Sec

Daily Market Commentary for December 17, 2008 from Millennium-Traders.Com

The Securities and Exchange Commission Commissioner Christopher Cox admitted the SEC made mistakes in failing to discover Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. (read more)

Economic data released today:

Current Account:
U.S. 3Q Current Account Deficit $174.1B compared to expected Deficit $179.0B; U.S. 2Q Current Account Revised to Deficit $180.9B versus Deficit $183.1B.

EIA Petroleum Status:
Department Of Energy reported Energy Information Administration Petroleum Status: U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles rose by 0.525 Million Barrels at 321.289 Million Barrels; U.S. Gasoline Stockpiles rose by 1.295 Million Barrels at 203.959 Million Barrels; U.S. Distillate Stockpiles rose 2.936 Million Barrels at 133.523 Million Barrels; U.S. Refineries ran at 84.1% capacity versus 87.4% capacity a week ago; U.S. Crude Oil Stockpiles up 525,000 Barrels In week compared to expectations of an increase by 100,000; U.S. Gasoline Stockpiles up 1.3 Million Barrels In week compared to expectations of an increase by 1 Million Barrels; U.S. Distillate Stockpiles up 2.93 Million Barrels in the week compared to expectations of an increase by 900,000 Barrels; U.S. Refineries ran at 84.1% capacity compared to expectations of a drop by 0.2 points at 87.2%.

Companies in the news today:
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) reported a disappointing 4Q loss of $2.3 Billion. ******** (NYSE: MOT) announced a permanent freeze on pension plans and will temporarily suspend matching 401(k) contributions for employees. General Electric (NYSE: GE) announced they will no longer give quarterly earnings forecasts but will provide full year operating 'frameworks'. News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) is moving to the Nasdaq effective December 29 with new ticker symbol (NasdaqGS: NWSA).

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) triple digit loss of 100.20 points to end the trading session at 8,823.94
NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) loss of 35.17 points to end the trading session at 5,769.80
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) loss of 10.58 points to end the trading session at 1,579.31
S&P 500 (SPX) loss of 8.76 points to end the trading session at 904.42
FTSE All-World Index data excluding U.S. (AW01UK) gain of 0.81 points to end the trading session at 151.42
FTSE RAFI 1000 loss of 22.69 points to end the trading session at 3,484.22
BEL 20 (BEL20) loss of 3.06 points to end the trading session at 1,859.62
CAC 40 (CAC40) loss of 9.74 points to end the trading session at 3,241.92
FTSE100 (UKX100) gain of 15.11 points to end the trading session at 4,324.19
NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) gain of 44.50 points to end the trading session at 8,612.52

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,819, declined stock prices 1,327, unchanged stock prices 85, stock prices hitting new highs 6 and stock prices hitting new lows 36. 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: Constellation Energy Group Incorporated (NYSE: CEG) stock price shed 5.99 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $30.15, low on the trading session $22.62, with a closing stock price at $22.75; Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) stock price shed 4.37 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $37.85, low on the trading session $36.02, with a closing stock price at $36.38; MetLife Incorporated (NYSE: MET) stock price shed 0.54 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $35.47 low on the trading session $32.75, with a closing stock price at $33.89; Boston Properties Incorporated (NYSE: BXP) stock price shed 0.65 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $63.90, low on the trading session $57.33, with a closing stock price at $60.51; Humana Incorporated (NYSE: HUM) stock price shed 0.21 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $34.81, low on the trading session $32.67, with a closing stock price at $34.11; ProShares Ultrashort QQQ (NYSE: QID) stock price gained 1.47 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $66.69, low on the trading session $63.39, with a closing stock price at $65.10; ProShares Ultrashort Real Estate (NYSE: SRS) stock price shed 4.55 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $65.30, low on the trading session $52.10, with a closing stock price at $57.19; ProShares Ultrashort Financials (NYSE: SKF) stock price gained 0.77 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $109.71, low on the trading session $100.00, with a closing stock price at $105.47; ProShares Ultrashort S&P 500 (NYSE: SDS) stock price gained 1.41 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $83.20, low on the trading session $79.12, with a closing stock price at $81.65.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 1,487, declined stock prices 1,401, unchanged stock prices 139, stock prices hitting new highs 11 and stock prices hitting new lows 75. 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: ***** Incorporated (NasdaqGS: AAPL) stock price shed 6.43 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $91.10, low on the trading session $88.02, with a closing stock price at $89.00.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:
Advanced stock prices 347, declined stock prices 265, unchanged stock prices 71, stock prices hitting new highs 2 and stock prices hitting new lows 20.
Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting for March 2009 Contracts and December 2008 Contracts for E-mini S&P Small Cap 600:
E-mini S&P 500 (ES): End of trading session price 903.00; Change for the trading session -9.75
E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ): End of trading session price 1,226.00; Change for the trading session -15.00
E-mini DOW $5 (YM): End of trading session price 8,783; Change for the trading session -108
E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF): End of trading session price 528.90; Change for the trading session 5.40
E-mini S&P Small Cap 600 (HS): End of trading session price 260.80; Change for the trading session 2.60

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:
Euro 0.6948 to U.S. Dollars 1.4393
Japanese Yen 87.410 to U.S. Dollars 0.0114
British Pound 0.6448 to U.S. Dollars 1.5509
Canadian Dollar 1.1968 to U.S. Dollars 0.8356
Swiss Franc 1.0731 to U.S. Dollars 0.9319

COMMODITY MARKETS:

Energy Sector - Nymex:
Light Crude (January 09) shed $3.54 on the trading session for a closing price of $40.06 per barrel ($US per barrel)
Heating Oil (February 09) shed $0.02 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.47 a gallon ($US per gallon)
Natural Gas (March 09) shed $0.09 on the trading session for a closing price of $5.71 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)
Unleaded Gas (January 09) shed $0.03 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.01 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets - Comex:
Gold (February 09) gained $25.80 on the trading session for a closing price of $868.50 ($US per Troy ounce)
Silver (March 09) gained $0.72 on the trading session for a closing price of $11.42 ($US per Troy ounce)
Platinum (January 09) gained $15.70 on the trading session for a closing price of $865.20 ($US per Troy ounce)
Copper (March 09) shed $0.01 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.37 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets - Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):
Lean Hogs (February 09) gained 0.18 on the trading session for a closing price of 62.63
Pork Bellies (February 09) gained 3.00 on the trading session for a closing price of 86.98
Live Cattle (February 09) gained 0.08 on the trading session for a closing price of 87.00
Feeder Cattle (March 09) gained 2.05 on the trading session for a closing price of 92.98

Other Commodities - Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):
Corn (March 09) shed 4.50 on the trading session for a closing price of 389.50
Soybeans (March 09) gained 6.00 on the trading session for a closing price of 869.00

BOND MARKET:
2 year Bond closing price 100 31/32, change -5/32, Yield 0.74, Yield change 0.01
5 year Bond closing price of 103, change -10/32, Yield 1.36, Yield change 0.06
10 year Bond closing price 113 26/32, change 1 20/32, Yield 2.18, Yield change -0.18
30 year Bond closing price 137 17/32, change 5 9/32, Yield 2.65, Yield change -0.21

Thanks for reading
Millennium-Traders.Com