Several mergers, including Hertz Rental buyout of Dollar Thrifty failed to excite investors, as prices were largely stagnant on Monday. The markets were also unaffected by Apple’s $1 billion lawsuit settlement over Samsung concerning a patent dispute. On Tuesday the major indexes once again finished mixed. A rise in June US home prices was offset by a drop in consumer confidence. A revised upward estimate on the second quarter GDP and a report outlining an increase in July US home sales failed to spark stocks on Wednesday, as small deviations from the unchanged mark have become much more common than in the recent turbulent past. The relative calmness of the market was shattered on Thursday with the Dow experiencing a 100 point drop. The downturn was triggered by a drop in a Eurozone economic sentiment reading. On Friday, stocks gained back most of their previous day’s losses when Fed Chair Bernanke provided yet another assurance that the central bank will step into provide support if the economy begins to head south.
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