"My latest 'Special Alert' recommendation could be called an 'Are you Crazy?' pick; despite the high risk, I believe National bank of Greece (NBG) could double before the end of 2011," says global stock specialist Nicholas Vardy.

The editor of The Global Bull Market Alert explains, "Ratings agency Fitch just recently cut the long-term ratings of the National Bank of Greece to BB+ from BBB- while it maintained a 'negative outlook' for its prospects.

"Nevertheless, here's why I think Fitch and the other naysayers are wrong... and why National Bank of Greece will be a big winner for patient investors.

Today got a boost from a less-bad GDP that came in as a revised 1.6%. Slow growth, but not as slow as what was expected. Even an overdue warning from Intel did not manage to be bad enough to stall the market recovery. After Ben Bernanke said he'd do whatever it took to maintain a recovery, stocks and oil rose, and some of the air came out of the bond bubble.

Here were today's closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 10,151.18 +165.37 (1.66%)
S&P 500 1,064.60 +17.38 (1.66%)
Nasdaq 2,153.63 +34.94 (1.65%)

Top Analyst Call

This was another day where the real closing verdict of red or black was unknown right up until the closing bell. The day looked very mixed from index to index and sector to sector. Consumer confidence came in weak again, and there is still mixed data on housing prices.

Here were today's closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 10,537.69 +12.26 (0.12%)
S&P 500 1,113.84 -1.17 (-0.10%)
Nasdaq 2,288.25 -8.18 (-0.36%)

Today was one of the days where the only way to know where it would really end up was to have a crystal ball or time machine with a 4:00 PM destination. The only real data was existing home sales, and the overseas markets offered enough continued weakness and uncertainty that the news flow almost did not even matter. The three major stock indexes all spent at least some time in positive territory despite the woes of the day.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,066.57 -126.82 (-1.24%)
S&P 500 1,073.63 -14.06 (-1.29%)
Nasdaq 2,213.55 -15.49 (-0.69%)

Top Analyst Calls

The day started out in the red, and just sold more into the red from there. The only good news is that stocks did close well off their lows as some investors decided to bargain hunt late in the afternoon ahead of the close, in case a new rescue or aid package is released (or re-released). Gold even came off of new record highs after this morning.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,620.16 -162.79 (-1.51%)
S&P 500 1,135.68 -21.75 (-1.88%)
Nasdaq 2,346.85 -47.51 (-1.98%)

Top Analyst Calls
Next Week's Big Earnings

Another drop in weekly jobless claims did not help to curb late day selling. There are several reasons that the sell-off came late in the day, but the most common suspect was a buyer's strike at the end of the day. Nervousness is just not behind us and many still doubt in the E.U. bailout's success as anything more than a temporary fix with zero on long-term solutions.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,782.95 -113.96 (-1.05%)
S&P 500 1,157.43 -14.24 (-1.22%)
Nasdaq 2,394.36 -30.66 (-1.26%)

Top Analyst Calls

Trade deficits, record government budget deficits... Humbug! Today was a day where bad news did not matter in the broader sense. Overseas markets were up, but the U.S. was where the action was.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,896.91 +148.65 (1.38%)
S&P 500 1,171.67 +15.88 (1.37%)
Nasdaq 2,425.02 +49.71 (2.09%)

Top Analyst Calls

Today's market fear was that the $1 trillion E.U. bailout is a bandaid over an open wound, rather than a cure. In short, the problems remain but more money is thrown at them. Traders spent most of the day playing tug of war all of the way down to the closing bell wire today.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,748.26 -36.88 (-0.34%)
S&P 500 1,155.79 -3.94 (-0.34%)
Nasdaq 2,375.31 +0.64 (0.03%)

Top Analyst Calls

Stocks might have seemed like a buy, but the selling continued for second day as Greece and Europe weighed on equities. The economy created 290,000 jobs in April and unemployment was listed as 9.9%. The market tried to go positive several times, but was stopped in its tracks. The flight to quality today means a flight to gold.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,380.43 -139.89 (-1.33%)
S&P 500 1,110.88 -17.27 (-1.53%)
Nasdaq 2,265.64 -54.00 (-2.33%)

Top Analyst Calls

Blame the Greeks... Why should today be any different? The fear is that the Greek debt crisis is ready to spread. You have heard it before, and you will continue to hear it again. Maybe this is just the excuse the bears needed to take control. Suddenly, the VIX was back above 25 for the first time since February.

Here were today's closing bell levels:

Dow 10,926.77 -225.06 (-2.02%)
S&P 500 1,173.60 -28.66 (-2.38%)
Nasdaq 2,424.25 -74.49 (-2.98%)

Top Analyst Calls

If you looked at the overseas trading markets versus the US this morning, this was one of those days that could have gone either way. This followed a financial rescue package for Greece, and also followed the biggest gain in US manufacturing in almost six years, that even with a rise in construction spending.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 11,151.83 +143.22 (1.30%)
S&P 500 1,202.26 +15.58 (1.31%)
Nasdaq 2,498.74 +37.55 (1.53%)

Top Analyst Calls

How do you account for sovereign debt risk outside of the credit default swap markets? That is what traders were asking themselves today over fears of Portugal, Greece, and other issues. A growing China-U.S. tension and the reality of lower consumer after-tax monies in 2011, and on. The jobs data today was going further and further away from anything decent, and the fears of Friday's unemployment value of most assets fell... stocks and commodities hit skid row.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 9,999.84 -270.71 (-2.64%)
S&P 500 1,062.86 -34.42 (-3.14%)
Nasdaq 2,125.43 -65.48 (-2.99%)

Top Stock & Market Rumors
Top Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

Today was effectively a boring day in the stock market. At least there was a real index level change. The major overseas markets were all lower, and that sealed the direction for Tuesday. The yo-yo in the dollar and overall demand issues have oil lower and gold lower yet again today.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,285.59 -104.52 (-1.01%)
S&P 500 1,092.02 -11.23 (-1.02%)
Nasdaq 2,172.79 -16.82 (-0.77%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls
Top Stock Rumors
Top Day Trader Alerts

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Weekday Trader" wrote that NYC tax medallion financier and owner Medallion Financial Corp (NASDAQ: TAXI) is a play on the rising value of the New York City's taxi medallions, currently worth $600K each.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC next week will use a 1950s standard, live advertisements, to keep viewers watching commercials in the age of digital video recorders.

OTHER PAPERS:

• Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) will cut over 700 jobs at two Tennessee plants, reported the Associated Press.
• The U.K. Times has learned that food service company Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) will bid for British food company Brake Bros, which has also drawn interest from Archie Norman and Blackstone.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" section:
  
• Without belittling the challenge Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) faces from its bribery scandal, investors will now start paying attention to the company's earnings, according to Michael Hagmann of UBS.
  
• MCF Corporation (NYSE: MEM) is a small financial services operation with a cheap price, given its 50% annual growth rate, said Scott Potter of San Francisco Equity Partners.
  
• John Maloney, president of M&R Capital Management, sees National Bank of Greece (NYSE: NBG) benefiting from the booming economies of Southeastern Europe.