International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) surprised the market with its strong Q4 earnings. Horacio Marquez says the company’s superb business model enables it to grow even during a recession. IBM’s strong brand, solid balance sheet and steady cash flow makes it a strong buy, with the potential for 50% gains in the coming two years.

Best Buy Names New CEO; IBM to Post Strong 2008 Earnings; BHP Cuts 6,000 Jobs; GM Loses Sales Crown to Toyota; Investors Retreat From Hedge Funds; Housing Market Index Hits New Low; Satyam Seeks Funding; Crude Futures Climb

Earnings season kicked off last week and the results were mixed. Alcoa disappointed investors and quickly dropped 13 percent in the ensuing days. J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM) beat estimates, but continued to fall thanks to ongoing concerns about the banking industry as a whole (I know Andy Gordon is planning an article for tomorrow discussing the continuing problems in the banking industry, so you won’t want to miss that).  Intel reported Thursday night and they met lowered expectations.

The only reports on the calendar this week are housing related, and it got me thinking: what’s left? Pretty much nothing. As the fairy tale goes, the big bad wolf doesn’t even need to huff and puff; the house has already been blown down.

I should not have to tell you that this is going to be a big week, a monumental week, really – not only for the country, but for Wall Street.

The forces of the universe are pulling against one another. Tomorrow at noon, the nation will gain a leader that has inspired hope in millions of Americans. Economically, Obama’s stimulus plan is viewed as the last chance to keep the nation’s economy from retreating to a full-on depression.

I will be watching closely to see if Obama’s 6-foot-1-inch body shrinks at the exact moment he places his left hand on the bible as the weight of numerous global crises is piled on his back. It will take one heck of a leadership…

After a two-day “holiday” to start the week–Martin Luther King Day today (Monday) and Inauguration Day tomorrow (Tuesday)–it’ll be back to business on Wednesday as Congress begins to grill U.S. Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner – the appointment many observers believe to be the most important of the new Barack Obama administration.

ust a week to go now before Barack Obama finally gets his feet under the Oval Office desk. Priority #1: Getting the much-discussed economic stimulus package pushed through Congress and approved.

Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ) is making big strides even as the economy falls deeper into recession. HP’s superior products and exemplary execution are key factors behind this trend, says Horacio Marquez. And with the stock beaten down by broad market panic, Horacio says the company is a steal. He recommends building up a position in increments over the coming four months.

Put option buying has become a popular bearish investment strategy this year. But Lee Lowell says the market sell off also means some companies are trading at fire sale prices. He says put option selling is a great way to buy your favourite stocks at the best price. And the best part is you get paid to do so.

Lynn Carpenter says pension fund deficits could be a major threat to dividend payments. Legislation forces companies to keep private pension plans well funded, meaning some will have to raise large sums of cash at short notice. Lynn picks 9 firms that could soon be forced into making big dividend cuts.