U.S. Stocks Rally, Dow Tops 9,000 for First Time Since January

By Matt Townsend (Bloomberg)



July 23 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rose, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 9,000 for the first time since January, as EBay Inc., Ford Motor Co. and AT&T Inc. posted better-than-estimated results and home resales increased more than forecast.

EBay rallied 9.7 percent as its earnings signaled consumers’ appetite for online commerce is starting to recover. Ford jumped 9.9 percent after topping analyst estimates by paring expenses and adding market share. AT&T added 3.2 percent as new customers of Apple Inc.’s iPhone bolstered profit. D.R. Horton Inc. led homebuilders higher after sales of existing homes increased for a third straight month.

The S&P 500 advanced 2.3 percent to 975.64 at 11:41 a.m. in New York, the highest intraday level since Nov. 5. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 181.98 points, or 2.1 percent, to 9,063.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index surged 2.3 percent for a 12th straight gain, its longest streak since 1992. Benchmark indexes for Asia and Europe also rose.

“It’s been a good earnings season, given the backdrop that was there,” said Sarah Hunt, a money manager who helps oversee about $6 billion for Purchase New York-based Alpine Mutual Funds. “When you look at some of the estimates, they are expecting a better second half.”

The S&P 500 has rallied 10 percent since July 10 as earnings topped analysts’ estimates at 75 percent of the 158 companies in the index that reported results, including Caterpillar Inc., Intel Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Profits have fallen 25 percent on average from a year ago, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, less than the 33 percent drop forecast by analysts as of July 17.

‘Doing Well’

“Relative to the estimates, it looks like they are doing well,” said Stephen Wood, who helps manage $136 billion as chief market strategist for North America at Russell Investments in New York. “Part of that is an expectations game. Analyst estimates tend to lag, so some of that is a catch-up.”

EBay climbed 9.7 percent to $21.34 as the company forecast revenue in the next three months will be $2.05 billion to $2.15 billion. Analysts had estimated $2 billion.

Ford increased 9.9 percent to $7.01. The only major automaker to shun a U.S. rescue reported a second-quarter loss, excluding some items, of 21 cents a share. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg was for a loss of 50 cents.

“Ford looks like it’s improving its balance sheet, and its cash position looks pretty good,” said Hayes Miller, who helps manage $38 billion at Baring Asset Management Inc. in Boston. “Not only do we not have a potential for bankruptcy, but it looks like it’s improving itself at a quicker pace than Chrysler and GM.”

AT&T Climbs

AT&T added 3.2 percent to $25.64 after reporting second- quarter earnings, excluding some items of 54 cents a share, beating the average analyst estimate by 5.3 percent.

All 13 companies in a gauge of homebuilders advanced after sales of existing U.S. homes rose 3.6 percent in June to an annual rate of 4.89 million, the National Association of Realtors said in Washington. Economists in a survey had forecast an increase of 1.5 percent.

3M Co. gained 6.1 percent to $68.62, the biggest advance in the Dow, after the maker of Post-it Notes and Scotch Tape reported second-quarter profit excluding some items of $1.20 a share, beating the average analyst estimate by 28 percent. The company also raised its 2009 earnings forecast.

Fifth Third Bancorp, Ohio’s largest lender, gained 15 percent to $8.07 after reporting second-quarter earnings of $1.15 a share, compared with a loss of 37 cents a share a year earlier.

McDonald’s, Qualcomm Slump

McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant company, sank 4.3 percent to $56.33, the biggest drop in four months. Second-quarter revenue declined more than analysts projected on slowing consumer demand and a stronger U.S. dollar.

Qualcomm Inc. declined 4.2 percent to $46.41 after the company forecast fourth-quarter sales that fell short of some analysts’ estimates, raising concern that handset demand is still slowing. Separately, South Korea’s antitrust regulator said it plans to fine the world’s biggest maker of mobile-phone chips a record 260 billion won ($208 million) for anti- competitive practices.

CIT Group Inc. slid 17 percent to 72 cents. Advisers to bondholders that rescued CIT with a $3 billion loan said creditors should push the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a debt swap next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.