Archive for June, 2011
(CAT) Caterpillar Updates on Euro Bonds
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) issued updates on the Euro bonds offered last week. These updates were related to the yield, spread and rating of the bonds. The borrower of the bonds is the financial wing of the company, Caterpillar International Finance Ltd, while the guarantor is Caterpillar...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BA) Boeing Looks to Asia to Boost Sales
Boeing Co. (BA) is now looking towards the Asian and Mid-East defense markets for growth in an effort to counter domestic defense budgetary pressure as well as offset the shortfall in orders stemming from the austerity drive of the European countries and the U.S. In this scenario,...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(V) Debit Card Cap Battle in Final Leg
The fate of the pending cap on interchange fees for debit cards will be decided today in a U.S. Senate vote, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday. This would put an end to the tussle on the enactment and deferment of the cap that has been in question for quite some time now. According...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(F) Ford Motor Steers Toward Asia
Ford Motor Co. (F) revealed that it expects global sales to expand by 50% to 8 million vehicles by 2015 given the potential growth in Asia, mainly China and India; and rising demand for small cars. The automaker anticipates small cars to account for 55% of the total sales by...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GS) The Goldman Sachs Group Analyst Maintains Shares at Neutral
We maintain our Neutral recommendation on The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) as with the improving economic conditions, the company is gaining from a solid balance sheet and growth of its global clients. In April, Goldman reported first-quarter 2011 earnings of $1.56 per share,...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) Exxon Mobil Makes Giant Gulf of Mexico Discovery
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) announced the discovery of oil and gas in three major blocks in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, marking the company’s first deepwater exploration since the end of the drilling moratorium in the region. The wells are estimated to hold approximately...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup Suffers Hack Attack
Citigroup Inc. (C) has topped the headlines again and this time for a breach of security as hackers got access to hundreds of thousands of its credit card customers’ information in North America. It was during a routine check up that Citi discovered this unauthorized access....
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(S) Sprint and Motorola Seize 4G Frenzy
The third-largest U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) plans to launch 10 new wireless devices (smartphones and tablets) in collaboration with Motorola Mobility Inc. (MMI). The “Motorola Photon 4G” smartphone is on the top of the 10 new device list. The Photon...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) American International Group’s Nan Shan Deal Back on Track
American International Group Inc.’s (AIG) $2.16 billion sale of its local unit, Nan Shan Life Insurance Co., has finally been sanctioned by Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). However, the sanction came with certain conditions. In January this year, AIG accepted...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(USM) United States Cellular Catches 4G Wave
United States Cellular Corp. (USM), a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) plans to launch seven new smartphones based on Google’s (GOOG) Android platform by the end of this year. With the new launches, the company will also mark its debut in 4G enabled devises....
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GD) General Dynamics Wins U.S. Air Force Contract
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a unit of General Dynamics Corporation (GD) has been awarded a contract worth $7.8 million to develop an Open System Architecture (“OSA”) common back-end digital processor. Through this contract, the U.S. Air Force intends to...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TRV) The Travelers Companies to Lower Share Buyback
The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) estimates the bad weather in the months of April and May might cost the company between $1 billion to $1.05 billion. Several catastrophes including tornadoes and hail storms in the Midwest and Southeast added to the costs. Travelers, as a result...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UIS) Unisys Earns Department of Justice IT Services Contract
Unisys Corporation (UIS) recently received an IT services contract from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for a potential value of $1.1 billion. The company is among the 20 winners of the DOJ’s Information Technology Support Services 4 (ITSS-4) contract. ITSS-4 has a seven-month...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(IBM) International Business Machine Supports Bank Austria
International Business Machines Corp (IBM) has entered in to a five-year services contract with Bank Austria in a bid to strengthen the latter’s infrastructure and provide support for its incremental business. Bank Austria is a member of UniCredit Group. IBM is already the...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FSR) Torchmark Earns Stable Rating From A.M. Best
Last Friday, the rating agency A.M.Best affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) on Torchmark Corp. (TMK) and its subsidiaries. Torchmark’s subsidiaries have been conferred with FSR of “A+” and ICR of “aa-”,...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MS) Morgan Stanley Sets Up Joint Venture in China
On Friday, Morgan Stanley (MS) announced the launch of its joint venture (JV) with the Chinese securities firm China Fortune Securities Co., better known as Huaxin Securities Co. The new entity will be known as Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities. In China, foreign banks need to...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ACOR) Acorda Therapeutics Gets Mixed Data on Ampyra
Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. (ACOR) recently reported an analysis of data on Ampyra (dalfampridine) at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) annual meeting. The analysis demonstrated improvements in walking ability of patients on Ampyra as measured by patient self-report...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JWN) Nordstrom Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We maintain our long-term ‘Neutral’ recommendation on Nordstrom Inc. (JWN). Nordstrom is a leading fashion specialty retailer in the U.S., offering high quality apparel, shoes, cosmetics and accessories for men, women and kids. The company offers both branded and private...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(XOM) Are Oil Prices Headed Up or Down?
