Shares of Baidu (BIDU) are pointed sharply higher in after-hours trading, with investors cheering the company's fourth-quarter earnings report. The Internet-search issue swung to a profit of $62.7 million, or $1.80 per American depositary share, while revenue jumped 40% to $184.7 million. Analysts were looking for a slimmer per-share profit of $1.69, according to Thomson Reuters.

Looking ahead, BIDU said it expects first-quarter revenue to range between $176 million and $181 million, compared to consensus expectations for revenue of $170 million. This upbeat forecast sent the stock surging to a gain of nearly 9% in electronic trading.

There have been rumors that Germany is coming to aid of Greece, but there are some formidable obstacles in such a ploy.

First EU law bars the European Central Bank or national central banks from bailing out EU members through buying their debt or offering loans, according to a German parliament research unit."There are no identifiable grounds for an alternative interpretation."

The stock of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT), which I first wrote about on May 5, 2009 at a price of $13.30, has given back most of the gains registered in 2009, but I still like the company's business model and prospects, for several reasons.

First and foremost, it appears the long auto sector depression in the U.S. is over: miles driven fell substantially in 2009, due to fewer drivers and consumer belt-tightening. Further, while no one should expect 1960s-style suburban traffic growth, last year's negative mileage pattern is unlikely to be repeated in 2010.

Sugar is one of the most basic commodities. Countries throughout the world are wanting sugar. Supplies of sugar are reaching a 20 year low this year. The shortage may become especially acute in the third quarter.

Here some supply/demand statistics:

• India the biggest importer may need an extra 2.5 to 3 million tons to meet a 7 million ton deficit.
• China, the biggest consumer after India may have a deficit of 3.3 million tons.

What might get the Republicans to bite on the jobs bill currently under formulation on Capitol Hill? A lack of an estate tax.

The bipartisan Senate bill that may come for a vote this week is not likely to include an extension of the estate tax, which expired at the end of 2009, Reuters reported Tuesday (however, Washington's likely, second heavy storm/blizzard in a week, expected to arrive Tuesday night, may delay the vote: most federal offices were closed again Tuesday for snow clean-up).

This morning one of my colleagues, Joseph Lazzaro, who heavily uses technical analysis, posted an article titled General Cable Corp.: Stopped-Out.

I have never used technical analysis to make investment decisions, but I have used charts for general long term trends examining a stock from a historical perspective. I think in the case of General Cable Corp. (BGC) it may prove untimely to bail out now based on just technical analysis.

Germany is considering an assistance package for fiscally-strapped Greece, two lawmakers from Chancellor 's governing coalition said, Boomberg News reported Tuesday.

"We are considering support," Michael Meister, the Christian Democratic Union's deputy parliamentary leader and the party's financial affairs spokesman, told Bloomberg News Tuesday in a phone interview. "If Greece gets aid, it will only happen under strict conditions and if the Greek government undertakes far-reaching state reforms."

Vulcan Materials Company (VMC), a producer of construction aggregates, released Q4 earnings on Monday after the bell. Today, the market is weighing in on the numbers. It doesn't like them. At the time of this writing, shares of the company were down over 3% in afternoon trading, backed by strong volume.

Total revenues dropped 26%. Vulcan booked a loss of 10 cents per share from continuing operations. According to Earnings.com, a loss of 2 cents per share was expected.

Today was a tough day to call ahead of time despite the notion that the stocks were getting oversold. Washington D.C was closed and New York City is getting close to closing many services Wednesday because of yet another huge snow dump. The larger second wave of the rally today was based entirely on the leaks, rumors, and hopes of a Greece bailout either by Germany or by the E.U. in some form or fashion.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,058.64 +150.25 (1.52%)
S&P 500 1,070.52 +13.78 (1.30%)
Nasdaq 2,150.87 +24.82 (1.17%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls
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New York Times Co. (NYT), which has said it plans to move to a metered model for its online presence, is scheduled to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 financial results in a conference call Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 11:00 AM (ET). An live webcast of the call will be available at the company's website.

During the three months that ended in December, New York Times released an app for the BlackBerry and new features for NYTimes.com, as well as named a new HR chief. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings for that period of $0.38 per share. That's up from $0.16 per share in the previous quarter and $0.30 per share a year ago. But revenue for the fourth quarter is expected to be 15.4% lower than a year ago to $653.2 million.

In bad times or good, millions of people will still buy drinks from Coca-Cola (KO). So yet again, the company posted a solid quarter, showing a 55% increase in earnings to $1.54 billion. For the whole year, earnings came to a juicy $6.8 billion, up 18%.

However, there was a drag; that is, the mature markets of the US and Europe. While the economic environment is improving, the performance is still lackluster and it looks like the recovery will be fairly slow.

Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) is a stock I've had on my radar screen for a while -- it was first written about on May 6, 2009. at a price of $56.09 -- and I still like it. Here's why:

Long-term, Schlumberger "is in the catbird seat," concerning the world's need for more oil. Oil producers, particularly newer clients in emerging markets, will need the more-sophisticated oil services that SLB can provide. Further, a likely oil price of $70-85 per barrel in 2010 will increase oil producer confidence in the feasibility of launching new upstream projects -- another plus for SLB.

As my colleague Karla Yeh pointed out over at ONN.tv earlier today, Biogen Idec (BIIB) saw some unusual options trading in the wake of its positive earnings surprise before the bell.

BIIB gapped higher at the open, jumping almost 2% out of the gate. Less than a half hour into the trading day, large blocks of roughly 4,000 contracts each traded at four March strikes: the 45-strike put, the 50-strike put, the 55-strike call, and the 60-strike call. It appears as though this investor sold the March 50/55 strangle (the 50 put and the 55 call) and simultaneously purchased the March 45/60 strangle (the 45 put and the 60 call).

A short strangle is typically employed when the investor expects the underlying instrument to stay range-bound; a long strangle is used by traders who expect a sharp move in either direction. In this case, with one of each crossing the tape as part of one strategy, it can be referred to as an iron condor.

While most investors are fretting the markets recent contraction, you can be quite confident that "my pal Warren" has a smile on his face, as does Peter Lynch, Ken Heebner, Bill Miller, Bruce Berkowitz, and any number of fellow value investors that know now may be a time of opportunity. That is because they have the experience and understanding to pounce when they have a chance to buy things cheap.

This is the fourth installment of my series to discover just that: cheap stocks. If you would like to get on board from the beginning then review the initial post which screened for stocks with lower than market average P/E ratios, see Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks. In the second installment, I looked at yield and PEG ratios: Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth. Then I moved on to the the P/S and P/CF metrics in Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26, cutting nine stocks.

TMZ reports that a Playboy (PLA) shareholder has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging that majority shareholder and chief creative officer Hugh Hefner has intentionally sabotaged multiple deal possibilities in an effort to hold onto his own lifestyle.

"If you were Hugh Hefner, 81, would you give up the parade of busty blonds, the fancy mansion and the reality TV show for a payout?" the lawsuit asks. "Hefner has continued to live the good life and make sure everyone knows it. Hefner remains in the limelight, showing up at media events and at the Playboy mansion ... with his girlfriends by his side."