Stocks rallied into positive territory on Tuesday as continued investor belief in interest rate cuts spurred on the broader market. In economic news, the ISM Manufacturing report slid to 52.9 in August, below the Street estimate of 53.0. In corporate news, shares of General Motors (GM) rose 3.84% after the Dow component reported that its August vehicle sales rose 5.3%, above the Street estimate of a 4.3% loss. Shares of Home Depot (HD) slid 5.09% $36.36 after the company released the results of its Dutch auction tender offer. Light crude oil deliverable in October rose to $75.08 per barrel. The DJIA rose 0.68%, while the S&P added 1.05%.

Stocks ended the session in negative territory on Wednesday as continued weakness in the housing sector and renewed interest rate concerns weighed on the broader market. In economic news, pending home sales in July slid 12.2%, below the Street estimate of a 2.0% decline. In corporate news, shares of Saks Inc (SKS) slid 4.49% after the SEC announced it was suing the company regarding inflated earnings. Apple (AAPL) slid 5.13% after the company announced it was cutting its 8 GB iPhone price to $399 from $599. Light crude oil deliverable in October rose to $75.73 per barrel. The DJIA dropped 1.06%, while the S&P slid 1.15%.

Equity markets ended the session with modest gains on Thursday as strong retail sales helped boost the broader market. In economic news, initial jobless claims for the week ended September 1, slid to 318,000, below the Street estimate of 330,000. In corporate news, shares of Wal-Mart (WMT) rose 0.73% after the Dow component stated its August same-store sales came in at 3.1%, above the Street estimate of 1.5%. Light crude oil deliverable in October rose to $76.30 per barrel. The DJIA added 0.44%, while the S&P rose 0.43%.

Stocks fell sharply on Friday as weak economic data weighed on the broader market. In economic news, the economy lost 4,000 jobs in August, below the Street estimate of 100,000-job gain. In corporate news, shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD) slid 38.23% after the doughnut-shop operator reported a wider-than-expected fiscal second quarter loss. Light crude oil deliverable in October rose to $76.70 per barrel. The DJIA dropped 1.87%, while the S&P slid 1.69%.

After starting the holiday-shortened week on a strong note, U.S. stocks finished the week lower amid growing concerns that problems in the housing and credit markets are spreading to the job market and weighing on the overall economy. For the week, the DJIA, S&P, and Nasdaq slid 1.83%, 1.39%, and 1.18%, respectively.