Archive for April, 2010
(SGY) Stone Energy Corporation Analyst Downgrades to Neutral
We have recently downgraded Stone Energy Corporation (SGY) to Neutral from Outperform. Lafayette, Louisiana-based Stone Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company. Stone is engaged in the acquisition and subsequent exploration,...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MON) Monsanto Earnings Report Beats Consensus Estimate
Monsanto Company (MON) announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. During the quarter, net income decreased to $887 million from $1,092 million in the same quarter of 2008. EPS (excluding a restructuring expense) was $1.70 compared to $2.16 in the year-ago quarter....
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(E) Eni Brings Offshore Gas Platform Online
Eni SpA (E) is currently busy with its offshore gas production initiatives. The company said yesterday that it has started production at its offshore platform “Annamaria B”, located off the coast between Italy and Croatia. Annamaria B has begun producing at the same rate...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ARW) Arrow Electronics Acquires Converge & Verical
Arrow Electronics, Inc. (ARW) entered into an agreement to acquire reverse logistics services provider Converge and parts catalog retailer Verical Inc. Converge is a leading provider of reverse logistics services employing over 350 employees. Based in Peabody, Massachusetts,...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IBM) International Business Machines Wins Over Travelport
International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced that it has won an important customer in Travelport, a leading global distribution system (GDS) provider to provide new software designed to provide enhanced service for existing travel customers, open up new markets and expand...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AET) Aetna Analyst Upgrades Coverage to Neutral
We recently upgraded our recommendation on Aetna (AET) to Neutral. The current state of the global economy and market conditions are quite challenging with high levels of unemployment, diminished business and consumer confidence and volatility in both the US and international...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SIGA) Why the Straightforward Approach is Often the Most Profitable
“Don’t be a knucklehead.” This was the sage advice of John Roque, Chief Technical Strategist at WJB Capital in a note to clients earlier this week. He was advising them against trying to short strong markets or buy weak ones. Such a simple, clear message. For years, an...
7Apr2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(EFX) Equifax Sells Loan Origination Software Unit for $72.4 Million
Credit information services company Equifax Inc. (EFX) has recently made an announcement that it will be selling the APPRO loan origination software unit of Equifax Enabling Technologies LLC to an Italian credit reporting firm CRIF Corp for $72.4 million in cash. The acquisition...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RTP) Rio Tinto – Earnings Fell 46% Per ADR
Recently, Rio Tinto (RTP) announced full-year 2009 results. Net earnings during the period were $4,872 million, 33% up from $3,676 million reported in 2008. The increase was due to the huge amount of net impairment charges deducted in 2008. Earnings per ADR of $3.01 in 2009 were...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(T) AT&T to Invest $1 Billion Into Network Infrastructure
AT&T (T) plans to spend lavishly in 2010 to boost its business network infrastructure globally and expand services for small businesses in the US. The telecom major announced on April 6, 2010 that it will spend $1 billion in the current year on such initiatives. This takes...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SLB) Schlumberger-Smith International Merger Faces Longer Review
Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) on Monday said that the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice has requested for additional information related to the proposed merger with Smith International Inc. (SII). The additional information is also known as “second...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DEJ) Dejour Enterprises Earnings Estimates Raised – Report
Release of annual report; new Zacks estimates, target price Dejour Enterprises (DEJ) on March 31, 2010 released its annual report with results dating from December 31, 2010. On an adjusted basis, Dejour showed a loss per share of CAD 0.11 for the year (compared to our most recent...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BTU) Macarthur Rejects Peabody Energy Corporation’s Raised Bid
Macarthur Coal has rejected Peabody Energy Corporation’s (BTU) raised bid worth A$3.56 billion (US$3.3 billion). In an effort to abandon Macarthur’s proposal to acquire Gloucester Coal Limited, in deal that would make Singapore-based Noble Group the largest shareholder in...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AN) AutoNation Raises First Quarter Earnings Guidance
AutoNation Inc. (AN) has upgraded its earnings per share (EPS) guidance for the first quarter of 2010 ended March 31, 2010. The company now expects to earn 32 cents–35 cents per share, up from the previous estimate of 29 cents–32 cents announced last week. The compant reported...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MOT) Motorola Three Segments Reorganizing Into Four Operations
Motorola Inc. (MOT) reorganized its operations from existing three reporting segments to four reporting segments. In a recent filing with the SEC, the company announced that it will report according to its new structure from the first quarter of 2010. The decision is a part of...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FDX) FedEx Analyst Initiates Coverage at Neutral
We are initiating our coverage on FedEx Corp. (FDX) with a Neutral recommendation. The company serves as a proxy for the economy because of the volumes and diversity of the goods shipped. Though FedEx has suffered from the recession over the last couple of years, improving global...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KERX) Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Earns FDA Fast Track Status
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) received fast track status from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for KRX-0401 (perifosine), which is being studied for treating refractory advanced colorectal cancer. This status is granted to drugs with the potential to treat serious...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LOW) Lowe’s Companies Analyst Remains Neutral
We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW), one of the largest home improvement retailers, with a target price of $26.00. Lowe’s boasts a proven strategy of investing in stores to enhance customer-shopping experience by improving point-of-sale...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CA) CA Incorporated Reduces Workforce by 8%
Information Technology and management software company CA Inc. (CA) has announced the downsizing of its workforce by 8.0%. The headcount reduction is part of an aggressive restructuring plan, under which the company has already retrenched 3,100 employees over the past three years....
