Stocks on the move
Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1725 ET 21April2010
Economic diary for April 22
Economic data expected on Thursday includes weekly initial jobless claims, the producer prices index for March and existing home sales for March. The house price index for February is also on tap.
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1720 ET 21April2010
Earnings diary for April 22
Dow components set to report quarterly results on Thursday include American Express Co, Microsoft Corp and Verizon.
Other major companies on tap include Amazon.com Inc, PepsiCo Inc , Baxter International, Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1700 ET 21April2010
Qualcomm, eBay down as outlooks disappoint
Shares of Qualcomm Inc tumbled more than 7 percent on Wednesday after its quarterly profit beat expectations, but the maker of cellphone chips gave a weak outlook for the current quarter and full year.
EBay Inc also gave a forecast for the rest of the year that fell short of expectations, sending its shares down 8 percent. The disappointing outlooks sent stock index futures lower, indicating a weaker market open on Thursday.
Qualcomm fell 7.5 percent to $39.45 and eBay gave up 8.3 percent at $24.12. For details, see,
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1645 ET 21April2010
Wall Street ends flat as healthcare drags
U.S. stocks finished little changed as disappointing outlooks from healthcare companies overshadowed strong earnings from Morgan Stanley and Apple Inc.
Healthcare stocks took a beating after both Abbott Laboratories and Gilead Sciences Inc cut profit forecasts. Both Abbott and Gilead cited the impact of costs from U.S. healthcare reform in their outlooks.
The two represented a setback in an otherwise upbeat earnings season so far. For details, see
'We still have a lot more news on how healthcare stocks are going to be affected. Slowly people will figure out winners and losers as the law gets implemented,' said Giri Cherukuri, head trader at OakBrook Investments Lisle, Illinois. 'With all the good earnings we've had lately, you're getting a bit of profit-taking.'
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1602 ET 21April2010
U.S. March durable goods orders seen up 0.3 pct
WHAT: U.S. Commerce Department's March durable goods report
WHEN: Friday, April 23, at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT)
REUTERS FORECAST:
The median forecast for new orders for durable goods is for a 0.3 percent increase in March after a 0.9 percent gain in February. Forecasts range from a drop of 1.6 percent to a gain of 2.5 percent.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging: caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1421 ET 21April2010-Options activity surge on Williams
Sonoma Inc
Options activity on Williams-Sonoma Inc surged on Wednesday as the stock rose 5.4 percent to $30.40. Options players looking to benefit from near-term share price appreciation piled into call options in the May contract, said Caitlin Duffy, options analyst at Interactive Brokers Group. The traders picked up 3,600 now in-the-money calls at the May $30 strike for an average premium of $1.25 apiece. Early-morning movers can make money if shares of the underlying stock rally above the average break-even point on the calls at $31.25 ahead of May expiration day, Duffy said. Buying interest spread to the higher May $35 strike where bullish players purchased more than 4,200 call options for an average premium of $0.19 apiece. Premium on the higher strike call contracts has risen 500 percent during the session, and late-comers to the feeding frenzy must now shell out $0.34 in premium to purchase the May $35 strike calls, she added.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1725 ET 21April2010
Economic diary for April 22
Economic data expected on Thursday includes weekly initial jobless claims, the producer prices index for March and existing home sales for March. The house price index for February is also on tap.
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1720 ET 21April2010
Earnings diary for April 22
Dow components set to report quarterly results on Thursday include American Express Co, Microsoft Corp and Verizon.
Other major companies on tap include Amazon.com Inc, PepsiCo Inc , Baxter International, Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1700 ET 21April2010
Qualcomm, eBay down as outlooks disappoint
Shares of Qualcomm Inc tumbled more than 7 percent on Wednesday after its quarterly profit beat expectations, but the maker of cellphone chips gave a weak outlook for the current quarter and full year.
EBay Inc also gave a forecast for the rest of the year that fell short of expectations, sending its shares down 8 percent. The disappointing outlooks sent stock index futures lower, indicating a weaker market open on Thursday.
Qualcomm fell 7.5 percent to $39.45 and eBay gave up 8.3 percent at $24.12. For details, see,
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1645 ET 21April2010
Wall Street ends flat as healthcare drags
U.S. stocks finished little changed as disappointing outlooks from healthcare companies overshadowed strong earnings from Morgan Stanley and Apple Inc.
Healthcare stocks took a beating after both Abbott Laboratories and Gilead Sciences Inc cut profit forecasts. Both Abbott and Gilead cited the impact of costs from U.S. healthcare reform in their outlooks.
The two represented a setback in an otherwise upbeat earnings season so far. For details, see
'We still have a lot more news on how healthcare stocks are going to be affected. Slowly people will figure out winners and losers as the law gets implemented,' said Giri Cherukuri, head trader at OakBrook Investments Lisle, Illinois. 'With all the good earnings we've had lately, you're getting a bit of profit-taking.'
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
1602 ET 21April2010
U.S. March durable goods orders seen up 0.3 pct
WHAT: U.S. Commerce Department's March durable goods report
WHEN: Friday, April 23, at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT)
REUTERS FORECAST:
The median forecast for new orders for durable goods is for a 0.3 percent increase in March after a 0.9 percent gain in February. Forecasts range from a drop of 1.6 percent to a gain of 2.5 percent.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging: caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1421 ET 21April2010-Options activity surge on Williams
Sonoma Inc
Options activity on Williams-Sonoma Inc surged on Wednesday as the stock rose 5.4 percent to $30.40. Options players looking to benefit from near-term share price appreciation piled into call options in the May contract, said Caitlin Duffy, options analyst at Interactive Brokers Group. The traders picked up 3,600 now in-the-money calls at the May $30 strike for an average premium of $1.25 apiece. Early-morning movers can make money if shares of the underlying stock rally above the average break-even point on the calls at $31.25 ahead of May expiration day, Duffy said. Buying interest spread to the higher May $35 strike where bullish players purchased more than 4,200 call options for an average premium of $0.19 apiece. Premium on the higher strike call contracts has risen 500 percent during the session, and late-comers to the feeding frenzy must now shell out $0.34 in premium to purchase the May $35 strike calls, she added.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.