By Rex Crum
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tech stocks started out November
on an upbeat note Monday, with semiconductor stocks among the
advancers after the latest chip-sales figures from the
Semiconductor Industry Association trade group.
The SIA said that global chip sales rose almost 3% in September,
to $26.5 billion, from the previous month, while third-quarter
sales climbed to $79.4 billion, up 26.2% from the year-ago
period.
Among leading chip stocks, Intel Corp. (INTC) rose 2% and Nvidia
Corp. (NVDA) gained 1%.
The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) rose 20 points to 2,527, while
the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and the Morgan Stanley
High Tech 35 Index (MSH) both slipped into the red.
Among leading tech stocks, Oracle Corp. (ORCL) shares declined
fractionally. Jury selection was slated to begin Monday in a trial
over damages Oracle is seeking in a case of software theft by a
former SAP AG (SAP) subsidiary.
Gains also came from Apple Inc. (AAPL), Research In Motion Ltd.
(RIMM), Dell Inc. (DELL), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Cisco Systems
Inc. (CSCO) and Web-security company Sourcefire Inc. (FIRE), which
rallied more than 9% to $25.79.