The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. MSO Climbs 12%

Stocks were virtually flat Thursday after crude oil
backs off from record overnight highs.  Jobless claims fell
4,000 to 315,000, in line with estimates. The 4-week average is now 315,000.

Martha
Stewart Omnimedia
(
MSO |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) hit a one-month high after she detailed
plans for two upcoming television shows. The “Martha” show–starting September
12–will be similar to the shows she has done in the past, and “The Apprentice:
Martha Stewart” is patterned after everyone’s favorite boss, Donald Trump.

Toll Brothers
(
TOL |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) beat by 0.09, ex-items. (read
the full story) The stock was upgraded at BB&T to buy.

Both General Motors
(
GM |
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Chart |
News |
PowerRating) and Ford’s
(
F |
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News |
PowerRating) credit ratings
were cut to junk at Moody’s. Separately, GM said it would extend its employee
discount plan through the end of September.

TiVo
(
TIVO |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) beat by 0.04; revenues were in-line.  (full
story)

Intel
(
INTC |
Quote |
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News |
PowerRating) will unveil its own brand of PC. Called Viiv,
the unit is designed for digital home entertainment.

Mercury General
(
MCY |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) will replace Hibernia in the S&P
Midcap 400 Index.  Also, Hansen Natural
(
HANS |
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Chart |
News |
PowerRating) replaces
Argosy Gaming in the S&P 600.

Internet telephone company Vonage is planning a $600 million IPO,
The Wall Street Journal reports.

Hurricane Katrina is expected to miss Gulf Oil rigs.

Strong sectors
are:  Utilities 

(
UTY |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) +1.03%     Retail 

(
RLX |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) +0.80%      Gold 

(
XAU |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) +0.69%       

Weak sectors
are:   Chemicals

(
CEX |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
-0.54%     Oil

(
XOI |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating)
-0.22%    

Intuit
(
INTU |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) missed by 0.02 and issued downside guidance. (full
story)

Petsmart
(
PETM |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) beat by 0.02 but was light on revenues. The
company issued downside guidance for Q3. (full
story)

Patterson
(
PDCO |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) missed by a penny on light revenues. (full
story)

Tech Data
(
TECD |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) beat by 0.02 and issued in-line guidance. (full
story)

Dollar General
(
DG |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) beat by 0.02 and issued downside guidance. (full
story)

Dave & Buster’s
(
DAB |
Quote |
Chart |
News |
PowerRating) was downgraded to neutral by Oppenheimer
after reporting earnings.  (full
story)

Brice Wightman