NASDAQ 100 Mid-day Update: Lower Top Performers: VRTX, FSLR, GILD

Published on Monday, 06 February 2012 13:35 Written by Christopher Lynn

New York, February 6th (TradersHuddle.com) - The NASDAQ 100 Index is lower trading at 2526.88, which represents -0.09% versus its previous close. The index is having a negative day with more than 60% of the NASDAQ 100 components trading negative.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) is the NASDAQ 100's top performer today with the stock trading at $38.05 representing 3.45% from its previous trading session. Shares of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, the biotechnology company focused on developing novel small molecule pharmaceuticals have defined support at $34.10 and resistance at $38.62.

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) is also among the top performers, and it is trading at $46.01 representing 1.88% from its previous close. First Solar, the largest maker of thin film solar modules in the world has calculated support and resistance levels at $36.33 and $47.10 respectively. The other top performer of the NASDAQ 100 is Gilead (NASDAQ:GILD), which is trading at $55.57 representing 1.6% from its previous close.

The NASDAQ 100's worst performers include Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) that is trading at $67.4 or -2.71% from the previous close. Shares of Amgen, the biotechnology company have defined support at $56.00 and resistance at $69.63. Also among the worst performers Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX), which is trading at $43.16 representing -2.33% from the previous trading session.

The NASDAQ 100 is underperfoming the Dow Jones but is pretty much equal with the S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Index is currently trading at 12825.4, which represents -0.29% from previous close, the S&P 500 on the other hand is trading at 1342.7 that represents -0.16% from its previous close.