After a strong morning gain on Monday, stocks gave back much of their gains after initial optimism over improvement in the Euro debt problem faded into suspicion that Standard & Poor’s would put many of the Euro zone countries on debt downgrade warning. On Tuesday the major indexes finished mixed, with the Dow leading the way and the NASDAQ registering a small loss. Wednesday saw nearly an exact repeat of Tuesday for the major indexes, as conflicting reports from Europe over debt relief caused stocks to yo-yo much of the day. On Thursday, disappointment over the European Central Bank’s decision to not step-up the purchase of government bonds sent stocks lower about 2%, wiping out the Dow’s gains for the week. Stocks gained back most of the previous day’s loss on Friday as consumer sentiment and October US trade deficit reports pleased investors.

Small cap stocks roared to life this week, out gaining their large-cap counterparts. [table id=40 /]

Stocks soared well over 2% on Monday following record-breaking Black Friday numbers the previous week. On Tuesday the Dow and the S&P 500 upheld Monday’s large gains, while the tech-heavy NASDAQ gave back 0.5%, despite a positive consumer spending report. News of global efforts by the world’s banks, in particular making it less expensive for European banks to borrow US currency, sent the Dow skyrocketing almost 500 points, its largest one-day gain since March 2009. On Thursday, a weaker-than-expected weekly jobs report dampened Wall Street spirits a bit, but the lack of a significant loss following the huge Wednesday gain was encouraging. Stocks finished the week on Friday essentially unchanged for the day despite a report that the US unemployment rate fell to a 2 1/2 year low of 8.6%.

This was the strongest week on Wall Street since July 2009, erasing the horrendous Thanksgiving performance of the week before. [table id=39 /]

As expected, the Congress supercommittee assigned to cut the US deficit announced their failure to reach an agreement on Monday, sending stocks tumbling. This raises the specter of another US debt downgrade in the near future. On Tuesday, the Dow crossed back into negative territory for the year after a downward revision in the third quarter GDP reading from 2.5% to 2.0%. Investors headed for the exits on Wednesday, both literally and figuratively, as stocks fell another 2% prior to Thursday’s closure in observance of Thanksgiving. While stocks began Friday positive, the optimism faded later in the holiday-shortened trading day with the major indexes adding to their already large weekly losses.

This was the worst Thanksgiving week performance by the stock market since the holiday began to be officially observed in 1942. [table id=38 /]

Stocks started the week Monday on a down note as Italian 10-year bond rates moved toward the key 7% mark. On Tuesday, tech stocks led the way up on news that retail sales rose and US wholesale prices fell in October. The Dow slid nearly 200 points on Wednesday on concerns over Europe debt and impending gridlock in Congress to cut the US deficit. The concern over the US’s debt negotiations accelerated on Thursday, and a warning from the Fed about how European debt can affect US economic growth pushed stocks down further on Thursday. On Friday, the market recovered slightly, though trading volume was light. [table id=37 /]

The S&P 500 index rose into positive territory for the year on Monday after a late-day rally precipitated from reports from Europe about a bailout plan. On Tuesday, news that Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi would step down in 2012 propelled stocks upward. The bottom fell out of the market on Wednesday as volatility raised its ugly head once again, causing the S&P 500 to slip negative for the year. Stocks gained back some of Wednesday’s losses on Thursday, as a new jobless claims report indicated that the US job market may be healing. The upswing continued on Friday as the turnover at the top of Italy’s and Greece’s political chain seemed to calm investors. [table id=36 /]

Stocks finished the month of October with a large loss as the familiar fear over European debt returned. Still, October was the third best month for the Dow in its 115 year history. The Dow dropped another 300 points on Tuesday on news that Greece still planned a referendum on the European plan to bail out Greece. The market received some relief on Wednesday with a rally in response to Fed Chair Bernanke’s statement that the Fed is ready to enact further ease monetary policy if the US economy fails to grow. On Thursday, stocks logged another 2% gain following news that the bailout referendum in Greece was canceled. A favorable US jobless claims report also contributed to the uptick. The week ended on Friday with a modest loss as the US unemployment rate declined slightly to 9% from 9.1%. [table id=35 /]

Stocks gained ground on Monday, sending the NASDAQ into positive territory for the year. A positive earnings report from Caterpillar and a lack of bad news from Europe contributed to the gain. On Tuesday, the market plummeted after a meeting by European Union finance ministers to discuss Greek debt was canceled, as hope that a Greek debt solution would be reached shortly faded. Stocks gained back most of Tuesday’s losses on Wednesday on hope that China will be involved in the Euro bailout plan. The Dow roared to a 339 point gain on Thursday after a very early morning agreement among European leaders to deal with Greece’s debt was met with approval. A report that the US economy accelerated in the third quarter also propelled stocks. On Friday, stocks posted a small gain, an encouraging sign that the large gain from the previous session was not immediately given back. [table id=34 /]

Stocks fell heavily on Monday on doubts that progress on the European debt crisis was progressing rapidly enough, as the Dow moved back into negative territory for the year after briefly breaking to the positive the week before. The markets snapped back on Tuesday, regaining much of Monday’s losses in a very volatile day of trading. On Wednesday, a disappointing earnings report by Apple coupled with a bleak economic outlook from the Fed’s “beige book” sank stocks. The major indexes finished mixed on Thursday as conflicting economic reports as well as uncertainty over the European debt plan failed to propel stocks in any particular direction. On Friday, continued strong third quarter earnings reports sent stocks 2%+ higher again, as the major indexes finished the week with a fourth consecutive weekly win. [table id=33 /]

Stocks roared to almost a 3% gain on Monday after Germany and France vowed to assemble a “comprehensive package” to introduce more capital to European banks in the near future. On Tuesday stocks finished near the unchanged mark as a 55 session streak of at least a 100-point intraday swing in the Dow was broken. That streak was re-established on Wednesday with a 102 point gain in the Dow, as the third quarter earnings season kicked off with a disappointing report from Alcoa. On Thursday, disappointing earnings from JP Morgan Chase led down banking stocks and the market in general. Stocks finished the week on an up note on Friday, as the Dow finished the week with its longest weekly winning streak in six months. [table id=32 /]

An increase in US manufacturing and construction failed to offset continued fear of Greek debt on Monday, as shares plummeted to their 2011 lows. Earlier in the day on Tuesday, the markets plunged again, putting the S&P officially in a bear market. However, during the last hour of trading, stock staged a remarkable 4.1% rally as extreme volatility roared back to life again. The rally continued on Wednesday on a positive private-sector hiring report for September. On Thursday stocks extended their rally to three days with another large gain, as a decision by the European Central Bank to keep interest rates steady buoyed both European and US stocks. On Friday, the rally ended despite a rise in US September nonfarm payrolls. [table id=31 /]