costly credit. the sneaky new charges if you pay with plastic. in todays cover story....why landing your next job depends on having friends in high places. wall street is finding a new home in a southern, sunny state. plus...a closer look at how the gun debate is effect manufacturers. and....stocks to buy ...as the market roars back..first business starts now. you're watching first business: financial news, analysis, and today's investment ideas good morning. it's tuesday, january 29th. i'm angela miles. in today's first look the stock market slows its roll after climbing to highs we

haven't seen since 2007... stocks were mixed monday. what's most critical to traders -- the s&p 500 is holding on to the1,500 mark. investors are cheering yahoo! shares rallied after the close... the tech company had better than expected earnings.. and the credit is going to the new ceo marisa mayer. the federal reserve is set to release federal reserve, banks it's results on the latest bank stress tests march 7th. and sale and clearance signs that were removed by management.. are going back up at jcpenney... larry levin of trading advantage joins us on this tuesday for a closer look at the trading day. good to have you on the show. which sectors in this market have the most power would you say? > > i would have to say in the tech sector, nasdaq, apple stock obviously. and if you're talking about power its markets that move both ways. certainly apple's big down move has been something big. and then obviously yesterday we saw yahoo and their earnings come out and a big pop in that stock. so i like tech. > > the fed meeting gets

underway today. what is the market anticipating here? > > proffessional traders down behind me are certainly anticipating more backstopping by the government, certainly no change in interest rate or anything like that and really more of the same---i'm not getting out of the way---which unfortunately is not a good thing as far as i'm concerned. > > the ten year yield peaked above 2%. what is that telling traders? > > haven't seen that in a long time and certainly that's a big deal if we get above 2% and stay above there i think that's really gonna throw traders for a loop because we've been well below there for a long, long time. > > do you think we'll continue to see a lot of volatility in the natural gas trade? > > i do. i think that was really interesting to see over the last few days too. that's a good trade. energy trades are always good---natural gas, really haven't seen any moves. it was crazy for a while. now it's settled down. now it looks like it's back to some good action again. > > thank you larry. have a good one. it's always been a key to getting hired. now, it's true even more so. having someone inside the company where you're applying for work who'll vouch for you puts your application and

resume on the fast-track. and as our cover story explains, the recession is a big reason for this trend. the recession put millions of americans out of work and that included those who worked in human resources--the hiring department. "there's been a hollowing out of hr departments." now, with fewer h-r people to go through the avalanche of applications that increases with each class of graduates preparing to join the workforce, a good word on your behalf submitted by someone already working where you've applied, puts you in the express lane. "when you say to me i'll vouch for someone, that has a lot of credibility as far as i'm concerned." the percentage of new hires that got a boost from internal referrals is significant---49% of new hires at deloitte and 45% at accounting firm, ernst & young.---both higher than in 2010. "there's all sorts of red flags that come up." bob bruno says there can be a downside. "you could end up eliminating diversity. i'm not talking about gender or race but

diversity of ideas. that's terrible for the employer." it's especially hard now for the nearly 4.8 million americans who've been out of work six months or longer....three times as many as in 2007. for them, anita jenke suggests letting your contacts know which companies may receive your application. "here's are some of the target companies, i've got. if you know of someone there, please let me know. and if i can do anything, i'm happy to 'pay- it-forward." "we can't all have someone on the inside for us. so don't be afraid to be different and point out how you bring 'value' to the firm that you're applying to." more reason for closer scrutiny----a study for the federal reserve bank of new york found employees recommending candidates of the same race, ethnicity, more than 70 percent of the time.

herbal life investors are crossing their fingers the company will dodge a bullet. the federal trade commission is taking action against forturne hi tech marketing. regulators accuse fortune of being a pyramid scheme herbal life has been labled a pyramid scheme by hedge fund manager bill ackman. although herbal life owners strongly disputes the charge. both herbal life and fortune sell nutritional supplments and have similar business models. herbalife closed at $40.00. the federal trade commission may be the latest entity eyeing the business practices of herbalife. under intense scrutiny since hedge fund manager bill ackman labeled the company a pyramid scheme, herbalife was thought to be the possible target when the ftc announced it would take action against an unnamed

company for operating a pyramid scheme. that company turned out to be hi-tech marketing, but it has lots in common with herbalife. both companies sell nutritional supplements and have similar business models. president obama heads to nevada today -- where he will deliver a speech regarding immigration policy. yesterday -- a group of eight bipartisan lawmakers unveiled an immigration reform plan -- calling the proposals "tough but fair." the proposals would make it possible for undocumented immigrants to apply for green cards by passing a background check and paying a fine. the senators also addressed ramping up border security. the steps would be easier for children of undocumented immigrants and agricultural workers to obtain citizenship. starting friday -- japan can begin importing beef from the u.s. the japanese government is easing restrictions of a ban set in place in 2003. japan shut off imports from the u-s and other countries following the mad cow scare. now -- the country will permit beef imports from cattle 30 months or younger. its a victory for beef exporters here. prior to the ban japan was one of the largest customers for the industry. boeing's dreamliner investigation is shifting beyond the battery. as 787's remain grounded... regulators say there's no evidence, the dreamliner's battery is the source of its problems. the investigation now turns to the aircraft's monitoring system -- which gauges temperature and voltage of the batteries. reports say airbus warned the industry of possible risks of

