mutli-thread socket connection

Hi!

Just wondering if it is possible to create multi-thread socket (HTTP) connections using JAVA or C or any other language.

Suppose i need to retrieve multiple stock prices for the symbols ABC, CSCO, JDS...etc. I can do this by making an HTTP socket connection to NASDAQ's or TSE's website (doesn't matter which website i connect to). Anyways, i can retrieve the HTML off the site and parse out the current stock price for CSCO. Once i have CSCO's price, i make another HTTP socket connection to retrieve the price for JDS, and so on i continue to retrieve all the prices i need one by one. Obviously this takes an extremely long time.


So is it possible to retrieve all the stock prices i need, all at the same time by simultaneously making multiple socket connections? If so, how? what should i use? If not on Java, are you aware of any other applications/programming languages that would allow me make multiple socket connections?

I'm currently using APACHE 1.3.x with PHP and javaservlets on redhat linux.

Your prompt response would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

dhruv