The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied up 89.46 points to close at 12,805.39 Wednesday after the Fed’s Beige Book showed the U.S. economy expanded at a modest rate following a generally positive start to the quarterly earnings onslaught.
The Nasdaq moved up 25.24 points to 3,016.46 and the S&P 500 picked up 10.12 points to finish at 1,368.71.
In other economic news, the Labor Department reported import prices moved up 1.3% in March, the largest increase in nearly a year and significantly higher than the 0.8% jump predicted by most economists.
Meanwhile, the Mortgage Bankers Association said weekly mortgage applications declined last week, primarily as a result of receding refinancing demand.
Here are some more details from Wednesday’s trading session:
Dow Jones Industrial Average:
- Today’s gain snaps a five-day losing streak.
- Largest one-day points and percentage gain since March 26, 2012.
- An intraday high of 12844.82 occurred at 10:34.52 today, representing an increase of 128.89 points, or 1.01%.
- An intraday low of 12716.92 occurred at the open today.
- Twenty-four of the 30 component stocks rose, six fell.
- Today's top five contributors to The Dow's movement and their point contribution: CAT (9.99), BA (8.85), UTX (8.70), JPM (7.95), MCD (7.04).
- Today's bottom five laggards: CVX (-3.78), KFT (-1.14), MSFT (-0.98), WMT (-0.98), JNJ (-0.53).
- Down 9.60% from its record close of 14164.53 on October 09, 2007.
- Up 95.59% from its 12-year closing low of 6547.05 on March 9, 2009.
- Up 4.35% from 52 weeks ago.
- Up 3.60% from its 2012 closing low of 12359.92 on January 06, 2012.
- Down 3.46% from its 52-week high of 13264.49 on April 02, 2012.
- Up 20.18% from its 52-week low of 10655.30 on October 03, 2011.
- Month-to-date: down 3.08%.
- Year-to-date: up 4.81%.
Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index:
- Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index, 14193.57*, up 119.35 points, or 0.85% (rounded), or $139 billion in market capitalization.
- Today’s gain snaps a five-day losing streak.
- Largest one-day points and percentage gain since March 26, 2012.
- Down 9.86% (approximately $2.7 trillion in market cap), from its record close of 15745.39 on October 09, 2007.
- Up 108.73% (approximately $8.5 trillion in market cap), from the 12-½ year closing low of 6800.08 on March 9, 2009.
- Up 3.09% from 52 weeks ago.
- Up 7.47% from its 2012 closing low of 13206.64 on January 04, 2012.
- Down 3.71% from its 52-week high of 14740.15 on April 02, 2012.
- Up 25.62% from its 52-week low of 11299.07 on October 03, 2011.
- Month-to-date: down 2.97% or approximately $519 billion in market cap.
- Year-to-date: up 9.02%, or approximately $1.3 trillion in market cap.
Data courtesy of Dow Jones Indexes.