For the week ending Friday, January 27, 2012

• The benchmark indices finished with mixed results for Monday’s session.

• On Tuesday, the Dow and the S&P 500 finished lower for the session, due in part to the failure of Greece and its private bond-holders to reach an agreement on restructuring Greece’s debt payments to them.

• Wednesday’s indices finished higher for the session, due in part to the Federal Reserve’s announcement that it expects short-term interest rates to remain near zero through late 2014.

• Wednesday’s main economic releases contained mixed news: the Federal Reserve announced its intention to keep the federal funds rate near zero through late 2014, while pending sales of U.S. homes fell in December.

• The benchmark indices finished lower on Thursday, due in part to negative news about weekly unemployment insurance claims and new home sales.

• Thursday’s main economic releases contained mixed news: orders for durable goods and the index of leading economic indicators increased in December, while sales of new homes fell in December and the number of workers filing first-time and continuing claims for unemployment insurance benefits rose in the latest weekly reading.

• Friday’s indices finished with mixed results for the session, due in part to a disappointing report on fourth-quarter GDP growth.

• Each index but the Dow rose for the fourth straight week; the Dow fell for the week.

• Friday’s main economic releases contained mixed news: consumer sentiment rose again in January, while GDP grew at a slower-than-expected rate in the fourth quarter of 2011.