are door buster sales on black friday-- a boom or bust for consumers.. in today's cover story...the debate shifts away from the affordable care website as a new health care fight forms. plus....weather watch as a bout of bad storms threaten the early holiday shopping rush. and...companies that are still stocking up on staff for the holidays. first business starts now! you're watching first business: financial news, analysis, and today's investment ideas. good morning! it's wednesday, november 27th.i'm angela miles.in today's first look: the nasdaq tops 4,000 for the first time in 13 years-- as upward momentum continues in the stockmarket.also in tuesday's

trading action the dow ended unchanged. the nasdaq up 23 and the s&p inchedup 1 point. gold up a dollar oil down 25 cents. hewlett packard swings to a profit.shares rallied 6% last night after the tech company posted weak sales, but a profit for the quarter shows the company is turning around. and, new jersey takes a gamble. the garden state now allows online gambling on 13 websites. larry shover of sfg alternatives joins us on this wedensday morning. good morning. the nasdaq rocked to 4,000. what's next larry? > >i think economic momentum is behind us. i think we're gonna continue to rally. too much negativity out there, especially in the tech sector. it's not gonna be easy but i think we're gonna continue to ratchet higher. > >what do you think about the holiday trade today as traders prepare to head out of town?

> >we even saw it beginning yesterday. just lack of conviction, not a whole lot of volume. liquidity is really thin. if you have risk out there right now it's probably a good time to take it off the table and wait for next week. > >what about some stocks to watch? > >interesting. i think two of my favorites right now---i can't believe i'm saying this but delta airlines is one of my favorites. i've never recommended airline stocks but with the consolidation of the airline industry, they're in a position to do very very well. other than that, clif natural resources. i believe in steel and iron ore. it's got beaten up very hard this year. i think it's a great stock for 2014. > >i'm surprised to hear you talk about the airlines larry. > >yes, yes. > >thanks for being on the show. > >you're welcome. flight delays and snowy, icy roads are expected to put a damper on thanskgivng travel and potentially consumer spending during the holiday. joining us by skype this morning justin povick of accuweather. good morning and what areas will be hardest hit? > >angela, you said it....flight delays. it's going to be the north east along the

interstate 95 corridor--- philadelphia, new york city, boston---it's heavy rain and wind but a little further off to the west it's wind whipping snow. now as we go into thursday for thanksgiving, it's a windy start throughout new england but then heading into friday, conditions improve. we'll actually see some quiet weather for once with some sunshine returning. > >thanks for that update justin. think you have to rush out on black friday in order to get the best bargains? think again. according to most retail analysts -- what goes on on black friday is more akin to retail theater than savvy shopping. lots of the goods that are supposedly on sale were never meant to sell at a higher price. matthew ong, retail analysts at nerd wallet says that in reality only a tiny percentage of black friday shoppers get any deals at all. "what retailers do on black friday is sell a few items at a loss or even at cost to get people in the store, but they'll recoup those margins on items they label as deals but really aren't that great for consumers. those items might be selling for what they call a

discount, but the original proce might be higher so that's why that discount number can appear larger." ong also told us that toys are one of the things consumers shouldn't buy on black friday -- you can likely find them cheaper, later. holiday shoppers have the power to give the economy a lift. on black friday alone-- consumers are expected to spend $602 billion dollars -- a nearly 4% increase over last year. last month retailers began to notice a surprising uptick as american's used less money to fill their gas tanks and more money at malls. there was enough consumer spending to prompt analysts on wall street to boost thier prediction on 4th quarter gdp. there's no better way to put money immediately into people pockets, tax cuts whatever it may be, the quickest way to do so is by cutting the price of gasoline we have seen that happen in some places gas is below $3 so that is definitely an encouraging sign for retailers going into the holiday season"

chief trading strategist joe kinahan of td ameritrade says that as traders track the stock market and the economy-- a clear pattern is emerging. what the stock market has been telling us for the last year our so is that things are better than everybody thinks they are are overall that the economy is recovering. and although the quantiative easing is assisting in supporting the economy. the bond market is also giving off as postive signal based on the spread between the 2 year and 10 year treasuries. the steeper that spread is an indication the economy is picking up and market participates view the economy as strong. consumer spending makes up 70% of the nation's economy. in a worrisome signal to retailers going into the holidays-- consumer confidence dropped to a "seven month low" this month! the index, which gages consumers views of the economy fell to 70.4 from 72.4 in october. it followed a slump in october caused in part by

the government shutdown. despite strides in the labor market-- greg mcbride of bankrate dot com tells us americans continue to play catch up with their finances. "americans financial priorities are really a reflection of the fact that we still have this landscape of high unemployment and stagnant wages. more than a third of americans say their top financial priority has been just staying current or getting caught up on the bills. " mcbride says even americans feeling confident with their own incomes, are committing to helping family members or friends with financial assistance. bitcoins are back in play this holiday season.a group pushing the digital currency..has a list of retailers accepting bitcoins and offering deals at bitcoinblackfriday dot com. consumers can purchase anything from air fare to christmas trees using bitcoins. marketwatch reports-- last year 74 merchants were on the site when it launched.this year there are more than 200. tiffany and company is catching eyes on wall street.the stock

bounced 8 % after the jeweler reported in strong earnings thanks to high demand in asia. also, a diamond of a different color scored a big win for tiffany. company execs are pegging surging sales to success of its yellow diamond collection. now....the pressure is on for christmas.the last two years tiffany has reported disappointing holiday sales. book seller barnes and noble posts encouraging second quarter earnings. the chain's profits increased 13% to $76 million when compared to a year ago. the ceo attributes the gains to improved margins and reduced expenses. most of which came from cost cutting. revenue was a bit of shocker-- falling 8%. shares closed down about 6% yesterday end the session at 15 dollars. a sartorial turning of the tables as men's wearhouse makes a bid for joseph a bank.the $1.54 billion offer comes less than two weeks after joseph a bank recalled a $2.3 bilion bid it made for men's wearhouse. men's wearhouse says that acquiring joseph a bank would be a boon for its cutomers and shareholders. in its statement men's wearhouse says it would not re-brand joseph a bank

stores. joseph a bank had no immediate comment on the surprise move. a federal judge could rule as early as today on whether american airlines can fly out of bankruptcy to merge with u.s. airways. amr- the parent of american airlines is already succumbing to new runway rules set by the u.s. justice department.now, the bankruptcy judge must decide whether that effects the airlines plans to exit bankrutpcy for the better or for the worse.the judge will also rule on a private lawsuit by consumers who fear the merger will lead to higher air fare. in our cover story, the affordable care act has come under attack for its website glitches and cancelled policies that were inexpensive to buy but next to worthless to claim.now, the supreme court will hear arguments on whether mandating the birth control provision violates freedom of religion. supreme court justices decided to review provisions of the affordable care act that require employers to provide health insurance that includes birth control. an appeal,

brought by evangelical christians who own hobby lobby, an oklahoma city, based nationwide chain of craft stores who's founder and ceo said in sebelius versus hobby lobby "business owners should not have to choose between violating their faith and violating the law." ---a position supported with hobby lobby videos on youtube and the company's website. "we have never been ashamed of being a christian company...we have been blessed." a key argument in this freedom of religion case, hinges on the supreme court's 2010 citizens united ruling which essentially counts corporations with rights as individuals. but in chicago, toni johnson, a single mother, laid off in august from her job as a mortgage broker, said health care reform has provided her and her son with monthly coverage for 300-dollars less than she paid before. "i'm only paying $100 a month and i get to keep my doctor, who i've seen for 15-years."

congresswomen jan schakowsky and robin kelly said the problems with implimenting the affordable care act should not be confused with the principle behind it. "the number one way to prevent abortions, which i'm sure those employers would be against is by providing contraceptive coverage." the challenge to this aspect of employer-provided coverage could begin oral arguments by the end of june. the farm bill is still on the table as congress takes a holiday break.the bill contains a provision for funding for food stamps-- an issue that has lawmakers taking sides.house republicans want to cut $40 billion for food stamps during the next 10years while democrats are calling for $4 billion in cuts.this week the obama administration put out report that supplemental nutrition assistance program kept close to 5 million people out of poverty last year.

profits from the banking sector declined in the lastest quarter.banks earned $36 billion from july to september. down $1.5 billion from the third quarter of 2012.the fdic blames the brunt of the decrease in profits from a $4 billion dollar increase in money spent on litigation. the fdic is not naming names. but it rhymes with "shmorgan" ford is recalling its escape crossover-utlity vehicle for the seventh time.the latest problems center around possible fuel and oil leaks that could cause fires. 13 fires have been reported.. none of the fires have caused injuries. in total nearly 175-thousand vehicles are a part of this recall. motorola is releasing its discount smartphone ahead of schedule..the moto g will arrive in stores about a month earlier than planned. motorola will sell the 179 dollar "contract free" smartphone starting next tuesday, just in time for christmas. still to come a stock thats boiling over with activity. plus...the big name companies

that are adding workers in bulk...but you'll need to act fast. and next...why women are falling short with retirement savings. thats after this in the know message.

a startling new report shows women are falling behind in retirement savings compared to men. aon hewett finds the average retirement balance for women is $59,000. for men it's $100,000.add to that- the labor department says women tend to live 3 years longer than men. ah-loak prah-sah-d, head of merrill edge joins us via skype with more, good morning and why is it that women are having a tougher time saving for retirement? when you think about the challenges in saving for

retirement, it's true for everyone but especially for women. as we all know, they are at times in and out of the workforce. they are taking care of the family, taking care of their parents, and others so its just not surprising that it gets reflected in the data. what are some money tips for the ladies? from our perspective, get started earlier, making sure we all understand what we need to do in terms of savings, make a budget, and are sticking to it, making sure we are managing our expenses tightly, so we are saving some money and putting it aside for retirement. and as time progresses it will grow into a bigger nest egg. but it is hard for everyone and requires diligence to get there. something else that is troublesome is a study from wharton business school-- shows women are less like to take advantage of the company 401k programs.

i think definetly first thing is starting a 401k and finding your options as it relates to 401ks/ iras and making sure they are contributing as much as they can towards that is a critical starting point. second, making sure that expenses are managed carefully. and thirdly and very importantly if they are not sure what they need to do, they should reach out to somebody for help. men typically take more investment risks than women...is that something more women should consider? it's a risk reward situation and the more risk you take the potential for higher reward is there but also obviously there are no guarantees." thank you for your time today! thank you! coming up...we reveal a piping hot stock with potential and,now hiring...the companies making it easier for workers to jump back into the labor market this holiday season.bill moller joins us next.

for older americans, seasonal work is a double barrelled bonus. such jobs provide income and - they can lead to permanent work. but note - the holidays are upon us - you gotta move fast to snag one of these jobs. andrea coombes' is a personal finance writer and pens the "working retirement" column for marketwatch.com for holiday seasonal jobs, a lot of companies "prefer" older works and i don't mean because the guys look good in a santa suit. > >that's right bill. what it is really is older employees have the experience that employers are seeking. plus if it's a customer service job those older workers are often considered to be really good with the customers, especially if those customers are older themselves. > >tell us, what are the best sectors for seasonal work for

this slightly older group? > >as you'd expect retail companies are big into hiring this time of year so that's a good place to go. delivery companies---ups, fed ex, even the postal service--can be a little bit tougher for older people but a lot of these companies and retailers and delivery companies are hiring not only the on your feet all day kind of job, they're also hiring for telephone service, a variety of jobs. also tax preparers are hiring right now to gear up for the upcoming tax season next year so there's a lot out there. > >are these sales jobs mostly? > >it really varies. obviously the retailers are gonna tend to hire in that area however again, customer service---there are a variety of jobs. with the tax preparers it might be office administration, it might be actual tax preparation if that's an area you can go into. it really varies. at the ski resorts there's a lot of ski

instructor type jobs but also guest services and reception. so it really pays to look around and see what's out there. > >briefly, you have some websites where people can go to find seasonal jobs? > >if you know of a company, go to that company. just google that company's name or go to that company's website. a lot of them have specific holiday hiring websites. if volunteering is what your're looking for a really helpful site is volunteer match.org. and also talk to friends, got to the mall, ask people. that's really a great way to find a job these days is to get referred by somebody that you know. > >andrea coombes, thanks so much. > >thank you. just ahead-- why one trader has an appetite for a food related stock.chart is next.

james ramelli joins us now for chart talk. good morning james. > >good morning. > >you are tracking a stock i like to call the other cisco--- the syy sysco and it has more to do with the food industry. what do you see that you like in the chart? > >during tuesday's trading session, we saw some unbelievably bullish, unusual option activity in syy. institutional money is coming in and getting very long this stock through the end of this year all he way out to january of 2014. what we saw them do is come in and buy 6,000 of the jan 34 strike calls and over 14 thousand of the jan 35 strike calls. now that's 20 thousand

contracts all told. over ten times the average daily options volume in syy. this is very very bullish looking order flow. an order flow that i want to follow with institutional money as well. the stock is only up 8 percent this year so when we get to markets at new all time highs, that's when investors and traders come in and look for stocks that maybe haven't moved as much or have been underperforming for a final push into the rest of the year. i think that's what's happening here and i want to follow it. > >that was my next question to you---what would make someone all of a sudden want to take this huge bullish stance in this stock that's been an underperformer. but that makes perfect james! > >right. so the stock has been underperforming the market throughout most of this year and its put together a very nice bid and very nice rally in the near term. they come in here and they get very long via options, leveraged exposure to the upside in syy. a lot of money flowing into this stock. money i want to follow. > >now, fundamentally is there anything you like about this company that could cause it to go higher? > >fundamentally there is not

too much i see. i think they have a good business model but this is more of a order flow and pressure play for me than a fundamental play. > >thank you for bringing that to us this morning james. > >thank you. as we close out our show today, i'm taking this opportunity to express my thanks to the wonderful group of people who work on this show. they have exceeded my greatest expectations with their talents and hard work. to my colleague chuck --who co- hosts the show-- our main camerman malcolm, occasional anchor bill, head producer colleen, producer/writers: amy and carlise, our director paige, audio man brad, mariko our editor who makes the show look amazing and our executive producer harvey-- who is the backbone of our operation. my deepest gratitutude. we are "also" most grateful to "you"-- our viewers- who honor us with your time. from all of us at first business, happy thanksgiving and happy hannukah!

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