Friday Options Recap

By Frederic Ruffy: Earnings news is driving mixed trading. Microsoft (MSFT), IBM and Intel (INTC) are leading the Dow Jones Industrial Average to higher ground following a round of better-than-expected earnings results.

By Frederic Ruffy: Stocks are trading decidedly mixed, with not much new information to guide the market action on expiration Friday. The List of Leading Economic Indicators, which rose .9 percent in October and .3 percent more than expected, is the only economic stat on the calendar today. Meanwhile, the euro has added .4 percent on the buck and equity markets finished mixed in a quiet day of market action across the Eurozone.

By Frederic Ruffy: Sentiment

Frederic Ruffy submits: SentimentThe major averages are modestly higher on a relatively slow day of trading Friday. The table was set for early losses on Wall Street after the latest Gross Domestic Product report showed the US economy growing at a 2.7 percent annual rate in the first quarter, which was less than the 3 percent that economists had forecast.

Frederic Ruffy submits: SentimentStocks are holding modest gains on a very slow news day. With no earnings or economic data to drive the morning trading Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average traded quietly in morning action and was up 25 points midday. From there, the action remained uneventful despite the quadruple witch options expiration. Gold is getting some attention as the yellow metal rallies to record levels near $1260 an ounce. Crude oil has also recovered losses and is up 45 cents to $77.24 a barrel.

Frederic Ruffy submits: SentimentMajor averages are sporting modest losses, but are well off session lows heading into the final hour of trading Thursday. A barrage of economic data was in focus early. Weekly jobless claims for Jan 15, 2011 declined by 37,000 to 404,000. Economists were looking for a drop to 425,000.

Frederic Ruffy submits: Sentiment Stocks slumped on mixed jobs data and renewed worries about European debt problems Friday. Market action was sluggish early after the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in December, which was considerably less than the 150,000 increase that economists had expected.

Frederic Ruffy submits: SentimentMajor averages have given up early gains and are trading lower late-Monday. The tone of morning trading was positive despite mixed economic news. A report released before the opening bell showed personal incomes falling .1 percent and spending up .2 percent in September. Economists were looking for increases of .2 percent and .4 percent, respectively.