Archive for November, 2011
(ATHN) Alexian Chooses Athenahealth
Leading vendor of cloud-based services for physician practices Athenahealth (ATHN) recently reported that Alexian Brothers Health System, a Catholic healthcare entity providing health care in the Chicago region, has further grown its relationship with Athenahealth. It has chosen...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TXRH) Texas Roadhouse Beats The Street – Outlook Up
Texas Roadhouse Inc (TXRH) recently posted third quarter 2011 earnings of 22 cents, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 19 cents and grew 15% year over year. The higher-than-expected results were attributable to lower than anticipated workers compensation expense,...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JNPR) Juniper Networks and General Electric to Secure Defense Data
Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR) recently announced that it will be joining hands with one of the business units of technology company General Electric Co. (GE), to jointly develop a series of highly scalable and secured networking and routing gadgets. These products would communicate...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ADSK) Autodesk Gets GRIP Entertainment
Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) has acquired GRIP Entertainment, a privately-held artificial intelligence (AI) game middleware company. The deal has been closed this month, but no financial details or terms of purchase were disclosed. The acquisition of Montreal-based GRIP Entertainment’s...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DGX) The Future of Healthcare – Personalized Medicine
by Marc Lichtenfeld, Investment U Senior Analyst Wednesday, November 9, 2011: Issue #1639 I just got back from my annual physical. Fortunately, everything was fine. But my experience solidified my belief that one of the major healthcare trends that will emerge is the concept...
10Nov2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(RPM) U.S. Air Traffic Shows Mixed for October
Air traffic remained mixed in October, like the month before. Airline traffic is measured in billions of revenue passenger miles (RPM), which implies one mile flown by one passenger. The consolidated October traffic fell 5.1% at the largest U.S. airline United Continental Holdings...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TRV) The Travelers Companies Analyst Maintains Neutral on Shares
The Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) continues to benefit from its strong market position and economies of scale. The company spent a higher amount in buying back shares supported by its balance sheet strength. It also scores strongly with the credit rating agencies. However, these...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ITMN) InterMune Reports Quarterly Loss Smaller Than Estimates
InterMune, Inc. (ITMN) posted third-quarter adjusted loss per share of 63 cents, wider than the year-ago loss per share of 44 cents due to higher operating expenses. The loss was, however, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss per share of 73 cents resulting from...
10Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ABX) Miners Say Gold Going Higher
Think gold is another asset bubble waiting to pop? The strength of the mining stocks is telling a different story based on a mix of near-term and secular trends. The big picture story we know: in an era of fiat currencies being printed to fulfill quantitative easing policies,...
9Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AVP) Avon Products Incorporated – Bear of the Day
We have downgraded our long-term recommendation on Avon Products, Inc. (AVP) to Underperform following the weak quarterly performance in the third quarter of 2011. The quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.46 and dipped 7.3% from...
9Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WPO) The Washington Post Company – Bull of the Day
The Washington Post Co.’s (WPO) top and bottom lines surpassed Zacks’ expectations in the third quarter of 2011. The quarterly earnings of $5.27 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.85. Total revenue of $1,032.6 million also came ahead of the Zacks Consensus...
9Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TWGP) Tower Group Misses on Catastrophic Losses
Property and casualty insurer Tower Group Inc.’s (TWGP) reported third quarter 2011 operating loss of 38 cents per share, substantially worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 17 cents. Results also contrasted unfavorably with the prior-year quarter’s earnings...
9Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AMD) Advanced Micro Devices to Cut 10% of Their Workforce
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) plans to eliminate 10% of its workforce or about 1,400 jobs in order to reduce operational costs. This layoff is an attempt by AMD to optimize its cost structure and thereby improve its competitiveness. The workforce reduction is expected to...
8Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WFMI) Whole Foods Market – Bull of the Day
Whole Foods Market’s (WFMI) fourth-quarter 2011 earnings of $0.42 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny, and rose 27.3% from the prior-year quarter on strong sales. The company is revamping its pricing strategy and concentrating more on value offerings...
8Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MCHP) Microchip Technology – Bear of the Day
Microchip Technology (MCHP) recently reported net income of $79.3 million for the second quarter, down 20.2% sequentially and down 23.0% year over year. EPS came in at $0.42, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.02. Microchip started the September quarter expecting broad-based...
8Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(T) Telecom Stock Outlook – November 2011 – Industry Outlook
Telecommunications industry is witnessing consistent growth despite experiencing a sluggish U.S. economy. Most of the large national telecom service providers together with the regional prepaid telecom operators generated net subscriber addition in the third quarter of 2011. In...
8Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RRD) R.R. Donnelley & Sons Earnings Report In Line With Analyst’s Estimates
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. (RRD) reported non-GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of 51 cents in the third quarter 2011, which was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The reported EPS was up 16.0% from the previous-year quarter and excludes restructuring and impairment charges...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(RIG) Transocean Misses Earnings Targets – Profit Tumbles
Offshore drilling giant Transocean Ltd. (RIG) reported weak third quarter 2011 results, hurt by the decline in utilization rates and high operating costs even as rig rates rose. Earnings per share, excluding expenses associated with the Macondo well incident, gains from asset...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(DUK) Duke Energy Beats The Street – Misses Revenue Target
Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) announced its third-quarter 2011 operating earnings of 50 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents. However, the results were marginally lower than the year-ago earnings of 51 cents per share. The results were driven by Duke...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CIT) CIT Group Resumes CRE Lending Business
CIT Group Inc. (CIT) re-initiated its commercial real estate (CRE) lending business with the launch of CIT Real Estate Finance on Wednesday. The new business will originate and underwrite senior secured real estate transactions in the Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C....
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PSA) Public Storage Beats Earnings Forecasts Handsomely
Public Storage (PSA), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT) operating self-storage facilities, reported third quarter 2011 FFO (funds from operations) of $1.29 per share, compared with $1.69 in the year-earlier quarter. Fund from operations, a widely used metric to gauge...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JWN) Nordstrom’s October Same-Store Sales Comparisons Rise
Same-store sales at Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) grew by 5.4% for the four-week period ended October 29, 2011. Total retail sales in October 2011 climbed 13.3% to $749.0 million from $662.0 million for the four-week period ended October 30, 2011. Third-quarter 2011 Sales The company’s...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(HE) Hawaiian Electric Industries Reports Strong Third Quarter Earnings
Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. (HE), a Honolulu-based utility engaged in electric utility and banking operations primarily in the state of Hawaii, announced third-quarter 2011 operating earnings of 50 cents per share. Third quarter earnings reflected a positive earnings surprise...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AIG) American International Group – Bear of the Day
American International Group’s (AIG) third-quarter loss came in significantly worse than the Zacks Consensus Estimate and year-ago quarter based on weak global cues, sluggish insurance dynamics and consistent cash outflow. Although some stability was witnessed in core operations,...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MDVN) Medivation Incorporated – Bull of the Day
Medivation, Inc. (MDVN) shares received a major boost recently with the company and its partner, Astellas, reporting impressive data on MDV3100 from a pre-specified interim analysis of a phase III study, AFFIRM. The Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) recommended that...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SYK) Stryker Third Quarter 2011 Earnings Scorecard
Orthopedic devices giant Stryker Corporation’s (SYK) third-quarter 2011 adjusted (excluding acquisition charges) earnings per share of 91 cents topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 89 cents and the year-ago earnings of 80 cents. Third Quarter Flashback Profit (as reported)...
7Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ATVI) Activision Blizzard Unveils Two New Games
As competition heats up in the pre-holiday season sales, video game publisher, Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) recently came out with two new adventure games back-to-back, namely Survival: Shadows of Katmai in partnership with Cabela’s and James Bond classic thriller GoldenEye...
6Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(TM) U.S. Sees Best October Auto Sales
Light vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 7.5% to 1.02 million units during October, the best since October 2007, driven by strong sales of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks. At seasonally adjusted annualized rate, sales increased 8% to 13.3 million units from 12.3 million...
6Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(JNJ) Johnson & Johnson 2011 Third Quarter Earnings Scorecard
Following the release of third quarter 2011 results, majority of the analysts covering Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) revised their earnings estimates. While 2011 estimates have been revised in both directions, 2012 estimates have gone predominantly downwards. Third Quarter Recap Johnson...
6Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(LFC) China Life Insurance Sees Moody’s Rating Action
Beginning this week, credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service affirmed China Life Insurance Co. Ltd.’s (LFC) insurance financial strength rating of “A1” with a positive outlook based on the company’s stable capital, investment and financial leverage position. However,...
6Nov2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued