Jim Chesko reporting...
A positive day on Wall Street, pretty much from the get-go, with the major indexes ending with solid gains. The Dow Industrials jumped 240 points, the Nasdaq Composite climbed 71, and the S&P 500 added 24.
Target was among the day’s big gainers. Shares surged 20% after the discount retail giant reported quarterly earnings and sales that beat expectations, and raised its full-year profit outlook. Lowe’s shares rallied 10% -- also on strong earnings.
Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s late-July meeting show that policymakers who voted to cut interest rates at that time agreed that the move shouldn’t be viewed as an indication there is a pre-set course for future cuts. Rather, the central bankers labelled their move as a “recalibration.”
Oil futures finished modestly lower today, with concerns about energy demand continuing to pressure prices. October crude fell 45 cents to settle at $55.68 a barrel.
