Despite a mixed performance on Friday, stocks booked the best monthly gain in a year, with the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P 500 both rising nearly 7% in July.

A weaker-than-expected government report on the economy sent investors flocking back into Treasurys Friday, pushing the prices up on U.S. debt and driving yields down.

The economy is heading nowhere fast. That's the bad news. But the good news is that it still seems like consumers may have actually learned a lesson or two about reckless fiscal behavior.

Stocks slid Thursday, although they finished off their session lows, as investors weighed cautious comments from a regional Federal Reserve president about the health of the economy and a mix of quarterly profit reports.

It's a natural human tendency to rely on the opinions of friends. We all do it, but, given the right circumstances, that impulse can endanger anything from interpersonal relationships to world economies.

Stocks fell Wednesday as a worse-than-expected report on durable goods orders and weaker quarterly results from Boeing and others added to concerns about the pace of the economic recovery.

The dollar continued to slide this week, hovering near monthly lows versus major currencies as worries about an economic slowdown weighed on investors.

Oil prices drifted lower this week, edging off last week's 11-week high above $79 a barrel. But trading remained rangebound as investors balanced strong corporate earnings against ongoing jitters over the economic recovery.

Stocks churned Tuesday, losing steam after a three-session run, after a big drop in consumer confidence offset better-than-expected profit growth from DuPont, UBS and others.

Stocks rallied Monday after FedEx's improved forecast and a better-than-expected housing market report tempered worries about the economic outlook.

Treasury prices stayed flat Monday as the government prepared to auction $104 billion in bonds this week.

As a strong July draws to a close, the earnings reporting period is just heating up, with 157 of the biggest companies in the country due to open their books in the week ahead.

Stocks rallied Friday, with the Dow briefly turning positive for the year after a report showed that most of Europe's big banks passed their stress tests, easing investor worries about the strength of the global economy.

Stocks rallied Thursday after better-than-expected earnings and forecasts from 3M, Caterpillar, AT&T and UPS helped reassure investors about the pace of the economic recovery.

Stocks tumbled Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that the outlook for the economy is "unusually uncertain," adding to worries about the pace of the recovery.

Treasury prices dipped Friday after regulators said most of Europe's major banks passed stress tests, easing worries about the euro zone economy.

Ford is back. The automaker recently reported its first annual profit in four years; sales are improving; and investors have pushed up its stock 550% in the past year.

Yes, Citigroup lost billions in the financial crisis. And yes, it's still swimming in toxic assets. But Bruce Berkowitz argues the worst is over.

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are up for the year after a rough stretch from mid-January to early February. The Dow had joined them earlier Wednesday before pulling back.

As the 10th anniversary of the bursting of the tech bubble is upon us, you've probably read a slew of stories about what an awful decade this has been for stocks.