Paul Shread

Cisco Systems rose after hours on Monday after beating estimates. Stocks rose during the day ahead of Cisco’s report and the Federal Reserve’s meeting on interest rates tomorrow. Traders are divided between expectations for a 25 or 50 basis point rate cut. The decision will be announced at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ […]

Stocks posted modest gains on Friday despite the October unemployment report showing the biggest job loss in 20 years. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ lost 2 to 143, and the Nasdaq was unchanged at 1745. The S&P 500 climbed 3 to 1087, and the Dow rose 59 to 9323. Volume declined to 1.12 billion shares on the […]

News of a potential settlement in the Microsoft antitrust case sent stocks soaring on Thursday. Traders ignored a steep plunge in NAPM manufacturing activity to a new cyclical low, suggesting that the long recession in manufacturing will continue a while longer. October unemployment numbers will be released tomorrow morning. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ rose 3 to […]

Stocks were mixed Wednesday on a much better than expected – but still negative – GDP reading. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ rose 2 to 143, and the Nasdaq gained 22 to 1690. The S&P 500 was unchanged at 1059, and the Dow declined 46 to 9075. Volume rose to 1.32 billion shares on the NYSE, and […]

A much bigger than expected drop in consumer confidence sent stocks lower on Tuesday, and traders braced for a negative GDP reading on Wednesday. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ fell 5 to 141, and the Nasdaq lost 32 to 1667. The S&P 500 fell 18 to 1059, and the Dow declined 147 to 9121. Volume rose to […]

Stocks fell sharply Monday as a host of worries caught up with investors. An impending default by Argentina, this week’s looming consumer confidence, GDP, NAPM and unemployment reports, and the slow pace of the war in Afghanistan all weighed on stocks. But one of the best explanations for the sell-off was a simple one: with […]

Blue chips continued to gain on Friday, but tech stocks rested. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ slipped 1 to 154, and the Nasdaq gave back 6 to 1768. The S&P 500 rose 4 to 1104, and the Dow climbed 82 to 9545, 60 points from its September 10 close. Volume declined to 1.21 billion shares on the […]

Stocks staged an impressive reversal on Thursday after initially falling on dismal housing and durable goods reports. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ rose 5 to 156, and the Nasdaq surged 43 to 1775. The S&P 500 rose 14 to 1100, and the Dow climbed 117 to 9462. Volume rose to 1.37 billion shares on the NYSE, and […]

Technology stocks powered higher on Wednesday, but blue chips struggled. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ rose 4 to 150, and the Nasdaq climbed 27 to 1731. The S&P 500 rose fractionally to 1085, and the Dow added 5 to 9345, largely on strength in IBM. Volume edged higher to 1.33 billion shares on the NYSE, and 1.88 […]

Amazon gave back strong gains after hours Tuesday after matching estimates but guiding revenues lower. The company stuck to its pledge of fourth-quarter pro forma profitability. Stocks came under pressure toward the close on news that anthrax had been found at a remote White House mail facility, but officials said environmental tests at the White […]

Stocks recovered from a sell-off to finish in positive territory on Friday, but shares of eBay stayed under pressure. The ISDEX http://www.wsrn.com/apps/ISDEX/ slipped 1 to 142, and the Nasdaq climbed 18 to 1671. The S&P 500 added 4 to 1073, and the Dow rose 40 to 9204. Volume rose slightly to 1.27 billion shares on […]

In a tech sector full of disasters, Microsoft, eBay and Nokia are holding up okay. But how much higher can investors bid the stocks? Microsoft met lowered estimates – not counting that 20-cent investment loss, of course – and guided forward estimates slightly lower. But at a PE of 45, the company is as expensive […]