Stocks climbed today following a drop in weekly unemployment claims to the lowest level of the year and a rise in new home sales.

Financial markets grew more upbeat today as political leaders said they had struck an agreement in principle on a massive spending plan to revive the crippled financial system.

Wall Street closed mixed today after investors largely shrugged off a jump in oil prices and focused instead on a bullish analyst call on Lehman Brothers Holdings that eased worries about the financial sector.

Stocks finished higher today as investors set aside some concerns about several downbeat economic reports and focused on strong profits from Oracle Corp.

Wall Street soared today, propelling the Standard & Poor's 500 index and Dow Jones industrials to record highs as bright spots among generally sluggish retail sales allowed investors to cast aside concerns about the health of the US economy.