Archive for January, 2010
(FDO) Family Dollar Store’s Earnings Surge
Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (FDO) recently reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2010 results with a low single-digit growth in the top-line, but a surprise double-digit growth in the bottom-line buoyed by effective cost and inventory management. Family Dollar’s quarterly...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(E) Eni SpA ADRs Initiated at Neutral by Analysts
We have initiated coverage on Eni SpA ADRs (E) with a Neutral recommendation and a $53 target price, as we believe that it will perform in line with the industry. Based in Rome, Italy, Eni SpA with its consolidated subsidiaries is engaged in the oil and gas, electricity generation,...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FIF) Financial Federal Corporation Upgraded by Analysts
We are upgrading our recommendation on the shares of Financial Federal Corp. (FIF) to Neutral as we think that the shares of the company are currently trading at a price almost near the agreement value with People’s United. On Nov 22, 2009, Financial Federal entered into...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MFC) Manulife Financial Corporation’s Ratings Lowered by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services
Manulife Financial Corporation’s (MFC) long-term counterparty credit ratings were lowered by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services to ‘A+’ from ‘AA-’. The outlook assigned is negative. The company has also been removed from the CreditWatch listing. The...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SU) Suncor Energy Sheds Rockies Assets
Canada’s Suncor Energy (SU) has entered into an agreement with Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. (NBL) to sell bulk of its Rocky Mountain oil and gas fields for $494 million. The total sold properties hold an estimated 53 million barrels of oil equivalent in proved reserves (45%...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DT) T-Mobile Speeds Up 3G Network
The year 2010 promises to be the year of super-fast wireless networks. T-Mobile USA, the US subsidiary of German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom (DT), has joined the high-speed hoopla in the US as it has reportedly upgraded its nationwide 3G mobile broadband network to the HSPA...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(T) AT&T Wireless Deploys 3G HSPA 7.2
US telecom giant AT&T (T) has opened its New Year’s account by offering blazing fast 3G network to its customers. The carrier has completed the software upgrade across its nationwide 3G cell sites that enable the deployment of the 3G HSPA 7.2 network. This follows the announcement...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SNTS) Santarus Recently Downgraded to Neutral
We recently downgraded our recommendation on specialty pharmaceutical company Santarus Inc. (SNTS) to Neutral. Santarus is focused on the acquisition, development, and commercialization of proprietary products and therapies that have the potential to treat gastrointestinal diseases...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CBSH) Commerce Bancshares Analyst Lowers Rating to Neutral
Given the current critical sustainability factor, we are downgrading our recommendation on the shares of Commerce Bancshares Inc. (CBSH) to Neutral from Outperform. Although the company’s third quarter results were substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, continued...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GSK) GlaxoSmithKline Gains Positive European Medicines Agency Opinion
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently received good news with the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issuing a positive opinion for its oral thrombopoetin agonist, Revolade (eltrombopag). Glaxo is seeking approval for the use of Revolade...
6Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BMC) BMC Software Wins Bank of East Asia as New Customer
BMC Software Inc. (BMC) is winning new customers at regular intervals. One of the most recent wins was that of The Bank of East Asia (China) Ltd. (BEA). The bank will be incorporating BMC Software’s Business Service Management (BSM) services to deliver a comprehensive IT management...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PAY) VeriFone Holdings Launches New Initiative
VeriFone Holdings,Inc. (PAY) recently announced a strategic initiative to leverage its current and future payment assets into the rapidly growing payment-enabled media marketplace. Management stated that consumers now want to take advantage of electronic payment options in locations...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SBGI) Sinclair Broadcast Group Lifts Fourth Quater Revenue Guidance
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. (SBGI) on Monday lifted its broadcast revenue guidance for the fourth quarter of 2009. The company stated that it now expects broadcast revenues to reach approximately $153.8 million, compared to the previous forecast of $143.3 million to $146.3...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DNR) Denbury Resources Completes Barnett Sale
Denbury Resources (DNR) has completed the sale of remaining 40% of its Barnett Shale natural gas assets to Talon Oil & Gas LLC (a privately held company) for $210 million. During June last year, Denbury had completed the sale of its first 60% for $270 million to the same...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TGI) Triumph Group Analyst Upgrades to Neutral
Triumph Group Inc. (TGI) continues to remain focused on growing its core businesses as well as growing through strategic acquisitions. Organic growth remained strong in fiscal 2009 through the addition of products and services, the expansion of the operating capacity and marketing...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Bank of America CEO: Expect Sluggish Revival
Bank of America Corporation’s (BAC) new chief executive officer (CEO), Brian T. Moynihan, said on Monday that he anticipates a sluggish and prolonged recovery of the U.S economy. He also expects a high unemployment level in the near term. According to the CEO, de-consolidating...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup to Restructure Operations and Sell LavaFX to FXall
Citigroup to Sell LavaFX to FXall In a bid to restructure its operations, on Monday, Citigroup Inc. (C) decided to discharge its foreign exchange trading platform LavaFX to FXall, another rival electronic trading platform for foreign exchange. Though the terms of the deal remain...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SLM) SLM Corporation “Sallie Mae” Upped to Outperform
We are upgrading our recommendation on the shares of SLM Corporation (SLM) to Outperform. Based in Reston, Virginia and commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation is the nation’s market leader in education finance. The company manages student loans of roughly 10 million...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SHW) Pending Home Sales Tumble According to National Association of Realtors
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that Pending Home Sales plunged 16.0% in November from October, but are 15.5% above year-ago levels. Used home sales are recorded at closing — not when the deal is reached — which often results in a delay of as much...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BCE) BCE Inc Wireless Products Available at “The Source”
Bell Canada, the wireless arm of Canada’s largest telecom service provider BCE (BCE), has announced that its wireless products are now available exclusively at “The Source,” a leading Canadian consumer electronics retail chain with nationwide presence. Moreover, the...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PC) Panasonic Premieres Full HD Video Conference System
Panasonic Corp. (PC) has launched its new HD Visual Communications System at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This new device is expected to be useful for enterprises looking to enhance productivity, without incurring substantial incremental costs. The full HD video...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KFT) Kraft Foods Offers More Cash for Cadbury
Kraft Foods (KFT) has agreed to sell its North American pizza business to Nestle for $3.7 billion in cash. The transaction is expected to close in 2010. The sale includes the DiGiorno, Tombstone and Jack’s brands in the U.S., the Delissio brand in Canada and the California...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MSFT) Semiconductor Chip Sales on the Rise
According to the latest updates from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), worldwide sales of semiconductors rose to $22.6 billion in November, up 3.7% from October and up 8.5% year over year. SIA President George Scalise added that sales of many IT and consumer products...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) American International Group Reshuffles Senior Management
After the shakiness of top executives due to pay limit imposed by the government pay czar, American International Group Inc. (AIG) announced a few executive changes on Monday. Its chief administrative officer (CAO) Jeff Hurd has been replaced by Michael Cowan of Merrill Lynch....
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CHK) Chesapeake Energy Corporation Forms Joint Venture with Total S.A.
Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) has joined hands with the world’s fifth largest integrated oil and gas company Total S.A. or Total (TOT) for the development of Barnett Shale assets by creating a joint venture. Total will acquire a 25% interest in Chesapeake’s upstream...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RUTH) Ruth’s Hospitality Group’s Sales Fall
Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. (RUTH), one of the leading upscale dining restaurant operators, recently posted lower-than-expected preliminary fourth-quarter 2009 sales results, sending its shares down 4.1% to $2.32 in after-hours trading, after closing at $2.42 per share on...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($AAPL) Apple Analysts Downgrade Stock to Neutral
We have downgraded Apple Inc. (AAPL) to Neutral from our previous Outperform rating. Our price target remains at $225, which represents a P/E multiple of 26.1x our fiscal 2010 earnings estimate, a premium to the S&P 500 and more accurately reflecting the current outlook. Apple...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GD) General Dynamics Awarded Tank Contract for Iraq
General Dynamics Corporation’s (GD) business unit General Dynamics Land Systems was awarded a $198 million contract to build 140 M1A1 SA (Situational Awareness) tanks for Iraq. Work on the contract will be performed in Lima, Ohio; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Anniston, Alabama and...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MWE) MarkWest Energy Partners LP Sells Starfish Stake
Natural gas pipeline operator MarkWest Energy Partners LP (MWE) announced the sale of its 50% non-controlling interest in the Star?sh Pipeline Company LLC to Enbridge Offshore (Gas Transmission) LLC, a unit of Canadian energy company Enbridge Inc. (ENB). The financial terms of...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($GS) Goldman Sachs Group Keeps UK Options Open
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) recently announced its serious consideration of various alternatives to prevent the UK’s new 50% super-tax on bonus payments of companies in a report published in London’s Daily Telegraph. One such alternative would be “entire departments...
5Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued