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USA stock market daily report by Millenium Traders (May 19, 2009, Tuesday, 10.30 p.m. GMT)

Economic data released early on in the day showed the housing market has hit an all new record low. Since records were kept in 1959, housing starts have not been lower. Over the past year, housing starts are down over 54%. U.S. Senate voted 90-5 to prohibit credit-card companies from arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances and charging certain fees.  House of Representatives is expected to consider the legislation tomorrow and President Barack Obama could sign the bill into law as early as the end of this week.

The markets were in a very whip-o-tile mood today creating a great deal of dysfunction for active day traders. It was so whippy, investors took to the sidelines where it appeared that they remained for the session. Traders found the day very difficult to call, for the Bulls or the Bears. Into the closing bell the major U.S. indices finished mixed.

Comments from Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Gary Stern: Market conditions have improved a bit; credit markets still impaired, strains persist; plenty of time for Fed to unwind current policy stance; economic recovery will reduce threat of deflation; will take time for labor markets to recover; healthy growth to return by middle of 2010; Fed, Government policy are helping create economic recovery; economic recovery likely to be 'subdued'; recession to continue for several more months; will be hard but possible for officials to identify bubbles; using policy to tackle bubbles will have economic trade offs; Central Bank may have to tackle asset class bubbles; Fed must rethink approach to asset bubbles; downplays parallels between U.S. and 1990s Japan; Government deficits will fall a bit when economy recovers; sees constructive developments on derivatives reform; higher bank capital requirements no panacea; confident Government action will return economy to growth.

Economic data released today:

Building Permits:
Building Permits fell 3.3% to 494,000 rate in April.

Housing Starts:
U.S. April Housing Starts fell 12.8% to 458,000 compared to consensus of an increase by 2.0%; March Housing Starts Revised to a drop by 8.5% from a drop by 10.8%.

At the NYSE closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange, here is how the major world indices and major U.S. stock indices ended the trading session on the world markets as well as the emerging markets including the stock market closing bell price:
DOW (Dow Jones Industrial Average) loss 235.44 points, EOD 8,474.85
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) gain 6.35 points, EOD 5,872.22
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) gain 2.18 points, EOD 1,734.54
S&P 500 (SPX) loss 1.58 points, EOD 908.13
BEL 20 (BEL20) gain 29.08 points, EOD 2,078.75
CAC 40 (CAC40) gain 29.57 points, EOD 3,274.96
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain 35.8 points, EOD 4,482.25
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) triple digit gain 251.6 points, EOD 9,290.29

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,913, declined stock prices 1,176, unchanged stock prices 82, stock prices hitting new highs 10 and stock prices hitting new lows 6. NYSE quotes for volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the New York Stock Exchange stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: CME: shed 6.21 points, HOD $290, LOD $280.48, EOD $281.73; RTP: gain 0.25 points, HOD $174.30, LOD $166.84, EOD $168.39; SKF: gain 1.69 points, HOD $43.62, LOD $40.72, EOD $43.47; ESI: gain 0.02 points, HOD $101.04, LOD $98.16, EOD $100.06; PVA: shed 1.63 points, HOD $19.10, LOD $18.27, EOD $18.59; MA: shed 6.67 points, HOD $172.34, LOD $166.45, EOD $166.73; ICE: gain 0.47 points, HOD $108.69, LOD $100.31, EOD $104.08; STT: gain 1.42 points, HOD $44.38, LOD $41.61, EOD $43.21.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,376, declined stock prices 1,347 unchanged stock prices 156, stock prices hitting new highs 35 and stock prices hitting new lows 5. NASDAQ quotes, volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the NASDAQ stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: FSLR: gain 4.80 points, HOD $194.29, LOD $181.75, EOD $189.70; INFY: shed 2.10 points, HOD $33.93, LOD $32.68, EOD $32.80; PSEC: shed 1.44 points, HOD $9.46, LOD $8.20, EOD $8.46; BIDU: gain 2.64 points, HOD $249.09, LOD $241.62, EOD $246.23; ITRI: gain 6.42 points, HOD $57.65, LOD $50.25, EOD $56.42.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 329, declined stock prices 235, unchanged stock prices 51, stock prices hitting new highs 18 and stock prices hitting new lows 3.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES) June 09: EOD 904.50; Change -2
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) June 09: EOD 1,390.50; Change -3.50
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) June 09: EOD 8,434; Change -15
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) June 09: EOD 566.50; Change -1
Nikkei 225 (Yen) June 09; EOD 9,335; Change 5

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7332 to U.S. Dollars 1.3638
Japanese Yen 95.98 to U.S. Dollars 0.0104
British Pound 0.6458 to U.S. Dollars 1.5485
Canadian Dollar 1.1559 to U.S. Dollars 0.8651
Swiss Franc 1.1084 to U.S. Dollars 0.9022

COMMODITY MARKETS:

Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (June 09) gain $0.62, EOD $59.65 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (June 09) gain $0.01, EOD $1.51 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (June 09) shed $0.24, EOD $4.03 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (May 09) gain $0.05, EOD $1.81 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (June 09) gain $5, EOD $926.70 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (July 09) gain $0.30, EOD $14.13 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (July 09) gain $7.50, EOD $1,145.10 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (July 09) no change, EOD $2.07 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (June 09) shed 0.45, EOD 68.10
Pork Bellies (July 09) shed 1.20 EOD 72.20
Live Cattle (June 09) shed 0.50, EOD 82.63
Feeder Cattle (August 09) shed 0.45, EOD 101.38

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (July 09) gain $4.25, EOD 425.75
Soybeans (July 09) gain $15.50, EOD 1,162

BOND MARKET:

2 year EOD 99 31/32, change 2/32, Yield 0.88, Yield change -0.04
5 year EOD 98 30/32, change -3/32, Yield 2.09, Yield change 0.01
10 year EOD 99, change -1/32, Yield 3.24, Yield change 0.01
30 year EOD 100 24/32, change -2/32, Yield  4.20, change 0.00