DJIA    12,501.52; Down 9.05 (0.07%)
NASD    2,425.57; Down 5.65 (0.23%)
S&P500    1,424.73; Down 2.11 (0.15%)
10YR-Bond    4.69%; Up 0.036
NYSE Volume    1,469,536,000
NASD Volume    1,237,134,000

Consumer confidence unexpectedly showed a higher reading of 109.0 in December from the Conference Board and existing homes sales posted a 0.6% rise in November.  This was a prime example of a low volume holiday trading session.

Apple (AAPL) was the focal stock of the day with shares falling 0.8% to $80.87 after the Financial Times reported that STEVE JOBS was involved in unapproved options dating back to 2000 or 2001 for 7.5 million shares that were later turned in.

Goldman Sachs (GS) fell 0.5% to $200.80 after it raised a $6.5 Billion infrastructure fund.

TASER International (TASR) ran uyp 4.1% to $7.81 after it announced another $2.3M in follow-on orders from customers.

Benihana (BNHNA) rose a sharp 12.8% to $29.77 after Sanders Morris harris raised its rating of the sushi and Japanese steak house operator to a Strong Buy and noted it as a single best idea, making this the research call of the day.

Ford (F) fell 1% to $7.50 on various reports from researchers expecting another dismal month of sales (get ready for more of the same).

Encysive ((ENCY) fell a sharp 23% to $4.49 after the FDA extended a review for its Thelin product.

CDC Corp (CHINA) rose 11% to $9.37 after Oppenheimer started the company with a Buy rating.

Recent IPO Fuwei Films (FFHL) rose a sharp 34% to $17.50 on positive talk on the street.

Openwave (OPWV) rose almost 8% to $9.52 after an activist shareholder holds more than 10% of the float and a proxy contest.

AsiaInfo (ASIA) rose 19% to $7.83 after a contract upgrade from China Telecom.

Jon C. Ogg
December 28, 2006

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