Company Description: Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides broker-dealer, investment banking, financing, wealth management, advisory, asset management, insurance, lending, and related products and services worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Global Markets and Investment Banking (GMI), Global Private Client (GPC), and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM). GMI segment provides equity, debt and commodities trading, and capital markets services; as well as investment banking, and strategic merger and acquisition advisory services to issuer and investor clients. It also distributes fixed income products, and provides financing, securities clearing, settlement, and custody services. GPC segment provides wealth management products and services to individuals, small-to mid-size businesses, and employee benefit plans. It offers commission and fee-based investment accounts; brokerage and investment advisory products and services; credit products and consumer and small business lending; banking and cash management services, including credit cards; trust and generational planning; retirement services; and insurance products. MLIM segment manages financial assets for individual, institutional, and corporate clients. It manages various investment products, including money market funds and other forms of short-term fixed income investments, and long-term taxable and tax-exempt fixed income funds. The company also offers taxable and tax-exempt fixed-income, equity and balanced mutual funds, and segregated accounts. It manages transitional portfolio restructurings for institutional clients or managers, and offers assortment of index-based equity and alternative investment products. The company serves individual investors, small and large businesses, public companies, financial institutions, governments, and government agencies. Merrill Lynch was formed in 1973 and is headquartered in New York City.

Our Analysis: The shares of Merrill Lynch & Co. 'MER' set a new yearly closing high yesterday on heavier than normal trading volume. They are a component of the Amex Broker/Dealer Index 'XBD' which I have rated as moving higher from its current levels. These are two bullish trading signals. In the process of setting its new yearly high yesterday the shares of 'MER' completed a pair of "cup patterns" with measured moves to our stated price targets of $64.73 and $70.62/share respectively. I am seeing downside support on the shares of 'MER' at $61.55/share and have set my stops accordingly at $61.14/share.