Michael Dell Is Optimistic–Here’s Why

Stocks are mixed, with
Caterpillar holding the Dow back after missing estimates.
UPS also
missed. The Nasdaq is slightly higher,
helped by positive comments from Lehman on Cisco.

Durable goods orders for December rose 0.6%,
largely in-line. Jobless claims rose 7,000 to 325,000–less than expected. The
4-week moving average is now 341,750.

Microsoft
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is expected to
report 0.33 after the close. Revenues are expected to be $10.5 billion.

Bristol Myers
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beat by 0.06, but Q4 earnings fell.

Dow Chemical
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beat by 0.29. Q4 sales rose 31%.

Nokia
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beat and raised guidance.

AT&T
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may be in play, as the New York Times reports SBC Comm.
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may buy Ma Bell for $16 billion.

The Iraq elections are on Sunday, and OPEC meets then as well. Next week,
look for the FOMC.

Strong sectors are: Natural Gas
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+3.75%, Oil Services
(
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+0.79%, Biotech
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+0.69%.

Weak are: Gold
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-0.26%.

Dow -24.76 10,473.83
S&P 500 +1.99 1176.06
Nasdaq +4.64 2050.73

The dollar is +0.12 at
83.42

Crude Oil is +0.37 at
49.15

Gold is -1.80 to 425

ce=”Arial” size=”2″ face=”Arial”>Volume is798 million on the NYSE and 1.1 billion on the Nasdaq.

Market breadth is positive.

NYSE Issues
Advancing 1904 Up Vol 451
Declining 1208 Down Vol 282
1.57 1.59
Nasdaq
Advancing 1512 Up Vol 513
Declining 1336 Down Vol 492
1.13 1.04

Stocks in the News

Bausch & Lomb
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beat by a penny.

Astrazeneca
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was in-line but guided higher for 2005.

Michael Dell said his company will grow sales significantly faster
than the overall market in 2005.


LSI Logic (LSI)
beat by 0.03, but revenue was lower.

RealNetworks (RNWK)
reported a smaller loss; the stock trade dup after hours.

Starbucks (SBUX)
beat by a penny.

Cabot Micro
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missed by 0.10.

Brice Wightman