by David Fessler, Investment U’s Energy and Infrastructure Expert Tuesday, June 14, 2011 Are oil prices headed up or down? If Saudi Arabia has anything to say about it, quite possibly down. Over the past several months, the kingdom has been clandestinely raising production...
16Jun2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(DVR) TiVo Unveils New Products
A developer of advanced television services and digital video recorders (DVR) TiVo Inc. (TIVO), unveiled two new products at the 2011 NCTA Cable Show in Chicago. The products “Premiere Q” and “Preview” will join TiVo’s existing advanced television solutions offered...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AZO) AutoZone Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We reiterate our Neutral recommendation on AutoZone Inc. (AZO), which is one of the nation’s leading specialty retailers of automotive replacement parts and accessories, operating in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) retail, Do-It-for-Me (DIFM) commercial and other customer markets. AutoZone...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CMCSA) Comcast Brings Skype on TV
Yesterday, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) announced a pathbreaking value-added service to its customers. The company has formed a strategic partnership with Skype Ltd. to offer its subscribers high-definition (HD) video chat from their TV sets. Comcast will provide a special kit including...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MMM) 3M Company Settles Patent Litigation
3M Company (MMM) through its three companies 3M, 3M Innovative Properties Co., and 3M Canada has settled a patent litigation filed against Eurotex in Canada for infringing a 3M patent for reflective fire coat trim. The case was being fought in the Federal Court in Ottawa, Canada...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AAPL) Apple Unlocks iPhone 4 in US
For the first time ever, Apple Inc. (AAPL) will be selling the “unlocked” version of iPhone 4 in the US starting this week end, meaning that starting this quarter, the iPhone 4 will not be tied to a specified telecom network. The unlocked version is already available overseas....
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HPQ) Hewlett-Packard’s New Notebooks get AMD VISION
Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) has introduced 11 new notebook models with AMD’s latest VISION Technology targeting individual consumers, small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and large corporations. The new models are both affordable and performance oriented. The new note books...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HOT) Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We are maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (HOT), a leading worldwide hospitality company, which primarily focuses on property ownership, management and franchising. Starwood’s first quarter 2011 operating earnings...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MRO) Is This The Second-Coming of the Texas Oil Boom?
by David Fessler, Investment U Senior Analyst Wednesday, June 15, 2011 It’s been almost 50 years since Americans heard that famous line from The Ballad of Jed Clampett: “Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.“ For the rest of the world, the 20th century began on January...
16Jun2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(L) Loews Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
We are retaining our Neutral rating on Loews Corporation (L), as the company’s performance was weighed down by Lower earnings at Diamond Offshore reflecting reduced day rates and utilization coupled with slightly lower earnings at CNA Financial Corporation. Loews Corporation...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Citigroup to Buy Retail Assets in Russia
Citigroup Inc. (C) is expanding its retail banking activities in Russia by acquiring a part of the Russian banking business of HSBC Holdings Plc. (HBC). The sale, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011, involves assets worth about $10.7 million. HSBC divestiture...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JBLU) JetBlue Traffic Increases in May
Discount U.S. airline JetBlue Airways Corporation (JBLU) reported a 10.6% year-over-year traffic increase in May 2011. Airline traffic is measured in billions of revenue passenger miles, which implies one mile flown by one passenger. On a year-over-year basis, capacity (or available...
16Jun2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued