The s p. Still some market moving data to come this morning. What rivalry microsoft and sales force announce Broad Product alliances. A strategic partnership. Crm the stock benefiting. Speaking of microsoft, Steve Ballmer buying the clippers for 2 billion. The highest price ever for an nba team. Dont break out the champagne just yet. Talk about that big story. First heading into the final trading session of the month, the s p another record closing high up almost 2 for the month and nasdaq up 3 and the dow in positive territory within 37 points of its alltime intraday high. Markets still have Economic Data to digest. Chicago pmi, and speaking of the economy, Steve Liesman will have a live interview with Philadelphia Fed president charles moplosser in the next hr of squawk on the street. Were the only show that brings you plosser, teddy bridgewater and will. I. Am. The stuff you did out, just gripped and learning. Theres learning going we need to learn. Thats what its about for east coasters. As i said this morning on twitter the two biggest areas are technology and chicken. I mean, thats the sweet spot of our economy right now. Right . Yes, it is. I got to tell you, this food war, this food fight, is for the heart of the slowest growing industry in the world, which is food, and you are at the Fastest Growing industry of the world, which is it technology. Whats your thought as we close out may here. Dow actually for as we said earlier middle of the month was tough, dow has almost identical gains for march 0. 8, and 0. 7 for may. Im an oldfashioned guy. The transports, five straight up days, transports led by airlines. I think the stocks are going higher. The rails. Those things are doing well. You look at the ups, fedex, theyre doing amazing. You do not have the kind of action in those unless theres goods to be shipped, i come back to what Union Pacific ceo jack core less ski told me, business in this country is good. Theres nothing like good because too hot and we lose the fed. Too cold and the earnings arent made when we see them pretty soon. I like it here. You like it . I like the economy. Now look, theres a lot of stocks that have moved so much i get nervous. I get nervous to come in and buy. Im not nervous about a selloff. The guys that called for the 20 to 25 selloff, said may are bad, june is the tough month. June has been a tough month. In general, when i look at retail, they bounce back. When i look at the industrials doing quite well, maybe europe comes back online, what i see is, stocks arent expensive versus treasuries. Im thinking of a pacific sun today, of an express, im thinking of an annies. Why are some of these consumerrelated names annies had a material weakness. There was an accounting problem. They didnt deliver Gross Margins because they use organic wheat. Express, i they are such nice people. The look is so bad. They just dont have the right inventory. Im not kidding. The inventory, they gave me, carl, when they came to see me, they said you got to start wearing skinny ties. This is as skinny as im going to get. Their look is like fashion forward for the 16yearold. That person kuz does not dress well. Zuckerberg is the enemy of express. Yes, he is. The enemy of fashion in general. Given hundred Million Dollars to schools in san francisco. Not giving it to the Fashion Institute of technology. Is. Pacific sun thats a tough number, you have to cut numbers so low like abercrombie to say hol owe cow, to say a shopper went there. Apparently two or three. Maybe two or three. But generally we talk retail yesterday, it continues to be sort of a key question mark, i guess i would argue, because there are so many different data points, some strength in certain pockets. Overall this overarching theme weve talked about again and again, that david berman brought to us last august. The paradigm shift. Used to be a Womens Clothing store called hit or miss. How about costco yesterday. First looks like you know costco well. Looks like a miss. You digest the quarter and the quarter gets better than expected. The signups are terrific. You say wow theyre opening a few more stores than i thought. Growth again. Next thing you know the stock is a push. Kors top line number looked good. 96 to 99. Herb greenberg does a reality check, wait a second, an inventory problem. People talk about inventory problem. People defend kors. These are battlegrounds. Where is there no battleground . Dollar tree. No battle ground. Nordstrom. Love coming back to that dollar tree. You do. Love that. Like the 905 dollar tree got to mention dollar tree now. I will be at dollar tree tomorrow morning because every weekend starts with candy. They have throwback candy. Those brands cow tails, that kind of thing. Boston chew. They have the small and large. Put in your freezer. Do you know my shopping plan . One thing is goldman on apple. Their note is titled, the next big thing isnt hardware. Increasing confidence that cash flow can remain robust. Target goes from 6635 to 720 on apple. We dont talk everyone was talking beats. Which by the way im not fighting. I think you want music to come alive, get the two best musicologists, i was out with bo dietl last night, it would fit with his thinking. He talks but would make a word up like musicicia in, s. Look at the iphone numbers and see the components, iovti thought to have lost a lot of cell phone from apple but did well, what im saying the iphone is doing well and people have to recognize that it is and that was actually a very good product. People are not understanding that apple all it had to do was go from 12 times earnings to 14 times earnings to get to where it is and tim cook, i will say it right here right now, doing a darn good job. Oh, dont you it. Come on. You want to say that because the stock is up. Any different than doing six months ago or a year ago. I just like that clip. Right here. Is that good. Look the stock is a straight shot up from last year. Its up 1 he wasnt as bad as everybody was talking about a year ago and wasnt no. Hear me out. He knew itunes had to fix so he fixes itunes. He knows the Retail Stores are not doing well and brings in aarons. One after another. He listens. Theres nothing the matter with listening. You ought it to try it. Oh. I do a lot of listening. That was just a cheap shot that really was completely wrong. Thank you. I take it back. I take that back immediately. You listen incredibly well. Okay. The other big story this morning, somewhat regarding tech is former microsoft ceo Steve Ballmer buying the nbas Los Angeles Clippers for 2 billion. That is a record price for an nba team by far. The agreement still needs the approval of the leagues board of governors. It was announced by shelly sterling, the estranged wife of donald sterling. Nba bans him for life because of the remarks he made in a recorded conversation. Sterling paid 12. 5 million for the team back in 81 and up until today the record was for the bucks at 550 million. This is almost four times that. Well, steve, old friend, Business Manager of the College Paper when i was the editor in chief. Weve been friends many, many years. Oh, yeah. And he finally made the acquisition. I wish they made the 2 billion acquisition of microsoft other than skype. Heres what you need to know about ballmer. We went to our reunion together a lodge todayal study, a fancy term for looking back to see what were thinking. What did people say . Did they want conjugal relations with the partners, no, kids to great schools, no. Wealth, no. They liked vacation and time off and he looked at me and said, have we ever had have we ever taken vacation, ever done anything different from our job . Have we ever stepped out. This is a step out and a half. 2 billion step out. A big number, huge number. These are not typically buys that have a great deal to do with the underlying economics. They are much more about, as you say, sort of pursuing something you want because you have the money to do it. A dream. That being said, often times the exit does end up being higher than the entrance in terms of what they pay for these sports franchises. By the way, mark lasru who bought the bucks has to be feeling good about having made that purchase not that long ago at 540 million. No. The clippers are a much with the tv contract with l. A. Thats important. A franchise in ascendants with the likes of chris paul and others on that team. Part of the commission awarded them a team. Interesting to look at who buys sports sneems theyre vanity. Hes not doing it to make money. No. One of the things that steve did so right. I put he was deserving. People hated me. Can i tell you the man has spent his life trying to build microsoft and he always bought more stock during the formative period. I think Microsoft Might have been happy he bought the clippers as opposed to nokia. That raises an interesting question. Would there be a better return from the clippers and perhaps so. Yeah. By the way, you know what, salesforce. Com, ballmer and benioff not that close. What happened . Steve goes and buys the clips and salesforce. Com partnership. Not a done deal yet given the relations. The clippers between sterling and his wife and the nba and how thats going to fig per in here. Not yet Kitchen Table discussion. Money talks. When we come back, nfl rookies in the business of football. Well talk to the quarterback of the minnesota vikings, teddy brid bridgewater first pick in the nfl draft ha who has done more to win games. Not marcus smith, the defensive end, our first pick from the eagles is not in. All right. Never mind. Also, at 11 00 a. M. Eastern pop star black eyed peas front man will. I. Am, the deal from apple to buy the company. A lot from most pine in a minute. In a world thats changing faster than ever, we believe outshining the competition tomorrow requires challenging your Business Inside and out today. At cognizant, we help forwardlooking Companies Run better and run different to give your customers every reason to keep looking for you. So if youre ready to see opportunities and see them through, we say lets get to work. Because the future belongs to those who challenge the present. Software maker salesforce. Com struck an agreement with microsoft that will allow applications to work on window devices and within microsofts Popular OfficeSoftware Suite on whats been a big week for benoff. I think that mark, one of the driving forces here, marc, the ceo, bought [ inaudible ] thats a great indianapolis company, besides the colt, huge company, which by the way has employed a lot of people, exact target a Marketing Arm of sales force, built on a microsoft platform and i think exact target if you sit down and read where benioff, one of his major initiatives, his exact target, you needed the microsoft platform to make this work. In the meantime sales force, some people would say its a trojan horse for sales force. I think marc goes out of his way in the conference call, its the technology that is trem pal, and a lot of it is just kind of like a piece in our time because marc did call microsoft the evil empire. Its going to work for both. If you ask me who benefits i know maybe look can you ever imagine Steve Ballmer doing a couldnt have happened. Similar steve as i know from the days when i first met him, intensely competitive man. And its always zero sum with steve as it will be in the nba if he gets that franchise. Zero sum. This business is about cooperation. I want to ask you a question, when you were out there, arent you surprised, while companies tend to hate each other they dont. They work together. Funny, kind of like politicians. You know, theres a disconnect between their public personas and private personas. But it can get nasty. But then theyll you see them hugging in the hallway. On crm, 54 is still a long way from 67. Well, i mean, you know, salesforce. Com you take a look at a Company Called splunk today and splunk, which guided higher, didnt guide high enough. I mean this is the new now sales force did guide high enough in the last quarter which is why its been reversing. Yeah, the enterprise to sales sales force is cheaper than software to service companies, splunk being the splunk is getting a little its cave dwelling today, splunk. Although when you hear about consolidation conceivably in this area as ive learned, starting to bubble up lately what are you hearing . Not talking about spike deals but a general conversation specific deals but a general conversation talking about cooper we talked about this yesterday. Splunk is another name that comes up. Not as much. This quarter showed a slowing of growth. There was a degradation of the increase. One of these things its doing well but not as well. And i dont know how well they cooperate with others. Its funny, i met with jim mcnerney, ceo of boeing, i said when you guys get together, like air bus, i mean its kind of its collegial. No. You like each other. No. I dont hear that in tech. I hear like if you read through the salesforce. Com, this is like these guys are brothers. The im not sure i like that. I dont know how i should view that as a shareholder. A sense that especially dont want them on their throat . Theres always the chance you could go work for that company week after next. Thats a good point. There is a lot of revolving doors. And there was collusion to make sure nobody hired anybody else. I mean they sort of thats right. I forget about that. Tend towards that as well. Not crm, i should say, in general, apple, obviously we know, under steve jobs. Benioff is a guy, worked with steve jobs, worked with larry ellison, never really had a close relationship with microsoft. Its not coincidence that Steve Ballmer steps out and the company the new company reaches out. No. I think is a man of peace. He comes a man of peace. Like ten bears in outlaw josey. Comes in peace. Not always a good thing. Ten bears does not get enough play on our network. We want to mention brad ruben, the tech manager for us at the nyse, makes all the tv you see from this exchange happen, and his wife lauren, have announced the birth of their baby girl melanie ann ruben, born thursday at 10 00 a. M. 8 pounds, five ounces. Total m. Mom and baby are doing great. We miss you. Hurry back. Cramers mad dash. Count down to the opening bell. Well take a look at the premarket on this friday. Were back in a minute. Cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be Ready Anytime the moment is right. Cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Do not drink alcohol in excess. Side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. To avoid longterm injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. 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Certainly this week, a shortened week. One of the highlights was this not unexpected but the battle for hillshire has been incredible. Of course yesterday we get the 50 a share bid from tyson topping the 45 a share bid from pilgrims pride, trying to break up the deal under which hillshire has agreed to buy pinnacle foods, a deal not well received by its shareholders when first announced a few weeks back. A lot of complexity here, but one thing we know, this stock has moved a lot higher. Yeah. Thats why bernstein says downgrade but follows up with a higher bid is coming. This is an amazing thing. At these levels, this was the sara lee, they had spun off the coffee right. A lot said this company is dead in the water and the brands are dead in the water. Ballpark franks, what does that have to do with snarl jimmy dean sausage, what does that have to do with organic . What it has to do with is aisles of the supermarket where you cannot grow. The bidders are really stuck in a certain part of the supermarket. They have to crossover from the commodity side to higher value. They need hillshire, both of them. Talk about globally protein is a big deal. And Global Growth in protein in your diet, regardless of whether it may not be organic or natural, but certainly some of those brands you mention, do deliver that. The brazilians control pilgrims pride, they own 75 of that. Right. Tyson is the lead bidder. A key to remember when it comes to m a strategy, theyve got to figure out a way, hillshire, to get out of the deal with pinnacle. Pinnacle. Its a relatively small break free. You dont pay a break fee until you have a deal signed up. Thats pinnacle, pass our break fee if you want us to go away otherwise were going to stay in our deal. This is a deal. Someone has to buy pinnacle. Pinnacle has kind of checked out. Someone has to buy them. I want to know who. Because so Many Companies are shedding the assets in this segment. Pinnacle has to do something. So lets not lose sight of the fact that its got a good yield, good management, birds eye is a good brand, somebody teams up with this. Right. Im not sure who buys pinnacle once the deal breaks. I think it will break, of course, be