Archive for May, 2010
(BJRI) Restaurant Industry Stock Review – May 2010 – Industry Outlook
The year 2010 will see a gradual improvement in the restaurant industry, which has faced extremely tough challenges due to the economic turmoil that resulted in weak labor and tight credit markets, and lower discretionary spending. With the U.S. economy slowly reviving, we believe...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PFE) Pfizer Earnings Results Ahead of Estimates – Boosted by Wyeth
Pfizer Inc. (PFE) reported first quarter adjusted earnings of 60 cents per share, above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 53 cents and 11% above the year-ago earnings of 54 cents. Performance was boosted by the Wyeth acquisition. This was partially offset by increased expenses,...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ADM) Archer Daniels Midland’s Earnings Soar
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) reported fiscal 2010 third-quarter earnings before the opening bell on Tuesday. The company’s earnings surged to 65 cents per share, compared to break-even EPS in the year-ago period, primarily driven by improved performance in oilseeds and...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PFG) Principal Financial Group Reports Earnings Ahead of Estimates
Principal Financial Group Inc. (PFG) reported first quarter earnings of $255.6 million or 79 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 68 cents. The company had earned $164.0 million or 63 cents in the year-ago quarter. The beat was driven by the strong performance...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JCOM) j2 Global Communications’ Earnings Report Underperforms
Yesterday, after market close, j2 Global Communications Inc. (JCOM) reported financial results for first quarter 2010. Overall, the results were well below the Zacks Consensus Estimates. Total revenue was $60.3 million, flat year over year but below the Zacks Consensus Estimate...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VCLK) ValueClick’s First Quarter Profit Up – Revenue Tumbles
ValueClick Inc.’s (VCLK) first quarter 2010 earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, demonstrating the company’s focus on driving bottom-line growth. However, revenue was down year over year and was below Consensus expectations. The company also provided a weak second-quarter...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CHK) Chesapeake Energy Corporation Beats Expectations on Stronger Prices
Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) reported sharper-than-expected first quarter results of 82 cents per share, compared with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 70 cents and the year-earlier quarter earnings of 46 cents. Despite a lower production volume, earnings came in above...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KG) King Pharmaceuticals’ Quarterly Report Disappoints – Revenues Slide
King Pharmaceuticals Inc (KG) reported first-quarter earnings of 14 cents per share, well below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 24 cents and the year-ago earnings of 26 cents. Revenues fell 11.2% from the year-ago quarter to $380.9 million. The Quarter in Detail King’s...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MA) MasterCard’s Earnings Report Outshines Estimates
MasterCard Inc.’s (MA) first quarter operating earnings per share of $3.46 came in substantially ahead the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.14 and $2.80 in the year-ago quarter. Net income for the reported quarter was $455 million, up 24% from $367 million in the prior-year quarter. Results...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) ISM Report Shows Service Side of the Economy Continued to Expand in April
The ISM Non-Manufacturing, or Service, survey showed that the service side of the economy continued to expand in April, and is doing so at the same rate it was in March. This is the fourth month in a row that the Service survey was above the magic 50 level that separates expansion...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) National Association of Realtor’s Pending Homes Sales Index Up
The National Association of Realtor’s (NAR) Pending Home Sales Index rose 5.3 percent in March to 102.9 from 97.7 in February, and is 21.15 above March 2009 when it was 85.0. This is on top of a 8.3% increase in February. The data reflects contracts and not closings, which...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PCS) MetroPCS Communications Earnings Preview
Leading unlimited wireless carrier MetroPCS Communications (PCS) is slated to report first-quarter 2010 results on Thursday, May 6, 2010, ahead of the opening bell. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first quarter is 6 cents, representing a 51.7% year-over-year decline. MetroPCS...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CEPH) Cephalon’s Quarterly Earnings Report Beats – Updates Guidance
Cephalon, Inc. (CEPH) started 2010 on a strong note with first quarter earnings beating expectations by a wide margin. The company reported first quarter earnings of $1.76 per share, 20 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate, and well above the year-ago earnings of $1.30. Top-line...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BP) Fallout from the Worst Oil Spill in U.S. History
As oil from the destroyed rig in the Gulf of Mexico continues to spill into the water, creating an oil slick the size of Delaware, there’s no doubt that the damages are going to be extremely high – both financially and environmentally. British Petroleum (NYSE: BP), who...
5May2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(BAX) Baxter International Analyst Downgrades the Stock
We recently downgraded Baxter International Inc. (BAX) to “Underperform” with a target price of $41 based on a P/E of roughly 10.4x our fiscal 2010 EPS estimate of $3.95. The company faces significant product recall issues and has also lowered its sales, earnings per...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMA) Comerica Warrants to be Sold by the U.S. Treasury
Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury announced that it will auction warrants of Comerica Inc. (CMA) this week. The Treasury will auction 11.48 million warrants of Comerica on Thursday. The minimum bid price is set at $15 per warrant. This move will completely free Comerica from government...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(Q) Qwest Communications’ Earnings Report Beats The Street
Third-largest US local-phone service operator Qwest Communications (Q) announced first-quarter 2010 earnings with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 10 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny while falling from the year-ago quarter adjusted EPS of 13 cents. Adjusted...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TXRH) Texas Roadhouse’s Earnings Top The Street
Texas Roadhouse Inc. (TXRH), a casual dining restaurant chain, recently posted first-quarter 2010 results that topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate on the heels of top-line growth, favorable commodity cost and lower pre-opening expenses. The quarterly earnings of 27 cents a share...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MMC) Marsh & McLennan Companies Report In Line With Consensus
Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC) announced first quarter adjusted earnings of 51 cents per share, which was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and also up from 39 cents in the year-ago quarter. Results were aided by strong revenues in the Risk and Insurance Services...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NYX) NYSE Euronext Reports Expected Numbers
NYSE Euronext, Inc.’s (NYX) first quarter operating earnings per share of 54 cents came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, earnings was substantially ahead of 43 cents per share recorded in the year-ago quarter but came in lower than 58 cents in the prior quarter. Results...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TWX) Time Warner’s Quarterly Report Outpaces Estimates
Time Warner Inc. (TWX) has posted better-than-expected first-quarter 2010 results that topped the Zacks expectation on the heels of an improved advertising environment and increased home video sales. The company notified that it witnessed the highest revenue increase in nearly...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CTSH) Cognizant Technology Solutions Beats The Street by a Penny
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) reported revenues of $959.7 million in the first quarter of 2010, up 28.7% year over year and up 6.3% sequentially. Operating margin came in at 19.1%. Excluding stock-based compensation expense of $13.9 million, operating margin...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WYNN) Wynn Resorts’ Quarterly Earnings Beat Estimate
Wynn Resorts Limited (WYNN) reported first quarter earnings of 26 cents, well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 14 cents. The company had incurred a loss of 27 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. The results were driven by higher-than-expected growth in revenues....
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(REGN) Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Reports Narrower-Than-Forecasted Loss
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s (REGN) first-quarter loss of $30.5 million, or 38 cents per share, was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 49 cents. The company suffered a loss of $15.4 million, or 19 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. This was due...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GOOG) Google Trys Mainstream Bookselling Business
While Google Inc (GOOG) has been talking about publishing orphan (in copyright, out-of-print) books for a while, the company has announced Google Editions, its play in the mainstream digital bookselling business. The story was first published by the Wall Street Journal. The plan...
5May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EU) How to Play the Greek Bailout
Last weekend, the European Union (EU) faced the first true public test of its backbone. It failed. By offering a 110-billion euro ($146.2 billion), three-year bailout package to Greece, Europe basically cashed in its chips and admitted that it would rather buckle than watch...
4May2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(GS) Investors Take Heed – A Financial Crisis is Imminent – Vanguard’s Jack Bogle
“If we do nothing, we’re headed for a real crisis.” – Jack Bogle Jack Bogle is 81 years old, but he still doesn’t pull any punches. I visited him at his headquarters outside Philadelphia – and it didn’t take long before he expressed some strong opinions about...
4May2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(S) Sprint-Nextel Expands Wireless 4G Footprint
Sprint Nextel (S) has further expanded its 4G wireless broadband network footprint as the third largest US carrier has officially launched commercial services in the Pennsylvanian cities of Harrisburg, Lancaster, Reading and York. Sprint’s 4G services now cover 32 markets nationwide. Subscribers...
4May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) Insurance Industry Stock Update – May 2010 – Industry Outlook
The turmoil in the financial markets created a highly challenging environment for the U.S. insurance industry, forcing many companies to take immense write-downs. In 2010, the overall situation has improved to a great extent and the worst of the crisis appears to be now behind...
4May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MRO) Marathon Oil Corporation Reports Better Than Expected Earnings
Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO) — the fifth largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the U.S. — announced significantly better-than-expected first-quarter 2010 results. As has been the case with the larger rivals that have already reported, such as Exxon...
4May2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued