The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 1.5 percent for the week ended July 23, 2010, closing at 1654. For the week, 21 of the 25 index components rose in value. Year-to-date, the index is down 1.6 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Nokia (NOK), Western Digital (WDC), Netflix (NFLX), and Yahoo! (YHOO), were notable movers for the week:

Nokia (NYSE: NOK, $9.45), the largest maker of mobile phones, climbed 8.1 percent for the week after reporting second quarter results on Thursday. Though the company’s profits fell 40 percent year-over-year, it met expectations of €0.11 with device and services revenue climbing three percent year-over-year to €6.8 billion. The company preserved its market share and sold 111.1 million phones, an eight percent rise from the year ago period. It also highlighted the upcoming release of the new Nokia N8, the first phone with the company’s Symbian^3 software, which Nokia believes will have a relevant place in the competitive higher-end smartphone market. There has also been speculation as to whether CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who joined Nokia in 2006, will step down from his post due to his inability to turn the company around.

Western Digital (NYSE: WDC, $28.09) fell 10.7 percent for the week following its earnings report on Wednesday. The company missed its ambitious revenue and EPS targets for the June quarter as demand was seasonally down about seven percent due to slowing consumer PC sales. The pricing environment became more competitive at the end of the quarter and prices remained low for hard-disk drives into the September quarter, putting pressure on industry gross margins. With the seasonally-strong September and December quarters ahead, driven by back-to-school and holiday demand, the hard-drive makers may see a rebound in sales and pricing.

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX, $108.20) shares declined by 8.6 percent for the week. Netflix reported its second sequential quarter of rising revenue growth Wednesday night, and earnings that were considerably higher than Street expectations. Though net new subscribers of more than one million tripled versus the prior year, the company’s revenue fell short of consensus expectations—by one percent. Management may have dampened investor enthusiasm for gross margin expansion, claiming that the company would invest in new content, rather than harvest further upside.

Shares of Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO, $14.00) declined by 6.0 percent, on the heels of the company’s earnings report, which signaled slower than expected growth in online advertising sales, as the company continues to lose share to rival Google.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ gained 6.1 percent for the week ended July 9, 2010, closing at 1676. All but one (Verizon (VZ)) of the 25 Index components rose in value for the week. Year-to-date, the index is down 0.2 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Research in Motion (RIMM), Akamai (AKAM), and Netflix (NFLX) were notable movers for the week:

Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM, $53.23) gained 10.8 percent for the week following news that wireless patent house NTP is suing Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and others for alleged violations of NTP’s smartphone patents. NTP won a $612.5 million suit against RIMM in 2006 over wireless email patents, the subject of the current litigation as well. This invites the possibility that those using the Android operating system, including Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and HTC, could be forced to pay royalties to NTP. Research in Motion has already signed a license with NTP, sheltering the company from the wave of lawsuits.

Shares of Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM, $43.47) rose 9.9 percent this week as Q3 got underway. Akamai delivers websites and content for e-commerce vendors, cloud computing providers, and video sites, and usage of these services continues to rise. Akamai is well-positioned as the leader of the content delivery network market, and it continues to roll out new products to extend its market opportunity.

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX, $117.53) rose by 9.8 percent this week following the news that it had announced a deal to stream new content from Relativity Media several months after its release on DVD. Traditionally, Netflix was forced to wait in line until after premium payment TV services such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz had first rights to charge viewers to see the same content. The agreement suggests that Netflix subscribers may be accorded the same rights and privileges as their television pay per view and cable service cousins. Separately, Netflix shares failed to pull-back on the heels of revived postal rate increase proposals, which would presumably eat into the company’s cost of goods sold.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 5.1 percent for the week ended June 25, 2010, closing at 1690 and losing- at least temporarily- most of its year-to-date gains. Despite signs of stabilization in the Euro, which has rebounded to near $1.24, all 25 Index components fell in value for the week. Year-to-date, the index is up 0.6 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Research in Motion (RIMM), Adobe (ADBE), Western Digital (WDC), and Dell (DELL) were notable movers for the week:

Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM, $52.23) declined by 14.4 percent for the week following Thursday evening’s earnings results that failed to meet expectations for smart phone unit growth. The results coincided with the worldwide launch of the Apple iPhone 4, whose predecessor has been gaining ground in RIMM’s core corporate market. Investors are fixated on rising competition from the likes of not only Apple, but new models powered by Google’s Android system. RIMM, for its part, intends to ship two new models of its own in coming months and announced plans for a share buy-back.

Shares of Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE, $29.85) fell by 11.0 percent for the week, following Tuesday night’s earnings results for the period ending May 30th, in which the company reported EPS and revenue ahead of expectations and reaffirmed guidance consistent with Street views. Fueled by initial sales of Creative Suite 5, which became available in April, the company announced that it will resume hiring and has authorized a $1.6 billion share buy back.

Shares of Western Digital (NYSE: WDC, $31.78) declined 9.2 percent for the week amid renewed concerns that pricing has been softer than anticipated in the hard-disk drive space. The June quarter tends to be seasonally weakest for the industry, followed by resurgence in demand in the September and December quarters. While pricing held up surprisingly well in the past several quarters, investors are concerned that prices of high-capacity drives have felt pressure in the past several weeks. On the other hand, comments from Michael Dell reflected increased confidence in 20 percent PC unit growth for 2010, driven by commercial spending. This would indicate a continued strong demand environment for hard-disk drives.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL, $12.93) shares fell 7.9 percent for the week. The company hosted its Analyst Day on Thursday, updating investors on its growth initiatives and margin expansion strategies. It also provided formal full year Fiscal 2011 (ending January 2011) guidance for the first time in several years. The company forecasted sales growth between 14 and 19 percent for the year, in line with Street estimates, while it expects operating income growth of 18 to 23 percent, slightly below the Street’s numbers. Dell outlined its plans for doubling enterprise sales over the next three years, while concurrently benefiting from a resurgence in commercial PC spending. Its cost-saving initiatives, involving expanded ocean shipments, fixed configurations, and outsourced manufacturing, should lead to margin expansion in its client business, but continued component cost and pricing headwinds may result in slower improvements than investors expected.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ gained 2.9 percent for the week ended June 18, 2010, closing at 1781. For the week, 22 of the 25 Index components rose in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 6.0 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Apple (AAPL), Dell (DELL), Activision-Blizzard (ATVI), and Nokia (NOK) were notable movers for the week:

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL, $274.07) soared 8.1 percent this week as the company prepared for the release of the iPhone 4. The much-anticipated release, which includes video chat, could see sales of over 2 million units upon shipment later this month (including pre-orders). Apple continues to see massive popularity in new products like the iPad, leading to a number of concurring product cycles that are generating record financial results.

Dell (NASDAQ: DELL, $14.04) shares rose 6.8 percent for the week. Though Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) reported results that missed Street expectations Monday, the company pointed to strong notebook PC sales. This may be an indication that consumer demand for notebooks remains strong, and will continue to be a tailwind for the PC industry as corporate PC purchasing begins to recover. Dell is more leveraged to commercial PC sales, but its consumer division was 22 percent of revenues in the most recent quarter, making it an important growth driver.

Shares of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI, $11.47) rose 5.6 percent this week as the company presented at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2010, a video game industry trade show at which leading companies demonstrate their latest and greatest products. The show has drawn crowds of 40,000 or more in previous years. Activision announced a new version of first person shooter hit Goldeneye, which was released for the N64 in 1997 and sold as many as 8 million copies.

Nokia (NYSE: NOK, $8.90) shares fell 6.7 percent as the company issued a cautious update to guidance. While the handset manufacturer holds a dominant market share of the mobile phone market, it is losing traction as competitors like Apple and Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) wow consumers with more exciting products.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 0.1 percent for the week ended June 4, 2010, closing at 1691. For the week, 19 of the 25 Index components fell in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 0.7 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Akamai (AKAM), Salesforce.com (CRM), eBay (EBAY), and Google (GOOG) were notable movers for the week:

Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM, $41.91) shares rose 5.5 percent this week as the markets remained volatile. Akamai is the leader in content delivery service. Major news events cause spikes in internet usage, and as Akamai delivers a significant portion of the world’s web traffic, this week’s events could be a tailwind for the company. Akamai is also delivering live streaming video of BP’s attempts to plug a deepwater oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Shares of Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM, $89.64) gained 3.6 percent this week as the economy continues to recover. Salesforce.com makes money from the number of employees using its services in a customer account, and with employment across the economy increasing, its revenue growth should benefit.

Shares of eBAY (NASDAQ: EBAY, $21.99) climbed 2.7 percent, amid comments from the company’s CEO that it expects to generate between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in transaction volume through its recently introduced iPhone application which has been downloaded more than 10 million times from the Apple website, including 8 million downloads in March.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG, $498.72) rose by 2.7 percent, possibly in anticipation of the company’s growing mobile advertising opportunity, following its green light from the FTC to buy AdMob, which some feared might provoke anti-trust concerns. The successful launch of the iPad, and a new version of the iPhone, could give mobile advertising a lift in the months ahead.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ rose 3.9 percent for the week ended May 14, 2010, closing at 1738. For the week, 23 of the 25 Index components rose in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 3.5 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Netflix (NFLX), Salesforce.com (CRM), Akamai (AKAM), and Apple (AAPL) were notable movers for the week:

Shares of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX, $100.56) rallied 10.4 percent this week, even as it absorbed the shock of several downgrades published by Wall Street’s investment banks, some of whom may fear that a deal with Amazon.com is no longer imminent. Netflix may have advanced prior to Thursday afternoon’s revelation that Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI)’s balance sheet revealed further flaws coinciding with its earnings release which sent its shares below $0.45.

Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM, $84.72) continued its winning streak, gaining 9.3 percent this week as the company approaches its Q1 earnings release. Salesforce is among the cloud computing pioneers and has allowed customers to run custom applications on its servers for a few years. Its plethora of cloud product offerings on top of its traditional salesforce automation product should sustain the company’s impressive growth for some time.

Shares of Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM, $38.90) soared 8.9 percent after the stock lost some ground last week. Investors have been bullish on the name since it posted strong first quarter results and hinted at an even better full year. Akamai’s services are widely used to efficiently deliver websites, applications, and videos, and as internet advertising and video streaming pick up, the company will benefit with corresponding growth.

Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL, $253.82) climbed 7.6 percent, rallying off of last week’s sell off. Persistent rumors of a new iPhone with sleeker packaging, higher screen resolution, and perhaps longer battery life —coupled with first time ever support for non-AT&T networks —continue to circulate. Further, the company may be expanding its brick and mortar retail support for the iPad which, so far, is only carried by Apple’s retail stores and Best Buy.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 7.6 percent for the week ended May 7, 2010, closing at 1674. For the week, all 25 of the Index components declined in value. Year-to-date, the index is down 0.4 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Nokia (NOK), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Apple (AAPL), and Oracle (ORCL) were notable movers for the week:

Apple (NASDAQ: APPL, $235.86) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK, $10.75) were down 9.7 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, partially in response to a new round in their patent imbroglio. Nokia filed a new suit against Apple on Friday, claiming that its iPad violates various Nokia patents. This is only the latest round of suits and countersuits between the two parties, which include claims and counterclaims relating to Apple’s iPhone. Ironically, Apple’s decline comes amid the company’s disclosure that it had sold over one million iPads since its launch only a few weeks ago, and that it intends to sell the new product in 18 countries in the next 90 days.

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ, $46.73) sank 10.1 percent for the week following last week’s announcement that it would acquire Palm (NASDAQ: PALM) for $1.2 billion in cash or $5.70 per share. This as an aggressive move into the large and growing, but highly competitive, smart-phone market, placing the company in direct contention with Apple, Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM), and many others. The deal allows HP to put a stake in the ground in the fast-moving mobile market and continue to develop what is arguably Palm’s most valuable asset, its WebOS operating system. However, Palm was struggling under a high debt load, negative operating margins, and a dwindling customer base, so it will likely take a substantial investment before the deal becomes accretive.

Shares of Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL, $23.41) tumbled 9.5 percent this week, following the market lower on fear that weakness in Europe could cascade around the globe. Oracle’s shares had been on an uncontested 6-month rally, boosted by the perception that the company is gaining share against business applications leader SAP AG (NYSE: SAP).

The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 2.9 percent for the week ended April 30, 2010, closing at 1812. For the week, 23 of the 25 Index components declined in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 7.9 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Akamai (AKAM), Western Digital (WDC), and Adobe (ADBE) were notable movers for the week:

Akamai (NASDAQ: AKAM, $38.83) shares surged 13.5 percent this week following a strong Q1 earnings report. The company saw growth across all product categories, leaving critics and shorts scrambling. Fear of competition melted away as the company posted an 81.8 percent gross profit margin for the quarter, its highest level since September 2007. The company could hit $1 billion in revenue this year, doubling in four years.

Shares of Western Digital (NYSE: WDC, $41.09) fell 8.1 percent following news that it would acquire production assets from Japanese glass maker Hoya Corp. WDC has agreed to purchase the magnetic media sputtering operations for $235 million in cash, in a deal that included a multi-year commitment for glass substrate supply from Hoya. This should allow WDC to ramp up its component capacity at a lower cost than purchasing its own equipment, and with higher yields as the equipment is already at full operation. This also gives the company a better competitive position in front of a capacity-constrained second-half, which will be marked by high seasonal demand and tight supply.

Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE, $33.60) shares fell by 7.3 percent in response to a posting on Apple’s website, ostensibly written by Steve Jobs, in which he raised six major obstacles to supporting Adobe’s Flash products for use on Apple’s iPad and iPhone. These included the proprietary dimension of the product, as well as concerns relating to Flash’s reliability, security and performance, as well as its ability to conserve battery life, and support features that are unique to mobile hand-held devices. Adobe Systems, for its part, continues to evolve the technology, hoping to persuade Apple that it has addressed its concerns.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ rose 1.1 percent for the week ended April 16, 2010, closing at 1814. For the week, 14 of the 25 Index components rose in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 8.0 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

Dell (DELL), Intel (INTC), Texas Instruments (TXN), and Activision-Blizzard (ATVI), were notable movers for the week:

Both Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN, $26.58) and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC, $23.92) gained substantially for the week, up 6.6 percent and 6.1 percent respectively, following Intel’s earnings release earlier in the week. The company reported revenue of $10.3 billion and EPS of $0.43, above consensus of $9.8 billion and $0.38. The company’s revenue and margin outlook was also ahead of the Street. Intel saw a strong PC environment and a recovery in enterprise spend. Texas Instruments benefited as a fellow semiconductor manufacturer, and expectations are likely higher for the company’s earnings.

Shares of Dell (NASDAQ: DELL, $16.76) rose 5.9 percent for the week following a bullish PC report from Gartner and Intel’s strong earnings. Garner estimates that worldwide PC sales for the first quarter of 2010 rose 27 percent, driven by a strong recovery in Europe (25 percent growth). Business demand was more apparent in the quarter, and the research firm expects that PC replacement demand driven by Windows 7 will be more apparent in the second half of 2010 and the beginning of 2011. This bodes well for number three PC manufacturer Dell, since PC sales comprise 54 percent of its revenues.

Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI, $11.79) fell 5.5 percent this week after issuing in-line FY 2010 guidance. In stark contrast to the EPS guidance, which was disappointing to some investors, beta testing of Blizzard’s highly anticipated blockbuster Starcraft II was deemed a huge success. Beta keys were selling for upwards of $500 on eBay, signaling massive pent up demand for the game. Millions of viewers around the world watched the thousands of game play videos and hundreds of thousands of game play footages on youtube. Like always, the company is keeping mum on a release date, adhering to the company ethos of releasing only the best games possible. Analysts are betting that the game will be release in the summer of 2010.

The Battle Road Tech Index™ fell 0.7 percent for the week ended April 1, 2010, closing at 1739. For the week, 15 of the 25 Index components fell in value. Year-to-date, the index is up 3.5 percent, having started at a value of 1680.

SAP (SAP), Verizon (VZ), and Research in Motion (RIMM), were notable movers for the week:

Shares of SAP (NYSE: SAP, $48.64) climbed 3.3 percent this week as the company issued debt and manufacturing prospects rose. The business software leader, which typically operates with no debt on its balance sheet, elected to follow the trend of other technology giants and issue debt, taking advantage of the current rate environment. Much of SAP’s business comes from manufacturing companies, and with production picking up after the recession, its customers should be more willing to invest in technology.

Verizon (NYSE: VZ, $31.28) gained 3.0 percent following reports that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL, $235.97) may be developing a next-generation iPhone that would target CDMA carriers like Verizon. The current version of the iPhone is not compatible with CDMA networks, and the new version seems to indicate the end of Apple’s exclusive deal with AT&T (NYSE: T, $26.11). Though many analysts do not expect the phone to be available from Verizon before the end of the year, its arrival could result in market expansion and a share shift away from AT&T.

Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM, $68.48) fell 8.8 percent this week following disappointing Q4 earning results. The company earned $1.27 per share on $4.08 billion in revenues for its fiscal Q4 ended on February 28. The results fell short of consensus estimates of $1.28 per share in EPS on $4.31 billion in revenues. The company shipped fewer units than expected, due to a single customer tightening its inventory policies. ASPs and gross margin trends show that RIMM is more dependent on selling lower-priced, higher margin, entry level Curves instead of its higher priced premium products, Bold, Tour and Storm.