Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of alcoholic beverage distributor Central European Distribution (Nasdaq: CEDC) took a stiff drink this morning and gained as much as 23.9% on fairly mild trading volume.

So what: Privately held banking, insurance, and vodka conglomerate Russian Standard Corporation just announced plans to triple its stake in Central European to 30%. A buy this large obviously moves share prices, and Russian Standard may end up buying the smaller company outright at the end of the day.

Now what: Not to reinforce stereotypes or anything, but can you think of a better way to combat a tough banking environment than by selling more vodka in Eastern Europe? Like other sin stocks, alcohol bottlers tend to do well in downturns. It's no accident that both Jim Beam parent Beam (NYSE: BEAM) and Guinness tapper Diageo (NYSE: DEO) are both highly rated CAPS stocks these days.

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