Archive for April, 2011
(TGT) Risk-Reward Balances Target
Target Corporation’s (TGT) efficient marketing, multi-channel strategy, product innovation, compelling pricing strategy and new merchandise assortments, should help drive comparable-store sales and operating margins in the long term. We expect the company to gain market share,...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RDSA) Royal Dutch Shell Plans to Revamp Portfolio
In an attempt to redesign the asset portfolio Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDSA) disclosed plans to close its refinery in Australia, Clyde Refinery and Gore Bay Terminal, and remodel it as a fuel import terminal, supplying to the New South Wales market and the growing western suburbs...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedDoes Nintendo Have Another Hit on Its Hands?
by Ryan Cole, Investment U Research Wednesday, April 13, 2011 With its new 3DS portable gaming system, Nintendo is again changing the face of portable entertainment. But is it enough to keep the company ahead of its many challengers? Let’s take a look. First, let’s examine...
13Apr2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(WAG) Walgreen Declares Dividend Hike
Walgreen (WAG) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 17.5 cents per share, up 27.3% from the year-ago quarter. It is encouraging to note that the company has been quite consistent in paying dividends and has been raising it for 35 consecutive quarters. Although the current...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ADTN) ADTRAN Outperforms Yet Again
ADTRAN Inc. (ADTN), a global provider of networking and communications equipment, reported first quarter 2011 earnings of 52 cents per share surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 46 cents. The quarter’s results also improved from 29 cents earned per share in the year-ago...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GM) General Motors Adds Life to 72-Year Old New York Plant
General Motors Co. (GM) announced that it would invest $100 million in its 72-year old Rochester plant in New York that was about to close. The company decided to continue with the plant as the workers agreed to “second-tier” wage levels. The Rochester plant was opened in...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMB) AMB Property Leases Build-to-Suit Property
AMB Property Corp. (AMB), a real estate investment trust (REIT), has recently leased about 219,600 square feet of space in its build-to-suit property in Chengdu in western China, for an undisclosed amount. The lessee was Deppon Express Co., Ltd, one of the premier logistics companies...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ZOLL) ZOLL Medical’s Propaq Cleared in Canada
Resuscitation devices maker ZOLL Medical (ZOLL) has secured approval from Health Canada to market its Propaq MD monitor/ defibrillator and Propaq M monitor to military customers and air medical operations in Canada, enabling them to provide advanced critical care to patients. Propaq...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LM) Legg Mason Assets Under Management Rises Marginally
Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc. (LM) experienced a slight increase in its assets under management (AUM) in March on a sequential basis. This was preceded by a modest rise in February and stable AUM in Janaury. Preliminary month-end AUM came in at $677.6 billion, up 0.7% from...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNP) Strong 2011 First Quarter for U.S. Railroads
A recent report of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), the main trade body of the U.S. Freight Railway industry, reported that the first quarter 2011 rail carload volume, excluding grain and coal, is up nearly 7.9% to 4.6 million rail cars compared with the prior-year...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(COST) Costco Wholesale Analyst Maintains Neutral
We are reiterating our long-term Neutral recommendation on Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) with a price target of $80.00. Moreover, Costco holds a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating. Costco continues to be a dominant retail wholesaler based on the...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UTX) United Technologies Unit Sikorsky in Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia
Sikorsky Aerospace Services, the aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, announced that it is in advanced stages of discussions with Alpha Star Aviation Services for a joint venture aimed at providing military and commercial aviation support and maintenance programs...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DOW) The Dow Chemical Company Intros SOFT TOUCH
The Dow Chemical Company (DOW) recently introduced DOW SOFT TOUCH, which is a Propylene Resin. The product is a recent breakthrough in single-pellet resin solutions for the efficient production of mono-component spun bond nonwoven fabrics. These fabrics offer extraordinary softness...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMG) Chipotle Mexican Grill Introduces Taste of Asia
Denver, Colorado-based Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc (CMG) is scheduled to open its first Asian themed restaurant in Washington, D.C this summer. The new concept, ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, is based on the traditional shophouses in Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Shophouses...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GD) General Dynamics Earns Navy Contract
Defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. (GD) said that its business unit General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has received a contract to produce Type-3 advanced mission computers (AMC) for the F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G Super Hornet aircraft. The contract awarded by the...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TAP) Molson Coors Brewing Goes Light with Sublime
Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TAP) now produces and markets Molson Canadian 67 Sublime, a premium light beer with citrus flavor, containing not more than 67 calories in each 341ml bottle. It has 3% alcohol. The beer is now on the shelves at select retailers and establishments across...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UIS) Unisys Tender Offer for Outstanding 14.25% Senior Secured Notes Expires
Unisys Corporation (UIS) recently announced the expiration of its tender offer period for its outstanding 14.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 (First Priority Notes) and 12.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2014 (Second Priority Notes). The notes, which were validly tendered and bought...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HBI) Hanes Replaces Costly Cotton
In the backdrop of an upswing in global cotton prices, apparel giants are seeking alternative ways to combat the soaring raw materials cost. Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI) has inked a deal with the Portland-based Naturally Advanced Technologies (“NAT”) to supply Hanes with a proprietary...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedFederal Reserve Beige Book Summary
The Beige Book is a compilation of mostly anecdotal evidence from the 12 Federal Reserve Districts about the state of the economy. This month’s edition was just released. Generally I would describe the report as being upbeat, but not exuberant. Slow and steady progress is widespread,...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SSL) Sasol Rates Near-Term Bullish
Last week, ADRs of Sasol Ltd. (SSL) hit a 52-week high of $60.39. The South Africa-based petrochemicals group has seen its share price climb approximately 50% since the end of August last year, as investors have been buying the stock for its attractive fundamentals and positive...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AFFX) Affymetrix Intros New Axiom Array
Genetic products maker Affymetrix Inc (AFFX) has broadened its Axiom Genotyping Solution (a high-throughput genotyping platform) with the launch of the Axiom Genome-Wide CHB 1 Array. It is the first commercial product designed to maximize genetic coverage of common alleles (an...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SUG) Southern Union Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We continue to maintain our long-term Neutral recommendation on Southern Union Company (SUG), supported by a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold). The Houston-based company is one of the U.S.’s leading diversified natural gas companies, engaged primarily in the transportation, storage, gathering,...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(STO) Statoil ASA and BP in Algeria’s In Salah Southern Fields Gas Project
Norway’s Statoil ASA (STO), along with its partners BP Plc (BP) and Algeria’s state energy company Sonatrach, have entered into a $1.15 billion field development agreement with Petrofac International in Algeria’s In Salah Southern Fields gas project. Per the agreement,...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MA) MasterCard Announces Expanded Share Buyback
Yesterday, the board of the global payment solution giant MasterCard Inc. (MA) approved and authorized the extension of its stock repurchase program to $2 billion from $1 billion, which was sanctioned in September last year. Although the approval is effective immediately, the...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FLS) Flowserve on Acquisition Spree
Flowserve Corporation (FLS) announced that it has purchased the assets of FEDD Wireless LLC, a privately owned wireless data acquisition company based in Texas. FEDD has developed technologies in wireless data acquisition, transmission and integration for industrial use. Flowserve...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TM) Toyota Motor to Halt European Production
Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) announced that it will suspend production in Europe for 8 days due to parts shortage resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11 that damaged many parts supplying companies’ plants. The automaker will halt production at 5 plants between...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ETN) Eaton in “Smart Buildings Initiative”
Eaton Corporation (ETN) has been selected for the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Smart Buildings Initiative. Under the initiative, Eaton has been assigned the first project of modernizing the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in Portland, Oregon. As part of...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SIAL) Sigma-Aldrich Modifying Silkworms for Spider Silk
Biotechnology giant Sigma-Aldrich Corporation’s (SIAL) biological products and services research unit, Sigma Life Science, has entered into a licensing agreement with Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc. to develop genetically modified silkworms for the production of spider silk....
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNH) UnitedHealth Group Plans Acquisition
OptumHealth, a part of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) will acquire Logistics Health Inc., a La Crosse-based health care solutions provider, as reported by The Business Journal. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011, pending antitrust review by the...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ATVI) Activision Blizzard Announces New Content Pack
A leading developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products, Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) announced that the second content pack of Call of Duty: Black Ops will release on May 3, 2011. The second content pack known as Escalation will be...
13Apr2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued