Stocks got a leg up Thursday as investors, faced with mixed economic
data, focused more on the good news — strong home sales — and shrugged
off the bad — higher-than-expected initial jobless claims.
Pending home sales jumped by a much-better-than-expected 4% in March.
Economists had expected a 0.5% gain. New jobless claims fell 1,000 to a
seasonally adjusted 388,000 last week, worse than forecasts for
375,000.
The Dow Jones industrial average added 0.9%, while the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 each gained 0.7%.
Volume climbed 5% on the Nasdaq but fell 4% on the NYSE, according to preliminary data.
Equinix (EQIX)
surged 13% in fast turnover. Late Wednesday, the provider of
high-performance data centers said first-quarter EPS increased 34% to 71
cents, crushing forecasts for 49 cents. Revenue grew 25% to $452
million. The stock has rebounded off its 10-week moving average to a new
high after making its first pullback to that level since a breakout in
January.
Texas Capital Bancshares (TCBI)
jumped 7% in fast trade, clearing a 36.71 buy point from a square-box
base. The regional bank said quarterly EPS climbed 126% to 70 cents,
beating views, as sales rose 32% to $102 million. It also scored an
upgrade to buy from Sterne Agee.
SolarWinds (SWI)
shot up 20% in huge turnover after gapping above its 50-day line to an
all-time high. The software maker said quarterly EPS grew 43% to 30
cents, topping forecasts and accelerating from a 21% jump in the fourth
quarter of 2011. Revenue, including acquisitions, jumped 39% to $59.7
million. SolarWinds has lifted off support at its 10-week moving
average.
O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY)
leapt 6% in strong volume and notched a new high before giving up some
gains. The car parts retailer said quarterly EPS gained 37% to $1.14,
ahead of estimates, as revenue jumped 11% to $1.5 billion. Its guidance
was roughly in line. The stock hit a new high early Thursday, but has
given up gains. It's well-extended past its last buying range.
But Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS)
fell 7% despite topping views. Before the open, the maker of skin care
products reported that its Q1 profit climbed 32% to 74 cents a share vs.
expectations of 70 cents. Revenue grew 17% to $462 million, also above
estimates. But Nu Skin sees Q2 earnings coming in at 79 cents to 83
cents a share, below expectations of 85 cents.
Celgene (CELG)
gapped below its 50-day moving average and dropped 5% after reporting
disappointing Q1 results. The biotech earned $1.08 a share, up 30% from a
year ago. But it missed views by a nickel. Sales rose 13% to $1.27
billion, below expectations and the smallest increase in 11 quarters. It
was also the fourth straight quarter of sales growth deceleration.
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