using lithium ion batteries last year. it is also reported the japanese government helped to fast track the release of dreamliner by relaxing some saftety regulations. toyota is back on top. the automaker sold a record 9.75 million vehicles worldwide in 2012. that locks in a first place win in front of gm which sold 9.29 million cars and trucks. volkswagen is a close third at 9.1 million. gm sales remain solid. toyota is rebounding from recalls, natural disasters and dispute with china over a chain of islands. volkswagen is working frantically to stay on track to become number one in the next few years. although sales recently slipped in its own homeland of europe. 2017. that's the year some leading automakers say we'll be able to drive hydrogen fueled cars. ford, daimler and renault- nissan are collaborating on developing both cars and trucks that run on hydrogen. the only

byproducts of hydrogen fuel are water and vapor so the technology is completely "green." toyota and bmw are also collaborating on hydrogen technology and hope to put it into commercial production by 2020. cleanup crews are working to stop the spread of an oil spill in the mississippi river. sunday... more than 80,000 gallons of oil spewed into the river after a barge hit a railroad bridge near vicksburg mississippi. authorities shutdown a section of the water way so that crews could skim the light crude. it's not clear when normal travel will resume on the mighty mississippi. the hess corporation is refining its business. the energy company plans to close its port reading refinery in new jersey by the end of the month. and, is also preparing to sell its u.s terminal network. the companies is transforming

from integrated oil and gas to predominantly exploration and production. investors clearly like the plan, shares shot up more than $ 3 dollars yesterday. a dreary chapter for bookseller barnes and noble. up to a third of its brick and mortar stores will close within the next decade. the chain blames the changing reading habits of americans and the shift to digital publications. eventually there will be around 500 of the bookstores, down from 689. apple smartphones are running into hang ups in asia. statcounter.com finds that apple's market share of iphones in china is falling in singapore and hong kong. reports say consumers like the brand name but also want the coolest devices available. the number of iphone and ipad users in those regions fell from a peak of 72% in january 2012 to 50% this month. on the other hand.. the use of android devices such as by samsung -- are at 43% up from 20% last year. starting this week just using your credit card could cost you more. it's because of the new "swipe fees." those fees were part of the settlement last summer between credit card

companies, banks and merchants. it is now legal for businesses to pass merchant fees onto consumers. anywhere from 1.5 to 4% of the total purchase price. just because they can charge the fees doesn't mean they will. given the current economic climate it is believed most retailers won't. still to come why wall street is heading south to the sunshine state. thats later on. but first....why gun manufacturers are running into problems. thats straight ahead. hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios

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it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪ well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? bee happy. bee healthy. with clusters of flakes and o's. oh, ho ho... it's the honey sweetness. the mayor of chicago is asking banks to get on board with gun safety. mayor rahm emanuel has asked commercial and investment banks including-- bank of america and td ameritrade-- to hault lines of credit and financing options to gun makers that do not comply with gun safety laws. emanuel asks that banks deny service until manufacturerers agree to support measures such as criminal background checks. president obama met with members of law enforcment to get their take on the gun debate. i welcome this opportunity to work with them, to hear their views about what would make the biggest difference to prevent something like newtown or oak

creek from happening again 20 students and 6 adults were killed by gun fire in newtown connecticut.. talk of new rules on gun ownership is triggering a new round of supply and demand in the industry. kyle porter takes us the heart of texas. chris rhodes has a good problem. "they're buying everything." the president's recent proposal to ban certain assault weapons and high capacity clips has boosted business here "they're going crazy." like you wouldn't believe. "as you can see our shelves are almost empty." rhodes is co-owner of spring guns and ammo outside of houston. he says nearly 200 of his ar15 assault rifles have been sold since the tragic newtown connecticut shootings. he says people are buying them all up. "this is what the fuss is all about." his ar15's are all gone. this is similar to the one used in newtown.

