The Standard & Poor 500 Index was up more 0.8% in early Tuesday trading on positive economic news. At the helm of the advance for the S&P was career service Monster Wordwide Inc (NYSE: MWW), with a better than an 8% gain on a new product launch. Monster Worldwide still is more than 40% below its year high and its moving averages for the 50- and 200-day periods.
Nike (NYSE: NKE) was up more than 7% on reports of higher demand. Nike is very close to its year high and has a relative strength index of 64.05. A relative strength index of 70 is the measure for a stock being overbought.
Also heating up was green energy stock First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), posting a gain above 5%, taking the stock over $123. In the past two months, First Solar has had two analyst upgrades. It is trading above its 20-day moving average but below its 50- and 200-day moving averages.
Down was Altria (NYSE: MO) by about a 2.6% decline, because of negative reports on tobacco stocks. Altria is below is 20- and 50-day moving averages but more than 40% above its year low.
Another tobacco company stock going lower was Lorillard (NYSE: LO). Off more than 2.2%, Lorillard stock is trading around $108.70. Lorillard is near its year high and above all of its moving averages. At 50, its relative strength index is well below the 70 benchmark.
Quest Diagnoistics (NYSE: DGX) was lower by about 1.1%, almost a 70-cent loss, to around $58.80. Quest still is above its 50- and 200-day moving averages, although slightly beneath the 20-day moving average. It is about 3.9% below its peak for the year
Jonathan Yates does not own any of the stocks mentioned in this article.