Stock Market Basics

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Daily Market Commentary for May 16, 2008 from Millennium-Traders.Com

Traders and day traders are focusing on not making more trades but, trying to make the best of the trades they can make. An increase of quiet trading action over the lunchtime period indicates that those playing these markets, are doing so with caution and avoiding the normal slow trading periods. (read more)

At the closing bell on the Stock Exchange, here is how the major world indices and major U.S. indices ended the session on the U.S. Markets:
DOW (Dow Jones Industrial Average) loss of 5.86 points on the day to end the session at 12,986.80
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) gain of 49.49 points to end the session at 9,603.01
NASDAQ loss of 4.88 points for a close at 2,528.85
S&P 500 gain of 1.78 points for a close at 1,425.35
FTSE All-World ex-U.S. gain of 0.45 points to close at 257.29
FTSE RAFI 1000 closed at 5,731.19
BEL 20 gain of 12.74 points to close at 3,811.73
CAC 40 gain of 20.31 points to close at 5,077.82
FTSE100 gain of 29.3 points to close at 6,281.1
NIKKEI 225 loss of 32.2 points to close at 14,219.50

News on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today: advanced stocks 1,654; declined stocks 1,489; unchanged stocks 118; stocks hitting new highs 150; stocks hitting new lows 26. Daily Trading Range and end of day trading results for volatile stocks on the NYSE traded by active Day Traders today: Rio Tinto plc (NYSE: RTP) gained 8.43 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $557.55, low on the trading day $543.18, for a closing price at $554.83; Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) gained 0.73 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $132.16, low on the trading day $127.69, for a closing price at $129.66; BMC Software Incorporated (NYSE: BMC) gained 2.22 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $39.37, low on the trading day $37.02, for a closing price at $38.65; Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) shed 1.22 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $49.60, low on the trading day $47.95, for a closing price at $49.27; Maguire Properties Incorporated (NYSE: MPG) shed 1.35 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $16.56, low on the trading day $13.94, for a closing price at $15.20; Giant Interactive Group, Incorporated (NYSE: GA) shed 0.69 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $15.76, low on the trading day $14.97, for a closing price at $15.60; Apache Corporation (NYSE: APA) gained 7.33 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $143.49, low on the trading day $138.22, for a closing price at $143.49; Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) shed 3.37 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $288.80, low on the trading day $280.60, for a closing price at $283.40; Uniao de Bancos Brasileiros S.A. (Unibanco) (NYSE: UBB) gained 3.00 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $155.22, low on the trading day $150.68, for a closing price at $152.04; InterContinental Exchange, Incorporated (NYSE: ICE) shed 4.49 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $160.39, low on the trading day $153.26, for a closing price at $154.51; Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC (NYSE: WBD) gained 6.98 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $137.32, low on the trading day $125.86, for a closing price at $134.98; Mechel Open Joint Stock Company (NYSE: MTL) gained 11.58 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $171.90, low on the trading day $158.66, for a closing price at $168.99; Cantel Medical Corporation (NYSE: CMN) shed 0.35 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $11.80, low on the trading day $9.41, for a closing price at $9.72; Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Incorporated (NYSE: FCX) gained 4.75 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $124.50, low on the trading day $120.04, for a closing price at $124.18; Petroleo Brasileiro (NYSE: PBR) gained 2.38 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $70.65 low on the trading day $68.98, for a closing price at $70.65; CME Group, Incorporated (NYSE: CME) gained 3.75 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $480.84, low on the trading day $473.93, for a closing price at $478.00; Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) shed 0.27 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $193.83, low on the trading day $188.95, for a closing price at $191.37; Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, Incorporated (NYSE: POT) gained 2.85 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $207.94, low on the trading day $204.34, for a closing price at $207.00; Telephone & Data Systems Incorporated (NYSE: TDS) gained 5.04 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $54.00, low on the trading day $47.62, for a closing price at $52.85.

News on the NASDAQ today: advanced stocks 1,218 declined stocks 1,655; unchanged stocks 146; stocks hitting new highs 60; stocks hitting new lows 67. Trading range and end of day trading results for volatile NASDAQ stocks traded by active Day Traders today: Trico Marine Services Incorporated (TRMA) shed 2.43 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $33.94, low on the trading day $32.26, for a closing price at $33.01; Zoltek Companies Incorporated (ZOLT) gained 4.47 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $32.07, low on the trading day $26.97, for a closing price at $30.98; Intuitive Surgical, Incorporated (ISRG) gained 6.77 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $304.28, low on the trading day $292.30, for a closing price at $299.75; Stericycle Incorporated (SRCL) gained 4.00 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $56.81, low on the trading day $54.19, for a closing price at $56.68; Esmark, Incorporated (ESMK) shed 1.77 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $16.48, low on the trading day $14.60, for a closing price at $14.63; First Solar, Incorporated (NasdaqGS: FSLR) gained 4.36 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $313.43, low on the trading day $306.21, for a closing price at $311.14; DryShips, Incorporated (NasdaqGS: DRYS) gained 4.24 points on the trading day, high on the trading day $112.00, low on the trading day $108.03, for a closing price at $110.74.

News on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) today: advanced stocks 716; declined stocks 463; unchanged stocks 95; stocks hitting new highs 58; stocks hitting new lows 22.

Commodities Markets
Energy Sector: Light Crude (NYM) gained $2.17 on the day to close at $126.29 a barrel ($US per bbl.); Heating Oil (NYM) gained $0.08 on the day to close at $3.71 a gallon ($US per gal.); Natural Gas (NYM) shed $0.30 on the day to close at $11.26 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.); Unleaded Gas (NYM) gained $0.06 on the day to close at $3.22 a gallon ($US per gal.).

Metals Markets: Gold (CMX) gained $19.90 to close at $899.91 ($US per Troy oz.); Silver (CMX) gained $0.28 to close at $16.96 ($US per Troy oz.); Platinum (NYM) gained $55.10 on the day to close at $2,132.00 ($US per Troy oz.) and Copper (CMX) gained $0.09 to close at $3.83 ($US per lb.).

Livestock and Meat Markets (cents per lb.): Lean Hogs (CME) shed 0.80 to close at 76.25; Pork Bellies (CME) shed 2.95 to close at 77.67; Live Cattle (CME) shed 0.40 to close at 99.10; Feeder Cattle (CME) shed 0.20 to close at 113.08.

Other Commodities (cents per bu.): Corn (CBT) shed 8.00 to close the session at 591.00 and Soybeans (CBT) gained 30.50 to close session at 1,378.00.

At the close of the week, performance results for our Moderators:

Stocks Trading Room:
Jeannie - $4,595
Barry - $8,602
Marty - $4,865
Sam - $2,147

Futures Trading Room:
JT - $5,597.50

Forex Trading Room:
JT - $13,050

Daily Swing Trades:
Barry - $7,640

Weekly Swing Trades:
Jeannie - $-2,200

Bond action for the day: 2 year bond closed with no change at 99 12/32 with a Yield of 2.44, Yield Change +-0.01; 5 year bond closed with no change at 100 1/32 with a Yield of 3.11, Yield Change 0.00; 10 year bond shed 2/32 to close at 100 5/32 with a Yield of 3.85, Yield Change +0.01; the 30 year bond shed 5/32 to close at 96 19/32 on the day with a Yield of 4.58, Yield Change +0.01.

The e-mini Dow $5 ended the commodity session today at 12,985 with a loss of 11 points on the trading session. Futures Traders should review workshops available at the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade). Educational in-person seminars schedules available on the CBOT (Chicago Board of Trade) website.

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