Archive for October, 2010
(ENR) Energizer Holdings in Hostile Bid for American Safety Razor
According to a Bloomberg report, Energizer Holdings Inc. (ENR), a leading manufacturer and marketer of batteries, lighting and personal care products, plans to acquire American Safety Razor Co. for $301 million in cash in a competitive bidding process. Based in New Jersey, privately...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(STT) State Street Corporation Expands Relationship with Babson
State Street Corporation (STT) is expanding its relationship with Babson Capital Management LLC by providing investment operations and technology services. The company has already been providing custody, trustee, private equity and hedge fund services to Babson Capital since...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TSM) How to Profit in the Rare Earth Market as China Squeezes the Supply
by Dr. Mark Skousen, Investment U’s Contributing Editor Thursday, September 30, 2010: Issue #1356 Okay, so the stock market has gone nowhere this year. In fact, it’s gone nowhere in 10 years. But that doesn’t mean all the money-making opportunities have dried up. Investors...
3Oct2010 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(TECD) Tech Data Analyst Maintains Neutral Rating on Shares
We maintain a Neutral recommendation on Tech Data Corp. (TECD). Tech Data’s second quarter 2011 results beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and recorded the most profitable second quarter in the company’s history, attributable to an improving demand for technology products...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Company News for October 1, 2010 – Corporate Summary
• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) downgraded Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) to “neutral” from “buy” • Susquehanna downgraded Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) from “neutral” to “sell,” taking the price target to $120 • Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) downgraded...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(APC) Energy Information Administration Reports Bearish Gas Injection
The federal government’s Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) reported a higher-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, attributable to the onset of fall, a season in which demand is usually lower on account of moderate weather conditions across the country. Stockpiles...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ISM) Institute For Supply Management’s Manufacturing Index Falls to 54.4 from 56.3
The Institute For Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index fell to 54.4 in September from 56.3 in August. In July it was at 55.5. This was a minor negative surprise as the consensus had been looking for the index to fall to 54.8. This is a “magic 50 index” where any...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BA) Boeing Earns $11.9 Billion U.S. Air Force Contract
The Boeing Company (BA) has received a contract worth $11.9 billion from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the B-52 bombers. The contract extends for eight years. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio will deal with the contract execution. The company’s Defense, Space & Security...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CAH) Cardinal Health Prepares for Coming Flu Season
Cardinal Health (CAH) is taking necessary steps to maintain the supply of influenza vaccines during the forthcoming 2010-2011 flu season. For the first time, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been asking everyone over 6 months of age to get a flu vaccine....
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(STJ) St. Jude Medical Earns Japanese Approval for Neurostimulator
St. Jude Medical’s (STJ) Eon Mini spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system has been cleared by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW). The approval enables the Minnesota-based medical devices giant to market the device, claimed to be the world’s smallest, longest-lasting...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ACHN) Achillion Pharmaceuticals’ Pipeline Makes Progress
Recently, Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ACHN) announced that it has started dosing patients in a randomized, double-blind mid-stage study (n~120) that will evaluate pipeline candidate ACH-1625. The candidate is being developed to treat patients infected with hepatitis C virus...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNP) U.S. Railroad Industry Outlook – October 2010 – Industry Outlook
An improving U.S. economy, massive surge in automotive shipments, and a sharp rebound in many end-markets are expected to fuel the future growth of the railroad industry. Freight rail is a “derived demand” industry — demand for rail services is tied to the demand for...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PRU) Prudential Financial Buys Units From American International Group
US insurer Prudential Financial (PRU) declared yesterday that it will be acquiring two of the Japanese life operations of American International Group Inc. (AIG) for $4.2 billion in cash by the first quarter of 2011. However, the total value of the deal will climb to $4.8 billion...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RIG) U.S. Federal Government Maintains Drilling Ban in Gulf of Mexico Despite New Rules
The federal government unveiled new regulations for offshore drillers and decided to keep its deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) in place for now, according to a release by the Interior Department. In a bid to ensure safety and tackle the regulatory loopholes...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) American International Group on Path to Exit TARP
After numerous mind-wrecking sessions over a fortnight, on Thursday, American International Group Inc. (AIG) and the U.S. Federal Reserve have finally charted out a scheme to free the company from the exorbitant debt that AIG had take under the Troubled Asset Repurchase Program...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BIIB) Biogen Idec Analyst Reduces Share Rating to Neutral
We recently downgraded Biogen Idec, Inc. (BIIB) to Neutral from our previous Outperform recommendation. Biogen is one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies. Its main areas of focus include neurology, oncology, hemophilia and immunology. Products such as Avonex (for...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FEIM) Frequency Electronics – Synchronizing Time
A research client of ours is a member of the American Association of Individual Investors, an organization that we have been associated with off and on as individual investors, since the mid 1990s. Several days ago we received an e-mail from our client asking us for a Raw Value...
3Oct2010 | Wax | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup Sales Earns U.S. Treasury $ 41.6 Billion
The U.S. Treasury is continuing with its efforts to shed its holdings in Citigroup Inc. (C). It has reaped in $41.6 billion as proceeds from the sale of Citi common stock, trust preferred securities (TRUPS), and Citi’s repayment of the bailout money, dividends and other distributions...
3Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PCS) MetroPCS Communications Launches First LTE City in U.S.
MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), the sixth-largest prepaid wireless service operator in the U.S., launched its first 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband service and dual-mode smartphone (designed to run on LTE and CDMA networks) in Las Vegas. MetroPCS is the first...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BMC) BMC Software Enhances Cloud Application
The leading large enterprise software company, BMC Software Inc. (BMC) recently announced that it would include Salesforce.com Inc.’s (CRM) Chatter 2 application to its cloud-based platform “ServiceDesk on Force.com” to address increasing customer demand for Information...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RIMM) Research In Motion’s Tablet Ready For Launch
Research In Motion Limited (RIMM) is all set to launch its new tablet computer as well as the operating system that will power it, next week. The tablet computer is being built by Quanta Computer of Taiwan and will run on chips from Marvell Technology Group Inc. (MRVL). The tablet...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NVS) Novartis AG Earns FDA Approval of Oral Multiple Sclerosis Drug
Novartis AG (NVS) received a huge boost recently with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving its oral multiple sclerosis (MS) drug, Gilenya. Gilenya is the first oral treatment to gain US approval for the first-line treatment of relapsing forms of MS. The drug is...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(STJ) St. Jude Medical to Demonstrate Optical Coherence Tomography
Medical devices giant St. Jude Medical Inc. (STJ) will showcase its recently launched Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology (a next-generation imaging technology) platform at the 2010 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific meet in Washington, DC. TCT...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BA) Aircraft Numbers Skew New Orders for Durable Goods
New Orders for Durable Goods fell 1.3% in July. That was slightly better than the consensus expectations for a decline of 1.4%. The news is better than the headline number suggests. All of the weakness came from the extremely volatile transportation equipment side, and more specifically,...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ANAD) ANADIGICS Analyst Affirms Neutral Rating
We recently reiterated our NEUTRAL recommendation on ANADIGICS, Inc. (ANAD), which designs and manufactures semiconductor solutions for the broadband wireless and wireline communications markets. ANADIGICS is positioned in three fast-growing markets: 3G, Wi-Fi and CATV. In addition,...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(NOK) Nokia Analyst Keeps Shares Neutral
We maintain our long-term Neutral recommendation for Nokia Corp. (NOK), which means the stock, will perform mostly in line with the broader market. Currently it is a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) stock. The company is trying a lot Incorporatedluding replacement of its CEO, OS upgrade,...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RTP) Rio Tinto’s BHP Billion Joint Venture Delayed
According to The Wall Street Journal, Rio Tinto’s (RTP) much-awaited $116 billion joint venture with BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) to produce iron ore in Australia is expected to be postponed. The joint venture is hanging on the approval of the Australian regulators, which was earlier...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) Income, Spending and Savings All Rise – Analyst Blog
In August, Personal Income rose 0.5% — a nice improvement over the 0.2% rise in July, and after being unchanged in June. This was the biggest increase since April (also up 0.5%). It was also well above the consensus expectation of a 0.3% increase. Meanwhile, Personal Consumption...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PCS) MetroPCS Communications Launches Second LTE Service in U.S.
MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS), the sixth-largest prepaid wireless service operator in the U.S. , launched its second 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband service in Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This release follows the simultaneous launch of the first LTE service...
2Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedSeptember 2010 AAII Asset Allocation Survey
The September AAII Asset Allocation Survey shows individual investors moved money from cash into bonds, while continuing to increase their allocations toward stocks. Individual investors allocated 55.2% of their portfolio holdings to stocks and stock funds last month, a 0.5...
1Oct2010 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued