3 Tech Stocks Moving the Market

If you didn't already know that it was earnings season, it should be increasingly obvious. The angst in the market has caused stocks to stay close to home over the last two days, with roughly half of blue-chip companies trading trading higher and the other half lower. As of 2:45 p.m. EST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up a nominal four points.

The biggest stories in the market today all involve technology stocks. Shares of Apple continue their descent following rumors that sales of its latest iPhone may be waning. The rumors stem for a weekend story in The Wall Street Journal reporting that the company has "cut its orders for components for the iPhone 5 due to weaker-than-expected demand." To read more about this and learn why the concerns may be overstated, check out technology analyst Evan Niu's take on it.

Shares of Facebook are also lower today despite a much-anticipated announcement from the social-networking giant. As I write, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is on stage presenting the company's new search functionality at an event in Palo Alto, Calif. According to reports, the new service gives users the ability to search their social connections for relevant information. Despite the fanfare, however, Facebook's stock is nevertheless suffering on concerns about how this will boost its profitability.

And finally, shares of PC maker Dell are sharply higher for the second day in a row. It was reported yesterday that two private-equity firms are in talks to take the company private. With Dell's market cap at more than $20 billion, the deal would be among the largest private-equity deals in history. It's for this reason that analysts see the deal as a stretch.

Want to learn more about Apple?
There's no doubt that Apple is at the center of technology's largest revolution ever and that longtime shareholders have been rewarded with gains of more than 1,000%. However, there is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on reasons both to buy and to sell Apple, as well as what opportunities remain for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thoughts on Apple, simply click here now.

The article 3 Tech Stocks Moving the Market originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Maxfield owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Facebook. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.