US investors cheered by falling oil prices and improving jobs prospects sent stocks higher today, hoping that the news signals a renewal of economic strength and a fall rally in stocks.

The bears returned to Wall Street today, sending stocks lower as oil prices rose, a downbeat outlook from Cisco Systems weighed on technology shares and investors started having second thoughts about this week’s interest rate hike.

A steady unemployment picture boosted Wall Street’s confidence in the US economy today, lifting stocks moderately higher and giving the major indexes a gain for the shortened trading week.

A steady unemployment picture boosted Wall Street’s confidence in the US economy today, lifting stocks moderately higher and giving the major indexes a gain for the shortened trading week.

Nervous US investors sent stocks skidding today as a terrorist attack in Madrid overshadowed mostly good economic news and bullish forecasts from several companies.

FORECASTS of improving orders from Flextronics International, Intel, and Advanced Micro Devices suggest that the worst of a three-year slump in sales of computer hardware, software and services may be over.

Wall Street ended a stunning second quarter quietly today as fund managers spent the day repositioning their holdings, but the narrow losses didn’t stop the Standard & Poor’s 500 index from achieving its best quarterly gain since the final three months of 1998.

US stocks regained some upward momentum today, rising on news that President George Bush would sign a tax cut bill into law and on a favourable court decision for cigarette makers.