NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Stocks slipped slightly in extended trading as traders took profits after a day of strong gains.
Cisco Systems Inc. (NasdaqNM:CSCO
- news), one of the daily
session's most active stocks, slipped to $18.23 from its close of $18.25. The
Web gear maker surged during regular trading after it said again its business is
stabilizing, helping quell fears the industry slump may worsen.
The Nasdaq 100 after-hours indicator was little changed, falling 0.94 of a point, or 0.06 percent.
Microsoft Corp. (NasdaqNM:MSFT - news) was unchanged at $62.05. The stock rose $2.93 during the regular trading session, after the software maker's antitrust case was sent to a new judge to weigh what sanctions to impose on the company to prevent a monopoly in personal computer operating systems.
Edison International (NYSE:EIX - news), parent of Southern California Edison, the state's second-largest utility, was unchanged on Instinet. City Light & Power Inc, a small California power company, confirmed on Friday it has been in acquisition talks over the past two months with the utility.
After exchanges closed, Edison International said the company ``is not for sale,'' and that the takeover proposal was ``without any merit.''
During the regular trading session, Edison International rose 2 cents to $14.20.
Stocks on Friday posted their biggest rally in more than six weeks after Cisco's comments and a report of strong new home sales boosted optimism consumers are propping up a key sector of the U.S. economy.
The technology-laced Nasdaq index gained 73.83 points, or 4.01 percent, to 1,916.80. That's the biggest one-day gain since July 12, when the Nasdaq surged 5.3 percent, according to research firm MarketHistory.com
The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI - news) jumped 194.02 points, or 1.9 percent, to 10,423.17 -- also its biggest rally since since July 12, said MarketHistory.com. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index (^SPX - news) added 22.84 points, or 1.97 percent, to finish at 1,184.93.
For the week, the Dow finished 1.8 percent higher, while the Nasdaq gained 2.7 percent.