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The Fast Money five takes a look at the week's biggest market movers. | |||
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Perhaps today's action was the proverbial other shoe to drop. The shocking news that Bear Stearns, the venerable 85-year-old investment bank - the fifth-largest in the nation - had to be bailed out by the Fed to avoid insolvency sent even the most hardened traders into a state of shock. For those keeping score, the company was trading around $70 just last week. We have entered uncharted territory, where rumor has become reality and a herd mentality is gripping investors. The mere mention of a liquidity crisis, of counterparty risk, is enough to send a stock into a swoon. We have moved beyond a subprime crisis to a crisis in confidence. In such moments, one thing is clear: cool heads will prevail, and while the world may seem like it is melting, and the guy next to you is close to tears, there are opportunities to make money. With that in mind, let's turn our attention to next week. Broker earnings are scheduled for next week, but the headline won't be actual profit figures or revenue totals. The headline will be any guidance they can offer on the outlook for the industry and the health of their balance sheets. Bear kicks it off on Monday, when many expect that it will announce the sale of the company to JP Morgan Chase. Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers release results on Tuesday, and Morgan Stanley is out on Wednesday. Goldman was able to out-trade its rivals last quarter, but its savvy may not be enough to compensate for a brokerage landscape that is rapidly changing, and not for the better. The other big event next week will be the Fed meeting on Tuesday. Most investors expect a half-point cut, and given its extraordinary bailout of Bear today, few doubt that it might take other measures to assuage liquidity concerns. It has become clear that the Fed's target rate is losing relevance for investors. Instead, people are increasingly turning to the nation's top money man to figure how to inject liquidity into the system. The Fast Money will be paying close attention. Also worth watching next week will be earnings from Nike, General Mills, and FedEx. Good Friday will provide a shortened trading week, and with options expiration on Thursday, we could be in for much more volatility. Remember, an open market, even a crazy one, is a market in which you can money. Let's try to do that all through next week. . If you have questions about The Final Trade or suggestions for Fast Money, please send an email to FastMoney@cnbc.com |
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