Wal-Mart (WMT) closed at $53.43. WMT's volatility is flat on tight trading range as it is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 18. February put option implied volatility is at 20, March and June puts are at 21; near its 26-week average of 21, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Three stocks with IV rise on January 29; Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/B) +9%, Focus Media (FMCN) + 8%, Talbots (TLB) +6% according to IVolatility.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Focus Media (NASDAQ: FMCN), a Chinese digital advertising company, closed at $10.98. January option implied volatility of 132 is above its 26-week average of 106, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

SINA Corp (NASDAQ: SINA), a Chinese online media company, closed at $29.24. SINA January option implied volatility is at 63; March is at 70; above its 26-week average of 61, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement in early spring.

Shanda Interactive (NASDAQ: SNDA), an interactive entertainment media company in China, closed at $30.33. SNDA January option implied volatility of 66 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Minyanville's Sean Udall dares to share the kind of keen insight and actionable information you won't find in any prospectus. Here he discusses some players in the tech sector. For more original thought, visit www.minyanville.com.

SuccessFactors (NASDAQ: SFSF): The stock prices secondary at $11.80 and is holding pretty tough. I'm watching this one pretty closely and was hoping for some post-secondary weakness to possibly add a starter here. A pretty good balance sheet just got better, but I guess the question is, "What is it going to do with that cash?"

Digital TV Holding (NYSE: STV): This company may have made a bottom recently and the deal announced today is exactly what the company talked about in its last quarterly call. I've commented on the possibility of it securing more revenue streams (partnering for recurring advertising revenue) in the past. It looks to be developing the conduits to deliver on that.

comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR): Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) news is hurting the stock badly. I sold my mine some time back after that series of paid click reports ahead of Google's last quarter that proved to be quite inaccurate. All that aside, I don't think comScore's core business is going to disappear within a compressed time frame and may be worth a long side trade if it moves near or under $20. I'll leave it be and see what develops, as the knife could cut further.

Focus Media (NASDAQ: FMCN), a digital media company in China, guided Q2 revenues to $190 - $195 million versus consensus of $201 million due to earthquake .

Oppenheimer says: "Effect of earthquake now greater than expected."

FMCN overall option implied volatility of 74 is above its 26-week average of 65 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

NetEase (NASDAQ: NTES), an interactive online community in China is scheduled to report Q1 EPS after market close on May 21.

NTES June option implied volatility of 58 is above its 26-week average of 45 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Focus Media (NASDAQ: FMCN), a digital media company in China utilizing live motion displays, is scheduled to report Q1 EPS on June 5.

FMCN June option implied volatility of 68 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risks.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

"The Olympics have long been a boon to stock markets of host countries," notes Tony Sagami, a leading global stock advisor with a noted specialty in Asian markets.

In his Asia Stock Alert newsletter, he notes, "I believe the chief beneficiaries of the Olympic Games will be consumer and travel-related stocks. And within these sectors, I've chosen six stocks poised to bring home Olympic gold from Beijing."

"We saw a 19% gain in the Spanish stock market in the 12 months before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and the 27% gain in the Greek stock market in the year before the 2004 Athens Olympics. And those countries were not growing at a fraction of the breakneck pace that China is. So it wouldn't surprise me to see the Chinese stock market do even better.

Olympic Gold Winner #1: China Mobile (NYSE: CHL):

"It seems like every person I see in China has a cell phone glued to their ear. And the cell phone is not just the primary voice communication medium in China; it is also the common way most Chinese access the Internet and email. In China, the cell phone 'is' the personal computer.

"Heck, most new high-rise condominium and apartment complexes being built in China aren't even wired for land lines. Once you understand the device's role, you'll see why China Mobile has more cell phone users (360 million) than the U.S. has people. I expect a lot of cell phone calls and text messages during the Beijing Olympics!

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"Our top conservative stock idea for 2008 is Focus Media Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN)," says Jim Trippon, editor of The China Stock Digest. "Founded only four years ago, Focus Media now calls itself China's largest out-of-home media company; it has blanketed China's first and second tier cities with tens of thousands of display ads.

"Focus Media is growing powerfully on the strength of a rapidly expanding out-of-home advertising business in a booming economy. With revenue growth in all of its corporate sectors expanding at approximately 100% year over year, this company is delivering unprecedented profitability.

"With the Beijing Olympics approaching, we expect an extra surge in out-of-home advertising revenue and demand. The company is aggressively pushing its pricing to the market's tolerance and expanding its network. 2008 should be a banner year for Focus Media.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• While United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is preparing for the busiest time of the year, high costs and a slowing economy are set to present big challenges for the Atlanta company once the holiday season is over, the Wall Street Journal reported.

OTHER PAPERS:

• BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" column reported that shares of Abiomed Inc (NASDAQ: ABMD) have recovered nearly to its 52-week high of $15, rallying on buzz that the FDA could approve the company's chief product, Impella, a miniature pump at the end of a catheter, within 12 months.
• The "Inside Wall Street" column also reported that Focus Media Holding Limited (NASDAQ: FMCN), the top advertising company in Internet, Mobile and Poster/Panel Markets, should benefit from the 2008 Summer Olympics.

WEB SITES:

• According to sources and reported by AppleInsider, there have been additional sightings of an "unfamiliar MacBook model floating around" Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) campus perhaps indicating a new Macbook is coming at next month's Macworld Expo.

On tonight's MAD MONEY on CNBC, Jim Cramer dedicated the night to China. He's not gung ho on Chinese stocks, but he's willing to review some of them. (As a reminder, Cramer said he doesn't like investing in China, he doesn't trust China, and he thinks it is overvalued.) He has forecasted an imminent 8% to 10% pullback any time, because, he says, the market is overheated. After you get that pullback then you can buy the stocks, but he advises not to do so now.

As a reminder, Cramer said he wouldn't cross the river with his charitable trust to invest in China, even if there was a 20% pullback in the market. But Cramer does have some picks; he has three solid steady plays and two speculative stock picks.

The 'solid plays':

• CNOOC Limited (NYSE: CEO) is China's nationalized oil play, the number one offshore, a large player in Indonesia; it is 67% government-owned. Under the production sharing, the company gets the mandatory rights. As long as oil stays high this one is a winner, he thinks. ADR's have a $45 billion market cap; 3% dividend yield.
• China Mobile Limited (NYSE: CHL), says Cramer, is the winner in the Chinese wireless market with 68% of the mobile users in China. The government owns the majority of the company. It has been on hold because of rumors that China Telecom might enter wireless; it has 1.9% dividend; $191 billion market cap.

Back in 2003, Jason Jiang (who is now 33) started Focus Media Holding (NASDAQ: FMCN), which provides video advertising in elevators in China. So far, it's been a huge success. His company currently has a market cap of $3.8 billion.

One of its shareholders is the private equity firm the Carlyle Group. Well, it should be no surprise that it wants to cash-out, by selling 10 million shares (the firm will still have a stake of 12.5 million). This is according to a recent filing with the SEC.

The firm's initial investment was $19.5 million in late 2004. Thus, its payday will represent about a 9X return.

All in all, the deal was fairly unusual for Carlyle. That is, the investment was a minority stake. However, the investment was actually not in Focus Media. Rather, it was in Target Media Holdings, which was bought out by Focus Media.

Interestingly enough, Target Media was also a startup company – which is also unusual for Carlyle.

But, hey, Carlyle needs to find any way to make money, right?

You can see a write-up on the transaction at The Daily Deal website.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including the Complete M&A Handbook and the EDGAR-Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements.