Market jumps as data spurs optimism
2/11/10NEW YORK (TheStreet) – Stocks turned positive Thursday as investors shrugged off disappointment regarding the lack of details on the euro-zone’s debt rescue plan for Greece.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 50 points, or 0.5%, to 10,088. The S&P 500 added 4 points, or 0.3%, to 1072 and the Nasdaq was ahead by 14 points, or 0.6%, to 2162.
Stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday, weighed by continued concerns about Greece and by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s statement detailing some of the central bank’s exit strategies.
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The Labor Department said initial jobless claims decreased by 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 440,000 in the week ended Feb. 6. Economists had been expecting 465,000 claims, compared with 483,000 in the prior week.
Global markets may have to wait until early next week for specifics on the plan reached by European leaders to assist debt-laden Greece.
The latest report from RealtyTrac offered a mixed view of the housing market, as it said foreclosures fell 9.7% in January from the prior month but that the level was 15% higher than last year.
January retail sales data and the December business inventories report have been tentatively postponed until Friday as severe weather in Washington, D.C., has largely ground normal business operations to a halt.
Boston Scientific(BSX Quote), which was downgraded to hold from buy at Deutsche Bank, was seeing heavy volume on the New York Stock Exchange, as were shares of Citigroup(C Quote) and Sprint Nextel(S Quote). Listed volume on the NYSE stood at 1 billion, while the Dow was seeing volume of 35.9 million, compared to an average volume of 200 million.



