Could a weak open end with a strong close?

"He is a good man whom fortune makes better." - Thomas Fuller

Morning News of Note:

• AMZN CSTR: Amazon Craves Your Spare Change To Attract New Customers, Retailer Offers Gift Cards At Coin-Tally Machines Amazon is turning to loose change to woo more shoppers. Amazon.com Inc. will introduce a service today that lets consumers use Coinstar Inc.'s coin-counting machines to convert their coin hoards into Amazon gift certificates, said officials at the companies. The coin program may attract new users to Amazon and Coinstar. Some consumers have resisted Coinstar's machines -- familiar fixtures in many grocery stores -- because Coinstar charges an 8.9% commission in the U.S. to convert coins into bills. And Amazon's clientele has largely been limited to people with credit cards. (Full Story) WSJ
• TM: Toyota hopes to cut hybrid premium in half The president of Toyota Motor says he has told his engineering chief to find a way to cut in half the price difference between fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrids and similar gasoline models. Katsuaki Watanabe also said here Monday that Toyota will sell 1 million hybrid vehicles a year worldwide by early next decade, up from a planned 300,000 this year, about 60% in the USA. And he said Toyota is developing fuel-efficient diesel-power vehicles for the U.S. market but "not in the short term." (Full Story) USA Today
• CMCSK VIA: POWER COMBO Viacom and cable giant Comcast plan to unveil a wide-ranging joint venture that will create several new cable networks, The Post has learned. The venture, which will be jointly owned by Comcast and Viacom's MTV Networks, will include several lifestyle channels — on topics such as cars and wealth — as well as video-on-demand and e-commerce, according to a source close to Comcast. (Full Story) NY Post
• SNN: Smith & Nephew-SNN says that summer sales growth was below its views-Dow Jones: SNN lowers its full-year Orthopaedics sales guidance & its full-year wound management sales guidance. SNN sees its full-year trading margins up 20.6% & sees its full-year EPS growth up 12%-13%
• US Economy: 3Q CEO confidence survey 96.9 vs 103.1 in 2Q, expected economic conditions index 91 vs 126 in 3Q -- TEC Intl // MAN US employment survey; 29% of employers said they plan to hire workers in 4Q, smallest % in 3 qtrs; more caution from employers about qtr, especially among retailers ahead of holiday season

Market Comments: The market has opened lower this morning, despite a better-than-expected PPI. BBY reported weak results, and this is weighing on the retail sector (-1.2%). Chip stocks are trading higher in the early going.

You know that I like a market that opens weak, and builds strength throughout the day. I don't know if this will be one of those days or not, but it wouldn't surprise me. I expect new highs in the SPX soon, although options expiration this week could mean we get one big down day, as often happens. I'm staying the course for now.

long BBY, CMCSK