One-Stop Shopping (setravis)

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Milk the cash cows.......

In every market, there are companies that can provide their own organic financing rather than take on debt. We call them cash cows.

Cash cows are companies that churn out gallons of free cash flow -- the cash that's left over after normal capital spending. There are good reasons to own stock in companies that generate strong free cash flow, and in a down market, those reasons become even more attractive.

When times are tough and interest rates are high, a company with free cash flow can use the excess cash to invest in itself, so that when the economy finally turns around, the company will be in a better position to take advantage of the good times.

Two stellar examples during the last bear market were Baxter (NYSE: BAX) and Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI). Both companies had positive free cash flows in 2000, carried healthy balance sheets, and were thus able to focus on building their core businesses. By the time the market recovered, they were able to reap the benefits -- since March 2003, these stocks have risen 256% and 202%, respectively.

Two current cash cows are NVIDIA (Nasdaq: NVDA) and Morningstar (Nasdaq: MORN). Despite tremendous gains from both companies over the past three years, the stocks are well off their 52-week highs, but they nevertheless continue to generate gobs of free cash flow. Both are world-class brands, and the extra cash on hand will serve them well, no matter what the economy does next.

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High gas prices hit consumers worldwide
Saturday May 31, 2:12 am ET
By Angela Charlton, Associated Press Writer 
$11.29 a gallon in Turkey? Consumers worldwide wrestle with rising gasoline prices


PARIS (AP) -- Feeling woozy about the fortune you've just pumped into your gas tank? Drivers around the world share the sensation.
Consumers, gas retailers and governments are wrestling with a new energy order, where rising oil prices play a larger role than ever in the daily lives of increasingly mobile people. But as the cost of crude mounts, the effect on the price at the pump varies startlingly -- from Venezuela, where gas is cheaper than water, to Turkey, where a full tank can cost more than a domestic plane ticket.



Taxes and subsidies are the main reasons for the differences, along with lesser factors such as limited oil refining capacity and hard-to-reach geography that push up prices.

"I don't know why it is but... it hurts," says Marie Penucci, a violinist filling up her Volkswagen at an Esso station on the bypass that rings Paris.

As she pumped gas worth $9.66 a gallon she looked wistfully at a commuter climbing onto one of the city's cheap rent-a-bikes, an option not open to her since she travels long distances to perform.

High taxes in Europe and Japan have long accustomed consumers to staggering pump prices, which now are testing new pain thresholds -- and it could have been even worse, if a strong euro hadn't cushioned some of the blow. As a result, plenty of European adults never even bother to learn to drive, preferring cheap mass transit to cumbersome cars.

Subsidies in emerging economies such as China and India, meanwhile, shield consumers but hurt governments, which must find a way to afford rising market prices for oil.

Increasingly, they can't. Indonesians are staging protests against shrinking gasoline subsidies in a nation where nearly half the population of 235 million lives on less than $2 a day. And there are now 887 million vehicles in the world, up from 553 million vehicles just 15 years ago, and on track to nearly double to a billion by 2012, according to London-based consultancy Global Insight.

In Europe, taxes are often the focus, since the high tax burden means crude itself is a smaller part of the burden.

"The pain of a rise in prices is much less in Europe, because we may be paying a lot more here, but the rise in a percentage sense is a lot smaller," said Julius Walker, oil analyst at the Paris-based International Energy Agency.

The United States, with its relatively low taxes, is considered to have retail prices closer to what energy data charts call the "real cost" of gasoline -- which is closely linked to the price of oil.

So as oil prices have soared, average U.S. prices have gone up 144 percent in the past five years -- from $1.67 in May 2003 to $4.02 a gallon this month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Over the same period, gas prices in France went up 117 percent to $9.66 a gallon.

Proposals by U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Hillary Clinton to suspend federal gas taxes this summer would lower the price tag -- but have little effect on the underlying oil price. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has urged the EU to cut value-added tax on fuel.

French fishermen and farmers, who need fuel for their trawlers and tractors, say their livelihoods are threatened by soaring prices and have blocked oil terminals around France and shipping traffic on the English Channel to demand government help. Italian, Portuguese and Spanish fisherman joined them and went on strike Friday. British and Bulgarian truckers are staging fuel protests, too.

Russia is proof that big oil-producing nations are not in any better shape when it comes to gasoline prices. Gas in the world's No. 2 oil producer runs about $3.68 a gallon -- nearly that in the United States, where the average wage is about six times higher.

Much of the Russian cost comes from taxes, which run between 60 and 70 percent. Limited refining capacity and the costs of transporting gasoline across the country's vast expanse also push up prices.

Turkey faces similar problems -- and even higher prices -- $11.29 a gallon, which for a full tank in a midsize car can reach nearly $200, enough for a domestic plane ticket.

In China, government-mandated low retail gasoline prices have helped farmers and China's urban poor but also have hurt conservation. In the first four months of 2008, gasoline consumption was up 5.5 percent from the same period last year.

Venezuela, too, is a gas-guzzler's wonderland. A gallon costs just 12 cents and consumers are snapping up SUVs even as Americans are shunning them. Thanks to long-held government subsidies and plenty of oil, Venezuelans see cheap fuel as a birthright.

Some policymakers in less oil-flush nations look to Brazil's use of ethanol as a potential solution. Ethanol from sugarcane is widely available in the world's No. 1 sugar producer and its 190 million people. Eight out of every 10 new cars sold are flex-fuel models that run on pure ethanol, gas or any combination of the two. The price for ethanol in Sao Paulo is currently running about half the price of gas, which runs $5.67 per gallon.

In Japan, gas station owners say some customers aren't filling up their tanks all the way.

"It's been tough. I had to switch to regular gasoline from premium class," said Hiroyuki Kashiwabara, a company employee in his 50s whose monthly spending on gasoline has increased by nearly 10,000 yen ($96) over the last couple of months. "My salary doesn't change and I can't cut back on my spending on food or anything else."

Americans, too, are beginning to trim their hearty gas appetites.

"We're beginning to see a slowdown in the U.S. in gasoline demand in particular. That's not so visible in other parts of the world," the IEA's Walker said.

Jean-Marc Jancovici, a French engineer and co-author of a philosophical treatise called "Fill It Up, Please!" despairs rising thirst in the developing world for shrinking oil resources.

"The real question is ... how to save peace and democracy in this context," he asks.

His answer? To rich-country consumers, at least, he says: Pick up your bike and "stop being petroleum slaves."

[setravis]

Interesting...to be a pinkie...

[setravis]

5 Stocks Attracting Top Investors.......

There's a reason more than 30,000 investors flock to Omaha each May and millions more rummage through the Berkshire Hathaway annual reports: Gleaning knowledge from proven investors is one way to find the stocks that will make you rich.

A sudden increase in bullish interest from top-rated investors could be a sign that the stock deserves further research.

Here are five such stocks:

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Release of private Info...

How stocks on my Watch List have performed.......
Here are 60 of those stocks
When they were added price ranged between $1.00 to $5.00

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NBR - Approaching New 52wk High

Nabors Industries, Ltd. operates as a land drilling contractor. It conducts oil, gas, and geothermal land drilling operations in the United States, Alaska, Canada, South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Middle East, the Far East, Russia, and Africa.

NBR is still on a very positive upward slope and it does not look like it is about to change its ways. Today with oil down, the DOW down, and NG vacillating between up and down the stock is powering up about a buck and half to a new high. For this staid old stock that is a big move.

52wk Range: 23.61 - 45.85
Volume: 8,371,160
Avg Vol (3m): 7,126,140
Market Cap: 13.23B
P/E (ttm): 14.96
EPS (ttm): 3.14
Div & Yield: N/A (N/A)

Technicals
Record Price High
Most Actives
Percentage Gainer

Last Price Quote is:
7.83%above 13-day MA
17.75%above 50-day MA
RS Rating: 94 

Fundamentals
Key Data:
Market Cap (M): $12,519.08 
P/E Ratio: 14.64 
PEG Ratio: 0.871166 
Next Earnings: 07/22/2008
Last Analyst Rating: Outperform

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AP
List of highest-paid CEOs in 2007
Monday June 16, 6:40 am ET
By The Associated Press 
List of highest-paid CEOs in 2007, based on AP's compensation formula


The 10 highest-paid CEOs for 2007 at Standard & Poor's 500 companies based on calculations by The Associated Press. The total pay figures are rounded, and are based on the AP's compensation formula, which adds up salary, perks, bonuses, above-market interest on pay set aside for later, and company estimates for the value of stock options and stock awards on the day they were granted last year.
1. John Thain, Merrill Lynch, $83.1 million

2. Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp., $67.6 million

3. Richard Adkerson, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., $65.3 million

4. Bob Simpson, XTO Energy Inc., $56.6 million

5. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., $53.9 million

6. Kenneth Chenault, American Express Co., $51.7 million

7. Eugene Isenberg, Nabors Industries Ltd., $44.6 million

8. John Mack, Morgan Stanley, $41.7 million

9. Glenn Murphy, Gap Inc., $39.1 million

10. Ray Irani, Occidental Petroleum Corp., $34.2 million

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Hydrogen Names Still in Focus;
Shares Gain 15.5%

Thursday's session saw oil decline as China announced the
cutting of their subsidies on the commodity leaving much of the higher
prices increases on the China consumer. Saudi Arabia also
announced a supply increase of 200 thousand barrels a day. The
reports erased early market losses but still was hampered by the financials which
didn't join the mid day reversal. Citigroup forecast for substantial write downs and
higher credit costs and a less than expected decline in the jobless claims were the main factors.
In the small cap space, Evergreen Solar (ESLR) reported extremely large contract announcements.
The two new long-term sales contracts were valued at approximately $600 million. One
was with United States-based groSolar while the other was with German-based Wagner & Co
Solartechnik GmbH. The contracts extend through 2012 and bring the Company's total contractual
backlog to approximately $1.7 billion. Following the news, shares gained over 19% on heavy
buying even with the decline in oil on Thursday.
Another alternate energy name saw some increased attention on Thursday. As has been noted,
Honda announced the limited release of the Clarity hydrogen powered car. The announcement
has many hydrogen related names on the rise. Hydrogen Hybrid Technology (HYHY) saw another
13% tacked on to its market cap. Hydrogenics, Corp (HYGS) saw their shares gain over 15.5%
on heavy volume.
Hydrogenics is a developer and provider of hydrogen generation and fuel cell products and services,
serving the growing industrial and clean energy markets. Based in Ontario with operations
in Europe and Asia as well, the Company has its hand in many projects relating to green energy.
In early May, the Company reported first quarter revenue that was up 56% year over year at $10.7
million. The number gives the Company over $38 million in trailing twelve months. Backlog at the
end of March was reported at $29.6 million.
Profitability was achieved in the OnSite Generation business but overall, the loss was $4.3 million
for the quarter. However, the loss was an improvement of 48% compared to last year's first
quarter number of $8.3 million.
In late May, the Company reported that it had been selected to provide the hydrogen electrolyzer
for a community wind-hydrogen-diesel system in the community of Ramea, Newfoundland and
Labrador, Canada. By adding zero-emission hydrogen generation and storage, Newfoundland
and Labrador Hydro (Hydro), are anticipating an increase in the amount of electricity derived
from wind which will lead to a decreased dependence on diesel fuel. The Company noted that it
intended to deliver its commercially proven HySTAT(TM) onsite generation electrolyzer to Hydro
within one year.
With the push for alternative sources of energy and the recent buzz for all things hydrogen, the
name is certainly one to follow. With more improvements in cost cutting initiatives and increases
in margin percentages, investors would be wise to watch.

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Sector Watch: Waste management stocks

If the state of the current market has you down in the dumps, look no further than waste management companies American Ecology Corp. (Nasdaq:ECOL) and Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CWST), market leaders in two of the best-performing segments – hazardous waste remediation and waste recycling.

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. is the nation's 12th-largest waste management firm and considered one of the most forward-looking by many industry analysts. This vertically integrated, regional player provides waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services to residential and commercial customers across 14 states in the eastern United States. At FY 2008 year end, Casella's operations consisted of 34 solid waste collection operations, 30 transfer stations, 11 disposal facilities, 38 recycling facilities and three landfill gas-to-energy facilities. The company also holds a 50% interest in a joint venture that manufactures and sells cellulose insulation made from recycled fiber, and has a 20% equity interest in a company that markets incentive-based recycling services to some 250 national and local customers.

Casella was one of the first waste management service providers to recognize an emerging industry trend favoring improved resource management and greater recycling. More than 150 million tons of material was recycled in the United States last year and recycling has become a $71 billion industry employing more than 50,000 workers nationwide. Casella currently derives more than 30% of revenues from recycling. In 2007, the company sold more than 400,000 tons of recycled paper and 15 million tons of recycled aluminum. 

Since 2003, Casella has invested over $200 million in developing strategically located landfill capacity with the goals of strengthening its market position and creating a sustainable long-term franchise. Over 64.5 million tons of landfill capacity has been added, increasing total landfill capacity to 94.1 million tons. In late 2007, Casella began shifting its focus from development projects to harvesting cash flows from existing investments and repaying debt. Casella also continues to pursue tuck-in acquisitions in existing markets that can help maximize route density, improve asset utilization and stabilize pricing. A cost reduction program initiated last year has trimmed more than $4 million from the company's annual operating costs.

Casella's revenues grew 9.1% in FY 2008 to $579.5 million from $531.3 million in FY 2007 and EBITDA jumped 11.7% year over year to $123.5 million from $110.6 million. Excluding losses from discontinued operations and other non-recurring charges, 2008 per-share net losses increased slightly to $0.08 from $0.07 last year. The main reason for the net loss was reduced sales from the cellulose fiber joint venture due to the housing market slowdown. Casella has provided FY 2009 guidance indicating expectations of at least 7% revenue growth and 5% EBITDA growth. Analysts think this company can produce 13% annual growth over the next five years. My $18 price target for Casella shares suggests a 39% premium over Tuesday's closing price of $12.97. Shares have ranged between $9.64 and $16.20 over the last 52 weeks.

American Ecology Corp. is an important player in the $2 billion North American hazardous waste remediation market and has been providing these services for over 50 years. The company cleans up radioactive, hazardous, PCB and industry waste for government clients, utilities, refineries, chemical plants, steel manufacturers and medical labs. American Ecology treats hazardous waste at four facilities located in Idaho, Washington State, Nevada and Texas. The company derives half of its revenues from discrete projects for waste brokers and private sector clients, 18% from recurring services to utilities and chemical manufacturers and 14% from federal cleanup projects. Project work is mainly event-driven and can vary substantially in size and duration but the company also has multi-year contracts with the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers for hazardous waste cleanup and with Honeywell International (NYSE:HON) for treatment and disposal of 1.2 million tons of chromite ore processing residue. A court order requires Honeywell to complete this cleanup by November 2009. American Ecology also has long-term contracts for hazardous waste cleanup with several steel mills that provide a reliable revenue stream.

Well-established service providers such as American Ecology are benefiting from a tougher regulatory environment that has increased the cost of in-house hazardous waste cleanup and encourages outsourcing, as well as more stable pricing resulting from industry consolidation. Business Week magazine recently ranked American Ecology 12th on its annual list of hot growth companies. American Ecology recorded its third consecutive year of revenue and income growth in 2007 and is off to a strong start in 2008, with first-quarter (ended March 31) revenues up 19% year over year to $46.2 million from $39 million and per-share earnings up 19% to $0.32 from $0.27. Management recently issued new guidance indicating expectations for full-year 2008 per-share earnings at the high end of its $1.17 to $1.23 range and at least 10% higher than 2007 per-share earnings. An optimistic outlook is also suggested by the company's decision in May to boost cash dividends 20% to a $0.72 annual rate. Analysts predict American Ecology will produce 20% average annual growth over the next five years. My $35 price target for American Ecology Corp. is 17% above Tuesday's closing price of 29.99. Over the last 52 weeks, shares have ranged between $18.51 and $30.36. 

Other potentially attractive stocks in the waste management space include: Waste Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:WSII), a provider of integrated waste management services to customers in the United States and Canada; Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc. (Nasdaq:HCCI), a provider of hazardous waste cleanup services to small and mid-sized businesses; WCA Waste Corporation (Nasdaq:WCAA) an integrated waste management firm serving  the southern and central United States, and Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:PESI), a provider of nuclear waste management and consulting services.

[setravis]

Stocks Extend Losses As Oil Climbs.......
BY VINCENT MAO
Posted 6/27/2008


Stocks finished lower after a rocky session Friday, extending the previous day's carnage. The major indexes tried to rebound throughout the session, but another spike in oil trumped those efforts.

August crude settled at $140.21 a barrel, up 57 cents. The net change was incorrectly reported in an earlier update.

According to preliminary data, the Dow dropped 0.9%, falling further in its nearly two-year low. The S&P 500 lost 0.4%, the Nasdaq and NYSE composite 0.2% each.

For the week, the Dow tumbled 4%, the Nasdaq 4%, the S&P 500 3%, the NYSE composite 2%.

Volume was tracking lower for most of the session but finished sharply higher on both exchanges, due to the reconstitution of the Russell indexes.

Tel Offshore Trust (TELOZ) dived 10.92, or 27%, to 30.05 in more than eight times normal trade. It finished just below its 50-day moving average. The oil and gas royalty trust said that an outside auditor found errors in its books related to properties and payments to the trust. It also announced a second-quarter distribution of 55 cents per unit.

VMware (VMW) gapped down and sank 7.87, or 13%, to 51.05 with a big jump in volume. The maker of virtualization software stumbled on news that rival Microsoft (MSFT) had started selling its Hyper-V virtualization software about six weeks ahead of schedule. Microsoft shares slipped 0.09 to 27.66.

A-Power Energy Generation Systems (APWR) fell 1.55, or 6%, to 25.06 in nearly double its average trade. That marked the alternative power firm's fifth down day in the past six sessions. For the week, the stock tumbled 19%, erasing the lion's share of last week's gains.

On the bright side, gold shares shined as the metal rose $16.20 to $931.30 an ounce.

Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN) gapped up and rose 2.67 to 64.44 in almost double its average volume. But the stock failed to close above its 50-day moving average.

Goldcorp (GG) gapped up and gained 2.02, or 5%, to a new closing high of 46.36 in heavy trading.

Atwood Oceanics (ATW) vaulted 6.50, or 6%, to a record high of 120.03 in nearly four times average volume. The offshore driller followed through after clearing a 113.66 buy point from a flat base Thursday.

Strayer Education (STRA) jumped 11.95, or 6%, to a new high of 223.95. Volume surged to nearly five times average. The for-profit school operator reports earnings July 24. Earnings are slated to climb 23% to $1.47 a share.

3:15 p.m. Update: Stocks Fight Back As Crude Backs Off From High


Stocks bounced off new session lows late Friday after crude pulled back from a new high near $143 a barrel. Despite the comeback, the major stock indexes were on pace to end the week with sharp losses.

At 2:44 p.m. EDT, the Dow had dropped 0.8%, up from intraday lows of 1.4%. The Nasdaq was off 0.4%, the S&P 500 0.3%, the NYSE composite 0.1%.

Volume was tracking slightly lower across the board.

Crude gushed to a new milestone of $142.93 a barrel, but finished well off session highs. The August contract settled at $140.21 a barrel, up 57 cents.

Worthington Industries (WOR) gapped down and swooned 3.03, or 13%, to 21.08 in heavy trading. Longbow cut the metal processor to neutral from buy. On Thursday, the stock had jumped 9% intraday but finished only fractionally higher.

Clean Harbors (CLHB) lost 1 point to close at 72.61 after active trading. The hazardous waste firm pulled back for the third straight session after it hit a record high Tuesday. Shares are now 7% past a 68.07 buy point from a flat base.

Amazon.com (AMZN) gapped down, falling 2.47 to 73.83. The Internet retailer reports second-quarter earnings July 23. Profit is seen rising 37% to 26 cents a share.

On the upside, Mariner Energy (ME) jumped 1.64, or 5%, to 34.83 in fast trade. The oil and gas producer reversed earlier losses after finding support at its 50-day moving average. Earnings for the current quarter are expected to surge 195%.

China Medical Technologies (CMED) gained 1.45 to 46.69 in active trading. The maker of ultrasound products is quickly building the right side of a new base.

1:15 p.m. Update: Stocks Degrade In Midday Trade


The major stock indexes worsened in midday trading Friday as higher oil again weighed.

At 12:44 p.m. EDT, the Dow and Nasdaq had each shed 0.6%. The S&P 500 was down 0.2%. The NYSE composite turned flat after rising as much as 0.6%.

Turnover was still tracking lower across the board.

August crude rose 1.28 to $140.92 a barrel.

Tel Offshore Trust (TELOZ) swooned 10.24, or 26%, to 30.73 in huge trade. The oil and gas royalty trust said that an outside auditor found errors in its books related to properties and payments to the trust.

Abaxis (ABAX) dropped 2.02, or 7%, to 25.31 in brisk trading. The maker of portable blood analysis systems came under pressure for the sixth straight session. Last month, the firm missed earnings views for the third straight quarter.

Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN) gapped up, gaining 2.90 to 64.67 in fast trade. The Peruvian miner regained its 50-day moving average. Earnings growth zoomed to 455% in the latest reported quarter, from 23% two quarters ago. Profit is slated to rocket 973% in the current period.

August gold rallied $12.40 to $927.5 an ounce.

Fertilizer makers turned higher. Intrepid Potash (IPI) climbed 1.30 to 66.80. The stock rebounded from an earlier 6% loss.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT) ramped up 7.93 to 227.13. Despite the rebound, the stock appears to be on pace to end a four-week win streak.

11:15 a.m. Update: Rebound Efforts Fade In Morning Trade


The major stock indexes turned decisively lower in morning trading Friday, as rebound efforts gave way.

At 10:55 a.m. EDT, the NYSE composite was up 0.1%, recouping a bit of Thursday's 2.5% loss. The Nasdaq dropped 0.6%, holding near session lows. The Dow shed 0.5%, extending its near two-year low. Meanwhile, S&P 500 slipped 0.1%.

Volume was tracking lower across the board.

Crude oil climbed $1.55 to $141.19. Oil hit $142.26 in electronic trading this morning.

Forest Oil (FST) jumped 4.09 to 73.85 in fast trade. Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of the oil producer to buy from hold, citing strong volume growth. The stock now sits 18 past a 62.70 buy point from a three-weeks-tight pattern.

Atwood Oceanics (ATW) added 2.68 to a new high of 116.21. The stock cleared a flat base on Thursday.

VMware (VMW) gapped down and slumped 4.27, or 7%, to 54.65 in heavy volume. The maker of virtualization software fell on news that rival Microsoft (MSFT) would start selling its own virtualization six weeks ahead of schedule.

Priceline.com (PCLN) lost 3.55 to 123.45 in brisk trade. It fell further south of its 50-day moving average. The stock's Accumulation/Distribution Rating has weakened to C- from B+ last month.

Amphenol (APH) gapped down and fell 0.53 to 45.01 in active trading. But the electrical products maker bounced off session lows of 44.10.

10:15 a.m. Update: Stocks Bounce A Bit In Early Trade


Stocks were slightly higher in volatile trading early Friday, recouping some of the prior session's heavy losses. The major indexes opened higher, quickly faded, then recovered.

At 10 a.m. EDT, the NYSE composite was up 0.5%, the S&P 0.2% and the Nasdaq 0.1%. The Dow was mostly unchanged.

Volume was tracking lower on both exchanges.

Crude oil continued to ease from new record highs. The August contract rose 48 cents to $140.12 a barrel.

MasterCard (MA) fell 5.61 to 270.12 in brisk trading, putting the credit card firm further south of its 50-day moving average. The stock's Accumulation/Distribution Rating has fallen to C+ from A+ at the beginning of the month.

Intrepid Potash (IPI) gave up 2.50 to 62.99 in heavy trading. It's on pace to end a four-week win streak. The recent IPO has more than doubled since its April debut.

On the upside, AZZ (AZZ) gapped up, surging 5.33, or 18% to 37.60 after it smashed views and raised guidance. Before the open, the electrical equipment maker delivered Q1 earnings of 82 cents a share, up 141% from a year earlier and 28 cents ahead of analysts' estimates. Sales grew 33% to $100 million, also above views.

AZZ lifted its full-year earnings outlook to a range of $2.95 to $3.05 a share vs. views of $2.43. Sales are pegged in a range of $410 million to $425 million, or above estimates of $400 million.

Gold issues again shined as the precious metal tacked on $5.30 to $920.40 an ounce. Barrick Gold (ABX) rose 1.71 to 44.75 and regained its 50-day moving average.

Goldcorp (GG) gained 1.75 to 46.09 in fast trade. The Canadian gold producer reports earnings July 31. Profit is slated to more than double to 25 cents a share.

9:15 a.m. Update: Stocks Poised For Split Open


Stock futures pointed to a mixed open Friday, as better-than-expected economic data offset some effects of another new high in crude oil.

Nasdaq futures dropped 5 points vs. fair value, or the value of an index adjusted for interest rates and dividends. S&P 500 futures lost a fraction of a point, while Dow futures slipped 5 points.

August crude oil rose to a new record high of $142.26 a barrel in electronic trading, but later pulled back to $140.52.

On Thursday, oil prices rose on a weak dollar and fears that Libya would cut production.

In economic news, personal income climbed 1.9% in May, the biggest gain since September 2005 and well above expectations for a 0.4% increase. Fueled by the government's economic stimulus checks, personal spending rose 0.8%, slightly above forecasts.

The PCE deflator, the Fed's favored inflation gauge, edged up 0.1%. That was cooler than estimates of 0.2%. On an year-over-year basis, the PCE is up 2.1%

Research In Motion (RIMM) fell 3% in the pre-market after Credit Suisse started coverage with an underperform rating. Shares of the BlackBerry smart phone maker tumbled more than 13% Thursday on weaker-than-expected earnings and sales.

Palm (PALM), which makes the Treo and Centro smart phones, slid 4% in the pre-open after it posted its third straight quarterly loss. Late Thursday the company reported a fiscal Q4 loss of 22 cents a share, down from a 17-cent profit the prior year and 4 cents below views.

Accenture (ACN) edged up 1% in the pre-open after it delivered better-than-expected results. After Thursday's close, the consulting firm posted fiscal Q3 earnings of 74 cents a share, up 37% from a year earlier and a nickel above views. Sales grew 19% to $6.6 billion, also above views. The company raised its full-year outlook to a range of $2.63 to $2.65 a share vs. views of $2.59.

AK Steel (AKS) rallied 4% in the pre-market on news that it would replace Countrywide Financial in the S&P 500. Countrywide is being acquired by Banc of America (BAC).

[setravis]

Americans look for ray of hope in economic gloom...

Gas and food are expensive, but Americans find flicker of sunshine in economic gloom.

Americans see a slice of sunlight for the economy, as a widely watched report Tuesday showed people are not as pessimistic about the future as they were a month ago.
The housing market is still falling, but so have gas prices -- at least a little -- and that was enough to spark a little hope amid the deepest economic gloom in 16 years.


But economists warn that the slight uptick, which reverses a six-month slide since January, is likely to be only temporary and doesn't signal the beginning of a rally.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index stands at 51.9 for July -- about half of what it was a year ago and still the lowest since the index registered 54.6 in October 1992, when the economy was coming out of a recession.

But the reading was slightly higher than the revised 51.0 level for June and a bit better than the 50 economists expected. Still, economists were cautious.

"The rebate checks have just been spent," said Bernard Baumohl, managing director of The Economic Outlook Group. "This is hardly the backdrop normally associated with a rebound in consumer confidence. What we'll see at best is a bounce around at these low levels for the next six to nine months. We are not going to get an improvement unless we get an improvement in housing and the job market sectors."

In fact, Baumohl believes that the odds of a recession this year have increased, citing the fading benefits of the federal stimulus checks, deteriorating household wealth and the slowdown of foreign economies.

There was more bad news about housing Tuesday. Home prices tumbled by the steepest rate ever in May, according to a closely monitored index. Prices dropped by 15.8 percent, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index. The narrower 10-city index plunged 16.9 percent, its biggest decline in its 21-year history.

Stocks, however, rebounded a day after their steep tumble, as investors latched on to a drop in oil prices and the rise in confidence. The Dow Jones industrial average rose more than 188 points.

Economists and investors closely monitor sentiment since consumer spending represents about two-thirds of all economic activity. The tax rebates helped lift retail sales in May and June, but those benefits have faded, and analysts worry about whether shoppers will have extra money to spend on clothing and other nonessentials in the important back-to-school season.

Baumohl noted that while a slight decline in gas prices has a psychological impact on consumers, whether they will fall more is uncertain. The latest national survey shows gas prices have dropped a fraction below the $4-dollar mark. The average price of regular gasoline at self-serve stations was $3.996 a gallon Friday, according to the Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations nationwide, released Sunday. Prices are at their lowest level since May 16, but the survey showed that the average U.S. price is $1.11 higher than it was a year ago.

The Conference Board's Present Situation Index, which measures shoppers' current assessment of the economy, was virtually flat at 65.3, compared to 65.4 in June, But the Expectations Index, which measures their outlook over the next six months, increased a bit to 43.0 from 41.4.

"Consumers' assessment of current conditions was little changed, suggesting there has been no significant improvement, nor significant deterioration, in business or labor market conditions," said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, in a statement.

She added, however, that while people remain grim about short-term prospects, the modest improvement in their outlook provides some glimmer of hope. The slight improvement in the outlook "bears careful watching over the next few months," she said.

Economists are also keeping watch on the job market, since job security is key to consumers' confidence and willingness to spend. Cautious employers, uncertain about the economy and their own prospects, have cut jobs each month so far this year. Economists are bracing for more job losses when the government releases the employment report for July on Friday.

The Consumer Confidence report -- derived from responses received through July 22 of a representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households -- also showed that consumers' worries about business conditions and jobs aren't going away.

Those saying jobs are "hard to get" edged up, while those claiming jobs are "plentiful" declined. Those expecting fewer jobs in the months ahead increased, while those anticipating more jobs remained flat.

The Consumer Confidence survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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NYSE Market Movers...
This table shows the 30 most active NYSE-listed issues by volume

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NASDAQ Market Movers...
This table shows the 10 most active Nasdaq-listed issues by volume

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Unusual Volume for NASDAQ Stocks.......
Up on Unusual Volume

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Stocks to watch Tuesday.......

HSYN - Volume Alert
Global Ecology Corporation has obtained exclusive rights to several EPA-approved technologies in the water treatment and soil remediation fields. This proprietary technology helps reduce algae, bottom sludge and harmful bacteria and is able to provide "green" and if needed, transportable methods to recover the usability of water, soil and land


NTRZ - Momentum
NutraCea (OTC Bulletin Board: NTRZ - News) is a world leader in the stabilization of rice bran. The Company applies its proprietary and patented technologies during the rice-milling process to stabilize the rice bran, which it then uses to manufacture ingredients and products that it distributes to a growing roster of customers around the world.


FBTX - Momentum
Franklin Bank Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Franklin Bank, S.S.B., a savings bank that provides community banking products and services.