Stock Market Watch

Stocks End on a Mixed Note on Euro Zone Worries

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Stocks ended on a mixed note on Wednesday as worries about growth in the euro zone weighed down investors’ sentiment. Germany, the largest and strongest euro zone economy, on Wednesday, reported that its economy contracted in the fourth quarter of 2011, which indicates that the euro zone as a whole is likely to enter into a recession in the first half of 2012.

Investors also remained cautious on Wednesday ahead of the crucial Italian and Spanish bond auctions, which will take place on Thursday and Friday. The bond auctions will give an idea about investors’ appetite for sovereign debt of struggling euro zone economies.


The Dow Jones ended the day 0.10% lower at 12,449.45, the S&P 500 ended the day 0.03% higher at 1,292.48, and the Nasdaq ended the day 0.31% higher at 2,710.76.

Energy stocks were the worst performers in the S&P 500 on Wednesday, ending the day 1.14% lower. Consumer Non-Cyclical stocks also fell sharply on Wednesday, ending the day 0.94% lower. Utilities ended the day 0.46% lower. Financials and Basic Materials stocks were among the best performers on Wednesday. Financials ended the day 0.49% higher, while Basic Materials stocks ended the day 0.57% higher.

Among the major movers on Wednesday were Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), which ended the day 16.36% higher at $18.56, SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE: SVU), which ended the day 12.51% lower at $7.34, and Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN), which ended the day 7.18% higher at $22.25.

European markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday as worries about the euro zone continued. The EURO STOXX 50 Index ended the day 0.34% lower at 2,339.51. The CAC 40 Index in Paris ended the day 0.19% lower at 3,204.83. Asian markets had ended on a mixed note earlier in the day.

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edliston
Post Written By: Ed Liston

Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.


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Ed Liston

Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing.

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