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Monthly Archives: February 2012

52 Week Highs and Lows

NYSE

New Highs 190 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      HIGH                VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
ACCO Brands                   ABD         10.93              289,761 
Alaska Air Grp                ALK         78.63              209,279 
Alliance Data Sys             ADS         114.06           1,134,126 
Bebidas de Americas ADS       ABV         37.90            1,352,016 
Bebidas de Americas ADS C     ABV/C       30.46               15,713 
Amer Campus Communities       ACC         43.34              235,860 
Amer Fincl Grp                AFG         38.00              203,084 
Amer States Water             AWR         37.37               37,019 
Amer Vanguard                 AVD         15.88              131,693 
Ameriprise Finl 7.75% Nts     AMPpA       28.60               13,511 
Ametek                        AME         48.23              321,103 
Anworth Mtge Asset 8.625%     ANHpA       26.00                  200 
ApartmentInvMgmt7%Cl Z        AIVpZ       24.43                4,175 
Applied Indus Tech            AIT         40.02              142,001 
Ares Cap Sr. Nts 2040         ARY         25.79               11,645 
Asbury Automotive             ABG         24.08              155,841 
Aspen Ins Hldgs 7.401%        AHLpA       25.50                5,204 
BNY Capital IV 6.875%         BKpE        26.35                6,444 
Bally Technologies            BYI         46.06            1,233,544 
Banco De Chile                BCH         93.86               52,410 
Bankrate                      RATE        24.25              171,908 
Barnes Group                  B           26.41              138,901 
Beam Inc                      BEAM        53.38              360,447 
BlRk Cr Alloc Inco Tr IV      BTZ         12.98               72,881 
BlkRk MuniHldgs Inv           MFL         15.29              180,404 
BlRk MuHldg NY Qlty           MHN         15.95               63,840 
BlkRk MuniVest II             MVT         17.00               39,061 
BlkRk MuniYld CA Fd           MYC         16.29               63,282 
BlkRk MuniYld NJ Fd           MYJ         16.18               26,541 
BlRk Muyld NY Qlty            MYN         14.75               71,468 
BlkRk NY Muni                 BQH         16.85                2,837 
BlkRk Cr Alloc Tr I           PSW         9.87                24,217 
Blackrock Strategic Muni      BSD         14.67                8,293 
Bonanza Creek Energy          BCEI        16.87              255,027 
CVR Partners LP               UAN         30.88              179,541 
Crp Ast Bkd Tr JCP 7.675%     PFH         26.20                2,260 
Cambrex Corp                  CBM         8.30               200,507 
Cantel Med                    CMN         22.21               79,872 
Carters                       CRI         42.70              111,396 
Cascade Corp                  CASC        59.11                7,990 
Cedar Fair LP                 FUN         26.63              152,538 
Cervecerias Compania          CCU         67.36               46,263 
Chesapeake Granite Wash       CHKR        25.25              246,078 
China Pete & Chemical         SNP         125.24             110,637 
Chipotle Mexican Grill        CMG         373.37           1,102,337 
Cincinnati Bell               CBB         3.72             2,291,267 
Citizens Inc                  CIA         10.71               35,266 
CompanhiaSBEDP                SBS         67.40              125,087 
CoreSite Realty               COR         20.67              282,342 
Crown Castle Intl             CCI         49.55              725,643 
Cutwater Select Incm Fd       CSI         19.41               37,076 
DTEEnCo.Series6.50%           DTZ         27.27               27,858 
DWS Global High Inco          LBF         8.12                13,108 
DWS Hi Incm Opps Fd           DHG         15.08               51,972 
Delphi Automotive             DLPH        28.93              400,748 
Digital Realty Trust          DLR         72.39              422,588 
Dollar General                DG          43.07              760,776 
Donaldson Co                  DCI         74.84              213,097 
Drew Indus                    DW          27.40               50,987 
Dreyfus Strat Muni Bond       DSM         9.17                66,372 
DTF Tax-Free                  DTF         17.02               15,653 
Dycom Indus                   DY          23.45              165,707 
Ecopetrol                     EC          52.17              256,831 
Education Realty Trust        EDR         10.89              483,436 
El Paso Corp                  EP          27.13            3,915,407 
Enbridge Inc                  ENB         38.40              322,230 
Enterprise Pdts Partners      EPD         51.17            1,282,174 
Excel Trust                   EXL         13.09               51,621 
Extra Space Storage           EXR         26.62              420,643 
Federal Realty Inv Trust      FRT         96.02              109,206 
Fidelity Ntl Financial        FNF         18.48              684,663 
First Republic Bk Pfd A       FRCpA       25.24               69,562 
FortuneBrandsHome&Sec         FBHS        19.25              575,175 
HBFuller                      FUL         29.66              149,025 
Gallagher                     AJG         34.80              564,545 
Genie Energy                  GNE         10.80               54,732 
Goldman Sachs Grp Notes       GSF         25.47               63,591 
Goodrich Corp                 GR          125.30             899,323 
Gruma ADS                     GMK         9.27                28,810 
Grupo Aero Sureste ads        ASR         69.35               22,475 
Guidewire Software            GWRE        19.30               76,452 
Gulf Pwr Co Nts               GUA         30.24                4,944 
HnckJohn TxAdv                HTD         17.98               57,516 
Health Care REIT              HCN         57.62              923,020 
Helios Multi-Sec Inco Fd      HMH         5.74                12,264 
Inergy Midstream LP           NRGM        21.68              149,302 
Invesco California Mun IT     IIC         16.37               14,478 
Invesco CA Mun Secs           ICS         15.33                8,207 
Invesco CA Qty Tr             IQC         14.52               22,888 
Invesco Value Mun Secs        IMS         15.91               17,668 
Invesco VK PAValMun           VPV         14.80               22,100 
Invesco VnKmNY                VTN         16.25               15,087 
JPMorgan Chase Cap XI         JPMpK       25.55               31,987 
Just Energy Group             JE          12.42               98,756 
Kayne Anderson Engy Dev       KED         22.97               21,645 
Kayne Andrsn Midstr Engy      KMF         26.94              108,364 
Kennedy-Wilson Hldgs          KW          13.73               60,794 
LTC Properties                LTC         32.60               84,150 
La-Z-Boy                      LZB         14.00              196,364 
Laredo Petroleum Hldgs        LPI         23.52              240,094 
Las Vegas Sands               LVS         51.87           18,206,832 
LEH 7.875% Duke Cap           JBI         27.28                2,162 
LifeTime Fit                  LTM         50.40              129,649 
LyondellBasell Inds           LYB         44.00            2,453,741 
MFS Hi Yld Muni               CMU         5.07                52,444 
MI Developments               MIM         36.23              108,884 
Main Street Capital           MAIN        22.41              108,516 
Metro Health Ntwks            MDF         8.57               310,422 
Michael Kors Holdings         KORS        32.00              600,713 
Molina Hlthcr                 MOH         31.73              378,222 
Myers Industries              MYE         13.71               62,016 
National Health Investors     NHI         50.10               48,864 
Navigant Consulting           NCI         13.48              185,188 
Neenah Paper                  NP          25.22               63,890 
Nelnet A                      NNI         25.98               88,037 
Noble Energy                  NBL         103.20             658,990 
Nu Skin Enterprises           NUS         53.98              985,030 
Nuveen CA Div Fnd             NAC         15.00               28,548 
Nuveen CA Muni Mkt            NCO         15.62               29,929 
Nuveen CA Muni Value          NCA         9.83               112,257 
Nuveen CA Performance         NCP         15.61               19,308 
Nuveen CA Quality Income      NUC         16.40               26,437 
Nuveen Ins CA                 NXC         14.65               10,748 
Nuveen Connecticut Prem       NTC         14.67                5,681 
Nuveen Div Fnd                NAD         15.16              121,313 
Nuveen MA Premium Income      NMT         15.44                5,532 
Nuveen MI Quality Income      NUM         15.62                5,214 
Nuveen Muni Advantage Fd      NMA         15.26               86,314 
Nuveen NY Investment Qual     NQN         16.12               14,950 
NuveenPremIncmMuni            NNF         16.43               10,323 
Nuveen NC Premium Income      NNC         15.58                6,278 
Nuveen Select Maturities      NIM         11.05                4,767 
Nuveen Sel TF                 NXQ         13.99               17,302 
Nuveen Sel 3                  NXR         14.74                9,586 
Oceaneering Intl              OII         51.46              411,984 
Ocwen Fincl                   OCN         15.03              916,787 
One Liberty Properties        OLP         18.44               27,684 
OneBeacon Insur A             OB          16.64               41,392 
PNC Cap Tr D 6.125%           PNU         25.64                6,517 
PS Bus Parks Pfd S            PSBpS       25.35               59,751 
PS Business Parks             PSB         63.95               93,516 
Pall Corp                     PLL         60.95              371,693 
Par Pharma                    PRX         37.56              138,002
PartnerRe Pfd E               PREpE       27.09               36,964 
Pier 1 Imports                PIR         16.29            1,034,714 
PimcoCA                       PCK         10.10               57,711 
PIMCO MuniFd                  PMF         15.24               67,104 
PLC Cap Tr V 6.125% TOPrS     PLpB        24.96                3,331 
Polaris Indus                 PII         66.23              322,659 
Post Holdings Wi              POSTw       28.19              218,474 
Post Properties               PPS         45.35              352,722 
Pretium Resources             PVG         17.22               52,881 
ProAssurance                  PRA         84.45               80,677 
Public Storage Dep Pfd S      PSApS       25.32              173,554 
Quaker Chemical               KWR         46.32               16,885 
Rackspce Host                 RAX         47.90            3,059,464 
RailAmerica                   RA          17.57              406,024 
Realty Income                 O           37.06              264,578 
Rentech Nitrogen Ptrs LP.     RNF         23.89               94,856 
Rex American Resources        REX         27.35               35,832 
Rite Aid                      RAD         1.50            15,716,609 
Rose Rock Midstream           RRMS        21.30               23,846 
SandRidge Permian Trust       PER         23.34              199,521 
Sara Lee Corp                 SLE         19.92            8,338,559 
Sensient Tech                 SXT         41.00               98,480 
Simon Property Group          SPG         137.46             747,031 
Sonic Auto                    SAH         16.51              349,816 
Sovran Self Storage           SSS         47.86              103,812 
Speedway Motorsports          TRK         16.66               21,926 
Stepan Co                     SCL         88.87               11,270 
Sturm Ruger                   RGR         42.50              303,943 
Sun Communities               SUI         41.34              100,438 
SYNNEX                        SNX         37.60              200,666 
Systemax                      SYX         18.92                6,765 
Targa Resources               TRGP        43.04              152,919 
Targa Resources Partners      NGLS        40.07              172,382 
Taubman Ctrs                  TCO         68.21              243,546 
Thermon Group Holdings        THR         18.10               44,349 
Torchmark                     TMK         46.75              523,177 
Transamerica Income           TAI         22.15                3,647 
Transatlantic Hldgs           TRH         57.03              168,985 
Tredegar                      TG          25.86               59,967 
Tyler Tech                    TYL         36.21              103,941 
Ultrapar Participaco          UGP         21.14              558,430 
Valspar Corp                  VAL         43.96              330,223 
VISA  (Cl A)                  V           107.12           5,718,346 
Wausau Paper                  WPP         8.93                99,917 
Wstrn Asset Mngd Muni         MMU         14.44               75,024 
World Fuel Svcs               INT         46.82              168,260 
Wright Express                WXS         57.53               57,535 

New Lows 7 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      LOW                 VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
Abercrombie & Fitch           ANF         40.65           12,448,729 
Dynegy                        DYN         1.66               873,086 
Ferrellgas                    FGP         16.60              277,504 
Niska Gas Storage Ptrs        NKA         8.46               972,413 
Panasonic Cp                  PC          7.77               340,756 
Portugal Telecom              PT          4.95               268,037 
U.S. Silica Holdings          SLCA        15.38            1,104,458

NASDAQ

New Highs 148 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      HIGH                VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
Ansys                         ANSS        63.73               77,940 
Affymax                       AFFY        9.78             2,001,588 
Air Methods                   AIRM        89.39               50,634 
Allegiant Travel              ALGT        56.66               61,030 
Alnylam Pharm                 ALNY        12.40              412,722 
Alterra Capital Holdings      ALTE        24.79               71,190 
Ameris Bancorp                ABCB        11.20              233,926 
Amgen                         AMGN        70.00            3,633,641 
Amylin Pharm                  AMLN        17.61            9,919,392 
Arctic Cat                    ACAT        31.99              183,621 
Ariad Pharm                   ARIA        15.44            2,129,620 
ArQule                        ARQL        8.12               171,798 
Ascena Retail Group           ASNA        35.83              187,660 
Atrion                        ATRI        251.06               1,607 
BE Aerospace                  BEAV        44.99            1,058,970 
BSB Bancorp                   BLMT        10.95                  437 
Biogen Idec                   BIIB        123.23           1,070,712 
BioMarin Pharmaceutical       BMRN        38.11              486,121 
Blackbaud                     BLKB        31.82               66,886 
Boston Priv Fincl Hldgs       BPFH        8.84               329,426 
CA Inc                        CA          26.61            2,532,361 
Cabot Microelectronics        CCMP        52.96               83,026 
Cadence Design Systems        CDNS        11.84           10,051,770 
Cal-Maine Foods               CALM        38.99               38,342 
Celldex Therapeutics          CLDX        5.34               771,550 
Chemical Fincl                CHFC        23.53               33,477 
Churchill Downs               CHDN        59.00               23,821 
Clovis Oncology               CLVS        21.09              114,990 
Commercefirst Bancorp         CMFB        14.07                1,600 
Community Trust Bancorp       CTBI        32.25               30,885 
CommVault Systems             CVLT        52.70              606,801 
Compugen                      CGEN        6.25               673,459 
Concur Techs                  CNQR        62.60            2,676,037 
Conn Bank and Trust           CTBC        8.52                25,900 
Core Mark Hldg Co             CORE        42.34               14,791 
Cost Plus                     CPWM        14.53              251,358 
Cubist Pharmaceuticals        CBST        42.14              587,599 
Datawatch Corp                DWCH        9.22                38,281 
DealerTrack Hldgs             TRAK        29.95              315,727 
Dell                          DELL        17.88           21,536,760 
Donegal Group Inc A           DGICA       15.62                3,325 
Dorman Products               DORM        45.39               13,843 
Dynavax Techs                 DVAX        4.21             8,090,045 
eHealth                       EHTH        16.49               63,503 
Electro Rent                  ELRC        18.05               22,248 
Encore Bancshares             EBTX        14.25                4,261 
Encore Wire                   WIRE        28.60               61,013 
Equinix                       EQIX        123.04             553,728 
Expedia                       EXPE        33.23            1,246,859 
FEI Co                        FEIC        46.12              112,637 
First California Finl Grp     FCAL        4.84               125,594 
First Citizens Banc           FCZA        4.75                 5,140 
First Defiance Fincl          FDEF        16.69               19,308 
First Fincl  (Indiana)        THFF        36.28               18,496 
Franklin Electric Co          FELE        52.59               60,728 
Garmin                        GRMN        43.51              848,292 
Gibraltar Industries          ROCK        16.79              101,647 
Gilead Sciences               GILD        49.63            5,000,492 
Glbl X Social Media Index     SOCL        15.08              128,925 
HF Fincl                      HFFC        11.98                7,416 
Hain Celestial Group          HAIN        41.30              801,513 
Halozyme Therapeutics         HALO        11.60              616,850 
Home BancShares               HOMB        26.81               53,589 
Homeownrs Choice              HCII        10.33               23,620 
Hudson Tech                   HDSN        3.06               476,812 
ICF Intl                      ICFI        29.22               43,367 
Indiana Community Bancorp     INCB        21.68               18,190 
InfoSpace                     INSP        13.02              245,444 
Inhibitex                     INHX        25.65            1,122,868 
Intuit                        INTU        58.45              729,720 
Intuitive Surgical            ISRG        485.97             496,837 
Investors Bancorp             ISBC        15.10              153,481 
iSh MSCI Emg Mkts EMEA        EEME        56.12                  800 
iSh MSCI Emg Mkts Lat Am      EEML        56.75                1,150 
iShrNasdaqBiotch              IBB         119.55             558,829 
Jack Henry & Associates       JKHY        34.84              442,098 
Jacksonville Bancorp          JXSB        14.98                  217 
Key Tronic                    KTCC        9.51               413,446 
Kirkland's                    KIRK        16.46              229,351 
Knology                       KNOL        16.17              170,555 
LKQ                           LKQX        33.55              443,946 
Landstar System               LSTR        53.00              276,751 
Lincoln Electric Hldgs        LECO        44.46              165,725 
MKS Instruments               MKSI        34.99              576,926 
MWI Veterinary Supply         MWIV        91.38              168,921 
Manhattan Associates          MANH        47.52              232,659 
MarketAxess Hldgs             MKTX        34.86              172,299 
Marlin Business Services      MRLN        14.56               17,870 
Mattson Tech                  MTSN        2.97             3,669,748 
McGrath RentCorp              MGRC        32.84               45,255 
Medicines Co                  MDCO        21.75            1,191,112 
Mercantile Bank               MBWM        12.10                1,101 
Mesa Laboratories             MLAB        45.40                1,746 
MicroFinancial                MFI         7.00                43,536 
Microsoft                     MSFT        30.17           32,574,502 
Middleby                      MIDD        98.75                9,439 
Mission West Properties       MSW         9.65                67,980 
Monro Muffler Brake           MNRO        43.69               99,781 
Multimedia Games Holding      MGAM        10.71              619,566 
Neurocrine Biosciences        NBIX        9.85               282,771 
Northfield Bancorp            NFBK        15.10               28,761 
Novellus Systems              NVLS        49.50            1,442,021 
Old Dominion Freight Line     ODFL        44.68              523,416 
Peerless Manufacturing Co     PMFG        27.39              158,039 
Papa John's Intl              PZZA        39.87               60,720 
Penns Woods Bancorp           PWOD        40.12                1,943 
Peoples Bancorp  (Ohio)       PEBO        16.85               17,404 
Pinnacle Fincl Partners       PNFP        17.50              163,520 
PwrShrs QQQ Tr Series 1       QQQ         61.41           25,184,403 
PwrShs S&P SmCp Finl          PSCF        29.07                2,849 
PwrShs S&P SmCp Util          PSCU        31.33                4,832 
Primoris Services             PRIM        16.67              221,107 
Progenics Pharmaceuticals     PGNX        10.14               35,378 
ProShs Ult Nsdq Biotech       BIB         90.29                2,904 
QAD Inc Cl B                  QADB        13.81                2,101 
QAD Cl A                      QADA        13.90               20,928 
Qualcomm                      QCOM        61.95           26,723,168 
Rand Capital                  RAND        3.90                 3,141 
Raptor Pharm Cp               RPTP        7.30               222,513 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals     REGN        95.20              624,589 
Retalix                       RTLX        18.29               10,499 
Rigel Pharmaceuticals         RIGL        10.49              284,467 
Rockville Fincl               RCKB        11.18               22,829 
Rush Enterprises A            RUSHA       23.33               66,028 
Russ SmCp Consistent Gwth     SCOG        63.10                  300 
Scientific Games              SGMS        12.28              364,605 
SeagateTech                   STX         26.31           20,276,811 
Semtech                       SMTC        29.91              178,505 
Shuffle Master                SHFL        13.49              392,971 
Smith & Wesson Hldg           SWHC        5.24               614,268 
Snyders-Lance                 LNCE        23.96              118,054 
Spectranetics                 SPNC        8.55                56,571 
Spirit Airlines               SAVE        17.79              690,779 
Sterling Finl Washington      STSA        19.50               42,715 
Sucampo Pharm (Cl A)          SCMP        4.70                23,862 
SymmetriCom                   SYMM        6.55                73,953 
Synopsys                      SNPS        29.77              637,577 
TripAdvisor                   TRIP        35.60            1,281,073 
US Home Systems               USHS        9.39               217,728 
Utd Natural Foods             UNFI        46.30              326,064 
US Lime & Minerals            USLM        65.92                1,990 
ViaSat                        VSAT        49.20              136,593 
ViewPoint Fincl Group         VPFG        14.16               76,901
Village Super Mrkt (Cl A)     VLGEA       33.04               12,976 
Virginia Commerce Bancorp     VCBI        9.23                40,865 
Xyratex                       XRTX        16.95              228,698 
Zygo                          ZIGO        18.69               61,441 
Zynga                         ZNGA        12.91           46,074,595 

New Lows 14 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      LOW                 VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
AspenBio Pharma               APPY        0.80                12,758 
Bionovo                       BNVI        0.13             1,154,772 
Casual Male Retail Group      CMRG        2.83             1,173,077 
China Medical (ADS)           CMED        2.01             2,757,012 
Community West Bancshares     CWBC        1.27                50,744 
Cyclacel Pharm 6%             CYCCP       2.70                 1,000 
D Medical Industries          DMED        0.74                 1,200 
Hawaiian Telcom Holdco        HCOM        13.40               64,788 
Orrstown Fincl Svcs Inc       ORRF        7.45                38,291 
ProShr Ul Sh QQQ              SQQQ        14.67            1,376,334 
ProShs UlShrt Nsdq Biot       BIS         24.79                8,725 
Unity Bancorp                 UNTY        6.14                 5,900 
Wireless Ronin Techs          RNIN        0.82                72,190 
WisdomTree Investments        WETF        5.37               205,918

Comments »

Warren Buffet’s Favorite Indicator Turns Up Mixed Results; Trend Still Strong

Source

“Weekly rail data posted mixed gains this week with carloads going negative and intermodal remaining quite strong.  Overall intermodal posted a 5.5% gain versus the same week last year.  This is in-line with the 10 week trend of 5.1%.  The AAR provides more details:

“AAR reported mixed weekly rail traffic for the week ending January 28, 2012, with U.S. railroads originating 283,654 carloads, down 2.8 percent compared with the same week last year. Intermodal volume for the week totaled 235,028 trailers and containers, up 5.5 percent compared with the same week last year.

Eleven of the 20 carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2011, with metallic ores, up 59.2 percent; motor vehicles and equipment, up 25.1 percent, and petroleum products, up 22.2 percent. The groups showing a significant decrease in weekly traffic included farm products excluding grain, down 24.3 percent; grain, down 19.8 percent, and primary forest products, down 10.7 percent.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was down 1.6 percent compared with the same week last year. In the West, weekly carload volume was down 3.6 percent compared with the same week in 2011.”

Comments »

Money Flows, Heat Map, and the S&P A/D Line

Money Flows

ISSUE GAINERS                 SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
PIMCO Enhncd Short Mat         MINT    ARCA      100.54      +230.9       8.66 
Vanguard MSCI Emerg Mkts       VWO     ARCA       43.55       +67.2       2.25 
Qualcomm                       QCOM    NASD       60.84       +66.8       1.26 
iBoxx InvesTp Inv Grde Bd      LQD     ARCA      116.53       +66.3       3.92 
Guggenheim Enh Shrt Dur        GSY     ARCA       49.86       +64.7       8.97 
iShrs S&P SC 600 Value         IJS     ARCA       77.63       +41.3       5.56 
iShrs Barclays TIPS Bond       TIP     ARCA      119.27       +38.3       2.91 
Google                         GOOG    NASD      584.55       +36.4       1.14 
Mastercard                     MA      NYSE      378.58       +30.6       1.10 
Hess Corp                      HES     NYSE       57.89       +27.9       1.70 
Aon Corp                       AON     NYSE       49.33       +22.0       2.76 
AT&T                           T       NYSE       29.86       +20.8       1.37 
Chesapeake Midstream Ptrs      CHKM    NYSE       28.68       +20.6       2.06 
Comcast                        CMCSA   NASD       26.75       +20.2       1.98 
Johnson & Johnson              JNJ     NYSE       65.61       +20.1       1.40 
Chevron                        CVX     NYSE      103.40       +19.1       1.26 
SandRidge Energy               SD      NYSE        7.01       +18.2       1.45 
Verizon Communications         VZ      NYSE       37.60       +18.2       1.53 
Intel                          INTC    NASD       26.52       +16.7       1.33 
Goldman Sachs                  GS      NYSE      114.00       +16.6       1.12 
 
ISSUE DECLINERS               SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
CurrencyShs Jpn Yen Tr         FXY     ARCA      129.28      -167.2       0.02 
SPDR Gold Tr                   GLD     ARCA      170.72       -69.0       0.77 
Apple                          AAPL    NASD      454.43       -58.5       0.91 
Pfizer                         PFE     NYSE       21.01       -53.4       0.63 
iSh MSCI China Index Fd        MCHI    ARCA       45.53       -35.3       0.00 
Terex Corp                     TEX     NYSE       21.85       -32.5       0.24 
Abercrombie & Fitch            ANF     NYSE       41.46       -26.0       0.76 
Pwrshs Fundm H Y F Cp Bd       PHB     ARCA       18.63       -22.8       0.04 
LyondellBasell Inds            LYB     NYSE       43.30       -21.5       0.42 
Freeport McMoran               FCX     NYSE       46.04       -20.6       0.79 
PIMCO 15+ Yr                   LTPZ    ARCA       67.30       -20.2       0.48 
Zynga                          ZNGA    NASD       12.34       -19.5       0.85 
Cisco Systems                  CSCO    NASD       19.89       -17.9       0.70 
McDonald's                     MCD     NYSE       98.67       -17.6       0.71 
Viacom B                       VIAB    NASD       46.50       -15.8       0.82 
Broadcom                       BRCM    NASD       36.94       -15.1       0.76 
Mead Johnson Nutrition         MJN     NYSE       74.30       -14.9       0.44 
LinkedIn Cl A                  LNKD    NYSE       76.46       -14.8       0.74 
Taiwan Semi Mfg                TSM     NYSE       14.02       -13.5       0.34 
General Mills                  GIS     NYSE       39.84       -13.0       0.54 

Heat map

A/D Line

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Today’s Biggest Winners

No. Ticker % Change
1 GMXR 29.79
2 GMCR 21.42
3 CEDC 18.83
4 MTSN 18.83
5 ZNGA 16.79
6 BIOS 13.53
7 OTEX 12.81
8 QTWW 12.77
9 RLD 11.81
10 RA 11.78
11 CERP 11.70
12 ENTR 11.57
13 BVSN 11.50
14 RENN 11.18
15 SA 11.06
16 PCX 10.49
17 CNQR 10.34
18 KGN 9.93
19 DVAX 9.92
20 EDGR 9.82
21 SVVC 9.52
22 ONCY 9.47
23 GPS 9.36
24 ADY 9.28
25 CHC 9.24
26 GIGM 9.24
27 SOMX 9.13
28 REE 8.92
29 CLB 8.89
30 CO 8.88
31 GGS 8.82
32 IPHI 8.78
33 MOBI 8.73
34 VRS 8.33
35 CDTI 8.25
36 CNIT 8.22
37 ACAD 8.12
38 AMLN 8.11
39 HEAT 8.05
40 FFN 7.89
41 MX 7.68
42 EA 7.67
43 CMI 7.66
44 CTDC 7.59
45 CDNS 7.59
46 JRJC 7.56
47 IPXL 7.43
48 ACA.PA 7.39
49 MDC 7.35
50 KIRK 7.34

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NEVADA DEGENERATES FOR RON PAUL!

(via)

A poker player helped rent a billboard, a Mormon spreads the word at root beer socials and prostitutes at a famous brothel turn tricks and donate their customers’ tips — all for Ron Paul.

The 76-year-old, 12-term Texas Republican congressman is banking on a big showing at the Feb. 4 Nevada caucuses to boost his third presidential primary bid. His message of personal liberty, states’ rights and low taxes resonates with voters in the state, where prostitution is legal, gambling is widespread and the foreclosure rate has been the highest in the nation for five years, according to RealtyTrac.

“Go to the Romney campaign and ask ‘How many of your lives have been changed by the philosophy of Mitt Romney?’” Julie Benincasa, 52, of Las Vegas said in an interview as she volunteered in Paul’s Henderson, Nevada, campaign office this week. “People will go, ‘what?’”

“My entire life — just about every spare moment, in one way or another — is promoting Ron Paul’s message of liberty, limited government and sound money,” she said, adding that she sold $1,600 worth of jewelry to donate to the campaign.

Benincasa’s commitment to Paul is matched by a legion of followers who see it as their duty to spread the word, including Arin Hopkins, 46, a dog sitter in a gated community in Henderson who pays for pro-Paul brochures and delivers them door-to-door and Pete Claytor, 49, a Las Vegas electrical union member who converted five of the six Democrats at his job site.

Gambler’s Billboard

Robert Fellner, 27, a professional poker player and blogger, donated $1,000 of the $3,500 cost of putting a billboard up in downtown Las Vegas, raising the rest of the cost on his website. The billboard touts Paul as the only candidate to predict the economic collapse.

Those avid supporters may give Paul an advantage in such caucus states as Nevada and Maine on Feb. 4 and Colorado and Minnesotaon Feb. 7, where casting a vote takes more of a time commitment than showing up at a precinct and casting a ballot.

On Jan. 31, as the Florida results were being counted, Paul flew into Nevada and kicked off a state tour with a rally at a Henderson casino that drew more than a 1,000 — a number far exceeding Newt Gingrich’s 200-person reception in Orlando that evening.

‘Irate, Tireless Minority’

“We will spend our time in the caucus states because if you have an irate, tireless minority you do very well in the caucus states,” said Paul, who finished fourth in Florida’s primary with 7 percent. “If you have an energized group of people that are working on a campaign and actually believe in something, it is going to work in the caucus states.”

In the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, Paul placed third with 21 percent of the vote. Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum had 24.5 percent and 24.6 percent, respectively, in the contest, while Gingrich had 13 percent.

In Nevada, Paul’s staffers have been on the ground for more than six months, Carl Bunce, the state campaign chairman, said at the Jan. 31 rally. They have been educating voters both on the candidate and on the caucus process, holding “scores” of training events all over the state, said James Barcia, deputy national press secretary.

Paul is the only candidate with a presence on college campuses here, said David Damore, associate professor of political science atUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas. The only campaign with a stronger ground operation in the state is Romney’s, Damore and other observers said.

Tea Party Outsourcing

“The Paul folks are well-organized, the Romney folks are well-organized and Gingrich is outsourcing to the Tea Party,” Damore said.

In 2008, Romney won the Nevada caucuses with 51 percent support compared to Paul’s 14 percent. In the four years since then, both candidates have maintained their support bases in the state. Romney has spent more money. As of Jan. 31, he had bought almost twice as much in broadcast television commercials in the state than Paul, according New York-based Kantar Media’s CMAG, a company that tracks advertising. The other Republican contenders hadn’t spent anything on commercials.

Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian Krolicki, co-chairman of the Romney campaign in the state, said he’s confident his candidate will win, although he wouldn’t rule out Paul’s campaign machine.

“A caucus can always be full of surprises,” he said in a media call on Jan. 31.

Appealing to Mormons

One way Paul is targeting Romney is by going after his rival’s base: members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints, who four years ago comprised about 25 percent of Nevada’s Republican caucus-goers. A campaign subgroup called Latter Day Saints for Ron Paul is seeking to convince Mormons that the congressman — and not LDS member Romney — best represents their views about the U.S. Constitution.

“Although the country might be ready for a Mormon president, we provide them with the notion that, in terms of constitutionality, that we have the better candidate,” Barcia said in a Jan. 30 interview at the Henderson campaign office.

David IsBell, 29, from Las Vegas, said he saw a sign on an overpass in Salt Lake City in 2007 that said “Google Ron Paul.” He did. IsBell had been a Mormon missionary in Eastern Europe when the U.S. invaded Iraq. The move turned him away from President George W. Bush and other Republicans. Paul’s opposition to the war got his attention.

“He was the first politician who gave me goose bumps when he talked,” IsBell said in a telephone interview. “The way Ron Paul speaks is parallel to the way our prophet Ezra Taft Benson spoke about our faith,” he said referring to the former president of the Mormon church, who served from 1985 to 1994.

Root Beer Floats

IsBell said he spreads that message at root beer float socials, game nights and other events wearing a Ron Paul t- shirt. He shares quotes from Benson, and then Paul.

“Mormons are reliable voters — they turn out,” said Robert Uithoven, a Republican consultant with j3 Strategies in Reno. Still, Uithoven, who has ties to Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS)chairman and Gingrich supporter Sheldon Adelson, puts most Mormons in Romney’s camp. While Nevada’s libertarian streak is good for Paul, those same Mormon voters were targeted by his campaign in 2008, Uithoven said.

“He has a base of support that tends not to grow very much,” Uithoven said.

Paul’s strategy isn’t limited to Mormons. He has rolled out special coalitions of gun owners, home-schoolers, veterans, Hispanics and hospitality workers, too.

The most unlikely coalition of supporters, though, is the one the candidate didn’t recruit.

Moonlite BunnyRanch

At the Moonlite BunnyRanch, a legal brothel near Carson City featured in HBO’s “Cathouse” series, the most scantily- clad caucus of all was held two weeks ago.

Dennis Hof, 65, the proprietor and self-described “pimpmaster general” of the BunnyRanch and five other Nevada brothels, said he polled all 500 women to see who they supported for the presidency. Last time, they cast their support behind Barack Obama. This cycle their opposition to the roundups of wild horses on federal land near the brothel moved them to Paul.

He said they like Gingrich — they “don’t have a problem with him being a womanizer” — but they think Romney is too square. Paul’s support for states’ rights won them over, he said.

At the BunnyRanch, customers who say they are “Pimpin’ for Paul” get extra attention, Hof said, and some of the women ask clients for Paul donations. Many, like Hustler centerfold Cami Parker, 25, also donate tips.

“I really appreciate the fact that Ron Paul respects states’ rights and individual rights,” Parker said in a telephone interview. “It seems like he really understands our rights to do what we want.”

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Portugal’s economy is dying a slow death

LISBON, Portugal (AP) – In a six-room Lisbon office where until last year more than a dozen people worked, engineer Joao Paulo Lopes sits alone in silence amid dark computer screens, patiently waiting for a bankruptcy lawyer to shut the company’s doors and send him home.

Small firms with fewer than 50 workers, like the gas and water installation company where Lopes works, make up more than 99 percent of Portuguese businesses. They are the bedrock of the country’s economy. And they’re collapsing at an alarming rate.

“We’re witnessing a daily deluge of small companies going under,” says Raul Gonzalez, president of the national association of bankruptcy owners. His organization logged more than 10,000 company insolvencies last year — a startling 60 percent jump from the previous year.

Portugal’s economy appears locked in a death spiral. The debt-crippled eurozone country is choking amid grinding austerity measures enacted in return for a €78 billion ($102 billion) bailout package last April, a steep recession, an acute shortage of cash, and record unemployment.

That has put Portugal back into the crosshairs of Europe’s two-year-old debt crisis. The country looks as though it will follow Greece in needing another bailout and debt restructuring. And its ordeal could bring another spasm of financial distress for the 17-nation bloc sharing the euro.

The three major international ratings agencies have downgraded Portugal’s credit worthiness to junk status over the past year. Their decisions reflect a lack of market faith in the country’s short-term prospects. In recent days, interest rates on the country’s bonds — a weather vane of investor sentiment — have climbed to highs not seen since the European single currency was introduced.

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Most Active Options Trades

 -CALLS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
LVS        2/3/12          50.0000         393            0.8500      dn 0.7400 
GLD        2/3/12         172.0000         376            0.5100      up 0.1900 
QCOM       2/3/12          62.5000         373            0.0700      dn 0.4000 
GG         4/21/12          50.0000         360            2.2500      dn 0.1000 
BAC        2/18/12           8.0000         356            0.0800      up 0.0000 
GLD        2/3/12         173.0000         344            0.3200      up 0.1500 
LVS        2/3/12          52.5000         330            0.0600      dn 0.4900 
BAC        2/10/12           8.0000         329            0.0400      up 0.0000 
AAPL       2/3/12         460.0000         298            0.3300      dn 0.4900 
LVS        2/18/12          52.5000         277            0.8500      dn 0.2100 

 -PUTS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
LDK        3/17/12           5.5000         750            1.2800      dn 0.1100 
BAC        2/3/12           7.0000         630            0.0100      dn 0.0100 
AAPL       2/3/12         455.0000         465            1.5000      dn 0.2700 
PFE        2/18/12          22.0000         290            1.0400      up 0.2500 
PFE        2/18/12          21.0000         262            0.3500      up 0.1800 
QCOM       2/18/12          55.0000         183            0.0400      dn 0.3900 
EA         6/16/12          17.0000         174            0.7600      dn 0.4700 
LVS        2/3/12          50.0000         170            0.3300      dn 1.0900 
BAC        2/18/12           7.0000         161            0.1100      dn 0.0200 
QCOM       4/21/12          55.0000         159            0.9400      dn 0.4400 

 -VOLUME- 
 CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 
43301    53976        97277
-CALLS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
PFE        1/19/13          22.5000       21178            0.8500      dn 0.1700 
S          3/17/12           2.5000        6590            0.0800      dn 0.0300 
S          3/17/12           2.0000        6503            0.3200      dn 0.0100 
T          4/21/12          31.0000        4985            0.2800      up 0.0500 
AMZN       2/18/12         210.0000        4616            0.0900      dn 0.0300 
MU         4/21/12           7.0000        4089            1.0800      dn 0.0400 
F          1/19/13          15.0000        4018            0.6500      dn 0.0100 
QCOM       2/18/12          60.0000        3489            1.7000      up 0.0800 
BAC        2/10/12           8.0000        3456            0.0400      up 0.0000 
INHX       2/18/12          26.0000        3417            0.1000      up 0.0000 

 -PUTS- 
OPTION    EXP.DATE       STRIKE PRC.     VOLUME        LAST S/PRC.    NET CHANGE 
XOM        2/3/12          82.5000        6531            0.1500      up 0.0900 
EA         2/18/12          18.0000        4528            0.1000      dn 0.5800 
ZNGA       2/18/12          12.0000        2278            0.9500      dn 0.8500 
PFE        2/18/12          20.0000        2265            0.0600      up 0.0300 
ESI        4/21/12          52.5000        2044            1.6600      dn 0.1400 
C          2/3/12          31.0000        2036            0.0500      dn 0.1400 
JWN        7/21/12          42.0000        2000            1.8700      up 0.1500 
REE        3/17/12           8.0000        1977            1.2000      dn 0.5000 
BAC        2/18/12           7.0000        1876            0.1100      dn 0.0200 
PG         2/18/12          62.5000        1867            0.3000      dn 0.0600 

 -VOLUME- 
 CALLS      PUTS           TOTAL 
1049340    889815        1939155

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Unusual Options Activity

=================================== PUTS ================================= 
Ticker   Today's  Avg.  Daily Vol                             Option   Stock 
Symbol    Vol     Vol.    Ratio   Month      Strike    Vol.    Price   Price 

=========================================================================== 

GMCR    31815    6251     5.09    2/18/12    50.0    4792    0.22    64.10 
QCOM    27481    5596     4.91    2/3/12     60.0    4308    0.09    61.21 
VXX     21254   10561     2.01    2/18/12    24.0   11505    0.53    25.61 
LVS     20938    8401     2.49    2/3/12     49.0    3639    0.12    50.37 
ANF     10812    2519     4.29    2/18/12    43.0    3271    2.56    41.49 
PFE     10722    3424     3.13    2/18/12    21.0    5802    0.37    20.85 
CMG      9571    1597     5.99    2/3/12    360.0    1741    2.30   362.05 
IP       8575    1243     6.9     2/18/12    31.0    7748    0.39    31.91 
MA       8160    2320     3.52    2/18/12   350.0     659    1.22   374.64 
ZNGA     7362     565    13.03    2/18/12    10.0    7473    0.25    12.30 
VRSN     6573     334    19.68    2/18/12    36.0    6550    0.30    37.07 
MRK      6134    1585     3.87    2/18/12    37.0    4559    0.15    38.19 
V        5712    1718     3.32    2/3/12    100.0    1470    0.04   104.95 
PG       5592    2740     2.04    2/18/12    62.5    6206    0.31    63.33 
SLW      5443    1882     2.89    2/18/12    34.0    2524    0.24    36.88 
DELL     5403    1781     3.03    3/17/12    17.0    3820    0.50    17.67 
CAM      4739     455    10.42    2/18/12    52.5    5120    1.05    53.08 
PCX      4411    1317     3.35    2/18/12     8.0    3125    0.22     8.57 
REE      4205    1405     2.99    3/17/12     8.0    2206    1.30     7.53 
DOW      4132    1944     2.13    2/18/12    32.0    1058    0.22    33.76 

================================== CALLS =================================== 
Ticker  Today's   Avg.    Daily Vol                            Option   Stock 
Symbol   Vol      Vol.    Ratio   Month     Strike      Vol.    Price   Price 

============================================================================ 

QCOM    60603   10108     6.0     2/3/12     62.5   11780    0.07    61.21 
GMCR    47095    9444     4.99    2/3/12     65.0    8024    1.09    64.10 
LVS     37387   12551     2.98    2/3/12     52.5    7794    0.06    50.37 
LNG     23615    6063     3.89    2/18/12    13.0   18575    0.60    12.63 
AMLN    23013    4655     4.94    2/18/12    13.0    5382    4.35    17.27 
SWN     22604    4608     4.91    2/18/12    33.0    6966    0.50    31.16 
MOS     19300    6941     2.78    2/18/12    60.0    6962    0.65    57.63 
MGM     16636    6078     2.74    3/17/12    14.0    6695    0.76    13.76 
MA      15895    3129     5.08    2/18/12   350.0    1036   25.80   374.64 
V       13828    2205     6.27    2/18/12   105.0    5046    2.41   104.95 
ANR     13150    4181     3.15    2/18/12    22.0    5318    0.93    21.66 
ZNGA    12315    1974     6.24    3/17/12    11.0    3280    2.18    12.30 
SD      12255    2173     5.64    3/17/12     7.0    5248    0.71     7.09 
INHX    11663    4288     2.72    2/18/12    27.5    6119    0.10    25.65 
JCP     11429    5081     2.25    3/17/12    45.0    7255    0.84    40.72 
TLT      9869    4680     2.11    3/17/12   123.0    4067    1.04   119.04 
ALL      8436    1122     7.52    2/18/12    30.0    6328    0.90    30.61 
LNKD     8373    1365     6.13    3/17/12    80.0    2737    4.95    76.13 
EXXI     7939     424    18.72    3/17/12    34.0    4064    2.68    35.05 
CMG      7921    1227     6.46    2/3/12    370.0    1605    0.60   362.05 
JDSU     7587    2346     3.23    2/18/12    13.0    2338    0.24    12.19

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Christopher Whalen: Big Banks Are Going to Fail

“Big banks will fail because they don’t provide the added value that many think, says R. Christopher Whalen, a former banking analyst and now part of the hedge fund Tangent Capital Partners.

“We don’t need to have these behemoths. It’s just a total fallacy,” say Whalen, according to the New York Times.

“The big guys are going to break up,” adds Whalen, who is setting up an investment fund to focus on small and midsize banks using methodology he created at Institutional Risk Analytics, a research firm he co-founded.”

Read more 

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Five US Airports Doing Great Things with Concessions

(via crankyflier.com)

Getting back to speed with a new baby in the house isn’t easy, so I’m posting one more guest post today to help me catch up. (Besides, I need time to read through all the American Airlines changes as well as the FAA reauthorization bill for posts next week.) This one is from a familiar face . . .


My frenemie Brett “Cranky Flier” Snyder begged me (ok, he just asked) to write a guest post for his tiny, insignificant blog. Normally, I would have just ignored Brett’s email (which I do 98.7% of the time). But he and his lovely wife delivered my baby avgeek niece or nephew, so I relented.

I had one of the best jobs in the world – airports and security editor for Aviation Week magazine. That, along with being a judge the past four years for Airports Council International-North America’s annual concessions contest and my extensive world travels going back to when I was 5, has given me a fine appreciation of what I like to see in airports when it comes to concessions.

I’m old enough to remember the days when airport concessions consisted of “Newstand,” “Restaurant,” “Snack Bar” and “Gifts.” but oh, how times have changed!! This change has come for two reasons.

One, as airlines have merged and cut routes and frequencies, they are paying airports less in landing fees and rent. Two, because of post-9/11 security changes, travelers are spending more time in airports, and they’re demanding more sophisticated food/beverage and retail options. So below are my five picks for airports doing great things with their concessions programs.

 

    • San Francisco International Airport – I’ve had the chance to see my original hometown airport evolve over the years, and I love the changes. Among its treasures, this airport has a full-service medical clinic and a world-class art museum. As I write this, I haven’t been to the new Terminal 2, so nothing in there is in this post. But great food options abound: Andale Mexican Restaurant, Boudin’s Bakery and Café, Tomokazu and Peet’s Coffee. Retail options are U Threads (sells clothing and items from Bay Area universities), Aviator Books, Coach, and Ghiradelli.

 

    • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport – This has always been one of my favorite airports because of features like free Wi-Fi, two pet parks, and one of the first cell phone lots in the country. Terminal 4 (home to Southwest Airlines and US Airways) has some great food choices: Blue Burrito Grille (restaurant and carry-out), Paradise Bakery and Café, Einstein Bagels and Quiznos. On the retail side, check out A to Z Kids, In Celebration of Golf, and See’s Candies.

 

    • Chicago Midway Airport – I have actually scheduled some of my Southwest Airlines trips to go through Midway because I love the shopping options there. The main concessions area has an actual sense of place. Food choices include Harry Caray’s, Nuts on Clark (I’d kill for this popcorn), Ben & Jerry’s, and McDonalds. Available retail choices are House of Blues, Discover Chicago, and Kids Works.

 

    • Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – I did an insider’s tour of this facility a few years ago and had a grand time. This is a very passenger-focused airport, with concessions including free Samsung lounges (with seats, outlets and Wi-Fi) and the giant Shop 24 vending machine that sells everything from diapers to Caesar salads. I’m also a big fan of the La Bodega Winery, Cereality Breakfast Bar, Dunkin Donuts, and Au Bon Pain. Retail options include my beloved Bijoux Terner (everything is $10!), Natalie’s Candy Jar, Official Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, and Bose.

 


I appreciate Brett allowing me to blog on one of my favorite topics. You can follow my musings over at AviationQueen.com and follow me on Twitter at @AvQueenBenet.

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