Following a big day on Wall St. on Thursday, the markets fought to maintain gains made in the early part of Friday’s session and eventually closed higher for the third week in a row.  Health care and consumer goods led the S&P 500 while industrials declined the most.  Corporate earnings and economic data again drove momentum during the session.  The Dow appeared to be unmoved by a Bloomberg news report that Dow Jones servers were infiltrated by a group of Russian hackers looking for stock tips. The FBI confirmed to CNBC that it is aware of the hack and is investigating.  It was also reported that Goldman Sachs has fired about 20 analysts for cheating on internal tests. According to CNN-Money:

The cheating took place on internal tests, not regulatory exams. Goldman declined to say how the cheating was discovered nor specifically what the analysts were being tested on. Some of the analysts have been dismissed, while others are in the process of leaving the firm. The cheating scandal emerged just a day after Goldman disclosed a 16% decline in third-quarter compensation expenses, also known as its bonus pool. Goldman slashed pay at a time when it is hiring — its total headcount increased by 10%. Goldman suffered a 33% plunge in trading revenue last quarter amid turmoil in global financial markets. That was a bigger decline than what was experienced at rival firms that are less reliant on trading.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, 10/16/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 215.97 (+74.22/ +0.43%)

NASDAQ: 4,886.69 (+16.59/ +0.34%)

S&P 500: 2,033.11 (+9.25/ +0.46%)

On the penultimate trading day of the week on Wall Street, all of the major averages had gains of 1% or more as financials lead the way and investors processed bank earnings and the latest economic data that supported the case for a rate hike delay. Rises in the Dow, S&P & NASDAQ came despite a weak jobs report, average retail sales and sluggish manufacturing & economic growth. Today also brought bad news to about 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, or approximately 7 million Americans who are going to be paying a lot more for their monthly Medicare Part B premiums next year due to cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security benefits. There will not be a C.O.L adjustment in 2016 when the premium increases go into effect.

It was described by CNBC’s Sharon Epperson on her Retire Well video below:

Epperson added:

Individuals affected will see their monthly premiums rise from about $104.90 to $159.30, and $318.60 for married couples. Those whose income exceeds the threshold, as defined by individuals making more than $214,000 or couples making more than $428,000 per year, the projected increase is anywhere from $223 per month up to $509.80 per month. For high-earning married couples, their premiums can increase from $446 to $1,019.60 per month.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, 10/15/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 141.75 (+217.00/ +1.28%)

NASDAQ: 4,870.10 (+87.25 / +1.82%)

S&P 500: 2,013.43 (+29.62 / +1.49%)

U.S. stocks dropped across the board today in part due to news that China’s economy is showing new signs of weakness. Today’s losses marked an end to the Dow’s 7 day winning streak as both transport and biotech stocks took a bath.  But the focus was on China as that country’s imports fell in September by a surprisingly big margin of 20.4% from a year ago. China’s foreign trade figures showed purchases of overseas products declined from the 5.5% decline in August. The drop shows weak demand for Chinese goods despite increased stimulus efforts aimed at reversing a slide in economic growth in China. Sales of Chinese goods to foreign markets fell 3.7%. China recently revised down its growth rate from 7.4% to 7.3%, the weakest pace for almost a quarter century.

Nick Raich, CEO of The Earnings Scout, told CNBC:

“Earnings aren’t the problem. It’s the sales and some additional pressure on stocks from the weaker-than-expected Chinese trade data. China data are really telling the story too that demand for foreign goods in China is down.”

Transport stocks were the biggest losers in the Dow, while health care & manufacturing suffered the greatest losses in the S&P.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, 10/13/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,081.89 (-49.97/ -0.29%)

NASDAQ: 4,796.61 (-42.03/ -0.87%)

S&P 500: 2,003.69 (-13.77 / -0.68%)

Ahead of a bevy of corporate earning reports this week, stocks moved back and forth on the first trading day of the week with investors on Wall St. waiting to see just how robust the U.S. economy is in the final quarter of 2015. Over the weekend, investors were also curious about comments from Federal Reserve committee members, as they continue to seek clues as to when the Fed might raise rates.

Yesterday Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said:

“U.S. Federal Reserve policymakers are still likely to raise interest rates this year but that is an expectation, not a commitment, and could change if the global economy pushes the U.S. economy further off course.”

And today, Atlanta’s Fed chief Dennis Lockhart said in a Reuters report:

“There could be sufficient economic data for the Fed to consider a rate hike at their meeting later in October but there will be a lot more data on hand in time for the December meeting.”

The Nasdaq closed above its 50-day average for the first time since Aug. 17th. The Dow & S&P 500 closed above their 50-day averages last week and have remained above.

Here are the final numbers from Monday, 10/12/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17,131.79 (+47.30/ +0.28%)

NASDAQ: 4,838.64 (+8.17/ +0.17%)

S&P 500: 2,017.44 (+2.55 / +0.13%)

Even though the S&P 500 posted its biggest weekly gain of 2015 and the Dow was on pace to record its best week since February, industry insiders      (CEOs & corporate directors and founders) were not buying. The big question is: why? Today’s CNN-Money explained it this way:

“Typically, when the stock market tanks like it did in late August and September, top management will jump at the opportunity to buy cheap stock. It’s the ultimate sign of confidence they believe better days are ahead. Consider this: In August 2011 when America was downgraded and stocks plunged, insiders bought $100 million worth of stock daily for a long time. They just kept buying. This August, insiders only bought $100 million of stock for three days. And it was not across the board. Only a handful of companies were doing most of the buying. That trend continued in September. Insider purchases were low and just two companies accounted for 41% of the insider volume. So far October looks sluggish as well. As if the insider trading data isn’t alarming enough, corporate stock buybacks have also slowed dramatically.The market hasn’t seen four straight months of low corporate buybacks like that since late 2012. Investors and executives continue to be concerned about a global economic slowdown and whether it will hold the U.S. back too. “

The three major averages remained within 10 percent of their 52-week highs. U.S. crude settled up 20 cents at $49.63 a barrel, up more than 8 percent for the week.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, 10/9/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 084.96 (+34.21/ +0.20%)

NASDAQ: 4,830.47 (+19.68 / +0.41%)

S&P 500: 2,013.43 (+1.46 / +0.07%)

Wall St. moved in a positive direction today as stocks traded mostly higher following the release of the minutes from the Fed’s September meeting, which indicated that policymakers were worried about slower economic growth around the world.  According to Myles Clouston, senior director at Nasdaq:

“The Fed minutes from September didn’t give the market any clarity on when liftoff (a rise in rates) would occur and markets were hoping for more guidance”

The minutes from The U.S. Federal Reserve’s meeting on Sept. 16th & 17th showed that the committee was uncomfortable by signs of a global economic slowdown and thus was the reason why they did not raise interest rates in their last session.

Watch CNBC’s analysis of the the minutes of the Fed’s September meeting below.

The Dow closed above 17,000 for first time since August, 2015.  Oil closed at near $50 per barrel.

Here are the final numbers from Thursday, 10/8/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 17, 050.75 (+138.46/ +0.82%)

NASDAQ: 4,810.79 (+19.64 / +0.41%)

S&P 500: 2,013.43 (+17.60 / +0.88%)

Stocks finished mixed on Wall Street led by a big decline in the biotech sector, and the S&P 500 closed lower after putting up its first 5-day win streak of the year on Monday. The world economy is still experiencing growth issues as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its forecast for global growth. New & emerging markets were the culprits with growth expected to slow in 2015 for a fifth straight year. The IMF cut its outlook for global growth this year to 3.1% from a July forecast of 3.3%.  New predictions indicate that next year the world economy will only grow 3.6%, less than the 3.8% projected in July.

IMF chief economist Maurice Obstfeld said in a statement:

“In the near term, global growth will remain moderate and uneven, with higher downside risks than were apparent at our July update.”

Oil closed near a 3-month high after a forecast from the U.S. government for lower oil supplies for 2016, and signs from Russia and Saudi Arabia that they may be willing to support higher oil prices. Prices for a barrel of crude jumped by as much as $2, settling above $50 per barrel for the first time in a month, which sent energy stocks higher.

Here are the final numbers from Tuesday, 10/6/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,790.19 (+13.76/ +0.08%)

NASDAQ: 4,748.36 (-32.90 / -0.69%)

S&P 500: 1979.92 (-7.13 / -0.36%)

Stocks rose across the board on the first Monday in October.  IBM was responsible for a big chuck of the gains on the Dow, along with energy stocks while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq moved back into the black for the first time this year.  The S&P rose a 5th straight day in what would be its longest rally of the year.  Junk bonds also rose. Much of the positive news on Wall Street rested on the notion that it appears investors are resigned to the fact that the Federal Reserve will not raise interest for the rest of 2015, thus delaying the inevitable into next year.

Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank told CNBC today:

“Investors increasingly believe any Fed action is off the table for the rest of the year.  It would seem to me the Fed was reluctant to raise rates in September. Now we had a lousy jobs report, which was really the only shed of consistently positive news. There is a technical element to the stock market gains. It just remains to be seen if that holds. It’s all going to be about earnings season.”

In unrelated news, former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, now with the Brookings Institution is touting his just released memoir “The Courage to Act,” in which he talks about about “what went right and what went wrong” during the financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent government bailout of Wall Street.   He admits in his autobiography during an interview with USA Today:

“More more corporate executives should have gone to jail for their misdeeds.”  He goes on to say that “he and the Fed made some mistakes saying they were slow to realize just how serious the economic downturn would become, and blames himself for not doing more to explain to Americans why it was in their interests to rescue the financial firms that had helped cause it.”

Watch USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page’s interview with Ben Bernanke here.

Here are the final numbers from Monday, 10/5/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,776.37 (+304.00/ +1.85%)

NASDAQ: 4,781.77 (+73.49 / +1.56%)

S&P 500: 1987.36 (+35.69 / +1.83%)

The trading week concluded on Wall Street on an up-note making back much of the week’s losses, but attention focused on job creation or the lack thereof.  The Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in September- well below the expected 203,000.  Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that U.S.-based companies also slashed nearly 59,000 jobs in September.  These figures got the attention of Art Cashin– Managing Director of UBS Financial Services Inc. & Director of Floor Operations for UBS Financial Services at the New York Stock Exchange.

Cashin told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the U.S. economy is slowing down and the latest jobs report confirms it. Watch video below.

Among Cashin’s comments on CNBC:

“If you throw in there the layoffs that have been announced over the last month and a half, there’s a real palpable feel that things are slowing down and it’s not going to be a pleasant Christmas. The negative employment numbers will also cause the Federal Reserve to hold off on raising interest rates. If the data continues on this level, you won’t be talking about a Fed hike; it won’t be a debate.”

After all the volatility, stocks ended up for the week.

Here are the final numbers from Friday, 10/2/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,472.37 (+200.36/ +1.23%)

NASDAQ: 4,707.77 (+80.69 / +1.74%)

S&P 500: 1951.36 (+27.54 / +1.43%)

Following the worst quarter in 4 years, stocks finished the 1st day of the 4th quarter in mixed fashion. Stocks initially fell on the first day of October after the release of The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Index which dipped to it’s lowest level since May 2013 at 50.2 which is just a fraction above the level showing contraction in the sector.  Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital told CNBC:

“The ISM manufacturing data is indicative of the sector moving towards contraction at this point. The ISM was certainly very disappointing and taking stocks out of the surge. I think the market is probably going to stay on the jittery side, looking ahead to Friday’s jobs report.”

The Dow Jones industrial average temporarily dipped more than 200 points but later regained most of it’s losses.  IBM was the biggest downer on the Dow on a day investors took into account drops in oil prices and other global economic worries.  Materials gained 1 percent to lead the S&P, while Apple finished down 0.65 percent, after briefly dropping 2.7 percent.

Here are the final numbers for Thursday, 10/1/15 on Wall Street:

Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,272.01 (-12.69/ -0.08%)

NASDAQ: 4,627.08 (+6.92 / +0.15%)

S&P 500: 1,923.82 (+3.79 / +0.20%)