Archive for February, 2010
(BAC) Judge Backs Bank of America-SEC Accord
A federal judge on Monday approved a $150 million settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Bank of America Corporation (BAC), or BofA, to conclude the civil allegation on BofA for misleading its shareholders in its purchase of Merrill Lynch & Co....
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(M) Macy’s Earnings Report Tops Expectations
Macy’s Inc. (M) recently posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2009 results buoyed by effective inventory management, division consolidation and the customer-centric localization initiative called ‘My Macy’s’ aimed at improving sales and reducing operating expenses. Quarterly...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BMY) The Dividend Stock Recovery: Get Ready for a High-Yield Bonanza
by Alexander Green, Chief Investment Strategist Monday, February 22, 2010: Issue #1201 It’s been a tough time for income investors lately. Ten-year Treasuries pay less than 4%. The S&P 500 yields just over 2%. Money market fund returns are microscopic, paying an average...
23Feb2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(MS) Morgan Stanley to Sell China International Capital Corporation Stake
According to sources, on Monday, Morgan Stanley (MS) took the final decision to sell its 34.3% stake in one of the biggest Chinese investment banks, China International Capital Corp. (CICC). Morgan Stanley has been trying to strike the deal for the last couple of years. The company...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SCHW) Charles Schwab To Be Traded on New York Stock Exchange
Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) said on Monday that it will move its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the Nasdaq on March 5, under its current symbol “SCHW”. Till then the shares of Schwab will continue to trade on the Nasdaq. Schwab is returning to...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PCLN) Priceline.com Incorporated – Earnings Estimates Advance
Priceline.com, Inc. (PCLN) recently gapped open higher on better than expected Q4 results that sent share to a new 52-week high. Company Description Priceline.com, Inc. operates as an online travel company both domestically and internationally. The company was founded in 1997...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JWN) Nordstrom Earnings Improve But Miss by a Penny
Nordstrom Inc. (JWN), a leading fashion specialty retailer, reported fiscal 2009 fourth quarter earnings of $172 million or 77 cents per share compared to $68 million or 31 cents in the year-ago quarter. The quarterly earnings marginally missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ADSK) Autodesk Fourth Quarter Earnings Preview
Autodesk, Inc. (ADSK) is set to release its fourth quarter fiscal 2010 results on February 23, 2010. During its third quarter earnings release, Autodesk provided conservative guidance and forecast for the fourth quarter of 2010 was mixed, with earnings below consensus expectations...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JOYG) Joy Global – Emerging Markets Driving Growth
Joy Global (JOYG) is a play on global economic growth with a decent dividend yield. Company Description Joy Global is a pure play on the global mining sector. It is a leader in manufacturing, servicing, and distributing equipment for underground mining through Joy Mining Machinery...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMAT) Applied Materials Sees 50% Growth in 2010
Applied Materials’ (AMAT) first quarter earnings were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenue Revenue of $1.85 billion was up 21.1% sequentially and 38.7% year over year. The year-over-year increase in revenue came after seven quarters of double-digit decline and...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NLY) The Fed Raises the Discount Rate: What It Means For You
by Dr. Mark Skousen, Contributing Editor Tuesday, February 23, 2010: Issue #1202 Last Thursday, the Federal Reserve suddenly raised the Discount Rate (the interest rate charged to member banks when they borrow from the Fed) from 0.50% to 0.75%. All members of the 12 Federal...
23Feb2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(AA) Aluminum Stocks: As Another Contango Begins, Here’s the Best Way to Play It
by Tony Daltorio, Investment U Research Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Aluminum is the Earth’s most abundant metal. Over the decades, inventors have put the soft, durable, lightweight and malleable metal to good use in everything from airplanes to soda cans to baking accessories. Not...
23Feb2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(RSH) RadioShack’s Earnings Report Barely Beats
RadioShack Corp. (RSH) declared fourth quarter 2009 financial results yesterday after the closing bell. Overall the company performed well as both its top-line and bottom-line increased over the prior-year quarter. However, serious concerns remain regarding RadioShack’s non-wireless...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMCSA) Comcast Corporation Expanding Wideband
Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) launched its residential “Extreme” tier DOCSIS 3.0 (wideband) network in Indianapolis offering 50 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream speed for a price of $99.95 per month. The company is aggressively deploying the DOCSIS 3.0 technology to upgrade...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MA) MasterCard Analyst Coverage Initiated at Neutral
We are initiating coverage on MasterCard Inc. (MA) with a Neutral recommendation. The company’s fourth-quarter earnings of $2.24 per share came in substantially below the Zacks Consensus Estimate due to higher operating expenses that skewed the bottom-line. However, top-line...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IRM) Iron Mountain Incorporated Acquires Mimosa Systems
A data storage and information management company, Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) announced that it has acquired Mimosa Systems Inc. for approximately $112 million in cash. Based in Santa Clara, California, Mimosa is a leader in enterprise-class content archiving solutions....
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VZ) Verizon Adds More FiOS TV Applications
US wireless kingpin Verizon (VZ) has announced major enhancements to its FiOS TV service by expanding Video-on-Demand (“VOD”) content and launching a premium service that offers integration between cell phones and TVs. The carrier has reportedly launched US entertainment...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(THC) Tenet Healthcare Fourth Quarter Revenues Rise
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) reported fourth quarter 2009 earnings (from continuing operations) of $24 million, or 3 cents per share compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 1 cent. The company suffered a loss (from continuing operations) of $2 million or 1 cent per...
23Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNM) Unum Group’s Debt Rating Upgraded by Fitch Analyst
Following favorable fourth quarter earnings, the rating agency Fitch upgraded the employee benefits and disability insurance provider Unum Group’s (UNM) senior debt rating to “BBB” from “BBB-.” Fitch also moved up the group’s issuer default rating...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SNY) Sanofi-Aventis Dowgraded to Underperform
We recently downgraded our recommendation on Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) to Underperform from our earlier Neutral recommendation. Although Sanofi’s fourth-quarter earnings came in a couple of cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate, we are concerned about the company’s high exposure...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DE) Deere & Company’s Report Beats Earnings Estimates
Deere & Company (DE) reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Earnings were $243.2 million or 57 cents per share, up from $203.9 million or 48 cents in the year-ago period. Reported EPS was well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 19 cents. Quarterly revenue...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CPLA) Capella Education Company’s Quarterly Report Beats Estimates
Capella Education Company (CPLA), the provider of online education, recently reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter 2009 results buoyed by a rise in enrollment. The quarterly earnings of 88 cents a share, outstripped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 85 cents, and grew...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CTAS) Cintas Corporation’s Guidance Disappoints
After reporting second-quarter earnings, which fell below expectations, Cintas Corp. (CTAS) now provided a lower-than-expected guidance for the second half of fiscal 2010. The company has given its revenue and earnings outlook for the third and fourth quarter of fiscal 2010,...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BK) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation Acquires Part of CIBC
In an effort to increase its share in the corporate trust market in Canada and expand its leadership position in a number of key segments, BNY Mellon, the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK), said on Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire the corporate...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMGN) Amgen and Johnson & Johnson See More Safety Check of Anemia Drugs
For quite some time, anemia drugs developed by Amgen (AMGN) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) have been under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scanner. Recently, the agency announced a new safety plan for both the companies related to the use of these drugs, also known...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PEG) Public Service Enterprise Group Raises Dividend
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PEG) increased its quarterly common stock dividend to 34.25 cents per share, a 3% raise over the company’s existing quarterly dividend rate of 33.25 cents. This indicates an annual dividend of $1.37 per share. The first dividend at...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HST) Host Hotels & Resorts’ Funds From Operations Dips
Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (HST), the largest lodging real estate investment trust (REIT) in the U.S., reported fourth-quarter FFO (funds from operations) of $113 million or 18 cents per share, compared to $289 million or 52 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. Fund...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VCLK) ValueClick’s Quarterly Report Tops Expectations
ValueClick Inc. (VCLK) reported fourth quarter 2009 pro forma earnings per share of 25 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 16 cents by 9 cents. Profit rose 66.7% from the year-ago level of 15 cents a share demonstrating the company’s focus on driving bottom-line...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NFX) Newfield Exploration Surpasses Analyst Estimates
Newfield Exploration Co. (NFX) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on increased production volumes and higher average realized prices. Quarterly earnings came in at $1.40 per share, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.36 and year-earlier earnings of 20...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RCI) Rogers Communications Beats Earnings Expectations
Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI) declared solid financial results for the fourth quarter 2009. Supported by strong free cash (cash flow from operations less capital expenditures) generation, the Board of Directors of Rogers increased the annualized dividend rate by 10% from $1.16...
17Feb2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued