Here's where markets stand at mid-day:
-NYSE down 3.95 (-0.06%) to 7,778.52
-DJIA down 21 (-0.18%) to 11,413.84
-S&P 500 up 1.18 (+0.11%) to 1,222.41
-Nasdaq down 6.04 (-0.24%) to 2,571.31
GLOBAL SENTIMENT
Hang Seng up 1.39%
Nikkei up 2.86%
FTSE up 0.04%
MID-DAY NYSE INDEX WATCH
NYSE Energy down 0.37% at 11,787.55
NYSE Financial up 0.45% at 4,968.41
NYSE Health Care down 0.51% at 6,509.34
NYSE Arca Tech 100 down 0.04% at 1,045.34
UPSIDE MOVERS
(+) JAZZ (+12.7%) continues evening jump that followed
convincing earnings, guidance beat.
(+) SBUX (+4.2%) continues firmer trading after earnings beat,
guidance that straddles Street view.
(+) LVS (+3.3%) gets favorable analyst coverage.
(+) BEBE (+11.5%) upgraded.
(+) STT (+2.5%) upgraded.
(+) BZH (+4.9%) swings to loss.
DOWNSIDE MOVERS
(-) RRGB (-11.2%) continues evening decline seen after earnings
miss, pulled guidance.
(-) CROX (-4.5%) turns lower after initial evening gain followed
earnings beat.
(-) AMKR (-9.8%) continues evening slide that followed
disappointing results, guidance.
(-) YRCW (-12.4%) reports wider-than-expected loss.
(-) LLNW (-7.3%) down despite earnings beat.
(-) NTRS (-0.23%) down as Goldman strips Conviction Buy
rating.
(-) AIG (-1.2%) swings to loss.
(-) TM (-0.11%) boosts profit forecast.
MARKET DIRECTION
Despite early positive sentiment thanks to a
better-than-expected jobs report, stocks have moved into mixed
territory at mid-day as investors try to read the tea leaves on the
economy in the latest jobs data.
Before the bell, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that
non-farm payroll gains totaled 151,000, more than double the 70,000
gain expected. Private-sector employment gained 159,000. The
jobless rate held at 9.6%.
The unemployment rate has stayed above 9% since May of
2009--just before the recession officially ended, according to
MarketWatch.
Past-months' readings were also revised up. The payrolls count
in August and September was revised higher by a cumulative 110,000.
Payrolls fell a revised 1,000 in August, instead of a 57,000 drop,
and by 41,000 in September, instead of a 95,000 decline. Average
hourly earnings increased 5 cents, or 0.2% to $22.73.
Profit-taking also likely contributed to the decline in the
major indexes a day after the DJIA ended at its highest point since
just before Lehman Bros. filed for bankruptcy in September 2008,
widely seen as the pivotal event of the financial sector
collapse.
In company news, Bank of America Corp. (
BAC
) and Citigroup (
C
) are looking at whether they will allow their employees to use
Apple's (
AAPL
) iPhone as a business phone and alternative to Research in
Motion's (
RIMM
) BlackBerry, Bloomberg reported. The bank's are currently testing
software for the iphone to make sure it is secure enough for
company messages, the report says. The move by BofA and Citi are a
sign that RIM may be losing its grip on the corporate mobile phone
market, the report said.
American International Group (
AIG
) said it expects to finish the sale of its Taiwan life-insurance
unit within a year as the company is divesting assets to pay back
the U.S. bailout of the firm. AIG had earlier said it would look at
scaling back the company's operations after a deal to divest it
fell apart in September, but the company said in a statement today
that it believes a sale will be completed in six months, the report
said.
BHP Billiton (
BHP
), the largest mining company in the world, is higher as momentum
established yesterday continues. Yesterday shares soared after the
Canadian government rejected the company's $39 hostile bid to
acquire Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (
POT
). Traders are viewing this action as favorable for BHP shares as
an acquisition of such immense size is seen as risky.
Fablyn, a bone drug from Pfizer (
PFE
) that did not win approve from U.S. regulators due to safety
questions, reportedlt reduced the risk of breast cancer and
fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Bloomberg
reported. According to the report, women taking the medicine had a
79% lower chance of breast cancer compared with those on placebo,
the report said. Meanwhile, Pfizer leads a race against three
rivals to sell the first new pill for rheumatoid arthritis in 10
years, according to another Bloomberg report.
BP plc (
BP
) shares gained in London trading by the close of trading there
Friday on talk that Exxon Mobil (
XOM
) was considering a bid for the oil company, Reuters reported. BP
ADRs are trading lower at the NYSE while Exxon is logging gains. BP
declined to comment on the rumor. A spokesman for Exxon said it is
"not our practice to comment on market speculation, rumors or media
reports," the report said.
Shareholder advisory firm ISS is recommending that shareholders
of Barnes & Noble (
BKS
) renew its anti-takeover poison pill when the bookstore chain
holds a special meeting on Nov. 17, Reuters reported. The poison
pill was originally adopted last year after shareholder Ron Burkle
doubled his stake within a matter of days, the report said.
Coca-Cola Co. (
KO
) shares are lower following Thursday news the soft drink maker hit
the market with its largest debt offering ever of $4.5 billion,
including a three-year tranche at one of the lowest interest rate
in high-grade corporate bonds, Reuters reported. The company is
looking to shorten the average length of time to maturity its debt
holds, the report said.
In the latest earnings news:
--Washington Post (
WPO
) shares are higher after the company said it earned $9.12 per
share from continuing operations in Q3, above the Thomson Reuters
mean for $4.44. Sales were $1.1897 billion, versus estimates for
$1.26317 billion. The results came from gains at its
higher-education unit, which is receiving government scrutiny. The
company also saw a pickup in advertising revenues at its newspaper
business.
--Starbucks (
SBUX
) is higher after reporting fourth quarter earnings of 37 cents per
share, better than the 32-cent expectation. Same-store sales for
the quarter rose an impressive 8%. The company also raised its
guidance for 2011 profit to $1.41 to $1.47 per share versus the
current $1.43 consensus.
--DexCom (
DXCM
) is down after it said late Thursday total Q3 sales were $11.7
million, below the Thomson Reuters mean for $13.2 million. Net loss
was $0.23 per share. Less items, the loss was $0.22 per share,
wider than the mean Bloomberg estimate.
--Activision Blizzard Inc (
ATVI
) is higher after the video game maker reported
better-than-expected third quarter results. The company also raised
its full-year outlook as sales for titles such as World of Warcraft
and StarCraft II surged.
Commodities are mixed. December gold contracts are up $9, or
0.58%, to $1,391 an ounce while December crude contacts are down
0.31%, or $0.28, at $86.21 a barrel.
In energy ETFs, the United States Oil Fund (
USO
) is down 0.6% to $37.27 and the United States Natural Gas fund (
UNG
) is down 0.72% to $5.55.
In precious metal ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (
GLD
) is down 0.28% to $135.65. Market Vectors Gold Miners (
GDX
) is down 0.37% to $59.81. iShares Silver Trust (
SLV
) is up 0.94% to $25.91.