Archive for September, 2009
(HMA) Top Wells Fargo Funds – Mutual Fund Education
Wells Fargo Advantage Asia Pacific Inv (SASPX) seeks long-term capital appreciation by primarily investing in Asia Pacific Basin securities. The fund focuses on issuers that have potential for above-average sales and earnings growth, overall financial strength, competitive advantages...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(OSIR) Osiris Therapeutics’ Prochymal Found Ineffective
We are disappointed with the failure of Osiris Therapeutics’ (OSIR) Prochymal, a drug derived from human stem cell for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), the most common complication of bone marrow transplants. Currently, there is no approved treatment available...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CTS) CTS Corporation Sets Growth Path With Alternative Energy
CTS Setting a Course for Growth CTS Corporation (CTS) designs, manufactures, assembles and sells electronic components and sensors worldwide. Despite challenging business conditions, the firm delivered on an aggressive cost containment plan and had significant design wins during...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CEA) China Eastern Airlines – Bear of the Day
To shore up its balance sheet, China Eastern (CEA) announced the sale of up to RMB1.35 billion new A shares and 490 million new Hong Kong dollar-denominated H shares to parent, China Eastern Air Holding Co. We continue to believe the fundamental outlook for airline carriers remains...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DIS) Walt Disney Company to Buy Videogame Manufacturer Wideload
The Walt Disney Company (DIS) recently announced another venture in the video game business. The company’s interactive entertainment affiliate, Disney Interactive Media Group, has reached an agreement to acquire the Chicago-based videogame manufacturer Wideload Games. Terms...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GRMN) Garmin, Ltd. – Bull of the Day
Garmin (GRMN) is an OEM of GPS-based equipment. June quarter results were much better than consensus expectations, signaling an end to the downturn. The strong revenue and margin performance in the recently concluded quarter, the company s market share, brand equity, financial...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($KO) Coca Cola Reiterates Guidance
The Coca Cola Company (KO) on Tuesday September 8, 2009, narrowed its annual earnings guidance to the high end of the previously guided range of $1.44 to $1.49 per share. The revision was based on the performance of the company in the third quarter so far. The guidance excludes...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedQ & A with Gabelli: The strong will get stronger
An upshot of the financial crisis could be that investors go back to basics. In the case of equities, the means “plain old stock-picking” as Mario Gabelli of Gabelli Asset Management describes it. The paragraphs below are an excerpt of a recent interview Hedgeweek had with...
9Sep2009 | prieur | 0 comments | ContinuedSerious credit crunch remains, and it will until labor market turns
This post is a guest contribution by Rebecca Wilder*, author of the of the News N Economics blog. In July, the Kansas City Fed reported – they measure the Kansas City Financial Stress Index (KCFSI), which is an composite index of 11 financial variables that reflects...
9Sep2009 | prieur | 0 comments | Continued(ABX) Barrick Gold to Remove Hedges
On September 8th, the world’s largest gold producer, Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX), announced its plans to raise $3 billion from a share offering and use the proceeds to pay off its gold hedges. As of September 7, 2009, Barrick’s gold sales contracts — which comprise...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HAE) Haemonetics Corporation Acquires Engineering and Research Associates Inc
Haemonetics Corporation (HAE) has recently acquired the blood collection and processing business of Engineering and Research Associates Inc., commonly known as SEBRA. The transaction is worth $12.5 million in cash and is expected to be completed in a few months time. The SEBRA...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JOSB) JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. Surprised on Earnings Estimates Again
JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. (JOSB) has been defying the retail doom and gloom as sales climbed 9.8% year over year in the fiscal second quarter. Analysts expect 5-year sales growth of 16.8%. JOSB has a PEG ratio of just 0.90. Company Description JoS. A. Bank sells men’s...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MCD) McDonald’s Loses Legal Challenge
McDonald’s Corporation (MCD), a leading fast-food restaurant chain, lost an eight-year-long trademark battle against a family-run Kuala Lumpur restaurant, McCurry, to prevent the latter from using the prefix ‘Mc.’ McDonald’s accused McCurry for infringement its trademark,...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PXP) Plains Exploration & Production on Fund Raising Spree
Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) has recently issued $400 million of 8.625% coupon bearing senior notes at 98.335% of the face value. The notes are due on October 15, 2019 and yield 8.875% to maturity based upon the initial offering price. Last month, it raised around...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(YHOO) Yahoo Launches Flickr on Mobile Phones
Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) recently launched a mobile version of its popular Flickr program, which can be downloaded for free on Apple’s (AAPL) iPhones and Research In Motion’s (RIMM) Blackberry handsets. The mobile app enables photo and video searching, sharing, uploading and emailing....
