Archive for December, 2009
(SNPS) Synopsys, Incorporated – Bear of the Day
Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS) delivered mediocre third quarter results, with below-par operating performance. The 2010 guidance does not reflect any major growth. Although Synopsys is gaining traction from new products, acquisitions, and new EDA partnerships, we believe these are unlikely...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SGY) Stone Energy Corporation – Consensus Estimates Jump
Stone Energy Corporation (SGY) is cheap, trading with a forward P/E of just 7.23. The company has surprised on estimates 3 out of the last 4 quarters by an average of 144.51%. Company Description Stone Energy is an independent oil and natural gas exploration company with operations...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($IBM) A Long Straddle on IBM – Options Commentary
Employing the Zacks Most Active Options filter for today’s edition of Trading Tools, a different security caught my eye: blue-chip bigwig International Business Machines (IBM). Before we begin, let’s explain the contrarian stance that makes Schaeffer’s so unique....
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VLO) Valero Enters Biodiesel Green Initiative
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) has entered into a five-year agreement with Mission NewEnergy, an Australian company, to obtain biodiesel made from jatropha. Mission is an Australian biofuel refiner. Jatropha is a family of oilseed plants that can grow on marginal soil. It is treated...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(QCOM) Qualcomm Opts for Digi International M2M Platform
Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) has entered into an agreement with Digi International Inc. (DGII) to integrate its Gobi modules with the latter’s embedded mobile machine-to-machine (M2M) design. Qualcomm has diversified itself into the mobile computing segment. The company’s MDM series...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MRH) Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd Forms Lloyd’s MGA
Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (MRH) has fortified its Lloyd’s operations. Last week, the company announced the formation of its new U.K. Managing General Agent (MGA). Montpelier Group’s wholly owned subsidiary, Paladin Underwriting Agency Limited, has received the authorization...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SCHW) Charles Schwab Corporation Provides Weak Outlook
Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW) said on Monday that it expects fourth-quarter earnings to be between 2 cents and 4 cents lower than its third-quarter earnings of 17 cents per share. The decrease in earnings will result from pressure on revenue due to lower interest rates and...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TIF) Tiffany & Co. – Solid Earnings and a Surging Share Price
Tiffany & Co. (TIF) has performed well against the market over the past year, more than doubling the return of the major averages. The company’s third-quarter earnings of 33 cents per share came in 43.5% ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Company Description Tiffany...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNH) UnitedHealth Completes Acquisition of Health Net Operations
On Friday, UnitedHealthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (UNH), announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of northeast U.S. operations of Health Net Inc. (HNT) HMO (health maintenance organization) entities in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TYC) Fitch Affirms Tyco International’s Debt Ratings
Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed the long-term and short-term investment-grade credit ratings of Tyco International Ltd. (TYC) and its subsidiary. The ratings agency affirms Tyco’s IDR at BBB+, its senior unsecured revolving credit facilities at BBB+, its senior unsecured notes...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wells Fargo to Repay TARP Money
Following aggressive repayment trends, on Monday, Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) announced its inclination to repay the entire $25 billion of bailout money it received from the government for its participation in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in Oct 2008. This will follow...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AAPL) Apple Countersues Nokia
Apple Inc. (AAPL) has filed a countersuit in a U.S. District Court in Delaware against Nokia Corp. (NOK) alleging that the latter has infringed 13 of its patents. Apple said that Nokia is using its patents for functions such as display graphics, power conversation, teleconferencing...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($F) Expect Strong Earnings Growth in 2010 – Earnings Trends
Key Points: • Earnings Surprise Ratio (#beat/#miss) at 5.286, almost double normal • Median Earnings Surprise 7.07%, very strong • Year-over-year Earnings Growth Ratio (# Pos Growth/# Neg Growth) at 0.83 • Sales Surprise Ratio at 1.42 • ...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(COG) Top Performer for Mon: Cabot Oil & Gas – Zacks #1 Rank Top Performers
With shares gaining by approximately 8% on Monday, Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation (COG) begins the week as one of the top-performing Zacks #1 Rank companies. COG is certainly gaining a good deal of ground today thanks to the big news that Exxon Mobil (XOM) is buying XTO Energy...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DNDN) Dendreon Corporation Prices Stock Offer
Dendreon Corporation (DNDN) announced recently that it has priced its common stock at $24.75 per share in its public offering to sell 15 million shares of common stock. The offer is underwritten by JP Morgan Securities, a division of JP Morgan Chase & Co (JPM) along with...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) Exxon’s Purchase is a Vote of Confidence in Natural Gas
I try not to get overly excited about M&A announcements, but today’s major transaction in the energy space deserves all the attention that it is getting. My enthusiasm for Exxon‘s (XOM) acquisition of XTO Energy (XTO) goes beyond my long-held liking for both of...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SKM) SK Telecom Enters Mobile Credit Card Market
SK Telecom (SKM), South Korea’s wireless kingpin, is reportedly entering the mobile credit card market. The company has sealed a deal to acquire 49% stake in Hana Card, the credit card unit of Hana Financial Group, for KRW400 million (US$346 million). Hana Financial, the fourth...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JCG) J. Crew Group Inc. – Solid 20% Growth Projection
J. Crew Group Inc. (JCG) just hit a new 52-week high as the company’s share price climbs higher on rising estimates and steady earnings. Company Description J. Crew Group, Inc. operates as a high-end specialty retailer for men, woman and children in the United States. The...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MO) Energy Heats Up Producer Price Index
The Producer Price Index (PPI) came in at a much-higher-than-expected 1.8% increase in November relative to October. In October, the PPI was up only 0.3%. The consensus expectations were for a rise of 0.8%. The rise was for the most part due to a big jump in energy costs. Finished...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GS) Goldman Sachs Group Sued for Bonuses
After the bailout repayment, it’s the bonus payouts that are making Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) uneasy. On Monday, Goldman was reportedly pulled up by one of its institutional investors who alleged that the bank is planning to make unseemly bonus payments. The lawsuit against...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup to Repay $20Billion in TARP Funds
Citigroup Inc. (C) has finalized a deal on Monday with the U.S. government to repay the bailout money it had received from the government for its participation in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) at the height of the credit crisis last year. Citigroup has also reached...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VZ) Verizon Enhances FiOS TV Service
Verizon (VZ) has announced enhancements to its FiOS TV service by adding photo sharing functionality and expanded Video-on-Demand (“VOD”) content. The company’s FiOS TV customers can now share and view millions of photos on their TV. This is enabled by services such...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TCB) U.S. Treasury to Sell TCF Financial Corporation Warrants
The U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday that it will auction 3.2 million warrants to buy the common stock of TCF Financial Corporation (TCB) on Tuesday. This is the third auction of warrants the government received as part of its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) set up...
15Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedWhy the Dollar Will Soar in 2010
by Alexander Green, Chief Investment Strategist Monday, December 14, 2009: Issue #1157 We all know why the dollar is in the cellar right now. We also know why it’s expected to continue right through to the basement floor: Massive budget and trade deficits. Ultra-low interest...
14Dec2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(GIL) Gildan Activewear Beats Estimates by a Penny
Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL) recently reported fiscal 2009 fourth quarter results. The company recorded earnings of $42.4 million, a growth of nearly 94% over $21.8 million posted in the year-ago period. Excluding a special income tax charge of $26.9 million, adjusted earnings...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PAY) Earnings Preview for VeriFone Holdings
VeriFone Holdings Inc. (PAY) is expected to report fourth quarter and fiscal 2009 results later today. Management had earlier stated that business has begun to recover in both domestic and international markets. The company expects revenues between $208 million and $215 million...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ERIC) Ericsson Facilitates Largest 4G Service
The world’s first and largest commercial 4G service has been launched by TeliaSonera and Ericsson (ERIC) in Stockholm, Sweden. Although 3G (third generation) technologies deliver significantly higher bit rates than 2G technologies, there is still a great opportunity for...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ODP) Office Depot Launches New Product Line
Office Depot Inc. (ODP), a leading office products and services provider worldwide, recently launched a new product line targeting women business professionals in various fashionable colors, designs and styles. The new product line includes a collection of over 70 products of...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CBG) CB Richard Ellis Group to Sell CA Government Property
CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. (CBG), a leading commercial real estate firm, recently won a contract from the cash-strapped California Government to sell 17 government-owned offices in a concerted effort to raise $660 million. The properties are located across Los Angeles, Oakland,...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KTC) KT Corporation Expands Footprint in Africa
South Korea’s incumbent fixed-line carrier KT Corp. (KTC) has expanded its foothold in the lucrative African telecom market with the commercial launch of its wireless broadband (“WiBro”) service in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. WiBro is the South Korean version of...
14Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued