Stocks are ending January with a bit of a slow bleed, but the market's performance for the month is impressive. And, if you believe that the January effect is real, the year should end higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) ended the day down 50 points to 13,861. That meant a 5.8% gain for the month and the best January performance for the blue chips since 1994 when the blue chips rose 6%. 

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index ($INX) ended the month at 1,498, down 4 points on the day. However, it gained 5% for the month, its best January since 1997. The index had climbed 1,500 during the month, a level not seen since December 2007, but fell back Wednesday and Thursday. 

First came the teaser for Daimler's (DDAIY) Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl ad, a one-minute-plus spot featuring model Kate Upton in a low-cut tank top blowing bubbles and supervising football players washing a car. 

The teaser proved hugely popular, with more than 5.7 million views on YouTube by Thursday alone. (To see the teaser, click here.)

 

With automakers eager to get their new models out in front of millions of Super Bowl viewers, Sunday's game will feature flashy ads from Ford (F), Volkswagen (VLKAY) and Daimler's (DDAIF) Mercedes-Benz. 

But one automaker has already been declared the winner among the more than half a dozen car manufacturers spending millions to get into the game.

 

Hoping to avoid the miserable flu bug going around this year? Try cooking at home.

Restaurants are no strangers to viruses and germs. And while our immune systems can normally stand up to the nasties lurking in restaurants and other public places, the severity of this year's flu outbreak -- and the awful norovirus strain going around -- is making some people think twice about exposure. 

You know how gamblers on Super Bowl Sunday get really angry at a team for not covering the spread and costing them money? That's kind of how wine and beer company Constellation Brands (STZ) is feeling about the Justice Department's lawsuit against beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD).

Last summer, A-B made a $20.1 billion deal to increase its 50% stake in Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo and take control of its Corona, Modelo and Pacifico brands.

 

Honda Motor (HMC), which Thursday slashed its yearly profit outlook, has big plans for the U.S. market. It has little choice.

Like all automakers, Honda's facing a recession in Europe and a slowdown in China. (For a closer look at the company's earnings numbers, click here.) The U.S. was a bright spot, as rising sales of the Accord sedan, the CR-V sport utility vehicle and higher-end Acura RDX pushed revenue in North America up 26% to $13.67 billion in the fiscal third quarter. Its U.S. market share grew to 9.8% in 2012 from 9% in 2011, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

American Honda said its sales last year rose 24% to 1.42 million vehicles in the U.S., the fourth highest total in its history. December sales were the company's second-best ever. The automaker hopes to do even better in 2013. About 40% of the company's worldwide sales come from the United States. 

The New York Times (NYT) made a startling announcement on Thursday: for the last four months, it was under attack from Chinese hackers. 

The Grey Lady took a pugilistic stance against the hackers, turning the tables by secretly tracking their movements and creating better defenses. In the end, the paper says, it kicked them out and erected stronger barriers. The attacks started last fall while the Times reported an investigation into the relatives of Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao, who had amassed a huge fortune. 

While it may seem like an isolated event affecting one news outlet, the hacking appears to represent a bigger threat to American companies, its employees and military operations. China is "the most threatening actor in cyberspace," according to a U.S. Congressional report published last year. 

 

A&E Television Networks, which is owned Walt Disney (DIS), Hearst Corp. and Comcast (CMCSA), Tuesday asked a California court to throw out a lawsuit filed by a former cast member that claimed its hit show "Storage Wars" was rigged. 

According to the New York Daily News, A&E is trying to get a judge to quash David Hester's lawsuit on procedural grounds. Hester's accusation that the show was rigged was not addressed, though A&E has repeatedly denied suggestions that the show is faked. Hester, known for yelling "yup" when he bids, has alleged that A&E fired him when he refused to go along with the charade.

Hester's lawsuit, which seeks $2.2 million in damages, comes as A&E tries to expand its "Storage Wars" franchise with shows in Texas and New York.