Archive for February, 2010

(TV) Grupo Televisa S.A. Enters Wireless Ventures

Grupo Televisa S.A. (TV), the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world, entered into the lucrative wireless communications market in Mexico . The company has signed an agreement with NII Holdings Inc. (NIHD) to acquire 30% stake of the latter’s wireless arm in Mexico,... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(MAT) Mattel Incorporated – Earnings Topped Estimates

Mattel Inc. (MAT) beat recently beat expectations, which sent estimates and share price higher. Company Description Mattel makes toys and other family products. Brands include the iconic Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and many others. Topped Estimates Mattel released fourth-quarter... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(BIG) Big Lots – Earnings Estimates Heading Higher

Big Lots, Inc. (BIG) reported a strong fiscal third-quarter performance on Dec 4, and the closeout retailer looks poised for more of the same when it announces its fiscal fourth-quarter numbers on Mar 3. Earlier this month, BIG reported a strong same-store sales increase for... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(LFUS) Littlefuse Incorporated – Earnings Estimates Trending Higher

Littlefuse, Inc. (LFUS) recently hit a new 52-week high on strong Q4 results from early February that sent the current and next-year estimates spiraling higher. Company Description Littlefuse, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells circuit protection devices for the automotive,... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(CMN) Cantel Medical – Impressive Fiscal First-Quarter Results

Cantel Medical Corp. (CMN) continues to deliver solid earnings growth. Company Description Cantel Medical Corp. is a healthcare company concentrating primarily in infection prevention and control products and diagnostic and therapeutic medical equipment. Cantel serves customers... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(MAT) Mattel Incorporated – Bull of the Day

We are upgrading our recommendation on Mattel (MAT) to Outperform from Neutral. Mattel’s fourth quarter earnings were well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The better-than-expected results were primarily driven by strong sales of its Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(NWL) Newell Rubbermaid – Bear of the Day

Newell Rubbermaid’s (NWL) susceptibility to the global economic downturn is adversely affecting its top-line growth. The company recorded a 14% decline in net sales during 2009 amid a drastic squeeze in consumer disposable income and corporate spending. Moreover, intense... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(SPG) Simon Property Group Bids for General Growth Properties

Ending months of speculation, Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG), the largest publicly traded retail real estate company in North America, recently made an unsolicited $10 billion takeover bid for its bankrupt rival General Growth Properties. General Growth is arguably the second... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

($WFMI) Whole Foods Market Posts Healthy Earnings Results

Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFMI), one of the leading natural and organic foods supermarkets, recently reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2010 results buoyed by strong sales and cost cuts. The quarterly earnings of 32 cents a share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(TTEK) Tetra Tech Incorporated Gets Wind Farm Deal

Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK) announced that it has been awarded a $40 million contract to design and build a 152-megawatt (MW) wind farm outside of Woodward, Oklahoma. Tech will provide engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) services to CPV Keenan II Renewable Energy Company,... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(CHU) China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. Bids to Enter Nigeria

China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (CHU) is looking to enter Africa’s fastest growing telecom market Nigeria as the carrier has reportedly bid for a controlling stake in the state-owned telephone company Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL) and its wireless subsidiary MTEL. The... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(NBR) Nabors Industries Ltd. Beats Expectations – Foresees Growth

Nabors Industries Ltd. (NBR) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on the back of strong activity in US Offshore, US Lower 48 Land Drilling and Well Servicing operations and seasonal ramp-ups in Alaska and Canada. Earnings per share, excluding non-cash items, came... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(TEVA) Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Misses Earnings by a Penny

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries’ (TEVA) fourth quarter earnings of 94 cents per American Depository Share (ADS) missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a cent. Earnings, however Incorporatedreased 18% from the year-ago period. Annual earnings were in line with the Zacks Consensus... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(HGR) Hanger Orthopedic Group Beats Consensus Estimates

Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. (HGR) reported fourth quarter and full fiscal 2009 results. For the fourth quarter, earnings per share were 37 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents and the year-ago earnings of 26 cents. For fiscal 2009, earnings per share were... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

($IBM) International Business Machines Acquires Intelliden Incorporated

International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced that it has acquired privately held Intelliden Inc., an automation technology company. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Intelliden is a leading provider of intelligent network automation software that... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(ALKS) Alkermes Pipeline Announces Good News

Recently, Alkermes Inc. (ALKS) announced encouraging topline data from an early-stage study of its candidate of ALKS 37. ALKS 37 is an orally active, peripherally-restricted opioid antagonist having the potential to block the effects of opioid agonists on gastrointestinal motility,... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(STM) STMicroelectronics N.V. Divests Numonyx

STMicroelectronics N.V. (STM) announced that together with its partners Intel Corp. (INTC) and Francisco Partners, it has entered into a definitive agreement with Micron Technology Inc. (MU), in which Micron will acquire Numonyx Holding B.V. in an all-stock transaction. The Flash... 

17Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(SGMS) Scientific Games Corporation Divests Racing Division

Earlier this month, Scientific Games Corporation (SGMS) announced the sale of its Racing and Venue Management businesses (Scientific Games Racing) to Sportech, a U.K.-based gaming company for approximately $83 million in a cash and stock deal. Investors continue to view the divestiture... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(DVAX) Dynavax Technologies Corporation Begins Large Hepatitis Study

Dynavax Technologies Corp. (DVAX) recently announced the commencement of a large-scale late-stage study of its hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) Heplisav. The trial will enroll 2,000 patients in Canada and the United States. Out of the 2,000 patients, 1,600 will be treated with Heplisav... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(GPC) Genuine Parts Company’s Profit Improves

Genuine Parts Company (GPC) reported a 13% rise in profit to $99 million or 62 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2009 from $88 million or 55 cents in the prior year quarter. With this, the company has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 51 cents per share. However,... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(OCLR) Oclaro Reports In-line Second Quarter Earnings

Oclaro, Inc. (OCLR) reported revenues of $93.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2010, up 10% sequentially. The results beat the high end of the management’s updated guidance. Oclaro Inc. was formed in April 2009 combining Bookham Inc. and Avanex Corporation. Oclaro,... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(RE) Everest Re Group’s Earnings Report Misses Consensus Estimates

Everest Re Group’s (RE) fourth quarter earnings of $3.19 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.38. The miss was primarily due to an increase in claims expenses. However, the results were better compared to the prior-year quarter when the company had reported earnings... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(MAT) Mattel Analysts Upgrade to Outperform

We are upgrading our recommendation on the shares of Mattel Inc. (MAT) to Outperform from Neutral. Mattel reported fourth quarter earnings of 89 cents per share. Excluding a tax benefit in the quarter, the company had earned 81 cents per share, well ahead of the Zacks Consensus... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(PVR) Penn Virginia Resource Partners L.P. Reports Nicely Above Expectations

Penn Virginia Resource Partners L.P. (PVR) posted adjusted net income of 49 cents per unit, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents and well above 28 cents posted a year ago. The significant improvement in quarterly results was due to much higher fractionation spreads... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(PRAA) Portfolio Recovery Associates Beats Earnings Estimates

Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc.’s (PRAA) fourth quarter earnings per share of 80 cents came in way ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 72 cents and the year-ago quarter earnings of 69 cents. Net income increased 17% year-over-year to $12.4 million. During the reported... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(CADX) Cadence Pharmaceuticals Experiences a Setback

Recently, Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CADX) suffered a setback when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused to approve its intravenous painkiller Ofirmev because of deficiencies in its third-party manufacturing facility. The FDA, however, stated that Ofirmev is... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(SRI) Stoneridge’s Loss Narrows

Stoneridge Inc. (SRI) reported a narrower loss of $200,000 or 1 cent per share in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to the net loss of $108.4 million or $4.63 cents per share in the same quarter a year ago and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 4 cents per share. This... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(CF) CF Industries’ Profits Plunge

CF Industries (CF) posted earnings of $1.04 in the fourth quarter of 2009, down from the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.25. Year-on-year, earnings declined 71%. Sales of $506.7 million in the quarter, more than halved from last year’s $1072 million, have been driven by lower... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(A) Agilent Technologies Shows a Solid Start to 2010

Agilent Technologies’ (A) first-quarter earnings of 38 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents. Revenue of $1.21 billion increased 4% on a year-over-year basis. Shares rose 2.11%, outperforming the market, which grew just 0.28%. The company reported growth... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued

(PAA) Plains All American Pipeline L.P. Beats Zacks Estimates

Plains All American Pipeline L.P. (PAA) reported adjusted earnings of 80 cents per unit, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 70 cents and last year’s earnings of 74 cents. For the full year 2009, the partnership reported earnings of $3.14 per unit, beating the Zacks Consensus... 

16Feb2010 | | 0 comments | Continued