Stocks Rise, NASDAQ Leads Advance

• October 12, 2007
• TradingMarkets Editors

Stocks are higher on Friday, with the NASDAQ leading the way.

General Electric
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PowerRating) reported a 14% rise in third quarter profit (read more).

Oracle
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PowerRating) made an unsolicited $6.66 billion offer for BEA Systems
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PowerRating) (read more).

McDonald’s
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PowerRating) reported September comparable sales grew by 5.3% (read more).

Citigroup
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PowerRating) merged its Citi Markets and Banking business as well as its Citi Alternatives Investments business into the newly formed Institutional Clients Group (read more).

Among today’s movers, Rowan Companies
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PowerRating) hit a 2-month high (read more) and Coldwater Creek
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PowerRating) plunged after adjusting its third quarter forecast (read more).

Market Snapshot

Dow 67.80 14082.92 NASDAQ 32.45 2804.65 S&P 500 7.23 1561.64   NYSE NASDAQ Volume 522,008,570 1,060,240,772 Up Volume 334,935,230 802,406,137 Down Volume 177,292,120 193,625,257 Advances 2016 1807 Declines 1137 1049 New Highs 76 53 New Lows 26 36

Strongest/Weakest Industry Groups

Strongest Industries % Change Weakest Industries % Change Diversified Investments +5.50% -3.18% Independent Oil & Gas +4.55% Residential Construction -2.18% Non-metallic Mineral Mining +3.22% Jewelry Stores -1.79%

Economic News

Retail Sales (Sep): Actual 0.6%, Consensus 0.2% PPI (Sep): Actual 1.1%, Consensus 0.5% Business Inventories (Aug): Actual 0.1%, Consensus 0.3%