If it had jumped the road, it might have burned up to the bridge or even farther.

The earnings were about a penny or two more than expectation, but because the source was investment banking, it probably doesn't excite the market that much.

Banks are probably going to bypass some good loans this year.

The stock is really looking ahead to better times down the road. We're expecting of course a Fed rate cut and a resurgence in investment banking activity into next year.

Insurance stocks are way up -- Protective Life ( PL : Research , Estimates ) not so much. It's had kind of a mediocre year in a stock performance. And I think that is one of the better values left. Among other things they are strong in prepaid dental insurance.

But it's almost always cheaper and more convenient to park across the street than park across the tracks.

I think some of the consensus numbers are a little stale some of the estimates that go into that don't reflect the recent thinking many analysts have about Morgan Stanley.

We want to be a good neighbor, ... There's got to be a sensible balance.

Merrill Lynch is way below its highs of last spring, ... This (Internet) announcement doesn't really reflect any change in their other business endeavors.