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10B – Daily News – Saturday, December 18, 2010 Furniture Depot 235 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-1657 MON.-FRI. 9:00-6:00 SAT. 9:00-5:00 • SUN. 11:00-5:00 NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks ended flat on Fri- day as investors shrugged off encouraging economic signs and a tax-cut pack- age expected to lift eco- nomic growth. Trading ended shortly before Pres- ident Barack Obama signed a tax bill into law. The $850 billion pack- age extends Bush-era tax cuts for another two years and expiring unemploy- ment benefits through next year. House Democrats had pledged to block the tax proposal, a compro- mise worked out between Obama and Senate Repub- licans. But the House passed the bill late Thurs- day night. Critics said the cost didn’t justify the expected boost to econom- ic growth. In a hopeful sign for the economy, the Conference Board said its index of leading economic indica- LANE CEDAR CHESTS Starting at $249 Simmons Beautyrest Sets Starting at $499 Stocks end week flat; Obama signs tax bill tors rose 1.1 percent in November, the fastest pace since March. The index — which tracks data such as orders for new goods and materials — rose 0.4 per- cent in October. Stocks wavered in a tight range Friday, a day after major indexes hit two-year highs. The Dow Jones industrial average edged lower on Friday, but added 82 points over the week. The index of 30 large company shares has now gained 400 points, or 3.6 percent, over the last three weeks. The Dow Jones fell 7.34 points, or 0.06 per- cent, to close at 11,491.91. The broader S&P 500 eked out another 2010 high. The index rose 1.04, or 0.08 percent, to close at 1,243.91. The Nasdaq composite rose 5.66, or 0.2 percent, to 2,642.97. Rising shares barely outpaced falling ones on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume was 5.4 billion shares. The Dow gained 0.7 percent for the week. The S&P 500 rose 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq rose 0.2 percent. Bond yields fell at the end of this year’s last full week of trading. The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped to 3.33, after notching a seven-month high of 3.56 percent on Thursday. The 10-year yield is widely used by lenders to set borrowing rates for mortgages, cor- porate debt and other loans. Boeing Co. rose 1 per- cent to $65.03 to lead the 30 stocks that make up the Dow. American Express Co. was the index’s lag- gard. It fell 1.3 percent to $44.01. for $4.1 billion in stock. BMO, which operates the Bank of Montreal, said it will repay the preferred shares that Marshall & Ils- ley issued as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program before the deal closes in July. Shares of Marshall & Ilsley bounced 18.3 percent to $6.85. Oracle Corp.’s stock jumped 3.9 percent to $31.46. After the market closed Thursday, the soft- ware giant reported a 28 percent rise in net income last quarter. Research in Motion Ltd., maker of the Black- Berry, also said late Thurs- day that its third quarter earnings beat analyst expectations. The compa- ny’s stock rose 1.6 percent to $60.20. Canadian bank BMO Financial Group said it will buy Wisconsin-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp. The dollar rose 0.3 per- cent against an index of six countries’ currencies. Tax law won’t help unemployed people who used up jobless aid WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment benefits will be restored for mil- lions of Americans under the tax-cut measure Presi- dent Barack Obama signed into law Friday. Sylvia Kit- trell of Orlando, Fla., isn’t among them. A social worker unem- ployed for more than two years, she’s one of hun- dreds of thousands who will get no help from the new law because they’ve already used up all the ben- efits available to them. “I have no money,’’ Kit- trell says. ”Everything is gone.’’ In the 24 states with COMFORT SERVICE INC. Air Conditioning & Heating Tehama Counties Factory authorized Bryant Dealer Your First Call For Comfort • RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • NEW CONSTRUCTION • SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRS Receive up to $3,050 OFF in tax credits & rebates on a new Bryant system 24 HOUR SERVICE 530 529-1990 Lic #593323 www.CascadeComfort.com $ 10 OFF SERVICE CALL Mention this ad for Whatever it takessm Free Carriage Rides 12-4pm Sponsored by Downtown Red Bluff Business Association CASCADE unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent, the unem- ployed can receive benefits for up to 99 weeks. In other states, they get less than 99 weeks — in some cases as few as 60 weeks, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. The new law restores, for 13 more months, the 99-week maximum. But it provides no further benefits to people who have reached the limit in their state. Those who have exhausted all benefits are sometimes known as ‘‘99ers,’’ even though the duration of their benefits varies by state. The legislation renews federal programs that extend benefits beyond the 26 weeks states always provide. Those federal pro- grams had expired Nov. 30. The Labor Department Downtown Red Bluff Cone & Kimball Plaza Christmas in Saturday, December 18th Santa 12-4pm Free drawing for a boy’s & girl’s bicycles at 3:30pm Need not be present to win Crafters Boutique says it doesn’t know how many Americans have used up all their unemployment benefits. But the number reaches well into the hun- dreds of thousands. In California, 5,000 unemployed people use up their extended benefits each week. And 274,185 Californians will have exhausted 99 weeks of benefits by year’s end. 22755 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 527-9166 LANE RECLINERS $ Starting at 299 Open Mon. thru Sat. 10am – 6pm Put us on your Christmas List! Gift Certificates Available Stocking Stuffers Also Carrying Used Equipment & Trays K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon $300 REGULAR HAIRCUT off with coupon Not good with other offers 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Reg. $13.95 Expires 12/31/10