Archive for January, 2010
(NVS) Novartis Collaborates with GenVec on Hearing Loss Treatments
Recently, Novartis (NVS) entered into a collaboration with GenVec (GNVC) for the development of treatments for hearing loss and balance disorders. Earlier, preclinical results have found strong potential in GenVec’s adenovector technology for the restoration of hearing...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(QCOM) Qualcomm Analyst Downgrades to Underperform
We downgrade our recommendation for Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) to Underperform ahead of its first quarter fiscal 2010 financial results. According to our view, the ongoing global economic recession may generate earnings fluctuations in the near-term. The stock price has moved up more...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Bank of America’s Earnings Disappoint Due To TARP Payback
Bank of America Corporation’s (BAC) fourth quarter 2009 loss came in at 60 cents per share, a nickel worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 55 cents. This compares unfavorably with the loss of 48 cents in the prior-year quarter. Results for the quarter included...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wells Fargo & Company Beats Consensus Estimates
Wells Fargo & Co.’s (WFC) fourth quarter 2009 net income applicable to common stock came in at $394 million or 8 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $3.02 billion or 84 cents in the prior-year quarter. Results were soundly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TEF) Telefonica Subsidiary O2 UK Enters Wireline Voice
O2 UK, the British subsidiary of Spanish Telecom giant Telefonica (TEF), recently announced that it will offer fixed-line voice services to residential customers in the UK starting March 2010. The mobile carrier, which was once the wireless arm of BT Group (BT), aims at complementing...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MOH) Molina Healthcare to Expand With IT From Unisys
Molina Healthcare Inc. (MOH) announced recently that it will purchase information technology (IT) company Unisys Corp.‘s (UIS) health information management (HIM) business for $135 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2010. The closure...
20Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KERX) Healthcare Stock Watch: Short List of Booming (and Busting) Companies
by Marc Lichtenfeld, Healthcare Expert Wednesday, January 20, 2010: Issue #1179 On my way out to San Francisco last week, I never thought that I’d compare the biggest healthcare conference of the year to the dating scene. But that’s the overall vibe that I took away from...
20Jan2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(JCI) Earnings Preview for Johnson Controls
On Friday, January 22, 2010, Johnson Controls (JCI) will release its sales and earnings results for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 ended December 31, 2009. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based supplier of automotive interiors, batteries and other control equipment showed a profit...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMAT) Applied Materials Incorporated – Bull of the Day
Applied Materials (AMAT) is one of the world’s largest suppliers of fabrication equipment to semiconductor, LCD and solar PV cell manufacturers. Applied’s leading market position, strength in China, improving trends across all served end markets, innovative R&D...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NYT) The New York Times Company to Charge Web Readers
The New York Times Company (NYT) may soon be charging readers for its online content, which will bring the media conglomerate at par with the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. In an effort to offset declining revenue and a shrinking market share, publishing companies...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup’s Earnings Match Consensus Estimates
Citigroup (C) matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its fiscal fourth quarter reported this morning at a loss of 33 cents per share. The company suffered an incredibly bad fourth quarter of 2008, so year-over-year comparables are very favorable. So favorable, in fact, they...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UPL) Ultra Petroleum Analyst Coverage Initiated at Neutral
We are initiating coverage on Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) with a Neutral recommendation and a target price of $55. Houston, Texas-based Ultra Petroleum is an independent energy firm engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration and production of oil and gas properties....
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HRL) Hormel Foods Acquires Country Crock From Unilever
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Country Crock chilled side dish line from Unilever United States Inc., of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. The transaction is expected to close by February 2010. However, the terms were not disclosed. The...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KFT) Kraft Scores Cadbury On Final Offer
Kraft Foods (KFT) announced that Cadbury PLC has accepted its final offer, which values Cadbury at £11.7 billion ($19 billion) or 850 pence per share (approximately $13.86 per share). As per the offer, Cadbury shareholders will receive 500 pence (about $8.15) in cash and 0.1874...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JEC) Jacobs Engineering – Bear of the Day
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (JEC) is one of the leading providers of professional, technical, and construction services to industrial, commercial and governmental clients. Jacobs’ ongoing acquisition strategy will help it to strengthen its position in the future. However,...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MGI) MoneyGram International Expands in Hungary
Expanding its presence in Hungary, MoneyGram International Inc. (MGI) announced yesterday its partnership with Corner Cash Keszpenz Zrt to enhance its money transfer service business by adding its service to Corner Cash’s 11 locations across the country. Through this alliance,...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(OMN) OMNOVA Solutions Surpasses Expectations
OMNOVA Solutions Inc. (OMN) reported fiscal 2009 fourth-quarter results on Monday. The company recorded earnings of $11.1 million or 25 cents per share, compared to $0.8 million, or 2 cents per share in the year-ago period. The quarterly result also surpassed the Zacks Consensus...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IBM) IBM Beats Expectations But Moves Down in After-Market
IBM Corp. (IBM) posted a positive earnings report after the bell Tuesday. For the company’s 4th quarter of 2009, its $3.59 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.47 by 12 cents, and was up 10% year over year. Quarterly revenue of $27.2 billion was essentially...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(USB) US Bancorp Earnings Preview
US Bancorp (USB) is scheduled to release its fourth quarter and full year 2009 financial results prior to the market open Wednesday, Jan. 20. According to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, US Bancorp will report earnings of 28 cents per share for the fourth quarter and 96 cents per...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BNVI) Bionovo Publishes Encouraging Results
Recently, Bionovo, Inc. (BNVI) published results from the early-stage study of Bezielle (BZL101), its candidate for treating metastatic breast cancer. The results indicated that Bezielle was well tolerated and also confirmed the safety of the drug. Furthermore, the study provided...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PLXS) Plexus Corporation Earnings Preview
Plexus Corporation (PLXS) is scheduled to release its first quarter of fiscal 2010 earnings ended January 2 after the market closes on January 20. Plexus Corp. is currently rated as a Zacks Rank #3 (Neutral) stock, indicating that it should perform in line with the overall market...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GPS) Specialty Retailer Gap Earnings Preview
Gap Inc. (GPS), a premier international specialty retailer, is scheduled to report its fiscal 2009 fourth-quarter results on Feb 25, 2010. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is $0.44 per share. Estimates appear to be trending up, with year-over-year growth of...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MTG) MGIC Investment Corporation Sees Rating Action
Last week, rating agency Fitch withdrew its long-term issuer rating “B-“ of MGIC Investment Corp. (MTG) along with withdrawing the “BB-“ insurer financial strength rating of its subsidiary, Mortgage Guaranty Investment Corp. The rating agency also pulled back the rating...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(REP) Repsol YPF S.A. Signs New Exploration Contract in Algeria
Spain’s largest integrated oil and gas company Repsol YPF S.A. (REP) and its partners Enel and GdF-Suez have signed an exploration and exploitation contract for the ‘Sud-Est Illizi’ gas field in Southeastern Algeria with Sonatrach, the Algerian national oil company....
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EJ) E-House China Holdings – Third Quarter Revenue Soared 119%
E-House China Holdings (EJ) is cashing in on China’s super hot housing market as fourth quarter revenue is expected to jump more than 160%. The stock has attractive valuations. E-House is trading at just 11.6x forward earnings. Company Description E-House offers a range...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NVTL) Novatel Wireless Analysts Upgrade to Outperform
We upgrade our recommendation for Novatel Wireless Inc. (NVTL) to Outperform following huge international momentum for its innovative MiFi line of Products. We expect the top-line of Novatel to maintain its current growth rate supported by the strong demand for MiFi mobile intelligent...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RPM) RPM International – Surging Profits Jump 34%
RPM International (RPM) just posted another earnings surprise on surging profits. Analysts have been quick to raise estimates for the rapidly growing company. Company Description RPM owns subsidiaries that provide industrial and consumer coatings and sealants. The weekend warriors...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PC) Panasonic Corporation to Increase India Sales
According to the Wall Street Journal, Panasonic Corp. (PC), a leading manufacturer of electronic and electrical products, systems and components in Japan plans to provide electronic parts for a car such as car audio related equipment and liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NWSA) News Corporation Stake Rises in Sky Deutschland
News Corp. (NWSA), a diversified global media company, recently subscribed to over 49 million new registered shares of Sky Deutschland, a German pay-TV provider, at a price of €2.25 ($3.24) per share for an aggregate cost of €110 million ($143.9 million). News Corp. subscribed...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PSS) Collective Brands to Buy Above The Rim Brand from Reebok
Collective Brands, Inc. (PSS), the wholesaler and retailer of footwear and related accessories, recently declared that it will acquire Above The Rim (ATR) brand from Reebok International, owned by Germany’s Adidas AG. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The operator...
19Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued