NEW YORK (Fortune) -- Here's a question for you: What are the underpinnings of a rally? Lower energy prices. That's it. So inflation is slowing, whoopee! How long before people start getting concerned the economy is slowing? Try next week.

ASTA FUNDING: Okay speaking of the economy slowing, here's a way to make out: ASFI (Reminds me of Aston Villa ... Brit soccer team just bought by the Lerner family which owns the Cleveland Browns.) Here's a description of ASFI (Charts): Company "engages in the purchase and liquidation of performing and nonperforming consumer loan portfolios." Hel-lo! Now this stock has blown through the house, up from $4 to $40 since 2002. Still not that expensive though. And if you believe the U.S. consumer is in the dumps, this baby is for you.

PRE-PAID LEGAL SERVICES: Just what we need, a network of lawyers, right? Hey, the trend is your friend here too! PPD (Charts) is the ticker of this company that offers legal plans. Members can get legal services through a national network of law firms and lawyers. Sort of like insurance for legal services. Company been doing this for 32 years and has 1.5 million families signed up. Find it at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/. Like ASFI, the stock has moved, but is still cheap. Not many analysts cover it. First thing we have to do is make money off of all the lawyers.

HEWLETT-PACKARD: I know the stock dropped a lot yesterday, but I want to reiterate I think there is more down-side, even with Patricia Dunn, the probe instigator, giving up her chairman title. The question now is how involved is CEO Mark Hurd? We don't know. He may ultimately be pushed out. Which of course would be very bad for the stock. In any event a cloud will hang over H-P (Charts) until all is untangled. And that amigos, will take many moons. Dead money or worse I say.

LOOSE CHANGE: Deep Blue thinks Heely's is going public? http://www.heelys.com/....... From Paul the supreme producer: "Week 3 in the NFL, looking forward to Monday night when Saints host first game in Superdome since Katrina. And they're 2-0... McDonald's may begin selling breakfast foods all day long. I went to McDonald's for breakfast the other day, they had these things, I don't know what they're called but they were selling like hot cakes."....Was down in FLA over the past couple of days, in Tampa trying to boost the Bucs!

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E-mail Andy Serwer at serwer@fortunemail.com and see him on CNN's "In the Money" and "American Morning."

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