U.S. stocks rise on positive data

     NEW YORK, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. stocks gained on Friday as surging U.S. consumer confidence and industrial（工业的） production offset¹ Bank of America's disappointing earnings² report and the inflation concerns, but still ended the week with losses.

    The Dow Jones industrial average rose 56.68 points, or 0.46 percent, to 12,341.83. For the week, the Dow fell 0.31 percent, ending its streak³ of three consecutive⁴ weekly gains.

    The Standard & Poor's 500 gained 5.16 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,319.68, closing the week with a drop of 0.64 percent. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 4.43 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2, 764.65. For the week, it fell 0.25 percent.

    On Friday, the economic news offered a lift for the markets. The University of Michigan's preliminary reading on consumer sentiment for April rose to 69.6 from 68.2 in March, better than the forecasts, suggesting consumers were still confident in the economic prospects⁵.

    The U.S. Federal Reserve said industrial production rose 0.8 percent in March, better than the forecast of 0.6 percent and posting the ninth consecutive increase, which also boosted optimism in the markets.

    The Empire State Manufacturing Survey, which is a gauge⁶ of manufacturing in New York State, showed that the manufacturing activity surged in April. Its general business conditions index increased to 21.7, the highest level in a year, from 17.5 in March.

    The strong manufacturing results boosted the utilities sector⁷, leading the whole market up along with the healthcare sector. But the financial and technology sectors⁸ performed fairly bad.

    Bank of America shares slipped 2.36 percent after the largest U. S. bank by asset reported a profit that missed market estimates due to mortgage-related losses.

    Internet giant Google also released earnings for the first quarter, which beat expectations. But its shares tumbled 8.26 percent, dragging the tech sector down, because investors⁹ focused on its 54-percent surge of cost. Moreover, Citigroup downgraded Google to "hold" and cut the price target to 650 dollars from 750.

    India's No. 2 outsourcing company Infosys Technologies missed profit expectations as expenses, global uncertainty¹⁰ and a rising rupee squeezed margins¹¹. Its shares plunged¹² 13.42 percent.

    Next week will be one of the busiest weeks for earnings, with a number of Dow components¹³ and several banks and tech companies scheduled to report results.

    In other markets, oil prices settled higher, with the U.S. benchmark rising 1.43 percent to close at 109.66 dollars a barrel and London Brent crude adding 1.19 percent to close at 123.45 a barrel. Gold climbed again to settle at 1,486 dollars an ounce, hitting a new record high.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

2 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

3 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

4 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

5 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

6 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

11 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

12 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

13 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。