Weekend Reading: Fund Managers to Watch

Good Sunday morning, and welcome to another edition of Weekend Reading. First, a look back at the week that just finished, then a look forward to the week ahead, and, finally, a summary of some articles and papers worth reading.

It was a solid week on the markets, a better one that most people had expected. The Dow and the S&P 500 ended the week up 1.3% and 1.8%, respectively, while the Nasdaq led the way with a 3.2% gain.

Next week could very well see a further advance. While the U.S. economy continues to throw off conflicting economic signals, oil has, at least temporarily, ceased its climb. That has taken some pressure off consumers and companies, albeit not as much as would a return to sub-$100 oil. Nevertheless, lower oil prices -- and a stronger dollar -- are both propping the market up, an effect that could continue into next week.

Turning to economic indicators, next week we will see jobless claims, nonfarm payrolls, and auto industry and construction data.

As for earnings, next week will be fairly quiet. Two notable companies releasing earnings will be Take-Two Interactive(TTWO Quote - Cramer on TTWO - Stock Picks) and National Semiconductor(NSM Quote - Cramer on NSM - Stock Picks).

Finally, here are some articles and papers worth reading:

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• America's hottest investor: mutual fund manager Ken Heebner. (Fortune)
• The best fund manager in North America that you can't invest with. (Forbes)
• A top trader blogs from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. (Blogspot)
• What I've learned: J.R. Simplot on money and markets. (Esquire)
• Michael Lewis on the needs of the super-rich. (Bloomberg)
• Barron's picks GM(GM Quote - Cramer on GM - Stock Picks) (!!) and Eaton(ETN Quote - Cramer on ETN - Stock Picks). (Barron's)
• Fuel subsidies worldwide. (The Economist)
• Sunny future for Lululemon(LULUG Quote - Cramer on LULUG - Stock Picks), despite slowdown. (Globe and Mail)
• Oil crisis triggers fevered scramble for the world's seabed. (Telegraph)
• Do railroad stocks have more power to burn? (The New York Times)
• Changes to commodities regulations expected. (Reuters)
• Consumers pick home over flying; avoided trips cost economy billions. (USA Today)
• Decoding algorithmic trading: Fractional orders and customer dissatisfaction. (IDD)
• Who is responsible for the global food crisis? (Globe and Mail)
• Conventional Wisdom, Foiled Again: Buy index losers. (The New York Times)
• An Anatomy Of Credit Booms. (NBER)
• Accuracy in oil supply estimates. (EIA)
• America's hottest investor: mutual fund manager Ken Heebner. (Fortune)

1 What would best describe your stance heading into the coming week of trading? Bullish Bearish Neutral 2 Which of these sectors do you think is set to move up in the coming week? --Choose One--Aerospace and DefenseAirlinesAutomobilesBeverages and Food ProductsBiotechnologyCommercial BanksComputers and PeripheralsConsumer NondurablesEnergy Equipment & ServicesHMOs and HospitalsHomebuildingInsuranceIntegrated OilInternet, Software ServicesInvestment Bankers and BrokersMediaMultiline RetailPharmaceuticalsPrecious MetalsSemis, Semi EquipmentTelecom EquipmentTobacco and AlcoholWireless CommunicationsUtilities 3 Which of these sectors do you think is set to move down in the coming week? --Choose One--Aerospace and DefenseAirlinesAutomobilesBeverages and Food ProductsBiotechnologyCommercial BanksComputers and PeripheralsConsumer NondurablesEnergy Equipment & ServicesHMOs and HospitalsHomebuildingInsuranceIntegrated OilInternet, Software ServicesInvestment Bankers and BrokersMediaMultiline RetailPharmaceuticalsPrecious MetalsSemis, Semi EquipmentTelecom EquipmentTobacco and AlcoholWireless CommunicationsUtilities View the results without voting