The markets gave up some of their earlier gains with the Dow up 46 points to 11,154. Nasdaq rose 6 points to 2463 as investors remained mostly upbeat about corporate earnings.
On the upside
Shares of Vera Bradley (Nasdaq:VRA) soared in its first day of trading. The handbag and accessories maker priced 11 million shares at $16 apiece.
Travelzoo (Nasdaq: TZOO) posted 3rd quarter earnings that topped analysts' estimates. The online travel media company announced that its European operations had reached profitability.
Shares of Select Comfort (Nasdaq: SCSS) rose sharply after the mattress maker reported profits that beat estimates for the 7th consecutive quarter.
On the downside
Green Bankshares (Nasdaq: GRNB) posted a quarterly loss as the company struggled with its real estate assets. An analyst promptly downgraded the stock.
Life Time Fitness (NYSE: LTF) reported higher quarterly revenues and earnings, but investors were disappointed with the fitness center operator's outlook.
The banking sector was mostly lower as the foreclosure debacle festered. Shares of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) lost ground.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of 4 to 3 on the NYSE, but were narrowly edged out on Nasdaq. The Russell 2000 which tracks small cap stocks slipped 2 points to 699.
