Why Friday May Be Volatile
Stocks were
higher Thursday. Better-than-expected
quarterly results from Analog Devices
(
ADI |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) and Computer Associates
(
CA |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
boosted tech stocks. Lower-than-expected jobless claims report also help
contributed to the early morning strength. Dell Computer
(
DELL |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
reported first-quarter results in-line after the close.
The Dow Jones Industrial
Average
(
$INDU.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) rallied 65.32 at 8,713.14. The S&P 500
(
$SPX.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) rose 7.39 at 939.27. The Nasdaq
(
$COMPQ |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) gained
16.48 at 1551.38.
The day’s leading sectors were
Software
(
$GSO.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), +2.72%, Broker/Dearlers
(
$XBD.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating),
+3.62%, and Internet
(
$INX.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), +2.35%.
Weak today were Airlines
(
$XAL.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), -2.26%, and Retail
(
$RLX.X |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), -0.93%.
In economic news, weekly Jobless
Claims came in at a five-week low of 417K vs. estimates of 430K, New York
Fed’s Empire State Index for May rose to a 106 vs. estimates of -8.2,
Producer Prices for April -1.9% vs. -0.7%, Core PPI -0.9% vs.
-0.1%. Business inventories for March 0.4% vs. 0.2%. Capacity
Utilization for April 77.4% vs. 74.5% and Industrial Production for
April -0.5% vs. -0.4%.
The 10-year U.S.
Note is +045 at 117 135.
The dollar is +0.68 at 95.41.
Gold lost .80 at 352.00.
Crude Oil -0.27 at 28.47.
Volume was
1,447,259,000
on the NYSE, and at 1,974,287,000 on the Nasdaq.
Market breadth is mixed, with
NYSE issues advancing over declining issues by a ratio of 1.65, and up volume
over down volume by a 2.21 ratio. Nasdaq advancing issues over declining issues at
1.44, and up volume over down volume is at a 1.93 ratio.
Top Dow stocks are:
J.P. Morgan
(
JPM |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), +0.55 at 31.04,
Boeing
(
BA |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), +0.67 at 30.16, 3M
(
MMM |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating), +2.69 at 125.85,
and Procter & Gamble
(
PG |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) +1.30 at 89.90.
Stocks in the news:
Retailer American Eagle
Outfitters
(
AEOS |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
reported first-quarter results of 9 cents and beat estimates by a penny. However,
results were down from 17 cents a share a year ago. AEOS closed at 15.91.
Analog Devices
(
ADI |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) reported second-quarter earnings of
19 cents compared to 16 cents a share last year. ADI surpassed estimates by a
penny. They company also expects third-quarter revenues to increase by 3 to
5%. ADI closed at35.24.
Network-management software maker
Computer Associates
(
CA |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) is up 10.50% on more than triple its average
volume. Excluding certain items, the company reported fourth quarter earnings of
8 cents a share topping estimates by 2 cents.
Charles Schwab
(
SCH |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
reported a 8% drop in customer trading activity in April compared to year-ago
levels. However, customer trades are up 5% from March.
Intuit
(
INTU |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) posted second-quarter results of $1.40 a
share, up from 67 cents a share during the same period a year ago. The results
topped estimates by 4 cents. Intuit also upped its third-quarter
targets. INTU closed at 41.81.
Truck equipment maker Navistar
(
NAV |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) reported a smaller-than-expected loss of 18 cents a share compared to
estimates of a loss of 24 cents a share.
Panera Bread
(
PNRA |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) reported first-quarter results excluding a one-time charge that beat estimates by a penny.
Going forward, Panera raised full year guidance to $1 or a penny above
estimates. PNRA closed at 34.19.
Remember, Friday is options
expiration.
href=”mailto:danielb@tradingmarkets.com”>vincentm@tradingmarkets.com