Paul Shread

Flash memory makers paced tech stocks to a 1% gain on Monday. SanDisk gained 8% and M-Systems 6% after Citigroup said the flash memory makers have solid long-term prospects. The upgrades also came ahead of expected new product announcements from Apple — and reports of potential competition from Microsoft . Also helping the sector was […]

The Nasdaq (first chart below) ended the week right at its downtrend line; a nice recovery for the index after yesterday’s failed breakout. Almost any move up Monday could give the index room to run, while support is 2270-2273. The S&P (second chart) put in an “inside day,” reflecting indecision, at the major resistance level […]

Tech stocks managed modest gains Friday, boosted by strong results from Netease and a judge’s ruling postponing a shutdown of Research In Motion’s U.S. service. Shares of Netease soared 14% after the company’s earnings of 96 cents a share beat analysts’ estimates by 9 cents, as the Chinese Internet company benefited from strong demand for […]

Optovia Corp. has unveiled technology that could make it easier for data centers to replicate data over long distances. Optovia’s SpanExpress optical amplifier solution eliminates intermediate amplification sites between primary and secondary data centers, allowing data centers to be located as much as 200 kilometers apart without the need for mid-span amplification. Optical signals typically […]

It may be three weeks after groundhog day, but the Nasdaq (first chart below) sure acted like it was today — the index saw its shadow and popped right back into its hole. Let’s see what happens in the next few days after that failed breakout. On one hand, the index’s ability to break through […]

Stocks continued to hang on every piece of inflation data Thursday, trading lower after a bigger than expected drop in weekly jobless claims suggested that the job market remains tight. The sell-off came just a day after stocks rallied on a mixed consumer price report that traders took as evidence that inflation was under control. […]

The indexes have shaken off one piece of bad news after another over the last couple of months and are now challenging some major resistance levels here; impressive strength indeed. The Nasdaq (first chart below) is pushing a tough downtrend line at 2290. Support is 2270 and 2257-2260. The S&P (second chart) is pushing major […]

Baidu.com gained nearly 6% on its earnings report Wednesday, but Sprint Nextel’s first post-merger report was a bit of a bummer. Baidu’s earnings of 13 cents a share were nearly double what analysts were looking for, and sales surged nearly 170% to $14.2 million, also well ahead of forecasts. Sprint shares, meanwhile, slumped 4.5% after […]

Tech stocks led the market lower Tuesday, as rising oil prices and interest rate fears fueled profit-taking. The chip sector was hit the hardest after Citigroup strategist Tobias Levkovich said pricing pressures from rising capacity may begin to weigh on the sector. Chip stocks lost 1.7% on the sector downgrade to “market weight” from “overweight.” […]

Hewlett-Packard and Hitachi Data Systems refreshed their storage lineups Tuesday with some new offerings aimed at the SMB market. HP updated a number of its offerings and unveiled a new tape library aimed at small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), and HDS announced plans to further purse the SMB market with a new Microsoft Simple SAN […]

A disappointing outlook from Dell and renewed signs of inflation kept a lid on stocks Friday. Dell’s fourth-quarter earnings and sales topped Wall Street forecasts, but the company’s first-quarter guidance was below estimates. Analysts even questioned Dell’s better than expected fourth-quarter results, pointing out that they came from an extra week in the quarter, favorable […]

The Nasdaq (first chart below) is pushing its month-long downtrend line here. Resistance is 2295-2300, and support is 2290, 2285 and 2280. The S&P (second chart) faces major resistance at 1293-1295, and support is 1285, 1275 and 1270. The Dow (third chart) has another 60-70 points of upside before it hits major resistance. Support is […]