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Stocks End Higher as Investors Celebrate Job Growth

Major U.S. stock indices were up more than 1% as investors cheered the surprisingly large number of new jobs added to the economy last month.

MetroWest Business News

Business Digest for Friday, Feb. 3, 2012
Culinary contest for high schoolers The Mass. Restaurant Association Educational Foundation today hosts the 5th Annual Mass. ProStart Student Invitational, a high school culinary and restaurant…
Business Digest for Feb. 2
Heart group looks for spokeswomen The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women Movement kicks off its national search for the next Go Red spokeswomen at…
DA looks to help firms and others avoid workplace violence
FRAMINGHAM When future Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone worked for a security consulting firm following the Sept. 11 attacks, clients consistently ranked one worry ahead of…
Marlborough Hospital not affected by announced UMass layoffs
WORCESTER Marlborough Hospital will not be affected by the 700 to 900 projected layoffs announced today by Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health Care. Marlborough Hospital is one of…
Business Digest for Feb. 1
Dover Rug & Home opens in Natick Dover Rug & Home, offering the largest selection of floor coverings and window treatments in New England, Tuesday announced…

Personal Finance

4 Things to Do Instead of Watching the Super Bowl
Here are some things you can do while everyone else is watching the big game.
The Best Budgeting Tip I Know
Nine top personal finance writers offer up their favorite budgeting tips and strategies.
10 Sleazy Celebrity Endorsements
Pushing debit cards and gold coins is how some celebrities pay the bills.
4 Super Bowl Deals For Non-Football Fans
Super Bowl XLVI holds all sorts of deals for game watchers, but makes life easier on foodies and techies as well.
Will Investors Love a Disliked Facebook?
As Facebook goes public, poor customer satisfaction may make the social network its own worst enemy.

Your Career

Cramer: Things Are Better
The politics of doom are almost overwhelming, but things are getting better all the time.
Jobs Doom or Boom for Obama? Neither
Snap judgments about the impending doom or boom of President Obama's re-election chances might be greatly exaggerated.
3 Things You Should Know About Small Business: Feb. 3
What happens when a franchise contract ends?; start-ups from ex-NFL players; Obama's manufacturing initiative.
Banks Skip Jobs Party
Commercial banks shed 2,000 jobs, while the securities industry shed 2,900 jobs.
January Jobs Report: Live Blog
TheStreet live blogs Friday's jobs figures from the government.

Mobile & Gadgets

Research In Motion's Dangerous Waiting Game
It's fitting that the BlackBerry maker's shares fell on a day when the Nasdaq reached an 11-year high.
Tech Jobs: So Hot Right Now
Tech giants continued to add workers in January after sharply ramping hiring in 2011.
Top 5 iPhone Apps For Super Bowl XLVI
With Super Bowl XLVI right around the corner, here are 5 iPhone apps to keep you informed and enhance your experience.
4 New iPhone Apps for 2012
It's only February, but there's already been a slew of cool iPhone apps released this year.
Zillow: Is it Monetizing Mobile?
Zillow is seeing exploding mobile growth, but the slow housing market recovery may throw out a damper.

Reclaiming Retirement

Investing With Dick and Jane
See Jane trade! Careful management of a 401(k) can put you ahead of the game.
8 Travel Tips for Retirees
For retirees who choose to spend their golden years seeing the world, some travel tips and recommended destinations.
Investors Must Keep Time on Their Side
Returns increase exponentially over time, which is as close to magic as most of us will ever see.
NYC Workers Face 'Retirement Crisis'
One-third of New Yorkers won't have enough money to retire, according to a study by city officials.
5 Personality Traits That Lose You Money
How you think about money can lead to poor financial planning and investments.

Sports Business

Against the Spread: 2012 NFL Super Bowl XLVI Pick
TheStreet picks Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots against the spread.
The Guy Who Can Get Anyone a Skybox
Cornell, Harvard and professional tennis all led to luxury skyboxes -- meaning a unique business renting them.
4 Super Bowl Deals For Non-Football Fans
Super Bowl XLVI holds all sorts of deals for game watchers, but makes life easier on foodies and techies as well.
Two-Thirds of America Doesn't Care About the Super Bowl
Super Bowl viewers are outnumbered 2-to-1 by people with better things to do.
2012 Super Bowl Commercials: Sneak Preview (Update 1)
Advertisers such as Samsung, Honda and Coca-Cola spent $3.5 million for each 30-second spot for this year's Super Bowl.

Jim Cramer's Investing Ideas

'Mad Money Lightning Round': Kraft Foods Heading Higher
Cramer says the stock has room to move higher.
Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Next Week's Game Plan (Update 2)
Cramer discusses which companies he will be watching next week.
Cramer: Things Are Better
The politics of doom are almost overwhelming, but things are getting better all the time.
'Mad Money' Recap: Bubble Sightings (Final)
Cramer says people are looking for bubbles in the market when there aren't any.
'Mad Money Lightning Round': Go With Caribou Coffee
Cramer likes the pick but says Starbucks is the best.

National Top Stories

Falling Earnings Hit Goldman CEO Blankfein's Pay
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein is set to see his pay drop on falling profits and shares.
Research In Motion's Dangerous Waiting Game
It's fitting that the BlackBerry maker's shares fell on a day when the Nasdaq reached an 11-year high.
Rick Santorum Seeks Momentum Out West
Rick Santorum is hoping to jumpstart his campaign with strong showings in Colorado and Missouri.
Stocks End Higher as Investors Celebrate Job Growth
Major U.S. stock indices were up more than 1% as investors cheered the surprisingly large number of new jobs added to the economy last month.
Restaurant Stocks Hitting 52-Week Highs: Panera, Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans Farms, Buffalo Wild Wings
These restaurant stocks hit 52-week highs on Friday.

Automotive

10 Worst Cars of All Time
Ford, GM, Trabant, Yugo and even BMW all have models that rank among the 10 worst cars ever made.
8 Stocks Hitting 52-Week Highs: WMT, UNP, CMCSK, WCG, ALXN, AZO, AJG, IACI
These stocks reach 52-week highs Wednesday.
Ford and Chrysler Post January Gains but GM Falls Back (Update 1)
Ford reports a 7% sales gain in January, while Chrysler sales rise 44%. GM reports a 6% decline.
Chrysler Turnaround Leads to $225M Gain in Quarter
Ford, GM and Chrysler all produce dramatic turnaround stories in 2011.
Stocks to Watch: Amazon, NYSE Euronext
Amazon.com posts fourth-quarter sales below analysts' estimates and says it could report a first-quarter operating loss.

MetroWest Real Estate

A country charmer in Norfolk
“This is a unique offering in the market,” said Realtor Eleanor Osborn of Century 21 Commonwealth. “We have a period Arts & Crafts house with…
Natick Colonial on double cul-de-sac, nice neighborhood
The four-bedroom Garrison Colonial at 8 Wight Farm Road in Natick has had just one owner since it was built in 1988. Now this sunny and…
Wayland: Classic Colonial
Classic elements and timeless space drives both the interior and exterior of 42 Oxbow Road in Wayland. Set on a wooded parcel that’s just shy…
Uxbridge: Sumemrfield at Taft Hill
It was really no more than curiosity when Fred and Edna Corazzini stopped by Summerfield at Taft Hill last spring. “We were actively looking to downsize,…
Resort-style living in Sutton
The Villas at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton offer year-round, resort-style living in a lush 111-unit development bordering the fairways of one of the…

Luxury & Leisure

The Guy Who Can Get Anyone a Skybox

Cornell, Harvard and professional tennis all led to luxury skyboxes -- meaning a unique business renting them.

Against the Spread: 2012 NFL Super Bowl XLVI Pick
TheStreet picks Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and New England Patriots against the spread.
4 Things to Do Instead of Watching the Super Bowl
Here are some things you can do while everyone else is watching the big game.
Romantic Hideaways fit for Reagan and Kennedy
Here are some hotel getaways that have been tested by some of history's most famous pairs.
5 Types of Super Bowl Ads You'll See This Year
Here are some of the advertising archetypes you'll see this Sunday.
Two-Thirds of America Doesn't Care About the Super Bowl
Super Bowl viewers are outnumbered 2-to-1 by people with better things to do.

Markets

S & P | Nasdaq | NYSE |

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The major U.S. stock finished their second best day of trading this year after investors celebrated an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in almost three years.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 156.8 points higher, or 1.2%, at 12,862. The S&P 500 advanced 19.4 points, or 1.5%, to 1,345. The Nasdaq gained 46 points, or 1.6%, to 2,906, pushing the week's gains to 3.2% -- the best weekly performance in two months.

Only three components of 30 on the Dow traded lower. Bank of America(:BAC), Alcoa(:AA)and Caterpillar(:CAT)led the Dow higher. Merck(:MRK), Procter & Gamble(:PG) and Pfizer(:PFE) were slipping 0.1% , 0.7% and 0.1%.

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