Dow Watch: Citi, Bank of America Lift Off

Updated from 11:41 a.m. EDT

This Is Getting Better

(At 2:41 p.m. EDT)

I'm too far behind with this whole blog notion. So 2004.

This format just isn't what the people want. I understand that now. It took some time, but I've seen the light. Twitter. Or Twitter-like. That's the way to go. Everybody's doing it. Even Shaq.

The whole send one line at a time thing, I get it. Reminds of the newswire work I was doing back in the mid-1990s, but I get it.

So here goes. Enjoy the New and Improved Dow Watch. This isn't perfect, but you get the idea. The future is now.

(At 2:45 p.m. EDT)

The Dow's up 100 points, right at its session high. It's true.

(At 2:46 p.m. EDT)

Citigroup (C Quote), up 9.5%, and Bank of America (BAC Quote), ahead by 8.4%, are the best stocks on the index.

(At 2:46 p.m. EDT)

That's pretty long, but it's only my second attempt.

(At 2:47 p.m. EDT)

Thanks Tim Geithner!

(At 2:49 p.m. EDT)

Speaking of Geithner, some of my coworkers are having a debate about the Treasury Secretary.

(At 2:50 p.m. EDT)

Which character does he look most like?

(At 2:51 p.m. EDT)

While we're on the subject, what do you think? You're already here, so you might as well go ahead and vote.

Tim Geithner most closely resembles:
	A Keebler elf Snap, Crackle or Pop Frodo Baggins

Can't Really Complain About This

(At 11:15 a.m. EDT)

Merck (MRK Quote) missed estimates and cut its forecast. Sales fell short of expectations at IBM (IBM Quote).

Caterpillar (CAT Quote) had a quarterly loss and projected a below-consensus full-year profit. DuPont's (DD Quote) outlook wasn't exactly inspiring.

As for United Technologies (UTX Quote) and Coca-Cola (KO Quote), they met earnings estimates, while the revenue lines were a little light.