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Markets & Stocks
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Stocks to watch Tuesday
Trading will be less active due to the shortened holiday week, but some will focus on economic data.
December 22, 2003: 6:34 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Trading was somewhat choppy on Monday, but volume will be lighter on Tuesday as many investors get an early start on the Christmas holiday.

On Monday, the Dow Jones industrial average ended up 59.78 points, or 0.6 percent, at 10,338, its highest close since May 17, 2002. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index added 4.28 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,092.94, its highest finish since May 23, 2002. The technology-laced Nasdaq index gained 4.78 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,955.80.

Trading on the New York Stock Exchange was volatile, but volume is expected to turn less active in coming days as the nation's work force tacks on a few extra days to its holiday time this week, which includes Hanukkah and Christmas.

The stock market will shut early, at 1 p.m. ET, on Wednesday for Christmas Eve, remain closed for Christmas Day on Thursday, and shut early again at 1 p.m. on Friday.

In after-hours trading Monday, shares of Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM: Research, Estimates), maker of the BlackBerry handheld e-mail device, jumped after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings.

Shares of RIM jumped as high as $54.70 on Instinet and then retraced a bit to $52.65, still up sharply from their Nasdaq close at $46.10.

After the close, RIM reported third-quarter earnings of $16.3 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a year-ago loss of $92.8 million, or $1.21 per share. The results beat Wall Street's average forecast. RIM also said revenue for the quarter more than doubled to $153.9 million from $74.2 million.

Metrologic Instruments (MTLG: Research, Estimates) also climbed after the close, when the company raised its guidance for fourth quarter earnings and sales.

Shares of Metrologic, a bar code company, rose to $28 on Instinet, up from their close of $25.54 on the Nasdaq.

Metrologic said it raised its fourth-quarter profit and sales forecasts partly because its earlier estimate didn't include a contract award from a major retailer.

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Metrologic pegged fourth-quarter net income at 16 cents to 18 cents per share, on sales of $38.5 million to $39.5 million.

Its previous estimate called for fourth-quarter net income of 12 cents to 14 cents a share, on sales of $35 million to $36 million.

On Tuesday, the government will release data on monthly personal income and consumption, and its final quarterly reading on gross domestic product. The University of Michigan will also release its consumer sentiment gauge for December.

The report on personal income and spending data for November will be out before the opening bell, and economists expect the increase to be 0.4 percent, holding steady from October's 0.4 percent rise, but forecast that spending jumped 0.7 percent after a flat reading in the prior month.

Economists expect the final reading on economic growth in the third quarter, also due before the open, to come in at 8.2 percent, unchanged from the prior reading.

Scheduled for release just after the start of trading is the University of Michigan's revised reading on consumer sentiment, which is expected to rise to 91.0 from an earlier reading of 89.6.  Top of page




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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.