Daily Market Commentary for December 22, 2009

Existing Home Sales

National Association of Realtors reported today that existing home sales rose to the highest level in nearly three years. (Read more at Millennium-Traders.Com)

Economic data released today:

Chain Store Sales:
U.S. ICSC/Goldman Sachs Chain Store Sales rose 0.6% in week of December 19; U.S. ICSC/Goldman Sachs Chain Store Sales rose 0.4% On Year.

Redbook:
U.S. Retail Sales First 3 Weeks December fell 4.9% versus November; U.S. Retail Sales First 3 Weeks December rose 1.5% versus December Year-Ago; U.S. Retail Sales rose 1.9% week Ended December 19 versus Year Ago.

GDP [Gross Domestic Product]:
U.S. 3Q Final GDP rose 2.2% versus Preliminary GDP increase by 2.8%; U.S. 3Q GDP Consensus rose 2.7%; 3Q Final Real Final Sales rose1.5% versus Preliminary increase by1.9%; 3Q Final PCE Price Index rose 2.6% versus Preliminary increase by 2.7%; Q Final Core PCE Price Index rose 1.2% versus Preliminary increase by 1.3%; 3Q Final Purchases Price Index rose 1.3% versus Preliminary increase by 1.4%; 3Q Final Chain-Weighted Price Index rose 0.4% versus Preliminary increase by 0.5%; 3Q Corporate Profits +13.8% Vs +5.6% In 2Q; 3Q Final Corporate Profits +13.8% vs Preliminary increase by 14.5%.

Existing Home Sales:
U.S. November Median Existing Home Price fell 4.3% on the year to $172,600; U.S. Inventory of Unsold U.S. Homes at 6.5 Months Supply; U.S. November Existing Home Sales Consensus 6.30M Rate; U.S. November Existing Home Sales rose 7.4% to 6.54M Rate.

Richmond Manufacturing Index:
December Manufacturing Index fell 4 versus November 1; December Manufacturing Shipments Index fell 6 versus November 6.

At the NYSE closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange, here is how the major world indices and major U.S. stock indices ended the trading session on the world markets as well as the emerging markets including the stock market closing bell price:
DOW (Dow Jones Industrial Average) gain 50.26 points, EOD 10,464.40
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) gain 37.03, EOD 7,184.18
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) gain 15.49 points, EOD 2,253.15
S&P 500 (SPX) gain 4.02 points, EOD 1,118.07
BEL 20 (BEL20) gain 6.49 points, EOD 2,489.10
CAC 40 (CAC40) gain 26.32 points, EOD 3,898.38
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain 34.67 points, EOD 5,328.66
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) triple digit gain 135.86 points, EOD 10,378.03

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,884 declined stock prices 1,185, unchanged stock prices 104, stock prices hitting new highs 279 and stock prices hitting new lows 6. NYSE quotes for volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the New York Stock Exchange stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: POT gain 2.22, HOD 110.99, LOD 106.36, EOD 110.94; JBL gain 2.16, HOD 17.18, LOD 15.76, EOD 17.18; AIG gain 2.99, HOD 31.91, LOD 28.01, EOD 31.05; CME gain 3.02, HOD 327.94, LOD 324.03, EOD 327.36; TWI shed 0.44, HOD 7.95, LOD 7.55, EOD 7.68.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,603, declined stock prices 1,108, unchanged stock prices 128, stock prices hitting new highs 182 and stock prices hitting new lows 24. NASDAQ quotes, volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the NASDAQ stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: ATHX gain 3.15, HOD 5.63, LOD 3.12, EOD 5.55; BUCY gain 3.33, HOD 59.39, LOD 56.75, EOD 59.17; AMZN gain 0.96, HOD 135.99, LOD 132.65, EOD 133.75; BIDU shed 8.57, HOD 410.50, LOD 394.56, EOD 398.81; CTRP shed 2.42, HOD 73.27, LOD 68.24, EOD 70.89; ISRG gain 6.95, HOD 298.00, LOD 290.30, EOD 297.52; FSLR shed 1.49, HOD 138.70, LOD 134.66, EOD 135.50; AMKR gain 0.81, HOD 7.50, LOD 6.93, EOD 7.32; TTWO gain 0.07, HOD 9.54, LOD 8.88, EOD 9.50.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 265, declined stock prices 240, unchanged stock prices 41, stock prices hitting new highs 17 and stock prices hitting new lows 3.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES) Mar 10: EOD 1113.25; Change 5.00
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) Mar 10: EOD 1,838.00; Change 12.50
E-mini DOW $5 (YM) Mar 10: EOD 10,401; Change 59
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) Mar 10: EOD 727.60; Change 6.50
Nikkei 225 (Yen) Mar 10: EOD 10,410; Change 145

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.7019 U.S. Dollars 1.4248
Japanese Yen 91.7900 to U.S. Dollars 0.0109
British Pound 0.6261 to U.S. Dollars 1.5971
Canadian Dollar 1.0575 to U.S. Dollars 0.9456
Swiss Franc 1.0481 to U.S. Dollars 0.9541

COMMODITY MARKETS:
Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (January 10) gain $0.68, EOD $74.40 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (February 10) gain $0.01, EOD $1.97 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (March 10) gain $0.04, EOD $5.73 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (January 10) gain $0.02, EOD $1.89 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (February 10) shed $9.30, EOD $1,086.70 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (March 10) shed $0.04, EOD $17.00 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (April 10) shed $25.70, EOD $1,402.90 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (March 10) gain $0.02, EOD $3.14 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (February 10) gain $0.53, EOD $64.75
Pork Bellies (February 10) gain $1.20, EOD $88.10
Live Cattle (February 10) shed $0.90, EOD $84.68
Feeder Cattle (March 10) shed $0.38, EOD $94.25

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (march 10) shed $1.25, EOD $398.75
Soybeans (January 10) shed $10.00, EOD $998.50

BOND MARKET:
2 year EOD 99 22/32, change -3/32, Yield 0.90, Yield change 0.04
5 year EOD 98 15/32, change -8/32, Yield 2.45 Yield change 0.06
10 year EOD 96 30/32, change -18/32, Yield 3.74 Yield change 0.07                     
30 year EOD 96 9/32, change -22/32, Yield 4.60, change 0.04

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