Active broad-market exchange-traded funds:
SPDR S&P 500 (
SPY
): -0.53%
PowerShares QQQ Trust, Series 1 (
QQQ
): -0.29%
Financial Select Sector SPDR (
XLF
): -0.9%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (
EEM
): -0.86%
iShares Russell 2000 Index (
IWM
): -1.1%
Broad Market Indicators
Broad-market exchange-traded funds, including SPY, IWM, IVV and
others, are weaker. Actively traded PowerShares QQQ (
QQQ
) is down 0.29%.
U.S. stocks have slipped into the red, erasing earlier gains, as
focus once again turns to Washington's efforts to reach a deal to
prevent the 'fiscal cliff'. President Obama is set to meet with
corporate executives and hold a press conference later today, while
his meeting with congressional leaders to discuss the budget will
take place on Friday. Also weighing on stocks is lackluster
economic data released earlier: October retail sales dipped 0.3%
and October producer prices declined 0.2%; on the other hand,
September business inventories increased 0.7%, slightly above
expectations. Investors are also awaiting the minutes of the latest
Federal Open Market Committee meeting, due for release at 2 p.m.
ET, for potential clues on whether the Fed will continue buying
government bonds.
Winners and Losers
Financial -
Select Financial Sector SPDRs (
XLF
) is down 0.8%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X shares (FAS) is
down 2.5%. Its bearish counterpart, FAZ, is up 2.5%.
Among financial actives, Citigroup Inc. (C) is now down 0.55%.
Earlier, Trillium Asset Management LLC, on behalf of the
Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, along with the AFSCME
Employees Pension Plan filed a shareholder proposal asking Citi's
board of directors to explore a possible separation of one or more
of its business units.
Technology -
Tech
ETFs
are mixed at mid-day: Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK),
slightly lower; iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF (IYW), lost
most gains but still up 0.1%; iShares S&P North American
Technology ETF (IGM), down 0.23%; and iShares S&P North
American Technology-Software Index (IGV), now down.
Among semiconductor ETFs, SPDR S&P Semiconductor (XSD) is
down 0.12%; and Semiconductor Sector Index Fund (SOXX) is down
0.44%.
SPDR S&P International Technology Sector ETF (IPK) is
flat.
In sector news, Facebook (FB) shares have rallied 10% just as
another 804 million shares held by early investors became eligible
for sale.
Industrial -
Industrial ETFs are in negative territory: Vanguard Industrials
(VIS), down 0.74%; iShares Trust Dow Jones U.S. Industrial Sector
Index Fund (IYJ), down 0.67%; and Select Sector SPDR-Industrial
(XLI), down 1%.
Among stocks, Woodward (WWD) is up 12% after it reported late
Tuesday Q4 earnings of $0.66 per share, ex one-time items, versus
the Capital IQ consensus of $0.8. Revenues were $528.7 mln, versus
the analyst estimate of $531.79 mln. The company expects FY13 EPS
of $2.15 - $2.35 on revenues of $1.85 bln - $2.00 bln. The Street
view is $2.31 EPS on revenues of $1.99 bln.
Energy -
Dow Jones U.S. Energy Fund (IYE) is down 0.25%; Energy Select
Sector SPDR (XLE) is down 0.22%.
In sector news, ConocoPhillips (COP) has been awarded as the
Apparent High Bidder on Block 749 in Alaska's North Slope Areawide
2012W Lease Sale, with a bid of $171.93 per acre. The purchased
block is immediately adjacent to Royale Energy's (ROYL) Block 613,
part of 33,736 acres in the ROYL's Colville River holdings and part
of the overall 91,060 acre holdings on state acreage on the North
Slope. ROYL's overall average cost per acre is $27.21 and the cost
of block 613 was $20.10 per acre. COP shares are off 0.25% while
ROYL shares are up 13%.
Commodities -
Crude was up 0.94%; likewise, natural gas was up 1.43%. United
States Oil Fund (USO) is up 1.3%. United States Natural Gas Fund
(UNG) is up 1%.
Gold and silver were firmer, up 0.33% and 0.73% respectively.
Among rare metal funds, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is up 0.4%; iShares
Silver Trust (SLV) is up 1.3%.
Healthcare -
Healthcare ETFs are weaker: Health Care SPDR (XLV), down 0.6%;
Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), down 0.7%; and iShares Dow Jones US
Healthcare (IYH), down 0.88%. Biotech ETF iShares NASDAQ
Biotechnology Index (IBB) is down 1.39%.
In corporate news, Kips Bay Medical (KIPS) is down 11% after it
reported late Tuesday a Q3 net loss of $1.4 million compared with
the prior-year period's $1.2 million. On a per share basis, Q3 loss
of $0.08 per share was unchanged from the comparable quarter last
year. Revenues were $89,000, up from zero in the same period last
year.
Power Play -
Consumer -
Consumer ETFs are mixed: Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR
(XLP), down 0.33%; iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods (IYK), down
0.6%; and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC), down 0.36%.
Retail ETFs are mostly lower: SPDR S&P Retail (XRT), down
0.10%; PowerShares Dynamic Retail (PMR), down 0.44%; and Market
Vectors Retail ETF (RTH), now down 0.2%, but touched a new year
high of $43.93 earlier.
In sector news, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) is steady higher,
up near 28% after reporting Q3 EPS of $0.87, up from $0.57 per
share in they year ago quarter. Sales were $1.17 bln, up from
$1.076 bln last year. The analyst consensus was $0.59 per share in
earnings on sales of $1.14 bln, according to Capital IQ. For the
full year, the company is projecting earnings in the range of $2.85
to $3.00 per share. The Street view is $2.49 per share.