Signs of a slowdown in manufacturing -- along with a fourth consecutive weekly increase in jobless claims -- indicate less growth and less threat of accelerating inflation.
Shares made modest gains yesterday, with the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index posting a third consecutive weekly gain, the longest such stretch since January.
With a third consecutive weekly victory in the ratings competition among network newscasts, ABC's "World News Tonight" may be ending an extended period of dominance by NBC's "Nightly News".
[C4.] ABC News Gains on NBC in Ratings With a third consecutive weekly victory in the ratings competition among network newscasts, ABC's "World News Tonight" may be ending an extended period of dominance by NBC's "Nightly News".
It does, however, appear to be on the wane at last: Sierra Leone reported a fifth consecutive weekly decrease from 25 confirmed cases in the week to 29 March to nine in the week to 5 April.
So as a bull, I would have much preferred to see the VIX experience its second consecutive weekly close south of the 32-week moving average, though for all intents and purposes it closed the week flat with this moving average.
It was the second consecutive weekly decline, and it confounded economists' expectations for an increase to 355,000.
The Dow ended the week 0.3percentt lower, its second consecutive weekly decline.
The Nasdaq composite index was down 46.77 points, or 2.5percentto to 1,865.59, its second consecutive weekly decline.
The figure was worse than expected and marked the second consecutive weekly rise.
