BARACK OBAMA

Tech stocks dropped in morning trading on Thursday as financials struggled to keep gains, S&P 500 edges down.

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday after weaker-than-expected data on durable goods and jobless claims fueled uncertainty about the economy's recovery, and outlooks from Motorola and Qualcomm hit tech shares.

Wall St opened flat on Thursday in the wake of the President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech, which had no new plans to tighten Wall Street oversight, as durable goods orders and jobs data offered a mixed picture on the economy.

U.S. stock index futures were higher on Thursday in the wake of President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech, which had no new plans to tighten Wall Street oversight, and after strong results from Procter & Gamble and Ford.

Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke's nomination for a second term running the world's most powerful central bank faces a decisive day in the Senate on Thursday when his confirmation vote looks set to go ahead.

Stock futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rise 0.4 to 0.5 percent, pointing to a stronger start on Wall Street on Thursday.

President Barack Obama said his focus on nuclear disarmament had strengthened U.S. diplomacy in dealing with North Korea and Iran, and he warned Tehran faced growing consequences over its nuclear program.

The U.S. dollar rose to a six-month high against the euro on Thursday, on signs the Federal Reserve is more confident about a recovery, while Asian equities were on track to snap a nine-day losing streak. U.S. stock futures rose during Asian session after U.S. President Barack Obama in an address to Congress had a more moderate tone on restrictions toward U.S. banks.

Stocks rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve pledged to keep interest rates near zero and stock futures signaled more gains ahead after President Barack Obama struck a conciliatory tone on banks in his State of the Union speech.

President Barack Obama vowed on Wednesday to boost jobs growth and impose tough new regulations on Wall Street as he recast his agenda after suffering a devastating political setback.

Stock index futures added gains in late after-hours trading on Wednesday as investors took President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech as toning down some of the rhetoric that unnerved investors last week when he unveiled new restrictions on U.S. banks.

President Barack Obama will deliver his first State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama is set to deliver his first State of the Union speech at 9 p.m. EST, focusing on rekindling the U.S. economy , emphasizing his plans to restore job growth and taming budget deficits.

Stocks rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it will keep interest rates near zero and ahead of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address tonight.

Stocks rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it will keep interest rates near zero and ahead of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address tonight.

The S&P 500 recovered from a low of 1,083.11, downward spike that occurred minutes after the Federal Open Market Committee statement, to trade at 1,093.54, up 0.12 percent at 3:27 p.m. in New York.

The Dow and the S&P 500 slipped on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it will keep interest rates near zero and investors remained cautious before President Barack Obama's State of the Union address tonight.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will announce $8 billion in stimulus funds for the construction of high-speed rails across the country, Tampa Congresswoman Kathy Castor confirmed in a press release today.

The S&P 500 and the Dow fell on Wednesday after a report showed new home sales dropped unexpectedly in December, while Caterpillar Inc and United Technologies Corp gave guarded outlooks for the months ahead.

U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday after data showed new home sales dropped unexpectedly in December, as investors remained wary ahead of the U.S. president's State of the Union speech and the end of the Federal Reserve policy meeting.

A congressional panel, probing how money from the huge bailout of insurer American International Group Inc was spent, grilled Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday about his role.