Intel Corp shares shot up 3.1 per cent to $US21.75 while Hewlett-Packard rose 1.3 per cent to $US22.22. The S&P technology sector advanced 0.8 per cent while the?Philadelphiasemiconductor?sector gained 0.9 per cent. An S&P index of energy shares rose 0.
8 per cent, climbing alongside a rise of 0.9 per cent in the price of US crude oil, which was up on inflation data from?China?that reduced concerns about monetary tightening. Halliburton Co rose 1.8 per cent to $US39.11 and?Chevron Corp?gained 0.7 per cent to $US118.64. Still, profits are seen rising just 1.
5 per cent from a year-ago quarter, down from estimates in January for growth of 4.3 per cent. Analysts said, however, that the market has the momentum to push indexes higher, even with the Dow Jones industrial average up about 12 per cent and the S&P 500 up about 10 per cent for the year. Penney was the S&P 500′s largest per centage loser, tumbling 12.2 per cent to $US13.93 after the department store’s board ousted Chief Executive Ron Johnson and replaced him with his predecessor.
