MIDDAY LUNCH

Dow 10526.14  +83.44, Nasdaq 2317.51  +25.74, S&P 1133.84  +10.87 

Stocks continue to trade to the plus side with 90% of the S&P trading higher, but they are off of their session highs.  Because of the strength in stocks and commodities today Treasuries have been under pressure. The benchmark 10-year Note is down 22 ticks yielding 3.70%.

The CRB Commodity Index has pulled back. It’s now trading with a +0.7% gain after it was up more than 1% earlier in the day.  The dip comes as the dollar has gained strength making its way up from negative ground and back to the neutral line.

Stocks began to take off after the release of the latest job number.  The U.S. unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent and payrolls fell less than the forecasted 68,000 job losses. This indicated the labor market strengthened even with the recent snowstorms.

Apple (AAPL) 219.09 +8.38, +3.98% is higher today, after the company announced the highly anticipated iPad will reach store shelves by April 3.

Fannie Mae (FNM) 1.01 +0.0183, +1.85% and Freddie Mac (FRE) 1.22 0.00, 0.00% are in the news today after Congressman Barney Frank made a comment that loans held by these companies, in many cases, are now worthless, but banks are reluctant to release their claims.  He also said that “Many investors have told us that they're ready to get something instead of nothing.”  This led the Treasury to have to follow-up with a statement that they stand behind the implied government guarantee of the GSE’s.