One-Stop Shopping (setravis)

[setravis]

Outstanding performers ripe for inclusion in your portfolio or watch list.
It's one-stop shopping.......  

Is a compilation of lists of stocks currently undergoing one of 34 technical or fundamental events likely to affect stock price. 

[setravis]

CMVT.PK - Volume Alert...

Comverse is the world's leading provider of software and systems enabling network-based messaging and content value-added services, prepaid, postpaid and converged billing and IP communications.

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MDIN.OB - Volume Alert...

Med Gen Inc. in business since 1996, manufactures and markets specialty products using its proprietary delivery system. It is best known for producing the world's first patented liquid spray snoring relief formula, Snorenz.

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EVSO.PK - News...

Evolution Solar joins Solar Electric Power Association.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080807/20080807005711.html?.v=1

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Weekly Wrap

The dollar rallied, oil prices plummeted and stocks soared.  That is the simple summation of the week, yet it fails to capture some important subplots that spurred that action.

In terms of the dollar, it enjoyed a sharp reversal of its sagging fortune as traders unwound what had been an easy money, long trade in the euro.  Their inclination for doing so has taken root in recent weeks with inflation pressures picking up in the U.S. and economic growth slowing down in Europe.

The assumption that the Fed is more inclined to raise interest rates helped drive some dollar buying ahead of Tuesday's FOMC meeting.  As it so happened, the FOMC elected to leave the fed funds rate unchanged at 2.00% and provided a policy directive that left market participants inclined to think there won't be a tightening anytime soon.

The latter realization didn't weigh on the dollar.  In fact, the greenback picked up momentum through the remainder of the week following an acknowledgment of weakening growth in the Euro zone by ECB President Trichet that prompted traders to think the ECB wouldn't be hiking rates further to fight inflation.

Support for the euro was pulled on this view and was transferred to the depressed dollar, which gained 3.3% against a basket of other major currencies.

The dollar's rally factored heavily in knocking down dollar-denominated commodity prices.  Crude futures, understandably, garnered the most attention in the commodity selloff given the linkage they have to the macro economy.

Crude prices declined 7.9% for the week at Friday's settlement to $115.20 per barrel.  They are now down 22% from the high they hit July 11.

As to be expected, the continued declines factored favorably for the market in general and for the transportation and retail stocks in particular.  Transports on the week surged 5.4% while the S&P Retailing Index rallied 9.0% despite a battery of same-store sales results for July that were deemed by the market to be on the disappointing side of things.

The consumer discretionary sector was the best-performing sector for the week.  It gained 7.7%. The energy sector (-4.0%) and the materials sector (-2.0%), meanwhile, were at the end of the performance table.

There were some striking moves in a number of areas throughout the week.  The most striking move, arguably, was the one made by the financial sector.

Government sponsored enterprises Freddie Mac (FRE) and Fannie Mae (FNM) both reported huge quarterly losses, as did Dow component AIG (AIG).  Although the stock of each of these companies was beaten back in material fashion following their reports, the financial sector held its ground for the most part.

Although rattled for a bit Thursday after Citigroup (C) agreed to settle allegations of misrepresentation in the marketing of auction rate securities and an indication from Moody's that it has placed American Express' (AXP) A1 rating on review for downgrade, the sector quickly regrouped and put in a strong showing Friday.  The end result is that the financial sector added 1.0% for the week and is up 30% from its July 15 low.

The financial sector's relative strength in the face of bad news kept alive a buy-the-dip mentality.  A reassuring earnings report and outlook from tech bellwether Cisco (CSCO) helped support that thinking, too, and proved instrumental in the tech sector's outperformance.  Cisco's stock increased 10% for the week while the tech sector increased 6.0%.

The economic data seen during the week was mixed.  Personal income and spending for June was better than expected, but the price deflator provided a negative surprise.    The inflation fears were tempered, though, in the wake of the FOMC decision and with commodity prices continuing their decline.  The ISM Services and Pending Home Sales reports also brought better than expected results.

Friday's report on Q2 productivity provided more encouraging inflation news when it was reported unit labor costs rose just 1.3% from the first quarter.  That was a slower rate of increase than seen in the prior two quarters.

Weekly initial claims, however, were anything but good.  They jumped to 455,000, which moved the 4-week moving average to 419,500 from 392,750.  That is the highest 4-week average since July 12, 2003.  Continuing claims increased 0.9% to 3.311 million.

The claims trend is a worrisome development that bears close watching. It reflects weakening conditions in the labor market that could impact consumer spending activity.  That said, we would note that the 4-week moving average stood above 400K for 29 straight weeks in 2003, yet real GDP gains continued at a moderate pace throughout that year.

With this week's gain, the S&P 500 is up 8.0% from its July 15 low.   It's not a stretch to think it is due for a consolidation period of some sort, particularly since there hasn't been any real new money driving the gains.

To the latter point, the level of assets in money market funds has actually increased 1.8% since July 16 to $3.56 trillion.  This indicates there is still a lot of buying power on the sidelines, which can be read as a bullish development.  At the same time, though, the increase in money market fund assets in the midst of this rally suggests investors, overall, are still in a capital preservation mode.

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DALLAS, Dec 31, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- For the fourth quarter and for the year 2008, the Halter USX China Index (HXC) was down 23.08% and 56.67% respectively. During the same period (fourth quarter and year end), the Dow Jones Industrial Average decreased by 19.12% and 33.84% respectively, while the NASDAQ finished down 24.27% and 40.54%.

HXC is also pleased to announce the inclusion of 16 new constituents to its existing index of China-focused, U.S. listed companies including: Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (ABAT, Trade) designs, manufactures, and markets rechargeable polymer lithium-ion (PLI) batteries; AirMedia Group, Inc (AMCN, Trade) operates digital media network in China for air travel advertising; A-Power Energy Generation Systems (APWR, Trade) designs, constructs, and tests distributed power generation and micro power grids; ATA, Inc. (ATAI, Trade) provides computer-based testing services; BMP Sunstone Corporation (BJGP, Trade) operates as a pharmaceutical and over-the-counter manufacturing, marketing, and distribution company; China Architectural Engineering (CAEI, Trade) engages in the design, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of structural glass and light structure building; China INSOnline Corp. (CHIO, Trade) operates as an Internet service and media company; China Natural Resources, Inc. (CHNR, Trade) engages in the exploration, mining, and development of zinc, iron, and other minerals; China Precision Steel, Inc. (CPSL, Trade) engages in the manufacture and sale of high precision cold-rolled steel products; AgFeed Industries, Inc. (FEED, Trade) engages in the research and development, manufacture, marketing, and sale of fodder and blended feed; HLS Systems International, Ltd. (HOLI, Trade) designs, develops, produces, sells, installs, and maintains automation and control equipment and systems; Harbin Electric, Inc. (HRBN, Trade) develops, engineers, manufactures, and sells customized linear motors, motor/controller automation systems, automobile specialty micro-motors, and other special motors; Jinpan International Limited (JST, Trade) engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of cast resin transformers for voltage distribution equipment; and Vimicro International Corp. (NASDAQ; VIMC) designs, develops, and markets semiconductor products and solutions.

It was also announced that China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Limited (CNTF, Trade), Origin Agritech Limited (SEED, Trade), Spreadtrum Communications Inc. (SPRD, Trade), Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd. (HRAY, Trade), Webzen Inc. (WZEN, Trade), China Housing & Land Development, Inc. (CHLN, Trade), China Direct, Inc (NASDAQ: CDSDD), SORL Auto Parts, Inc (SORL, Trade), Ninetowns Internet Technology Group Company Ltd. (NINE, Trade), Linktone Ltd (LTON, Trade), HSW International, Inc. (HSWI, Trade), and Deswell Industries Inc (DSWL, Trade) were removed from the Index.

About the Halter USX China Index

The Index, created by the Halter Financial Group and calculated and distributed by the Amex, is comprised of companies whose common stock is publicly traded in the United States and the majority of whose business is conducted within the People's Republic of China. The Halter USX China Index was created in response to the unique economic opportunities taking place in China, as well as the current dynamics in the United States capital markets. While there is strong demand for Chinese equity, U.S. investors still seek and prefer the transparency offered with a U.S. listing. For a company to be included in the Halter USX China Index it must conduct a majority of its business in China, maintain an average market cap of over $50 million for the preceding 40 trading days, trade on the NYSE, Amex or NASDAQ and be approved by USX Selection Committee. Investors can gain exposure to the Index by either investing in an exchange traded fund (ETF), the PowerShares Golden Dragon Halter USX China Portfolio (DSWL, Trade) or by purchasing an actively managed mutual fund, the Halter Pope USX China Fund (Symbol: HPCHX). For more information please visit www.usxchinaindex.com. The following 104 public companies currently comprise the Halter USX China Index:

3SBio, Inc. (SSRX)

51 Job, Inc. (JOBS)

Acorn International, Inc. (ATV)

Actions Semiconductor Co (ACTS)

Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. (ABAT)

AgFeed Industries, Inc. (FEED)

Agria Corp. (GRO)

AirMedia Group, Inc (AMCN)

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (ACH)

American Dairy, Inc (ADY)

A-Power Energy Generation Systems (APWR)

AsiaInfo Holdings, Inc. (ASIA)

ATA, Inc. (ATAI)

Baidu.com, Inc. (BIDU)

BMP Sunstone Corporation (BJGP)

Canadian Solar, Inc. (CSIQ)

CDC Corp (CHINA)

China Architectural Engineering (CAEI)

China Automotive Systems Inc (CAAS)

China BAK Battery, Inc. (CBAK)

China Digital TV Holdings Co., LTD. (STV)

China Eastern Airlines Corporation Ltd. (CEA)

China Finance Online (JRJC)

China Fire & Security Group (CFSG)

China Information Security Technology, Inc (CPBY)

China INSOnline Corp. (CHIO)

China Life Insurance Co Ltd (LFC)

China Medical Technologies, Inc. (CMED)

China Mobile Hong Kong Ltd. (CHL)

China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CEO)

China Natural Resources, Inc. (CHNR)

China Nepstar Chain Drugstore Ltd. (NPD)

China Unicom Ltd. (CHU)

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec) (SNP)

China Precision Steel, Inc. (CPSL)

China Security & Surveillance Technology, Inc. (CSR)

China Sky One Medical, Inc. (CSKI)

China Southern Airlines Company Ltd. (ZNH)

China Sunergy Co. Ltd. (CSUN)

China Telecom Corporation Ltd (CHA)

China Unicom Ltd (CHU)

China Yuchai International Ltd. (CYD)

ChinaCast Education Corp. (CAST)

ChinaEdu Corp. (CEDU)

Chindex International Inc (CHDX)

Cninsure, Inc. (CIS)

Cogo Group, Inc. (COGO)

Ctrip.com (CTRP)

E-House (China) Holdings Limited (EJ)

eLong (LONG)

Focus Media Holding Ltd. (NASDAQNM: FMCN)

Fuqi International, Inc. (FUQI)

Fushi International, Inc (FSIN)

General Steel Holdings, Inc. (GSI)

Giant Interactive Group, Inc. (GA)

Global Sources Ltd (GSOL)

Guangshen Railway Co Ltd (GSH)

Gushan Environmental Energy Ltd. (GU)

Harbin Electric, Inc. (HRBN)

HLS Systems International, Ltd. (HOLI)

Home Inns & Hotels Management, Inc. (HMIN)

HuaNeng Power International, Inc. (HNP)

JA Solar Holdings (JASO)

Jinpan International Limited (NASDAQ; JST)

KongZhong Corporation (KONG)

LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (LDK)

Longtop Financial Technologies Limited (LFT)

Medical International Limited (MR)

Nam Tai Electronics Inc (NTE)

Netease.com, Inc. (NTES)

New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Inc. (EDU)

Noah Education Holdings, Ltd. (NED)

Perfect World Co., Ltd. (PWRD)

PetroChina Co. Ltd. (PTR)

Qiao Xing Mobile Com (QXM)

Qiao Xing Universal Telephone, Inc. (XING)

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMI)

Shanda Interactive Entertainment Ltd (SNDA)

Shengdatech Inc (SDTH)

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (SCR)

Sina Corporation (SINA)

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemcial Co. Ltd. (SHI)

Sinovac Biotech, Ltd. (SVA)

Sohu.com, Inc. (SOHU)

Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (SOLF)

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (STP)

Sutor Technology Group, Ltd. (SUTR)

The9 Limited (NCTY)

Tiens Biotech Group (TBV)

Tongjitang Chinese Medicines (TCM)

Trina Solar Limited (TSL)

UTStarcom Inc (UTSI)

Vimicro International Corp. (NASDAQ; VIMC)

VisionChina Media Inc. (VISN)

Wonder Automotive Technology, Inc. (WATG)

WSP Holdings Ltd. (WH)

Wuhan General Group (China), Inc. (WUHN)

WuXi Pharma Tech (Caymen) Inc. (WX)

Xinhua Finance Media Limited (XFML)

Xinyuan Real Estate Company Ltd. (XIN)

Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. Ltd. (YZC)

Yingli Green Energy Holdings Co. Ltd. (YGE)

Yucheng Technologies Limited (YTEC)

Zhongpin, Inc. (HOGS)

The information in this news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements to the future financial performance of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, product development and acceptance, the impact of competitive services and pricing, or general economic risks and uncertainties.

SOURCE: Halter USX China Index


 
Halter USX China Index   
Chelsea Augustine, 972-233-0300 

Copyright Business Wire 2008




 
 

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XplosiveStocks.com is an independent electronic publication that provides information on selected publicly traded companies. XplosiveStocks.com is not a registered investment advisor or broker-dealer. XplosiveStocks.com's affiliates, officers, directors and employees may buy and sell additional shares in any company mentioned herein and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. Please do your own Due Diligence before investing in any of the stocks mentioned above.

SOURCE XplosiveStocks.com



Copyright (C) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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Indie Research
Stem Cell Enthusiasm Grows; The Pros Like Cytori (CYTX)
Tuesday January 27, 9:35 am ET
By the tickerspy.com Staff


There has long been a lot of hype surrounding the embryonic stem cell industry. Proponents of the therapy believe that the embryonic cells hold great promise, but advances have been stymied by rules put in place by the Bush administration.


Recently, however, biotech stocks focusing on stem cell research have surged higher on speculation that the Obama administration may soon lift stem cell restrictions. In addition, stem cell leader Geron (Nasdaq: GERN) received approval last week from the FDA to begin human trials on an embryonic stem cell-based treatment for spinal cord injuries. It will be the first human trial for stem cell therapy. Add it all up, and investors are suddenly interested in stem cell stocks again.

Because stem cell therapy is still such a young and unproven field, only a few Pro investors have exposure to the handful of stem cell pure plays. Among them is investment advisor P.R. Herzig, where portfolio managers describe themselves as "careful opportunists" and "contrarians by nature," according to the company website. At the end of Q3, the firm held a stake in Geron. A list of the other stocks among Herzig's top holdings is available at tickerspy.com.

Meanwhile, three Pro investors counted Cytori Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CYTX) among their top top-15, U.S.-listed equity holdings. Cytori makes devices that extract tissue and separate out stem cells.

tickerspy members are tracking stem cell stocks as well. The most popular stem cell stock among tickerspy members is StemCells (Nasdaq: STEM). Also popular are Aastrom Biosciences (Nasdaq: ASTM), Osiris (Nasdaq: OSIR), Neuralstem (AMEX: CUR), ThermoGenesis (Nasdaq: KOOL), Pluristem Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PSTI), and Opexa Therapeutics (Nasdaq: OPXA).

Pro portfolio performance is based on institutions' top-15 holdings as disclosed in quarter-end filings with the SEC. Pro performance does not take into account additional holdings beyond the top 15 nor does it include positions that are not required to be disclosed by the SEC. As such, Pro portfolio performance should be considered an approximation and not a precise record of how an institution has performed over time.

Fun and informative, tickerspy.com is a free investing website where you can track multiple stock portfolios, find and share the latest news about the companies you follow, and discuss stocks with other like-minded investors. Best of all, tickerspy.com lets you spy on the portfolios of nearly 3,000 Wall Street institutions and hedge funds and see graphs of their performance. Try tickerspy.com today and find out how you stack up against investing legends like Warren Buffett!



52wk Range: 1.76 - 8.56
Volume: 474,314
Avg Vol (3m): 139,471

Technicals
Last Price Quote is:
24.40%above 13-day MA
36.88%above 50-day MA
RS Rating: N/A 

Fundamentals
Key Data:
Market Cap (M): $143.94 
P/E Ratio: N/A 
PEG Ratio: N/A 
Next Earnings: 03/04/2009
Last Analyst Rating: Mkt Outperform

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NAGOYA, Japan, Jan 30, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cytori (CYTX, Trade) announced that the first patient was enrolled in an investigator-initiated safety and feasibility study using adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells to treat stress urinary incontinence. The 10-patient study is being conducted independently by Nagoya University Hospital in Japan. Cytori's Celution(R) 800 System is being used to process and extract the patients' own adipose tissue-derived stem and regenerative cells at the time of surgery.

"The Celution System is uniquely able to provide real-time access to clinical grade stem and regenerative cells to meet the growing demand Cytori is seeing from physicians seeking regenerative medicine-based treatments," said Seijiro Shirahama, President, Cytori Asia Pacific. "As a result, hospitals are increasingly interested in a Celution purchase to fill this need in the marketplace. This demand is partially reflected in the seven investigator-initiated clinical studies taking place in Japan which use the Celution System."

As part of the study, stem cells were injected intra-muscularly into the sphincter as well as in combination with a measured volume of the patient's own fat tissue to create a bulking agent to support the urethra. The study will evaluate safety, functional endpoints including intraurethral pressure and leak point pressure, as well as subjective assessments of patient and physician satisfaction. Current treatments include use of collagen as a bulking agent to provide pressure against and support the urethra.

"There are a growing number of scientific publications that show adipose derived stem and regenerative cells can ameliorate urinary incontinence," said Momokazu Gotoh, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Urology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. "Celution is the only feasible way to derive the cells in a clinically practical manner. This first case could not have gone better and the Celution System performed flawlessly."

Stress urinary incontinence can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life, resulting in involuntary release of urine due a weakened urethral sphincter. The condition is more common in women and often comes about following child birth or menopause. It is estimated that approximately 9 million people in Japan, and more than 13 million women in the U.S., are affected by stress urinary incontinence.

About Cytori

Cytori's (CYTX, Trade) goal is to be the global leader in regenerative medicine. The company is dedicated to providing patients with new options for reconstructive surgery, developing treatments for cardiovascular disease, and banking patients' adult stem and regenerative cells. The Celution(R) 800 System is being introduced in Europe into the reconstructive surgery market while the Celution(R) 900 System is being commercialized globally for cryopreserving a patient's own stem and regenerative cells. Clinical trials are ongoing in cardiovascular disease and planned for spinal disc degeneration, gastrointestinal disorders, and other unmet medical needs. www.cytoritx.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding events, trends and business prospects, which may affect our future operating results and financial position. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial position to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties include our history of operating losses, the need for further financing, regulatory uncertainties regarding the collection and results of, clinical data, dependence on third party performance, and other risks and uncertainties described under the "Risk Factors" in Cytori's Securities and Exchange Commission Filings. We assume no responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events, trends or circumstances after the date they are made.

SOURCE: Cytori


 
Cytori Therapeutics   
Tom Baker   
Direct: 858-875-5258   
[email protected] 

Copyright Business Wire 2009

[setravis]

US Earnings Calendar for February 4, 2009
Earnings Announcements for Wednesday, February 4

http://biz.yahoo.com/research/earncal/20090204.html?t=kool

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AP
New jobless claims jump more than expected to 626K
Thursday February 5, 2:20 pm ET
By Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer 
Initial jobless claims surge more than expected to 626,000, while factory orders drop


WASHINGTON (AP) -- New jobless claims jumped far more than expected last week in an already dismal labor market, and there's no relief in sight for workers as mass layoffs persist.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of newly jobless workers seeking benefits rose last week to a seasonally adjusted 626,000, from the previous week's upwardly revised figure of 591,000. The latest total is far more than analysts' expectations of 583,000.


That's also the highest since October 1982, when the economy was in a steep recession, though the work force has grown by about half since then.

The numbers reflect the large spate of layoffs announced last month by companies from all sectors of the economy, including Caterpillar Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Microsoft Corp. The layoffs continued Thursday with cosmetics maker Estee Lauder Cos. saying its fiscal second-quarter profit fell 30 percent and it plans to begin a four-year restructuring plan that will include cutting 2,000 staffers, or 6 percent of the work force. The company will also continue its hiring freeze.

Economists expect the government to issue a grim report Friday that will show the unemployment rate rose to 7.5 percent in January, up from 7.2 percent in December. That would be the highest rate in 17 years.

The housing slump and financial crisis have hammered spending by businesses and consumers, sending the economy into a recession that is expected to continue until at least the second half of this year.

The recession's impact was visible in other economic data Thursday. Factory orders fell by 3.9 percent in December, the Commerce Department said, a record fifth straight drop.

For all of 2008, orders for everything from autos to computers to food rose by only 0.4 percent, the weakest showing since orders actually fell by 1.8 percent in 2002.

Meanwhile, many retailers reported dismal January sales. The malaise crossed the spectrum of retailing, from department store chains to teen clothing chains.

Wet Seal Inc., Stage Stores Inc. and Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. were among those posting deeper-than-expected sales declines.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, was a notable exception, reporting sales that beat Wall Street's forecast, as shoppers continued to focus on necessities like groceries.

Wall Street reversed early losses and showed gains in afternoon trading. The Dow Jones industrial average added 110 points and broader stock indicators also rose.

Laid-off workers are having a harder time landing new jobs as companies impose hiring freezes in addition to job cuts.

The number of people that remained on the unemployment compensation rolls increased slightly to nearly 4.8 million, the Labor Department said, most since records began in 1967. The continuing claims data lags the number of new claims by one week.

As a proportion of the work force, the number of people receiving unemployment benefits is at the highest level since August 1982. But that doesn't include an additional 1.7 million people receiving unemployment insurance through an extension of benefits Congress approved last year, which brings the total to about 6.5 million.

The extension provides up to 33 additional weeks of benefits, on top of the 26 weeks typically provided by states.

The Labor Department said in a separate report that productivity rose at an annual rate of 3.2 percent in the final three months of last year, far above the 1.1 percent rise that economists had expected.

Productivity, which is the amount of output per hour of work, jumped because the number of hours worked during the period plunged faster than output declined. That reflected the massive wave of layoffs that occurred during the fourth quarter.

Unit labor costs, meanwhile, edged up at a 1.8 percent annual rate, far lower than the 2.9 percent rise that had been forecast. The results underscored how the deepening recession has removed the threat of inflation.

But more mass layoffs were announced this week. On Wednesday, Botox maker Allergan Inc. and Time Warner Inc.'s cable division announced large job cuts. A day earlier, PNC Financial Services Group, airplane maker Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Liz Claiborne Inc., King Pharmaceuticals Inc. and aerospace company Rockwell Collins Inc. announced layoffs. General Motors Corp., meanwhile, said it will offer buyouts to all of its hourly workers.

Macy's Inc. said Monday that it would eliminate 7,00 jobs.

Associated Press Writers Martin Crutsinger and Anne D'Innocenzio contributed to this report.

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Four Stocks Near 52-Week Highs

[setravis]

U.S. Preview...

Global stocks and commodity prices are sharply higher this morning as G-20 members convening in London are optimistic that the worst of the global recession may be over. The European DJ Stoxx 50 this morning is up +3.67% and June S&Ps are up +15.20 points (+1.88%). The Asia-Pacific stock markets today closed sharply higher with Japan (+4.40%), Hong Kong (+7.41%), Chona (+1.11%), Taiwan (+3.00%), Australia (+2.81%), Singapore (+5.94%), South Korea (+3.56%), India (+4.51%). Leaders of the Group of 20 nations signaled they will endorse more cash for the IMF, seek to revive trade finance and put forth initiatives to rein in toxic assets, hedge funds, derivatives trading and excessive risk-taking by financial firms. Also boosting global financial stocks today is the action by the US Financial Accounting Standards Board to hold a final vote today on an overhaul of accounting rules that may increase profits at banks by more than 20%. The proposed changes to mark-to-market accounting, would allow companies to use "significant judgement" in valuing assets and reduce the amount of writedowns they must take on impaired investments, including mortgage-backed securities.




Unemployment claims – Today's weekly initial unemployment claims report is expected to show a small decline of -2,000 to 650,000 following last week's increase of +8,000 to 652,000. Meanwhile, weekly continuing claims are expected to rise another +20,000 to 5.580 million, adding to last week's surge of +122,000 to 5.560 million. Initial unemployment claims last week were just slightly below the 26-year high of 657,000 posted in the week ended March 6. However, initial claims have been moving basically sideways in the past several weeks, leading to some hope that the high rate of layoffs will not get much worse. At some point, businesses will have laid off as many employees as they believe are necessary to survive the recession and the level of layoffs will start to decline. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits, however, continues to soar. Last week's level was a record high for the series, which has a long history back to 1967. Regarding the labor market, traders are looking ahead to Friday's March unemployment report. March payrolls are expected to show another sharp decline of –658,000, adding to February's decline of –651,000. The March unemployment rate is expected to rise sharply by +0.4 points to a new 25-year high of 8.5%.




Factory orders – Today's Feb factory orders report is expected to show an increase of +1.4%, reversing part of January's decline of –1.9%. On a year-on-year basis, factory orders in January plunged by –19.2%, which was just above December's record low of –19.5% (the history of the factory orders series goes back to 1956). Expectations for an increase in Feb factory orders are based on the recently-released Feb durable goods orders report of +3.4% overall and +3.9% ex-transportation, which was much stronger than the market consensus at the time for a decline of –2.5% overall and –2.0% ex-transportation. The US manufacturing sector is in dire need of new orders to prevent even more layoffs and plant shutdowns. Wednesday's March ISM manufacturing index showed a stronger-than-expected increase of +0.5 points to 36.3, pushing the index farther above the 28-year low of 32.9 posted in December. The ISM index suggested that manufacturing executives are a little less pessim istic than they were in the past several months, although the very low index of 36.3 still indicates that US manufacturing sector is in a deep contraction.




Overnight U.S. Stock News...

June S&Ps this morning are up +15.20 points as optimism rises that the worst of the global recession may be over. The US stock market yesterday overcame early weakness and moved higher after mid-morning to finish the day with decent gains (Dow +2.01%, S&P 500 +1.66%, Nasdaq Composite +1.51%).

Bullish factors for stock prices yesterday included (1) a rally in homebuilders after the unexpected rise in US Feb pending home sales, (2) strength in industrial companies after the Mar ISM manufacturing index came in higher than expected, (3) a rally in bank stocks after comments from Treasury Secretary Geithner that there are "encouraging signs" that financial markets are recovering, and (4) a continued improvement in interbank lending rates after the 3-month dollar Libor rate fell to a 2-month low and the TED spread narrowed to a 1-month low.

Bearish factors for stock prices yesterday included (1) the largest monthly loss of jobs in the Mar ADP employment change since data began in 2001, which may signal a weaker-than-expected Mar nonfarm payrolls report on Friday, (2) an increased likelihood that General Motors and Chrysler will fall into bankruptcy on reports that President Obama believes a quick, negotiated bankruptcy is the most likely way for GM to restructure and become viable again, and (3) comments from Dallas Fed President Fisher that the economy's performance will probably gradually begin "getting less worse as we go through the year," and that positive growth won't happen until 2010.

Dow Chemical (DOW) is up 7% in European trading after the biggest US chemicals maker agreed to sell its Morton Salt unit to K+S AG, Europe's largest salt maker, for $1.68 billion in cash to help finance its acquisition of Rohm & Haas





Today's U.S. Market Focus...

June 10-year T-notes this morning are down -17.5 ticks as the sharp rally in global stock markets reduces demand for the safety of Treasuries. June T-note prices yesterday moved higher for the third straight day and closed up +6.5 ticks at a 1-week high. Bullish factors for T-note prices yesterday included (1) the largest monthly loss of jobs in the Mar ADP employment change since the data series began in 2001 (-742,000 versus expectations of -663,000), (2) a benign US inflation outlook after the prices paid sub-index of the Mar ISM manufacturing index rose half as much as expected (+2.0 to 31.0 versus expectations of +4.0 to 33.0), and (3) the Fed's purchase of $6 billion in Treasuries as part of its ongoing quantitative easing campaign. Bearish factors for T-note prices yesterday included (1) the unexpected rise in US Feb pending home sales (+2.1% versus expectations of no change), (2) reduced safe-haven demand for Treasuries as the stock market rallied, (3) the co ntinued thaw in interbank lending rates as the 3-month dollar Libor rate fell to a 2-month low of 1.18% and the Ted spread, the gap between what banks and the Treasury pay to borrow money for 3-months, narrowed to a 1-month low of 97 basis points, and (4) comments from Treasury Secretary Geithner that there are "encouraging signs" that financial markets are recovering.

The dollar index is weaker this morning with the dollar/yen +0.98 yen and the euro/dollar +1.00 cent. The dollar index yesterday finished with slight gains. Bullish factors for the dollar yesterday included (1) the drop in the yen to a 3-1/2 week low against the dollar after Japan's Q1 Tankan large manufacturers' sentiment survey tumbled to the lowest level since the survey began in 1974, (2) the jump in the Feb Euro-Zone unemployment rate to a near 3-year high, and (3) comments from ECB Council member Kranjec that he doesn't see any signs of an imminent economic recovery in the Euro-Zone. Bearish factors for the dollar yesterday included (1) the biggest monthly loss of jobs in the Mar ADP employment change (-742,000) since the data series began in 2001, and (2) the prediction from Daiwa Institute of Research that the euro will strengthen against the dollar to $1.45 by year-end as the ECB is unlikely to match the Fed's aggressiveness in printing money.

May crude oil prices this morning are up +$2.84 a barrel and May gasoline is +5.03 cents a gallon. Crude oil along with other commodities are receiving a boost today on signs the world economy is stabilizing which would increase overall demand. May crude oil prices yesterday moved lower and closed down -$1.27 a barrel and May gasoline closed -4.96 cents a gallon. May crude oil and May gasoline both posted 2-week lows yesterday. Bearish factors for crude oil prices yesterday included (1) the stronger dollar, (2) the +2.84 million bbl climb in the weekly DOE crude oil inventories to a 15-1/2 year high of 359.4 million bbl, (3) the unexpected rise in weekly DOE gasoline and distillate inventories (gasoline +2.23 million bbl versus expectations of a -1.5 million bbl drawdown and distillates +221,000 bbl versus expectations of a -1.5 million bbl drop), and (4) the declinei of US average fuel demand over the past four weeks of 18.9 million bpd of -4.4% y/y, the lowest cons umption level for a four-week period since October. Bullish factors for crude oil prices yesterday included (1) the rally in the stock market, stoking optimism that an improving economy will boost energy demand, and (2) PetroLogistics's cut in its OPEC-11 Mar crude oil supply estimate to 25.5 million bpd from 25.9 million bpd.

[setravis]

5 Stocks Bucking the Downtrend.......

4-Week
Price Change

Take-Two Interactive Software (Nasdaq: TTWO)
36.2%

American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO)
31.6%

International Paper (NYSE: IP)
41.8%

The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX)
59.1%

Dendreon (Nasdaq: DNDN)
44.9%

[setravis]

MTIZ.PK
Watch it for Thursday 4-9-2009


MTIZ is thinly traded right now this means no one knows about the company yet.  I believe the price looks very attractive for what the company is doing.

Do you remember when doctors use to hold up x-rays to a light to view them or when patient files were strictly on paper.  Those days are quickly vanishing.  Everything is going electronic. 

MTIZ helps companies make this transition to go fully electronic.  This is the wave of the future and MTIZ is making this happen right now! 

MTIZ has products and services that streamline the management and operation functions of diagnostic imaging facilities, radiology groups, in-office imaging groups, small hospitals and physician offices.

Just think about it for 1 second.  There are millions of medical offices in the world and all them are going electronic.  MTIZ also just announced earlier today net income of $1.4 Mill for last year.

You can view a pictures of one of their medical x-ray program looks like here: http://www.metiscan.com/rbig.html

MTIZ just went public a few months ago through a reverse merger so this could be a ground opportunity.

Always do you own research and start at their site at: http://www.metiscan.com