Energy futures retreated yesterday after a five-day rally that had sent crude oil above $19 a barrel for the first time in 11 months.
The stock market lurched downward yesterday as a return of volatile trading ended a fragile, five-day rally.
A five-day rally that had pushed prices of soybean futures to four-year highs ended yesterday as forecasts of rainy weather persuaded traders to take profits.
The Dow Jones industrial average capped a five-day rally to vault past the high it set less than two months ago, and some other indexes continued plowing into record territory.
Perhaps recognizing that Mr. Koizumi's steps were more show than substance, the Nikkei 225-stock index slipped 0.3 percent, ending a five-day rally.
The Dow capped a five-day rally to vault to a new high, 3,061.72, up 20.35.
After scaling new peaks on Wednesday, stocks finished down yesterday, as falling bond prices and disappointing earnings halted the market's five-day rally.
This ended a five-day rally that had brought the yield below 5 percent again.
On other commodity markets, sugar prices tumbled after a five-day rally, while copper climbed.
MARKETS Stocks fell as falling bond prices and disappointing earnings halted a five-day rally.