Here's where markets stand at mid-day:
-NYSE down 47.81 (-0.58%) to 8,143.01
-DJIA up 0.83 (+0.01%) to 11,838.76
-S&P 500 down 8.16 (-0.63%) to 1,286.82
-Nasdaq down 25.89 (-0.94%) to 2,739.93
GLOBAL SENTIMENT
Hang Seng up 1.1%
Nikkei up 0.36%
FTSE down 1.32%
MID-DAY NYSE INDEX WATCH
NYSE Energy down 0.48% at 13,036.71
NYSE Financial down 0.95% at 5,137.70
NYSE Health Care down 0.36% at 6,589.30
NYSE Arca Tech 100 down 0.71% at 1,133.84
UPSIDE MOVERS
(+) AAPL (+0.60%) continues after-hours gain after easily beats
with Q1 and guides for Q2 above Street.
(+) IBM (+2.9%) continues evening gain that followed upbeat Q4
results, 2011 guidance.
(+) ISPH (+6.0%) upgraded.
(+) ADM (+0.6%) upgraded.
(+) AEO (+2.1%) upgraded.
(+) ATHX (+4.0%) to publish joint study on spinal cord
injury.
DOWNSIDE MOVERS
(-) DSCOD (-1.8%) secures new patent in pulmonary
conditions.
(-) GS (-2.4%) misses with revenue, tops with earnings.
(-) WFC (-1.5%) meets with earnings, beats with revenue.
(-) BK (-1.5%) says Q4 tops year-ago quarter.
(-) USB (-2.9%) beats with Q4 earnings.
(-) CREE (-14.5%) continues evening slide that followed.
(-) DRH (-2.4%) pricing shares.
(-) C (-0.01%) names new COO.
(-) NGLS (-5.1%) selling shares.
MARKET DIRECTION
Stocks are lower at mid-day as earnings reports from several big
financial sector names disappointed investors and weigh on the
broader market. Adding to downward pressure was disappointing
government data on U.S. home construction. Still positive earnings
news from Apple (
AAPL
) and International Business Machines (
IBM
) provided some support.
In the latest economic news, construction of new U.S. homes fell
4.3% to an annualized rate of 529,000 in December, according to
Commerce Department data, a sharper drop than Wall Street
economists expected. But the forward-looking portion of the report
showed building permits jumped 16.7% to an annualized rate of
635,000 in December - the highest level since last March - from a
revised 544,000 in November.
Topping earnings news:
--Shares of Apple (
AAPL
) have backtracked from a session high of $348.60--the highest
52-week level for the stock, after reporting post-bell yesterday
that Q1 net income jumped to $6 billion, or $6.43 a share, compared
with net income of $3.38 billion, or $3.67 a share, last year.
Revenue soared more than 70% to $26.74 billion on strong holiday
sales of the iPhone and iPad. Analysts predicted EPS of $5.40 a
share on revenue of $26.74 billion.
--IBM has risen throughout morning trading after reporting a Q4
profit of $4.18 a share, topping the $4.08 average estimate of
analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Full-year profit this year,
excluding some costs, will be at least $13 a share.
--Shares of Goldman Sachs (
GS
) have come off session lows but remain in red after the investment
bank said before the bell that Q4 sales were $8.64 billion, below
the Thomson Reuters mean for $9 billion. It earned $3.79, ex items.
Estimates were for $3.76 per share.
--AMR (
AMR
) says it lost $0.21 per share, less items, in Q4, better than the
Thomson Reuters mean for a loss of $0.32. Sales were about $5.6
billion, above estimates for $5.56 billion.
--Wells Fargo (
WFC
) is lower as it reports Q4 earnings of $0.61 per share, matching
the analyst consensus on Thomson Reuters. Revenue was $21.5
billion, vs. expectations of $20.98 billion.
--Cree (CREE) is sharply lower after the company reported Q2
revenue of $257 million, below the analyst consensus of $277
million on Thomson Reuters. EPS was $0.55, below expectations of
$0.58 per share. For Q3, the company guides for revenue of $245 to
$265 million and EPS of $0.38 to $0.45 per share. The Street is at
$288 million in revs and earnings of $0.58 per share.
In company news:
Shares of Boston Scientific (BSX) are down after the bio tech
firm announced today that it has entered into a definitive merger
agreement to acquire Atritech, a privately held company based in
Plymouth, Minnesota. Boston Scientific is expected to make an
initial payment of $100 million, and afterward make additional
potential payments of up to $275 million upon achievement of
specified regulatory and revenue-based milestones through 2015.
Pfizer (PFE) shares are flat even as the drug maker inked a pact
with privately-held Theraclone Sciences to discover antibodies
against infectious diseases and cancer, reports Reuters. Pfizer
will use Theraclone's technology test the function of tens of
thousands of natural human antibodies. Theraclone will receive up
to $632 million in research funding and undisclosed royalties on
any products developed in the pact.
Ctigroup (C) announced today that it is appointing John Havens
as president and chief operating officer as part of its plans to
change the company's management structure. Havens, who has been
serving as the CEO of the bank's institutional clients group, will
now be responsible for Citigroup's daily operations. He will report
to CEO Vikram Pandit.
Shares of Comcast (CMCSA) are higher after the cable giant said
it received regulatory clearance from the Federal Communications
Commission and the Department of Justice for its acquisition of NBC
Universal from General Electric (GE). The joint venture will be 51%
owned by Comcast, 49% owned by GE and managed by Comcast. The
transaction is expected to be completed by the end of January.
J. Crew (JCG) shares are lower following news yesterday that the
clothing company agreed to settle a lawsuit over its osed $3
billion takeover by private- equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard
Green & Partners. J. Crew will spend another month seeking
competing offers, Bloomberg noted. J. Crew will also make a $10
million payment to plaintiffs as a part of the agreement.
Shares of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) are trending higher after a
Reuters report the company won a contract to develop the $10
billion Shah sour gas project belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil.
The deal could reportedly make Occidental a leader in high-sulpher
gas production. ConocoPhillips (COP) had pulled out of the project
last April, which left Abu Dhabi National seeking another
partner.
Commodities are mixed. February gold contracts are up $3, or
0.25%, to $1,372 an ounce while February crude oil contacts are
down 0.18%, or $0.16, at $91.21 a barrel.
In energy ETFs, the United States Oil Fund (USO) is up 0.18% to
$38.80 and the United States Natural Gas fund (UNG) is up 2.08% to
$6.12.
In precious metal ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is up 0.36% to
$133.91. Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX) is down 0.5% to $55.53.
iShares Silver Trust (SLV) is up 0.56% to $28.31.