<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Stock Blog Hub &#187; Financial</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.stockbloghub.com/category/financial/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com</link>
	<description>Start Your Investing Research Here!</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 17:53:30 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2</generator>
		<item>
		<title>(TD) The Toronto-Dominion Bank to Settle Overdraft Charges</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/td-the-toronto-dominion-bank-to-settle-overdraft-charges/100264</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/td-the-toronto-dominion-bank-to-settle-overdraft-charges/100264#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 17:53:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shawn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CBSH]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commerce Bancshares Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RBS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto-Dominion Bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=100264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is the latest to join the ever-growing list of banks facing litigation over misconduct and malpractices concerning overdraft fees. The bank has agreed to pay $62 million in settlement of a lawsuit filed against it by its customers accusing it of unreasonable assessment and collection of overdraft fees. However, the settlement requires approval from the U.S. District Judge in Miami. Background The customers accused TD Bank of regularly dealing with transactions pertaining to debit cards in the order of magnitude of the transaction rather than the chronological order. The intentional malpractices resulted in faster negative balances in customers’ accounts, leading to a larger number of overdrawn transactions, each of which then became chargeable. Consequently, overdraft fees piled up in excess. Moreover, TD Bank violated the U.S. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/td-the-toronto-dominion-bank-to-settle-overdraft-charges/100264/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(AIZ) Assurant Boosts Share Buyback Program</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/aiz-assurant-boosts-share-buyback-program/100252</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/aiz-assurant-boosts-share-buyback-program/100252#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 17:50:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shawn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accident & Health Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AIZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ALL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Allstate Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assurant Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Travelers Companies Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TRV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[W.R. Berkley Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Westar Energy Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WRB]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=100252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Specialty insurance provider Assurant Inc. (AIZ) has declared an increase in its share buyback authorization program, which comes on the heels of an approval to increase dividend announced last week. The board of directors of Assurant approved the repurchase of up to $600 million of its shares. The new authorization comes on top of $170 million remaining under the existing program as of April 30, 2012. Assurant will use its healthy cash flow from operations to buyback shares. The company ended the first quarter with $600 million in total holding company capital and has a strong balance sheet with a low debt ratio of 18.2% and no debt maturing until 2014.  Assurant has been aggressively buying back shares. In the first four months of 2012, the company has already bought ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/16/aiz-assurant-boosts-share-buyback-program/100252/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(XLF) Stock Market News for May 15, 2012 &#8211; Market News</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/15/xlf-stock-market-news-for-may-15-2012-market-news/100162</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/15/xlf-stock-market-news-for-may-15-2012-market-news/100162#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 16:08:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shawn</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Exchange Traded Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Express Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AXP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial Select Sector SPDR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XLF]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=100162</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Markets suffered a heavy fall yesterday as political uncertainty in Europe continued and China’s economic health looked gloomier than previously perceived. Financial bellwether JPMorgan’s disclosure that it had suffered a $2 billion trading loss remained an overhang on the markets and dragged down financials once again. As the benchmarks finished in the red, S&#38;P 500 recorded its lowest level since February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) inched down 1% to close at 12,695.35. The Standard &#38; Poor 500 (S&#38;P 500) lost 1.1% and finished yesterday’s trading session at 1,338.35. The tech-laden Nasdaq Composite Index slumped 1.1% and ended at 2,902.58. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) jumped almost 10% to settle significantly higher at 21.87. Consolidated volumes on the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and the American Stock Exchange ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/15/xlf-stock-market-news-for-may-15-2012-market-news/100162/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(EMB) Emerging Market Bonds: Less Risk Than You Think</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/14/emb-emerging-market-bonds-less-risk-than-you-think/100109</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/14/emb-emerging-market-bonds-less-risk-than-you-think/100109#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 18:25:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>InvestmentU</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Exchange Traded Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EMB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iShares JPMorgan USD Emerg Markets Bond]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=100109</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One question on many investors’ minds right now is how to beat inflation. U.S. Treasuries and certificates of deposit obviously can’t cut it right now… There’s a simple reason investors are flocking to the dividend market – savers don’t want to lose their purchasing power. But lately there’s been a new trend for yield chasers overseas and it may be less risky than you think. Returns over inflation look very attractive right now. For the first quarter for 2012, the average emerging bond fund tracked by Morningstar returned 7%, versus 0.3% for the Barclays Capital U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. But Why Emerging Market Debt? Some fund companies offer two types of emerging market bond funds: those that invest mainly in bonds issued in U.S. dollars and those that invest mainly ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/14/emb-emerging-market-bonds-less-risk-than-you-think/100109/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(TROW) T. Rowe Price Misses on Higher Expectations</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/04/trow-t-rowe-price-misses-on-higher-expectations/99581</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/04/trow-t-rowe-price-misses-on-higher-expectations/99581#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 16:56:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T. Rowe Price Group Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TROW]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waddell & Reed Financial Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WDR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99581</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (TROW) reported its first-quarter 2012 earnings of 75 cents per share, marginally below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 77 cents. However, this compares favorably with the prior-year quarter’s earnings of 72 cents. Better-than-expected top-line growth was more-than-offset by higher non-interest expenses. However, increased assets under management (AUM) were positive for the quarter. T. Rowe Price’s net income available to common shareholders grew 1.4% to $196.5 million from $193.8 million in the year-ago quarter. Behind the Headlines Net revenue improved 6.8% to $728.7 million from $628.4 million in the year-ago period. The upsurge was largely due to higher distribution and servicing fees (up 74.8% from the year-ago quarter), investment advisory fees (up 5.8% from the prior-year quarter) and administrative fees (up 3.1% from the prior-year quarter). ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/04/trow-t-rowe-price-misses-on-higher-expectations/99581/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(ZION) Zions Bancorp Outpaces on Lower Expenses</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/01/zion-zions-bancorp-outpaces-on-lower-expenses/99577</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/01/zion-zions-bancorp-outpaces-on-lower-expenses/99577#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 17:39:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Pacific Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CVB Financial Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CVBF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ZION]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Zions BanCorporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99577</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Zions Bancorp.(ZION) reported its first-quarter 2012 earnings per share of 33 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents. Also, this compared favorably with the prior-quarter earnings of 30 cents. After considering non-cash effects of the discount amortization on convertible subordinated debt as well as additional accretion on acquired loans and accelerated amortization of discount on $700 million redemption of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) preferred stock, Zions’ first-quarter net income came in at $25.5 million or 14 cents per share. This was slightly below the prior-quarter earnings of $44.4 million or 24 cents. The sequential improvement was a result of higher non-interest income and lower operating expenses partially offset by fall in net interest income.However, continuous improvement in credit quality, and increases in average deposits were the positives ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/05/01/zion-zions-bancorp-outpaces-on-lower-expenses/99577/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(AMP) Ameriprise Financial Beats The Street &#8211; Hikes Dividend</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/30/amp-ameriprise-financial-beats-the-street-hikes-dividend/99564</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/30/amp-ameriprise-financial-beats-the-street-hikes-dividend/99564#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:57:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asset Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ameriprise Financial Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AMP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BEN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackRock Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BLK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brookfield Asset Management Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danaos Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin Resources Inc.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99564</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ameriprise Financial Inc. (AMP) reported first-quarter 2012 operating earnings of $1.45 per share surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.38. This also compared favorably with the year-ago quarter’s earnings of $1.33 per share. Operating earnings totaled $335 million in the reported quarter, down 3% from $344 million in the prior-year quarter. The downfall represented elevated tax rate and impact of low interest rates. Results improved on a modest rise in operating net revenues. Further, improvement in asset position as well as the ongoing capital deployment activities was impressive. However, elevated expenses slightly toned down the better-than-expected results. Also, sluggish growth in almost all its segments was another setback. After taking into consideration net realized gains or losses, integration charges, market impact on variable annuity guaranteed living benefits, amortization  of deferred acquisition ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/30/amp-ameriprise-financial-beats-the-street-hikes-dividend/99564/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(PCE) GDP Headline Weak &#8211; Stronger Underneath</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-gdp-headline-weak-stronger-underneath/99812</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-gdp-headline-weak-stronger-underneath/99812#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:06:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amazon.com Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AMZN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Land Income Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EXPE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Expedia Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[F]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ford Motor Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merck & Company Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MRK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PCE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Procter & Gamble Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SBUX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Starbucks Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99812</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The rating downgrade of Spain and a slew of broadly favorable earnings reports will try to grab investors’ attention today, but they are unlikely to take the spotlight away from this morning’s mixed first quarter GDP report. Despite the GDP reading’s strong internals, the ‘headline’ miss will likely be the major driver of today’s trading action. The disappointing aspect of the report is that it is not weak enough to warrant Fed action, but also not strong enough to make investors feel good about the Fed economy. My overall takeaway from the report is that looking at it from the perspective of ‘what Bernanke will do,’ it is not QE-friendly. In its first read on the fourth quarter of 2011, the commerce department reported that the U.S. economy expanded at ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-gdp-headline-weak-stronger-underneath/99812/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(CBG) CBRE Group Incorporated &#8211; Bull of the Day</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/cbg-cbre-group-incorporated-bull-of-the-day/99855</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/cbg-cbre-group-incorporated-bull-of-the-day/99855#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:05:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CB Richard Ellis Group Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CBG]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99855</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have changed our long-term recommendation for CBRE Group, Inc. (CBG) from Neutral to Outperform as we anticipate the stock to perform well above the broader market. CBRE Group reported relatively strong first quarter 2012 results, with recurring earnings beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.01. CBRE Group is the largest commercial real estate services firm, with leading full-service operations in major metropolitan areas throughout the world. The company operates as a single-source provider of real estate solutions with a broad range of real estate product and services and an extensive knowledge of domestic and international real estate markets. Our long-term Outperform recommendation on the stock indicates that it would perform well above the broader market. Our target price of $22.00, 17.5X 2012 EPS, reflects this view. CBRE GROUP INC ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/cbg-cbre-group-incorporated-bull-of-the-day/99855/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(PCE) Ahead of