Wall Street Poised for More Gains in Upbeat 2012

Hemera/Thinkstock edit Delete caption(NEW YORK) -- U.S. stock futures are pointing higher on Monday, setting up Wall Street to continue to add on to its three straight weeks of gains so far in 2012.

Last week, the stock market closed mostly up, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 97 points on Friday and the S&P 500 climbing one point.  The Nasdaq, however, couldn't stay in the green, slipping two points.

Overseas on Monday, European stocks are trading higher as talks over solving Greece's debt crisis continue.

In Asia, the few stocks that were open for trading ended the day with minimal losses.  Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.34 percent and Japan's Nikkei index slipped 0.01 percent.

Many Asian markets were closed on Monday for the Lunar New Year.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Will Wall Street Continue Week of Gains?

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Wall Street has been on a roll this week, thanks in part to fairly positive earnings reports from big companies.

The stock market has managed to close out each day with gains, but will it be able to stay in the green as it looks to wrap up trading on Friday?  If futures are any indication, it appears Wall Street may have trouble doing so -- stock futures are mixed ahead of the opening bell.

The next big company investors will be eyeing is General Electric, which will release its fourth quarter results before trading kicks off on Friday.

Overseas, European stocks are trading lower on Friday as Greece negotiates with private creditors, looking to reduce the cost of its debts.

In Asia, stocks closed up for the day, with South Korea's Kospi leading the pack with a 1.82 percent jump.  Japan's Nikkei index followed, adding 1.47 percent.  China’s Shanghai Composite also rose 1.00 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.84 percent and 0.59 percent, respectively.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Wall Street Headed for Flat Opening; Global Stocks Edge Higher

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- U.S. stock futures are sitting flat Thursday ahead of more key earnings reports and a slew of economic data.

The day before, stocks closed at their highest level since last July.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 97 points on Wednesday to end at 12,579, the Nasdaq advanced 42 points to close at 2,770, and the S&P 500 gained 14 points to finish at 1,308.

The results of fourth quarter earnings for big companies like Bank of America and Morgan Stanley will likely drive Wall Street up or down on Thursday.  The figures are being released before trading commences for the day.

Investors will also be keeping a close eye on the Labor Department's weekly report on jobless claims, as well as data on consumer prices and housing starts for December.

Overseas, European stocks are trading higher Thursday and Asian ones mostly closed up.  China’s Shanghai Composite rose 1.31 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng climbed 1.30 percent, South Korea’s Kospi added 1.19 percent, and Japan's Nikkei index gained 1.04 percent.  Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, on the other hand, dropped 0.07 percent.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Wall Street Headed Up Ahead of More Earnings Reports

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Wall Street appears poised on Wednesday to add to the gains it made after coming off the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday; stock futures are up ahead of the opening bell.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 60 points on its first day back from break, while the Nasdaq climbed 17 and the S&P 500 jumped five.

Whether or not the stock market can close in the green again on Wednesday will likely depend on a slew of earnings reports coming out before the trading session begins. Goldman Sachs is scheduled to unveil its fourth quarter earnings, as is Charles Schwab Corp. and PNC Financial Services Group Inc., among others.

So far, the earnings season has generated mixed results. Among the disappointments were Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, who both reported drops in profits.

Overseas, European stocks are trading slightly higher as investors await the latest talks over the debt crisis in Greece.  In Asia, stocks closed the day mixed.  Japan's Nikkei index rose 0.99 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.30 percent, Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.17 percent, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 tacked on 0.05 percent.

China’s Shanghai Composite, on the other hand, fell 1.39 percent, while South Korea's Kospi slipped 0.02 percent.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

US Stock Futures Mixed Ahead of JP Morgan Quarterly Report

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Wall Street has started off 2012 on the right foot: stocks are up so far this year.

On Thursday, the stock market tacked on more gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 22 points, the Nasdaq jumping 14 and the S&P 500 climbing three.

Whether or not Wall Street can add on to its postive momentum on Friday will likely depend on how well JP Morgan Chase performed in the fourth quarter. The company is set to report its results ahead of the opening bell. In anticipation, stock futures are mixed.

Meanwhile, successful bond autions in Europe lifted markets overseas. European stocks are trading higher on Friday and Asian ones mostly closed up. Japan's Nikkei index soared 1.36 percent, South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.60 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng spiked 0.57 percent, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.36 percent.

China's Shanghai Composite and Taiwan’s Taiex, on the other hand, dropped, slipping 1.34 percent and 0.07 percent, respectively.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Not Much Movement in Wall Street Ahead of 'Beige Book' Report

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. stock market is poised to open Wednesday relatively unchanged from the day before; stock futures are slightly down as investors await an afternoon report from the Federal Reserve.

The Fed is set to release its so-called Beige Book at 2 p.m. ET.  The economic survey will likely guide the central bank's policy-setting meeting scheduled for later this month.

On Tuesday, Wall Street was boosted by reports on hiring and auto sales.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 70 points, the Nasdaq climbed 26 and the S&P 500 added 12.

Overseas, European stocks are trading lower on Wednesday, while Asian ones wrapped up the day mostly with gains.  Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 0.85 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng tacked on 0.78 percent, Japan’s Nikkei index rose 0.30 percent, and Taiwan’s Taiex went up 0.13 percent.

China’s Shanghai Composite and South Korea’s Kospi, on the other hand dropped, shedding 0.42 percent and 0.41 percent, respectively.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

US Stock Futures Up as Earnings Season Is Now Underway

Comstock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- The corporate earnings season got off to a better than expected start on Monday and Wall Street is responding positively; stock futures are up Tuesday after closing higher in the previous trading session.

On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 33 points, while the Nasdaq climbed two and the S&P 500 gained three.

Stocks are being buoyed by Alcoa's fourth quarter results.  The aluminum producer was the first big company to report its earnings on Monday.  Although it posted a loss for the fourth quarter, its revenue was up 6 percent from a year ago, exceeding economists' expectations.

Overseas, European markets are also trading higher on Tuesday and Asian ones closed the day with gains.  China's Shanghai Composite soared 2.69 percent, South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.46 percent, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.14 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.73 percent, and Japan's Nikkei index gained 0.38 percent.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

US Stock Futures Flat as Investors Await Meeting out of Europe

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- After a mediocre showing last week, Wall Street is projected to start its next round of trading with little movement; stock futures are mostly flat ahead of Monday's opening bell.

Investors are awaiting a meeting out of Europe between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in which they'll discuss efforts to impose fiscal discipline on European nations.

A close eye will likely also be kept this week on companies such as Alcoa and JPMorgan Chase, as they unveil their quarterly reports to kick off the earnings season.

Overseas, European stocks are trading mixed on Monday ahead of the meeting between Merkel and Sarkozy.

In Asia, China's Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged, climbing 2.89 percent and 1.47 percent, respectively, while other stocks in the region fell. South Korea's Kospi slid 0.90 percent, Taiwan’s Taiex shed 0.39 percent, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.08 percent.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Stock Futures Flat as Wall Street Awaits December Jobs Report

Mario Tama/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Wall Street has been unable this week to pull out the strong numbers it did on Tuesday when it kicked off trading for the new year, but that could all change depending on the results of a key economic report coming out on Friday.

The Labor Department is set to release its jobs report for December at 8:30 a.m. ET -- just ahead of the opening bell.  Most economists expect the data to show an increase of about 150,000 jobs last month.  However, the unemployment rate is projected to rise from 8.6 percent to 8.7 percent.

As investors await the figures, U.S. stock futures are hovering near the flatline.

Elsewhere, European stocks are trading higher on Friday and Asian ones wrapped up the day mostly with losses.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sank 1.17 percent, Japan's Nikkei index dropped 1.16 percent, South Korea's Kospi lost 1.11 percent, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.83 percent, and Taiwan’s Taiex dipped 0.15 percent.

China's Shanghai Composite, on the other hand, rose 0.70 percent.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Wall Street Losing Steam, Set to Open Lower

Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- After a strong start to the new year, Wall Street appears to be losing its momentum.

In its last trading session, the stock market remained relatively unchanged, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average posting a 21-point gain on Wednesday and the Nasdaq and S&P 500 closing flat. The picture doesn't look much rosier on Thursday, with stock futures down ahead of the opening bell.

Investors are once again worried about Europe's economic situation, after shares in Italy's biggest bank dropped 10 percent and yields on French government 10-year notes rose slightly in the latest auction.

The fears also resonated in Europe, where stocks are trading lower on Thursday.

Meanwhile in Asia, stocks wrapped up the day mostly in the red.  Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 sank 1.08 percent, China's Shanghai Composite dropped 0.97 percent, Japan's Nikkei index fell 0.83 percent, and South Korea's Kospi shed 0.83 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Taiwan’s Taiex, on the other hand, managed to rise: they added 0.46 percent and 0.68 percent, respectively.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio