10:16 am - DJIA falls on the last day of the year

Stocks fall on last day of 2007 NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street ended a painful year with another steep loss Monday as investors glumly anticipated that 2008 would bring more of the uncertainty and turbulence of 2007. The Dow Jones industrials fell 101 points, the latest in a string of triple-digit moves that became commonplace in the just-ended year amid a continuum of bad news about housing, faltering mortgages and shrinking credit. Thanks to a big first-half advance, they managed to finish 2007 with a respectable increase of 6.43 percent -- not as large as the 16.29 percent jump in 2006, but a better performance than the modest loss in 2005. The Dow's annual gain came even after it posted its worst fourth-quarter drop in 20 years, amid billion-dollar losses at the world's biggest financial firms and falling spending by consumers whose budgets have been crimped by record-high oil prices and declining home prices. "Considering all that's going on, the market really acted pretty well," said Todd Leone, managing director of equity trading at Cowen & Co. It's tough to say what the primary market driver of 2008 will be, but the stock market faces a slew of threats: more adjustable-rate mortgage resets, a still-tight credit market and the possibility of accelerating inflation. But Leone said the fourth-quarter earnings season in January should shed some light on how U.S. companies are surviving the recent slowdown and credit crunch. There was more downbeat news on housing Monday. The National Association of Realtors said November existing home sales rose 0.4 percent to an annual rate of 5 million -- the first rise in nine months. However, sales are 20 percent below where they were a year ago, and the median existing home price has dropped 3.3 percent over the past 12 months. Falling home prices have made it hard for struggling homeowners to refinance their mortgages, and the slump in construction activity has hurt homebuilders and other housing-related industries. Still, there were some slivers of optimism Monday. The U.K.'s Observer newspaper reported Sunday that Merrill Lynch & Co. was in talks over the weekend to line up capital from investors in China and the Middle East in exchange for portions of the Wall Street firm. Merrill, like many other financial houses, has seen its portfolio lose billions of dollar in value due to misplaced bets on mortgages. And as Citigroup Inc., UBS AG, Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns Cos. have done, it has turned to investors in Asia for much-needed capital -- Merrill has already gotten $4.4 billion this month from a Singapore fund, which bought a 9.9 percent stake in the U.S. brokerage. The Dow fell 101.05, or 0.76 percent, to 13,264.82. The blue-chip index remains below its Oct. 9 record high of 14,164.53, at which point it was up more than 13 percent year-to-date. The Standard & Poor's 500 index and the technology-dominated Nasdaq composite index also declined Monday, but both posted annual gains for the fifth straight year. The S&P 500 index fell 10.13, or 0.69 percent, to 1,468.36, to end 2007 with a gain of 3.53 percent. It had reached a record close of 1,565.15 on Oct. 9. The Nasdaq fell 22.18, or 0.83 percent, to 2,652.28, to finish the year with a 9.81 percent gain. Despite the market's volatility, this was the best performance for the Nasdaq, still well below its tech boom highs, since 2003. Government bonds rose. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, slid to 4.03 percent from 4.12 percent late Friday, and is down nearly 17 percent for the year. Declining issues narrowly outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to a light 1.15 billion shares. 2007 was a remarkable year on Wall Street. The market began the year continuing the rally that propelled the Dow above 12,000 for the first time in October. Then, in late February, came a reminder that stocks were capable of turning tail and plunging -- a skid on China's stock market and an ominous economic outlook from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan sent the Dow down 416 points in one day. That panic didn't last long. In April, the Dow barreled above 13,000 for the first time and then glided past 14,000 in mid-July. But in late July, however, the market realized that the ongoing slump in housing, and a rise in mortgage foreclosures due to resetting adjustable-rate loans, was taking a toll across the credit markets. Though the housing market started teetering as early as 2005, few people anticipated how much the downturn could affect the global financial system. Mortgages given to borrowers deemed "subprime" comprised only about an eighth of the $10 trillion U.S. mortgage market -- why would that rattle the world markets? The problem was, these pieces of debt were chopped up, repackaged and woven into larger fixed-income instruments, on which banks and other investors made billion-dollar bets -- bets that were extremely profitable during the housing boom, but calamitous when borrowers couldn't keep up with their mortgage payments. When one slice of the instrument defaulted, it pulled the whole thing down with it. Investors bailed out of anything tied to mortgages, and soon Wall Street discovered that financial institutions in the United States and overseas were holding billions of dollars in assets that were losing value by the day. The biggest names on the Street -- Merrill Lynch, Citigroup Inc., Bear Stearns Cos. -- announced billions of dollars in writedowns. Merrill and Citi lost their CEOs, and several financial firms sought out billion-dollar investments to clean up their balance sheets. In the midst of this turmoil, the credit markets all but seized up, and all these interconnected events pummeled stocks. The Dow suffered triple-digit drops, recoveries and then drops again as Wall Street stumbled through months of volatility reminiscent of the terrible days after the 2001 terror attacks. In August and September the Federal Reserve began to act, with interest rate cuts and injections of liquidity. It helped for a while, and in October, stocks were rallying again taking the Dow to another set of record highs -- only to succumb again to fears about the unknown extent of the credit mess. Wall Street enters 2008 with that same concern, not to mention oil's surge this year of about 60 percent to nearly $100 a barrel, and the U.S. dollar's tumble to record lows against the euro. On Monday, the dollar rose against most other major currencies, gold prices fell, and crude oil prices slipped 2 cents to settle at $95.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. "We've seen the return of volatility. I think that will be around for a while, and will govern trading for the new year," said Scott Fullman, director of investment strategy for I. A. Englander & Co. "Stock selection and strategy will play a very important part in the success of anybody who is trading going into the new year. This is not a time where you throw a dart at the board." In 2007, the technology, energy, industrials and healthcare sectors did well, while the financial industry and small-caps -- usually fledgling companies that rely heavily on loans to grow their business -- lagged. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 5.73, or 0.74 percent, to 766.03 Monday. The small-cap index finished the year down 2.75 percent.

5:12 pm - FKLI Jan doing a year end wash back to 1414.0

If this is a wash, then we have a good start for 2008.

If this is a true for reversing the up trend, then we have a down trend for the first week of 2008.

Look at the tail.

10:03 - FKLI Jan gap up to cross the resistance @ 1444.5

Technically, FKLI Jan has touch the last high @ 1454.5. Currently it is trading 1452/1451.5

9:31 am - KLCI is certainly bullish. Vol is steady and not high is good for breakout.

9:59 am - FCPO will trend higher next week as it track against soybean.

Soybeans prices reach 34-year high NEW YORK (AP) - Soybean futures fell Friday, pulling back after touching a 34-year high on expectations for robust exports next year and continued strong demand from China. Gold prices climbed almost $11 an ounce, boosted by strong oil prices, weak economic data in the U.S., and world political concerns following Thursday's assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Wheat futures dropped sharply and oil prices fell. Trading was light in most financial markets due to the holiday season, and that tended to exaggerate many price movements including the turnaround in soybeans. U.S. exporters have already sold roughly three-quarters of the soybeans the Agriculture Department predicts for the whole marketing year, which ends in June 2008. To make up for dwindling inventories, analysts say farmers need to plant more soybeans than they did last year -- when an ethanol boom led farmers to favor planting corn acres over soybeans. So far this year, soybean exports are running at 735 million bushels, or about 74 percent of the USDA's total estimate of 995 million bushels. Last year, the farmland dedicated to soybean plantings was reduced by 15 percent. Feeding Friday's record was continued strong demand from China, the world's largest consumer of soybean oil, said DTN commodities analyst Elaine Kob. "It's really been an impressive week for soybeans," she said. A bushel of soybeans for March delivery settled down 8.5 cents at $12.23 a bushel. The price had jumped to $12.48 overnight, beating June 1973's closing high of $12.10 but still shy of that day's trading record of $12.90 a bushel. Wheat for March delivery fell 26.25 cents to $9.15 a bushel. March corn rose 2.5 cents to $4.5475 a bushel, while March oats traded flat, settling at $$3.09 a bushel. Gold prices advanced on the precious metal's appeal as a safe haven investment during political uncertainty. Bhutto's assassination in a suicide bombing has stirred investor worries about further instability in the region. "The geopolitical background continues to unnerve a lot of people," said Jon Nadler, senior analyst at Kitco Bullion Dealers, adding that gold has "the potential to close out the year at its very peak." The dollar's steep drop against the 13-nation euro this year has been a major driver behind gold's advance from less than $650 an ounce in January to a 28-year high near $850 an ounce in November. Gold futures are up nearly 32 percent this year, Nadler said. An ounce of gold for February delivery added $10.90 to settle at $842.70 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. March silver climbed 0.077 cent to $14.895 an ounce, and Nymex copper for March delivery fell 6 cents to close at $3.0720 a pound. The dollar fell against the euro and yen in late New York trading, but strengthened versus the pound. Hampering the rise of gold and other commodities was a government report showing sales of new homes fell in November to their lowest level in more than 12 years. The Commerce Department said new home sales fell 9 percent from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may

5:09 am - KLCI boleh ! Last minutes pushed up by the big institution !

KLCI boleh ! and ready for Jan 2 rally.

FKLI Jan closed with a upthrust. Let's see how Monday 31 Dec wud open with effect of DJIA tonite.

4:10 pm - After Hong Kong Hang Seng market closes at 4 pm, FKLI will set its goal for higher.

Not influenced by Hang Seng market, the Malaysian "Tai Ko" can move the market up with relative easy effort.

12:54 pm - FKLI is holding up and looking to break upside.

9:29 am - Market reacting to Bhutto's assassination

However, FKLI and KLCI holding nicely.

5:43 pm - FKLI trade higher. Our long position is in nicely

Took the long trade after it broke up.

12:21 pm - FKLI broke out nicely to 1435

Look like we are in long again.

9:44 am - FKLI Jan 2008 contract break out for the 3rd attempt

Let's see if we get a bullish year end closing. Here is the 15 mins chart on the breakout.

2:36 pm - FKLI Dec 2006 - Modest uptrend until first week of Jan 2007

11:31 am - FCPO - 26 Dec 2006. Today based last year.

FCPO had a good run on 26 Dec 2006. It hit a new high on that day. This nice uptrend during the last 2 weeks of Dec 2006 is due to the flooding in the palm oil estate.

10:58 am - FCPO export Dec 1-25 down -0.8%

Despite negative news on FCPO, FCPO continue to power higher. Last high at 3068 and today's high at 3064.

9:53 am - Go Long if break above 3018 resistance for FCPO

If you have been reading my CI/CPO newsletter dated 24-28 Dec 2007, there is a recommendation to go long if break 3018 resistance.

The FCPO is in an uptrend on a daily basis (check out 240 mins chart posted earlier).

Trade FCPO with a wider stop at least 40-60 pts on a daily basis.

Here is a snapshot of my newsletter dated 24-28 Dec 2007

9:35 am - FCPO is trending nicely & closed 3030 last Monday.

Crude oil has risen and soy bean oil has broken to new all time high.

Look at the 240 mins chart of FCPO -March 08 contract.

3:30 am - FCPO is trending nicely along 240 mins chart.

Here is an opportunity to go long at 3015/3016 on a 15 mins entry using breakout as your entry approach and using 240 mins as stop. Trail your stops on the 240 mins as FCPO break higher.

On my CI & CPO weekly newsletter, weekly entry is 3,018 on the long position using daily chart.

12:21 am - FKLI broke higher to 1427.5

It is treading nicely along the Bollinger Band. Can you buy now ? You can buy on the basis of EOD chart. Today is 5 days line change. You are looking at 25-30 pts stop if you are trading daily chart.

However, on the daily chart, FKLI is currently trading at 61.8% (downtrend). If FKLI can break higher above 61.8%, FKLI can trend higher. The 61.8% is a resistance.

4:51 pm - FKLI is trading in bullish terrority.

FKLI is trading at this point +12 pts premium.

Wait for DJIA closing tonite. If it is good DJIA closing > 150 pts, MOnday is selling day i.e. to take profit.

If DJIA closing low to slightly high, Monday is a day for going long.

As forecasted, when all the fund mgrs are on leave due to holiday seasons, they run the market up.