Wells Fargo, Thermo Fisher, Hershey, eBay, Steve Madden are big market movers Thursday

July 24th, 2009 Microsoft, Hershey, Arch Coal are big moversNEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Friday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: Hershey Co., down 83 cents at $40.97 An analyst upgraded the candy maker on renewed advertising and sales efforts, while another analyst downgraded it on its stock price. Arch Coal Inc., up $1.27 at $18.14 Arch Coal slumped to a second-quarter loss much larger than expected, citing a 20 percent drop in sales and production cutbacks.

July 23rd, 2009 Ford, Safeway, EMC, Fifth Third are big moversNEW YORK — Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: Ford Motor Co., up 60 cents at $6.98 The country's No. 2 automaker posted an unexpected second-quarter $2.3 billion profit because of debt reductions and labor cost cuts.

September 9th, 2009 EBay, McDonald's, Capital 1, Apple big moversNEW YORK — The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: McDonald's Corp., down $1.13 at $55.09 Sales at established restaurants grew the smallest amount since February at the world's largest fast-food chain. Capital One Financial Corp., up $2.03 at $37.47 A Citigroup analyst upgraded the credit card issuer, saying credit losses should improve as the worst of its charge-offs are over.

September 1st, 2009 Bank of America, MetLife, EBay are big moversNEW YORK — The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange: NYSE: Bank of America Corp., down $1.13 at $16.46 The bank is looking to pay back some of the billions in federal bailout aid it has received, according to a published report. MetLife Inc., down $2.79 at $34.97 A Raymond James analyst downgraded the insurer to "Market Perform" from "Strong Buy," citing the company's overvalued stock price.

July 22nd, 2009 Mixed earnings put brakes on stock market rallyNEW YORK — Investors aren't giving up on the stock market's rally, but they're not making big bets either. Stocks ended a quiet day mixed Wednesday as traders were hesitant to commit more money to the market after a weeklong surge.

April 23rd, 2009 Stocks end higher after shaky day of tradingNEW YORK — About halfway through first-quarter earnings reports, Wall Street still isn't sure where the economy is headed. The Dow Jones industrials are closing with a gain of about 71 points, or 0.9 percent, but only after another shaky, back-and-forth day of trading.

October 1st, 2009 Comcast, Microsoft, Smithfield Foods big moversNEW YORK — The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange: NYSE: Smithfield Foods Inc., down $1.18 at $12.62 The nation's largest hog producer and pork processor said its CEO sold 100,000 shares this week for personal financial reasons. Constellation Brands Inc., up 82 cents at $15.97 The wine and spirits maker said it hopes its new distribution system will boost profits, continuing the trends of its second quarter.

July 31st, 2009 General Electric, Sony, Akamai among big moversNEW YORK — Stocks that were moving substantially or trading heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market. NYSE General Electric Co., up 85 cents at $13.11 Goldman Sachs upgraded the industrial conglomerate to "Buy," saying it won't have to split off its financing arm, GE Capital.

May 30th, 2006 New York Post confirmed that Microsoft has been involved in top secret discussions to buy eBay. Apparently Microsoft wants to merge eBay into its MSN portal as part of its "war" against Google.

August 24th, 2009 Analyst sees offshore IT sector slump bottomingA Wells Fargo analyst upgraded the offshore information technology and business process outsourcing sector on signs that its business slump may be bottoming. Jennifer Fritzsche raised her rating on the sector to "Market Weight" from "Underweight." While cautioning that a business upturn is not yet apparent, she said there are signs the market is stabilizing especially in financial services as well as the North American market.

July 22nd, 2009 Earnings push most stocks higher to extend rallyNEW YORK — Investors are holding off from making more big bets on the economy. Stocks mostly rose Wednesday, following a back-and-forth start, as traders remain hesitant to push further into the market following a weeklong surge on strong earnings reports.

September 17th, 2009 AMR, Eastman Kodak, American Axle big moversNEW YORK — The following stocks were among those that moved substantially or traded heavily Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Stock Market: NYSE: Synovus Financial Corp., down 53 cents at $3.90 The bank's stock offering was bigger than expected, diluting shares, and priced at $4, a 10 percent discount to Wednesday's close. AMR Corp., up $1.45 at $8.80 The American Airlines parent got $2.9 billion in new financing, tamping down liquidity concerns, and is increasing capacity in four cities.

July 22nd, 2009 Stocks zigzag as companies post mixed resultsNEW YORK — Investors are holding off from making more big bets on the economy. Stocks traded mixed Wednesday as traders remained hesitant to push further into the market following a weeklong surge on strong earnings reports.

October 5th, 2009 Bid on eBay for a Denver hotel for New Year's EveDENVER — The Curtis Hotel in Denver is putting itself up for auction on eBay for New Year's Eve. The winning bidder gets 330 rooms, the grand ballroom, live music, champagne, caviar, dinner, breakfast and of course all the staff to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime party.

September 1st, 2009 EBay Skype to sell stake in SkypeSAN JOSE, Calif. — EBay Inc.