Look At This Fed Tightening Record

Stocks are higher as traders scoop up bargains in an
oversold market.

According to ISI Group, the eight Fed tightenings in the last 35 years
resulted in recession five times, including the savings and loan crisis in 1990
and the 2000 Nasdaq collapse. The Fed is widely expected to increase rates again
at its next meeting.

A study by The National Retail Foundation said that half the taxpayers who
are getting a refund are planning to pay down debt. Others uses cited were
vacations and making a major purchase.  According to the IRS, refunds are
averaging $2259 this year.

AmerisourceBergen
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lowered Q2 and ’05 guidance by a wide
margin. Trading down in sympathy are: Cardinal Health
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and
McKesson

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.

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is the new symbol for Sears Holdings, the company created
by the Sears/KMart merger.

The Wall Street Journal reports that 12 AIG executives have
been subpoenaed.

Barron’s said Tiffany
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could be worth as much as $40 to $60
on a takeover basis or at least $40 if management can fix the company’s
problems.

The FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline’s
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once-per-month Boniva
osteoporosis drug.

Strong sectors are:  Internet Commerce 
(
$ECM.X |
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+1.68%   Retail
(
$RLX.X |
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+1.30%   
Insurance

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$IUX.X |
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+1.28% 

Weak sectors are:   
Homebuilders

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$HGX.X |
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-0.65%     Oil
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$XOI.X |
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-0.57%  

Dow +52.98 10,495.85
Nasdaq +7.91 1998.97
S&P 500 +4.72 1176.14

The dollar is +0.47 at
84.60

Crude Oil is -0.94 at
53.90

Gold is +0.90 at 425.30

ce=”Arial” size=”2″ face=”Arial”>Volume is 788 million on the NYSE and
741 million on the Nasdaq

Market breadth is positive.

NYSE Issues
Advancing 1481 Up Vol 366
Declining 1676 Down Vol 346
1.13 1.05
Nasdaq
Advancing 1383 Up Vol 386
Declining 1587 Down Vol 286
1.14 1.34

Stocks in the News

Millenium Pharmaceuticals
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said the FDA granted expanded
approval for its cancer drug Velcade.

Ligand’s
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cancer treatment disappointed.

UBS downgraded General Motors
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  to ‘reduce.’

Morgan Keegan cut estimates on Taser
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for 2005 and 2006.

Brice Wightman