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8B Daily News – Thursday, March 15, 2012 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 *"no sales tax" in reference to discount given equal to the amount of calculated sales tax. (AP) Stocks ended pret- ty much where they started Wednesday on Wall Street, a day after the market had its biggest gain of the year. The Dow Jones indus- test.'' trial average eked out an increase of 16.42 points, its sixth consecutive gain. The Dow ended at 13,194.10, up 0.1 percent. The Dow was up as much as 43 points in the morn- ing, but most of those gains evaporated by mid- afternoon. It was the longest win- ning stretch for the Dow since February 2011, but that was one of the few bright spots on an other- wise glum day in the stock market. The Standard & Poor's 500 edged down 1.67 points to 1,394.28. The Nasdaq composite inched up 0.85 point to end at 3,040.73. The Nasdaq closed above 3,000 on Tuesday for the first time since December 2000. Other market indicators were weak. The Russell 2000 index of small-com- pany stocks fell 1 percent. Only two of the 10 indus- try groups in the S&P 500 rose, technology and banks. Falling stocks out- numbered rising ones more than 2-to-1 on the New York Stock Exchange. American Express led the Dow higher with a 3.5 percent advance. The cred- it card company said it would increase its divi- dend and buy back up to $5 billion of its own stock after passing the Federal Reserve's latest ''stress Citigroup fell 3.4 per- cent after regulators ruled that the bank couldn't afford to raise its dividend. Citi was one of just four major financial companies that didn't pass the Fed's latest test of how banks would hold up during an extreme economic down- turn. On Tuesday, a powerful rally in bank stocks pushed the Dow to its highest close since the last day of 2007. The Federal Reserve said 15 of the 19 major banks it surveyed passed its test. Other banks that got passing grades from the Fed mostly rose. Regions Financial rose 6.9 percent to $6.17 after the bank said it would sell $900 million in stock to repay some of the money it received as part of the 2008 bank bailout. Bank of America rose 4.1 percent to $8.84 and Zions Bancorporation jumped 10.5 percent to $21.58, the most of any stock in the S&P 500 index. MetLife, an insurance company, also failed to pass the Fed's stress test. The stock slid 5.8 percent to $37.16, the most in the S&P 500. The yield on the 10- year Treasury note rose sharply, to 2.27 percent from 2.11 percent late Tuesday. The benchmark yield has risen for five days straight and is at the highest level since Octo- ber. That's a sign that investors believe the econ- omy is improving and that they're more willing to hold higher-risk assets like stocks. SALE throughout the store Stocks mostly lower on Wall Street; Dow gains 16 Wall Street Gold plunged $51 to $1,643 an ounce as the dollar surged against other currencies. Gold often falls when the dollar rises because it's seen as an alternative to holding cash. European markets were mostly higher. Germany's DAX rose 1.2 percent. France's benchmark index rose 0.4 percent and Spain's edged up 0.2 per- cent. The Fed was planning to wait until Thursday to release the results of its stress tests, which deter- mine which financial com- panies are healthy enough to raise their dividends. After JPMorgan Chase surprised the market with an announcement Tuesday that it would raise its divi- dend and buy back stock, the Fed released the results early. Apple rose for a sixth straight day, gaining $21.48, or 3.8 percent, to $589.58. The stock started the year at $405. The com- pany announced the latest version of its blockbuster tablet computer, the iPad, last week. Southwest Airlines fell 2.7 percent to $8.18 a day after the low-cost carrier said it didn't expect to earn a profit in the first quarter because of higher fuel costs. The airline also said ticket bookings for spring travel weakened in late February. Cliffs Natural Resources jumped 7 per- cent to $69.50. The Cleve- land-based mining com- pany said late Tuesday it was bumping its dividend to 62.6 cents, from 28 cents. Bond market is betting on a stronger economy WASHINGTON (AP) — The bond market is betting on a stronger economy. Prices for U.S. Trea- sury debt plunged for the fifth straight trading ses- sion Wednesday, and the yield on the benchmark 10-year note spiked to its highest level since Octo- ber. Money poured out of bonds and into stocks after rosy words on Tues- day from the Federal Reserve gave traders con- fidence that the economic C & C PROPERTIES 741 Main Street, Suite #2 Red Bluff, CA 96080 1-800-287-2187 (530) 527-2187 An Independently owned and operated Member of Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates. FOR 24/7 PROPERTY INFO CALL 1-888-902-7253 AND ENTER THE PROPERTY CODE FROM THE AD. FORECLOSURES AND HOMES UNDER $200,000 3BD 2BA 1103 Sq Ft $65,000 Prop Code 4479 2BD 1BA 942 Sq. Ft. $65,000 Prop Code 4379 1BD 1BA 912 Sq Ft. $72,000 Prop Code 4129 3BD 2BA 1790 Sq. Ft. $95,900 Prop Code 4759 3BD 2BA 1152 Sq Ft $110,000 Prop Code 4169 3BD 2BA 1450 Sq Ft $119,000 Prop Code 4109 2BD 2BA 1344 Sq Ft $120,000 Prop Code 4009 3BD 1BA 2200 Sq Ft $120,000 Prop Code 4049 3BD 2BA 2216 Sq Ft $189,000 Prop Code 4229 www.redbluffcoldwellbanker.com See All Tehama County Listings at TEHAMA COUNTY REAL ESTATE TEAM • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK recovery is strengthening. Major stock market aver- ages are at or near four- year highs. Treasury yields — and interest rates that take their cues from Treasury yields, including mort- LASSEN MEDICAL GROUP Expands Red Bluff Urgent Care to 7 days a week. www.lassenmedical.com 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive (530) 527-0414 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. gage rates — remain near all-time lows. So while mortgage rates may creep up, they should remain historically low. Even with the econo- my getting stronger, the Fed plans to keep short- term interest rates near zero through 2014. And demand is strong for long-term Treasurys because the dollar and the U.S. government still look like safer bets than the euro and other nations. More evidence of the hunger for U.S. debt came Wednesday afternoon, when the Treasury Department auctioned $13 billion in 30-year bonds. Bids came in higher than current market prices. The bonds were priced to yield 3.38 percent. Similar bonds trading on the open market fetched a yield of 3.41 percent. The yield on the 10- year Treasury note was 2.27 percent as of 4 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday. It hasn't closed above that level since Oct. 28, but the yield is far lower than the 3.36 percent level where it settled a year earlier. www://christianBP.com "Free Networking" SEEKING MEMBERS AND LEADERS WEDNESDAYS 8-9:15 AM Mill Creek, 8051 CA 99E LOS MOLINOS THURSDAYS -8-9:15 AM Cozy Diner, 259 S Main St. RED BLUFF-MORE INFO? 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