Archive for August, 2010
(JPM) U.S. Bank Failures in 2010 Now Total 110
U.S. regulators on Friday shuttered Palos Heights, Illinois-based Palos Bank and Trust Company, pushing up U.S. bank failures to 110 so far in 2010. This compares with 140 bank failures in 2009, 25 in 2008 and only 3 in 2007. Although the economy is showing signs of a gradual...
16Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BX) Blackstone Group to Acquire Dynegy
On Friday, Blackstone Group (BX) announced that it will acquire Houston-based energy company Dynegy Inc. (DYN) for $4.7 billion (including debt). Under the deal, Blackstone will pay $4.50 per share (a 62% premium on the closing price of $2.78 on August 12) in cash for about 120.6...
16Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(S) Sprint-Nextel Unveils Second 4G Smartphone – Epic 4G
Sprint Nextel (S) is expected to roll out its second 4G smartphone “Epic 4G” on August 31, 2010 across all of Sprint’s nationwide retail locations, as well as from its retail partners RadioShack Corp. (RSH), Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT). The Epic...
16Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DB) Deutsche Bank AG Forms Alliance with Craigs Investment Partners Limited of New Zealand
On Wednesday, Deutsche Bank AG (DB) and Craigs Investment Partners Limited of New Zealand announced the completion of their strategic alliance. As per the terms of the alliance, Deutsche Bank would hold a 49.9% equity interest in Craigs, while the remaining 50.1% will be held...
16Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMMD) American Medical Systems’ Analyst Maintains Neutral Rating
We reiterate our Neutral recommendation on leading pelvic-health devices maker American Medical Systems (AMMD). Earnings for second-quarter fiscal 2010 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny while profit soared 22% year-over-year on account of higher sales that spiked...
16Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedThree Ways to Win With Options – And an 80% Chance of Success
by Lee Lowell, Stock and Commodity Option Specialist Monday, August 16, 2010: Issue #1324 When the stock market behaves erratically and volatility is the order of the day (as it is now), what can you do to combat the upheaval? Many investors surge en masse towards gold. No surprise...
16Aug2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(EAT) Brinker International’s Earnings Report Misses Estimates
Brinker International Inc. (EAT) posted fourth quarter and full year 2010 adjusted earnings per share of 44 cents and $1.18, respectively, which fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimates of 46 cents for the fourth quarter and $1.22 for fiscal 2010. On a GAAP basis, the owner...
15Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedInvesting Strategies for Low Inflation – AAII Investor Update
August 12, 2010 Disinflation, not deflation, could be the likely scenario facing the U.S. economy. Disinflation is a period of slowing price increases. Deflation is a prolonged period of falling prices. Though deflation has been getting a lot of press, most economists are assigning...
15Aug2010 | Shawn | 0 comments | Continued(AAPL) Are Apple iPads Eroding E-Reader Sales?
The budding e-reader space suddenly sees its work cut out. Apple’s (AAPL) iPad tablet, launched in April this year, is believed to be stealing sales and forcing e-reader makers to slash prices. Even those with a head start are feeling the heat, and with several new entrants...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CVX) Chevron Corporation Earnings Scorecard
Late last month, Chevron Corporation (CVX) – the second largest U.S. oil company – announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Now that the Wall Street analysts have had some time to digest the quarterly performance of Chevron, they are weighing in...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) ExxonMobil Earnings Scorecard
Though ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM) posted strong results in the second quarter, the stock performance was not so impressive. The company’s share price has dropped approximately 11% year to date. While we believe the stock will perform in line with its peers and the S&P 500 over...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LM) Legg Mason’s July Assets Under Management Higher
Legg Mason Inc. (LM) reported preliminary month-end assets under management (AUM) of $659.3 billion for the month of July, up 2.0% from $645.4 billion at the end of the prior month having declined marginally in June from May. The company has recorded a rise in AUM after two consecutive...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JCP) J. C. Penney Earnings Preview
J. C. Penney Company Inc. (JCP), a leading retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories, fashion jewelry, beauty products and home furnishings, is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2010 financial results before the bell on Friday, August 13, 2010. The current Zacks Consensus...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance Soar
Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance edged up by 2,000 last week to 484,000. The four-week moving average increased by 14,250 to 473,500. Both are at the high end of the “trading range” that they have been in since the start of the year, which followed a steep...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DELL) Dell Making Headway in Schools
According to the latest findings of the market research firm IDC, more and more schools and universities across the world are deploying Dell Inc.’s (DELL) technology solutions. The growing popularity has made the PC maker the top world-wide provider of computing solutions...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(F) Ford Motor Gets Approval for Joint Venture Split
Ford Motor Co. (F), Mazda Motor Corp. and China’s Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. have received approval from the Chinese government to split their three-way joint venture (JV), Changan Ford Mazda. Ford and Mazda will each form a separate 50:50 JV with Chongqing Changan...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LMT) Lockheed Earns $16.6 Million Navy Contract
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) received a $16.6 million contract from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to develop software for Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS) that controls Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. The company also highlighted that...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JWN) Nordstrom Second Quarter Earnings Meets Expectations
Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) posted earnings growth of 37.5% to 66 cents a share in the second quarter of fiscal 2010, versus 48 cents in the year-ago period. Earnings per share matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, shares of Nordstrom fell more than 4% in early morning trade...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ATVI) Flat Video Game Sales in July
Video games achieved better results in July 2010 after a lackluster June month. Improving hardware sales were partially offset by sluggish software sales in the month. According to the research firm NPD, U.S. retail sales of hardware, software and accessories decreased 0.5% year...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NOC) Northrop Grumman Corporation Awarded Defense Contract
Aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) announced that it received A-Mod Mission Service Bus (MSB) Framework (AMBER) contract worth more than $400 million from the U.S Defense department. Through this AMBER contract Northrop will provide software and...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFC) Wells Fargo Loses Overdraft Case
The time is out of joint for Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC), which has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons yet again. It has been ordered to pay $203 million in order to recompense customers who had sued the company for charging improper overdraft fees. This ruling was given...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup Sells $3.5 Billion Loan Portfolio to JPMorgan
Citigroup Inc. (C) has sold a $3.5 billion loan portfolio to JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM). This portfolio consists of around 3,800 performing loans, primarily multifamily and commercial real estate loans associated with properties in New York, California and Illinois. The terms...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WYN) Wyndham Worldwide Corporation – Bull of the Day
Wyndham’s (WYN) second quarter 2010 earnings were ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, primarily due to better-than-expected business in Vacation Exchange and Rentals, along with a lower effective tax rate and favorable impact of foreign currency translation. The company...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PHM) Pulte Group – Bear of the Day
Despite being the largest homebuilder in the U.S. with operations in more than 50 markets, Pulte Group (PHM) suffers from high cyclicality in the industry. The company also faces intense competition from the resale of existing or foreclosed homes, as well as available rental...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(COST) Costco Wholesale Corporation Announces Sales Rise
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), one of the leading U.S. warehouse club operators, recently posted healthy sales data for the four-week period ended August 1, 2010. After a 4% increase in June 2010, Costco’s comparable-store sales for July rose 6%, reflecting comparable...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MSFT) Microsoft and Yahoo Working on Video Advertising
Tying advertisements to Internet users’ online behavior has so far remained restricted to text searches, but the trend is changing. There is a growing belief that consumers prefer to view ads of their choice when they go online, which is driving some big technology names such...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BMC) BMC Software Earns Motorola Deal
Leading large enterprise software company BMC Software Inc. (BMC) recently announced that the Australian wing of mobile phone maker Motorola Inc. (MOT) will deploy its Remedy IT Service Management Suite (ITSM). Motorola will integrate BMC Software’s solution into its service...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BSX) Boston Scientific Hears Good News From Food and Drug Administration
Recently, Boston Scientific (BSX) received a notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), whereby all the issues cited in the Company’s 2006 corporate warning letter have been resolved. The warning letters from the FDA dates back to January 2006, when Boston Scientific...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RSH) RadioShack Second Quarter 2010 Earnings Scorecard
The future outlook for RadioShack Corp. (RSH) is flat. Second quarter 2010 financial results were mostly in line with Zacks Consensus Estimates. Recent earnings estimate revisions are showing an almost 50-50 swing in both directions. RadioShack continues its solid performance...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ADSK) Autodesk Earnings Report Tops Consensus
Software design maker, Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) reported better-than-expected second quarter 2011 results, with earnings per share of 27 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents per share. Earnings per share leaped 80.0% year over year from 15 cents reported in the...
13Aug2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued