4:20 pm : A softer than expected read on a closely watched economic report gave buyers a reason to extend the technically-driven momentum that closed Wednesday's indices at multi-year highs. Weakness in technology stocks helped stunt the market's advance, but the Dow and S&P 500 still managed to close at 4 �-year highs. The Nasdaq did not fare so well, and booked a loss.
Last month, the core rate of the Consumer Price Index - which excludes food and energy - rose 0.1%. Economists had expected a 0.2% increase. The report was good news in that was not bad news, and
Chicken Fat? Dark meat chicken, or any chicken eaten with the skin, can have just as much artery-clogging saturated fat as red meat. For the healthiest poultry meal, choose white meat and remove the skin before eating.
More
JESSICA'S DIVA DEMANDS
Jessica Simpson, 25, likes to act clueless, but she can swing her celebrity weight like a pro. According to a studio source, weeks before the press tour for The Dukes of Hazzard began, "we were bombarded with a six-page pamphlet of demands for Jessica from the office of her dad, Joe Simpson." Among Jessica's requests: paid accommodations for her hairstylist and assistant in the same hotel as Jessica; a wardrobe budget estimated in the thousands of dollars; cases of Evian water; and paid private... JEN FREAKS OVER ANGELINA'S NEW BABY JULIA STILES, GWYNETH PALTROW AND MORE!
US upbeat on Iran talks French ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere speaks to the media after a security council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York March 16, 2006. Sabliere and other permanent members of the security council have been meeting this week to discuss Iran and their uranium enrichment activities. REUTERS/Seth Wenig
2:04 pm PT California Micro sees Q4 EPS of $0.07-0.08 vs $0.05 consensus; revs of $16.5-17.5 mln vs $16.8 mln consensus (CAMD) 7.18 +0.25 : Co sees Q4 EPS of $0.07-0.08 vs $0.05 consensus; revs of $16.5-17.5 mln vs $16.8 mln consensus. "In line with our prior Q4 guidance, revenue from mobile handsets is expected to decline sequentially by about 20 percent... In contrast, revenue from personal computers and digital consumer electronics is expected to grow sequentially by 10 percent driven by strong sales of our low capacitance ESD protection ASIP solutions. Not only do we expect our core revenue to be up substantially compared to Q4 of last year, we anticipate that fiscal 2006 revenue, gross margin and net income will all reach record levels. Overall, we are very pleased with the outlook for fiscal 2006." He noted that March quarter bookings and design win activity are currently running well ahead of where they were at the same time last quarter. "Our acquisition of Arques Technology represents a key milestone in the evolution of California Micro Devices and will strengthen both our analog design team and our LED driver product portfolio."�Co noted that the agreement is expected to close early in the June quarter.
1:58 pm PT CYTYC Corp: Studies presented at ASCCP Biennial Meeting demonstrate accuracy and cost-effectiveness of ThinPrep (CYTC) 29.92 -0.04 : Co announced that studies evaluating the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of the ThinPrep Imaging System for cervical cancer screening were presented at the 2006 Biennial Meeting of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Cancer this week in Las Vegas. One study examined the incremental value of high-risk human papillomavirus (H.P.V.) DNA testing in combination with the ThinPrep Imaging System. The second study compared the cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening with the ThinPrep Imaging System compared to various other cervical screening strategies. These studies demonstrate the potential clinical and cost benefits of the ThinPrep Imaging System. "The improved sensitivity of disease detection provided by the ThinPrep Imaging System may lessen the potential value of combining HPV testing with this system of cervical cancer screening."
1:53 pm PT Waste Connections to exit domestic container market (WCN) 39.33 +0.28 : Co announced that it has decided it will withdraw from the domestic intermodal container market by March 31, 2006. The decision to exit this business will negatively impact first quarter pre-tax results by approximately $1.5 million, including approximately $1.0 million related to the write off of assets. Over the last three years, container sales have averaged less than 3.5 percent of annual unit volume and have been one the co's lowest margin products. "It has become increasingly clear that corrugated steel boxes from China and Korea adequately satisfy customer requirements at prices significantly lower than our container offering. As a result, we have decided to focus our efforts on more rewarding opportunities."