After some encouraging employment numbers for March the Dow closed near a 4 month high ending the week on a positive note. Even though oil finished down $1.55 a barrel closing at $36.79 (which wiped out gains for the year) the Dow Jones industrial average closed up about 107 points at its highest since Dec. 4, 2015.  The latest numbers showed 215,000 jobs were created last month.  Experts had predicted 200,000 jobs would be added in March.

More on today’s market activity from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, 4/1/16 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,792.75  (+107.66/ +.61 %)

NASDAQ: 4914.54  (+44.69/ +0.92 %)

S&P 500: 2,072.78 (+13.04/ +0.63 %)

On the eve before the latest jobs report comes out, markets finished down on the last day of March-the final day of the 1st quarter/2016. The month proved to be a good one for oil as the price of a barrel of crude soared 13% in March, closing today at $38.34/barrel.

See more from CNBC on today’s end of month-quarterly adjustments below.

Meantime there was breaking news today that federal regulators are going to begin a new round of investigations into the financial technology industry. The Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is now looking into new regulations for banks and financial technology companies, in light of how digital disruption is changing the financial services industry.

Thomas Curry, comptroller of the currency explained why in a statement:

“While banks continue to innovate, rapid and dramatic advances in financial technology are beginning to disrupt the way traditional banks do business. Banks and regulators must strike the right balance between risk and innovation.”

The Treasury Department’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency will hear form the public until the end of May, at which time they’ll start working on a basic foundation for the regulations, which could effect companies from Wall Street to Silicon Valley.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, 3/31/16 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,684.89  (-31.77/ -.18 %)

NASDAQ: 4,869.85  (+0.55/ +0.01 %)

S&P 500: 2,059.74 (-4.21/ -0.20 %)

Financial and tech stocks led a third straight day of gains on Wall Street. It comes the day after Fed Chair Janet Yellen calmed market watchers with her comments that the Fed would take its time and carefully consider raising interest rates over the foreseeable future.

Chicago Fed President Charles Evans told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” today:

“The threshold for having confidence that inflation will sustainably move up to our 2 percent inflation target, is pretty high, that hurdle is pretty high. I’d be surprised if we met that condition myself in April.”

Later, according to a Reuters report-

“Speaking to the Forecasters Club of New York, Chicago Fed President Evans said that a “very shallow” series of interest rate hikes over the next few years is appropriate to buffer the U.S. economy from outside shocks and the risk of inflation slipping too low. He raised his inflation forecast for this year to 1.6 percent — though he still expects it to take up to three years to hit the Fed’s 2-percent target. Evans also said a slow succession of U.S. rate hikes is warranted given the early-year bout of market volatility and the likelihood that such episodes will be more frequent, according to Reuters.”

Meantime, as Wall Street prepares for earnings season (which is quickly approaching),  if the last few quarters of 2015 are any indication, investors could be just a little bit depressed when 1st quarter-2016 figures start coming in.

According to Reuters S&P 500 earnings are forecast to drop nearly 7% percent from the same quarter last year.

See more from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday, 3/30/16 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,716.66  (+83.55/ +.47 %)

NASDAQ: 4,869.29  (+22.67/ +0.47 %)

S&P 500: 2,063.96 (+8.94/ +0.44 %)

Speaking to the Economic Club of New York today, Fed Chair Janet Yellen said that the U.S. central bank will “move cautiously with further rate hikes.” Her comments were well received by investors as the Dow and S&P hit new highs for 2016. Tech stocks led gainers as oil dropped $1.11 to close at $38.28 a barrel.

During her speech in NYC today Yellen said-

“It is appropriate to proceed with caution in moving policy, and that economic and financial conditions are somewhat less favorable than in December when the Fed raised interest rates for the first time in nine years. The major thing that changed since December and March that affects the baseline outlook is the slightly weaker-than-expected pace of global growth.  Progress has been made in inflation measures, but we see inflation remaining low this year and the prospect of down readings in concerning.”

Yellen’s appearance was the first since several Fed officials stated last week that the Fed should start moving faster to raise rates, even as early as this month.  Those comments came as a surprise and a sign of disagreement within Yellen’s views. Here speech today clarified her position.

Ian Lyngen, senior Treasury strategist at CRT Capital told CNBC-

“I think it’s less lashing back against the hawks and more offering her (Yellen’s) opinion. I don’t think that she’s overcompensating or swinging the pendulum. She just has a different opinion.”

Watch more highlights of Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s speech to the Economic Club of NY below.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday,  3/29/16 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,639.76  (+104.37/ +.60 %)

NASDAQ: 4,846.62  (+79.84/ +1.67 %)

S&P 500: 2,055.01  (+17.96/ +0.88 %)

After a long holiday weekend, Wall Street began the new trading week with investors eagerly awaiting the latest jobs report this week.  Even though the market finished mix today,  new figures released from the CNBC/Moody’s Analytics Report showed 1st quarter-2016 economic growth was just 0.9 percent. The numbers translated into  weakness in consumer spending and a wider-than-expected trade gap.

