Real Story: Too Much Good

Stocks struggled to find their footing amid "too much good news," Aaron Task says on Thursday's "The Real Story" podcast.

Positive data points included Ben Bernanke's comments about the lack of spillover from the subprime market; better-than-expected jobless claims and Philly Fed data; and upbeat earnings and guidance from J.C. Penney (JCP Quote - Cramer on JCP - Stock Picks), which helped quell concerns about the retail sector. In reaction, odds of a Fed rate cut by the September FOMC meeting fell to 37% vs. 51%, Task notes.

Treasury yields and the dollar both rose in reaction to lowered odds of a rate cut, the former providing more competition for stocks and the latter a negative for big-caps, Task says.

Speaking of big-caps, Task's first guest, Joe Capone of SMaRT Financial Partners, discussed news of Eddie Lampert's big investment in Citigroup (C Quote - Cramer on C - Stock Picks).

"Because I own [Citi], I think it's a great decision," Capone quips. "If you look at Eddie Lampert's history, he's often an agent for change."

As for the future of beleaguered Citigroup CEO Chuck Prince, Capone says: "Almost every day there's incremental news that puts pressure on Chuck Prince. It's rare in my experience situations like this aren't alleviated by either removal of the executive, a major change in strategic director or the company turning around. In all three scenarios, the stock can go higher."

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