Commercial Banks

Daily Market Commentary for February 26, 2009 from Millennium-Traders.Com

Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reported a net loss of $26.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, a decline of $27.8 billion from the $575 million that the industry earned in the fourth quarter of 2007 and the first quarterly loss since 1990. (read more)

Economic data released today:

Jobless Claims:
U.S. Jobless Claims for week of February 21 rose by 36K to 667K compared to survey of a drop by 2K; U.S. Continuing Claims for week of February 14 rose by 114K to 5,112,000; U.S. Jobless Claims for week of February 14 revised to 631K from 627K; U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Highest since October 1982; U.S. Continuing Jobless Claims Highest on Record.
Durable Goods Orders: U.S. January Durable Goods Orders fell 5.2% compared to consensus of a drop by 3.0%; U.S. January Durable Goods Orders, Excluding Transportation fell 2.5%; U.S. January Durable Goods Orders, Excluding Defense fell 2.3%; U.S. December Durable Goods Orders revised to a drop by 4.6% from a drop by 3.0%.

New Home Sales:
U.S. January New Home Sales fell 10.2% to 309K compared to consensus of 325K; U.S. December New Home Sales revised to 344K from 331K.

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) loss of 88.81 points to end the trading session at 7,182.08
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) loss of 40.15 points to end the trading session at 4,713.02
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) loss of 33.96 points to end the trading session at 1,391.47
S&P 500 (SPX) loss of 12.07 points to end the trading session at 752.83
BEL 20 (BEL20) gain of 7.02 points to end the trading session at 1,688.15
CAC 40 (CAC40) gain of 47.92 points to end the trading session at 2,744.84
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain of 66.66 points to end the trading session at 3,915.64
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) loss of 3.29 points at the end the trading session at 7,457.93

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,421, declined stock prices 1,702, unchanged stock prices 84, stock prices hitting new highs 3 and stock prices hitting new lows 174. 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: Nelnet (NYSE: NNI) stock price shed 5.79 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $10.98, low on the trading session $4.50, with a closing stock price at $4.95; Integrys Energy Group (NYSE: TEG) stock price shed 8.93 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $29.40, low on the trading session $26.26, with a closing stock price at $27.69; Donaldson Company (NYSE: DCI) stock price shed 3.05 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $26.99, low on the trading session $25.08, with a closing stock price at $25.21; ProShares Ultrashort Financials (NYSE: SKF) stock price shed 2.54 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $164.50, low on the trading session $145.36, with a closing stock price at $160.60; CME Group (NYSE: CME) stock price gained 4.22 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $189.97, low on the trading session $182.20, with a closing stock price at $186.21; ITT Educational Services (NYSE: ESI) stock price shed 6.60 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $118.61, low on the trading session $103.51, with a closing stock price at $110.69; Ultrashort S&P 500 (NYSE: SDS) stock price gained 2.96 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $94.75, low on the trading session $87.99, with a closing stock price at $94.40; Direxion Financial Bear 3X (NYSE: FAZ) stock price shed 1.49 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $56.46, low on the trading session $47.06, with a closing stock price at $54.50.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,031, declined stock prices 1,698, unchanged stock prices 175, stock prices hitting new highs n/a and stock prices hitting new lows 224. 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: Strayer Education (NasdaqGS: STRA) stock price shed 4.08 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $174.97, low on the trading session $155.35, with a closing stock price at $169.36; ANSYS (NasdaqGS: ANSS) stock price shed 2.46 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $23.00, low on the trading session $19.87, with a closing stock price at $20.69; First Solar Incorporated (NasdaqGS: FSLR) stock price shed 2.65 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $110.50, low on the trading session $101.53, with a closing stock price at $105.00.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 295, declined stock prices 26, unchanged stock prices 63, stock prices hitting new highs n/a and stock prices hitting new lows 21.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES) Mar 09: End of trading session price 752; Change for the trading session -9.75
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) Mar 09: End of trading session price 1,130.75; Change for the trading session -23.25
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) Mar 09: End of trading session price 7,175; Change for the trading session -53
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) Mar 09: End of trading session price 453.80; Change for the trading session -5
E-mini S&P Small Cap 600 (HS) Mar 09: End of trading session price 7,375; Change for the trading session -15

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7856 to U.S. Dollars 1.2729
Japanese Yen 98.400 to U.S. Dollars 0.0102
British Pound 0.6992 to U.S. Dollars 1.4303
Canadian Dollar 1.2520 to U.S. Dollars 0.7987
Swiss Franc 1.1647 to U.S. Dollars 0.8586

COMMODITY MARKETS:

Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (April 09) gained $2.72 on the trading session for a closing price of $45.22 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (April 09) gained $0.06 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.29 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (April 09) shed $0.05 on the trading session for a closing price of $4.08 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (March 09) gained $0.13 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.30 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (April 09) shed $23.60 on the trading session for a closing price of $942.60 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (March 09) shed $0.94 on the trading session for a closing price of $12.98 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (April 09) shed $7.00 on the trading session for a closing price of $1,054.90 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (May 09) gained $0.04 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.58 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (April 09) shed 0.13 on the trading session for a closing price of 59.10
Pork Bellies (May 09) shed 1.20 on the trading session for a closing price of 78.95
Live Cattle (April 09) gained 0.98 on the trading session for a closing price of 85.83
Feeder Cattle (April 09) gained 2.28 on the trading session for a closing price of 93.85

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (May 09) shed 1.75 on the trading session for a closing price of 370.50
Soybeans (May 09) shed 11.50 on the trading session for a closing price of 868.00

BOND MARKET:

2 year Bond Closing price 99 18/32, change -8/32, Yield 1.08, Yield change 0.11
5 year Bond closing price of 99 2/32, change 19/32, Yield 2.07, Yield change 0.08
10 year Bond closing price 97 27/32, change -21/32, Yield 3.00, Yield change 0.08
30 year Bond closing price 97 11/32, change -1 1/32, Yield 3.64, Yield change 0.06

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