1:19PM Chrysler's April sales rise 3 percent (DCX) by Tomi Kilgore
Chrysler Group, the U.S. arm of Germany's DaimlerChrysler (DCX), said April sales rose 3 percent over the same period last year to 200,421 units as sales of trucks rose 3 percent to 148,957 units and car sales rose 4 percent to 51,464 units. The automaker added that production remains strong, as 14 of 17 assembly plants are expected to operate at overtime at some point during the second quarter. The stock is slipping 13 cents to $45.47.
1:09PM BMW April U.S. sales rise 20% as Mini adds up (DE:519000) by August Cole
BMW Group said it sold 20 percent more vehicles than last year, with sales of 23,994 for April -- a record month. Of those results, 1,559 were the recently introduced Mini brand, which hasn't been sold in the U.S. in more than three decades.
12:56PM Administaff falls on Q1 losses (ASF) by Tomi Kilgore
Administaff (ASF) is dropping $5.80, or 25 percent, to $17.15 after the personnel management company reported a wider-than-expected first quarter loss amid a lower-than-expected unit growth rate. The company added that its outlook continued to be clouded by weakness in the employment market.
12:44PM Software sector tracker hits 7-mo. low (SWH, MSFT, ORCL) by Tomi Kilgore
The Merrill Lynch Software Holdrs (SWH) is slumping $1.20, or 3.5 percent, to $33, a seven month low, as all 20 of its components see red. Microsoft (MSFT), the sector tracker's most-heavily weighted stock, is sliding 29 cents to $51.97, but has bounced from its intraday low of $50.66. Oracle (ORCL), the sector tracking stock's sixth-most heavily weighted member, is down 9.1 percent at $9.13 and is the group's biggest loser.
12:19PM Ford's April sales fall 7.4 percent (F) by Tomi Kilgore
Ford (F) reported a 7.4-percent decline in April sales to 307,061 units as a 24-percent fall in sales to fleet customers offset flat sales to retail customers. The worst performing brand was Mercury, which saw sales decline 15 percent, while Jaguar was the best performer, with sales increasing 29 percent. The stock is slipping 15 cents to $15.75. |
