Nasdaq hits 15-year high, propelled by tech triumvirate

Google gained 3.6 percent after reporting higher quarterly results while Microsoft jumped 9.4 percent after it topped estimates. The Nasdaq rose as high as 5,100.371, the highest since its intraday record of 5,132.52 in March 2000. "The difference today contrasting with back then is, you have a lot of mature companies like Microsoft, EMC and Intel that can be looked at as almost blue chip companies that pay relatively high dividends," said James Abate, chief investment officer of Cente