The markets had an up-session, but a mixed one, with Nasdaq higher and the S&P 500 near flat on the day. 

The day started out with a firm opening, then a move lower to the lows for the day on the Nasdaq 100.  They made higher highs mid-morning, and then pulled back near the lunch hour.  At that point, the S&P actually made a lower low, but held support at 1302.  The NDX held around the 1575 range, and bounced back up to retest the highs, failed to do so, and with non-confirmation from the SPX mid-afternoon they rolled over one more time, but held the lows again. They then started a strong surge in the last hour and a half that took the NDX to new rally highs, but not above the highs reached in mid-August.  They backed off a little into the close, with the S&P making a lower high and then NDX making a higher high.

So, it was a mixed picture.  Net on the day, the Dow was up just 13 points, the S&P 500 almost dead-even flat, down a penny.  The NDX, however, was up 8.20, fueled by the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOXX), which was up 8.03.

The technicals were pretty decent, positive by a little more than 3 to 2  on advance-declines on New York, and a like amount on Nasdaq.  Up/down volume was much stronger on Nasdaq, where a 3 Ã,½ to 1 ratio prevailed, with total volume of 1.6 billion.  On New York they traded a little less than 1.3 billion, with about 7 to 5 Ã,½ positive ratio.

So, a positive day for the most part on the Street, and that was reflected in TheTechTrader.com board, which was also mostly higher.

The leader today was Energy Conversion Devices (ENER), which had a very strong session, up 2.90 on 1.6 million, not far off the highs for the day.  Versant (VSNT) on a tremendous earnings report today , closed up 2.22 on 1 Ã,¼ million, which is about a third of the float.

Other stocks of note, Dynamic Materials Corp. (BOOM) advanced 1.61, and reached near its 4-month highs.  Broadcom (BRCM) was up 1.10, Rambus (RMBS) up 1.35, NRMX a very strong day to a five-year high up 1.45, and NUHC up 1.06.

On the downside, DXP Enterprises (DXPE) gave back 91 cents, having a difficult session.  Most other stocks were off small fractions if they were down at all.

Stepping back and reviewing the hourly chart patterns, as indicated earlier the Nasdaq 100 has moved up against key overhead resistance going back several months, in the 1585-90 zone, reaching as high as 1583.77, before backing off a couple points, but still closing very strongly on the day.

The S&P 500 neared 3 Ã,½-month highs in the morning, but could not follow through in the afternoon, and backed off to nearly unchanged on the session.  Key short-term support is at 1302 and then 1295 on the S&P, and at 1574-75 on the NDX, and beneath that 1565.

Those are the support levels weââ,¬â"¢ll be keeping an eye on as we see if they can extend this rally.

Harry Boxer is a technical consultant to many Wall Street hedge funds and large institutional traders, and author of TheTechTrader.com, a real-time diary of his day, swing and intermediate-term trades. For more of Harry Boxer, sign up for a free 15-day trial to his Real-Time Technical Trading Diary, or sign up for a free 30-day trial to his Top Charts of the Week service.