Stock Indices

U.S. stocks turned in impressive gains on Tuesday, as Americans headed to the polls in presidential elections – promising to end one of the key sources of uncertainty hanging over markets, even as the election continues to look like a close race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

The Dow and the S&P 500 edged lower in light trading on Monday, a day before the U.S. presidential election as traders were reluctant to take positions until the winner of the close race is known.

North American stocks were down slightly in midday trading on Monday, following a disappointing reading on U.S. service-sector activity last month and ahead of Presidential elections on Tuesday.

U.S. stocks advanced modestly on Monday in light trading in one of the year's quietest sessions on the day before the U.S. presidential election.

Whatever the outcome of the race between incumbent President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the election's resolution will finally end the uncertainty that has kept the market stagnant for the past few weeks.

Wall Street, On the Week: the DJIA shed 0.1%, the S&P 500 gained 0.2%, and the NAS finished down 0.2%.

CVX, NEM, SBUX, RH, VZ

US Stocks ended the Superstorm shortened trading week with a selloff Friday, the major indexes erased early gains sparked by a stronger-than-expected payrolls report.

Stocks turned in a strong performance on Thursday after a batch of economic reports pointed to an improving global economy.

U.S. stocks rose as reports on employment and manufacturing topped estimates while consumer confidence climbed in October to a more than four-year high.

We are past the halfway mark in third quarter reporting season, with results from 289 companies in the S&P 500 -- 57.8% of the index's total membership -- already known as of Tuesday, October 30th. With earnings from these 289 companies accounting for 63.5% of total S&P 500 earnings in the third quarter, we have seen enough to make an informed judgment about this reporting season.