Archive for August, 2009
(SWM) Schweitzer-Maudit International Inc. – estimates spike – very nice growth projection
Schweitzer-Maudit International Inc. (SWM) recently posted solid second-quarter results that beat estimates on higher prices and lower costs. Estimates and the company’s share price both spiked in reaction to the news. Company Description Schweitzer-Maudit International...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wachovia – slapped with a multi-state investigation under which it will have to pay
Wachovia Corporation, now a part of Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC), will have to shell out a $2.52 million assessment fee to the state for its involvement in the auction rate securities market. An auction rate security (ARS) typically refers to a debt instrument with a long-term...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) Wal-Mart Beats But revenue for the quarter declined 1.4% year-over-year
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) reported strong second quarter results with earnings of 88 cents per share, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 85 cents. Earnings were up 2.3% year-over-year and were at the high-end of management’s guidance of 83 cents to 88 cents per...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BBBY) Retail sales in July were much lower than expected
Retail sales in July were much lower than expected. Total sales fell by 0.1%, far below the 0.8% increase forecast by the consensus of economists and the 0.8% increase that was posted in June. The one piece of good news in the report was that the June number was revised up from...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($VLO) Valero Wins Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Fuel Contract
Yesterday, Valero Marketing and Supply Co., a subsidiary of oil refiner and marketer Valero Energy Corp. (VLO), won an aviation fuel supply contract worth up to $230.5 million from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. The Pentagon said that Valero will provide the fuel to the Defense...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HIG) Hartford – Analysts concerned with exposure to variable annuities and capital levels
Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) agreed to refund $48.2 million to workers’ compensation policyholders in Florida as it earned excess profits on such policies it issued between 2004 and 2006. On Wednesday, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said that it...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GR) Goodrich Logs Into China – new facility in China’s Tianjin Airport Industrial Park
Yesterday, Charlotte-based Goodrich Corp. (GR) agreed to form two joint venture companies with China’s Xi’an Aircraft International Corp. (XAIC). According to the agreement, XAIC will form a joint venture with each of Goodrich Landing Gear and Goodrich Aerostructures. The...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($BAC) Financials Surge After Paulson Buys
After positive comments by the Federal Reserve and Ben Bernanke, Wall Street marched even higher yesterday before profit taking set in, blunting some of those gains. What made news in the aftermarket was John Paulson’s second quarter holdings statement. It showed that Paulson...
13Aug2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(ISRG) Intuitive Surgical Inc. – net profit margin of 22% is roughly 7 times the industry norm of just 35
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) bolstered its balance sheet, blew away estimates, and investors cant get enough. Company Description Intuitive is a surgical robotics company that makes the da Vinci Surgical System. The system allows doctors to perform procedures through small...
13Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($S) Sprint Accelerating 4G – first-to-market advantage for its 4G services may eventually erode
Sprint Nextel (S) announced a major nationwide expansion yesterday for its fourth-generation (4G) wireless broadband service as the company plans to launch services in 17 more US cities. This follows Sprint’s recent announcement of launching 4G services in Atlanta, Portland...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AAPL) Smartphone Sales Brighter – sales grew 27% year over year in the second quarter
According to the latest data from research firm Gartner, smartphone sales grew 27% year over year in the second quarter, surpassing 40 million units and representing the fastest growing segment in the mobile-devices market. We believe the volumes were driven by the launch of...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMAT) Applied Materials Beats – very strong balance sheet with a very small amount of long term debt
Applied Materials Leaves Worst Behind Applied Materials‘ (AMAT) fiscal third quarter EPS beat the Zacks consensus by 5 cents. Revenue Revenue of $1.13 billion increased 11.1% sequentially but declined 38.7% year over year. The sequential growth in revenue was driven by...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($IBM) IBM Explores Analytics Space – working with the fire and police department to prevent crime and fire accidents
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) recently announced plans to launch analytics solutions for federal, state and local government clients. An increasing amount of funds are being invested worldwide to develop systems such as utility grids, electronic medical records,...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(M) Macy’s Beats, Raises Outlook – effective cost management and inventory-control measures
Macy’s Inc. (M) reported better-than-expected second quarter results amid recession due to effective cost management and inventory-control measures. The company attempted to better align its cost structure with shrinking revenues. Earnings per share (excluding one-time items),...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LMT) LMT Expands Space Systems Assets
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) is gearing up big-time to rejuvenate its beleaguered Space Systems segment. Yesterday, the company broke ground on two new projects at its facility in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The estimated cost of the two projects will come to around $24 million. Lockheed...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BOBE) Bob Evans Cooks Up Profits – Beats estimates by a penny
Bob Evans Farms (BOBE) recently reported first quarter 2010 financial results with a low single-digit decline in the top-line, but with a surprise double-digit growth in the bottom-line. The results were driven by cost efficiencies and fewer restaurant openings. For the reported...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup Enlarges TARP Initiatives
Citigroup, Inc. (C) yesterday published its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Progress Report for the second quarter, stating that it has loaned an additional $6 billion backed by TARP to support American homeowners and help the U.S. economy. The new lending initiative aggregates...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SGP) Schering-Plough Settles Lawsuits – Analyst Blog
Yesterday, Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) said it has signed an agreement with Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Orgenus Pharma Inc., which sought to make generic versions of its allergy drug Clarinex. This signals the end of all pending litigations that Schering filed...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NOC) Northrop Gets New Army Deal – Neutral recommendation for the company
Northrop Grumman (NOC) along with four other syndicates of companies has received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from the U.S. Army for providing automatic identification technology hardware, software and engineering services. The project will be carried...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JPM) JPMorgan Mulls Office Sale – sale of 23 offices which could raise more than $1 billion
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) is contemplating a sale of 23 offices which could raise more than $1 billion. If the deal materializes, it will be the country’s largest office real estate sale so far in 2009. The company might offer certain incentives like a sale-leaseback...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($FNM) Notes on Fed Statement – economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time
The Federal Reserve released the following statement after its meeting today. It is presented along with the previous statement, and my interpretation of the differences on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis. “Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RUTH) Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. – PEG ratio of just 0.9
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. (RUTH) has been cutting costs and paying down debt as sales have declined at its upscale restaurants during the recession. The company has surprised on estimates 3 out of the last 4 quarters. RUTH has attractive value characteristics. It has...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SYNT) Syntel Inc. – beat market by about 40% over the past year
Syntel Inc. (SYNT) recently posted second-quarter earnings of 61 cents per share, eclipsing the previous year’s 42 cents and exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20%. Revenue slipped 3% year-over-year. Company Description Syntel Inc. provides information technology...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PWRD) Perfect World Co, Ltd. – Revenue was up 56% from last year
Perfect World Co, Ltd. (PWRD) just reported another awesome quarter, pushing its share price to a new all-time high as the company projects continued strong revenue growth. Company Description Perfect World Co., through its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development and...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CTSH) Cognizant Tech Solutions Corp. – EPS of 47 cents, 10 cents above estimates
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) shares are setting a new 52-week high after the most recent earnings surprise. Company Description Cognizant provides software development and maintenance for companies transitioning into e-business. The company utilizes both on-site...
12Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) XOM’s LNG Terminal Update – started another LNG regasification terminal
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) declared that the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo has arrived at the Adriatic LNG regasification terminal located offshore of Porto Levante, Italy. The terminal is the first offshore gravity based structure in the world for unloading, storage and...
11Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CBS) CBS Switches Off Radio – agreed to sell four of its radio stations
Yesterday, CBS Corp. (CBS) agreed to sell four of its radio stations – KINK-FM, KUPL-FM, KUFO-FM and KCMD-AM – in Portland, Oregon, to Alpha Broadcasting (a company formed by radio executive Larry Wilson and Endeavour Capital) for $40 million in cash. The company has been...
11Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BX) When This Number Falls, Expect the Takeovers to Heat Up
by Louis Basenese, Advisory Panelist When the credit markets froze solid last year, equities hit the skids, the economy tanked and so did the number of announced mergers and acquisitions (M&A). But now the stock market’s on the mend. In my book, a 49% rally off the bottom...
11Aug2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(CAB) Cabela’s Inc. – 9 of 12 analysts raised estimates in the past 30 days
Cabela’s, Inc. (CAB) is bucking the retail doom and gloom as same store sales rose 6.1% on strong hunting equipment sales. The company has surprised on estimates 2 out of the last 4 quarters by an average of 36.25%. CAB is trading at 14x forward earnings. Company Description Cabela’s...
11Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AWH) Allied World Assurance Company – Topped the estimates by 10%
Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd (AWH) recently posted second-quarter earnings of $2.20 per share, surpassing the previous year’s $1.64 and topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10%. Company Description Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd, provides...
11Aug2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued