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Technology Stocks : Semi Equipment Analysis -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Return to Sender who wrote (13514)	2/23/2004 3:02:47 PM
From: willcousa	Respond to of 95765

Or does what we are seeing is the market being manipulated downward with no real concern - just blowing out some options in Feb and Mar and setting up an institutional buying opportunity? Many of the funds are so large now that they cannot come into the market to accumulate in a big way but must hide their buys and make a lot of small purchases over a period of time. I am not implying anything here - I just know that the funds have a lot of cash they have to employ and there is no panic in regard to the relentless downdraft. The analysts seem to be waying in in such a way that it helps push things down but I doubt institutions would listen to analysts who seem so off base. Will

To: Return to Sender who wrote (13514)	2/23/2004 3:03:00 PM
From: The Ox	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 95765

I think it's mostly profit taking. The smaller cap stocks appear to have been specifically targeted, since they don't have as much buying support and the 20% drops came as a big surprise based on the news. I think it appears worse then it is in light of the AMAT report. One would think that the good news should support the sector, instead it was part of the triggering mechanism. Personally, I think we are just seeing sell-on-news after a big run but like you said, RtS, only time will tell if there's something worse on the horizon that the market is anticipating. I've read and heard a number of conspiracy theories about the market, most specifically the presidential race (the Dems have targeted the market for a drop) and few other "left field" reasons why we are selling off right now. Most seem pretty far fetched to this observer.