Wall Street extended its 2008 plunge today, tumbling after a regional Federal Reserve report showed a sharp decline in manufacturing activity and as investors grew concerned that downgrades of key bond insurers could trigger further trouble with souring debt.

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 pared its losses to finish flat today but remained uneasy after disappointing results from Bank of America Corp provided further evidence that the credit crisis is hurting the economy.

Wall Street today bounced back from its sharp decline a day earlier, boosted by takeover activity ahead of second-quarter earnings reports.

Stocks pulled back today after economic data pointing to weakness in regional manufacturing and a slowing US economy weighed on investor sentiment in light trading ahead of the holiday weekend.

Stocks pulled back today after economic data pointing to weakness in regional manufacturing and a slowing US economy weighed on investor sentiment in light trading ahead of the holiday weekend.

US stocks rose sharply today after Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher suggested inflation would be dampened by a slowing economy and said that while the housing and vehicle sectors were economic weak points, the rest of the US economy was doing “extremely well”.

Wall Street fell sharply today after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve surprised investors by announcing that its broadest measure of manufacturing activity fell to a negative reading for the first time since April 2003, renewing investor fears that the economy could be cooling too quickly.

Wall Street’s attempt at a rally fizzled out today, with the major indexes rising in response to a Middle East ceasefire and then giving up most of their gains later in the day.

Stocks barely moved today as investors wondered whether a welter of weak economic data would end the Federal Reserve’s year-long streak of interest rate rises.

Stocks climbed in a seesaw session on Wall Street today, rising after the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve signalled the central bank could change its interest rate policy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

US Stocks eked out a gain for the fourth straight day today after tepid housing start and jobless claims reports gave investors few clues about the direction of the economy and interest rates.

Investors adopted a cautious strategy today, cashing in more profits from the market’s recent rallies and giving the market’s major indexes their biggest losses in a month.

Wall Street pushed higher today as investors remained hopeful that the US economy would improve despite a murky corporate outlook and a disappointing jobs report.

THE bull-run on world stock markets this week may be more of a trot than a stampede, according to economists who believe the good figures driving the market are not all that they seem.