IBD's Top 10 - Thursday

• Investor's Business Daily
• On 7:12 pm EDT, Thursday September 24, 2009

Stocks Slump In Mixed Trade

1 Falling commodity prices and a surprise drop in home sales pinned indexes to the mat for most of Thu. The NYSE sank 1.5%, the Nasdaq 1.1%, the S&P 500 1% and the Dow 0.4%. Small and midcaps took a beating, leaving the S&P 600 and 400 both off 1.7%. Fin'l, commodity and building-related groups sold off. Volume rose on the NYSE, fell on the Nasdaq.

Existing-Home Sales Fell In Aug.

2 Sales slid 2.7% to an annualized 5.10 units, snapping a 4-month uptrend and defying forecasts for a gain to 5.35 mil. The housing industry is pushing Congress to OK an expensive extension and expansion of the homebuyer credit, which ends Nov. 30. Meantime, new jobless claims fell 21,000 to 530,000, with the 4-week average at an 8-month low.

RIM's Sales, Outlook Disappoint

3 The BlackBerry smart phone maker said after hours that Q2 EPS rose 20% to $1.03 ex items, 3 cents over views. But sales grew just 3% to $3.53 bil, below views for $3.62 bil. Research In Motion (NasdaqGS:RIMM - News) sees Q3 EPS of $1-$1.08, roughly in line with forecasts. But it expects Q3 sales of $3.6 bil-$3.85 bil vs. forecasts for $3.92 bil. Shares dived 11% late after falling 3% earlier.

GOP Decries Health 'Gag Order'

4 Top Senate Republicans say they won't let Obama fill health posts until Health and Human Services Sec'y Kathleen Sebelius lifts a ban on firms that contract with Medicare from telling seniors about Dem health plans. Humana (NYSE:HUM - News) had sent a mailing telling seniors their benefits could be cut. Also, the Senate Finance panel voted down a push to squeeze yet-higher rebates from drug firms.

Oil Off 4%; NatGas Still Climbing

5 A strong dollar pressured oil, already slipping after Wed.'s surprise rise in weekly U.S. inventories. Near-month crude fell $3.09 to $65.89 a barrel -- its lowest close since July 29. Dec. gold closed back under $1,000, settling at $998.90 an ounce -- a two-week low. Natural gas added 3% to its recent run, closing at $3.95 per mil Btu.

G-20 Leaders Arrive To Protests

6 Pres. Obama and his counterparts from major nations began arriving in Pittsburgh for the G-20 conference to review the improving global economy, the dollar's future and tougher fin'l regulation. Meanwhile, an unpermitted march turned chaotic, with protesters rolling trash bins toward police, and officers firing gas in return.

U.N. Aims For Nuke-Free World

7 With Pres. Obama presiding over a historic session, the Security Council unanimously OK'd a U.S. resolution committing all nations to work for a nuclear weapons-free world -- including stepped-up anti-proliferation efforts and reducing "the risk of nuclear terrorism." Obama, Britain and France all identified N. Korea and Iran as obstacles.

A123 Revs Up 50% In Debut

8 The maker of lithium-ion car batteries shot up to 20.29 in its debut after A123 Systems' (NasdaqGM:AONE - News) IPO priced above target. Four other IPOs began trading Thu. in what will likely be IPOs' busiest week since Dec. '07. Artio Global Investors , the asset management arm of Julius Baer, rose 5%. Shanda Interactive's (NasdaqGS:SNDA - News) online game unit Shanda Games was set to price late Thu.

Fed May Keep 'Emergency' Fund

9 The central bank will request public comment on whether to make permanent some form of the Term Auction Facility, created to provide emergency liquidity to deposit-holding banks during the credit crunch. Meanwhile, the Fed said it will scale back TAF and other liquidity programs as fin'l markets improve.

Terror Suspect Zazi Charged

10 Denver airport shuttle driver Najibullah Zazi, arrested in Colo. a week ago, was indicted in N.Y. with plotting a bomb attack in the U.S. The Afghan-born Zazi, 24, schemed for more than a year, bought bomb-making supplies from beauty supply stores and sought help from possible conspirators the past 2 weeks, the indictment said. Authorities said any threat was thwarted.

Buzz up!