Dow retakes 25,000 level for first time in about a month as stock market extends Friday climb

collected by :Haron Adler

As it stated in Market PulseDow retakes 25,000 level for first time in about a month as stock market extends Friday climbThe Dow Jones Industrial Average late-morning Friday retouched a psychologically round-number level above 25,000 for the first time in about a month, as investors focused on corporate results and pushed some concerns about global trade disputes to the back burner. The Dow DJIA+0.18% most recently, was up 85 points, or 0.4%, at 25,009, a modest gain but enough to propel it above the psychological threshold which may underpin enthusiasm for assets perceived as risky, even as the market wrestles with worries over geopolitical clashes, notably over import duties, between the U.S. and its major developed partners in Asia, North America and Europe. The gains come after a round of second-quarter results from JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM+3.97% Wells Fargo & Co. WFC+2.94% and Citigroup Inc. C+3.67% which came in mixed early Friday before the open. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index SPX-0.1% rose 0.2% at 2,803, and the Nasdaq Composite Index COMP-0.26% edged up by 0.1% at 7,834, touching a fresh intraday peak for the technology-laden gauge at 7,838.13. See original version of this story

Quarterly earnings report is the main driver of the stock market

On Friday, US stock prices rose slightlyA slight increase allowed the S&P 500 index to update a 5-month high. Stock prices of the American industrial companies Boeing, Caterpillar and 3M increased. Nevertheless, the growth of stock indices on Friday was moderate due to neutral earnings reports by the largest US banks. The S&P 500 is only 2.5% below its historical high and may correct down, if the data disappoint market participants. The Eurozone trade balance for May will be published today at 11:00 CET.

This stock market has bigger muscle than you might think

as declared in "The stock market is not currently being driven by just a handful of stocks," writes Carlson, Ritholtz Wealth Management's director of institutional asset management. One "tell-tale sign that this isn't the case" comes from the fact that small-cap stocks are outperforming this year, he says. Carlson also points to a key indicator for market breadth — the NYSE Advance-Decline Line. "Instead, we see the advance-decline fairly in line with the stock market. (2:31) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Helsinki on July 16.

This highflying index is signaling that the stock market and the US economy are just fine

She posted a photo on Facebook moments before taking her own life—it took her family days to remove itMark HulbertOpinion: This high-flying index is signaling that the stock market and the U.S. economy are just fineFreight Transportation Services Index is booming — and that's bullish for stocksStock market bulls got some unexpected good news on Thursday. It's that the Freight Transportation Services Index hit a new high. Freight Transportation Services? The Freight Transportation Services Index measures the volume of the movement of freight by U.S. transportation companies. To be sure, the latest Freight Transportation Services Index reading doesn't amount to a guarantee that the U.S. economy in general, or the stock market in particular, is on solid ground for the foreseeable future.