Paul Shread

Stocks plunged Thursday after strong durable orders and housing sales raised fears of higher interest rates — while at the same time, sharply falling home prices dampened hopes that the housing market might be recovering. The S&P 500 was once again turned back at its all-time closing high of 1527.46 set seven years ago. Tech […]

Note: The Technical Analysis column will return on Thursday. The S&P’s failure to set a new all-time high has so far been good news for small caps and tech stocks that have benefited from market rotation, but frustration and selling could set in if the S&P (first chart below) can’t take out 1527.46 and 1552.87 […]

Technology stocks took the lead once again Tuesday as the S&P 500 remained stalled just below its all-time closing high. Intel was the Dow’s biggest winner, gaining 1.6% on news that it will spin off its flash memory business into a new venture with ST Micro . The news benefited competitor Spansion , sending its […]

The S&P (first chart below) didn’t get its new all-time high today, but at least the rally broadened for a change, with small caps and techs outperforming. That kind of breadth has been sorely lacking in this rally, but it remains to be seen if one day will mark the beginning of a trend. 1527.46 […]

The S&P 500 couldn’t set a new all-time closing high on Monday, but the tech sector posted healthy gains on deal news. The S&P briefly eclipsed its all-time closing high of 1527.46 set March 24, 2000, but ended the day lower amid blue-chip weakness. But the Nasdaq gained nearly 1% after Alltel agreed to a […]

EMC on Monday overhauled its backup offerings, unveiling a new virtual tape library (VTL), new versions of its data de-duplication, replication and backup software, and new bare metal recovery capabilities. The announcements came at the EMC World user conference in Orlando, Fla., which attracted more than 7,000 attendees. EMC said its new VTL, the EMC […]

A new all-time high for the S&P (first chart below) may be a foregone conclusion at this point, just based on the index’s ability to close above a trendline that has restrained rallies since November. If the index can clear its all-time closing higher of 1527.46, its intraday peak of 1552.87 will come into play. […]

The latest online advertising merger — this one a blockbuster deal between Microsoft and aQuantive — pushed the S&P 500 within five points of its all-time closing high of 1527.46 set March 24, 2000. The $6 billion deal was the second in the online ad space in two days and one of several in recent […]

The S&P (first chart below) continues to stall at the same trendline that has restrained rallies since November. If the index can clear that upper trendline at 1518 tomorrow, its all-time closing and intraday highs of 1527.46 and 1552.87 come into play. If it can’t, the index risks a pullback. 1507-1508 is important first support, […]

Solid earnings from the likes of HP and JC Penny and more tech sector mergers couldn’t keep stocks from closing just below the flat line Thursday. HP ended the day 0.8% lower despite better than expected results and upbeat comments from analysts. 24/7 Media gained on a buyout deal with WPP , while Acxiom soared […]

Only 13 points separate the S&P (first chart below) from its all-time closing high of 1527.46, but there’s a major trendline standing in the way that has acted as a virtual wall since November. Above 1517 and the index could be on its way to a new all-time high. Support is 1504 and 1498-1500. The […]

HP reported quarterly results late Wednesday that were slightly ahead of the company’s upbeat outlook delivered just last week. HP’s sales rose 13% from the year-ago quarter to $25.5 billion, and pro form earnings came out to 70 cents a share, both just ahead of revised estimates. HP also offered current quarter and full-year guidance […]