Archive for December, 2011
(SAP) SAP AG is on the Cloud Bandwagon
SAP AG’s (SAP) American subsidiary, SAP America, Inc. acquired SuccessFactors (SFSF), a leading California-based provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions. SAP intends to acquire all outstanding shares of SuccessFactors, the enterprise value of which adds up...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EXPE) Occupancy Tax Rulings Favor Online Travel Companies/Agents
While the number of legal proceedings against online travel companies/agents (OTCs/OTAs) continues to increase, there are some positive trends in recent rulings. The wins in Texas and California courts are big positives for OTAs, such as Expedia (EXPE), Priceline.com (PCLN),...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(WMT) Walmart Settles Fiduciary Lawsuit
Walmart Stores (WMT) settled a long-running class-action lawsuit alleging that the retail giant had breached the retirement benefits of its 2 million past and present workers. Merrill Lynch, a unit of Bank of America Corporation (BAC), was also involved in the lawsuit as it acted...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AAPL) Get a Piece of the Next Nuclear Energy Boom
by Carl Delfeld, Investment U Senior Analyst Thursday, December 8, 2011: Issue #1660 “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” - Charles Franklin Kettering There’s a lot of pessimism out there amongst investors as they worry about...
9Dec2011 | InvestmentU | 0 comments | Continued(UBS) UBS AG Acquires Stake in Chi-X
UBS AG (UBS) acquired an equity stake in Chi-X Global Holdings LLC. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Chi-X Global is an operator of technologically advanced alternative market centers and a provider of innovative market level trading solutions. Chi-X Global...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FSLR) Follow Buffett Into Clean Energy With These Solar ETFs – Leveraged ETFs
Despite oil prices’ ability to maintain a level close to $100/bbl., the solar power industry has been thoroughly decimated in 2011. Major bankruptcies, political scandals that have called into question subsides to the space, and intense competition from China have all combined...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | ContinuedAAII Sentiment Survey: Bearish Sentiment above Average for 4th Week
December 8, 2011 Bullish sentiment rebounded in the latest AAII Sentiment Survey, but bearish sentiment stayed above average for the fourth consecutive week. Bullish sentiment, expectations that stock prices will rise over the next six months, rebounded 5.5 percentage points...
9Dec2011 | Shawn | 0 comments | Continued(SIRI) SIRIUS XM Analyst Upgrades Shares to Outperform
SIRIUS XM Radio Inc.(SIRI), the largest broadcast radio service provider in the U.S. and the second largest entertainment subscription service provider after Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), declared excellent financial results for the third quarter of 2011. The company generated record...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EIA) Shale Gas: A Boon or Bubble?
Over the last few years, a quiet revolution has been reshaping the energy business in the U.S. Known as ‘shale gas’ – natural gas trapped within dense sedimentary rock formations, or shale formations – it is being seen as a game changer, set to usher in an era of energy...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(MTOR) Meritor Incorporated – Bear of the Day
Meritor, Inc. (MTOR) is a globally recognized automotive parts supplier. However, the company has high customer concentration, which implies limited scope for margin expansion. Further, the recent turmoil in the global economy is expected to continue to mar its results. We are...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(SIRI) SIRIUS XM Radio – Bull of the Day
We upgrade our recommendation on SIRIUS XM Radio (SIRI) to Outperform, based on its huge subscriber additions, launch of new SIRIUS XM 2.0 radio, improved credit ratings and better financial outlook. The company reported highly improved financial results for the third quarter...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UAL) Global Airlines Head to Weak 2012
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) cut its global airline industry profit forecast to $3.5 billion for 2012, with a net profit margin of 0.6%. Previously, in September, the Association had forecast profits of $4.9 billion. Tougher conditions will likely stem from...
9Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BHP) Court Piles Taxes on Vale
A week ago, Australian lower house has announced the approval of tax on profit for coal and iron ore mining. The news came as a blow to BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP), Rio Tinto plc (RIO), Xstrata and other iron-ore and coal miners operating in Australia. These companies have to bear...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(PFG) Principal Financial Group Guides – Approves Buyback
Principal Financial Group Inc. (PFG) guides its 2012 operating earnings in a band of $3.05–$3.25 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2012 is $3.17, toward the high end of the company’s guidance. The company also expects an average S&P 500 Index of 1,275 in...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ISR) IsoRay Begins GliaSite Shipment
Medical isotope maker IsoRay Inc (ISR) said that it has commenced the shipment for its GliaSite radiation therapy system, a balloon catheter used in treating brain cancer. This follows the recent approval of the device by the Washington State Department of Health, which paved...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CP) Canadian Pacific Announces Rail Strategy
One of the leading Canadian Railroad, Canadian Pacific (CP) has recently announced it long-term strategy for train lengths and network expansion in 2012-2013. In 2012, the company intends to upgrade and install new sidetracks in key areas to support increased train length. Further...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EEP) Enbridge Energy Partners LP Adds Capacity at North Dakota
Enbridge Energy Partners LP (EEP) has drawn up a $145 million investment plan to enhance its facility at North Dakota. Per the plan, the partnership will expand its crude oil capacity and add a rail car loading facility to absorb additional volume. The pipeline operator will...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(AZN) AstraZeneca Drug Cleared by the European Commission
AstraZeneca (AZN) and its partner Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) announced recently that Komboglyze has been approved by the European Commission (EC) in European Union (EU). Komboglyze is a combination of Onglyza (saxagliptin), a DPP-4 inhibitor and metformin, a generic drug for...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(S) Sprint-Nextel Advances on Network Vision
The third-largest U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) deployed its first multi-mode base station in Branchburg, New Jersey. This marks a milestone move in the company’s Network Vision strategy, which serves as a major catalyst in its growth plan. Under the Network...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(CIEN) Ciena 2011 Fourth Quarter Earnings Preview
Ciena Corp. (CIEN) is scheduled to release its fourth quarter 2011 results before the opening bell on December 8, 2011. In the run-up to the earnings release, no major variation in analysts’ estimates was noticed. Prior-Quarter Recap In third quarter of 2011, Ciena narrowed...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ORCL) Oracle Launches New Software – Oracle Financial Services Liquidity Risk Management
Oracle Corp. (ORCL) recently launched its new financial services software, namely Oracle Financial Services Liquidity Risk Management. The new software will help banks to efficiently and effectively assess their liquidity risk. Financial Services Liquidity Risk Management is...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(KO) Consumer Staples Stock Outlook – December 2011 – Industry Outlook
Stocks in the Consumer Staples sector performed their traditional defensive role as the broader equity markets came under pressure over concerns about the prolonged weak U.S. economy and the debt crisis in Europe. Shares of consumer staples companies, accounting for a total of...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BA) Commercial Aerospace – Upside Story
The tide for commercial aerospace appears to have turned, as the global economy continues to recover. Both airline traffic and new aircraft orders have significantly recovered from their recession lows. Therefore, the stocks dealing with aerospace and defense products should...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(FTE) France Telecom – ADR – Bear of the Day
We are downgrading our recommendation to Underperform on France Telecom (FTE). The company reported lackluster results in the fist nine months due to weak mobile device sales in France, higher VAT rates and challenging economic conditions in Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire. Although...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VRSN) VeriSign Incorporated – Bull of the Day
VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) recently reported earnings of $0.35 per share in the third quarter of 2011, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.33. In the past few years, VeriSign has considerably streamlined its business to focus on providing, reliable and secure Internet infrastructure...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(ALNY) Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Analyst Still Bullish
We have maintained an Outperform rating on Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc (ALNY) with a target price of $8.25 per share following appraisal of third quarter 2011 results. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on a biological...
8Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(VZ) Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless to Form Duopoly in Telecom?
Competition sometimes creates strange bed fellows. Last week, this proverb was proved when Verizon Wireless entered into a spectrum purchase and products resell deal with SpectrumCo. Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communicatons Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group...
7Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(EU) Emerging Markets: The Way Forward
According to Irish orator, philosopher, & politician Edmund Burke, change is the most powerful law of nature. The winds of change seem to be sweeping across the pharmaceutical industry as well. Until recently, most commercialization efforts were focused on the U.S. —...
7Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(BBT) Standard & Poor’s Revises Regional Bank Ratings
In yet another round of credit ratings revision, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) announced changes in credit ratings for 31 regional banks. The list includes 28 publicly traded parent company banks, a non-public entity Bank of North Dakota and a couple of North American...
7Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued(UNP) Railroads Avert Labor Strike
An anticipated labor strike looming over the U.S. freight railroad industry has been finally forestalled after the intervention of U.S. Republican House leaders. The alarming possibility of a 90-day labor strike came to a halt when U.S. legislative authorities intervened to restrict...
7Dec2011 | vitalstocks | 0 comments | Continued