Economic Outlook: Bulls look at 10,000

The Dow took a run at 10,000 points last week but sputtered, slipped -- and basically choked -- 100 points shy of the mark. Abstract or not, it was a touch embarrassing.

Crude oil prices rise slightly

The price of light, sweet crude, at nearly $72 per barrel a week ago, added 80 cents to reach $66.84 per barrel. Heating oil prices added 0.0138 cents to $1.6909 per gallon. Reformulated gasoline prices gained 0.0175 cents to $1.638 per gallon. Natural gas added 0.845 cents to $4.83 per million British thermal units.

Grain futures mixed Monday

Corn was up 4 1/2 to up 4 3/4, soybeans were off 6 1/2 to off 10 3/4, wheat was up 4 to up 6 and oats were up 6.

Markets shoot up Monday

By close, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.28 percent, 124.17 points, to 9,789.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 18.60 points, 1.78 percent, to 1,062.98. The Nasdaq index gained 1.9 percent, 39.82 points, to 2,130.74.

Abbott to buy Solvay division for $6.6B

In doing so, Abbott would take full possession of TriCor, an anti-cholesterol pill that took in $1.3 billion in sales in 2008, The New York Times reported Monday.

Innovation alive at small businesses

A Wall Street Journal survey conducted with Winning Workplaces, a non-profit business consultant firm from Evanston, Ill., found one company -- Advanced Technology Institute of North Charleston, S.C. -- that made the chief financial officer into a chief talent officer and initiated a practice of paying $500 bonuses to any employee who recommends a new worker who, if hired, sticks with the company for six months.

Arctic delivery keeps food bills high

It's hard living up here, in a small community like this, where the majority of people are unemployed and have to depend on welfare, said Joanni Sallerina, mayor of Gjoa Haven, a northern hamlet of 1,150 people, the Toronto Star reported Monday.

401(k) plans paltry before recession

Investors were dismayed to find their retirement accounts lost 28 percent of their values as the stock market tanked last year. Average 401(K) figures had already proved that U.S. workers were not saving enough for retirement, The Detroit News reported Friday.

Corn harvest late but under way

Fair weather for the second half of the growing season kept crops in good shape through the dog days of summer, but there was no magical catch-up period in which crops -- already late from a wet spring -- were afforded an opportunity to sprint ahead to match historic averages.

Markets shoot up Monday

By close, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.28 percent, 124.17 points, to 9,789.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 18.60 points, 1.78 percent, to 1,062.98. The Nasdaq index gained 1.9 percent, 39.82 points, to 2,130.74.

Abbott to buy Solvay division for $6.6B

In doing so, Abbott would take full possession of TriCor, an anti-cholesterol pill that took in $1.3 billion in sales in 2008, The New York Times reported Monday.

Shops getting into Christmas spirit early

Everyone's fighting for that Christmas dollar. The recession has only exacerbated the problem, Babson College marketing professor Michael Levy said.

Innovation alive at small businesses

A Wall Street Journal survey conducted with Winning Workplaces, a non-profit business consultant firm from Evanston, Ill., found one company -- Advanced Technology Institute of North Charleston, S.C. -- that made the chief financial officer into a chief talent officer and instigated a practice of paying $500 bonuses to any employee who recommends a new worker who, if hired, sticks with the company for six months.

Markets shoot up Monday

In early afternoon trading, the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.43 percent, 138.53 points, to 9,803.72. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 18.46 points, 1.77 percent, to 1,062.84. The Nasdaq index gained 2.09 percent, 43.66 points, to 2,134.58.

Xerox to buy Affiliated Computer Services

The agreement, which is a stock and cash transaction, values Affiliated at $63.11 per share, Xerox said in a statement.