Michael S. Dell, the chairman and chief executive, predicted a sales decline of 3percentto5percentcent from the quarter just ended, a narrower decline than the 10percentt he predicted for the industry.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency had slightly better news, with a narrower decline between July and August in its house price index.
The Federal Reserve said consumer credit fell by $12 billion in August, less than the revised $19 billion drop in July, but the narrower decline was likely due in part to an uptick in auto financing driven by the Cash For Clunkers program that expired at the end of the month.
Most economists said later revisions may narrow the decline in GDP, but were unlikely to push economic growth into positive territory.
The Nasdaq composite index gained 122.02 points, to 3,778.32, narrowed its decline so far this year to 7.15percentt.
The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index popped back into the plus column for the year, while the Dow Jones industrial average narrowed its decline.
The equalising 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s of the 20th century have been replaced by inequality, narrowing opportunity, decline of meritocracy and rise of the super and ugly rich celebrocracy, avoiding taxes and concentrating their wealth in off-shore havens.
