Bloomberg:
- Citigroup(C) plans to name American Express’(AXP) Gary Crittenden as CFO as soon as today, ending a monthlong search for Sallie Krawcheck’s successor.
- President Bush said his “market-based principles” have helped improve the nation’s Medicare system, and they can improve access to health insurance as well. Bush called for changes in the nation’s tax code to encourage more Americans to buy health insurance.
- KKR and Texas Pacific Group plan to include TXU Corp.(TXU) CEO C. John Wilder in their buyout of the largest power producer in Texas for as much as $44 billion.
- Caremark RX(CMX) today said it mailed to shareholders supplemental disclosures ordered by a judge, paving the way for a March 16 meeting to allow investors to vote on a merger with CVS Corp.(CVS).
- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran’s continued defiance of international demands that it stop uranium enrichment is stirring dissent within the Persian Gulf nation that is adding to diplomatic pressure.
- Hugo Chavez’s spending spree has turned the Venezuelan Bolivar into the world’s worst performing currency. Venezuelans and foreign companies are pulling money out of the country as a 200% increase in government spending over the past two years fuels the highest inflation rate in Latin America. Venezuelans have moved $8 billion out of the country on average every year since Chavez took office in 1999.
- The professionals most familiar with the so-called oil shortage know there’s an estimated 3 trillion barrels under land and sea. That’s why they’re making their biggest bets in drilling rigs where the scarcity is no illusion. The oil left underground in the US alone is enough to replace every barrel pumped from Iran for the next 20 years.
- The Democratic governors of West Virginia and Montana said Congress should establish a price floor for crude oil to assure investment in alternative energy supplies. The governors represent coal producing states and are supporters of technology that uses coal to produce transportation fuel, known as coal-to-liquid.
- Gilead Sciences(GILD) said its experimental HIV treatment in a new class of medication works in combination with other drugs as well as older therapies.
- Lam Research(LRCX), the maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, said it plans to buy back as much as $750 million worth of its stock.
Wall Street Journal:
- Station Casinos(STN) has accepted a revised $5.5 billion offer from a group led by the company’s founding family and Colony Capital LLC.
- The Tribune Co.’s(TRB) board is leaning toward a restructuring plan instead of a sale.
Chicago Tribune:
- Sam Zell, the Chicago billionaire who sold Equity Office Properties Trust(EOP) for $39 billion, may participate in the buyout of Tribune Co.(TRB) through an employee stock option plan.
NY Times:
- Iraqi Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr appears to be cooperating with the effort to restore order in Baghdad and aiding the Iraqi-US campaign against parts of his Mahdi Army militia. Sadr has signaled which militia members should be arrested and told others to flee.
Washington Post:
- Congressional Democrats, after campaigning against Republican ties to corporate lobbyists in the November elections, have mounted a major fundraising offensive featuring their key committee chairmen. The drive, which helps the Democrats build a reserve of funds as they try to increase narrow majorities in the House and Senate in the 2008 elections, includes a late-March event featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 10 of the top panel chairmen. The ticket price for the March 21 dinner is $28,500 per couple and is designed to raise funds for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
- Citgo Petroleum Corp., a unit of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, is running ads in the US that some critics say promote Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez is seizing oil and telecom assets to transform his country into a socialist state.
- Microsoft(MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates said the US must improve its education system and boost immigration of highly skilled workers in order to maintain an edge in innovation.
San Francisco Chronicle:
- San Francisco’s new $144 million federal building has been designed to create a healthy environment for workers while reducing the use of energy and natural resources.
San Jose Mercury News:
- Sun Microsystems(SUNW), Intel Corp.(INTC) and Hewlett-Packard(HPQ) are among large technology companies moving support jobs closer to the US as part of a growing trend known as “nearshoring,” citing business professors and corporate executives.
AP:
- Kurdish authorities have agreed to support a draft law to manage and share Iraq’s vast oil wealth, citing Massoud Barzani, president of the self-governing Kurdish administration in the north.
LA Times:
- Proposed laws to stop airlines from keeping passengers on grounded airplanes indefinitely may result in even longer waits for US travelers, citing industry analysts.
Financial Times:
- DaimlerChrysler AG(DCX) may take a minority stake in General Motors(GM) as payment for its Chrysler division.
London-based Sunday Express:
- Dow Chemical(DOW) may receive a takeover offer worth as much as $54 billion from private equity investors within the next few weeks.
Economic Daily News:
- Texas Instruments(TXN) may jointly develop new chip production technologies with a semiconductor maker in Taiwan, citing the company’s chief technology officer.
- Asustek Computer’s first-quarter sales may more than double from a year earlier to $6 billion because of rising shipments of game consoles and motherboards. Asustek is the world’s largest maker of computer motherboards.
Yonhap News:
- North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Il is preparing a collective leadership to rule the Stalinist country after his death, citing diplomats in Beijing. Kim no longer plans to hand over power directly to his eldest son Kim Jong Nam, who’s not interested in the role.
Weekend Recommendations
Barron's:
- Made positive comments on (UEIC), (WAG), (BAM), (FITB), (SAI), (RJET) and (NT).
- Made negative comments on (APPB).
Citigroup:
- Reiterated Buy on (YHOO), target $35.
- Reiterated Buy on (HUM), target $80.
Night Trading
Asian indices are -.25% to +.50% on average.
S&P 500 indicated +.12%.
NASDAQ 100 indicated +.18%.
Morning Preview
US AM Market Call
NASDAQ 100 Pre-Market Indicator/Heat Map
Pre-market Commentary
Before the Bell CNBC Video(bottom right)
Global Commentary
Asian Indices
European Indices
Top 20 Business Stories
In Play
Bond Ticker
Conference Calendar
Daily Stock Events
Macro Calls
Rasmussen Consumer/Investor Daily Indices
CNBC Guest Schedule
Earnings of Note
Company/Estimate
- (BRCD)/.13
- (FLS)/.74
- (FMCN)/.51
- (GTRC)/1.07
- (MVL)/.10
- (MRVL)/.09
- (MRT)/.29
- (NTES)/.28
- (JWN)/.90
- (URI)/.63
- (WRNC)/.49
- (XMSR)/-.66
Upcoming Splits
- (RYAAY) 2-for-1
Economic Releases
- None of note
BOTTOM LINE: Asian Indices are mostly higher, boosted by metal and technology shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher. The Portfolio is 100% net long heading into the week.
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