Jim Awad Quotations

The productivity and labor costs reports abated pressures (over) rising interest rates from the Fed, which is giving a kick to the market. Also, the storm in the East wasn't so bad, so oil pressure isn't bad.

If they raise 25 basis points and sound worried about inflation the market may get demoralized,

GM is beginning to take some strong action. The question is whether those moves will be able to somewhat diminish the risk of bankruptcy.

Today is all about downgrades. This has given a negative tone to the market.

What you are getting is a knee-jerk reaction to the drop in oil prices.

Wal-Mart got the traffic, but not the margins, and that will raise questions about fourth-quarter earnings for retail in particular and the consumer sector in general. That's giving you some early caution.

When companies like J&J conclude mega deals like this one it is a positive for equity markets, as it indicates there's confidence in the economy and there's excess corporate cash waiting to be invested.

When companies like J&J conclude mega deals like this one, it is a positive for equity markets. It indicates there's confidence in the economy and there's excess corporate cash waiting to be invested.

There are questions as to whether the growth rate is sustainable.

We've just come off a very big quarter and so we have to digest some of those gains.

You had good earnings out of Pfizer, good earnings out of Merrill Lynch , several dividend increases and eBay shares that have performed better than expected. It's creating a transitory early rally as it's still too early to say whether it will hold.

Both consumer confidence and housing starts were stronger than expected. Treasuries are getting killed, so people are worried interest rates will go even higher than expected.

Everybody was waiting for the Bank of Japan's decision, and since they decided to postpone raising interest rates, that is taking the pressure off U.S. Treasuries and giving a lift to stocks.

Conglomerates and cyclical companies have been on the spot lately and after today's industrial data, they once again became a good buying opportunity. But the trading is volatile and a bit distorted given the options expiration.

FedEx's report not only helped lift the transport sector, but the entire market. In the absence of major negative news, we may see another rally between now and the end of the year.

The stock market welcomed both the CPI report and the decline in oil prices. The Fed can't justify too many rate increases with mild inflation.

The stock is selling around 15 with a 30-percent long-term growth rate, and 15 times earnings. It could double from here,

Companies are finally putting their money into play and that is a vote of confidence in the strength of the economy and a positive for stocks.

You started the day with some negative influences. The market was spooked by interest rates worldwide, and there was a very mixed reaction to Texas Instruments.

You're getting a relief rally in bonds ... and that's giving you what looks like at an attempt at a rally in stocks, despite the bad news out of Microsoft with the delay of its product. The GM news is also a minor positive.

There's a high degree of confidence the Fed is going to conduct itself in a non-surprising fashion tomorrow. The greater uncertainty with the Fed will occur next year, so I think (investors) are going to take tomorrow in stride unless the Fed surprises us.

As we roll into the earnings reporting season, you're getting a little bit of caution.

It's more news of good economic growth and low inflation. That takes pressure off of stocks.

The non-manufacturing ISM index came in perfect, with higher orders and lower prices, and that has given the market more confidence to make the assessment that Wal-Mart's problems were either Wal-Mart -specific or retail-sector-specific and were not indicative of problems in the economy.

Industrial production data is helping support some of the largest conglomerates today. But the trading is volatile and a bit distorted given the options expiration.

In terms of the Fed, the most favorable move from the market's point of view is if they raise interest rates by 25 basis points and keep the same language. If they raise 25 basis points and sound worried about inflation the market may get demoralized.

The hurricane was much less damaging than was feared and therefore oil is declining. That takes the pressure off the economy, so we're getting a knee-jerk reaction.

The current earnings and the forward-looking guidance, in general, have not met expectations among a lot of companies.

The market is caught between good quarterly reports, such as the one from Disney, and the reality of company guidance for future earnings that is far from stellar.