The market was pretty much flat this week, with the three major indexes all down ever so slightly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI) and the Nasdaq (INDEX: ^IXIC) were down 0.1%, while the S&P 500 (INDEX: ^GSPC) was down 0.4%. With that as context, let's look at the stocks everybody was talking about.
Not shockingly, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) was the unofficial stock of the week. The week's talk centered on the iPhone 5. Strong presale numbers (2 million in 24 hours!) have led to much speculation about where sales will end up after this launch weekend (the new iPhones officially launched on Friday). The billions of dollars Apple is set to reap dwarf any blockbuster movie premiere. Shares breached the $700 barrier for the first time and ended the week at $700.09. (For a thorough breakdown of Apple's prospects, check out our premium report by clicking here.)
In a week when we saw stronger housing sales and starts data, online real estate market Trulia (NYSE: TRLA) trotted out its IPO. On Thursday, it made its debut at $17 and quickly ran up, ending the day at $24, a 41% gain. It kept most of those gains on Friday, ending normal trading at $23.03. My fellow Fool Matt Koppenheffer isn't that impressed, though.
In other market news, Bank of America announced the acceleration of its previously announced job-cut plans. It's looking to get down to 260,000 employees by the end of the year -- 16,000 less than its tally at the end of the second quarter. Facebook, meanwhile, is looking to make some money off Facebook Offers by charging companies for the once-free deal service. Meanwhile, the Winkelvoss twins resurfaced from Facebook's past with a $1 million investment in SumZero, a social network targeted at investing professionals.
It's easy to get caught up in a hot IPO pop like Trulia's or other daily noise, but good investing requires a longer-term outlook beyond the daily grind. To help, check out "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich." The free report details three stocks that can help in your quest for the perfect portfolio. Click here to find out their names.
