U.S. stocks fall on economic woes; Amazon outlook weighs

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:01:04 (GMT)

U.S. stocks fall on economic woes; Amazon outlook weighs

U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, with a bearish outlook from online
retailer Amazon.com weighing on the technology sector, while the market
digested more cloudy forecasts from Whirlpool, Starbucks and others.

ConocoPhillips profit rises 17% despite refining squeeze

ConocoPhillips said first-quarter net income topped $4 billion as the
No. 3 U.S. integrated oil giant powered past analyst estimates as
record-high crude prices offset shrinking refining margins.

Economic Report: New-home sales sink 8.5% to 17-year low in March

U.S. home builders have slashed their prices by a record amount, but
sales still plunged by 8.5% to a 17-year low in March.

David Callaway: China flips the switch and market bolts; investors
should beware

Dusk is the best time of day in Hong Kong, as the gray, polluted skies
and thick humidity that rule the office hours of this workaholic city
give way to a skyline wave of neon lights, pulsing to life seemingly
with the flip of a switch. Like everything else in China these days, the
change is sudden, and filled with expectation. But when it comes to the
country's nascent stock market, investors need to be wary about being
blinded by the lights of excitement and possibility.

3M quarterly earnings get a boost from overseas

3M Co. says first-quarter earnings continue to benefit from its overseas
exposure.