AP Money & Markets

Stocks fall for 3rd day as dollar strengthens
NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors can't shake their fears that the economy isn't keeping up with the stock market....

How the major stock indexes fared on Friday
Stocks fell for a third straight day Friday as a disappointing outlook from computer maker Dell Inc. suggested that an economic recovery could be uneven. The market, which has been shuttling between concerns about the economy and traders' need to find high-yielding investments, is back to worrying about the economy. Demand for safe haven investments like Treasurys and the dollar rose for a second day in response to Dell's outlook and comments from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, who said the ECB plans to start reining in some of its stimulus programs. A rising dollar also hit commodities producers and exporters....

J.M. Smucker 2nd-quarter profit soars on coffee
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- J.M. Smucker Co. nearly tripled its profit in the second quarter as the addition of Folgers coffee gave a jolt to its lineup and lower commodity prices for coffee beans and other items fattened its profit margins....

D.R. Horton sees 26 perecent spike in 4Q orders
Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc., saw new home orders spike 26 percent from a year ago in the latest quarter as buyers raced to close deals and take advantage of a federal tax credit. But a wider-than-anticipated loss fueled by write-downs sent shares tumbling more than 15 percent Friday....

Louisiana sees decline in initial jobless claims
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- First-time claims for jobless benefits in Louisiana fell last week after a spike attributed to a temporary layoff in the transportation equipment industry....

D.R. Horton, J.M. Smucker, Dell are big movers
NEW YORK (AP) -- The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange:...

Gold ekes out small gain, other metals hold steady
NEW YORK (AP) -- Gold prices finished higher for a sixth straight day Friday, rising even as the dollar strengthened....

Verigy shares rise on better-than-expected 4Q
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) -- Shares of Verigy Ltd. rose Friday after the maker of chip testing equipment turned in a stronger-than-expected performance in the fourth quarter....

Natural gas plunges 12 percent this month
NEW YORK (AP) -- Natural gas prices have dropped by more than 12 percent in the past month as the country continues to sip at its energy reserves and a balmy November allowed homeowners to leave the heat off....