Stock Comment Merrill Lynch ($80.09 U.S.)

Merrill Lynch is one of several high flying senior U.S. brokerage firms. I think it's worth noting that over the past ten days or so, the MER share price has made two attempts to poke up through a previous $80 all time high set in early 2001. When price resistance and "round numbered" resistance coincide, the combination should present a difficult obstacle to overcome.

This saga is worth watching in my view. Easy penetration could be taken as positive for markets in general - and failure at $80 might suggest the opposite.