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CHICAGO (Dow Jones) -- Retailers beware: The long-anticipated slowdown in consumer spending is here. But it's a conditional pullback. Holiday-spending patterns show that consumers are buying the basics like food and water, splurging for the luxuries they think they can't live without and having a tough time turning down a good bargain, no matter what its price. But the spending patterns also ...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Technology stocks rose in early trading Friday, as the sector rallied behind bellwethers such as International Business Machines Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. IBM(IBM)rose $1.60, or almost 2%, to $84.08 a day after Big Blue said it would freeze contributions to its $48 billion pension plan, and make changes to boost contributions and participation in its $26 billion  ...

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) - Yahoo Inc. on Friday unveiled a new set of services called "Yahoo! Go" in a move that brings the Web giant's popular Internet-based functions to mobile phones and televisions. The services - "Yahoo Go Mobile," "Yahoo Go TV" and "Yahoo Go Desktop" - will be launched in conjunction with a number of corporate partners including Intel Corp., AT&T Inc. and Nokia Corp. ...

NEW YORK (Dow Jones) -- EMC Corp. disclosed Friday a profit outlook for the fourth quarter that's in line with Wall Street's current consensus view, while also saying it plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs during 2006. The data-storage equipment giant's stock added 15 cents, or 1.1%, to $14.13 in early trading. The Hopkinton, Mass.-based company(EMC)forecast earnings of 17 cents a share for the De ...

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- Ashland Inc. shares rose much as 7.3% Friday after the company raised its first-quarter earnings outlook, citing strong results for its construction and specialty chemicals businesses. Ashland(ASH), while not spcifying a range of its own, said net earnings for the three months ended Dec. 31 "are expected to be higher than analyst estimates, which currently range fro ...

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- After a strong surge to open 2006, stocks in the Americas cooled down on Thursday. Shares in Canada were little changed, while Brazil and Mexico posted small retreats. Toronto stocks closed flat, as a surge in techs cushioned downward pressure on the oil and gold groups. The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 6.20 points, or 0.05%, to 11507.68. But declines beat adva ...

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European markets traded in a tight range Friday before U.S. payroll data, with the technology sector one of the better performers after the Nasdaq Composite hit a four-and-a-half year high. Germany's DAX 30 rose 0.01% at 5,516, while France's CAC 40 indexadded 0.4% at 4,854 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 indexgained 0.2% to 5,703. The pan-European Dow Jones Stoxx 600 added 0 ...

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian markets reversed a poor start Friday morning to trade higher, led by technology shares and upbeat sentiment among markets that lagged last year's' regional rally. Technology-weighted markets were generally higher, fueled by Thursday's gains in the Nasdaq Composite Index(RIXF)which rose 13.41 points to 2,276.87, its highest closing level in four and a half years. ...

LONDON (MarketWatch) - With little economic or corporate news to trade on, investors relied on a flurry of broker notes to move companies including BAE Systems in steady London stock markets Friday. BAE Systemsshares were recently up 3.8% at 408.25 pence in London, making it the best-performing FTSE 100 component, after UBS analysts raised their price target by 25% to 500 pence, citing the comp ...

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks were broadly higher in midday trading Friday on expectations the Federal Reserve may end its cycle of interest-rate hikes sooner rather than later following a weaker-than-expected December employment report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average(DJI)was last up 50 points at 10,932, with 22 of 30 components contributing to gains. The Nasdaq Composite Index(RIX ...