Lowe’s leads local stocks
Most Charlotte-area stocks rose Thursday, with Lowe’s Cos. Inc. gaining 70 cents to close at $21.94. The Mooresville-based retailer (NYSE:LOW) posted a 3.3 percent gain on the day. The Dow Jones Industrials gained 51 points to close at 10,320.
Among key public companies in the Charlotte area:
•Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC), San Francisco parent of Charlotte-based Wachovia Bank, closed at $25.10, up 44 cents.
•Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) closed at $13.28, up 7 cents.
•Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE) closed at $38.43, up 47 cents.
•Goodrich Corp. (NYSE:GR) closed at $72.11, up 8 cents.
•Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc. (NYSE:PNY) closed at $27.95, up 2 cents.
•Cato Corp. (NYSE:CATO) closed at $24.65, up 57 cents.
•SPX Corp. (NYSE:SPW) closed at $60.20, up $1.52.
•Concord-based Speedway Motorsports Inc. (NYSE:TRK) closed at $14.23, up 23 cents.
•Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE:FDO) closed at $43.50, up 22 cents.
These stocks gave up ground Thursday:
•Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) closed at $17.28, down 16 cents.
•Snack maker Lance Inc. (NASDAQ:LNCE) closed at $21.90, down 46 cents.