The Lightning Round is extended in this CNBC.com exclusive feature.
Stocks ended sharply lower Thursday as the market got a triple whammy: Oil resumed its ascent, major earnings reports sparked a fresh wave of concern about corporate profits and home sales hit a 10-year low. All three major indexes lost at least 2 percent.
The brief rally in financials has ended, as many traders are betting that the bear market is not over, this means that taking profits or placing additional short bets on potentially weak players is a prudent play...
Stocks declined as oil resumed its ascent and investors braced for the next batch of corporate earnings. A drop in home sales and a jump in jobless claims above the key 400,000 mark added some pressure.
This is not a good day for consumer discretionary stocks. From housing to restaurants to hotels to autos, companies are reporting notably slower sales, and they are not anticipating much of a rebound in the second half of the year.
Fannie Mae up 6 percent pre-open as the House overwhelmingly passed the housing bill. It will get new regulators for Fannie and Freddie, and authorizes the federal government to potentially invest billions in the two companies.
David Katz at Oppenheimer feels optimistic about some hotel stocks.
Cramer makes the call on viewers' favorite stocks.
The housing crisis and soaring energy prices are a concern for the hotel and restaurant industries, and CEOs are already feeling the effects.
For a long time now, the magic phrase for stocks has been "global exposure." Top leisure industry analyst Robert LaFleur indicates it's as true in his sector as it is anywhere.
Until that $5 billion infusion is a done deal, Cramer remains "skeptical."
The story is on international growth today. Marriott beat, and along with everyone else on the planet reported stronger revenues (revenue per available room, or RevPAR, in this case) internationally than domestically: up 9.2 percent vs. 6.2 percent. First quarter guidance a tad below expectations. Remember, Starwood cut its 2008 forecast a short while ago.
Recession. Bear market. Credit crunch. There's a lot for investors to worry about these days. And it's even harder to figure out where to put your money in this moody and unpredictable market.