IBM 3Q PROFIT A POSITIVE SIGN FOR TECH SECTOR

For the second time this year IBM offered an early peek at its quarterly results, showing in a surprise announcement that it was still plenty prosperous in the third quarter despite the worsening economic climate. The company's results, released more than a week ahead of schedule, will likely help stop a steep slide in IBM's stock price and could lift other big technology stocks in Thursday trading. IBM is a component of the Dow Jones industrial average.

Wired.com