Red Results

Brands dipped today on Wall Street. Stocks such as DuPont, Coca-Cola, and General Electric traded lower in the wake of less-than-stellar economic news. Manufacturing activity decreased in November. The Institute for Supply Management’s index fell to 49.5 from 51.7 in October. Economists had expected the index to slip to 51.3 in November. On another note, the Census Bureau reported a jump in construction spending. Spending rose 1.4% in October. Following a downwardly revised 0.5% in September, economists predicted that construction spending would increase 0.5% in October. In ratings moves, Dell stepped up today on a Goldman Sachs upgrade to buy from sell. Elsewhere, crude oil futures added 18 cents to settle at $89.09 a barrel.

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