Wall Street at its highest since 18 months
As before, the NYSE ends in green. The same indices closed the session at their highest levels since a year and a half. The Dow Jones ended on growth of 0.95% to 10,888.77 points, the Nasdaq is 0.83% at 2415.24 points. The S & P 500 also ended in positive territory: 0.72% to 1174.16 points.
Investors welcomed the figures published in the estate after the opening. According to the federation of Realtors NAR, sales in the old building in February fell 0.6% to 5.02 million units annualized cons down 7.2% in January. The news surprised the market which had forecast a decline of 1.2% to 5 million units. Compared to February 2008, sales of the older building show an increase of 7%.
These figures continued to fall, however, demonstrated the fragility of the recovery in the housing market.
Greece starts to worry the United States
Ben Bernanke will speak further on Thursday afternoon to a congressional committee on programs for emergency liquidity and their next stop. Thursday is also the date that will meet the leaders of the 27 EU countries for a summit in Brussels devoted to their principle economic strategy for the next decade, but then risk traders carefully any comments on the Greek fiscal crisis and possible practical support measures.
One of the leaders of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), Dennis Lockhart said on Monday that the Greek crisis could "directly affect the economy of the United States." The euro was down against the dollar on Tuesday, still penalized by the lack of clarity on possible support measures.The euro stood at 1.3499 dollars against 1.3560 dollars Monday around 23:00.
For now, investors are well prepared. The rebound on Wall Street was foiled yesterday forecasts rather reserved, in the absence of major economic indicators.
The pharmaceutical always featured
The implementation of the reform of key Obama seems to be judged rather positively to the various stakeholders involved: the laboratories, but also providers of hospital services and what is even more unexpected – some insurers.
Values are pharmaceutical and trending up since yesterday. The sector gained 0.6%, which is market-mover of the meeting.
On Tuesday, the area still bears the Markets: Tenet Healthcare is 0.48%. Pfizer gained 2.24%, Merck climbed 0.52%.As for mutual Aetnat climbs 1.01%
The area of technology stocks is well oriented: Seagate (3.78%), Micron (2.03%), First Solar (2.43%) Applied Materials (3.56%), and Oracle (1.68%).
The property sector has reacted with mixed real numbers: KB Home 1.66% cowardly. Hovnanian rises of 2.19%. Lennar is 4.66%.
Walgreen (+1.64% to 35.91 dollars) has reported a quarterly profit increase, to 68 cents per share against the 71 cents expected.
Chinese authorities said on Tuesday that the decision of Google (-1.52% to 548.74 dollars) to close its research services in mainland China was an isolated act which would be treated "in accordance with law."
Time Warner (+0.03% to 31.29 dollars) has submitted the best bid from studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. transaction amount: $ 1.5 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today ruled that the reform of mortgage refinancing agencies Fannie Mae (0.92%) and Freddie Mac (0.78%) should expect "a period of greater market stability Financial.
As for commodities, oil prices finished higher in early Tuesday. On the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), a barrel of light sweet crude for May delivery ended at 81.91 dollars for his first day as a reference contract, up 31 cents from the close Monday.
