Stocks finished lower Friday, despite a last-ditch attempt to rally, as technology shares took yet another hit — this time it was weak earnings from PC maker Dell. Still , for the week, the Dow gained about 50 points.

Stocks declined Friday as technology shares took yet another hit — this time it was weak earnings from PC maker Dell. Merck was among the few gainers today as investors moved into classically safe bets like health care, consumer staples and utilities.

Stocks opened lower Friday as technology shares took yet another hit — this time it was weak earnings from PC maker Dell.

D.R. Horton, the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, reported a much larger-than-expected quarterly loss on Friday, sending its shares down nearly 7 percent even though it also said orders increased.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - D.R. Horton Inc <DHI.N>, the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, reported a much larger-than-expected quarterly loss on Friday, sending its shares down 13.5 percent even though it also said orders increased.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc., saw new home orders spike 26 percent from a year ago in the latest quarter as buyers raced to close deals and take advantage of a federal tax credit. But a wider-than-anticipated loss fueled by write-downs sent shares tumbling more than 15 percent Friday.

Stock index futures were slightly lower ahead of trading Friday, with technology shares pressured by a weak earnings report from PC maker Dell.

Oil fell nearly 1 percent on Friday as a stronger dollar weighed on prices and falling equities raised concern about the economy and the outlook for energy demand.

What follows is a roundup of corporate earnings reports for Friday, Nov.20.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on Friday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst commentary related to the period.

Continued signs of stabilization in the market, from a reversal of falling home price to a tightening in credit spreads, have analysts optimistic about the builders' future. No wonder the sector is hot.

Investors who capitalized on the market's amazing six-month run are now going to want to find a way to protect their profits.

New home sales rose a tepid 0.7 percent last month, missing Wall Street expectations and providing more evidence the housing market recovery remains tentative.

Stocks ended flat Tuesday as investors took a breather after Monday's blockbuster rally.

Stocks struggled to stay in positive territory for any length of time Tuesday as profit-taking after Monday's blockbuster rally overshadowed a fifth-straight rise in pending-home sales.