Stocks tally mixed finish after 4-day rally

U.S. stocks were mixed today, with Procter & Gamble’s reduced earnings outlook weighing on the Dow industrials and the S&P little changed after its largest four-day rise in more than a year.
Figures from China had that nation’s exports expanding 10.6 percent in January from the year-earlier period. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 2 percent growth.

In New York Wednesday, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said he expects the U.S. economy to expand 3 percent or more this year.  Perhaps the doom and gloomers will be dead wrong.

After Tuesday’s close, the House of Representatives voted to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling until March 2015, with the measure now in the Senate, where it had enough votes for passage.
On Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee postponed Yellen’s scheduled appearance on Thursday due to weather concerns.

European markets finished the day higher, following gains on Asian markets. The Shanghai Composite added 0.3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng advanced 1.5% and the Nikkei rose 0.6%

Thursday: Jobless claims at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, retail sales at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, business inventories at 10 a.m. Eastern. The Treasury auctions $16 billion in 30-year bonds at 1 p.m. Eastern

News Sources: CNBC and CNN Money