NYSE-Euronext Inc. (NYSE: NYX) Chief Executive John Thain has a tricky branding problem.

For one thing, his company's name is a god-awful tongue-twister. Another, as the Wall Street Journal points out, is that it's geographically limiting. So what should he do?

Some are suggesting that the company take out the references to New York. That would be a huge mistake since the NYSE name is so well-known. Besides, why would the company not want to trumpet its association with New York, the epicenter of capItalism?

What the company needs is a new name that underscores its history and allows for the potential for growth. It shouldn't be one of those quasi-Latin sounding corporate names that were all of the rage during the 1990s. The Journal also shows that it would be ludicrous to simply add the names of new acquisitions to NYSE-Euronext.

To solve this sort of problems usually requires millions of dollars in fees to naming consultants to devise some idiotic, quasi-Latin sounding moniker or to makeover an existing word with an incomprehensible spelling. Luckily for NYSE-Euronext shareholders, this won't be necessary.

The Exchange's nickname The Big Board would make a great company name. It's simple, easy-to-remember and already widely used by financial commentators. The only problem is that the related Web addresses have long been taken though Bigboardsite.com is available.

If anyone can think of a better idea, let us know and we will forward your suggestions to the company.

Note: The Daily Option Update is provided by Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX down .22 to 10.09.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) -- option volume heavy as February implied volatility bid up on hedges into EPS. Cisco, the largest vendor of data networking equipment and the leading global supplier of internet-working solutions is expected to report EPS on 2/6. Goldman Sachs says "we believe there is a high likelihood of Cisco beating our and the Street's estimates of $8.28 billion/$0.31. We expect management to reaffirm positive longer-term trends in emerging markets, new technologies, and the impact of video networks as key drivers of sustained double-digit top-line growth." Cisco call option volume of 73,135 contracts compares to put volume of 46,830 contracts. Cisco February option implied volatility of 42 is above its 26-week average of 28 according to Track Data, suggesting larger near term price risks.

Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE:NBR) -- option implied volatility and volume increases as NBR rallies. Nabors is an owner and operator of almost 600 land drilling, approximately 791 land workover/well-servicing rigs and 43 offshore platform rigs worldwide. Nabors will report EPS on 2/7. Nabors is recently up .80 to $31.02 on unconfirmed LBO chatter. Nabors call option volume of 26,680 contracts compares to put volume of 2,895 contracts. Nabors March option implied volatility is at 38. Nabors February option implied volatility of 53 is above a level of 43 from twenty-minutes ago and above its 26-week average of 33 according to Track Data, suggesting increasing price fluctuations.

Option volume leaders today were: Cisco (CSCO), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Equity Office Properties (NYSE:EOP), NYSE Group Inc. (NYSE: NYX) and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).

Tonight on CNBC's MAD MONEY Jim Cramer was discussing NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX).

He said there is an $87.00 stock that is going to $250.00 in the next two years: New York Stock Exchange. He said it is still noted by Wall Street as fully valued, but they are wrong. He said it doesn't even matter that it was up $5.00 today and you would wonder why it isn't up even more. He said there are no sellers of the stock. The specialists aren't selling, the old Archipelago holders aren't sellers. Cramer thinks a NYSE & Euronext combination could be huge.

Cramer said he was shocked at how quiet the floor was yesterday because it is thinning out. Cramer thinks the floorless trading is coming soon rather than later. he said the 500 worker cut this week was 17% of its workforce and they recently closed one of the five trading rooms.

Cramer enumerated the reasons he thinks the stock can get to $250:

1. hybrid systems rollout is speeding up trades
   
2. the exchange won't have to get into a bidding war over Euronext
3. while it was archaic and poorly run, it is now well-run, with massive improvements
4. Euronext savings will be $600 million
5. working deals in India and Japan, and
   
6. he hybrid system will help trim that $350 million in floor operation expenses.
   

He thinks it can earn $10 per share faster than he even thought a month ago, even though the street is only at $5.00 EPS for 2008.

Jon Ogg is a partner in 24/7 Wall St., LLC; he does not own securities in teh companies he covers.

With the DJIA at record levels in the last two weeks, are stocks the "in thing" to have in an investment portfolio for making money of providing for retirement savings? That sentence was about as lame as a, well, duck -- because the immense amount of variables that goes into a solid financial plan these days does not just look at the stock market's recent performance for any kind of guarantee on present or future performance.

Some of us remember who lost their shirts in the crash of 2001-2002 and even 1987. See that graph above? Look at September 2001 -- that gives many of us pause when it comes to thinking how our portfolios were arranged at that time.

So, the argument of the day again comes to trust in the DJIA's highest-ever levels. As I'm writing this, the average is peaking at 11,863. What's in an average, so to speak? This great article over at SeekingAlpha pretty much summed things up about how the DJIA can take a piece of news -- seemingly any news -- and draw conclusions that have no hope of ever being proven.

After all, the market is based on such heavy speculation every day (crystal ball syndrome), that it's rare to see an investor take a long-term view of the markets, the U.S. and global economy and the litany of other factors that can cause incredible gains over the long term. I think Warren Buffett, however, knows something about this. So how does this writer feel about the DJIA? In his words, "I am now more convinced than ever that the Dow is the most useless, overused tool on the planet!"

One of the best points I've heard many times before is reiterated here -- "The Dow is 'price weighted,' meaning that weightings are determined based on the selling price of each stock, not the value of the company." Well spoken and well said.