BY DEREMY UNDERHILL
Wacky Deli Senior Financial Analyst

Shares of “30 Rock” star Tina Fey were up sharply in Tuesday trading, reaching record highs on speculation that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s bus tour of eastern states is a sign she’s gearing up to seek the Republican presidential nomination.

Fey stocks jumped almost 40% to $75.34 by noon on Thursday, fueled by bullish investors who believe a Palin presidential bid would allow the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian new, lucrative entertainment opportunities to cash in on her dead-on impression of former Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.

“We really feel ‘SNL’ appearances would be the tip of the iceberg,” said Lewis Winthorpe, senior partner at New York’s prestigious Duke and Duke investment firm. “Tina could easily leverage her notoriety as America’s best Sarah Palin impersonator for a prime-time comedy show based on the lives of the Palins, or even a major motion picture. We feel the possibilities for her are truly endless, and investors would do well to add Tina Fey shares to their risk portfolio.”

Emmett Fitzhume at Moody’s Investment Services is even more optimistic, saying a Palin White House run could boost Fey blue chips to above the $150 per share George W. Bush impersonator Will Ferrell saw at the height of previous administration.

“The truth is, Tina Fey could make more money being Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin has made being Sarah Palin,” Fitzhume said. “Should, God help us, Palin actually win the presidency, Ms. Fey could command personal appearance fees alone that would make  Palin’s $150,000 speaking fee seem like chump change. If she plays her cards right, Tina Fey could become bigger than Google and Facebook combined – that’s why I’m recommending to my investors they sell everything – their house, the family car, Grandma’s iron lung – and put it all into Fey stocks immediately.”