Archive for March, 2010
(ATSI) ATS Medical Receives Canadian Approval
ATS Medical, Inc. (ATSI) recently received the Health Canada-Medical Device Bureau, Therapeutic Products Programme’s approval for commercialization of the ATS Simulus Annuloplasty Product Line for valve repair in Canada. The approval expands ATS Medical’s presence in Canada....
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GPS) Specilty Retailer Gap Mulls Australian Venture
Gap Inc. (GPS), a premier global specialty retailer, is planning to open a series of franchise stores in Australia as part of its brisk international expansion. Since its first international venture in Singapore and Malaysia about four years ago, Gap’s franchise network has...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AEO) American Eagle – Earnings Estimates Climbing Higher
American Eagle (AEO) matched fourth-quarter estimates, but management guided higher for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. Company Description American Eagle Outfitters is a specialty retailer of all-American casual apparel, accessories, and footwear for men and women between...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TM) Toyota Motor Corporation Reorganizing Japan Operations
Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) plans to reorganize its Japanese production facilities at group companies for the first time by the end of the decade. The restructuring aims to avoid the backlash from its string of global automotive recalls by boosting productivity, lowering costs and...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CSCO) Happy 10th Anniversary – Nasdaq 5,000 – Will We See You Again by 2020?
What does a bubble feel like? Chances are, if you have more than three gray hairs and have owned a house in the last decade, you’ve lived through two of them. When you’re three years old, or you’re positioned perfectly in the middle of a stock market bubble, they can...
25Mar2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(CAG) ConAgra Meets Earnings Expectations – Stock Tumbles
ConAgra Foods, Inc. (CAG) reported results for the third quarter of fiscal 2010. During the quarter EPS was 44 cents, up from 40 cents in the year-ago quarter due to a 25% increase in operating profit in the Consumer Foods segment. Reported EPS was in line with the Zacks Consensus...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PBCT) People’s United Financial Coverage Initiated at Neutral
Recently, we initiated coverage on People’s United Financial Inc. (PBCT) with a Neutral recommendation. The company’s fourth quarter earnings of 8 cents per share were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. While commercial loan portfolio and deposits experienced growth,...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GB) Greatbatch Analyst Maintain Ratings at Underperform
We recently reiterated our ‘Underperform’ rating on Greatbatch, Inc. (GB) with a target price of $18 based on a P/E of 10.9x our fiscal 2010 EPS estimate of $1.65. The company reported disappointing fourth quarter and fiscal 2009 results with top-line erosion witnessed in...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SII) Schlumberger Limited Buys Geoservices From Astorg
Following the announcement of acquisition of Smith International Inc (SII), Schlumberger Limited (SLB) is now acquiring privately held Geoservices for $1.07 billion from Astorg Partners. Geoservices is a French oilfield services company that specializes in mud logging and production...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CNP) CenterPoint Energy Gets Grant
CenterPoint Energy Inc.’s (CNP) electric transmission and distribution subsidiary, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a $200 million stimulus grant for its advanced metering system and intelligent grid...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TWX) Time Warner Analyst Issues Neutral Recommendation
We have recently initiated coverage on Time Warner Inc. (TWX) with a Neutral rating. The company is a global leader in media and entertainment with cable systems, television networks, filmed entertainment and publishing businesses. With the spin-off of AOL, Inc. (AOL) and Time...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PLCM) Polycom Makes Deal with Hewlett-Packard (revised)
In its efforts to counter the competitive threat from rival Tandberg, Polycom Inc. (PLCM) scores a major gain. Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) will continue to provide support and integration services on Tandberg to customers that want Tandberg technology as part of their unified communications...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PTR) PetroChina Posts Lower Profit As Upstream Profit Plunges
Chinese energy giant PetroChina Co. Ltd. (PTR) announced 2009 earnings of RMB 103.4 billion or RMB 0.56 per diluted share, compared to RMB 114.5 billion or RMB 0.63 per diluted share a year earlier. Earnings per ADR came in at $8.20 (Exchange rate: US$1.00=RMB 6.8315, 1 ADR =...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RHT) Red Hat Falls After Beating Expectations
Red Hat, Inc.’s (RHT) fourth-quarter earnings of 19 cents per share (after adjusting for stock-based compensation, amortization of intangibles and litigation expenses) beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 12 cents on increased revenue, particularly from subscriptions. EPS was...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BA) U.S. Durable Goods Orders Are Up
New Orders for Durable Goods rose by 0.5% in total in February, on top of gains of 3.9% in January and 1.8% in February. The January number was revised sharply higher from the previously reported 3.0%. While that appears to be a serious slowdown from the January pace, the January...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SYK) Stryker Corporation Gets Good News From FDA
Stryker Corporation (SYK) recently received a clean bill from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the latter declaring that the actions undertaken by the company to address the issues raised in a 2007 warning letter are sufficient. No further formal corrective actions...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(COP) ConocoPhillips Plans Debt Reduction From Asset Sales
ConocoPhillips (COP) yesterday announced plans to increase shareholder value at its annual analyst meeting in New York. These plans include debt reduction by using proceeds from assets divestiture Incorporatedrease in dividend and resumption of share repurchases. In 2010 and...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PAYX) Paychex Sales Dip – Outlook Dull
Paychex Inc. (PAYX) reported third quarter 2010 EPS of 34 cents per share, in-line with the Zacks Consensus estimate. Revenue The company reported third quarter 2010 revenue of $507.8 million, a decrease of 4% from $528.6 million for the same period last year. This can be attributed...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(F) Geely Holding Group to Close Volvo Deal Soon
China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has revealed that it will finalize its deal to acquire the Swedish brand Volvo from Ford Motor Co. (F) by the end of this month. Geely is eager to tap China’s high-growth auto market by acquiring modern, innovative technologies from...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HRB) H&R Block Reports Interim Results
Yesterday, H&R Block Inc. (HRB) announced its preliminary tax season results for the interim period through Mar 15, 2010. While the company experienced an improvement in results during the Mar 1 – 15 period, the results were still down for the tax season-to-date through...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PMI) PMI Group Wins Freddie Mac Approval
California-based PMI Group Inc.’s (PMI) principal operating subsidiary PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. (“MIC”), announced yesterday that it has won approval from Freddie Mac (FRE) for PMI Mortgage Assurance Co., (“PMAC”) to directly sell mortgage guaranty insurance...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JOYG) Joy Global Analysts Downgrade to Neutral
We are downgrading Joy Global Inc. (JOYG) shares to Neutral from Outperform, reflecting forecast of limited revenue upside in 2010. The company reported EPS of $0.73 per share, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.64, primarily driven by an improved commodities market and...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JPM) JPMorgan Chase May Enjoy a Tax Refund
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) is approaching a deal that would allow it to enjoy $1.4 billion in tax refunds, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The tax refund may come from a clause in the economic stimulus bill. The law allows companies to apply losses from 2008 or...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wells Fargo Vends $1.25 Billion Notes
Moving ahead with its debt restructuring strategies, on Tuesday, Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) sold $1.25 billion of senior notes, according to IFR, a Thomson Reuters service. Wells Fargo sold these notes at an issue price of $99.875, maturing on Apr 15, 2015. These 5-year non-callable...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(S) World’s First 4G Phone Launched
Sprint Nextel (S) has officially introduced the world’s first 4G handset at the CTIA wireless conference in Las Vegas on Mar 23, 2010. Made by Taiwanese handset giant HTC, the feature-rich device, dubbed “HTC EVO 4G”, will be exclusively launched on the carrier’s...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HOT) Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide – Fourth-Quarter Earnings Surprise of 132%
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (HOT) recently hit a new 52-week high on the company’s cautious optimism for 2010 as high-end consumers drive demand for it’s high-margin rooms and suites. Company Description Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc....
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BBY) Best Buy Company Beats Expectations – Shares Jump
Best Buy Company, Inc. (BBY) recently reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2010 results, sending shares up $3.17 or 7.7% to $44.35 in early hours trading. The quarterly earnings of $1.82 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.79 and rose 13% from $1.61...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LEN) Investors and Homeowners Ask When Will Housing Come Back?
Yesterday we got news that New Home Sales had fallen to their second all-time record low (since the data started in 1963) in a row. With other areas of the economy clearly on the mend (at least for now) the question arises: when will housing come back? I want to focus on new...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(T) AT&T to Kick-off Commercial 3G Femtocell
AT&T (T) will finally start the nationwide commercial roll-out of its much-awaited 3G femtocell (mini base station) product. The device (dubbed “3G MicroCell”), which is the first of its kind in the US, will reach markets across the country in mid-April 2010. AT&T...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CAL) Continental Airlines – Earnings Estimates Continue to Soar
Continental Airlines (CAL) estimates are rising at a break-neck pace and shares just set a new multi-year high. Company Description Continental Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines with more than 2,500 flights across North America, Europe and Asia on a daily...
25Mar2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued