Dow ..............8,776.39 ........+108.00 (1.25%)
S&P 500 ......903.25 ...........+12.61 (1.42%)
Nasdaq ........1,577.03 .........+26.33 (1.70%)

2008

DOW (13,450 ~ 8,776) Down 34.75%
S&P 500 (1498 ~ 903) Down 39.72%

Dow ..........8,668.39 ..........+184.46 (2.17%)
S&P 500 ...890.64 ..........+21.22 (2.44%)
Nasdaq ......1,550.70 ........+40.38 (2.67%)

It seems work that investors put their hope on the new adminstration without any significant news help.
Several sectors have good run. Solar, Defensive and Construction the stocks are
MTZ ($10.79), AVAV ($35.4), FRPT ($5.91, 52WK high), LMT ($84.13), HON ($32.57).
Watch the 52wk high OCN ($8.75).

Dow ...............8,483.93 ............-31.62 (-0.37%)
S&P 500 .......869.42 ..............-3.38 (-0.39%)
Nasdaq ..........1,510.32 ............-19.92 (-1.30)

• Report: Lehman filing cost creditors $75B
• Rate on 6-month Treasury bills hits record low

The Treasury Department said it auctioned $27 billion in six-month bills at a yield of 0.25 percent, an all-time low. That's down from a rate of 0.285 percent last week.

• Dallas Fed: Manufacturing outlook bleak

The outlook survey shows indexes for production, rate orders and shipment volumes at a lower level, with labor markets weaker and 31 percent of respondents admitting that staff reductions had occurred and 38 percent say work hour declines had taken effect.

• Where Are Oil Prices Headed in 2009?

So far, signs are mixed. The Energy Information Administration projects crude oil will trade at an average of $51 a barrel in 2009,...

• 60 Minutes: New Wave Of Mortgage Rate Adjustments Could Force More Homeowners To Default.

Enjoy the video then think about the ProShares UltraShort Real Estate (ETF) (NYSE:SRS) ..Now the Alt-A and option ARM loans made back in the heyday are starting to reset, causing the mortgage payments to go up and homeowners to default.

• SPDR Gold Holdings Bode Well For Demand

Rising ETF holdings are generally described as supportive for a commodity suchas gold or silver, because it generates actual physical demand, analysts say.“It’s a huge trend,” said Tom O’Brien, analyst and editor of The Gold Reportnewsletter. “Every time somebody buys the GLD, the actual fund has to buy thephysical gold.That’s because metal is put into storage to back the ETF shares.“It’s a positive sign that underlying demand is firm,” said Jeffrey Nichols, managingdirector of American Precious Metals Advisors and publisher ofNicholsOnGold.com. “It’s similar to the indications we’ve been getting for manymonths now from the coin market, where premiums on American Eagles orMaple Leafs or other major bullion coins have been very high because of theshortage of product from the mints.”

• Obamamania Helps Solar, Granite

The charts are showing signs of Obamamania in solar and road-building stocks.

Giving a rough outline for his economic stimulus plan in late November,President-elect Barack Obama spoke of “rebuilding our crumbling roads andbridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building windfarms and solar panels; fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologiesthat can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economycompetitive in the years ahead.”

The details of that plan will likely be of great interest to investors in solar stocksand in stocks like Vulcan Materials (VMC) and Granite Construction (GVA). ..... First Solar(FSLR), a stock-market star in late 2007 and early2008, is set to have another run in early 2009 because of gathering momentum,technicians say....On Friday, California utility PG&E (PCG) said it struck a deal with SempraEnergy (SRE) to provide energy from Sempra’s thin-film solar power plant. First Solar supplied the panels, construction and engineering forthe project. “Rising moving averages” indicate “a significant buyingmomentum for the stock,” said Beacon Equity Research,in a note about First Solar on its Web site.

Dow ..........8,468.48 .........+48.99 (0.58%)
S&P 500 ..868.15 ..............+4.99 (0.58%)
Nasdaq ....1,524.90 ...........+3.36 (0.22%)
Stocks advance in light, Christmas Eve trading
NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street has made a modest advance in light holiday trading Wednesday after downbeat, but unsurprising, readings on U.S. joblessness and consumer spending.
The Labor Department said initial applications for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since November 1982. The Commerce Department reported declines in consumer spending and orders for durable goods.
Wall Street's reacted to Wednesday's economic data with a shrug. Investors have largely been factoring in bad numbers for the fourth quarter as companies and individuals adjusted to the slumping economy.
In very low volume trading, the Dow Jones industrial average is up nearly 49 points at 8,469. The market closed three hours early for Christmas Eve.

Dow ..........8,419.49 .......-100.28 (-1.18%)
S&P 500 ...863.16 .........-8.47 (-0.97%)
Nasdaq .....1,521.54 ........-10.81 (-0.71%)

ProShares ETFs Declare DistributionsProShares ETFs Declare
...............Capital Gain
SBB .... $32.29
RWM... $23.95
MZZ .... $23.85
TWM ...$25
SDK ..... $47.78
SJL ...... $50
SIJ ........$47.85
SKK....... $39.75

Dow ..........8,519.69 .....-59.42 .....(-0.69%)
S&P 500 ...871.63 ........-16.25 ......(-1.83%)
Nasdaq .....1,532.35 .....-31.97 ......(-2.04%)

UPDATE 2-US mortgage re-defaults rise, no sign of slowing
WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The rate of U.S. home mortgage borrowers defaulting after their loans are modified is rising and may worsen as the economy deteriorates, U.S. banking regulators said on Monday.

Commercial Loan Defaults May Triple as Rents Decline (Update1)
Banks are at risk as office vacancies are forecast to rise to 15.6 percent next year from an estimated 14.6 percent at the end of 2008. Lenders who sold commercial mortgage-backed securities to pension funds, investment banks and foreign governments have been hit by more than $1 trillion in losses and asset writedowns connected to bad residential loans.

Oil prices fall with few signs of economic rebound
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said last week it would slash production by 2.2 million barrels a day in its largest cutback ever, trying to stem the rapid price decline.
But oil trader and analyst Stephen Schork said in order for OPEC to adhere to its January quota, the cartel first must adhere to its November cut of 1.5 million barrels a day.
OPEC leaders say if crude prices do not return to around $70, exploration and production could be cut. That, many experts warn, could lead to future price shocks when the economy rebounds.
"Large stockpiles of crude throughout the (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), falling demand in China and negative refining margins make it difficult to see how such supply-driven initiatives can have a near-term positive effect on crude prices," said Addison Armstrong, director of market research at Tradition Energy.

Wall Street looks for year-end rally

"Santa Claus tends to come to Wall Street nearly every year, bringing a short, sweet, respectable rally within the last five days of the year and the first two in January," according to Jeffrey Hirsch and Yale Hirsch, the authors of the Stock Trader's Almanac. "This has been good for an average 1.4 percent gain since 1969."

The following news is a good news to Qimonda. At least in a short term, but long term still a lot of uncertainty.

Qimonda Gets EU325 Million in Loan to Avoid Collapse

Global Slowdown

Sales in the semiconductor industry will decline 16 percent globally in 2009 because of the global slowdown and lower consumer spending, research firm Gartner Inc. said Dec. 16. Next year may mark the first time the industry reports consecutive years of revenue declines, the researcher said.

12/19 2008 News Clips

RIMM $42.4 momentum, 10% gain start from here in next week on the very short term target $46.5.
MTG $2.8 in the move. GTE $2.83 long over $3.
FBN $1.66 -19% touch the lower BB with unusuall volume 5.68M, could be rebounce.
today index

Dow ................. 8,579.11 .....-25.88.....(-0.30%)
S&P 500........... 887.88 .....+2.60 .....(0.29%)
Nasdaq ........... 1,564.32 .....+11.95 ....(0.77%)

Bush Approves $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout
WASHINGTON — President Bush announced $13.4 billion in emergency loans on Friday to prevent the collapse of General Motors and Chrysler, and said another $4 billion would be available for the hobbled automakers in February. The entire bailout is conditioned on the companies undertaking sweeping reorganizations to show that they can return to profitability.

12/16/2008
Wall Street rallies on Fed's rate cut
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 359.61 points, or 4.20 percent, to 8,924.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index jumped 44.61 points, or 5.14 percent, to 913.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 81.55 points, or 5.41 percent, to 1,589.89.

Fed cuts U.S. rates to record low
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Tuesday broke into uncharted territory as it chopped benchmark interest rates to as low as zero and pledged to use "all available tools" to turn back a deepening recession.
In a surprise and historic move, the Fed lowered its target for the interbank federal funds rate to a range of zero to 0.25 percent, a record low, from 1.0 percent, and said it was willing to keep rates low for an extended period.
"The Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote the resumption of sustainable economic growth and to preserve price stability," the Fed said.