NASDAQ 2,110.65 +1.06%
Leading Sectors
Homebuilders +2.76%
Disk Drives +2.51%
Biotech +2.16%
Lagging Sectors
Gaming -.30%
Telecom -.70%
Airlines -.74%
Other
Crude Oil 46.80 +3.02%
Natural Gas 6.34 +5.65%
Gold 419.80 +.05%
Base Metals 118.95 -.08%
U.S. Dollar 83.29 -.37%
10-Yr. T-note Yield 4.28% +.28%
VIX 13.03 -3.41%
Put/Call .84 -11.58%
NYSE Arms .84 -33.33%
ISE Sentiment 221.00 +38.13%
Market Movers
FOX +9.4% after News Corp. offered to buy out minority holders of Fox Entertainment for $5.86 billion to solidify control over its largest US asset.
TASR -10.2% on continuing worries over accounting, safety and insider selling.
APPX +33.9% after the make of generic injectable medicines won US approval to sell a new form of a drug for advanced breast cancer.
STIY +11.0% after announcing Roy C. Cuny, former President and CEO of Smith & Wesson, has joined Stinger Systems as President and will serve on the Board.
DJO +14.1% after raising 4Q guidance.
ALNY +14.0% after scientists demonstrated positive in vivo efficacy data from the company’s pre-clinical program to develop Direct RNAi therapeutics for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus infection.
PPC +11.33% after boosting 1Q estimates.
DECK -6.5% on profit-taking after boosting 4Q guidance.
NGPS -9.68% on continued profit-taking.
*Homebuilders up across the board on positive comments from multiple firms on underlying fundamentals.
Economic Data
Wholesale Inventories for November rose 1.1% versus estimates of a .7% increase and a 1.1% rise in October.
Recommendations
-Goldman Sachs: Reiterated Outperform on BBY, HD, BAX, AMT, WLP, AMGN, DNA and GILD.
-Citi SmithBarney: Is negative on Autos and Auto Suppliers heading into Detroit Auto Show, lowered estimates on GM, AXL, DCN and DPH. Upgraded PAY to Buy, target $30. Reiterated Buy on BAC, target $57. Reiterated Buy on BK, target $37. Reiterated Buy on WB, target $60. Said pullback in semi-equipment stocks is buying opportunity, favorites are LRCX and AMAT. Rated NRGY Buy, target $32. Reiterated Buy on DE, target $82. Reiterated Buy on WMT, target $65. Upgraded SPRT to Buy, target $8.50. Rated PBI Buy, target $51. Reiterated Buy on CMCSK, target $34. Citi reiterated Sell on SNDK, target $21.
-Banc of America: Upgraded JNY to Buy, target $44. Rated WRNC Buy, target $26.
-UBS: Downgraded TEU to Reduce, target $12. Rated HOV Buy, target $67. Raised AINV to Buy, target $18.
Bear Stearns: Raised SYNA to Outperform.
Thomas Weisel: Raised FLSH to Outperform.
Legg Mason: Rated AINV Buy, target $19.
Mid-day News
U.S. stocks are higher mid-day on a bounce from last week’s sell-off and strength in the homebuilding sector. Comcast plans to market an Internet phone service to 15 million homes by the end of this year, marking one of the biggest challenges so far to US phone companies, the Wall Street Journal said. US dentists have started to earn more money than doctors by avoiding some of the limitations imposed on physicians’ fees by health insurance and by marketing cosmetic and other optional care, the Wall Street Journal reported. Campbell Soup, General Mills and Kraft Foods are among US foodmakers who are trying to cut sugar content, and add vitamins or whole grain to products in hopes of convincing parents to buy their processed foods, the Washington Post said. Alltel Corp. CEO Ford told CNBC the company will become the largest wireless provider in rural parts of the US with its $4.42 billion purchase of Western Wireless, Bloomberg reported. General Motors has attracted a broader customer base, including younger buyers, with its “red hot” Cadillac brand, CEO Wagoner told CNBC. The apartment vacancy rate improved somewhat in 4Q as the low cost of mortgages encouraged people to buy instead of rent and much construction caused an oversupply, the Wall Street Journal reported. The cost of goods leaving British factories fell .4% in December, the biggest monthly drop since 2001, led lower by prices for scrap metal, computers and petroleum products, Bloomberg said. Crude oil is jumping to its highest level in six weeks after stormy weather forced Royal Dutch/Shell to halt output at a North Sea field, bringing Norway’s idled production to 12% for a fourth day, Bloomberg said. Movie Gallery agreed to buy Hollywood Entertainment for $13.25 a share, or about $850 million, Bloomberg said. Microsoft is offering a 25% license-fee discount to PeopleSoft customers who sign up for Microsoft’s Business Solutions services, Bloomberg reported. UnitedHealth Group, Humana and other health insurers lost a US Supreme Court bid to stop a class-action lawsuit that claims 600,000 doctors were underpaid for treating patients, Bloomberg said. Viacom’s CBS said it fired four employees for a September report by news anchor Dan Rather questioning President Bush’s National Guard Service, according to a statement issued by the network. UN officials ignored early warnings that humanitarian goods shipped to Iraq were given cursory inspections, a condition that US investigators say may have helped Saddam Hussein siphon large sums of money from the effort, Bloomberg reported. Saudi Arabia cut the amount of crude oil allocated for February shipments to companies that operated global refining systems, compared with supplies for January, Reuters reported.
Bottom Line: The Portfolio is higher mid-day on gains in my homebuilding, internet and semiconductor longs. I added a few new longs from various sectors this morning, thus bringing the Portfolio to 75% net long. One of my new longs is GS and I am using a $103 stop-loss on the position. The tone of the market is better today as advancers are handily outpacing decliners. Small-caps and tech are outperforming. However, volume is below levels seen during last week’s sell-off. As well, investor anxiety measures are falling again and energy prices are rising into mild weather, which are negatives. I expect US stocks to trade mixed-to-higher into the close.
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