• The Dow close higher for the third straight day
• consumer discretionary’s rose 3.4%
• technology rose 3.3%
• financials rose 2.8%
• communications rose 2.8%

On the downside,

• energy fell -0.5%
• utilities fell -0.2% consumer staples rose 0.1%

For the day, the major indices are all sharply higher:

• Dow industrial average rose 518.74 points or 1.55% at 34063.12
• S&P index up 95.49 points or 2.24% at 4357.92
• NASDAQ index up 487.94 points or 3.77% at 13436.56
• Russell 2000 rose 61.75 points or 3.14% at 2030.72.

Of note technically, the S&P index moved up close to its 200 hour moving average at 4360.54. The high price today reached 4358.90. On March 3, the price moved up to test that moving average only to find sellers leaning against the level. That makes the open and trading day tomorrow a key event technically for the broad market index. Move above and stay above will be more bullish.

The NASDAQ index had another tumble with the index falling -2.04% and closing below the February low at 12587. The price closed the day at 12581.23.

Looking at the major indices, the Dow industrial average squeaked out a small gain of 1.05 point (at least it was a gain). The S&P index was lower. The Russell 2000 also fell sharply (in line with the Nasdaq index).

The final numbers are showing:

• Dow industrial average, +1.05 points or 0.0% at 32945.425
• S&P index -31.2 points or -0.74% at 4173.12
• NASDAQ index -262.58 points or -2.04% at 12581.23
• Russell 2000-37.94 points or -1.92% at 1941.719

The energy sector was the hardest hit at -3.0% as oil prices fell sharply. Technology fell -1.8% and consumer discretionary fell -1.7%.

On the plus side, financials were the biggest gainer with a 1.3% rise, while healthcare rose 0.7% and consumer staples increased 0.5%

Some of the biggest the gainers included:

• Deutsche Bank, plus a .63%
• Moderna, +8.59%
• Pfizer, +3.92%
• Charles Schwab, +3.78%
• American Express +2.9%
• Wells Fargo +2.87%
• Dollar Tree +2.76%
• Bank of America +2.13%
• Papa John’s +2.13%
• Visa +1.89%
• American Express +1.64%

Some of the biggest losers included:

• Gamestop, -15.77%
• Doordash, -12.54%
• Nio, -12.26%
• Alibaba, -10.38%
• Tencent, -8.94%
• Palantir, -8.52%
• Snowflake, -7.58%
• Sofi, -7.25%
• Qualcomm, -7.25%
• Snap, -7.02%
• Block, -6.9%

Looking at the Dow 30, the biggest losers included:

• Nike, -4.13%
• Intel -3.12%
• Apple -2.66%
• Chevron -2.45%
• Salesforce -2.38%

The biggest gainers in the Dow 30 included

• American Express +2.9%
• Travelers +1.9%
• Visa +1.89%
• Coca-Cola +1.86%
• 3M +1.77%

The a sharp rise yesterday has given way to losses today. However the good news is that the declines are relatively modest compared to the sharp gains from yesterday (and certainly off their low levels for the day).

A snapshot of the closing levels shows:

• Dow industrial average -112.20 points or -0.34% at 33174.08
• S&P index -18.36 points or -0.43% at 4259.51
• NASDAQ index -125.57 points or -0.95% at 13129.97
• Russell 2000-4.61 points or -0.23% at 2011.67

Things could have been much worse. At session lows, the:

• Dow was down -466.49 points or -1.4%
• S&P was down -69.18 points or -1.62%
• NASDAQ was down -309.26 points or -2.33%

The US major indices snapped a 4-day losing streak that saw high to low declines for the major indices over those days showing:

• Nasdaq -8.44%
• S&P, -5.86%
• Dow, -4.68%
• Russell 2000, 5.54% hundred

Today, the major indices did a good job of erasing some of those declines. The final numbers are showing:

• Nasdaq index closed up 460 points or 3.6% at 13,255.56
• S&P index rose 107.18 points or 2.57% of 4277.87
• Dow industrial average rose to 653.6 points or 2.0% at the 33286.24
• Russell 2000 rose 53.27 points or 2.71% to 2016.29

Technically, looking at the Nasdaq index, the pairs low yesterday was able to stay above the cycle intraday low at 12587.88 (the low yesterday reached 12674.75). However, the price remains below the 100 hour MA at 13425 and the 200 hour MA at 13742.77. The last two tests of the 200 hour MA stalled the rallies. As a result, technically that MA remains a key target to get to and through if the pair is move higher.

The major three US indices closed lower for the fourth consecutive day. The NASDAQ index traded above and below unchanged going into the close but late selling push the index back into the red

The price action was up and down volatile today.

• Dow industrial average was up 585 points at its high, and down -238 point at its low
• S&P index is up 75.94 points at its high, and down -43.89 points at its low
• NASDAQ index reached a day high of 328.48 points, and a low -160.80 points.

Stocks were down for most of the morning session but staged a rally after a report that Ukraine’s Zelenskyy would forgo NATO inclusion which was one of the requirements from Russia for a ceasefire. Oil prices moved lower and stocks moved higher. However, momentum could not be sustained and the selling resumed.

The final numbers are showing:

• Dow industrial average fell -185.68 points or -0.57% at the 32631.73
• S&P index fell -30.47 points or -0.73% at 4170.63
• NASDAQ index felt -35.4 points or -0.28% at 12795.56
• Russell 2000 was the only index to move higher with a gain of 11.68 points or 0.60% at 1963.01

The four-day declines in the major  indices  has now seen the percentage moves from the high 4 days ago, to the close today of: (more…)

The major US stock indices are all closing sharply lower and at session lows. A failure once again with talks between Russia and Ukraine along with continued bombarding of civilians by Russian forces, has markets in a sour mood. Higher commodity prices from crude oil to nickel to wheat to gold are in the wake of the markets reaction today.

The meeting today between Russia and Ukraine resulted in the start of a humanitarian corridor outside of a number of select Ukrainian cities. That was supposed to be the case last week, but lasted only a number of hours before the bombing restarted on civilians.

The major US indices are ending the session lower with the NASDAQ leading the way. For the week, the Dow industrial average is down for the fourth week in a row while the NASDAQ and S&P are down for the third week in the last four.

• The S&P is closing 10% from it’s all time high
• The Nasdaq is closing 18% from it’s all time high.
• The Dow was down -540 points before rebounding and closing down only -179 points at the close.

The final numbers for the week are showing:

• Dow -179.88 points or -0.53% at 33614.80.
• S&P -34.62 points or -0.79% at 4328.88
• Nasdaq -224.49 points or -1.66% at 13313.45
• Russell 2000 -31.50 points or -1.55% at 2000.89

For the week,

• Dow fell -1.30%
• S&P fell -1.28%
•  Nasdaq  fell -2.78%
• Russell 2000 fell -1.90%