Investor snapshot: Investor optimism brightens game sector

Most game concerns moved higher Tuesday as investors responded optimistically to good news from the Federal Open Market Committee. Shares in game retailer Electronics Boutique (ELBO) climbed $1.06 to close at $43.10, while shares in rival chain GameStop Corp. (GME) rose 44 cents to $21.95. THQ Inc. (THQI) shares advanced 41 cents to $28.94. Activision (ATVI) shares traded 29 cents higher at $15.89, and shares in Electronic Arts (ERTS) bounced back 20 cents to close at $50.43. Eidos (EIDSY), Midway (MWY), and Atari (ATAR) shares added pennies, and shares in Konami (KNM) were unchanged.

Some in the sector bucked the trend and moved south Tuesday, including Vivendi Universal (V), whose shares fell 20 cents to $31.19. Shares in Jamdat Mobile (JMDT) shed 15 cents today to close at $18.25, and Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) shares traded 7 cents lower at $26.44.

On the Paris Stock Exchange, shares in Ubisoft rose .54 euros (70 cents) Tuesday to close at 31.87 euros ($41.19). In Japan, Nintendo shares lost 100 yen (93 cents), closing at 12,180 yen ($113.14).

In the broader US markets, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 59.41 points higher at 10,507.97. The Nasdaq Composite rose 13.28 points to 2,005.40, and the S&P 500 added 6.55 points, closing at 1,187.76.

The Federal Open Market Committee released the minutes of its March 22 meeting today. It was met with investor relief when it revealed no change in the Fed's concerns about inflation, according to Marketwatch.

In the foreign markets...
In Asian trading, the Nikkei 225, South Korea's Kospi index, and the Shanghai Composite were down, while Taiwan's Taiex and Hong Kong's Hang Seng moved slightly higher. LG Philips, a collaboration between LG Electronics and Philips Electronics, announced a steep first-quarter loss. Stock in the monitor-producing company fell .6 percent on the South Korean exchange. European markets were also slightly lower Tuesday.