The U.S. stock market launched the final two months of the year with mixed results as techs and the Nasdaq cooled off, while Apple ( AAPL ) halted a three-day win streak. The builder of single-family homes has surged past a 25.28 buy point in a narrow flat base after reporting excellent third-quarter results (EPS up 109% to 71 cents, with sales up 43% to $490.3 million). In a statement, the U.S. central bank noted that while gasoline prices increased after hurricanes pounded Texas and Florida in late August and early September, core inflation "remained soft."