US investors filled with holiday cheer sent Wall Street’s major indexes to new highs today, extending the stock market’s winning steak despite a plummeting dollar and signs of weaker consumer spending.

Lower-than-expected sales at Cisco Systems sent tech stocks tumbling today while the overall market was little changed after the Federal Reserve announced a widely expected interest rate hike.

Wall Street bounded higher for the second straight day today as investors revelled in sharply falling oil prices and the pro-business agenda of the second Bush administration.

Wall Street ended an otherwise stellar week with a mixed finish today after the government’s gross domestic product report renewed concerns that high energy prices and a lack of jobs are holding back economic growth.

Volatile crude oil prices kept stocks under pressure today, leaving the major US indexes with a slight loss.

Stocks rebounded moderately in New York today as a stronger than expected retail sales report showed that higher oil prices are not scaring consumers off spending.

Investors sent US stocks sharply lower today as oil prices continued their climb higher and new questions about the safety of arthritis drugs hit pharmaceutical stocks.

An unsettling report on consumer incomes set off a spate of profit-taking on Wall Street today as investors worried that a tepid economy would erode companies’ third-quarter earnings. Another drop in oil prices failed to shake the gloom from the market.

A drop in oil prices and upbeat outlooks from Wal-Mart and Lowe’s prompted some bargain-hunting on Wall Street, sending stocks sharply higher today, with the swing exaggerated by thin late summer trading. The Dow Jones industrials surged nearly 130 points higher.

Wall Street posted a healthy advance today as consumer confidence surged to a 22-month high and quelled investor concerns about the economy a day before the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.

Stocks wobbled in and out of positive territory today, settling near unchanged levels as the market shrugged off a pair of economic reports that suggested continued strength in the recovery.

Wall Street, already beset by worries about the economy and world events, skidded even lower today on news that the head of Iraq’s governing council had been assassinated. The Dow fell more than 100 points.

Investors set aside their concerns about Iraq today, sending stocks solidly higher on expectations of companies’ robust first-quarter earnings reports. All three major indexes regained the ground they lost last week.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 92.59, or 0.9%, at 10,609.92.

The Nasdaq composite index burst past the 2,000 milestone today and the Dow Jones industrials surged more than 120 points as investors shook off concerns about the impact of mad cow disease and looked optimistically toward 2004.

A trio of positive economic reports – from jobless claims to manufacturing - boosted Wall Street today as investors grew more confident that the economic recovery was firmly under way. The Dow Jones industrials climbed 102 points to a 19-month high.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 10,000 milestone for a second day today as investors shrugged off a downbeat report on consumer sentiment to push stocks higher.

Investors sent US stocks surging today, propelling the Dow Jones industrials up more than 115 points and into the shadow of 10,000 after a pair of reports showed better-than-expected growth in the manufacturing sector and construction spending.

Stock prices rose moderately today as investors traded cautiously following last week’s big gains and in advance of earnings reports later this week. Volume was light due to the Yom Kippur holiday.

The Nasdaq composite index had its first close above 1,900 in 18 months today and the Dow Jones industrials and Standard & Poor’s 500 index reached new 15-month highs as US stocks surged.

Wall Street pulled back in late-day selling today after investors, still worrying that the market’s advance might have come too fast, decided to collect profits.

A report suggesting that unemployment levels might be stabilising helped reassure Wall Street today and sent stocks moderately higher, although the gains were limited by news of a sluggish gross domestic product.

Wall Street regained its upward momentum today after encouraging outlooks from companies such as Intel and Nvidia motivated investors to buy after two days of declines. The Dow Jones industrials climbed 113 points.

Investors newly enthusiastic about tech stocks extended the sector’s rally in the United States today after Dell Computer became the second big high-tech firm in as many days to issue a positive earnings outlook.

Wall Street took a respite today after two weeks of volatile trading, dipping lower as investors awaited a Federal Reserve meeting on interest rates.