Volume Spike Investor

The Black & Decker Corporation (NYSE: BDK) just raised guidance substantially on the earnings front.  The tool maker said it had better-than-expected sales and now sees $0.91 EPS vs. a prior range of $0.35 to $0.45 and versus a Thomson Reuters figure of $0.45 EPS. The expected sales decline still transaltes to 23% and operating margin is expected to be approximately 7.5% for the quarter with a lower tax rate expected to contribute approximately $0.14 to EPS.  Shares closed Friday at $47.24 and at 8:10 AM EST we have seen only about 12,000 shares but the stock is up at $50.50 versus a 52-week trading range of $20.10 to $59.65.  Average volume is 1.2 million shares and the volume will pick up substantially after the specialist starts freeing up the bulk of trading as we get closer to the 9:30 AM EST opening bell.  We would look for a secondary beneficiary to be Snap-on Inc. (NYSE: SNA).  You might be able to consider HD and LOW as well, but that is the tail wagging the dog.  JON C. OGG