Staggering To The First-Half Finish Line

Hey, no one said this comeback stuff would be easy. After pulling out of a two-month tailspin that began in mid-March, Internet stocks this week gave back some of June's gains.

It's been rough going, and I expect more of the same through the summer as the shakeout continues. There's an awful lot of deadwood that needs to be cleared - especially in the e-tail and content sectors - before a lot of sideline money gets back into the game.

This week Internet StockTracker introduces the Wireless Products/Services sector. Most of its inhabitants come from other sectors, though a couple of hardware vendors (Palm and Handspring) are new to the Internet Stock List. Next week we'll review the first-half performance of each Internet company and sector. Until then, please enjoy a safe July 4 holiday.