Equities Update: Marking Time

4:21 PM, Jan 7, 2010 --

• NYSE up 16.13 (0.2%) to 7,393.83.
• DJIA up 33.18 (0.3%) to 10,607.
• S&P 500 up 4.5 (0.4%) to 1,142.
• Nasdaq down 1 (0.1%) to 2,300.

GLOBAL SENTIMENT

• Hang Seng down 0.66%
• Nikkei down 0.46%
• FTSE down 0.066%

UPSIDE MOVERS

(+) BAC gets analyst upgrade.

(+) BZH is active; prices shares but gains with broader sector on Lennar (LEN) results.

(+) LEN posts year-over-year gain in new orders, swings to Q4 profit

(+) ONT gets increased bid from Google (GOOG).

(+) VVUS reports positive Qnexa study.

(+) SHLD guides for Q4 EPS beat.

(+) TJX hikes earnings view after Dec. sales results.

(+) BBBY continues evening climb that followed earnings, guidance beat.

(+) PLCE gains after comparable sales figures.

DOWNSIDE MOVERS

(-) GPS swings to positive Dec. sales.

(-) AA gets analyst downgrade.

(-) GME down after issuing disappointing holiday results.

(-) JCP says Dec. same-store sales down 3.8%.

MARKET DIRECTION

Stocks end a mixed and choppy session mostly higher ahead of Friday's much-anticipated December jobs report. Gains for GE (GE) were enough to give the blue-chip DJIA a late boost, finishing up 0.3%. The Nasdaq ends down 0.1%. The S&P 500 ends up 0.4%.

Stock investors are eyeing a firming dollar and the likely market-moving December jobs report due Friday morning.

Ahead of that report, the government reported a slight rise in weekly claims for unemployment benefits Thursday, though the increase was less than expected and comes after two weeks of steep declines.

December retail sales reports were mostly better than expected and retail stocks gained.

Homebuilder Lennar (LEN) jumped sharply after it said orders rose during its fiscal fourth quarter for the first time in more than three years. Buyers were taking advantage of lower prices and federal tax credits. The company also reported a profit as it benefited from an income tax adjustment.

The dollar gained as China interest-rate jitters depressed global currencies. Gold fell for the first session in five.

Crude oil futures ended 0.6% lower Thursday, breaking a 10-session winning streak. February crude finished at $82.66 a barrel, down 52 cents, or 0.6%. Natural gas for February delivery settled at $5.806 per million British thermal units, off 20 cents, or 3.4%.