US open: Stocks start slightly down

LONDON (ShareCast) - -Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) will present at a Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS - news) technology conference this evening. -Speculation over new Apple product developments. Dow Jones Industrial: -0.24% Nasdaq Comp.: -0.38% S&P 500 (SNP: ^GSPC - news) : -0.31% The main US equity benchmarks have opened slightly down. That following some mixed economic data out before the opening, and more specifically following the weaker than expected retail sales data. Of note, sharp falls in shares of Avon (BSE: AVONCORP.BO - news) , following the release of its results. On a more positive note, aircraft manufacturer Boeing (NYSE: BA - news) has signed a record $22.4bn order with Indonesian budget carrier PT Lion Mentari Airlines. MACROECONOMY Retail sales grew by 0.4% month-on-month in January (Consensus: 0.8%). Import prices rose by 0.3% month-on-month during January, as expected, although in on year terms they came in a tenth of a percentage point lower than expected. OTHER MARKETS Front month West Texas crude futures are now rising slightly, by 0.42%, to the $101.34/barrel mark on NYMEX. 10 year US Treasuries are now moving up buy 9/32 dollars, with yields at 1.94%. S&P 500 - Risers Priceline.Com Inc. (PCLN) $571.15 +4.79% Fastenal Co (NasdaqGS: FAST - news) . (FAST) $50.58 +4.46% W.W. Grainger Inc. (GWW) $208.46 +4.15% Masco Corp (NYSE: MAS - news) . (MAS) $13.23 +4.01% Textron Inc (Berlin: TXT.BE - news) . (TXT (Taiwan OTC: 4969.TWO - news) ) $28.04 +4.01% International Paper Co. (IP) $33.02 +3.67% Coventry Health Care Inc (NYSE: CVH - news) . (CVH) $32.30 +3.59% Genworth Financial Inc (NYSE: GNW - news) . (GNW) $9.04 +3.49% PulteGroup Inc (Munich: 90044.MU - news) . (PHM) $9.09 +3.41% Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NYSE: AMD - news) . (AMD) $7.29 +3.40% S&P 500 - Fallers First Solar Inc (NasdaqGS: FSLR - news) . (FSLR) $41.72 -4.99% Netflix Inc (NasdaqGS: NFLX - news) . (NFLX) $118.30 -4.54% Amerisource Bergen Corp (NYSE: ABC - news) . (ABC) $37.21 -3.60% Monster Worldwide Inc (NYSE: MWW - news) . (MWW) $7.01 -2.91% Estee Lauder Co (NYSE: EL - news) . Inc. (EL) $55.50 -2.46% Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $110.56 -2.33% Alpha Natural Res (NYSE: ANR - news) (ANR) $20.56 -2.28% Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) $71.89 -2.26% H&R Block Inc. (HRB) $16.43 -2.20% Sealed Air Corp. (SEE) $19.64 -2.19% Dow Jones I.A - Risers Bank of America Corp (NYSE: IKJ - news) . (BAC) $8.25 +2.23% JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM) $38.30 +1.83% Caterpillar Inc (NYSE: CAT - news) . (CAT) $113.70 +1.74% United Technologies Corp. (UTX) $84.88 +1.65% Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD - news) . (HD) $45.93 +1.32% Pfizer Inc. (PFE) $21.30 +1.19% Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $38.13 +1.17% Chevron Corp (NYSE: CVX - news) . (CVX) $106.38 +1.04% General Electric Co. (GE) $19.07 +1.03% 3M Co. (MMM) $88.03 +1.02% Dow Jones I.A - Fallers E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DD) $50.60 -1.08% Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $58.99 -0.66% Kraft Foods Inc. (KFT) $38.40 -0.47% Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) $61.79 -0.18% Boeing Co. (BA) $74.85 -0.13% Nasdaq 100 (Nasdaq: ^NDX - news) - Risers Priceline.Com Inc. (PCLN) $571.15 +4.79% Fastenal Co. (FAST) $50.58 +4.46% Amazon.Com Inc. (AMZN) $191.59 +3.26% Citrix Systems Inc. (CTXS) $73.62 +3.02% Expedia Inc (NasdaqGS: EXPE - news) . (EXPE) $34.41 +2.59% Baidu Inc (NasdaqGS: BIDU - news) . (BIDU) $140.00 +2.50% Intuitive Surgical Inc (NasdaqGS: ISRG - news) . (ISRG) $503.07 +2.49% Autodesk Inc (NasdaqGS: ADSK - news) . (ADSK) $38.37 +2.24% Gilead Sciences Inc. (GILD) $54.90 +2.14% Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) $86.24 +2.02% Nasdaq 100 - Fallers First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $41.72 -4.99% Research in Motion Ltd. (RIMM) $14.90 -3.50% Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) $110.56 -2.33% NetApp Inc. (NTAP) $38.98 -1.78% Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT) $22.90 -1.65% FLIR Systems Inc (NasdaqGS: FLIR - news) . (FLIR) $24.56 -1.35% Altera Corp (NasdaqGS: ALTR - news) . (ALTR) $39.71 -0.99% Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM) $80.96 -0.81% BMC Software Inc. (BMC) $38.95 -0.76% Express Scripts Inc (NasdaqGS: ESRX - news) . (ESRX) $49.79 -0.76%