US stocks finish slightly higher despite housing data金融英语考试
文章作者 100test 发表时间 2009:12:24 18:45:02
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网
NEW YORK – Stocks ended an erratic session with a slender gain Wednesday as rising commodities prices offset disappointment over an unexpected 0drop in home sales.
Gains in commodities drove the shares of energy and materials-producing companies higher, lending support to the overall stock market. Gold, oil and other commodities rose as the dollar 0dropped.百考试题论坛
The dollar snapped a four-day winning streak as the latest economic data reinforced investors’ belief that the recovery will be slow.
The Commerce Department said sales of new homes plunged 11.3 percent in November to their lowest level since March. The slump was disappointing for two reasons — economists had forecast an increase, and the news came a day after stocks climbed higher on a separate report showing a better-than-expected gain in sales of existing homes last month.
The report indicated how reliant Americans have been on government assistance. Home resale numbers reflect contracts signed over the summer that closed last month. Those figures were inflated by consumers who rushed to take advantage of a tax credit that was set to expire at the end of November. New home figures, on the other hand, tally sales agreements signed in November, when consumers knew the deadline to apply for the tax credit had been extended and could take their time buying a new home.
The housing disappointment followed news that personal spending and income both rose in November. However, economists say growth remains too weak to sustain a strong economic recovery.