Travelzoo

Stocks were unable to hold on to modest early gains Monday, and key indexes closed little changed ahead of today's Federal Reserve meeting. Trading was thin as many investors stayed on the sidelines after last week's steep losses and as crude oil rose to another record high. In other markets, Treasury bond yields rose, while gold and the dollar barely budged. Some analysts were surprised that the stock market didn't fare much worse, given the latest surge in oil.

Wall Street waffled through an uninspired session Tuesday, leaving stocks narrowly mixed as investors digested the first big batch of second-quarter earnings reports. Technology stocks mostly were lower, and the sector may be poised for further declines today in the wake of Intel's disappointing profit outlook issued after regular trading ended. The tech-dominated Nasdaq composite index dipped 5.26 points, or 0.3%, to 1,931.66, its lowest close since May 24.

Encouraged by a sharp drop in oil prices, Wall Street rebounded from its lows Tuesday and closed with just narrow losses on the major indexes. Early in the day, price speculation and supply concerns drove oil to a new intraday high of $54.45 a barrel. But in what analysts suggested was an overdue correction, the price retreated to close at $52.51, down $1.13 from Monday.

The stock market fell for a fourth straight session Monday as oil prices crept closer to the $50 mark. Technology stocks again bore the brunt of the decline, leaving the Nasdaq composite index down 7.7% since the start of the year and nearly wiping out the last of its 2004 gain. Nasdaq slid 25.57 points, or 1.3%, to end at 2,008.70. The Dow Jones industrial average gave up 24.38 points, or 0.2%, to 10,368.61, while the Standard & Poor's 500 lost 4.12 points, or 0.4%, to 1,163.75.

CRUISE fares have fallen so sharply in recent months that travelers waiting for their ship to come in may find that it's just on the horizon and sailing toward them at full speed. "There are some fantastic deals out there," said Emerson Hankamer, president of discount agency Vacations to Go. "They're the lowest prices I've ever seen."

Our list of Web travel resources grows every year -- and with good reason. According to the Travel Industry Assn. of America, 56% of all travelers in the U.S. use the Internet to plan trips. Of that group, 6 in 10 actually made reservations online, and 4 in 10 booked all or nearly all of their travel on the Internet. We writers and editors in the Travel section are no different.

Buy our beer and get free shares of our stock, a brewing company wanted to beckon on the Internet. The brewer put off the plan after federal regulators said the stock wouldn't really be free, but at least one other company is pursuing this new type of giveaway. Regulators will be challenged by Simplystocks.com, which provides research data for investors. "We want to get people attracted to our Web site," Jay Lacny, the owner and president of San Diego-based Simplystocks.com, said Friday.

Reporting from Phoenix ? On the day players report to spring training, almost everyone says he's in the best shape of his life. With 10 days remaining in the Dodgers' Arizona camp, Matt Kemp is part of shrinking group of players who can still make that claim. "I'm getting skinny, man," he said, grinning. A target of scrutiny last year because of his clashes with coaches and frequent appearances in the tabloids, Kemp drew praise from Manager Don Mattingly on Thursday for what appears to be a sharpened focus.

Now that the obligatory holiday trips to see family are in the books, consumers hoping for a more leisurely getaway may want to keep their suitcases handy. Experts say the travel deals available in January are often some of the best all year. That's important because travelers can expect to pay more for airfare and hotel stays this year. Average daily rates for U.S. hotels increased 4.2% in 2012, to an average $106.23 in November, according to Smith Travel Research. Domestic airfare increased 4.5%.

Stocks roared back Tuesday, lifting major indexes to their biggest gains in a year, as investors cheered signs that the Federal Reserve's campaign of raising interest rates finally might be almost over. The Dow Jones industrial average zoomed 195 points, its best single-day jump since April 21, 2005.