Inflation Smashed, Stocks Mostly Higher, Job Market Improves

Waves of bullish news guided stocks higher on the session. Inflation worries were smashed as unchanged consumer prices and expanding manufacturing data hit the wires. Rumors of increased interest rates were quickly dismissed as the inflation negating data reached nervous investors. Additional economic positive word of a decrease in jobless benefit filings added to the bullish sentiment. The DJIA made its 8th straight gain by climbing +45.50 to 10779.17, the Nasdaq added +2.19 to 2391.28 and the broad based S&P 500 slipped back by -0.39 to 1165.83

^DD^: Shares climbed 1.59% or 58 cents to $37.07 as the company said it expects an EPS increase of 20% yearly until 2012.

^ENR^: JP Morgan upgraded the battery maker to “overweight” sending shares higher by 3.39% or $2.05 to $62.53

^CAR^: A Barclay increase to “overweight” sent shares higher by 8.60% or 91 cents to 11.49.

^MDTH^: Shares surged 28.30% or $2.68 to $12.15 on the heels of an upgrade to “buy” at Deutsche Bank.

Oil fell 70 cents to $82.23, gold advanced $1.10 to $1125.50 and the VIX fear index dropped another 1.71% to 16.62.

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Market Snapshot

Dow

+45.50 10,779.17

NASDAQ

+2.19 2,391.28

S&P 500

-0.39 1,165.83
Economic
News

Empire Manufacturing Survey (Mar): Consensus: 22.0, Prior: 24.91

Net Long-Term TIC Flows (Dec): Consensus: $47.5B, Prior: $63.3B

Capacity Utilization (Feb): Consensus: 72.5%, Prior: 72.5%

Industrial Production (Feb): Consensus: 0.0%, Prior: 0.9%

Building Permits (Feb): Consensus: 602K, Prior: 622K

Housing Starts (Feb): Consensus: 570K, Prior: 591K

Import Prices ex-oil (Feb): Consensus: NA, Prior: 0.4%

Export Prices ex-ag. (Feb): Consensus: NA, Prior: 0.7%

FOMC Rate Decision (03/16): Consensus: 0.25%, Prior: 0.25%

Core PPI (Feb): Consensus: 0.1%, Prior: 0.3%

PPI (Feb): Consensus: -0.2%, Prior: 1.4%

Crude Inventories (03/13): Consensus: NA, Prior: 1.43M

Core CPI (Feb): Consensus: 0.1%, Prior: -0.1%

CPI (Feb): Consensus: 0.1%, Prior: 0.2%

Initial Claims (03/13): Consensus: 450K, Prior: 462K

Continuing Claims (03/06): Consensus: 4500K, Prior: 4558K

Current Account Balance (Q4): Consensus: -$120.0B, Prior: -$108.0B

Leading Indicators (Feb): Consensus: 0.1%, Prior: 0.3%

Philadelphia Fed (Mar): Consensus: 18.0, Prior: 17.6