Stocks slightly higher mid-session

Stocks are just over the flat line as crude oil
eases back below $70.

Tiffany
(
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beat by 0.06 and raised its fiscal year 2006 guidance. (full
story)

Bloomberg reports that billionaire Carlos Slim feels Bellsouth
(
BLS |
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SBC
(
SBC |
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(
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stakes in all.

GDP grew at 3.3%, slightly lower than expected. The Chicago PMI was 49.2,
much lower than expected.

Crude inventories fell 1.52 million barrels vs the consensus of a 1.0
million barrel build. Gasoline inventories fell by 508,000 vs a consensus of a
fall of 1.63 million barrels. Distillates rose 2.75 million barrels, more than
expected.

Altria
(
MO |
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PowerRating) raised its quarterly dividend 9.6% to 0.80 from 0.73. (full
story)

MasterCard, the 2nd largest U.S. credit card association, plans to go
public. Member banks will retain 41% ownership. Also,
Traffic.com filed for an IPO. The company provides real-time traffic
information in large U.S. metropolitan cities. Proposed symbol: TRFC.

Strong Sectors are:   Oil Services 
(
OSX |
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+2.68%    Oil 

(
XOI |
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+2.43%    Natural Gas

(
XNG |
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+1.79%

Weak sectors
are:   Insurance

(
IUX |
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-0.97%    Airlines

(
XAL |
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-0.81%   

ADC Telecom
(
ADCT |
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Sigma Designs
(
SIGM |
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Creative Technology
(
CREAF |
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method of organizing files in a digital music player. The company said Apple has
used the same technology in its iPod players. Apple does not have a patent for a
digital music system.

Novellus
(
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predictions. The company now sees 0.20-0.21, down from 0.21-0.22 at the
beginning of the quarter.

With the Port of New Orleans closed, truckers and railroads may have to pick
up some slack. Yellow Freight
(
YELL |
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(
BNI |
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Brice Wightman