Archive for January, 2010
(GME) GameStop Corporation – Bear of the Day
The video game industry, of which GameStop Corp. (GME) is a part, had surged ahead for a number of years but is now grappling with the recession. Heavy job losses and reduced access to credit markets have led to lower discretionary spending. This has resulted in lower demand...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BFB) Brown-Forman Corporation – Bull of the Day
Brown-Forman (BFB) is a well-established player in the premium alcoholic beverages industry and possesses a strong portfolio of globally recognized brands. Brown-Forman is currently undertaking initiatives to reduce overheads and boost profitability, which augurs well for future...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TEVA) Teva Pharmaceutical – Strong Earnings Results and Solid Momentum
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) recently presented an updated its strategy for growth. The company plans to achieve revenues of $31 billion and non-GAAP net income of $6.8 billion by 2015. Management said its core business, generics, will continue to drive growth,...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BIIB) Biogen’s Tysabri European Medicines Agency Review Finished
Last week, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) finalized a review of Biogen Idec’s (BIIB) Tysabri (natalizumab) and the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) associated with the prolonged use of the drug. PML is a rare brain infection caused by the JC virus. The...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($YHOO) Yahoo! Earnings Beat Expectations – Reflects Ad Market Recovery
Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) reported fourth quarter earnings that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5 cents. Revenue beat the consensus by 40.8%. Google’s (GOOG) results also thrashed estimates last week, reflecting the recovery in advertisement spending. Revenue Gross revenue of...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NAL) NewAlliance Bancshares Meets Earnings Expectations
NewAlliance Bancshares Inc.’s (NAL) fourth-quarter earnings came in at 12 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. This compares favorably with earnings of 10 cents in the year-ago quarter. The upside was primarily due to a strong growth in core deposits,...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VZ) FCC Probes Cellular Early Termination Fees
US telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) is digging deeper into the mobile “Early Termination Fees (ETFs)”, a widespread practice in the wireless industry. The agency has asked the US wireless carriers to justify the hefty ETFs they charge...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WIN) Windstream to Expand Fiber Network
In an effort to expand its opportunities in wireless backhaul, leading rural wireline carrier Windstream Corp. (WIN), will invest $20 million in 2010 to expand its fiber-optic network to support its wholesale business to wireless carriers. The network expansion will enable the...
27Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AEA) My Confrontation With Ben Bernanke: The Question He Refused to Answer
by Dr. Mark Skousen, Contributing Editor Tuesday, January 26, 2010: Issue #1183 “The Federal Reserve continues to work actively to prepare for the possibility of financial stress.” – Ben Bernanke, January 5, 2007 The Secret Service watched me warily as I approached Federal...
26Jan2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(ABC) AmerisourceBergen Corporation Surpasses Expectations – Ups Outlook
This morning, AmerisourceBergen Corp. (ABC) posted first quarter fiscal 2010 earnings of 52 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents. Earnings increased 44% from the year-ago period. Performance was driven by strong revenues, successful generic drug launches,...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SHLD) Sears Holding Corporation Subsidiary to Lay off Employees
Land’s End, a subsidiary of Sears Holding Corporation (SHLD), has recently announced plans to lay off about 30 employees in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, and another 30 employees in the U.K. and Germany. The move is aimed at streamlining the operations of the company amid stringent...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TLAB) Tellabs Earnings Report Exceeds Expectations
Tellabs Inc. (TLAB) declared its fourth quarter 2009 financial results today. Supported by huge cash generation from operations, management has decided to pay a quarterly dividend of 2 cents per share for the first time in the company’s history. The first dividend will be payable...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FTI) FMC Technologies Wins Statoil Subsea Deal
Oil drilling equipment maker FMC Technologies Inc. (FTI) announced the receipt of a $40 million contract from Norway-based oil and gas company StatoilHydro ASA (STO). The deal calls for FMC Technologies to design and provide subsea production systems to Statoil-operated Snorre...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MHP) The McGraw-Hill Companies Beat Consensus Earnings Estimates
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (MHP), a publisher and provider of financial information and media services, recently reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2009 results on the heels of improved performance at S&P’s Credit Market Services, and growth in higher education,...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GLW) Corning Sees Four of Five Main Segments Produce Sequential Revenue Increases
Corning Inc. (GLW) reported fourth quarter 2009 results than beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents. However, shares are down since the earnings announcement, as the company continues to see flat pricing. Revenue Revenue of $1.53 billion was up 3.6% sequentially, 41.3%...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ATHR) Atheros Communications Posts Healthy Growth
