[January 05, 2009]

STOCKS NEWS US-Economic indicators for Jan 6

Jan 06, 2009 (XFN via COMTEX) --
Stocks on the move Real-time Equity news
U.S. stock market report
1710 ET 05Jan2009-Economic indicators for Jan 6
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Economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include November factory orders,
November pending home sales and the ISM non-manufacturing index for December.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: deepa.seetharaman.reuters.com@reuters.net
1705 ET 05Jan2009-US earnings diary for Jan. 6
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No companies in the S&P 500 are expected to report earnings on Tuesday.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: deepa.seetharaman.reuters.com@reuters.net
1630 ET 05Jan2009-U.S. auto sales plunge; GM, Ford beat estimates
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Major automakers reported U.S. sales in December that plunged by more than
a third, closing out the weakest year for the battered industry in over a
decade and a half in its largest single market.
Chrysler LLC said sales dropped 53 percent in December, a month when the
struggling automaker and larger rival General Motors Corp fought to
clinch a $17.4 billion bailout from U.S. lawmakers.
GM shares edged up after its December sales beat out some expectations.
Rival Ford Motor Co also rose in trading on Monday after saying its
market share grew 0.7 percent last month. For details, see
Reuters Messaging: deepa.seetharaman.reuters.com@reuters.net
1615 ET 05Jan2009-U.S. stocks slip on telecom cos; crude oil jumps
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U.S. stocks fell on Monday as investors booked profits after last week's
run-up, while concerns about slowing cell phone sales hit shares of the biggest
telecommunications companies.
AT&T and Verizon dragged the Dow lower on fears about wireless
growth. The S&P telecom services index fell 3.9 percent. On the upside,
energy shares rose 1.4 percent as crude oil futures traded in New York jumped
as much as 5 percent on geopolitical concerns. For details, see
Reuters Messaging: deepa.seetharaman.reuters.com@reuters.net

1556 ET 05Jan2009-Pricing power more critical than balance sheet health-analyst
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Pricing ability may be a more important signal of a company's performance
than a strong balance sheet, especially amid persistent concerns of deflation,
said a Citigroup analyst on Monday.
Companies with stores of cash may be attractive during the current crisis
as companies face challenging nearer-term debt refinancing conditions, analyst
Tobias Levkovich said in a research note.

But "an improvement in credit conditions would give a greater boost to the
most leveraged companies," he added.
"For example, the semiconductor industry generally has done well when
capital spending has been constrained as the lack of new capacity generates the
expectation for pricing flexibility from producers," he said.
Reuters Messaging: deepa.seetharaman.reuters.com@reuters.net
1535 ET 05Jan2009-Strategist Wien predicts the S&P 500 at 1,200
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As part of his list of '10 surprises for 2009,' Byron R. Wien, chief
investment strategist at Pequot Capital Management, said the S&P 500 will rise
to 1,200 in anticipation of a second-half recovery in the U.S. economy. That
would mean a 30 percent rise from today's levels.
Wien also predicts for 2009 a $1,200 ounce of gold, oil at $80 per barrel,
75 yen to a U.S. dollar and the euro at $1.65.
Reuters Messaging: rodrigo.campos.reuters.com@reuters.net
1509 ET 05Jan2008-Player bets on more volatility with VIX calls
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At least one option player is betting on more volatility in the stock
market by Feb. 20 option expiration. An opening customer bought 18,000 VIX Feb
55 calls at a premium of $1.05, said Scott Larison, senior trader at
broker-dealer 3-D Markets. The CBOE Volatility Index, the implied
volatility measure of the S&P 500, stood at 39.34, up 0.43 percent late in the
session. President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration is on Jan. 20, outside of
the VIX January expiration and may be a key factor in the purchase of this
February contract, Larison said. Obama went to the U.S. Capitol on Monday to
press for swift passage of a huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs his
economic stimulus plan may face delays.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
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