"hold trigger back, keeps firing like a machine gun." "we sell a lot of ar15's. it's 20% of our business. we are out of ar15's and can't get anymore." the magazine, or clip on this ar15 for example holds 30 rounds. these would be banned too. in fact the clips on every gun in this display case would be banned. logically rhodes would like to restock his wall. but he can't. "problem now is getting product." he says his 25 vendors are all out too. they're back ordered and can't keep up with texas' demand. "people are afraid they will be outlawed." "you can't snap your fingers and double the output of ar15's. there's lots of machine work." ken henderson also has a problem but it's a bad problem. "all the guns are built from the ground up. all parts are done by me."

the retired corporal spends all his time in his shop. "this is my love, it's a passion." he's sold most of his guns and now can't find parts anywhere to make more for customers. henderson used his entire savings for his business and now he's nervous the proposed gun ban would end it for him. "we've invested a lot it in and i'd lose it all, if i can't build ar's." the legislature is looking at banning several assault rifles including the ar15 -- clips that hold more than 10 rounds -- conducting universal background checks -- expand mental health treatments -- and vastly improving school security. henderson doesn't agree with the proposal. "there are enough ar's out there, they will never be able

to control it. it's not fair they try to. they're trying to control our freedom." he isn't sure what his future will hold. and as far as rhodes it's shaping up to be a winding one not knowing what's around the corner. in spring, texas... kyle porter... first business. currently, public opinion leans toward safety standards for guns. a new poll by johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health... shows 89% support closing gun show loophole that avoid background checks. and, 69% approve banning sales of semiautomatics. still ahead wall streeters are moving on out. find out how some firms are saving a bundle by changing location, thats next. ♪

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i was one of them. my disease was obesity and after consulting with my doctor, i received the effective treatment i needed. please join the obesity action coalition to acknowledge obesity as a disease visit obesity action dot org to sign an open letter pledging your support and for more information about how to talk to your doctor about weight loss and treatment options. together we can make a choice to end obesity now. a public service from the obesity action coalition. hedge funds on the run. officials from florida claim wall streeters are heading south to set up shop.

kelly smallridge, ceo of palm beach county's business development board...joins us via skype. good morning.. is paying taxes the impetus behind the move? > >yes it certainly has created a tremendous amount of interest in states like new york, connecticut, and new jersey specifically continue to increase their business taxes. ceo's of hedge funds and private equity firms are calling palm beach county in record numbers. > > federal tax rates are the same in florida as they are in new york or anyplace else, but there is no state income tax in florida. are hedge fund owners actually revealing how much money they save by moving to your state? > > yes they are. we also have done an analysis. we have local accountants on board as part of our hedge fund committee team that have done comparisons and are tailoring comparisons based upon our taxes here in florida and the taxes that they are paying from their respective state. so, you look not only at the taxes---we don't pay a

state personal income tax---but the cost of living here in palm beach county is significantly less compared to the northeast. > > what did you find out in the data? how much money? > > we're talking about thousands and thousands of dollars a year and ceo's are looking at this as tremendous increase in salary. the 20s, 30s, 50s, in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars that they're saving by coming into this area. not just looking at the taxes, but also looking at the cost of raising a family here in palm beach county and buying a home is also much more affordable. the residential and commercial real estate is very affordable in palm beach county. > > how many firms are we talking? > > we've landed roughly 27-30 so far. we have another 9 or 10 in our pipeline. that's a significant number when you figure that a lot of these hedge fund companies are coming in and taking 5,000 or 10,000 square feet of space and the average salary is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and sometimes even in the seven figures so it's not only just a large number callin but it's

also significant economic impact to our local economy. > >thanks for your time, that's kelly smallridge, ceo of palm beach county's business development. just ahead-- if you think big industrial companies are are in for a comeback... there's a stock you might want to consider. chart talk is next.

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matt shapiro, president of mws capital joins us now for a play on the big industrials. good to have you on the show this morning. what is your stock? > > fastenal. nascar fans might see it sponsor a race car team and all things industrial. those little patches in the heartland--those industrial areas---they're all served by one of these companies' stores that sells of course fasteners which are important in any kind of industrial production but

also all the sundry items that go into any plants like carbide tips, sanding wheels. all sorts of elements come out of these stores that cover the country. the company is expanding worldwide.this market's doing really well. you gotta look at the strong performers in your portfolio. companies that are highly differentiated have specific strong businesses and outperform. and that's how you will outperform as this market continues to do well. > > let's go to the chart. what is likely to happen with this stock if business continues to boom? > > easily to 54, which is its all time high. don't be afraid. this stock has a little bit of a higher pe, but it's improving its gross margins. its sales are rising, its expansion is continuing and this company really is a leader in its own logistics of supplying these thousands and thousands of parts to hundreds and hundreds of customers at each store location. > > what could slow it down?

> > generally i don't see a lot of competition for what they do but generally of coursea little bit of an easing of the demand in the industry. if we have a little pause in the economic activity or a little bit of a correction in the market, say in the spring, like we've had in the last few years. > > thanks matt. that's matt shapiro, president of mws capital. have a good day matt. time for us to close shop... coming up tomorrow --test drive tips. how to navigate your way to a great deal on a car. from all of us at first business-- thank you for watching today!