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Traders see lower interest rates after Fed boss Bernanke vows to protect economic growth despite inflationary risks. But a rally is trimmed as lower oil hits energy stocks. Apple and Google show gains. Microsoft is hit with a $1.3 billion fine from the European Union.

IBM's big stock buyback and earnings guidance give most techs a boost. Google falls on an analyst downgrade. Crude oil and the euro both hit new highs after producer prices show a gain. Despite lousy housing news, home-builder shares jump.

Stocks shoot higher after Standard & Poor's reaffirms the AAA rating of bond insurer MBIA. Visa may raise as much as $19 billion in an IPO likely to come out soon. Existing-home sales aren't quite as bad as expected. Crude oil tops $99.

News of a possible rescue for bond insurer Ambac Financial turns a 129-point loss for the Dow into a 97-point gain in just 45 minutes. Bulls hope the stock market can use the news to rally next week. Genentech wins FDA approval to use its Avastin cancer drug to treat breast cancer.

Stocks fall apart as a disappointing manufacturing report from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank overwhelms good news at Cisco Systems and Research In Motion. Gold hits a new high. J.C. Penney reports better-than-expected earnings.

Weak economic news weighs on stocks. Next week investors face big economic news and big earnings reports, led by Wal-Mart and Hewlett-Packard. Best Buy warns on 2008 earnings; Chipotle disappoints. Markets will be closed Monday for Presidents Day.

The Dow drops 175 as investors worry financial stocks face more stress. The Fed's Bernanke sees banks writing off more loans, but lower interest rates and the new stimulus package will boost the economy. A bond insurer gets downgraded.

Expect to pay more for that Hershey bar: Just in time for Valentine's Day, a cocoa price surge is making sweet somethings more expensive than ever.

The Dow moves up 179 points, or 1.5%, but the Nasdaq has a better day, jumping more than 2.3%. Reports suggest Yahoo and News Corp. are talking a partnership deal to derail Microsoft's offer for the Internet company. Venezuela cuts off oil to ExxonMobil.

Stocks jump after the Oracle of Omaha says Berkshire Hathaway has offered help to troubled bond insurers. But selling in tech stocks pulls the rally back. Legg Mason's Bill Miller says Microsoft should boost its Yahoo bid. GM beats Street estimates but still reports a huge loss.

The fast-food chain gets help from its dollar menu and the falling dollar. Higher oil prices push the Dow lower; the index has its worst week since 2003. The Nasdaq gets a boost from Amazon.com's big stock buyback. Dell gives Advanced Micro Devices a bad blow.

The Dow's gain comes after a roller-coaster day. Wal-Mart's January sales disappoint, but retail stocks rally because Wall Street thinks they're cheap. Cisco shares rise, withstanding a weak forecast.

The networking company's shares fall 7% after it says it expects slowing growth in Europe and the United States. Inflation worries and economic uncertainty gut a morning rally, with the Dow losing 65 points. Disney's earnings push its shares up 4.8%.

The blue-chip index's point loss is its worst since August as reports of a weakening economy batter stocks and prompt calls for another interest-rate cut from the Fed. Wall Street likes Walt Disney earnings. Mining giant BHP Billiton bids $147 billion for Rio Tinto.

Profit-taking hits stocks as financial and home-building shares fall back. Tech shares are also weak; Apple is off 34% since December. Google searches for ways to derail Microsoft's $44.6 billion Yahoo bid. Crude oil flirts with $90 a barrel after Friday's big drop.