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We have done our best to record the calls for you, but remember that the show is fast moving, and sometimes Cramer bangs on the sell! sell! sell!, bull roar, train wreck, suicide jump, hallelujah chorus, backing up truck, creepy house of pain voice, machine gun, fanfare, toilet flush, all aboard, applause, cash register, bear growl, bowling pins, and submarine diving alarm buttons all at once, while he is screaming.

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the show, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Abraxas Petroleum (ABP) ))))
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ))))
Ameritrade (AMTD) ))))
Anglo-American (AAUK) ))))
Aqua America (WTR)
Cabot (CBT) *
Canadian Superior Energy (SNG) ))))
Chesapeake (CHK) ))))
Chesapeake Energy (CHK)
Continental (CAL)
Cooper Cameron (CAM)
Dresser-Rand (DRC) ))))
Dynegy (DYN)
ENGlobal (ENG)
GlobalSantaFe (GSF)
GOL Linhas (GOL)
Google (GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)
Honda (HMC) *
Humana (HUM) ))))
International Securities Exchange (ISE) *
irin (KNBWY) *
JDSU (JDSU) *
Johnson Controls (JCI)
Kubota (KUB) *
Kyocera (KYO) *
Matria Healthcare’s (MATR) *
Matsushita Electric Industrial (MC) *
Mitsubishi UFJ (MTU) *
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) *
Peabody Energy (BTU)
Polaris (PII)
Reynolds & Reynolds (REY)
Schlumberger (SLB) ))))
Sony (SNE) *
T. Rowe Price (TROW)
Tata Motors (TTM) ))))
Todco (THE)
Toyota (TM) *
TradeStation (TRAD)
Transocean (RIG)
Under Armour (UARM) *
US Steel (X) *
Vaalco Energy (EGY) ))))
Yahoo! (YHOO) ))))

Bearish
ASV (ASVI)
Cendant (CD) ))))
Compania de Telecomunicaciones (CTC) ))))
Dell (DELL)
Engelhard (EC)
Guangshen Railway (GSH) *
JetBlue Airways (JBLU)
Northern Dynasty (NAK) ))))
Quiksilver (ZQK)
Randgold Resources (GOLD) ))))
Sonic (SONC)
Steelcase (SCS)
SulphCo (SUF)
Suntech Power (STP)
Tyco (TYC) ))))
Viacom (VIA) ))))

All stocks called during Lightning Round on Mad Money TV show except:
* discussed on the Mad Money TV show
)))) discussed on the RealMoney Radio show

Having trouble writing down all of Cramer’s picks?
Free daily recap newsletter to your inbox

This week the Dow Jones Industrial Average breached 11,000 mark after nearly four and a half years. However, profit warnings from a number of blue-chip companies cast a cloud on the upcoming earnings season and investors allowed the last day of the week to be flat.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 2.49 to 10,959.87, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed up 1.55 to 1,287.61, and the Nasdaq composite index closed up 0.35 at 2,317.04. For the week, the Dow remained virtually unchanged, the S&P 500 Index was down 0.2% and the Nasdaq posted a gain of 0.5%.

Market breadth was positive. Winners narrowly beat losers 9 to 7 on the New York Stock Exchange, where 1.29 billion shares changed hands. Advancers narrowly edged decliners 16 to 13 on the Nasdaq, where 1.47 billion shares changed hands.

Investors were reluctant to make any moves ahead of a three day weekend. The focus ahead would be on earnings and analysts are on average looking for profits to rise about 13%. If numbers surpass estimates, stocks could zoom in the coming months.

In December, the Producer Price Index rose a bigger-than-expected 0.95, while the Core PPI rose by a smaller-than-expected 0.1%. This is a ‘Good Sign’ for market participants betting on the Federal Reserve pausing or ending its 18-month rate-hiking campaign soon. Retail sales, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.7%. Excluding the 2.6% gain in auto sales, seasonally adjusted retail sales rose 0.2% in December. Business inventories increased 0.5% in November, against the expected 0.4%.

Stardust space probe that left seven years ago and has traveled 2.88 billion miles, making three laps around the sun is expected back on Sunday morning. It carries a tiny payload of comet and interstellar dust particles that scientists believe are leftovers from the creation of our solar system. The Stardust will drop a 100-lb. capsule carrying the samples early Sunday.

On the Dow, 22 of the 30 components declined. IBM closed down $0.39 or 0.5% to $83.18, after the Securities and Exchange Commission upgraded its inquiry into a formal probe. GM closed down $0.56 or 2% to $20.40, after stating that it expected its North American sales to fall in 2006. Advanced Micro Devices closed down $1.30 or 4% to $34.05, after Deutsche Bank Securities downgraded it, due to concerns about more competition from Intel that also closed down $0.22 to $25.75. SanDisk closed down $4.41 or 5% to $72.81, after Bear Stearns downgraded the flash memory maker. Tyco International closed down $3.17 or 9% to $27.14, after cutting its first quarter outlook. Lucent Technologies closed down $0.07 to $2.64, and Nortel Networks closed down $0.11 to $3.26.

Today, oil stocks rallied with Exxon Mobil up $1.22 to $60.86, taking the Amex Oil index up 13.65 to 1,078.40. In the continuing bid for Guidant, Boston Scientific closed up $0.18 to $25.23, Guidant gained $0.48 to $70.88, and rival suitor Johnson & Johnson lost $0.45 to $61.76.

U.S. crude oil for February delivery slipped 9 cents to settle at $63.85 a barrel on the New York Stock Exchange, after having fallen more in the early going.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

We have done our best to record the calls for you, but remember that the show is fast moving, and sometimes Cramer bangs on the sell! sell! sell!, bull roar, train wreck, suicide jump, hallelujah chorus, backing up truck, creepy house of pain voice, machine gun, fanfare, toilet flush, all aboard, applause, cash register, bear growl, bowling pins, and submarine diving alarm buttons all at once, while he is screaming.

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the show, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Allegheny Technologies (ATI)
Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX)
Ameritrade’s (AMTD) ))))
Cincinnati Bell (CBB)
Corning (GLW)
Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Fluor (FLR) *
JDSU (JDSU) *
ManTech International (MANT)
Marchex (MCHX)
NeoPharm (NEOL)
OccuLogix (RHEO) *
PetroChina (PTR)
Seagate Technology (STX)
Southwestern Energy (SWN)
Suncor Energy (SU)
Texas Instruments (TXN)
Urban Outfitters (URBN) ))))
Viisage Technology (VISGD) *
ZymoGenetics (ZGEN) ))))

Bearish
Cheesecake Factory (CAKE)
Children’s Place (PLCE)
Costco (COST) ))))
Diebold (DBD)
Evergreen Solar (ESLR)
FedEx (FDX) ))))
General Cable (BGC)
LG.Philips (LPL)
Mylan Laboratories (MYL)
Network Appliances (NTAP)
NitroMed (NTMD)
Plug Power (PLUG)
Rambus (RMBS)
UPS (UPS) ))))

All stocks called during Lightning Round on Mad Money TV show except:
* discussed on the Mad Money TV show
)))) discussed on the RealMoney Radio show

Having trouble writing down all of Cramer’s picks?
Free daily recap newsletter to your inbox

Dow industrials back below 11,000 as markets posted their first significant decline of the year amid tension about the resumption of Iran’s nuclear research program. Disappointing earning news from Alcoa and DuPont was followed by downgrades for Coca-Cola Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 81.08 or 0.7% to 10,962.36, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed down 8.12 or 0.6% to 1,286.06, and the Nasdaq composite index lost 14.67 or 0.6% to 2,316.69.

The market breadth was negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, decliners topped advancers by seven to four on volume of 1.70 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, losers beat winners three to two on volume of 2.04 billion shares.

This slide could be termed as a consolidation, particularly amid higher oil prices and unhealthy corporate news. January remains a seasonally strong time of year for stocks and after a little pullback, stocks may move higher again. As investors move into the heart of the earnings period, results should be pretty good and that should help relieve any concerns.

Britain, France and Germany have called for the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog to refer Iran to the Security Council over the country’s atomic ambitions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also urged the U.N. to confront Iran and demand a halt to the nuclear program, after the European Union member nations said talks with Iran are at a dead end. The market is very nervous about calls for sanctions against Iran. The fear is about how Iran might retaliate and therefore, a lot of speculative money is going into energy now.

The market showed little response to news of a narrower U.S. trade gap, and an unexpected drop in prices of imported goods linked to lower petroleum prices. The U.S. trade deficit narrowed 5.8% to $64.2 billion in November against the expected $66.2 billion. December prices of imported goods also dropped 0.2%, marking the second monthly decline and below expectations of a rise of 0.1%.

Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito took a step toward confirmation as he wrapped up testimony before a Senate panel after 18 hours of questioning in which he appeared to avoid any obvious political pitfalls.

On the Dow, 24 of the 30 stocks ended in the red. Amongst losers today, GM lost $0.90 or over 4% to $20.96, on renewed concerns whether it will cut its dividend. JP Morgan Chase closed down $0.75 or 1.8% to $39.95, after Piper Jaffray downgraded it to “market perform” from “outperform”. Coca-Cola closed down $0.23 to $41.44, after Goldman Sachs downgraded it to “in line” from “outperform.” Juniper Networks closed down $0.51 to $21.62, Tellabs lost $0.39 to $11.22, and Guidant closed down $0.04 to $70.40, after accepting he buyout offer from Johnson & Johnson for $23 billion. However, it has also left the door open for rival suitor Boston Scientific which closed down $0.36 to $25.05.

Amongst gainers, Federated Department Stores closed up $1.32 or 1.8% to $72.95, o news that t was selling its Lord & Taylor chain.

U.S. crude oil for February delivery ended unchanged at $63.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

We have done our best to record the calls for you, but remember that the show is fast moving, and sometimes Cramer bangs on the sell! sell! sell!, bull roar, train wreck, suicide jump, hallelujah chorus, backing up truck, creepy house of pain voice, machine gun, fanfare, toilet flush, all aboard, applause, cash register, bear growl, bowling pins, and submarine diving alarm buttons all at once, while he is screaming.

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the show, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Aaron Task hosted the radio show today, and the “))))” calls are his.

Bullish
Alkermes (ALKS) *
Ameritrade (AMTD) *
Audible (ADBL) ))))
Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
Broadcom (BRCM)
Brooks Automation (BRKS) ))))
Canadian Superior Energy (SNG) ))))
Capital One Financial (COF)
CBS (CBS) *
Charles Schwab (SCHW) *
Chesapeake Energy (CHK) ))))
E*Trade Financial (ET) *
Lowe’s (LOW) *
Marvell Technology (MRVL)
Monster Worldwide (MNST)
Motorola (MOT)
Myogen (MYOG) *
Nabors Industries (NBR) ))))
National Semiconductor (NSM)
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) *
NutriSystem (NTRI) ))))
Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR) *
Progenics (PGNX) *
Qualcomm (QCOM)
Rio Doce (RIO) *
Salesforce.com (CRM)
Southern Co. (SO)
Wachovia (WB)
ZymoGenetics (ZGEN) *

Bearish
Arena Resources (ARD)
Cendant (CD) *
Cisco Systems (CSCO)
Cypress Semiconductor (CY)
FedEx (FDX)
GameStop (GME)
Home Depot (HD) *
Intuit (INTU)
J2 Global Communications (JCOM)
Oracle (ORCL)
Zimmer Holdings (ZMH)

All stocks called during Lightning Round on Mad Money TV show except:
* discussed on the Mad Money TV show
)))) discussed on the RealMoney Radio show

Having trouble writing down all of Cramer’s picks?
Free daily recap newsletter to your inbox

Strength in the technology sector helped the Nasdaq Composite clinch its seventh straight session of gains, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average overcame early weakness sparked by a profit warning from DuPont. All indices appear to be pushing toward new multi-year highs.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed up 31.86 about 0.3% to 11,043.44, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index ended up 4.49 nearly 0.3% to 1,294.18, and the Nasdaq composite finished up 11.04 or 0.5% to 2,331.36. The Dow and S&P 500 have now gained six out of seven sessions and the Nasdaq has gained 7 sessions in a row.

The market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers by 18 to 14 on volume of 1.74 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers narrowly edged decliners 15 to 14 on volume of 2.41 billion shares.

This renewed optimism has infused many aspects of the market, with small and mid-cap stocks participating with larger names. Technology has continued to show leadership and, the financial stocks are moving up as well. It is opined that the optimism is largely because of bets that the Federal Reserve will stop raising rates fairly soon. A decline could only be triggered by concerns about the economy slowing down, as well as consumer spending and earnings growth easing.

Many analyst feel that while this recent runup as been welcome, it has been too fast and the momentum is unsustainable. The good aspect is that the leadership has changed from energy and defensive stocks to growth issues, notably tech stocks. The key issues that will support stocks are the Fed rate hikes, and further earnings growth this year.

Amongst gainers today, Legg Mason closed up $3.69 to $130.40, and Lehman Brothers gained $2.97 to $134.65. Apple Computers continued gaining and closed up $3.04 or 3.8% to $83.90. Intel too closed up today $0.02 to $26.14. Rambus closed up $3.89 or almost 14% to $32.20, after the ruling last week that a memory patent trial with Hynix Semiconductor can go forward, even though Hynix had requested it be dismissed. Hewlett-Packard closed up $0.56 to $31.34, after Prudential upgraded the stock to “overweight” from “neutral.” Boeing too closed up $1.00 to $70.10, on news that it beat out Airbus for an $11 billion aircraft order from Air-India.

Amongst the losers, DuPont closed down $1.41 or 3.3% to $41.14, after issuing a profit warning that it will miss forecast owing to the two hurricanes and other factors. Alcoa too closed down $0.40 to $29.20, Genentech lost $4.12 to $89.22.

The Energy Department reported weekly inventories, which far exceeded estimates. The news helped offset a larger-than-expected decline in crude supplies. The benchmark February contract settled at $63.94 a barrel, up 57 cents.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

We have done our best to record the calls for you, but remember that the show is fast moving, and sometimes Cramer bangs on the sell! sell! sell!, bull roar, train wreck, suicide jump, hallelujah chorus, backing up truck, creepy house of pain voice, machine gun, fanfare, toilet flush, all aboard, applause, cash register, bear growl, bowling pins, and submarine diving alarm buttons all at once, while he is screaming.

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the show, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Accredited Home Lenders (LEND)
Accredited Home Lenders (LEND) ))))
Alcan (AL) ))))
Ameritrade Holding (AMTD)
Apple (AAPL)
Broadcom (BRCM) ))))
CheckFree (CKFR)
Cheniere Energy (LNG)
Conexant (CNXT) *
Crystallex (KRY) *
Federal Realty (FRT) ))))
Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold (FCX) ))))
Garmin (GRMN) *
Gilead (GILD) ))))
GlobalSantaFe (GSF)
Harley-Davidson (HDI)
Hercules Offshore (HERO)
Homex Development (HXM) ))))
Hovnanian (HOV) ))))
KB Home (KBH) ))))
Kinross Gold (KGC)
Lennar (LEN) ))))
Marvell (MRVL) ))))
Medicis Pharmaceutical (MRX) *
Mirant (MRNTV) *
National Semiconductor (NSM)
Pulte Home (PHM) ))))
Qualcomm (QCOM) ))))
Radiant Systems (RADS) ))))
Sara Lee (SLE)
Sears Holdings (SHLD)
Southern Copper (PCU) ))))
St. Joe (JOE) ))))
Texas Instruments (TXN) ))))
Transocean (RIG)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) ))))
Vishay Intertechnology (VSH)
XM Satellite Radio (XMSR)
Zarlink Semiconductor (ZL) *

Bearish
Alcoa (AA) ))))
Amazon.com (AMZN) ))))
ATI Technologies (ATYT)
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX)
Duke Realty (DRE) ))))
Fannie Mae (FNM)
Fannie Mae (FNM) ))))
GM (GM) ))))
Guitar Center (GTRC)
HCA (HCA) ))))
LifePoint Hospitals (LPNT) ))))
Lions Gate Entertainment (LGF)
Newcastle Investment (NCT) ))))
Omnivision (OVTI) *
Pfizer (PFE)
Playboy (PLA)
Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL)
Tenet (THC) ))))
Toll Brothers (TOL) ))))
Verizon (VZ)

All stocks called during Lightning Round on Mad Money TV show except:
* discussed on the Mad Money TV show
)))) discussed on the RealMoney Radio show

Having trouble writing down all of Cramer’s picks?
Free daily recap newsletter to your inbox

Upbeat news from Apple overcame the disappointing earnings from Alcoa Inc. to maintain the Dow Jones Industrial Average above the 11,000 mark.

Today, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down 0.32 -almost unchanged- to 11,011.58, the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed down 0.46 to 1,289.69, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index gained 1.63 to 2,320.32.

The Market breath was negative. Advancers gained an 18 to 15 advantage over decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, and led by 17 to 12 over losers on the Nasdaq. Volume was 1.73 billion on the Big Board, and 2 billion on the Nasdaq.

Today could be termed as a breather after five very strong days. The Dow and S&P are at more than 4-1/2 year highs, while the Nasdaq is just short of a five-year high. Historically, a runup in the first five sessions of the year bodes well for the market’s full-year prospects. In the short term, stocks are likely to stay in sideways mode. Pivotal reports due Friday include retail sales and the Producer Price Index (PPI). However, if oil prices or other inflationary factors kick in and cause the Fed to extend its rate hiking campaign – the party may get diluted.

In the second day of Senate confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito walked a careful line on abortion rights, reaffirming his respect for established court rulings and saying he would approach the hot-button issue with “an open mind.”

The flavor of the day was Apple that closed up $4.81 or 6.3% to $80.86, after its CEO unveiled the first Apple computers ever to use an Intel processor and said the company’s entire product line will be transitioned to use Intel chips by the end of this year. The company also reported over 14 million sales of iPod in the last quarter. Stock of Intel however closed down $0.35 to $26.12.

The biggest gainer on the Dow was Home Depot that climbed up $0.98 or 2.4% to $41.80, after announcing that it would buy Hughes Supply for almost $3.2 billion. Shares in Hughes Supply shot up $7.06 or 18.3% to $45.61.

Shares of Alcoa tumbled $0.97 or 3.2% to close at $29.60, after the world’s biggest aluminum producer posted fourth-quarter results that fell short of expectations. GM slipped 35 cents to $22.06 after it announced sweeping up-front price cuts on most of the models it’s showcasing this week at the Detroit Auto Show. United Technologies Corp, closed at $56.84 after Credit Suisse First Boston cut its recommendation to neutral from outperform. Phelps Dodge Corp closed down $7.97 or 5.2% to $146.58, after slashing its quarterly outlook by more than 70%.

Crude futures ended little changed as traders weighed mild U.S. weather and news that Iran will resume nuclear research against expectations for a climb in U.S. crude inventories. Light, sweet crude oil for February delivery settled down 13 cents at $63.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter

We have done our best to record the calls for you, but remember that the show is fast moving, and sometimes Cramer bangs on the sell! sell! sell!, bull roar, train wreck, suicide jump, hallelujah chorus, backing up truck, creepy house of pain voice, machine gun, fanfare, toilet flush, all aboard, applause, cash register, bear growl, bowling pins, and submarine diving alarm buttons all at once, while he is screaming.

Please do your own research, and verify all information before acting on it. This summary of Cramer’s picks is not intended to replace watching the show, where his comments about the stocks often include advice about entry and exit points.

Bullish
Accredited Home Lenders (LEND)
AES (AES)
Amgen (AMGN)
ATS Automation (ATA.TO) *
Bank of America (BAC)
Broadcom (BRCM) STOCK OF THE WEEK *
Citigroup (C)
Coldwater Creek (CWTR) ))))
Conexant Systems (CNXT)
Conexant Systems (CNXT) *
Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) *
Graco (GGG) ))))
Honeywell (HON) ))))
IntercontinentalExchange (ICE)
Lufkin Industries (LUFK)
Marvell Technology Group (MRVL) STOCK OF THE WEEK *
McGraw-Hill (MHP)
Mine Safely Appliances (MSA) *
Nabors (NBR)
Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR)
Parker Hannifin (PH) ))))
Peabody Energy (BTU) *
Pioneer Drilling (PDC)
Qualcomm (QCOM) *
Schlumberger (SLB)
Shanda Interactive Entertainment (SNDA)
Southern Copper (PCU) *
Tetra Technologies (TTI)
Total System Services (TSS) ))))
Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Wal-Mart (NYSE) ))))
Walgreen (WAG)
Whole Foods (WFMI)

Bearish
3M (MMM)
ATI Technologies (ATYT) *
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) *
Cintas (CTAS)
Dress Barn (DBRN)
Endesa SA (ELE)
Genentech (DNA)
Hain Celestial (HAIN)
New Century Financial (NEW)
Petro-Canada (PCZ)
SFBC International (SFCC)
Suncor (SU)
True Religion Apparel (TRLG)
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)

All stocks called during Lightning Round on Mad Money TV show except:
* discussed on the Mad Money TV show
)))) discussed on the RealMoney Radio show

Having trouble writing down all of Cramer’s picks?
Free daily recap newsletter to your inbox

Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 11,000 for the first time in 4 1/2-year years since June 13, 2001. All major gauges rose for 5th straight session in the new year. While the impact of the Dow touching 11,000 is psychological and hard to measure; if it infuses investors then it is of immense value.

Today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 49.47 or 0.5% to 11,008.78, the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index closed up 4.58 or 0.4% to 1,290.03, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite ended up 13.04 or 0.6% to 2,318.66.

Market breadth was positive. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers by two to one on volume of roughly 1.7 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, advancers topped decliners by four to three on volume of 2 billion shares.

A number of companies are scheduled to report fourth quarter earnings. Alcoa closed up $0.32 to $30.53 on anticipated results. However, the biggest Dow gainer was GM that closed up over 7% up $1.61 to $22.41, after Goldman Sachs raised its rating to “in-line” from “underperform.” In the auto sector, gainers included Ford up $0.11 to $8.63, and Daimlerchrysler up $0.72 to $54.52. The bullish trend in Auto shares is attributable to the news rolling in from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Others gainers today included XM Satellite Radio up $1.99 or 7% to $29.94, after Deutsche Bank raised the satellite radio provider to “buy” from “hold” and boosted its price target to $33 from $30.

Boston Scientific made a formal offer to buy Guidant. Boston Scientific closed down $0.42 to $25.82, and Guidant closed up $1.66 or 2.5% to $69.01. The deal includes selling parts of Guidant to Abbott Laboratories which closed up $1.50 or 3.5% to $42.39.

The biggest loser on the Dow was IBM that shed $1.13 or 1.5% to $83.82, after the company was downgraded to “neutral” from “overweight” at J.P. Morgan. Amazon.com also closed down $0.83 or 2% to $47.04, as it was also downgraded to “underweight” from “neutral”. Texas Instruments closed down $0.28 or 1% to $34.17, after the chipmaker said it will sell its sensors and controls business to Bain Capital for $3 billion in cash.

Duke Energy aims to sell its North American power-generation assets outside the Midwest for about $1.5 billion to LS Power Equity Partners. The stock of Duke Energy closed up $0.03 to $27.82. Tyco gained $0.98 to $30.96, on news that it is considering a break up of the $60 billion conglomerate.

US crude oil prices turned lower, aided by mild weather in the Northeast. Light, sweet crude for February delivery fell 71 cents to $63.50 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

All the best,
Manuel Jesus-Backus
The Portfolio Crafter