Calif. The stock was little changed for much of the regular trading hours Wednesday, and wound up with a modest gain as Wall Street staged a late rally. Uncertainty over the ruling, which was issued after the close of regular trading, was cited for the limited movement. Moore said Microsoft may have more success in the appeals process, and that investors were likely responding to that possibility late Wednesday. In trading before the ruling, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 77.29 to 10,812.86, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 82.89 to 3,839.26 The two-year antitrust case has taken its toll on Microsoft's shares, usually one of the most actively traded stocks in the U.S. markets. But the stock has plummeted in the wake of Jackson's April 3 ruling in which he held that Microsoft engaged in anticompetitive conduct in violation of antitrust laws.
People are very confused.
They don't know which way to go,'' he said. Goldman said the gamble for investors is how long Microsoft may be tied up in appeals, and how those legal woes may affect the company during the appeal process. On a broader scale, Goldman speculated that a harsh ruling against Microsoft could have a chilling affect on the broader market, signaling as it would a trend toward government interference in the marketplace. Copyright 2000 Associated Press . All rights reserved.