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Apple NASDAQ:AAPL Stock-Split Rumor

MS, STX, MSFT, HPQ, IBM, GRPN, INTC, ALTR, ADSK

Tech stocks rose in late trading Tuesday, with Apple Inc. among the gainers as rumors circulated that the company might announce a stock split at its annual shareholders’ meeting.

Apple rose 5.06 a share, or 1.2%, to 448.18 as speculation rose about the possibility of the company announcing a stock split at its annual meeting on Wednesday. Apple officials didn’t immediately return requests for comment. Apple has done 2-for-1 stock splits 3 times in its history, with the most recent coming in February 2005.

The overall market also got a lift from the latest US housing data, which showed that the nation’s home sales rose in December.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index RIXF managed to rise more than 11 pts to 3,127, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index SOX and the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index MSH were each up about 0.6%.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) was among the tech-sector leaders on the rise, as the semiconductor giant’s shares rose 2% to $ 20.64. Late Monday, Intel said it would begin making chips on the part of Altera Corp. (NASDAQ:ALTR) in a move that could help Intel with costs associated with developing new chip technologies.

Design-software company Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK saw its shares rise 1%, to 37 a day after it reported Q-4 results that rose from the same period a year ago, and exceeded Wall Street analysts’ estimates.

Shares of the online travel site operator Priceline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) rose 2 to 673.11 ahead of the company’s quarterly results, due after the market close.

Gains also came from International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM ), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ and Seagate Technology (NADAQ:STX).

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN ) fell slightly to 259 a share. The online retailer announced a content-licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Television (NYSE:SNE) that includes exclusive online subscription rights to the FX Network series “Justified.”

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) shares fell 2.2%, to $5.47 ahead of the company’s Quarterly results