Microsoft co-founder and billionaire investor Paul Allen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy.

Wall Street trudged through a listless session today, closing narrowly mixed as oil prices edged closer to 45 dollars per barrel and investors hoped for assurance from the Federal Reserve that the economy was still on track.

Wall Street surged again today lifting the Nasdaq composite index to its best close in nearly 22 months as investors welcomed reports of strong growth in the nation’s manufacturing sector and a hefty rise in construction spending.