Stocks Close Higher Despite Early Jitters

Stocks closed modestly higher on Thursday, after a mixed morning session. Early gains, due to several retailers reporting strong August sales, were erased following the release of mortgage foreclosure data by the Mortgage Bankers Association. However, the selling was short-lived, helped by positive economic data from the Labor Department, and the market remained comfortably in positive territory for the rest of the day.

In today's economic news, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported a record number of homes entered the foreclosure process in the second quarter. And, the Labor Department reported worker productivity rose 2.6% and that wage pressures declined to an annualized rate of 1.4%.

Learn how Raptor II was able to achieve 31%+ returns from 5/2006 to 8/2007.

Click Here to sign up for a free presentation hosted by Larry Connors.

TradingMarkets subscribers have access to 16 quantitative stock indicators and another 17 quantitative market bias indicators. These indicators are derived from our proprietary database that includes millions of trades, and designed to give you a short-term trading edge.

If you would like to access all 16 stock indicators, 17 market bias indicators, along with many other tools, click here for a free 7-day TradingMarkets trial.