Fresh Signs…
Stocks turned mixed this afternoon as fresh
signs of economic strength helped ease investors’ concerns about the growing
turmoil in the Middle East.
In late-afternoon trading, the June Dow Jones Industrial Average futures
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29 points to 10345.000, after dropping more than 130 points early in the
session.
The June Nasdaq 100
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higher in today’s trade, gaining 22.50 or 1.54% to 1482.00. And the June S&P
500 futures
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Treasury prices traded lower at the start of today after manufacturing and
construction reports showed more strength than expected.
At the outset of the session, Treasurys had moved higher amid concerns over
violence in the Middle East, and a confused opening for stock prices on Wall
Street. But a U.S. manufacturing report showed enough economic robustness to
erase those gains.
The benchmark 10-year Treasury [TYM2|TYM2] did end in positive territory
at 102.150 up .005. The 30-year Treasury
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.060.
May crude-oil futures
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to $27.40 a barrel Monday on the new York Mercantile Exchange, the highest it’s
been since Sept. 1, before easing to $26.88 a barrel, down 56 cents from
Thursday’s close but well above the 26.00 support level. Commodities markets
were closed Friday in observance of Good Friday.
Meanwhile, May heating oil
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gallon; May unleaded gasoline
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cents a gallon.
At the Chicago Board of Trade, May Soybean futures
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in the midst of perceptions the market was overbought after a three-month rise,
soybeans for May closed at $4.76 down 1/4 of a cent. Grains prices were higher.
Wheat for May delivery
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bushel, and May corn
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Precious metals traded higher. June gold
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lower in early trade, then reversed and ended positive at $304.20 an ounce up
.50. Resistance for June gold is at 305.00 and support is at 300.00. May
silver
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added .10 to close at 76.45.
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