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FTI) FMC Technologies Lands Perdido Work From Royal Dutch Shell
Oil drilling equipment maker FMC Technologies Inc. (FTI) announced the receipt of a subsea infrastructure contract from Anglo-Dutch supermajor Royal Dutch Shell plc. (RDSA). The deal calls for FMC Technologies to provide subsea and topside systems to Shell’s Perdido Stage II...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SPPI) Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Earnings Beat Expectations by a Penny
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (SPPI) reported fourth quarter earnings per share of 20 cents. The company posted a loss of 28 cents in the prior-year quarter. The swing from loss to profit was possible due to an accounting restatement made by the company to reclassify common stock...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAX) Baxter International Receives FDA Approval for TachoSil
Baxter International Inc. (BAX) and Nycomed recently received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of TachoSil, an absorbable fibrin sealant patch that can be used in addition to hemostasis to stop bleeding during cardiovascular surgeries. Baxter expects to launch...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($SBUX) Starbucks Analyst Initiates Coverage at Neutral
We are initiating coverage on Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) with a Neutral recommendation and a target price of $25.50. Starbucks is the leading roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. The company buys, roasts and sells high-quality whole bean coffees globally....
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued($MSFT) Microsoft to Announce New Wireless Phones Next Week
Microsoft Corporation’s (MSFT) mobile strategy is unraveling gradually. The world’s largest software company is now looking to stem market share losses, as the line between software and hardware vendors wears increasingly thin. Next week, the company intends to announce a...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JBL) Jabil Circuit Analyst Gives Neutral Rating
We have a Neutral rating on Jabil Circuit, Inc. (JBL) with an expectation of revenue growth based on a recovery in the overall EMS industry in the current year and next, aided by an improving economic environment and a rise in the IT spending. EMS Industry Expected to Grow We...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SHI) Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Analyst Maintains Neutral
We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited (SHI) with a target price of $42. Sinopec Shanghai, one of China’s largest petrochemical companies, is poised to benefit from the country’s continuous demand growth and its strategic...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PEJ) Financial Tides Mines for Gems in the Leisure Sector
All investors search for the “Holy Grail” of investing: an investment strategy that just can’t miss. I know, I’ve been looking for it for over 40 years and haven’t found it yet. I’ve had to change my strategy several times. I had a new idea...
7Apr2010 | Shawn | 0 comments | Continued(RRD) R.R. Donnelley & Sons Changes Anti-Trust Review of Bowne Acquisiton
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) announced that it has voluntarily withdrawn its application from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to provide the company with increased time to examine their review of its $481 million acquisition of Bowne & Co. (BNE) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MRGE) Merge Healthcare Incorporated to Offer $200 Million in Senior Notes
Merge Healthcare Incorporated (MRGE) has decided to offer $200 million of senior secured notes due 2015. The amount raised will be used to fund a portion of the proposed acquisition of AMICAS, Inc. (AMCS). Merge is set to acquire AMICAS for $6.05 per share in cash aggregating...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NDAQ) Nasdaq OMX Expands With Options Trading its Internet Index
On Tuesday, Nasdaq OMX Inc. (NDAQ) announced the launch its options trading on its Nasdaq Internet Index (QNET) platform on Mar 24, through Nasdaq OMX PHLX. Susquehanna Securities, which already provides liquidity in several PHLX index options, is the specialist for this new...
7Apr2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued