Commodities, Metals, and Currencies

Crude oil added $3.74 to close at $91.85 per barrel for a front month contract, natural gas increased 18 cents to $8.28 per mBtu, and gasoline futures increased 8.94 cents to close at 235.72 cents per gallon.

Gold increased $13.60 in New York trading to close at $923.60 per ounce, silver closed up 38 cents to $17.155 per ounce, and copper for front month delivery increased 6.90 cents to 352.30 per pound and in London copper futures increased $225.00 to $7,565.00.

Wheat futures rose to the daily limit of 30 cents for the fifth day in a row in Chicago trading and closed at $10.93 per bushel. Sugar added 0.73 cents or 6.1% to 12.71 cents per pound. Soybean future closed up 7.5 or 0.56% to $13.39 per bushel.

Dollar edged higher but traded near record lows against euro to $1.4514 and edged lower against yen to 107.35.



1:30AM New York – Earnings from Cott, Weyerhaeuser, and Beckman Coulter declined.

U.S. market averages fell in the afternoon the day’s low after the fears recession gripped investors. Latest data on rising wholesale inventories put investors on defensive. Tech stocks remained firm, but as broader stocks declined, sellers began to swamp tech stocks as well.

Google, Apple, and Research in Motion, three tech stocks favored by momentum investors retreated from their highs in the morning. Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1%, Nasdaq declined 0.3%, and S&P 500 lost 1%.

Earnings Update

Beckman Coulter (BEC: chart) maker of bio medical testing equipment reported 69 cents per share earnings a decline of 29% on 11% rise in sales in the fourth quarte.

Brush Engineered Materials (BW: chart) reported fourth quarter 2007 sales of $236.3 million, up $28.4 million or 14% compared to the fourth quarter of 2006. Net income for the fourth quarter was $12.3 million or $0.60 per share, diluted.

Chindex International (CHDX: chart) revenue for the third quarter ended December 31, 2007 was $36.0 million, a 19% increase over revenue of $30.3 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2006. Net income from continuing operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2007 was $3.9 million or earnings per basic share on continuing operations of $0.50 compared to $0.7 million or $0.10 per share a year ago.

Cott Corporation (COT: chart) revenues in the fourth quarter were $412.4 million, up 3.1% from $400.1 million in the comparable prior year period. This increase was primarily due to an 18.0% improvement in the International division, principally in the U.K., while revenues in North America were down 2.5%.

Net loss in the fourth quarter was $76.8 million or $1.07 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $29.6 million or $0.41 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Lubrizol Corporation (LZ: chart) earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2007 were $59.7 million, or $.86 per diluted share, including after tax restructuring and impairment charges of $0.6 million, or $.01 per diluted share.

Comparable earnings from continuing operations for the fourth quarter of 2006 were $21.4 million, or $.31 per diluted share, which included after tax restructuring and impairment charges of $28.4 million, or $.41 per diluted share, consisting primarily of a $.37 per diluted share non-cash charge related to the impairment of the Noveon trade name.

Weyerhaeuser (WY: chart) reported net earnings of $790 million for 2007, or $3.59 per diluted share, on net sales of $16.3 billion. This compares with net earnings of $453 million for 2006, or $1.84 per diluted share, on net sales of $18.7 billion.