LONDON (ShareCast) - -Labour Dept. revises employment data since July 2010 upwards.
-Fed studying new form of QE -WSJ
-China lambasts new US trade bill.
-Apple TV to go on sale March 16th.

Dow Jones Industrials: 0.59%
Nasdaq Comp.: 0.96%
S&P 500: 0.67%

The main US equity benchmarks are now registering moderate gains, and in the process recovering approximately half of their losses from yesterday’s session. That ahead of this next Friday’s all-important monthly employment report and definitive data on the rate of uptake of the Greek debt exchange.

Of particular interest on the company front, tech giant Apple is holding a press conference to unveil its new products, such as a new version of its iPad and the launch of its own TV.

Telecoms equipment maker Ciena has forecast an improvement in its second half operating profits, but Cypress Semiconductor has warned on its first quarter revenue outlook. The former is leading the gains on the Russell 1000.

Jefferies has downgraded shares of food giant Kraft to hold from buy.

Honeywell has reaffirmed its forecast for first quarter earnings per share.

From a sector stand-point the best performers now are: home construction (3.30%), recreational services (1.95%) and gambling (1.93%).

MACROECONOMY

The US labour Department has revised its estimates for employment since July 2010 upwards.

Private sector employment increased by 216,000 persons in February (Consensus: 208,000).

MBA mortgage applications fell 1.2% in the week ending on the past 2nd of March.

Non-farm productivity grew at a 0.9% pace in the last three months of 2011 (Consensus: 0.8%).

Unit labour costs rose 2.8% in the last quarter of 2011 (Consensus: 1.2%).

OTHER MARKETS

Front month West Texas crude futures are now rising 1.25% to the $106 a barrel level in NYMEX trading.

10-year US Treasuries, on the other hand, are now down by 8/32 dollars with yields at 1.97%.

S&P 500 - Risers
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) $26.84 +6.63%
Tesoro Corp. (TSO) $27.64 +5.54%
CF Industries Holdings Inc. (CF) $177.07 +4.79%
Lennar Corp. Class A (LEN) $23.41 +4.70%
PulteGroup Inc. (PHM) $8.49 +3.98%
LSI Logic Corp. (LSI) $8.40 +3.96%
Metropcs Communications Inc. (PCS) $10.02 +3.83%
D. R. Horton Inc. (DHI) $13.92 +3.45%
Masco Corp. (MAS) $11.43 +3.37%
Comerica Inc. (CMA) $29.50 +3.33%

S&P 500 - Fallers
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $25.70 -6.99%
International Paper Co. (IP) $34.35 -2.22%
Kimberly-Clark Corp. (KMB) $71.33 -1.75%
MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR) $3.67 -1.74%
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) $45.18 -1.53%
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) $41.63 -1.51%
PPL Corp. (PPL) $27.83 -1.49%
Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) $37.76 -1.33%
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PEG) $30.24 -1.24%
Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) $8.49 -1.22%

Dow Jones I.A - Risers
Bank of America Corp. (BAC) $7.90 +2.46%
General Electric Co. (GE) $18.80 +2.05%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $107.98 +1.94%
United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $82.75 +1.67%
JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $39.94 +1.58%
Home Depot Inc. (HD) $47.06 +1.46%
Boeing Co. (BA) $73.48 +1.27%
Alcoa Inc. (AA) $9.59 +1.27%
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) $59.60 +1.08%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $31.89 +1.06%

Dow Jones I.A - Fallers
Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) $37.76 -1.33%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $66.51 -0.49%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $37.26 -0.48%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $68.56 -0.29%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $64.23 -0.19%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $41.95 -0.12%
Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $56.93 -0.11%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $19.47 -0.05%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers
Dish Network Corp. (DISH) $30.98 +4.87%
Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) $35.20 +3.05%
Warner Chilcott Plc (WCRX) $16.21 +2.99%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $27.59 +2.55%
Infosys Technologies Ltd. (INFY) $57.14 +2.47%
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $122.29 +2.44%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $57.41 +2.37%
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MRVL) $14.94 +2.22%
Lam Research Corp. (LRCX) $40.39 +2.15%
Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT) $22.88 +2.14%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $25.70 -6.99%
Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) $45.18 -1.53%
VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) $35.81 -1.09%
CH Robinson Worldwide Inc (CHRW) $64.56 -0.52%
Research in Motion Ltd. (RIMM) $13.06 -0.50%
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (JBHT) $50.35 -0.37%
Expeditors International Of Washington Inc. (EXPD) $43.40 -0.25%
Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) $71.65 -0.24%
Patterson Companies Inc. (PDCO) $30.51 -0.23%
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY) $61.46 -0.09%

AB

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