Savvy Stock Picks

The Progressive Corporation (NYSE:PGR) decreased -1.05%, to close at $19.74 and its overall traded volume was 11.98M shares during the last session against its average volume of 5.07M. PGR opened the day at $20.01, it made an intraday low of $19.71 and an intraday high of $20.01. The stock has a 52 week low of $16.18 and 52 week high of $22.13. PGR’s market capitalization is 13.09B and it has 663.35M outstanding shares. The Progressive Corporation is an insurance holding company. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had 53 subsidiaries and one mutual insurance company affiliate. These insurance subsidiaries and affiliate provide personal and commercial automobile insurance and other specialty property-casualty insurance and related services. Its property-casualty insurance products protect its customers against losses due to collision and physical damage to their motor vehicles and uninsured and underinsured bodily injury, and liability to others for personal injury or property damage arising out of the use of those vehicles. Its non-insurance subsidiaries support its insurance and investment operations. The Company operates its businesses throughout the United States. In December 2009, it began selling personal auto insurance in Australia.

ProShares Ultra S&P500 (ETF) (NYSE:SSO) decreased -0.39%, to close at $49.04 and its overall traded volume was 11.96M shares during the last session against its average volume of 9.39M. SSO opened the day at $49.36, it made an intraday low of $48.27 and an intraday high of $49.52. The stock has a 52 week low of $31.00 and 52 week high of $49.55. SSO’s market capitalization is 2.22B and it has 45.30M outstanding shares. ProShares Ultra S&P500 (the Fund), formerly Ultra S&P500 ProShares, seeks daily investment results that correspond to twice (200%) the daily performance of the S&P 500 Index. The S&P 500 Index is a measure of large-cap United States stock market performance. It is a float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index of 500 United States operating companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs) selected by the S&P U.S. Index Committee through a non-mechanical process that factors criteria, such as liquidity, price, market capitalization and financial viability. The S&P 500 Index is a price return index. Reconstitution occurs both on a quarterly and ongoing basis. The Fund takes positions in securities and/or financial instruments that, in combination, should have similar daily return characteristics as 200% of the daily return of the S&P 500 Index. The Fund’s investment advisor is ProShare Advisors LLC.

Banco Itau Holding Financeira S.A. (ADR) (NYSE:ITUB) decreased -2.57%, to close at $23.10 and its overall traded volume was 11.96M shares during the last session against its average volume of 8.00M. ITUB opened the day at $23.84, it made an intraday low of $23.04 and an intraday high of $23.89. The stock has a 52 week low of $16.33 and 52 week high of $26.30. ITUB’s market capitalization is 104.58B and it has 4.53B outstanding shares. Itaú Unibanco Holding S.A., formerly Itaú Unibanco Banco Múltiplo S.A. is a bank in Brazil. The Company’s principal categories of operations are banking, which includes commercial bank through Itaú Unibanco and corporate and investment banking through Banco Itaú BBA S.A. (Itaú BBA), consumer credit to non accounts holders and its corporate and treasure activities. The Company provides a variety of credit and non-credit products and services directed towards individuals, small and middle-market companies and large corporations. As of December 31, 2009, it held 3% interest in BM&FBOVESPA. During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company sold its interests held in Unibanco Saúde Seguradora S.A. and Allianz Seguros S.A.

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) decreased -0.29%, to close at $64.50 and its overall traded volume was 11.94M shares during the last session against its average volume of 9.19M. PG opened the day at $64.63, it made an intraday low of $64.17 and an intraday high of $64.87. The stock has a 52 week low of $39.37 and 52 week high of $65.38. PG’s market capitalization is 183.02B and it has 2.84B outstanding shares. The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is focused on providing consumer packaged goods. The Company’s products are sold in more than 180 countries primarily through mass merchandisers, grocery stores, membership club stores, drug stores and high-frequency stores, the neighborhood stores, which serve many consumers in developing markets. It has on-the-ground operations in approximately 80 countries. As of June 30, 2010, P&G comprised of three Global Business Units (GBUs): Beauty and Grooming, Health and Well-Being and Household Care. Sales to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and its affiliates represent approximately 16% of its total revenue during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 (fiscal 2010). In October 2009, Warner Chilcott Plc completed the acquisition of the Company’s global branded prescription pharmaceutical business. In July 2010, Sara Lee Corporation completed the sale of its air care business to The Procter & Gamble Company.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) decreased -0.77%, to close at $24.39 and its overall traded volume was 11.88M shares during the last session against its average volume of 10.83M. MO opened the day at $24.63, it made an intraday low of $24.37 and an intraday high of $24.68. The stock has a 52 week low of $19.14 and 52 week high of $26.22. MO’s market capitalization is 50.92B and it has 2.09B outstanding shares. Altria Group, Inc. is a holding company. As of December 31, 2009, Altria Group, Inc.’s wholly owned subsidiaries included Philip Morris USA Inc. (PM USA), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and certain smokeless products in the United States; UST LLC (UST), which through its subsidiaries is engaged in the manufacture and sale of smokeless products and wine, and John Middleton Co. (Middleton), which is engaged in the manufacture and sale of machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco. Philip Morris Capital Corporation (PMCC), another wholly owned subsidiary of Altria Group, Inc., maintains a portfolio of leveraged and direct finance leases. In addition, Altria Group, Inc. held a 27.3% economic and voting interest in SABMiller plc (SABMiller) as of December 31, 2009. On January 6, 2009, the Company acquired UST Inc. (UST), and its wine business, Ste. Michelle.