Market Watch 1/29/10

Stock Market Closing Prices – 1/29/10

Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJIA ) Close – 10067.33 -53.13
Nasdaq Stock Market Close – 2147.35 -31.65
S&P 500 Close – 1073.87 -10.66

Commodities Closing Prices – 1/29/10

Gold Close – 1083.00 -1.80
Oil Close – 72.89
Natural Gas – 5.13

Stocks fall on doubts about recovery's strength.

Stocks ended a disappointing January with a loss as investors questioned whether the economy will be able to sustain its big fourth-quarter growth rate. Downbeat earnings at technology companies also pulled stocks down. Microsoft Corp (MSFT) was very weak today.

January was the worst month for the market since last February. Many market watchers believe January sets the tone for stocks for the rest of the year, and historical data backs that up. Still, the January barometer can be faulty. Last year, when the market had its worst January ever, the Dow fell 11.4 percent for the month, and then went on to post an 18.8 percent gain for all of 2009.