Technology stocks head upward NEW YORK – Solid earnings reports fueled gains for several tech stocks this week, while shifting competitive dynamics in the online video rental market boosted investor interest in Netflix.Hewlett-Packard investors breathed a sigh of relief this week as the company made it through its first quarter under new Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd with revenue and earnings edging past expectations. Hurd said he sees “room for improvement” in many areas of the company; analysts expect aggressive cost-cutting as Hurd revamps HP’s operations and strategy. Following its Tuesday earnings report, HP’s shares (ticker symbol: HPQ) increased 5 percent on Wednesday to close at $22.55. En route, the stock rose to a 52-week high of $22.81.Hurd also quashed speculation that HP would untether its lucrative printing business or its lagging PC unit. “I’m not working on a plan to spin a business or divest a business,” he told analysts in a conference call to discuss HP’s results. Shares of DVD rental-by-mail service Netflix Inc. (NFLX) surged 24 percent Thursday on news that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. would abandon its competing DVD rental business and instead direct customers to Netflix — even after Netflix warned investors that the deal would not materially affect its near-term financial performance. The huge rise didn’t last, but by the end of the day the stock was still up 4 percent at $16.13.Netflix’s gain built on advances from last week, when shares climbed 23 percent by the end of the week, to $14.28, on news that activist investor Carl Icahn succeeded in getting his dissident slate of directors elected to Blockbuster Inc.’s board. Analysts suggested Icahn’s ascendance made it likely he would encourage Blockbuster to either raise rates or do away entirely with its expensive push to compete with Netflix in online rentals. Both moves would help Netflix. Sure enough, this week Blockbuster said it is testing a $17.99 monthly fee for unlimited rentals, $3 higher than its current rate. The higher fee would match what Netflix charges for a similar rental plan.Strong earnings reports sent shares up in software developers BEA Systems (BEAS) and Salesforce.com (CRM). Application server developer BEA on Wednesday reported 7 percent revenue growth, to $281.7 million, and 35 percent income growth, to $34.1 million, from the year-earlier quarter. Its shares closed up 5 percent the next day, at $8.51. Particularly fueling BEA’s rise is Wall Street speculation that it’s an attractive takeover target, most likely for Oracle, which has developed a ravenous appetite for acquisitions. Analysts had been nervous that Oracle wouldn’t be ready for another big buy-out deal so soon after its $10.3 billion purchase of PeopleSoft in September, but Oracle Chairman Jeff Henley tried to blow away those doubts in his remarks Monday at an investor conference. “We are ready to rumble now,” Henley told attendees. PeopleSoft is digested and Oracle is on the prowl again for opportunities, he said.Meanwhile, Salesforce.com, the company scaring Oracle and its applications rivals with its rapid rise in the low-end CRM (customer relationship management) software market, nearly doubled its sales from the year-earlier quarter. On Wednesday, the vendor reported earnings of $4.4 million on revenue of $64.1 million, while its subscriber count rose by about 40,000. At the end of the quarter there were 267,000 customers paying for its hosted software service. Investors rewarded Salesforce.com’s gains by sending its stock up 12 percent, to end Thursday at $17.75. Technology Industry