The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 1.63%) was a bit higher in early trading Friday, rising about 20 points as of 11:30 a.m. EST. Dow component Verizon Communications (VZ 2.03%) lost about 0.5%, while Gogo (GOGO +1.94%) shares plunged in the wake of an FCC decision. Adobe (ADBE 3.23%), however, surged following its earnings release.
PPI comes in line
The latest Producer Price Index printed in line with expectations. The reading, which measures the change in the price of goods sold by manufacturers, showed a decline of 0.1% for November on a month-over-month basis, exactly what economists had expected.
The PPI is known to be a leading measure of inflation. A strongly higher PPI might've indicated that inflation was becoming a problem in the economy; the report as it is suggests that inflation remains subdued, making further Federal Reserve stimulus possible.
Verizon drops after new unlocking policy
The Verizon drop follows a deal with the FCC that will make it easier for customers to unlock their phones and take them to other network providers once their contracts have expired.
That might lead to fewer Verizon subscribers, given that the company's service is among the most expensive in the U.S.. However, Verizon might ultimately lose few subscribers -- the frequencies it uses to provide cell phone service differ from the other major carriers, meaning that bringing certain phones to other carriers could be difficult or impossible.
Gogo stumbles in light of FCC decision
In-flight Internet provider Gogo's sell-off was far worse than Verizon's. Shares shed nearly 4% early on Friday, the FCC may have had some influence here as well. The agency voted to end a ban on in-flight cell phone use by U.S. airline passengers. The FCC will require a second vote to lift the ban, and it will ultimately be up to the individual airlines to implement the decision, but if fliers start using their own cell phones, it could take a toll on Gogo's business.
Gogo sells access to the Internet to U.S. airline passengers for a fee. Right now, those who want in-flight Internet access have no choice but to pay -- however, if they could use their smartphone, they might also be able to use their network data plan.
Adobe makes a successful transition to the cloud
Adobe shares meanwhile, rallied more than twice as much as Gogo shares fell. Early on Friday, shares of Adobe were up about 11% in the wake of its earnings report.
At first glance, Adobe's report appeared disappointing: earnings were down significantly from the prior year and the company's guidance was weak. But investors appeared to be overlooking that report in favor of Adobe's success in the cloud. Adobe now has more than 1.4 million Creative Cloud subscribers. These customers pay for Adobe's software in monthly installments, rather than purchasing it up front. In time, this sort of regular revenue stream could prove highly advantageous to Adobe.
