-$1.40 (20.6%)
Dana Corp., the nation’s biggest maker of axles for light trucks, was the biggest loser in the S&P 500. The stock slid to $5.40 after Dana reported a third-quarter loss of $8.50 a share. A year ago, it made 28 cents a share.
+$5.38 (7.6%)
Guidant Corp. stock closed at $76.22, for the top gain in the S&P 500. Shares surged after Boston Scientific Corp. raised its offer for Guidant in its bidding war with Johnson & Johnson.
-$1.01 (1.4%)
American International Group Inc. slid to $69.04 and was one of the largest drags on the Dow. Analysts said AIG might pay more than $1 billion to resolve state and federal accounting investigations, higher than some initially expected.
-0.9%
A gauge of financial stocks was the biggest drag among 10 industry groups in the S&P 500. Wells Fargo & Co. and Fifth Third Bancorp slid after announcing earnings that failed to meet estimates.
$66.31
The price of oil settled at the highest level since Sept. 29. Violence in oil-rich Nigeria spurred the jump, as did tension between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program. “Seventy-dollar crude is on the way,” said one trader. “It’s almost a done deal.”
0.6%
Industrial production in the U.S. posted a solid gain in December. Output at the nation’s mines, utilities and manufacturers all rose, with the auto industry showing the only signs of weakness.
