Help Wanted: Stock Market Leadership

It's enough for many to say "let's get out of the way of this right now," says Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co.

But, most telling about the list nearby may be what groups and names are not on it.

The brokers and other financial companies are still faring well, which is a sign that all is not lost, as Jim Cramer notes on RealMoney.com. Goldman Sachs(GS Quote) leads the domestic brokers with a $94.7 billion market cap. It is still up 6.7% thus far this year. Cramer also points investors in the direction of stocks that are turning up, including consumer staples General Mills(GIS Quote), Kellogg(K Quote), Hershey(HSY Quote) and Kimberly Clark(KMB Quote).

State of Disunion

Neither post-close results from Texas Instruments (TXN Quote) nor President Bush's State of the Union Address Tuesday night are likely to shake traders out of their earnings-based stupor. The issues that surrounded the change of command in Washington during the midterm elections still linger, but so does the gridlock that ensued. Traders say Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke would present a greater risk to the markets than what Bush saysTuesday.

"Ostensibly, surprises could be to the upside," says Jefferies' Hogan, citing Bush's low approval rating.

On specific issues, many analysts believe Bush is likely to address America's "addiction to oil" -- a comment he made last January that sent alternative energy stocks soaring. A nod to these initiatives could revive some of those alternative energy plays, as reported here.