Civil unrest continued in Libya but investors turned their attention to a greater than expected drop in first time applications for unemployment benefits. The markets opened mixed with the Dow losing 20 points to 12,085 while Nasdaq climbed 15 points to 2738.
On the upside
Shares of Royale Energy (Nasdaq: ROYL) continued climbing after receiving approval yesterday to begin production at the Goddard #2 well in Colusa County, California.
Fourth quarter earnings surged for Priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN) to surpass analyst estimates and forecast current quarter results ahead of expectations.