Jon Stewart on American Perspectives (RealMedia)

Very smart and entertaining stuff... you can see why Stewart is so popular.

Stocks to Watch -- Monday, October 25

Keep an Eye on SWFT

Swift Transportation looks interesting to me here. Initial risk is around 50 cents and if she returns down to around that Wave B swing, the reward to risk is decent. (Disclaimer)

SWFT, Daily Chart

Top Ten Poker Tells

I've lost plenty to people who were suffering from shaky hand syndrome. And I recall once trying to pull a phoney peek at my hole cards on an old pro: he laughed, folded, and said "don't ever do that again, son." I learned a lot from those old guys in Atlantic City.

-- via Newmark's Door --

Best and Worst Performing Large-Cap Stocks (year-over-year)

I scanned my universe of large-cap stocks for the best and worst performers over the last year. I feature Large Cap stock scans every Monday.

Best:

• AutoDesk Inc (ADSK)
  +165.74% {design software}
• Allegheny Technologies Inc (ATI)
  +142.94% {producer of specialty materials, metals}
• TXU Corp (TXU)
  +125.68% {power production; electricity, natural gas}
• Valero Energy Corp (VLO)
  +117.62% {owns and operates 15 refineries}
• Apple Computer Inc (AAPL)
  +109.78% {personal computers and peripherals}

Worst:

• Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL)
  -74.57% {airline}
• Ciena Corp (CIEN)
  -61.20% {networking products}
• Winn-Dixie Stores Inc (WIN)
  -57.18% {major food and drug retailer}
• Calpine Corp (CPN)
  -47.53% {electric power generation}
• Chiron Corp (CHIR)
  -44.68% {pharmaceuticals}

Sentiment Update for the Week Ending October 22, 2004

Sentiment is still way too positive, so I expect the market will continue to fall. I need to see serious fear and loathing before I get interested in putting cash to work, so I'll sit tight for now and look forward to much lower prices.

(Last week's Sentiment Update)

Vanguard Total Stock Market VIPERs, Weekly Chart

Hooters opens first restaurant in China

I know how to say "delightfully tacky, yet unrefined" in Mandarin, but not Shanghainese.

American Everyman, by Walter Kirn (Atlantic Monthly subscribers only)

A profile of Warren Buffett. I like what Kirn wrote about that "friendly alien," Peter Lynch: