Thread: Federal Reserve System

Daily Market Commentary for March 12, 2009

Federal Reserve released Quarterly Flow of Funds: U.S. Household net worth shrinks 9% to $51.48 in 4Q (read more at Millennium-Traders.Com)

Economic data released today:

Retail Sales:
U.S. February Retail & Food Sales fell 0.1% compared to consensus of a drop by 0.4%; US February Retail & Food Sales Excluding-Autos rose 0.7%; January Retail & Food Sales Revised to increase by 1.8% from increase by 1.0%.

Jobless Claims:
U.S. Jobless Claims for week of March 7 increased by 9K to 654K compared to survey of an increase by 6K; U.S. Continuing Claims for week of February 28 increased by 193K to 5,317,000; U.S. Jobless Claims Revised for week of to 645K from 639K; U.S. Continuing Claims at Record High.

Business Inventories:
U.S. January Business Inventories fell 1.1% but was expected to drop by 1.0%; Inventory-to-Sales Ratio Holds at 1.43 In January.

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 of 239.66 points to end the trading session at 7,170.06
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) triple digit gain of 179.71 points to end the trading session at 4,685.09
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) gain of 54.46 points to end the trading session at 1,426.10
S&P 500 (SPX) gain of 29.37 points to end the trading session at 750.73
BEL 20 (BEL20) gain of 23.04 points to end the trading session at 1,670.29
CAC 40 (CAC40) gain of 20.63 points to end the trading session at 2,694.83
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain of 13.51 points to end the trading session at 3,707.32
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) triple digit loss of 177.87 points at the end the trading session at 7,198.25

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 2,758, declined stock prices 380, unchanged stock prices 57, stock prices hitting new highs 6 and stock prices hitting new lows 62. 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: PowerShares DB Crude Oil (NYSE: DTO) stock price shed 26.88 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $213.75, low on the trading session $180.86, with a closing stock price at $184.09; Jo-Ann Stores (NYSE: JAS) stock price shed 0.47 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $12.31, low on the trading session $11.10, with a closing stock price at $11.98; Pall (NYSE: PLL) stock price shed 3.86 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $19.91, low on the trading session $18.20, with a closing stock price at $18.82; Potash (NYSE: POT) stock price shed 0.48 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $78.20, low on the trading session $73.27, with a closing stock price at $77.66; Hess (NYSE: HES) stock price gained 1.85 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $59.48, low on the trading session $56.83, with a closing stock price at $59.02; Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) stock price shed 2.32 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $44.92, low on the trading session $41.83, with a closing stock price at $43.21; ProShares Ultrashort Financials (NYSE: SKF) stock price shed 29.92 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $178.35, low on the trading session $138.32, with a closing stock price at $142.06; Direxion Financial Bear 3X (NYSE: FAZ) stock price shed 14.49 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $59.50, low on the trading session $40.14, with a closing stock price at $41.60; ProShares Ultrashort S&P 500 (NYSE: SDS) stock price shed 8.08 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $101.47, low on the trading session $91.04, with a closing stock price at $91.68.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 2,255, declined stock prices 502, unchanged stock prices 142, stock prices hitting new highs 8 and stock prices hitting new lows 101. 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: Steel Dynamics (NasdaqGS: STLD) stock price shed 1.29 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $7.28, low on the trading session $5.95, with a closing stock price at $7.26; Priceline.com (NasdaqGS: PCLN) stock price gained 1.33 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $79.21, low on the trading session $73.20, with a closing stock price at $77.27; First Solar (NasdaqGS: FSLR) stock price gained 3.59 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $127.99, low on the trading session $115.05, with a closing stock price at $123.07.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 373, declined stock prices 179, unchanged stock prices 72, stock prices hitting new highs 3 and stock prices hitting new lows 9.

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 749.75; Change for the trading session 4.75
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) Mar 09: End of trading session price 1,163.75; Change for the trading session 19
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) Mar 09: End of trading session price 7,158; Change for the trading session 31
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) Mar 09: End of trading session price 453.90; Change for the trading session 3.80

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7741 to U.S. Dollars 1.2918
Japanese Yen 97.60 to U.S. Dollars 0.0102
British Pound 0.7170 to U.S. Dollars 1.3947
Canadian Dollar 1.2794 to U.S. Dollars 0.7816
Swiss Franc 1.1845 to U.S. Dollars 0.8442

COMMODITY MARKETS:

Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (April 09) gained $4.70 on the trading session for a closing price of $47.03 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (April 09) gained $0.09 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.23 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (April 09) gained $0.20 on the trading session for a closing price of $4.00 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (March 09) gained $0.09 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.35 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (April 09) gained $13.30 on the trading session for a closing price of $924.00 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (May 09) gained $0.14 on the trading session for a closing price of $12.94 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (April 09) shed $5.70 on the trading session for a closing price of $1,054.50 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (May 09) shed $0.00 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.62 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (April 09) gained 1.90 on the trading session for a closing price of 62.23
Pork Bellies (May 09) gained 1.60 on the trading session for a closing price of 84.10
Live Cattle (April 09) gained 1.35 on the trading session for a closing price of 83.90
Feeder Cattle (April 09) gained 0.85 on the trading session for a closing price of 91.20

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (May 09) gained 20.75 on the trading session for a closing price of 385.25
Soybeans (May 09) gained 20.00 on the trading session for a closing price of 882.00

BOND MARKET:
2 year Bond Closing price 99 23/32, change 1/32, Yield 1.01, Yield change -0.01
5 year Bond closing price of 99 28/32, change 7/32, Yield 1.93, Yield change -0.05
10 year Bond closing price 98 29/32, change 9/32, Yield 2.88, Yield change -0.03
30 year Bond closing price 97 17/32, change 14/32, Yield 3.64, Yield change -0.03

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Good to see retail sales holding their own.