Now You Can Trade Options On Google — Here’s How

Stocks closed mixed
on light volume Thursday.  The semis lead technology stocks down after a
Bank of America downgrade of AMD.

Disappointing sales from Krispy Kreme and Starbucks
added to the weakness.


Starbucks
(
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reported its lowest growth in 14 months

and Krispy Kreme
(
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reported sharply lower
earnings, reporting $0.09 vs a $0.22 estimate. Oil fell for a fifth day in a
row.


Jobless claims jumped unexpectedly, rising 10,000 to
343000. The 4-week moving average is 336,750. Hurricane Charley is being blamed,
in part, for the rise.

Stocks related to the Olympics include: GE
(broadcaster), BUD, T, BAC, CVX, EK, GM, MFC, MC, MCD, KO, TWX, XRX (sponsors).

Google options begin trading tomorrow in
the March cycle under the symbol GOQ. Initial strikes will range from 80 to 140,
in 5-point increments.

American Airlines
(
AMR |
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said its
outlook for Q3 “has worsened.”

After the close, TiVo
(
TIVO |
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beat by
0.12 and beat on revenues. Tech Data
(
TECD |
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beat by 0.03 and beat on
revenues.

 

Dow -8.33 10173.41
S&P 500 +0.13 1105.09
Nasdaq -7.80 1852.92

Strong today were: Airlines
(
XBD.X |
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+0.78%, Oils
(
XOI.X |
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+0.65%, Chemicals 
(
CEX.X |
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+0.62%.

Weak were: Semis
(
SOX.X |
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-1.00%, Internet
(
GIN.X |
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-1.12%.

10-year Notes were +085 at 112 255

The dollar
was -0.12 at 89.29

Gold was +0.80 at 406.90

Crude Oil was -0.42 at
43.05

Volume was 1.02 billion
on the NYSE and 1.16 billion on the Nasdaq.

Market breadth was mixed.

NYSE Issues
Advancing 1791 Up Vol 541
Declining 1472 Down Vol 385
Ratio 1.21 1.40
Nasdaq
Advancing 1227 Up Vol 366
Declining 1839 Down Vol 724
Ratio 1.49 1.97

Stocks in the News

Advanced Micro Devices
(
AMD |
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was lowered at Bank of America.
Estimates were also lowered

on INTC, BRCM, MU, and TXN.

An FDA study showed
that patients who took Merck’s Vioxx had 50% more heart attacks than
patients who took Pfizer’s Celebrex. Merck disputes the findings and will
conduct its own study.

Taser
(
TASR |
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received purchase orders
for $1 million.

Apollo Group (APOL)
said enrollments for Q1 ’05 would be up 40%.

Cirrus
(
CRUS |
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cut its work force by 7%.

Brice Wightman