Market Roundup: Markets Finish the Week with Strong Gains

Economy/Stock Market

The holiday-shortened week ended with the three major indices all closing above 2%. Tuesday stocks rallied for their biggest one-day gain in two weeks. The surge was the largest percentage and point gain since Aug. 26, when stocks roared back from a selloff caused by unease about slowing growth in China, the world’s second-biggest economy. Tuesday’s gains were knocked back by Wednesday’s decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 1.4%, despite rising nearly 172 points earlier in the day, following sharp gains in Asia and Europe after China’s finance ministry signaled that fiscal stimulus was on the way. Thursday’s action pushed nine of the ten S&P 500 sectors into positive territory with only Utilities lagging. Indices closed in the green zone on Friday, with Technology and Healthcare leading the day. The Producer Price Index held up better than expected in August as it was unchanged. Additionally, the University of Michigan consumer confidence index for September lost 6.2 points to 85.7. The September reading is well below the consensus estimate of 91.5 and is the third consecutive monthly decline, putting it at its lowest this year. Meanwhile, crude oil shed $1.29 to settle at $44.63 a barrel.