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From Briefing.com: 4:10 pm : The stock market kicked off the new trading week on a cautious note with the Nasdaq leading the retreat. The tech-heavy index lost 1.2% while the S&P 500 fell 0.5% with eight sectors ending in the red. For its part, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (-0.2%) held up relatively well.

Equity indices began the session in the green, but quickly slumped into the red as biotechnology continued its recent woes while other momentum names displayed broad weakness. Late-afternoon buying lifted the key averages off their lows, but the Nasdaq could only reclaim a portion of its loss.

The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB 239.23, -6.78) settled lower by 2.8% after testing its 100-day moving average (235.61) for the first time since early November. Today's loss widened the ETF's March decline to 9.5%, but the high-flying industry group remains up 5.4% so far in 2014.

The underperformance of biotechnology pressured the health care sector (-1.4%), which spent the entire session behind the other nine groups. Health care was not the only influential sector weighing on the broader market as the consumer discretionary space (-1.0%) lagged throughout the session while technology (-0.4%) did not overtake the broader market until the late afternoon.

Momentum names did their part in keeping the two sectors on the defensive. Amazon.com (AMZN 351.85, -8.77) and Netflix (NFLX 378.90, -27.09) pressured the discretionary space, posting respective losses of 2.4% and 6.7%, while Facebook (FB 64.10, -3.14), Google (GOOG 1157.93, -25.11), and LinkedIn (LNKD 188.14, -8.58) contributed to the early weakness in technology.

Speaking of technology, the sector led the market lower in the morning, but was able to finish the day ahead of the S&P 500 thanks to the relative strength of top-weighted names. Apple (AAPL 539.19, +6.32), IBM (IBM 188.25, +1.58), and Microsoft (MSFT 40.50, +0.34) gained between 0.9% and 1.2% with Apple's strength coming amid reports indicating the company is working on a content distribution agreement with Comcast (CMCSA 50.30, +0.30). In all likelihood, the news exacerbated today's loss in the shares of Netflix.

Even though heavily-weighted sectors lagged, the broader market was prevented from registering additional losses by the relative strength among consumer staples (-0.1%), energy (-0.1%), and financials (-0.2%). Elsewhere, telecom services (+0.3%) and utilities (+0.2%) posted modest gains, but the pair carries little sway over the broader market since it accounts for just 5.5% of the S&P 500.

Treasuries posted modest gains after climbing off their overnight lows. The benchmark 10-yr yield slipped two basis points to 2.73% after hovering near 2.78% ahead of the opening bell.

Participation was in line with average as roughly 714 million shares changed hands at the NYSE.

There was no notable economic data reported today, but some news of note came out of the G7 meeting at The Hague where the G7 nations issued a joint statement, saying they are suspending their participation in the G8 until "Russia changes course."

Tomorrow, the Case-Shiller 20-city Index (Briefing.com consensus 13.3%) for January and the January FHFA Housing Price Index will be released at 9:00 ET while March Consumer Confidence (consensus 78.2) and New Home Sales for February (consensus 445K) will be reported at 10:00 ET.

Russell 2000 +1.7% YTD
Nasdaq Composite +1.2% YTD
S&P 500 +0.5% YTD
Dow Jones Industrial Average -1.8% YTD

DJ30 -26.08 NASDAQ 50.40 SP500 -9.08 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 684/2.15 bln/2238 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 1155/714.2 mln/1933

3:35 pm :

Precious metals spent all of today's floor trade in negative territory.
Apr gold pulled back from its session high of $1324.50 per ounce set in early morning action and brushed a session low of $1308.50 per ounce. The yellow metal eventually settled 1.8% lower at $1311.40 per ounce.
May silver dipped to a session low of $19.97 per ounce. It settled at $20.31 per ounce, or 1.2% lower.
May crude oil chopped around in positive territory for most of today's pit action. The energy component dipped to a session low of $99.34 per barrel in late morning pit trade after trading as high as $100.29 per barrel earlier in the session. It settled with a 0.1% gain at $99.57 per barrel.
Apr natural gas fell for a third consecutive session after slipping into negative territory from its session high of $4.33 per MMBtu set at floor trade open. It touched a session low of $4.26 per MMBtu and settled with a 0.7% gain at $4.28 per MMBtu.

Large Cap Gainers

CHL (42.86 +3.15%): Strength in large cap Chinese wireless companies: CHU also higher
BBD (12.37 +2.49%): Upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse
LYG (5.22 +2.15%): Upgraded to Buy from Hold at Investec

Large Cap Losers

NFLX (377.03 -7.13%): Reuters reporting that Apple (AAPL) is in discussions with Comcast (CMCSA) regarding a TV streaming service
ALXN (148.78 -6.89%): Continued weakness in large cap biotech stocks: ILMN, VRX, BIIB also lower
TWTR (48.81 -4.14%): Weakness amid further reports that Turkey has blocked access; AppleInsider also reporting that co will pull the #music app from the App Store and shut down services in April

Mid Cap Gainers

NUS (89.37 +19.16%): Provided update on China regulatory review: co was penalized ~$524k for the sale of certain products by individual direct sellers were not registered for the direct selling channel
HLF (52.87 +6.72%): Agreed to nominate three additional Icahn designees to the Board of Directors
AXLL (44.01 +1.78%): Upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill

Mid Cap Losers

BCEI (45.61 -8.62%): Hearing downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James
P (31.33 -7.88%): Billboard reporting that Apple (AAPL) is looking at launching a new streaming music service; Apple also thought to be adding an iTunes App for Android phones
QUNR (29.02 -6.75%): Initiated with a Neutral at Macquarie

11:40AM Stock indices edge off morning lows -- Dow -52, S&P -12, Nasdaq Comp -62 (TECHX) : Sectors displaying some relative strength vs. the S&P on during the push off lows include: Biotech IBB (held at support at 232, 10:15 update), Semi SMH, Rail/Transports IYT.

11:30AM Stocks/ETFs that traded to new 52 week highs/lows this session - New highs (101) outpacing new lows (37) (SCANX) : Stocks that traded to 52 week highs: AIRI, ALL, AP, ARW, ARX, ATI, ATNI, AUBN, AXAS, BEAV, BK, BOCH, BOH, BRKS, CBT, CCC, CDNS, CFR, CJES, CLD, CNX, COWN, CREG, CRK, CRS, CUI, CUR, CYBE, DBD, DFRG, EMC, EQM, EXH, FFBC, FNHC, FNSR, FWV, GA, GLNG, GMT, GNW, GPRC, GSIG, GSOL, GUID, GVA, GXP, H, HCLP, HIL, HP, HTLD, HTM, IDN, ISIG, ITRN, LFUS, MAR, MTR, NEU, NJ, NOA, ORBK, PAGP, PDS, PEIX, PPC, PQ, PRMW, PTEN, QUMU, R, REX, ROL, SCOR, SFE, SGB, SGU, SGY, SHEN, SLP, ST, SUBK, SWN, SXC, TDG, THRM, TTHI, USB, USEG, UTL, VAC, VNDA, VSB, VTNR, WG, WLB, WLFC, WNC, WSTG, XEC

Stocks that traded to 52 week lows: AKBA, ARO, ATLC, COUP, CRCM, CSLT, CVA, DPRX, DSWL, GLMD, GRAM, HAE, HMC, LIQD, LXRX, MLVF, MR, MTU, NATR, NEWL, ONTX, OPHC, PBPB, PSO, SMLR, SVM, TBAC, TGI, VEEV, VHI, VLRS, VRNS, VVUS, WPRT, WRLD, WTSL, WTW

ETFs that traded to 52 week highs: EGPT, PALL

ETFs that traded to 52 week lows: none
10:15AM iShares NASD Biotech flirting with supports (IBB) 239.71 -6.30 : Noted continued relative weakness in early trade with the IBB down more than 7% over the last two sessions (09:42). Technically it has tested flirted with its 100 ema at 238 (session low 239.01) with the next short term levels at 236 (two month close low, 50% retrace of Nov-Feb rally) and 232 (two month intraday low from Feb).

9:49AM Sector laggards (TECHX) : Sectors that have faltered this morning and are underperforming the S&P on a relative basis include: Biotech (IBB) down more than 7% over last two days, Health XLV, Pharma PPH, Internet FDN, Discretionary XLY, Networking IGN, Software IGV, Medical Supplies, Transports/Rail IYT.

9:42AM Oil Service HOLDRS Trust continues to display relative strength (OIH) 49.45 +0.53 : Noted the solid performance on Friday with it nearing its March peak (49.34). It has edged slightly above this level to set a new four month high (49.46) this morning -- SLB, HAL, NOV, BHI, CAM, WFT, FTI, RIG, SDRL, ESV.

8:34AM O2Micro lowers Q1 rev guidance, below consensus; stock halted (OIIM) 3.66 : Co issues downside guidance for Q1 (Mar), sees Q1 (Mar) revs of $15.5-16.5 mln vs. $18.08 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate and below previous guidance of $17.8-19.1 mln. In addition, gross margin for the first quarter is now expected to be ~49-51%.

The reduction in anticipated revenue for the first quarter is primarily the result of weakness in TV and notebook markets, as well as delays in mass production of several major general lighting programs.
Co does expect the delayed general lighting programs to ramp in the second quarter of 2014 and remain very optimistic regarding the rapid growth of general lighting and other power management businesses.
Co still expect to grow overall revenue year-over-year from 2013 levels.

EMKR +5.2% ( awarded solar panel manufacturing contract

8:08AM Yingli Green Energy supplied 1 MW of solar panels to Grupo Neoenergia, one of Brazil's largest energy companies (YGE) 4.76 : Co announced that it has supplied 1 MW of solar panels to Grupo Neoenergia, one of Brazil's largest energy companies and a pioneer in Brazilian solar project development. The panels will deliver clean electricity to Arena Pernambuco, the site of five 2014 FIFA World Cup matches

8:04AM EMCORE awarded solar panel manufacturing contract by Sierra Nevada Corp for NASA's CYGNSS mission (EMKR) 5.04 : Co announced that it has been awarded a contract by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to design and manufacture solar panels for SNC to be used on NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). The CYGNSS mission will be managed by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and is planned for launch, October 2016. EMCORE will populate solar panels with its ZTJ triple-junction solar cells.

Rambus (RMBS) and Nanya Technology signed a broad five-year patent license agreement. This agreement allows for the use of certain high-performance, low-power patented innovations developed by Rambus in Nanya DRAM products and enables future technology collaboration.

7:32AM Brooks Automation and BioCision Announce Equity Investment and Strategic Collaboration (BRKS) 11.44 : Co and BioCision, LLC have established a relationship to support the development of technologies to improve temperature control and standardization in the use of biomaterials across multiple industries, including pre-clinical and clinical research and product development. Under the terms of the agreement, Brooks Automation has made a $4 million equity investment in BioCision.

This new collaboration will leverage BioCision's proven expertise in the development of unique mobile temperature management products and technologies together with Brooks Automation's advanced research and production capabilities in automated systems for sample storage. The research and product design and engineering teams from both companies will work together to advance development of new, highly adaptable and scalable products to support a range of needs in biomaterial sample handling and biobanking, including products that are fully compatible with existing automated systems and that can serve as stand-alone solutions.

Freescale Semiconductor (FSL) introduced a new 6W device for handheld mobile radio applications called the AFT05MS006N. With this latest addition to its flagship Airfast RF power solutions portfolio, Freescale is the only supplier capable of supporting all power levels of relevance to the mobile radio space, from 5W handheld units to 75W digital mobile radios and base stations.

2:14AM Nokia expects the sale of substantially all of its Devices & Services business to Microsoft (MSFT) to close in April 2014 (NOK) 7.17 : Nokia announces that it now expects the transaction whereby the company will sell substantially all of its Devices & Services business and license its patents to Microsoft to close in April 2014. This compares with Nokia's previous expectation on the transaction closing in the first quarter of 2014, which Nokia communicated when the company first announced the transaction on September 3, 2013. Nokia and Microsoft remain committed to the transaction.

Nokia reiterates that ongoing tax proceedings in India have no bearing on the timing of the closing or the material deal terms of the anticipated transaction between Nokia and Microsoft.

Hackett Group (HCKT) announced that it would be taking a one-time $3.6 million charge in order to reduce staff and exit facilities in non core markets as part of a comprehensive plan to respond to structural market changes and deliver profitable growth in the region. The Company had made several leadership and sales related changes as it exited 2013 but wanted to be proactive in its desire to increase its investment to build its Enterprise Performance Management capabilities which have been a big part of its recent growth in North America. Excluding this one-time charge, the Company's previously provided revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2014 of $53.0 to $55.0 million, which is line with estimates, and proforma diluted earnings per share of $0.06 to $0.08, which is line with estimates remains unchanged.

GigaMedia (GIGM) reported preliminary fourth quarter revs of approxmately $3.4 mln, down 11% quarter over quarter, in-line with comapny's guidance. The company reports Cash and marketable securities-current of approximately $80.3 million, or approximately $1.58 per share, up from $74.3 million at the end of 3Q13; short-term debt of approximately $4.4 million. During the fourth quarter management took advantage of low interest rates in Taiwan to fund, in local currency, new strategic growth initiatives.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Cyvera, a privately held cybersecurity company located in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Under the terms of the agreement, Palo Alto Networks will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of Cyvera for an aggregate purchase price of ~ $200 million. The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of fiscal 2014.