Active broad-market exchange-traded funds:
SPDR S&P 500 (
SPY
): +0.2%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (
EEM
): -0.85%
Financial Select Sector SPDR (
XLF
): +0.03%
PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 (
QQQ
): -0.2%
iPath S&P 500 VIX Short Term Futures TM ETN (
VXX
): -0.06%, near year lows.
Broad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds, including SPY, IWM, IVV and
others, are mixed. Actively traded PowerShares QQQ (
QQQ
) is down 0.2%.
U.S. stocks are edging higher, as the retail sector led a modest
rally sparked by Home Depot's (HD) better-than-expected results,
wrenching attention away from the 'fiscal cliff' issue, which
economists warn could trigger a U.S. recession. HD's upbeat
earnings also has positive implications on the housing sector,
according to MarketWatch, which cited a Janney Montgomery Scott
analyst. Investors will be watching President Obama as he talks
with union leaders today, business leaders Wednesday, and
Congressional leaders Friday as he moves to try and address the
'fiscall cliff' issue.
Winners and Losers
Financial -
Select Financial Sector SPDRs (
XLF
) is up 0.1%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X shares (FAS) is up
0.3%. Its bearish counterpart, FAZ, is up 0.1%.
Among financial stocks, LPL Financial (LPLA) is now down 4.5%,
pulling back from earlier loss of more than 8% and after touching a
new year low of $23.17. Earlier today, LPLA's subsidiary LPL
Financial LLC announced that Level Four Group has affiliated with
the LPL Financial broker-dealer platform. Level Four plans to
utilize the LPL Financial RIA platform as its principal custodian
through its independent registered investment advisory firm, Level
Four Advisory.
Technology -
Tech
ETFs
are mixed: Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK), up 0.07%;
iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF (IYW), down 0.2%; iShares
S&P North American Technology ETF (IGM), down 0.2%; and iShares
S&P North American Technology-Software Index (IGV), down
0.46%.
Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) is
down 0.58% and near year lows while Semiconductor Sector Index Fund
(SOXX) is off 0.36%.
SPDR S&P International Technology Sector ETF (IPK) is
flat.
In sector news, Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is up 10% after it
reported in Monday's after hours session a 55.8% year-over-year
rise in Q3 revenues to $31.2 million, beating analyst estimates by
almost $1 million. Non-GAAP net loss for the period was $0.07 a
share, excluding acquisition cost, stock-based compensation and
other items, trailed analyst expectations by a penny.
Industrial -
Industrial ETFs have turned higher in mid-day action: iShares
Trust Dow Jones U.S. Industrial Sector Index Fund (IYJ) up 0.2%;
Select Sector SPDR-Industrial (XLI), up 0.52%; and Vanguard
Industrials (VIS), up 0.32%.
In stocks news, Tronox (TROX) is down 16% and has hit new year
lows after it reported Q3 earnings of $0.21 per share, below the
single analyst estimate of $0.36 on Capital IQ. Revenues were
$487.3 mln, also missing the analyst estimate of $492.8 mln.
Energy -
Dow Jones U.S. Energy Fund (IYE) is up 0.5%; Energy Select
Sector SPDR (XLE) is up 0.76%.
In sector news, ZaZa Energy (ZAZA) is up 25% after the company
earlier reported Q3 earnings of $1.02 per share, on total revenues
of $207.2 mln, which includes oil and gas revenues of $10.2
million. This compares with the Q3 loss of $0.03 on revenues of
$4.4 mln it reported last year.
Commodities -
Crude was down 0.49%; natural gas was up 3.65%. United States
Oil Fund (USO) is down 0.6%. United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
is up 4.3%.
Gold was down 0.12%; silver was up 0.36%. Among rare metal
funds, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) has turned slightly negative; iShares
Silver Trust (SLV) is up 0.7%.
Healthcare -
Healthcare ETFs are hgiher: Health Care SPDR (XLV), up 0.36%;
Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), up 0.39%; and iShares Dow Jones US
Healthcare (IYH), up 0.34%. Biotech ETF iShares NASDAQ
Biotechnology Index (IBB) is up 0.38%.
In corporate news, Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IDIX) are up
7.5% after it presented late yesterday positive safety and
antiviral activity results for its clinical-stage hepatitis C virus
drug candidates - IDX719, a next-generation pan-genotypic NS5A
inhibitor, and IDX184, a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor.
Power Play -
Consumer -
Consumer ETFs are firmer at mid-day: Consumer Staples Select
Sector SPDR (XLP), up 0.49%; iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods
(IYK), up 0.32%; and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), up
0.45%.
Retail ETFs are also in positive territory: SPDR S&P Retail
(XRT), up 0.9%; PowerShares Dynamic Retail (PMR), up 0.40%; and
Market Vectors Retail ETF (RTH), up 0.9% with a new year high of
$44.
In earnings news, Diamond Foods (DMND) shares are now up more
than 10%, adding to earlier gains of some 6%, after the company
said late yesterday that it will release its restated FY10-FY12
results tomorrow.