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedThis Swiss Logic Has More Holes Than Their Cheese
Switzerland is the most competitive economy in the world, according to… the Swiss. Really, Switzerland? We had such respect for you before this. This study is like Detroit releasing a study that says Americans only want cars from Detroit. It’s nice to daydream, but it’s...
9Sep2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(TU) Telus Corporation Expands Retail Networking
Telus Corp (TU), Canada’s second largest telecom carrier, has reportedly acquired Black’s Photo Corporation (Black’s), a leading imaging and digital retailer in Canada , for C$28 million (US$26 million). For nearly 80 years, Black’s has been a premier distributor of cameras,...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ATI) Allegheny Technologies Incorporated Bags Contract
On Sep 8, Allegheny Technologies Incorporated (ATI), one of the largest and the most diversified specialty metals producers in the world, signed a ten-year agreement with Rolls-Royce plc, the British aircraft engine maker for the supply of nickel-based superalloy disc-quality...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AXP) Consumer Credit Contracted by a Much Larger Than Expected $21.5 Billion in July
Considering the Consequences of Consumer Credit Contracting Yesterday the Federal Reserve announced that consumer credit contracted by a much larger than expected $21.5 billion in July, and that the contraction in June was larger than previously thought. Consumer credit is broken...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FWLT) Foster Wheeler AG Wins Polish Power Station Contract
Foster Wheeler AG (FWLT) said a unit of its Global Power Group recently won a contract from ZE PAK S.A. for the design, supply and erection of a 55 MWe biomass-fired circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) boiler island for the Konin Power Station in Poland. Foster Wheeler has received...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KMX) Earnings Preview for CarMax
CarMax (KMX) will release its sales and earnings results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010 ended August 31, 2009 on September 22. The Richmond, VA-based used car retailer reported earnings of 11 cents per share, excluding special items, for the first quarter of the fiscal...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Big Banks Commit to Transparency
Following the U.S. Treasury’s announcement last week requiring the world’s banks to maintain stronger capital and liquidity standards by the end of next year to prevent a re-run of the global financial crisis, 15 large banks that control the majority of derivative trading...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NURO) NeuroMetrix Inc Raises Funds
NeuroMetrix Inc. (NURO) entered into a private placement transaction with institutional investors for $18.68 million worth of its common stock. Per the agreement, the company will sell 8,816,521 shares and warrants to purchase up to 8,375,695 additional shares of common stock....
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IBM) International Business Machines Keeps 2009 Guidance
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, International Business Machines (IBM) reiterated its fiscal 2009 profit outlook of at least $9.70 per share. Management also said that IBM was well on course to deliver earnings of $10 to $11 per share in 2010. With...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMCSA) Comcast Launches Business Wideband
Comcast Corp., (CMCSA) has launched its first next-generation high-speed voice and Internet service for small and medium sized businesses (SMB) in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul . Leveraging on the DOCSIS 3.0 platform, this new service will provide downstream speeds...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMT) American Tower Corporation Expands in India
American Tower Corp. (AMT) has geared up to expand its footprint in the emerging market of India. The tower sector in this country is undergoing a wave of consolidation. Smaller players are looking at mergers or complete sell-out to large global tower operators since they lack...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SOHU) Sohu.com Spins Off Changyou.com Ltd and Looks Attractive
China’s leading online media and gaming company Sohu.com Inc. (SOHU) today said that its spun-off unit Changyou.com Ltd. (CYOU) has launched Blade Hero 2, a new 2.5D martial arts-style, multi-user online role-playing game (MMORPG) with new contents. Blade Hero 2 is a sequel...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Ruthless Defaults on Credit Cards
Banks are trying to recoup some of their massive losses on bad loans by increasing their rates on credit cards and collecting huge overdraft fees on people who use debit cards and pull too much out. There is an interesting article in today’s New York Times on debit card overdrafts. However,...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RNOW) RightNow Technologies to Buy HiveLive
RightNow Technologies Inc. (RNOW) recently agreed to buy enterprise-class social platform provider HiveLive Inc. The acquisition will combine RightNow’s on-demand customer relationship management (CRM) solution with HiveLive’s innovative platform for customer support, engagement...
9Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SFD) Smithfield Foods Looses More Than Double the Prior-Year Same Quarter
SmithField Foods Inc. (SFD), producer and marketer of fresh and packaged meat products in the U.S. and internationally, reported results for its first quarter of fiscal 2010 with a net loss of 56 cents per share. The loss was a penny higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of...
8Sep2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued