Monday
There aren't too many companies posting quarterly results during the last week of the year. Many analysts are away on holiday, leaving plenty of elbow room for the few public companies daring to report.
Cal-Maine Foods
Tuesday
New DVDs hit retailers every Tuesday. This week's fresh releases include Viacom's
Paranormal Activity was a sleeper hit -- literally and figuratively -- but the other two were box-office disappointments. This doesn't necessarily mean that they will flop on DVD. In fact, all three films likely have cult appeal that will help them fare reasonably well in the retail market.
Wednesday
It's going to be quiet, with any real buying or selling likely coming from institutions squaring away their portfolios with two trading days left in 2009.
The practice of buying winners and ditching losers by quarter's end is called window dressing. It's a silly practice, since investors are smarter than that. If a mutual fund's year-end statement shows ownership in some of this year's top-performing stocks -- like multibaggers Diedrich Coffee
Thursday
Barring a late collapse, 2009 should end showing beefy stock market gains. It was also a good year for gold, energy, and other commodities. It was probably hard to lose money in 2009 for diversified investors, unless that diversified portfolio was actually short the market.
Friday
The market is closed for New Year's Day. Rest in, especially if your throat is still hoarse from counting down the night before.
You won't miss much. There is still so much of 2010 left to tackle.
Until next week, I remain,
