Two IPOs To Watch This Week

Stocks are higher on a good sales number and merger
talks.
Retail sales for November rose +0.1%, better than expected;
+0.5% ex auto.

Peoplesoft
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accepted Oracle’s $10.3 billion bid
($26.50/share). The deal is expected to be completed early January.

Sprint is in talks to buy Nextel for $26 billion.
The Wall Street Journal said an announcement could come as
early as Wednesday. The New York Times reported that Verizon
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and Vodafone
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could make a higher bid.

Twenty-one IPOs are coming to market this week–the largest number highest since
since September 2000. Of note: Blue Linx (BXC) will offer 9.5 million
shares between $15-$17; the company is the largest distributor of  building
products in the US. Las
Vegas Sands
, expected to offer 23.8 million shares at $24-$26, up from the
original $20-$22. Proposed
symbol: LVS.

Remember: options and futures expire on Friday.

Strong sectors are: Gold
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+1.92%, Healthcare Providers
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+1.52%, Oil
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+1.26%.

Weak sectors are: Airlines
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-0.76%, Retail
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-0.37%.

Dow -9.60 10,543.22
S&P 500 -1.24 1,188.00
Nasdaq -0.94 2,128.07

The dollar is -0.20 at
82.35

Gold is +3.40 to 438.80

Crude Oil is +0.84 at 41.55

ce=”Arial” size=”2″ face=”Arial”>Volume is 605 million on the NYSE and
1.00 billion on the Nasdaq.

Market breadth is positive.

NYSE Issues
Advancing 1783 Up Vol 356
Declining 1322 Down Vol 188
Ratio 1.34 1.89
Nasdaq
Advancing 1487 Up Vol 624
Declining 1451 Down Vol 290
Ratio 1.02 2.15

Stocks in the News

Conextant
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guided lower but is now trading up over 3%.

Taser
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said an independent investigation found that its
technology reduced deadly force litigation and caused fewer injuries.

IMAX
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guided higher.

JP Morgan upgraded the video game group, which includes ERTS, THQI and TTWO.

Brice Wightman