Will 965 On The S&P Be Key?
Stocks
are starting the last day of this shortened trading week on a positive note. The
major indices are still making way into multi-month highs and are just off the
highs of the session. The S&P 500
(
$SPX.X |
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PowerRating) got within a hair of the
965 August 22, 2002 high and the Dow
(
$INDU |
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PowerRating) is challenging a 5-month
high. Positive economic news concerning regional manufacturing activity helped
to spark today’s rally. The dollar is stronger today while bonds are weaker
after President Bush signed the $350 tax cut package.
The Dow Jones Industrial
Average
(
$INDU.X |
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PowerRating) is +1.45% at 8,837.72. The S&P 500
(
$SPX.X |
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is +1.28% at 961.83. The Nasdaq
(
$COMPQ |
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PowerRating) is +1.13% at
1592.81.
The day’s leading sectors are Oil
Services
(
$OSX.X |
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PowerRating), +2.53%, InsuranceÂ
(
$IUX.X |
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+2.06%, Retail
(
$IRLX.X |
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PowerRating), +1.92%, Biotechs
(
$BTK.X |
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+1.75%, and Chemicals
(
$CEX.X |
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PowerRating), +1.71%,
Weak today are Gold
(
$XAU.X |
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-1.06% and Internets
(
$INX.X |
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PowerRating), -0.22%.
In economic news, Personal
Income in April came in flat as expected. Personal Spendin in April fell
0.1% vs. an expected 0.1% rise. Vehicle purchases did soften the drop. The
revised Michigan Sentiment came in at 92.1 vs. estimates of 93.0, however
it was still higher than April’s 86. Finally the Chicago PMI in May came
in at 52.2 versus estimates of 49.0.Â
The 10-year U.S. Note
is -65 at 118 280
The dollar is +63 at
93.47
Gold is -7.60 at 362.00
Crude Oil +0.40 at
29.50
Volume is heavy at
780,000,000 on the NYSE, and at 1,200,000,000 on the Nasdaq.
Market breadth isÂ
positive, with NYSE advancing issues over declining issues by a ratio of
2.78, and up volume over down volume by a 2.92 ratio. Nasdaq advancing issues
over declining issues at 2.22, and up volume over down volume is at a 2.83
ratio.
Top Dow stocks are:
Coca-Cola
(
KO |
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PowerRating), +2.73% at 45.84, Home
Depot
(
HD |
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(
UTX |
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PowerRating) +2.60%
at 68.16, Alcoa
(
AA |
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PowerRating) +2.53% at 24.64, and American Express
(
AXP |
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PowerRating)
+2.33% at 41.99.
Stocks in the news:
Media giant AOL Time Warner
(
AOL |
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is trading at a five-month high after it settled an anti-trust lawsuit with
Microsoft
(
MSFT |
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PowerRating). AOL will receive $750 million from Microsoft and will be
able to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for free for the next seven years.Â
Home Depot
(
HD |
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PowerRating) is
trading higher by 2% on very heavy volume. The company’s board of directors has
authorized a $500 million share buyback program.Â
Novellus Systems
(
NVLS |
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PowerRating)
is higher by 5% and sitting on a five-month high. In their mid-quarter update
yesterday, the company reaffirmed second-quarter target of 5 cents a share or
inline with estimates. Novellus did note though that business is still affected
by SARS.Â
Schering-Plough
(
SGP |
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PowerRating)
is lower by 3% on heavy volume. The company announced its subsidiary, Schering
Corp., is the subject of a federal grand jury investigation. Previously the U.S.
Attorney’s Office had investigated its sales, marketing, and clinical trial
methods.
Network equipment maker, 3Com
(
COMS |
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PowerRating) is off by 11% revealing its fourth-quarter revenue forecast. The
company sees fourth-quarter revenues between $165 million and $175 million or
well below estimates of $209.7 million.