Archive for November, 2011
(MDT) Medical Technology Industry Stock Outlook – November 2011 – Industry Outlook
The performance of incumbent players in the MedTech industry continued to be hamstrung by a spate of macro issues (including sustained price and procedure volume pressures) in the September quarter. The prevailing macroeconomic factors, pricing headwinds, austerity measures,...
18Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LEG) Leggett & Platt Incorporated – Bear of the Day
Leggett & Platt, Inc.’s (LEG) increased operating expenses coupled with higher cost inflation battered the third-quarter 2011 results. The company reported a flat year-over-year earnings of $0.31 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36. Consequently,...
17Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PRGO) Perrigo Company – Bull of the Day
Perrigo Company (PRGO) reported earnings per share of $1.10 for the first quarter of fiscal 2012, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.03 and the year-earlier earnings of $0.87. Perrigo upped fiscal 2012 earnings per share outlook from $4.50-$4.65 to $4.65-$4.80 due to...
17Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AEP) U.S. Industrial Production Rises
Total Industrial Production rose by 0.7% in October, much better than the 0.4% rise that was expected. However, September was revised down to a decline of 0.1% from being up 0.2%. The Industrial production numbers are often distorted by Utility Output, which is often affected...
17Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MGI) MoneyGram International Initiates Reverse Split
Yesterday, MoneyGram International Inc. (MGI) announced the filing of a statement for a reverse stock split. According to the reverse stock split, MoneyGram will be able to contract its shares outstanding by issuing one share for every 8 shares outstanding. This implies that...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CHK) The Bakken isn’t the Only Big Shale Oil Play
by David Fessler, Investment U Senior Analyst Friday, November 11, 2011 A few days ago, I wrote about the incredible growth in the liquid portion of North Dakota’s Bakken formation. If you want the short version, read on. The Bakken is an oil- and natural gas-rich formation...
15Nov2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(HP) U.S. Natural Gas Stockpiles Up 37 Billion Cubic Feet
The U.S. Energy Department’s weekly inventory release showed a higher-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, attributable to sagging demand amid robust production. The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report – brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA)...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PAY) VeriFone Systems Buys Point in Europe
VeriFone Systems, Inc. (PAY) has signed a definitive agreement with Nordic Capital Fund V to acquire European-based Point for approximately €600 million or $824 million. VeriFone will also retire Point’s debt of approximately €170 million. Management expects to close the...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(C) Moneygram Sues Citigroup For Documentation Flaws In Recent Sale
Citigroup Inc. (C) has been sued by Moneygram Payment Systems Inc., the electronic cash-transfer business, Bloomberg reported. The complaint lodged claims that Citi misrepresented documents during the sale of $140 million of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Moneygram Payment...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GT) Goodyear Tire & Rubber – Bull of the Day
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (GT) is one of the largest tire manufacturing companies around the world. The company expects to benefit from new product launches and cost reduction programs. It has targeted $1 billion of gross savings by 2012. The company also expects the...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(K) Kellogg Company – Bear of the Day
We have downgraded our recommendation on Kellogg Company (K) to Sell from a Hold on weak third-quarter 2011 earnings of $0.80 per share, which lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.1% and the prior-year earnings by 11%. The results were driven by weak economic environment,...
15Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ETP) Energy Transfer Partners Prices Unit Offer
Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (ETP) priced a public offering of 13,250,000 common units at $44.67 a piece, with a 30-day over-allotment option for an additional 1,987,500 units. The natural gas and propane gas master limited partnership (MLP) plans to use the net proceeds from...
14Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CVS) CVS Caremark Launches New Pharmacy Advisor Program
CVS Caremark (CVS) recently launched a new Pharmacy Advisor program to help treat chronic cardiovascular illness. The Pharmacy Advisor for chronic cardiovascular care will primarily focus on medication adherence for persistent illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,...
14Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MS) Morgan Stanley to Reform Foreclosure Practices
Morgan Stanley (MS) became the second largest bank after The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) to adopt new foreclosure procedures in an effort to stop unlawful and troublesome foreclosure practices. Morgan Stanley has reached an agreement with the New York’s Department of Financial...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CE) Celanese Acquires Ashland Assets
Celanese Corporation (CE) entered into an agreement to acquire polyvinyl acetate assets from Ashland Inc. (ASH), including two product lines, Vinac and Flexbond. The transaction is expected to close within 60 days, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions. Terms were not...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SFG) StanCorp Financial Group Analyst Upgrades Shares
We are upgrading the recommendation on StanCorp Financial Group Inc. (SFG) to Neutral from Underperform on the back of strong third quarter results. Overall benefit ratio declined compared with the last two quarters. Earnings per share of 96 cents also surpassed the Zacks Consensus...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LNC) Lincoln National Corporation Increases Dividend by 60%
Despite basking in a modest third quarter, yesterday, the board of Lincoln National Corp. (LNC) has announced a significant 60% increase in its quarterly dividend to 8 cents per share from the previous pay out of 5 cents. The hiked dividend will be paid on February 1, 2012 to...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MHS) Medco Analyst Maintains Shares at Neutral
Recently, we reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Medco Health (MHS) with a target price of $56.00. During the third quarter of fiscal 2011, Medco reported adjusted EPS of $1.07, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents and 12.6% higher than the year-ago quarter level. Revenues...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BRKB) International Energy Agency Offers Sobering Outlook
Not all the important news is centered on Greece and Italy. The International Energy Agency, or IEA, this week released its World Energy Outlook. The IEA is not some wild-eyed “peak oil/global warming” fringe group. They are about as mainstream and staid a group as...
12Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(GM) Metals and Mining Stock Outlook – November 2011 – Industry Outlook
Overview The Metals & Mining industry encompasses the extraction (mining) as well as the primary and secondary processing of metals and minerals such as aluminum, gold, precious metals, coal and steel. The industry is oligarchic in structure, with a few producers accounting...
11Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LTD) Limited Brands Reports October Sales Increase
Limited Brands Inc. (LTD), a specialty retailer of women’s intimate and other apparel, beauty and personal care products, recently posted healthy sales results for the four-week period ended October 29, 2011 on the heels of healthy sales at its Victoria’s Secret Stores...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(APC) Anadarko Petroleum Strikes Oil Offshore Brazil
The Woodlands, Texas- based Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), yesterday, announced that it struck oil at its appraisal well in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. Located in block BM-C-32, offshore Brazil, the Itaipu-2 appraisal well discovered a gross petroleum column of nearly...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TSO) Tesoro Corporation 2011 Third Quarter Earnings Scorecard
Earlier this month, independent refiner Tesoro Corporation (TSO) announced its financial results for the third quarter 2011. Now that the analysts have had some time to ponder over the quarterly performance of Tesoro, they are weighing their estimate revisions. Below we cover...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EW) Edwards Lifesciences Earns FDA OK on Trial Enrollment
Recently, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) received conditional approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for enrollment of a certain group of patients in the PARTNER II trial. The trial is studying the company’s next-generation Sapien XT transcatheter heart valve...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KMP) Kinder Morgan Energy Partners Plans $400 Million Venture
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP) announced plans to invest in the Battleground Oil Specialty Terminal Company, LLC or BOSTCO – a joint venture with TransMontaigne Partners L.P. (TLP). Kinder Morgan will set up, own and operate a $400 million oil terminal on the Houston...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UPL) Ultra Petroleum Beats Expectations – Keeps Forward View
Natural gas producer Ultra Petroleum Corp. (UPL) has reported impressive third quarter 2011 results, buoyed by higher volumes from Wyoming and Pennsylvania regions along with reduced transportation charges and lower general and administrative costs. Earnings per share, excluding...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedU.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fall Again
Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance fell again this week. This week they fell by 10,000 but only after the previous week was revised up by 3,000. So regardless if you count it as a drop of 10,000 or 7,000, we are still at 390,000. That was better than the expected level...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNP) Union Pacific Corporation Earnings Scorecard
Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) reported strong third quarter 2011 financial results with both revenue and earnings per share (EPS) exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Third Quarter Highlights Quarterly net income stood at a historic high of $904 million or $1.85 per share...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BAC) Bank of America to Repay Unfair Overdraft Fees
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) has hit the headlines for manipulating overdraft fees. On Monday, the U.S. District Court of Southern District of Florida (Miami) ordered BofA to pay back $410 million to its more than 13 million customers who were charged with inappropriate...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(USM) United States Cellular Soars on Smartphones
United States Cellular Corp. (USM), a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (TDS) has reported third quarter 2011 earnings per share of 73 cents, breezing past the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents. Earnings also registered a massive 66% growth from 44 cents in the...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued