Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

AMZN, SPWRA, SPWRB, GERN, SQNM

STEM, FSLR, CENX, ISSC, DRYS

Stocks to Watch

Stocks to Watch

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

ARAY, BSX, MLM, AZN

UEPS, CNX

Downgrades:

TWC, JNPR, MRX, FITB, RF, SEPR

ALL, RYAAY, GBE, CRL, NI, RDYN

AZN, ZNT, VE, UA, OSK, TKR

Trading Ideas

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 3.1%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.94%

European markets are trading down early on

Wall Street Bonuses May Go Way of Dodo

GDP

Employment Cost Index

NAPM-Chicago

Consumer Sentiment

Farm Prices

Crude Oil is $41.80 per barrel

Gold is $925 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Friday

The Dow pulled back by 226.44. The Nasdaq Composite slid 50.50. And the S&P 500 ended the day down 28.95.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Friday.

Amazon.com (AMZN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported quarterly earnings of 52 cents per share Thursday after the market closed, blowing away estimates by 14 cents. Sales and guidance were also better than expected.

Allstate (ALL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported its first annual loss ever, announcing also plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs and to reconsider raising its dividend.

Exxon Mobil (XOM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Friday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 1.48.

Earnings per share of 1.59 is what analysts are expecting from Procter and Gamble (PG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which also reports quarterly earnings Friday morning before the bell.

Among the hardest hit stocks on Thursday were Wells Fargo (WFC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and General Electric (GE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Both stocks pulled back sharply from overbought extremes reached in a single day during the previous session.

One bright spot in the Nasdaq on Thursday was Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) which was up as much as 4% late in trading. The stock is increasingly overbought above the 200-day moving average.

Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

JASO, GOLD, SQNM, CAVM, POZN

SEPR, SYMC, ESLR

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

AAI, MSM, DFT

Downgrades:

NHY, NYX, CTXS, LRCX, AFFX, APD

IRBT, NSR, PNNT, MCGC, ARCC, ALD,

AINV, ACAS, TMP, DRYS

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 1.8%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 4.6%

European markets are trading down 1-2% early on

Ford reports $5.9 billion loss

Unemployment will only get worse

Durable Goods Orders

Jobless Claims

New Home Sales

EIA Natural Gas Report

Money Supply

Crude Oil is $41 per barrel

Gold is $878 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 ETF's you need to know for Thursday

Here are 7 ETFs You Need to Know for Thursday.

Financial stocks were the clear leaders on Wednesday, driving exchange-traded funds linked to financial stocks deeper into overbought territory below the 200-day moving average. Among these ETFs is the iShares Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services ETF, IYG (IYG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which includes stocks like JP Morgan Chase (JPM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Wells Fargo (WFC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).

Also moving higher and further into overbought territory below the 200-day moving average is the Financial Select Sector SPDRS ETF, XLF (XLF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). The XLF soared by nearly 12% on Wednesday.

Consumer discretionary stocks were also advancing on Wednesday, led by Coach Inc. (COH | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) which was dramatically higher on the day. ETF traders and investors can get exposure to this sector through funds like the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDRS ETF, XLY (XLY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). This ETF was testing 7-day highs below the 200-day moving average by mid-day.

The PowerShares DB Dollar Index Bullish ETF, UUP (UUP | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) pulled back into oversold extremes on Wednesday. UUP, which tracks Deutsche Bank Long Dollar Futures Index, is as oversold as it has been since making its mid-December 2008 lows just above the 200-day moving average.

Testing January highs on Wednesday was the iShares MSCI Taiwan Index ETF, EWT (EWT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Also trading below its 200-day moving average, the fund closed above its 5-day moving average for the third consecutive session.

Pulling back sharply and moving further into oversold territory were a wide number of short/inverse exchange-traded funds, with the ProShares UltraShort Technology ETF, REW (REW | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and the ProShares UltraShort S&P 500 Index ETF, SDS (SDS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) both down more than 7%.

Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

AAPL, GOLD, DRYS, ESLR, INTC, NWSA

BAC, JAVA, TMTA, C, GS, GOOG, ACAS

BIDU, STEM, FITB, UCBH, UAUA, YHOO

Trading Ideas

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

FCX, TC, LINTA, STJ, GPC

VPRT, PTI, MCHP, LYG,

BBY, QCOM

Downgrades:

CNB, AEP, HST, SLT, BTU, CIEN

GFA, MXIM, XOM, CNW, KRC, CRS

CNC

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a higher open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.56%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.63%

European markets are trading higher by 2% early on

All Eyes on Wells Fargo

MBA Purchase Applications

EIA Petroleum Status Report

Crude Oil is $41.50 per barrel

Gold is $887 per ounce

FOMC Meeting Announcement

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday

Yahoo! (YHOO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported a quarterly loss of 22 cents per share, but non-GARP earnings of 17 cents per share after the close on Tuesday. The stock was higher by as much as 3% immediately after the announcement in after hours trading.

Also reporting quarterly earnings after the bell on Tuesday was biotech firm, Gilead Sciences (GILD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which beat analyst expectations by a wide mark.

AT&T (T | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Wednesday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 66 cents.

Eighty cents per share is what analysts are expecting when Boeing (BA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports earnings before the market opens on Wednesday.

Analysts are expecting Wells Fargo (WFC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to announce quarterly earnings of seven cents per share when it reports Wednesday before the opening bell.

Qualcomm (QCOM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announces earnings Wednesday after the market closes. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 0.39.

Starbucks (SBUX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report earnings per share of 17 cents when the company announces quarterly profits Wednesday after the bell.

Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

ARMH, QGEN, DRYS, TLAB, ASML

GOLD, INTC, CRXL

Market Recap for Jan 26th

Market Recap for Jan 26th

Trading Ideas

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

TXN, ARMH, CAT, SKH, SUNH

BOH, PVTB

Downgrades:

LAYN, TMK, USB, GNK, SNSS

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a higher open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up nearly 5%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.63%

European markets are trading down early on by 1%

DuPont reports loss, trims 2009 forecast

Bank Bailout could cost 4 trillion

ICSC-Goldman Store Sales

Redbook

Consumer Confidence

Crude Oil is $46.50 per barrel

Gold is $894 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Tuesday

Caterpillar (CAT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported quarterly earnings Monday morning before the bell, missing estimates and announcing that it would eliminate 20,000 jobs in light of a pessimistic forecast for the year.

Also announcing significant job cuts on Monday was Sprint, which reported plans to reduce its workforce by 8,000 jobs. Rival Verizon Communications (VZ | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings on Tuesday, with analysts expecting EPS of 61 cents.

Reporting quarterly earnings after the market closed on Monday was American Express (AXP | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) which announced profits that were roughly in line with estimates.

Also reporting after the close was biotechnology giant, Amgen (AMGN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Amgen reported fourth quarter profits that were up 15% and in-line with expectations.

EPS of 75 cents is what analysts are expecting from U.S. Steel (X | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), when it announces quarterly earnings on Tuesday.

Reporting earnings after the close on Tuesday, E*Trade Financial (ETFC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to announce a loss of 23 cents per share. Also reporting earnings after the market closes on Tuesday is Yahoo! (YHOO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Yahoo! is expected to announce per share earnings of 0.13.

Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Economic & Earnings for next week.

www.leavittbrothers.com

Caterpillar to Cut 20,000 Jobs

The world’s largest maker of bulldozers and excavators, is cutting 20,000 jobs as the recession saps demand for construction equipment. Profit this year may be $2.50 a share excluding some items, trailing analysts’ average estimate.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

AAPL, DRYS, STEM, GERN, ERIC

CREE, JASO, CSIQ, GOLD, MSFT

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

CVH, PSO, LEAP, RWT, NLS

Downgrades:

PTRY, LECO, CNH, BBBY, AFL

BHP, INWK

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Earnings for the Week

Economic Data for the Week

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a higher open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 0.81%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.63%

European markets are trading higher early on by 1%

Pfizer to buy Wyeth for $68 Billion

Leading Indicators

Existing Home Sales

Crude Oil is $46.75 per barrel

Gold is $907 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Monday

Pfizer (PFE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported that it was in talks to acquire competitor Wyeth (WYE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) as part of a strategy to deal with growing competition from generic drugs.

Caterpillar (CAT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) will report earnings Monday morning before the market opens. Earnings per share of 1.31 are what analysts are expecting from the company.

In the wake of Schlumberger's disappointing earnings announcement on Friday, Haliburton (HAL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) will report quarterly earnings Monday morning. Analysts are expecting EPS of 73 cents.

McDonalds (MCD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report EPS of 83 cents when it announces earnings Monday before the bell.

Reporting quarterly earnings Monday after the market opens, American Express (AXP | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to announce earnings per share of 23 cents.

Also announcing earnings after the bell on Monday is Amgen (AMGN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Analysts are expecting EPS of 1.04 from the biotechnology company.

Jan 23 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

GERN, SYNA, STEM, GOOG

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

GRMN, JCG, EXPD, KAMN, BBT

Downgrades:

LPX, MTD, CME, AMFI

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Stocks to Watch

Stocks to Watch

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 3.8%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.63%

European markets are trading down early on

GE posts lower earnings, revenue

Asian stocks slide to 6 week low

EIA Natural Gas Report

Crude Oil is $42.75 per barrel

Gold is $875 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Friday

The Dow lost 105.30. The Nasdaq Composite fell 41.58. And the S&P 500 closed lower by 12.74.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Friday.

Google (GOOG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) beat analyst estimates by 14 cents in its earnings announcement after the market closed on Thursday.

Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 1.06 when Schlumberger (SLB | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports earnings Friday before the bell.

Former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain resigned from recent acquirer Bank of America (BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) on Thursday.

Microsoft (MSFT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) surprised the markets with an earlier than expected earnings miss and news that the software giant would eliminate 5,000 jobs company wide.

General Electric (GE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Friday before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 0.37.

Investors aggressively unloaded shares of Aflac (AFL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) on Thursday following a Morgan Stanley report expressing concern over the company's investments in securities in both Europe and the U.K.

Announcing its quarterly earnings Friday before the opening bell, Xerox (XRX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report EPS of 34 cents.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

AAPL, DRYS, IWOV, RIMM, ERIC

MRVL, CSCO, GOOG, JASO, GERN

APOL

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

HCBK, BT, DTSI, FII, AAP, M

LOW, BBY, HSY, NEU, ERIC

Downgrades:

DOX, ECLP, LOGI, HMA, WYE

FCX, PETM, K, FULT, ECLP

EE, CERN, APD

Apple Beats the Street

Apple Beats the Street

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 2%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.6%

European markets are trading higher early on

Apple beats earnings estimates

Ebay falls after forecast misses

Nokia profit sinks

MBA Purchase Applications

Housing Starts

Jobless Claims

EIA Petroleum Status Report

Money Supply

Crude Oil is $44 per barrel

Gold is $848.50 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday

The Dow soared 279.01. The Nasdaq gained 66.21. And the S&P 500 ended the day up 35.02.

Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced quarterly earnings Wednesday after the market closed, blowing away analyst estimates by a wide margin of more than 30 cents.

Also announcing earnings after the bell on Wednesday was eBay (EBAY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), ], which reported fourth quarter earnings that were roughly in line with expectations.

Announcing its quarterly earnings before the market opens on Thursday, Lockheed Martin (LMT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report earnings per share of 1.92.

Earnings per share of 37 cents is what analysts are expecting Nokia (NOK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to report on Thursday when the company makes its quarterly earnings announcement.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) will report earnings on Thursday after the market closes. Analysts are expecting an earnings per share loss of 54 cents.

Also reporting earnings Thursday after the bell are both Google (GOOG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Microsoft (MSFT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Analysts are expecting Google to announce earnings per share of 4.96. For its part, Microsoft is expected to report EPS of 49 cents.

Jan 21 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

ERIC, WGOV, NTRS, DRYS, HCBK

JASO, PALM, ASML, AAPL, CSCO

How Stimulus Affects You

How Stimulus Affects You

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

WGOV, AXL, LEA, F, HOG

JBL, UL, RYAAY

Downgrades:

RDWR, HSC, BAC, WFR

BOOM, CHRW, VIP, MBT

OZM, ICXT, WMT, HERO

OMCL

Earnings Watch

Earnings Watch

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a higher open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 2%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 3%

European markets are trading lower early on

MBA Purchase Applications

ICSC-Goldman Store Sales

Redbook

EIA Petroleum Status Report

Housing Market Index

Crude Oil is $41.35 per barrel

Gold is $861 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday

The Dow lost 332.13. The Nasdaq closed lower by 88.47. And the S&P 500 ended the day off 44.90.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Wednesday.

IBM (IBM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) blew away analyst earnings Tuesday after the bell, beating EPS estimates by 25 cents for the quarter and forecasting better than expected earnings per share for 2009.

In the wake of new revelations about the health of CEO Steve Jobs, Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Wednesday after the market closes. Analysts are expecting EPS of 1.39.

Also reporting quarterly earnings Wednesday after the bell is eBay (EBAY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which is expected to announce earnings per share of 34 cents.

Two airlines are reporting quarterly earnings on Wednesday. Analysts are expecting Delta Air Lines (DAL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to report an EPS loss of 19 cents. An earnings per share loss of 4.45 is what analysts are looking for from UAL Corp (UAUA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).

Continued concerns over the health of the banking industry were exemplified in the aggressive selling that took Bank of America (BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) down by more than 19% intraday on Tuesday.

Abbott Labs (ABT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announces quarterly earnings on Wednesday. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 1.06.

Jan 20 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Economic & Earnings for next week.

www.leavittbrothers.com

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

ACAS, FITB, OCNF, EGLE, DRYS

SOLR, CRYP, YRCW, JASO, AMAT

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

CHKP, ARCC, HR

Downgrades:

COP, CHU, SINA, TER, ALTR

BHP, PALM, TLM, SU, PCZ, NXY

CNQ

Stocks to Watch

Stocks to Watch

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 2.3%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 2.85%

European markets are trading lower

Eye on Obama

State Street Investor Confidence

Fiat to get 35% stake in Chrysler for no cash

Toyota says 2008 vehicle sales fell 5%

Crude Oil is $33.85 per barrel

Gold is $833 per ounce

7 Stocks you need to know for Tuesday

ConocoPhillips (COP | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported after the bell on Friday that the refining giant was planning to cut 4% of its workforce and take significant write downs for the fourth quarter.

Forest Labs (FRX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Tuesday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 75 cents.

Analysts are expecting State Street Corporation (STT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to announce EPS of 1.14 when it reports quarterly earnings on Tuesday.

Announcing earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report 0.92 per share.

TD Ameritrade (AMTD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to report EPS of 0.31 when it announces quarterly earnings Tuesday before the bell.

Among those companies announcing earnings after the market closes on Tuesday is IBM (IBM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which is expected to report earnings per share of 3.03.

Analysts are expecting CSX Corporation (CSX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to report quarterly earnings of 91 cents per share when it announces Tuesday after the bell.

Stock Market Review

Jan 16 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

ACAS, AMAT, DNDN, DRYS, INTC

NVDA, RIMM, ARMH, RMBS, YHOO

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

K, SONS, BKS, OCR

Downgrades:

NWS, VIA.B, FFIV, TRI, CPO, CYNO

VCP, HMA, KND, THC, PAAS, GG, AEM

KGC, NSR

Stocks to Watch

Stocks to Watch

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a higher open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 2.6%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.09%

European markets are trading higher by 2-3% in early trade

Bank of America gets 138 Billion U.S. Bailout

Consumer Price Index

Treasury International Capital

Industrial Production

Consumer Sentiment

Crude Oil is $36 per barrel

Gold is up $22 per ounce and is $830 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Friday

The Dow closed up 12.35. The Nasdaq Composite gained 22.20. And the S&P 500 edged higher by 1.12.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Friday.

JP Morgan (JPM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) beat earnings estimates on Thursday by more than six cents on dramatically lower year-over-year profits.

Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) CEO Steve Jobs may be undergoing surgery while on medical leave. The surgery would involve removing his pancreas following side effects from cancer treatments five years ago.

Intel (INTC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported quarterly earnings Thursday after the bell that were in line with analyst expectations.

Fears that the company will need additional public assistance in order to digest its acquisition of Merrill Lynch led traders and investors to sell shares of Bank of America (BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) on Thursday. Similar concerns about Citigroup (C | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and its need for taxpayer assistance kept buyers away from that stock, as well.

Pfizer (PFE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is considering a plan to approximately 30% of its sales force in the United States. The plan could involve up to 2,400 workers. Also in pharmaceutical industry news, Eli Lilly & Company (LLY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) agreed to a $1.42 billion settlement in a federal case involving the marketing of its top-selling, anti-psychotic medication, Zyprexa.

Jan 15 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

CYPB, CRYP, NUAN, ASML, DNDN

PTNR, RIMM, TEVA, ERIC

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

WLP, FAST, GSS, GRS, TPP

MOT, AXYS, ECL, ABC

Downgrades:

UAM, HS, TYPE, AAPL, PLT, EGO, GG,

KGC, AHD, ARA, ULBI, FRPT, MOT, BNI

DAI, STAR, CRNT, VCP, CMP, PG, RRGB

WMI, CWST, TRMB

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down nearly 5%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 3.4%

European markets are trading down early on

Steve Jobs CEO of Apple, Inc takes a medical leave

Jobless Claims

Empire State Mfg Survey

Producer Price Index

RBC CASH Index

Philadelphia Fed Survey

EIA Natural Gas Report

Money Supply

Crude Oil is $37 per barrel

Gold is $812 per ounce

Apple’s Steve Jobs Takes Medical Leave; Shares Plunge

Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, who said this month that he is being treated for a nutritional ailment, will take a medical leave of absence through the end of June. The shares fell 6.4 percent.

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday

The Dow fell by 248.42. The Nasdaq Composite lost 56.82. And the S&P 500 closed down 29.17.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Thursday.

Citigroup (C | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) plunged on Wednesday, as skeptics doubted that the company's plan to sell off parts of itself such as its Smith Barney brokerage unit will help raise much-needed capital.

Also putting a wet blanket on financial stocks was word from Deutsche Bank AG (DB | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) that it would likely report fourth quarter losses of approximately 4.8 billion euros. Losses for the year were expected to be just short of EUR 4 billion.

JP Morgan Chase (JPM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Thursday before the market opens. Analysts are expecting an earnings per share loss of one cent.

Nortel Networks (NT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Canada on Wednesday. Falling demand for the company's telecommunications hardware was blamed for the company's financial problems.

Disappointing retails sales encouraged sellers to send shares of Target (TGT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) lower for the sixth consecutive trading session.

Intel (INTC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to announce EPS of four cents when it reports quarterly earnings Thursday after the close.

Also reporting quarterly earnings Thursday after the bell is Genentech (DNA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Analysts are expecting EPS of 0.96.

Jan 14 - Before the Open

Before the Open - summary of top stories before the stock market open.

Stocks Trading Up in Pre-Market

DNDN, GERN, RMBS, HGSI, RIMM

PALM, SQNM, YRCW, YHOO, ZGEN

Upgrades and Downgrades

Upgrades:

ALGT, LPL, SKM, CLB, SOHU, AUO

Downgrades:

STD, REP, STO, AAUK, TLK, SU, STP

BPZ, PDE, NOV, OZM, FIG, GLG, BX

NVO, CPX, DRC, HNZ, PCU, MDRX

RIG, SII, VISN

Stocks to Watch

Stocks to Watch

Stock Tiger Video

Stock Tiger Video

Morning News

Futures are pointing to a lower open

In Japan the Nikkei closed up 0.3%

In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.3%

European markets are currently trading down

MBA Purchase Applications

Retail Sales

Import and Export Prices

Business Inventories

EIA Petroleum Status Report

Beige Book

Crude Oil is $39 per barrel

Gold is $826 per ounce

Stock Market Review

7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday

The Dow ended the day down 25.41. The Nasdaq Composite finished ahead by 7.67. And the S&P 500 gained 1.53.

Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo! (YHOO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) will choose Carol Bartz to replace Jerry Yang as CEO. Bartz was formerly CEO of Autodesk.

Xilinx (XLNX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Wednesday after the close. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 32 cents.

Options trader Jon Najarian pointed to sizable put buying in shares of Citigroup (C | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) during an appearance on MSNBC's Fast Money program after the bell on Monday. Read our Big Saturday Interview with options trader, Fast Money regular and brother of Jon Najarian, Pete Najarian at TradingMarkets.com!

Traders are similarly bearish toward shares of General Electric (GE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). The number of shares sold short in the stock soared over the month of December. Also Barclay's suggested on Tuesday that GE's quarterly earnings could come in at the low end of its forecast range.

Shares of ZymoGenetics (ZGEN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) soared on Tuesday on the news that Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) would pay $1 billion to the Seattle-based biotech company if the hepatitis C drug they are co-developing meets certain sales and regulatory goals.

Alcoa (AA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) continues to sit easily in the minds of traders, investors and analysts who have grown suspicious of the aluminum giant's ability to support its dividend.