By Rex Crum, MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Apple Inc. helped push the tech
sector north Monday as the company confirmed that Chinese
mobile-phone network operator China Mobile Ltd. will begin carrying
the iPhone in January.
Apple (AAPL) climbed by 3%, to $565.42 after the company said
China Mobile (CHL) would get the iPhone 5s and 5c on Jan. 14, and
the carrier's customers can pre-register for the smartphone
starting on Dec. 25.
Speculation that Apple would reach a deal with China Mobile had
been growing in recent weeks, and a tie-up between the two
companies was seen as one of the main tech topics to look for in
2014. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile-phone carrier in
terms of customers, with an estimated 700 million subscribers to
its network.
Among other leading tech stocks, Facebook Inc. (FB) shares rose
3.4%, to $56.98 as the social-networking company made its debut
Monday on the S&P 500 Index.
Pandora Media Inc. (P) rose almost 4%, to $29.11, Twitter Inc.
(TWTR) climbed by 3%, to $61.82, Netflix Inc. (NFLX) was up by
almost 2% at $382.22 and Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) shares rose 2.3%, to
$29.23.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) flexed its muscles and rose 31
points to 4,135, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX)
and the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) were also in
positive territory.
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