Novellus Calls Fall; Stocks End Mixed

Stocks finished mixed a day ahead of options expiration, as financials
bounced and techs waned. Broker/dealers were the day’s top sector while
semiconductors were the weakest.

At the close, the VIX was down 1.97 to 32.63.

Among bigger movers on heavier-than-average volume:

Novellus
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fell 3 1/2 to 43 1/16 as semis were under pressure. The
NVLS March 45 calls fell 1 13/16 to 1/2 on heavier-than-average volume.

WorldCom
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rose 1 1/8 to 17 9/16 while the WCOM April 15 calls
gained 13/16 to 3 3/8 on heavier-than-average volume.

Juniper Networks
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slipped 1 3/4 to 55 1/2 while the Juniper March
65 calls slipped 11/16 to 3/8 on more than 15,000 contracts.

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