FedEx (FDX) and Housing Boost Indexes

The indexes have regained their positive trends according the technical indicators on ClearStation.com. Today saw good news in the form of housing starts coming in better than expected (330,000 v. 310,000 expected) and FedEx (FDX) giving a current quarter and current year estimate that was better than the provided just 6 weeks ago. FedEx stock gained 5.6% today while United Parcel Service (UPS) also gained, up close to 2%.

The official figures for Microsoft's fourth quarter of 2010 are out which is 16.04 billion US Dollars. With the announcement by Apple last Tuesday, it was expected in several quarters of the country that Apple would over take Microsoft in the net revenue generation and that would be the first time in the recent history. But Microsoft proved most of them wrong. Though Apple had reported 15.7 billion US Dollar last quarter, Microsoft crossed that with ease at 16.04 billion US dollar.

Apple Inc (APPL) Has a Record Quarter

The analysts were telling us that the quarter coming from Apple Inc would be very good with their regular increases in earnings estimates but the street was surprised at how good the quarter turned out to be. For the third quarter ending in June, Apple reported revenue of $15.7 billion and a profit of $3.25 billion. This beat street estimates by 12.5%. The company’s fifth quarter in a row of surprising to the upside on earnings.

The popularity of Apple products is increasing everyday. With the release of the iPhone 4 from At&t the demand is now higher than ever to have this fancy cell phone. However, news broke that there was a slight defect in its network. Apparently there is a limit on the amount of data uploads in certain areas. Users will now have to wait longer to send video, pictures, and other content.

Goldman Sachs Groups and Morgan Stanley have earned billions in profits utilizing fixed income trade procedures over past year or so, but this engine of profits may be stalling in the 2nd quarter as turbulence comes to bond markets.

Earnings estimates for these two investment banking firms have been slashed by analysts recently, due to misgivings regarding fixed income trades, and also merger advisory revenues and stock trades. The two banking firms are due to give reports of their results at the end of this month.

Markets Move Higher Looking Forward to Earnings Season

According to an article today by the NY Times, the American recovery is in full affect for US corporations and the upcoming earnings season should display some of this good news throughout business sectors. Profits among businesses in America will be some of the best numbers ever seen according to the news source. This positive feeling about corporate profits has already has brought the major indexes out of a downward movement and into a short-term rally. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has bounced off a nine month low of 9595 up to 10225 over the past week.