MasterCard's Move;Cisco's Issue;Home Depot

MasterCard has announced a ten for one stock split;an 83% dividend increase;and a 3.5 billion dollar stock buyback.Retail investors don't want to buy just one share of MasterCard for 200.00,CNBC analyst Jim Cramer pointed out.It's well-run.These guys are not lightweights.*
Citigroup has issued a buy recommendation on Alcatel-Lucent,and a sell on Cisco Systems.I think people are starting to recognise there is a management problem at Cisco.The analysts are giving up.It was the biggest darling;now it's a hated stock.CEO John Chambers isn't going anywhere,however.He and Cisco are revered in the Silicon Valley.*
Home Depot is a great company and CEO Frank Blake is a fabulous operator.I love the stores.Frank Blake is the great hard goods merchant of our day.You bet against Home Depot,I think you're making a big mistake.That stock should not be down,said CNBC's popular author and host Jim Cramer,who has a law degree and roots for the Philadelphia Eagles.*
Alcatel-Lucent(ALU),Cisco Systems(CSCO),MasterCard(MC),Home Depot(HD)

MasterCard Conducts Holiday Campaign For SU2C

MasterCard(R) is conducting its Click And Be Generous(TM) campaign to aid Stand Up To Cancer(TM).Between now and December 31,for any online purchase made with a debit or credit MasterCard,MC will donate 1 cent to SU2C up to 2,000,000 dollars.This includes bill payments.So far,MC has donated about 600,000 dollars to the charity through this campaign.
In a TV promo,actor and SU2C ambassador Ty Burrell surprised a woman who had unknowingly contributed to the fundraiser by using her MasterCard.Burrell is best known for his role as Phil Dunphy in the ABC sitcom "Modern Family,"winning an Emmy Award for it in 2011.
SU2C is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation.Funds raised are dedicated to accelerating groundbreaking research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.By rallying the entertainment industry,the program raises awareness and builds broad public support for the effort.

MasterCard Steps Up For Cancer Research

From now to September 28,2012,MasterCard is contributing to Stand Up To Cancer when you spend 10 dollars or more for a meal on your MasterCard(R).MasterCard will donate one cent whenever you do so-up to 4 million dollars.Only signature transactions apply,not PIN-based transactions.
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation(EIF),a 501(C)(3)tax-exempt organization.Its goal is to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research,in order to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives.Visit www.facebook.com/mastercard to support the cause.
Dine and be generous.S^2C(TM)   www.standup2cancer.org
MasterCard(MC)

What To Expect From 2012:A Goldman Sachs Economic Perspective-plus some stock tips

A tone of caution pervades the thoughts of a leading analyst when he views the 2012 prospects for the market and the rest of the economy.Jan Hatzius,Chief Economist at Goldman Sachs,feels that 2012 will see sluggish growth,with continuing repair of built-up imbalances.Recovery of the labor market will be very slow and halting.We suspect the first half of 2012 is gonna be a little slower.We suspect that the truth is decent growth,but a little softer.
We're still in a very macro-driven environment,with high correlation.We do think Europe is in a significant recession,and the impact will be greater on the U.S. than it has been so far-a full percentage point greater.
I think there will be a slight increase in housing market normalcy.Small businesses have done worse than large because they are more linked to construction,and more dependent on banks for financing,rather than capital markets.
We have a depressed economy.We think real GDP will be 1.5-2%.It's unlikely that you'll get major initiatives from Washington before 2013,in a presidential election year.Unemployment is not directly under the control of policymakers,although it's politically unacceptable,Dr.Hatzius observed.
Update:Goldman Sachs believes Vodafone may appreciate more than 50% over the next two years.It has downgraded MasterCard to neutral from buy,and Accenture to neutral from outperform.MetLife has been upgraded from neutral to buy.
Goldman Sachs(GS),MetLife(MET),MasterCard(MA),Vodafone(VOD),Accenture(ACN)