US stocks fell moderately today as investors found little reason to extend a year-end buying spree.

US stocks fell today in the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which slammed the Gulf Coast, pounding hotels and casinos, constricting oil refinery capacity and leaving insurers to cover losses estimated as high as US$25bn (€20.47).

Wall Street surged higher today, carrying the Russell 2000 to a record close as Wall Street welcomed encouraging economic data and a continuation of double-digit corporate earnings growth.

Wall Street’s fixation with oil prices left stocks little changed today, although investors managed to react stoically to the government’s report of a drop in crude inventories.

Volatile oil prices and a weak dollar sent stocks plunging in the United States today as the prospect of inflation and rising interest rates sank in on Wall Street.

A surge in oil prices sent the major stock indexes to their lowest level of the year today as investors overlooked a strong earnings report and a bullish outlook from General Electric Co. All three indexes fell for the third straight week.

Investors, shifting their focus from the economy to a possible second-half profit slump, sent technology and small-cap stocks sharply lower today, moving Wall Street toward another losing week.

IBM, the world’s biggest computer maker, said it won one of its biggest server-computer contracts this year by charging less than Hewlett-Packard Co.

Buyers returned to Wall Street in earnest today, lured by Microsoft’s upbeat outlook and lower prices after three days of declines. Investors sent stocks sharply higher, pushing the Dow Jones industrials up nearly 140 points.