TradingMarkets Mid-Day Movers

After yesterday's bullish intraday reversal traders had high hopes for today's session and they weren't disappointed in the early going when the market reacted positively to today's inflation and retail sales data. However, early gains evaporated after the release of industrial production, consumer sentiment and business inventories data. The major averages are now trading slightly higher a small rally in the past 30-minutes.

Sept. CPI +1.2%, Core CPI + 0.1%.
Sept. Retail Sales +0.2%, Ex Autos +1.1%.
Sept. Industrial Production -1.3%
Oct. Consumer Sentiment 75.4
Aug. Business Inventories +0.4%

The decline in industrial production was the steepest fall in 23-years.

US treasuries are slightly higher and the US Dollar Index is trading slightly lower. Energy prices are falling across the board.

Stocks On The Move

Stanley Works (SWK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) raised its guidance for the third quarter, saying it now expects a profit of $0.88-$0.90 per share. Previously, the tool maker had predicted a profit of $0.78-$0.80 per share. The company attributed its new guidance to favorable organic sales volume due to strong demand from home center and mass merchant customers in the Americas and improved sales performance in its Security Solutions business.

BB&T (BBT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) released results for the third quarter, reporting earnings for the period of $0.80 per share. This topped last year's mark of $0.74 per share and beat the expectation of Wall Street analysts, which called for a profit of $0.77 per share.

Not all the earnings news has been positive, however. Boston Scientific (BSX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported a third-quarter profit of $0.42 per share, excluding special items, down from $0.47 per share in the same period last year. Wall Street analysts had expected a profit of $0.44 per share. The company also gave disappointing guidance for the fourth quarter, predicting $0.40-$0.44 per share compared to analysts' consensus of $0.47 per share.

JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced a profit for the third quarter of $0.25 per share, including a charge of $0.10 per share for an arbitration settlement. This compared to a profit of $0.29 per share in the same period last year. Total operating revenue for the quarter came in at $801 million, the company said, up from $719 million in the same period last year.

In non-earnings news, Electronic Arts (ERTS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) revealed that it has signed an agreement for acclaimed director Steven Spielberg to collaborate with the company on the development of 3 original video games. Spielberg will be given offices at the company's facilities, Electronic Arts reported, and work with developers on the games. Financial terms were not disclosed.  

Charlotte Russe (CHIC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is one of the biggest percentage gainers in the early going after it raised its fourth-quarter earnings guidance. The stock is currently up $2.60, or 18%.

Guidance is sending shares of Waters (WAT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) in the opposite direction. The stock is one of the morning's worst performers, as a third-quarter earnings warning is sparking a decline of nearly $5, or 12%.
 

Ashton Dorkins
ashtond@tradingmarkets.com