diane moca.. for first business news. the ceo of s-m-a says his reports should be just one element of an entire model used to make buying or selling decisions about stocks. coming up...spring cleaning your portfolio... insider tips on where money managers are investing. plus... in traders unplugged: market clues on tech stocks that could rise to the top. and, the story of how one woman followed her dream to success- one foot at a time. she shares her story next, with bill moller. m ben affleck, and many actors have played the part of a u.s. serviceman in the movies, but for veterans like james crosby and so many other brave men and women, his service and his sacrifice for our country are real. outside baghdad, a rocket attack blew up my humvee, killing one of my marines and leaving me paralyzed. [ben affleck] when james returned home, he, like many others, was in no condition to cope and advocate for the services he needed. fortunately, paralyzed veterans of america's trained experts were there to help him so he could con

diane moca joins now with an economic indicator to watch today. traders await data from the manufacturing sector this morning. the ism will reveal a broader look at the industry. friday's chicago pmi data, a preview of the national number, remained strong, despite a slight dip. this could bode well for the national number. " the signal is demand is pretty strong here for the purchasers in chicago. sales forecasts are strong. i am hearing that purchasers have gotten orders that will take them six months out. so it looks like we'll have a busy first half of the year." that was alyce andres franz of m-n-i. the chicago pmi dipped slightly to 59.6 from 60.8 in december. any number above 50 indicates expansion. walmart however, is sending a worrisome signal about consumer spending. the retail giant is ratcheting down expectations for earings growth -- in part because of the harsh winter and the cut to food stamps. international markets are also proving challenging. walmart closed 50 underperforming stores in china and brazil in the past year. the stock

diane moca steps in this morning for chuck coppola. good morning and will snow and ice hamper business this valentines day?... angie... businesses aren't feeling much love for the nasty weather... in today's cover story... florists say on-time deliveries are put at risk by the snow... and last month's cold put a damper on jewelry and restaurant sales. but they are optimist about seeing green this valentine's day because of demand for certain gifts. the merchandise total with tax and delivery comes to $902.35. some customers are spending big bucks this year at ashland addison florist in chicago... requesting upgrades of traditional products and ordering more specialty items... such as baskets for a daughter or even a pet. men are also buying earlier in the week... with valentine's day falling on a friday. people are looking for their wife or girlfriend or significant other to receive flowers and be the first one in the office to get them. the fourth generation retailer says sales are up three years running... among all types of buyers.