Archive for December, 2009
(WLP) WellPoint Sells NextRx Units to Express Scripts
Recently, WellPoint, Inc. (WLP) announced that its NextRx subsidiaries have been purchased by Express Scripts, Inc. (ESRX) for $4.675 billion, which includes the consideration for the value of a future tax benefit for the acquirer based on the transaction structure. The deal...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WPRT) Westport Innovations: Why You Should Own This Stock
by Sheena Martin, Contributing Editor With the move towards greener technology continuing in earnest, car and engine manufacturers are learning to harness the energy from natural gas. Not only is it a cleaner-burning fuel, it also has the potential to oust oil products that...
3Dec2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(BHI) Higher Inventory Drags Down Oil
The U.S. Energy Department’s weekly inventory release showed a surprise buildup in crude stockpiles. The agency’s bearish report further added that gasoline supplies rose much more than analysts projected, while refinery rates remained at historically low levels. The...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GENZ) Genzyme Resumes Cerezyme Shipment
Genzyme Corp. (GENZ) recently reported progress on the resumption of supply of new lots of Cerezyme from its Allston Landing manufacturing facility, which was temporarily shut down due to contamination issues. The company announced that it has started shipping vials of the newly...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CVS) Energizer Holdings’ Batteries in Trouble?
According a recent news report, CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) said that it will stop selling Energizer Holdings Inc. (ENR) alkaline batteries at its stores from 2010. The report also said that CVS will sell Procter & Gamble’s (PG) Duracell alkaline batteries instead. However,...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MRGE) Merge Healthcare Inc Releases New Product
Merge Healthcare Inc. (MRGE) recently announced the release of its radiology information system (RIS), picture archiving communications system (PACS) and Disaster Recovery solutions that leverage a cloud computing platform to manage a breadth of healthcare information. This scalable...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMCSA) Comcast Corporation Turns Media Mogul
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), the largest cable MSO in the U.S., is all set to become a media powerhouse armed with a unique control over both content and distribution. The company will purchase 51% stake of NBC Universal from General Electric Co. (GE) for a total consideration of approximately...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ABT) Abbott Laboratories Settles Dispute with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Abbott Laboratories Inc. (ABT) announced that it has settled its patent litigation with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA), which was seeking to market generic versions of Abbott’s TriCor. According...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SNY) Sanofi-Aventis’ Multaq Drug Gains European Commission Approval
Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) received good news recently with the company gaining approval from the European Commission for its atrial fibrillation drug, Multaq. The product gained approval for use in adult clinically stable patients with a history of, or current non-permanent atrial...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EPD) Enterprise Products Partners L.P. Buys Pipeline Interest
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (EPD) on Tuesday purchased a 70% interest in the Rio Grande Pipeline from HEP Navajo Southern L.P. – a subsidiary of Holly Energy Partners L.P. (HEP) – through its 100% subsidiary, Enterprise Products Operating LLC. Enterprise will serve...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) ExxonMobil Corporation’s Upstream Growth Continues
ExxonMobil Corporation (XOM) on Tuesday said it has found hydrocarbons while drilling on the Dabakan-1 well in Service Contract 56 in the Sulu Sea off southern Philippines. The data captured by Exxon stated that the company encountered reservoir sands and hydrocarbons at the...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WIN) Windstream Corporation Wraps Lexcom Acquisition
Leading rural telecom carrier Windstream Corp. (WIN) has reportedly concluded its acquisition of privately held small carrier Lexcom Inc. for $143 million in cash. This represents the company’s second successfully completed acquisition in the past six months. Windstream acquired...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s Confirmation Testimony
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been nominated for a second term, and is facing a confirmation hearing in the Senate today. Below are the key parts of his prepared testimony, and my reaction to it. “Over the past two years, our nation, indeed the world, has endured...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UTX) United Technologies Corporation Bags Deal
According to the Pentagon, United Technologies Corp. (UTX) has been awarded a $1.7 billion U.S. Air Force contract for engines for Boeing Co C-17 military transport aircraft. Up to 208 Pratt & Whitney F-117 engines may be acquired under this contract. Pratt & Whitney...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JEC) Jacobs Engineering Group Earns More Contracts
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC) was awarded a $99 million contract to provide architect and engineer (A-E) design services to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) EnRoute Facilities Planning and Modernization Program. The company said that the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CBE) Cooper Industries plc Acquires Pauluhn Electric
Cooper Industries plc (CBE) recently announced the acquisition of Texas-based Pauluhn Electric from Federal Signal Corp. (FSS). Pauluhn Electric is a leading provider of specialized marine, offshore and industrial lighting and connecting product solutions for harsh and hazardous...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($HPQ) Hewlett-Packard Extends Service Agreement
Hewlett-Packard’s (HPQ) Enterprise Services announced that Ahold, an international group of leading supermarket companies based in the United States and Europe, has signed a seven-year infrastructure and applications services agreement, thereby expanding its previous agreement. Under...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NOVL) Earnings Preview: Novell
A leading technology software company, Novell Inc. (NOVL) is set to announce its fourth quarter results soon. According to the Zacks Consensus estimates, earnings are expected to be 6 cents a share. Novell expects to maintain double-digit adjusted operating margins for the full...
3Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IEO) Oil and Natural Gas Investments: Why You Should Buy Black Gold Now
by Alexander Green, Chief Investment Strategist Thursday, December 3, 2009: Issue #1150 Some day in the future, human beings will likely colonize Mars. But if I suggested you invest in its colonization now, you’d rightly think I was a few cards short of a full deck. The...
3Dec2009 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(AEG) Aegon NV Repays Government Funds
Aegon NV (AEG) yesterday repaid €1.15 billion of government funds. The payment constitutes about one-third of the total €3.0 billion it received during last fall. The amount repaid also included accrued interest of €44 million from May 22. The payment, which is an initial...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MCHP) Microchip Technology Incorporated Upgrades Earnings Guidance
Microchip Technology Incorporated (MCHP) upgraded its guidance for the third quarter. The company now expects net sales to increase by 6% – 8% sequentially, up from the previous guidance of sales growth around 4% – 8%. The company had reported revenues of $227 million...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wachovia Converts to Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) has recently announced that it will be converting 65 Wachovia branches in California displaying its own name and stagecoach logo. San Francisco-based Wells Fargo has been moving slowly to consolidate Wachovia Bank into its system. During December of...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LVS) Moody’s Confirms Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s Ratings
Yesterday, Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s (LVS) ratings were confirmed by Moody’s Investors Service (MCO). Las Vegas Sands’ “B3″ junk corporate family rating, probability of default rating and long-term debt ratings were confirmed by the rating agency. Its...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KGC) Gold Producers Generating Less Output
Kinross Gold Corporation (KGC) is planning to acquire mining assets in North and South America, Russia and Ghana to stay out of countries such as China, which is currently the world’s top gold producer. Toronto-based Kinross will continue to build on its operations spread...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(COO) McDonald’s Corporation’s COO to Retire
Ralph Alvarez, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of McDonald’s Corporation (MCD) announced yesterday his intention to retire due to health related issues, effective December 31, 2009. After about 30 years in the restaurant industry, and the past 15 years with the McDonald’s brand,...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VPRT) VistaPrint N.V. Downgraded to Neutral
We are downgrading our recommendation on the shares of VistaPrint N.V. (VPRT) to Neutral. VistaPrint’s focus on small business markets provides it with ample opportunity for growth. Additionally, its scale of operation aids in significant margin expansion. However, we believe...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AEE) Ameren Corporation Launces Solar Initiatives
Ameren Corporation (AEE) launched its solar initiative in the states of Illinois and Missouri. As a first step, the utility is installing solar energy systems at its downtown St. Louis headquarters campus, while its subsidiary — Ameren Illinois Utilities — will install...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MASI) Masimo Corporation Earns FDA New Product Approval
Masimo Corporation (MASI) recently received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its new product, Masimo Rainbow SET Acoustic Monitoring. The new product enables noninvasive and continuous monitoring of human respiration rate (RRa). The data provided is accurate,...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MITI) Micromet & Bayer Take a BiTE
Micromet (MITI), a biopharmaceutical company, is dependent on many of its collaborating partners for its product portfolio. In this respect, the company received good news with Bayer exercising its option to develop a new bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) antibody for the treatment...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(F) Federal Reserve Beige Book Brighter
The Federal Reserve released its Beige Book, a collection of mostly anectdotal information from the 12 Federal Reserve Districts across the country. Below are some of the key passages from the report and my reactions to them. “Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts...
2Dec2009 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued