Wall Street stocks jumped today, pushing up the Dow Jones industrials by more than 100 points as a report that two companies are trying to buy Alcoa Inc. stoked investors’ hopes for a pickup in takeover activity.

Investors taking profits after the week’s big advance sent many US stocks falling today, but the lack of a wholesale sell-off left many on Wall Street pleased with the market’s resiliency.

EURO ‘weakness’ against the dollar will be short-lived analysts said yesterday, with forecasters suggesting the euro will average $1.25 this year.

US retail sales rose more than expected in June, paced by purchases of building materials, furniture and apparel, a government report showed, bolstering expectations the economy will accelerate in coming months.

An unexpected rise in jobless claims unnerved Wall Street today, sending stocks sharply lower on worries the market’s recent rally might have come too far, too fast.

The US economy performed a little bit better in the first three months of the year than first thought, growing at an annual rate of 1.9%. But even with the improvement, the pace of economic growth was still below normal.

Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan foresees no quick end to sluggish economic growth in the United States and has signalled that the Fed stands ready to cut interest rates for a seventh time this year.