7. 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: RIG shed 4.66, HOD 82.98, LOD 79.50, EOD 79.85; CME gain 14.00, HOD 291.28, LOD 278.20, EOD 290.57; MIL gain 4.97, HOD 94.04, LOD 91.00, EOD 93.84; UNT shed 0.99, HOD 45.42, LOD 43.32, EOD 43.67; CLH shed 5.36, HOD 56.49, LOD 52.00, EOD 53.49; SGY shed 0.02, HOD 16.81, LOD 15.20, EOD 16.28; MON shed 1.86, HOD 76.43, LOD 73.48, EOD 74.04.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,673, declined stock prices 1,006, unchanged stock prices 137, stock prices hitting new highs 97 and stock prices hitting new lows 15. 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: DLTR gain 6.09, HOD 56.24, LOD 51.86, EOD 55.78; ADSK gain 2.23, HOD 28.49, LOD 27.50, EOD 27.89; SLXP gain 4.96, HOD 29.50, LOD 27.77, EOD 29.21; CENX shed 1.32, HOD 12.12, LOD 11.13, EOD 11.42; FSLR shed 0.65, HOD 107.70, LOD 103.58, EOD 105.13; AAPL gain 3.59, HOD 201.44, LOD 197.84, EOD 200.65; VRGY shed 0.58, HOD 10.44, LOD 9.57, EOD 10.26.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 252, declined stock prices 224, unchanged stock prices 42, stock prices hitting new highs 11 and stock prices hitting new lows 1.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES) Mar 10: EOD 1104.00; Change 6.75
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) Mar 10: EOD 1,812.75; Change 11.75
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) Mar 10: EOD 10,362; Change 63
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) Mar 10: EOD 736.40; Change 5.10
Nikkei 225 (Yen) Mar 10: EOD 10,225; Change 20

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7389 U.S. Dollars 1.3534
Japanese Yen 90.1700 to U.S. Dollars 0.0111
British Pound 0.6495 to U.S. Dollars 1.5397
Canadian Dollar 1.0539 to U.S. Dollars 0.9489
Swiss Franc 1.0810 to U.S. Dollars 0.9251

COMMODITY MARKETS:
Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (March 10) gain $1.19, EOD $80.05 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (April 10) gain $0.01, EOD $2.05 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (April 10) gain $0.05, EOD $4.86 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (March 10) gain $0.03, EOD $2.10 gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (April 10) shed $6.40, EOD $1,096.80 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (May 10) gain $0.07, EOD $15.98 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (April 10) shed $3.30, EOD $1,507.00 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (May 10) gain $0.01, EOD $3.25 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (April 10) gain $0.90, EOD $70.43
Pork Bellies (May 10) gain $0.70, EOD $86.90
Live Cattle (April 10) shed $0.50, EOD $91.93
Feeder Cattle (March 10) unchanged $0.00, EOD $102.48

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (May 10) gain $7.50, EOD $386.25
Soybeans (May 10) gain $3.50, EOD $963.00

BOND MARKET:
2 year EOD 100, change -2/32, Yield 0.86, Yield change 0.03
5 year EOD 99 16/32, change -1/32, Yield 2.35 Yield change 0.01
10 year EOD 99 15/32, change0, Yield 3.68 Yield change 0.00
30 year EOD 100 2/32, change 6/32, Yield 4.62, change -0.01

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