Diane Swonk of DS Economics told CNBC that the latest numbers squarely put the blame on a cautious U.S. consumer base.

“It’s not a polar vortex winter. You can’t blame the weather this year. It’s the consumer. I think there’s a problem with the measurement but at the end of the day if the world were as good as we’d hoped, people would feel better and it’s not showing up.”

See more below.

Oil finished down 0.2 percent closing at $39.39 a barrel.

Here are the final numbers from Monday,  3/28/16 on Wall Street

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,535.25  (+19.52/ -.11 %)

NASDAQ: 4,766.79  (-6.72/ -0.14 %)

S&P 500: 2,037.05  (+1.11/ +0.05 %)

Today marked the last day of trading for the week as Wall Street has off tomorrow for Good Friday. Today was a mixed, roller-coaster kind of day for stocks as the market suffered it’s first losing week in the last 6 weeks. Banking stocks took the brunt of the losses today while Apple stock dropped about a half percent. Oil was also off. It finished down 5% for the week at $39.46 a barrel.

Adam Sarhan, CEO of Sarhan Capital told CNBC:

“I think right now we’re in pullback mode. There’s a lot of profit-taking, end-of-month and end-of-quarter. We’re watching to see if buyers come in to support the market, or if the selling continues.”

The stock market’s negative week, following a 5 week rally has created a scenario that could be worrisome over the next several weeks.

Watch below.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday,  3/24/16 on Wall Street

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,515.73  (+13.14/ -.08 %)

NASDAQ: 4,773.50  (+4.63/ +0.10 %)

S&P 500: 2,035.94  (-0.77/ -0.04 %)

A combination of falling oil prices and continued suggestions by Fed presidents that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) may raise interest rates sooner rather than later caused markets to suffer some losses today. The President of the St. Louis Fed James Bullard was the most recent Fed president to add to the increasing number of Fed officials who say it’s time for the Federal Reserve to bump up interest rates again.

Bullard told Bloomberg News today:

“We didn’t do it, so now we can look at April and see what the data look like when we get to April.”

Bullard had said just last month that it would be “unwise” to move any further due to weak inflation and global volatility. Bullard’s words came right after Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said the Fed should consider another interest rate hike as soon as April. Energy fell 2% to lead S&P 500 decliners as oil broke below $40 a barrel.

See more from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Wednesday 3/23/16 on Wall Street

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,502.59  (-79.98/ -.45 %)

NASDAQ: 4,768.86  (-52.80/ -1.10 %)

S&P 500: 2,036.71  (-13.09/ -0.64 %)

At the start of what will be a shortened trading week, due to markets being closed this Friday for Good Friday observances, Wall Street made some small gains.  Stocks are currently riding a 5 week win streak as both the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 have moved into the  green after recovering from a 10% correction earlier this year.  Earlier this morning the President of the Richmond, VA Federal Reserve Bank – Jeffrey Lacker said U.S. inflation will likely accelerate in the coming years and move toward the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.  Tomorrow Chicago Fed President Charles Evans will discuss economic conditions and monetary policy.  Today there was some controversy involving the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta- Dennis Lockhart, and  Jeff Gundluch, CEO of Doubleline.  Watch below.

Here are the final numbers from Monday, 3/21/16 on Wall Street

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,623.87 (+21.57/ +0.12 %)

NASDAQ: 4,808.87  (+13.23/ +0.28 %)

S&P 500: 2,051.60  (+2.02/ +0.10 %)

The market ended the week on a high note as both the the Dow and S&P 500 moved into positive territory for the year, marking the 5th straight week of gains. Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial told CNBC:

“Traders, investors are looking at a calm backdrop for markets. There’s nothing like buying begetting buying. I do think some of this has been short covering but I think more money is coming into the market and it looks like the Fed is going to try to be on hold for as long as possible.”

Also today came comments by former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.  In a blog post for the Brookings Institution where Bernanke is a Distinguished Fellow in Residence with the Economic Studies Program said:

“Monetary policy in the United States and other developed countries “is reaching its limits,” but the Federal Reserve has not yet run out of responses to a potential slowdown. A balanced monetary-fiscal response would better boost the economy than monetary tools alone. I assess the probability that this tool will be used in the U.S. as quite low for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, it would probably be worthwhile for the Fed to conduct further analysis of this option.”

Bernanke assessed policy options for the Fed, saying negative interest rates hold “modest benefits” but are unlikely.

See more from CNBC below.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, 3/18/16 on Wall Street

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,602.30 (+120.81/ +0.69 %)

NASDAQ: 4,795.65  (+20.66/ +0.43 %)

S&P 500: 2,049.56  (+8.97/ +0.44 %)