wellpoint is in the process of taking over amerigroup, and analysts say that company's c.e.o. could be a potential replacement for braly. wellpoint stock surged on the news: up more than 7% to $61.80. tom, otherwise in the markets very, very slow, quiet day. either investors and traders are on the side line waiting for that jackson hole speech of ben bernanke, or they're just on vacation, so these are the summer doldrums. >> tom: it really was a day of individual stocks making individual news and individual moves as opposed to the broad market. >> tom: let's get going with tonight's "market focus." >> tom: flat and thin best describes stock trading over the past several sessions, including today. the market has not had much conviction as the summer winds down. it was another directionless, and narrow trading range with the s&p 500 ending with a fractional gain. the index hasn't made a closing daily move of 1% or more since early august. trading volume tells part of the story. it continues to be very light. 508 million shares on the big board. under 1.3 billion on the nasdaq. m

conversation seemed to vanish and the distance between lovers weather across the kitchen table or amerigroup bed grow so achingly wide that it seems impossible to bridge. precisely what happened between james and phoebe. it's hard to decipher. for phoebe and her family that year the historical records are somewhat -- parley because phoebe who was proud and private appeared to have clung to her old habit of keeping quiet about her troubles. that is really beautiful. you have discovered in one of the marriages actually where, and i believe it was fraser leaves the family, goes off to war and what does he write? what does he say to the army? >> right. heat, fraser came from south carolina. the golden boy of his small-town and goes off to chicago to the big time and lands in the depression. and couldn't find work of any kind, struggle, struggle, struggle. got married, had two children and things fell apart. and he left his family, enlisted and the paperwork reads from his enlistment, the papers where he describes his marital status, separated, no dependents and he had children. >> i wondered wha

a lot of names being tossed out including the ceo of amerigroup. want to follow-up on some of the stocks you have been covering throughout the day. shares of the stock with yelp. these ipos, you have been covering all of them, kind of lackluster, bad performances yet yelp ended up kind of being a surprise. where the traders surprised by yelp? >> we were talking to lots of the gray wolf guys about yelp. the stock is surging. the expiration coming today, the ipo $15 in march, now well above 20. this is like a slap in the face to facebook. we remember two years ago aspiring for facebook and angie's list. we have a good one. cheryl: if you don't mind, obviously low volume, but we haven't gotten the true volatility would normally get with volume on trading, why do you think that is? >> it has been really smooth sailing, to look at the major averages down two days in a row, snapping that and looking to close higher on the third day of the week, volume completely light all week but the vix searching to a four-week high. the overall stock performance has i

wellpoint agreed to by amerigroup corps for 4.6 billion last year. >> that's right.cigna agreed to buy health springs. we're seeing consolidation in the industry, right? at the end of the day does that mean less choice, higher costs for us at home? >> you have it exactly right, tracy. we tried to go after this, raising more competition to try to keep prices competitive but doesn't take much to figure out exactly what you said. when you start consolidating the market and you don't have much choice anymore and start creating monopolies, then they start to dictate price. so this is what they're doing by forming, you know, small, bigger insurance companies by some of them coming together. the insurancee companies themselves are out there acquiring either hospitals for doctors practices. for the average consumer watching today, while we're pushing them to get more choice, in reality in a few years they will have less choice and more costs. >> you mentioned paul ryan's plan to give vouchers for private carriers. do you think that will work? >> a study published in the "jou

jim carlson, the current c eo of amerigroup seen as a likely ceo and if multiple analysts saying thee not likely to impact the purchase and wellpoint upgraded to outperform of market perform at bernstein with a 73 target. >> okay. let's move along and look at mining equipment maker joy global. i think it's terribly strange name for a mine equipment maker but let's look at this. it's a rosy picture for coal demand and therefore the stock is higher. >> yeah. you know, it's an interesting story. i know it's up your wheelhouse as an aussie because it's part of the australian economy. joy global shares turning around after being lower here today. they cut their outlook. they warned that 2013 numbers could be at risk if the global slowdown continues and ceo said although the u.s. market progressed in line with expectations the deceleration of china's demand deteriorating and it's interesting as a macro theme with the china theme. >> i meant to say not painting a rosy picture. next up, fusion io. the stock not responding to a price target increase today. in fact, it is down. >> it is not re

he is the ceo of amerigroup. the medicaid focus health care company that wellpoint is in the process of buying. back to you. lori: thank you, lauren. nicole: slightly stronger gdp data out today my next guest thinks conditions are favorable for growth in the second half of the year. joining me to talk about this some more is looking at gdp data some more and outlook for what we should expect from the federal reserve and obviously what we're seeing in jackson hole the symposium coming up i wanted to talk to that mora senior equities economist. you think the news is more favorable, economic news that is and how do i think that may or ney not -- may not for jackson hole later in the week? >> you're right. a lot of data points suggested that the economy is stable and not falling off a cliff let's say. today's gdp report showing upward v. vision for the second quarter was also positive news. how that has bearing on fed policy we still have an economy growing 2% or less. that means the fed is still failing on one of it