Market Wrap-Up

A Department of Energy report released on Thursday said crude inventories had decreased 8.8 million barrels from the previous week. Usually, data like that will send oil prices higher. But the supply constraint was due to a problem unloading tankers in the Gulf of Mexico, not unexpected demand from consumers or businesses. Indeed, that temporary glitch and continuing concerns that prices will ease because of slowing usage caused traders to move out of this commodity. Oil finished the day down almost $4 a barrel to just over $126.

A conflicting picture of the current retail environment got even cloudier as Sears Holdings swung to a first-quarter loss while discount shopping chain Costco topped analysts' estimates. Bear Stearns shareholders signed off on the company's sale to JPMorgan, ending its 85 year run on Wall Street. Meanwhile, revised data showed the economy grew slightly more than previously thought in the first quarter. While that may seem like a mixed bag, investors chose to focus on the new GDP number and the drop in oil and that, ultimately, helped stocks gain ground for the third straight trading session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 52 points to 12,645.

Winners

Merck

ProShares UltraShort Health Care

Losers

For the second time this week, solar ETFs wound up in the red. These funds tend to move in line with the price of crude. As oil drops, investors fret less about finding a cheap alternative to black gold. But also weighing on solar stocks was a report that Germany, one of the world's largest solar markets, may slash the subsidies it gives to the industry. Also, a

Merrill Lynch

SunPower

Evergreen Solar

Market Vectors Solar Energy

Claymore/Mac Global Solar Energy

The Week's Industry Headlines

Closing Time

: Index Universe is

that Ameristock will shutter five Treasury bond ETFs that launched last year. This continues a trend of ETF closures started earlier this year when Claymore shut down 11 equity funds.

Next Week's Notebook

Earnings

: Lions Gate Entertainment, Tiffany

Economic Data: Personal Income (8:30 a.m.), Personal Spending (8:30 a.m.), Chicago PMI (9:45 a.m.), Consumer Sentiment index (10 a.m.)

Quick Take

A look at how the industry's most popular ETFs did on Thursday.