Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : the Women of SI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rainy_Day_Woman who wrote (706)	3/31/1999 9:03:00 AM
From: Rainy_Day_Woman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1691

Wednesday March 31, 8:31 am Eastern Time NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are expected to finish out the first quarter on a buoyant note Wednesday, and the benchmark Dow Jones industrial average could move back above 10,000, analysts said. ''We're off to the races,'' said Arthur Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies and Co. ''Everything seems to be on the up and up for the quarter. There are certainly more positive surprises than negative surprises.'' Final fourth-quarter GDP figures are due at 0830 EST/1330 GMT, and February factory orders are expected at 1000 EST/1500 GMT. On Tuesday the Federal Reserve kept interest rates and monetary policy unchanged. Although the Fed decision was widely expected, analysts said it removed some uncertainty from the markets. ''They don't see inflationary pressures. That's the bottom line,'' said Hogan. Oil stocks are expected to get a lift from reports that a proposed merger of BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield is advancing. ''Amoco-BP could give a boost to oil,'' said Peter Cardillo, director of research at Westfalia Investments. The positive scenario could put the Dow back over 10,000. The index closed above that level for the first time on Monday, but dropped 93.52 points on Tuesday. ''We will, between today and tomorrow, go above 10,000,'' Cardillo said. However, the market is faced with some downside news in the semiconductor and tobacco sectors. According to Gartner Group's Dataquest, a market research firm based in San Jose, Calif., total semiconductor sales in 1998 were $134.8 billion, down 8.4 percent from 1997's $147.2 billion. Tobacco stocks were trading lower in London following Tuesday's record damages award against Philip Morris.