U.S. stocks kicked off the beginning of the second quarter with moderate gains Friday, pushing the major indexes to their second straight weekly rise, after a report on jobs growth underpinned optimism on the U.S. economy. .
With March auto sales for most car companies expected to show year-over-year growth, General Motors manages a monthly gain even as its sales pace slows to close out the quarter — and falls behind rival Ford for units sold last month. Chrysler again shows monthly growth in sales.
Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and IntercontinentalExchange Inc. make a joint $11.3 billion bid for NYSE Euronext, trumping a previous offer from Deutsche Boerse AG.
As we enter the extraordinarily bullish month of April it behooves us to prepare to take profits and formulate a more defensive strategy for the typically weaker summer months. Current market strength is providing an excellent opportunity to lock in gains and move some cash to the sidelines or implement some downside protection.
MarketWatch
MarketWatch
