JC Penney profit beats, sees sales rise; shares up (Reuters)
Department store operator J.C. Penney Co Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit and said same-store sales would improve during 2010, sending its shares up nearly 7 percent.
Sector Snap: Airline stocks rise slightly (AP)
U.S. airline shares rose slightly on Friday as oil prices fell. Oil was down near $78 a barrel after the Federal Reserve's unexpected interest rate hike for emergency loans to banks.
Smith International's shares jump on merger report (AP)
Shares of Smith International Inc. jumped Friday after The Wall Street Journal reported Schlumberger Ltd. is in advanced talks to acquire the Houston oil services company.
Philadelphia, where rogue traders dare not tread (Reuters)
An office building that sits atop an upscale shopping mall in downtown Philadelphia is not the sort of place that would ordinarily strike fear into the hearts of bad guys on Wall Street.
Dell 4Q profit edges down 5 percent; stock falls (AP)
Dell Inc. said Thursday its net income fell 5 percent in the last quarter despite early signs that businesses may be starting to buy new computers again.
Ahead of the Bell: Consumer Prices (AP)
Consumer prices likely posted a moderate increase in January, pushed higher by a spike in energy costs. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in January following a 0.1 percent increase in December.
Dell margins miss Street view, shares fall (Reuters)
Dell Inc's quarterly gross margin missed Wall Street expectations, hurt by sales of lower-priced personal computers for consumers and a rise in costs for memory chips and other components.
Eclipsys posts higher 4Q profit, sales; shares up (AP)
Health care software maker Eclipsys Corp. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit increased as revenue climbed above expectations, sending shares higher in after-hours trading.
Dell 4Q profit edges down 6 percent; stock falls (AP)
Dell Inc. said Thursday its net income fell 6 percent in the last quarter despite early signs that businesses may be starting to buy new computers again.
Summary Box: Stocks gain again on manufacturing (AP)
WHAT DID THE MARKET LIKE: The Philadelphia Federal Reserve said its index of regional manufacturing rose more than analysts had expected in January.