Atheros Communications Inc. (ATHR) reported revenues of $185.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, up 19% sequentially and a growth of 89% year over year. Management stated that both Mobile WLAN and Ethernet product lines demonstrated strong revenue growth in the reported...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Federal Reserve Meeting Results in Focus for Wednesday
The Federal Reserve is meeting today and tomorrow, and tomorrow afternoon they will announce if they are going to change the Fed funds rate from its current range of 0 to 25 basis points. As the graphs below (from http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/data/fedfunds/index.cfm)...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RF) Regions Financial Misses on Higher Provisions
Regions Financial (RF) reported a fourth quarter loss of $606.0 million or 51 cents per share, worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 35 cents per share. Last year, the company reported a net loss of $244 million or a loss of 35 cents per share. Results suffered...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SHW) Sherwin-Williams Beats Consensus Earnings Estimates
Sherwin-Williams (SHW) has posted a profit of 69 cents per share (before special items) for the fourth quarter of 2009 compared to 60 cents per share (before special items) in the same quarter a year ago. The profit was higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 53 cents per...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NUE) Nucor Corporation Moves from Loss to Gain
Nucor Corporation (NUE) has revealed a profit of $58.9 million or 18 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 9 cents per share. This was an improvement over losses of 60 cents, 43 cents and 10 cents per share in the first, second...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FPL) FPL Group Reports Earnings Ahead of Expectations
Power producer FPL Group Inc. (FPL) reported better-than-expected fourth quarter results, helped by a robust performance from its utility subsidiary on the back of favorable weather conditions. Adjusted net earnings came in at 79 cents per share, 6 cents above the Zacks Consensus...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AXA) AXA Insurance Company to Remove Self from NYSE
French insurance company AXA (AXA) is planning to delist its American Depository Shares that are currently trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Once it delists itself from the NYSE, it intends to deregister from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(X) United States Steel Corporation Underperforms Expectations
Shares of United States Steel Corporation (X) tumbled more than 9% after the company recorded its fourth consecutive loss of $267 million or $1.86 per share in the fourth quarter of 2009. By contrast, the company had reported a net income of $2.90 million or $2.50 per share in...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DD) DuPont EI De Nemours & Co Swings to Profit
Chemical giant DuPont EI De Nemours & Co. (DD) reported fourth quarter 2009 earnings of 48 cents as opposed to a fourth quarter loss of 70 cents a year ago. Excluding non-recurring charges, DuPont earned 44 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents. Earnings...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WYNN) Wynn Resorts Coverage Initiated at Neutral
We are initiating coverage on Wynn Resorts Ltd. (WYNN) with a Neutral recommendation. The company, along with its subsidiaries, is a leading developer, owner and operator of destination casino resorts with casino hotel resort properties in Las Vegas and Macau. Wynn Resorts’...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VMW) VMware’s Earnings Tops Expectations – Offers Upbeat Guidance
VMware Inc. (VMW) reported fourth quarter results after the closing bell on Monday. The company posted a 49.4% decline on GAAP net income to $56.4 million from $111.5 million in the year-ago period. Excluding certain non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share came in at...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TRV) The Travelers Companies Beats Consensus Estimates
The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) has reported fourth quarter 2009 earnings of $2.12 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.49 per share. The results were driven by a significant increase in investment income and favorable prior years’ reserve development....
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GS) Goldman Sachs Group Caps UK Compensation
On Monday, anonymous sources at Forbes and Reuters reported that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) has finally capped the compensation of its 100 partners in the UK at £1 million ($1.6 million) each. The ceiling on total compensation comprises all salaries and bonuses. The decision...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CS) Case Schiller Indexes Show Home Prices Edge Up
In November, housing prices increased by 0.24% on a seasonally adjusted basis for both the Case Schiller (CS) Composite 10 (CS-10) and Composite 20 (CS-20) city indexes. The CS indexes are considered the gold standard of housing price indexes, and track actual repeat sales, and...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DUK) Duke Energy Corporation Buys Solar Project
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) has brought a commercial solar photovoltaic power project under development in San Antonio, Texas. The company purchased the project titled Blue Wing Solar Project from Juwi Solar Inc. based in Boulder, Colorado. The 14 MW project will consist of...
26Jan2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued