Stock market rally continues in quiet trading session

The S&P 500 Index is up 4.40 points, or 0.39 percent, to trade at 1,120.11 at 10:00 am.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 31.89 points, or 0.31 percent, to trade at 10,435.68.  The Nasdaq Composite is up 0.46 percent.

Dow Jones U.S. Basic Materials Index is up 1.26 percent.  Fertilizer giant Potash (NYSE:POT) is up 2.74 percent and Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) is up 4.24 percent.

Data

General Motors and Ford (NYSE:F), up 0.48 percent, are set to report their February sales on Tuesday.  Analysts expect both firms to report an increase. 

These reports follow GM's announcement that it will recall 1.3 million compact vehicles in U.S., Canada, and Mexico because of power steering issues. 

Market participants are eyeing the ADP employment report and ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI on Wednesday, monetary policy announcements from Europe and U.S. unemployment claims on Thursday, and the U.S. unemployment rate report on Friday.

Earnings

Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS) plunged 6.88 percent.  Excluding one-time items, it reported earnings of $0.38 per share, missing expectations of $0.39, according to analysts polled by Reuters. 

Its earnings forecast for 2010 were also below analysts' expectations. Same-store sales, however, rose 3 percent for the fourth quarter.

Domino's (NYSE:DPZ) jumped 2.56 percent.  Excluding items, it earned $0.30 per share.  Both its earnings and revenues beat expectations.  Its same-store sales also grew.

AutoZone's (NYSE:AZO) quarterly EPS of $2.46 and its revenues beat expectations.  Its shares are trading up 0.41 percent.

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