Midday Report: Costco Suffers E.Coli Outbreak; Home Sales Bounce

Stocks turned positive again in choppy trading ahead of the Thanksgiving Day holiday tomorrow. Gains were kept in check though after conflicting economic data suggested a two-speed U.S. economy and undermined investors' bets on a Fed rate hike in December. Costco (COST) is under fire after the retailer's rotisserie chicken salad was linked to cases of E.coli in seven states. Nineteen people have fallen ill with five hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. New home sales rebounded in October, jumping nearly 11% from September. Sales have been under pressure as higher prices kept first home buyers at bay. Guess? (GES) spiked after reporting a surprisingly strong third quarter driven by strength in its European business.