Wall Street &#8211; April 27, 2012 &#8211; Ahead of Wall Street</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-ahead-of-wall-street-april-27-2012-ahead-of-wall-street/99810</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-ahead-of-wall-street-april-27-2012-ahead-of-wall-street/99810#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:02:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amazon.com Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AMZN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona Land Income Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EXPE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Expedia Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[F]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ford Motor Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merck & Company Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MRK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PCE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Procter & Gamble Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SBUX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Starbucks Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99810</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Friday, April 27, 2012 The rating downgrade of Spain and a slew of broadly favorable earnings reports will try to grab investors’ attention today, but they are unlikely to take the spotlight away from this morning’s mixed first quarter GDP report. Despite the GDP reading’s strong internals, the ‘headline’ miss will likely be the major driver of today’s trading action. The disappointing aspect of the report is that it is not weak enough to warrant Fed action, but also not strong enough to make investors feel good about the Fed economy. My overall takeaway from the report is that looking at it from the perspective of ‘what Bernanke will do,’ it is not QE-friendly. In its first read on the fourth quarter of 2011, the commerce department reported that the ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/28/pce-ahead-of-wall-street-april-27-2012-ahead-of-wall-street/99810/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(AIG) American International Group Denied Intervening in Bank of America Deal</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/27/aig-american-international-group-denied-intervening-in-bank-of-america-deal/99660</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/27/aig-american-international-group-denied-intervening-in-bank-of-america-deal/99660#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:26:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property & Casualty Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American International Group Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackRock Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BLK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MetLife Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Tuesday, as reported by Reuters, American International Group Inc.&#8216;s (AIG) attempts to intervene in Bank of America Corporation&#8216;s (BAC) $8.5 billion mortgage bond settlement case were spurned. New York state Supreme Court Justice Barbara Kapnick not only dismissed the allegations of AIG, but also of the other investors. Reasons Behind AIG’s Opposition Along with a group of investors, AIG had earlier opposed BofA’s deal, citing the settlement as substantially inadequate. They wanted the settlement deal to come under Article 77, a special proceeding under which the scope of inquiry would amplify in the form of plenary action. According to AIG, conversion of the settlement case into limited proceeding will provide the investors with a chance to scrutinize and consider whether the compensation offered to them by BofA was sufficient ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/27/aig-american-international-group-denied-intervening-in-bank-of-america-deal/99660/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BBT) BB&amp;T-BankAtlantic Deal Opposed Again</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/bbt-bbt-bankatlantic-deal-opposed-again/99491</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/bbt-bbt-bankatlantic-deal-opposed-again/99491#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:07:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Mid-Atlantic Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BB & T Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBX]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[BB&#38;T Corporation&#8216;s (BBT) deal to acquire BankAtlantic, a wholly owned subsidiary of BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. (BBX) has been floored again with fresh charges made by J. Phillip Max, the envoy of the shareholders. As reported by Bizjournals, a complaint was filed in the Broward County Circuit Court in Florida against BankAtlantic Bancorp along with its directors, Chairman and CEO. Moreover, the case was also against BB&#38;T as well as BFC Financial Corp. (BFCF), the principal owner of BankAtlantic Bancorp. The Allegations The lawsuit claims that the shares of BankAtlantic have been underpriced in the acquisition deal. Further, it alleges that the executives have been unfairly granted an amount of about $11 million in the form of non-compete and severance awards. Moreover, Alan B. Levan, CEO of BankAtlantic Bancorp, along with ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/bbt-bbt-bankatlantic-deal-opposed-again/99491/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(CNO) CNO Financial Group Reaches Settlement</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/cno-cno-financial-group-reaches-settlement/99488</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/cno-cno-financial-group-reaches-settlement/99488#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:07:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accident & Health Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AFL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AFLAC Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conseco Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TMK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torchmark Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99488</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Conseco Life Insurance Company (&#8220;Conseco Life&#8221;), a subsidiary of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (CNO), reached a settlement to pursue with the Nicholas putative class action lawsuit. The litigation comes in the wake of certain changes made last year to certain non-guaranteed elements in some of the universal life policies sold by Conseco Life prior to its takeover. In the hearing a couple of days back, the judge considered Conseco Life’s request for a countrywide status that would act as an approval for the settlement of the claim. The court also complied with Conseco Life’s request for a stay order on any other legal action pertaining to the cost of insurance increase on the Valulife and Valuterm policies in November 2011, that are a part of Nicholas proceedings. Even though if ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/cno-cno-financial-group-reaches-settlement/99488/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(AXP) American Express Rating Action</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/axp-american-express-rating-action/99414</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/axp-american-express-rating-action/99414#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:04:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Credit Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Express Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AXP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DFS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discover Financial Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mastercard Incorporated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[V]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Visa Inc]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99414</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Thursday, Fitch Ratings affirmed the long and short-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of American Express Co. (AXP) or AmEx and its subsidiaries at “A+” and “F1,” respectively, with a stable outlook. The affirmation of ratings was based on AmEx’s stable operating results, strong market position, high quality assets and diversified financial sources. Sturdy capitalization, high liquidity and franchise strength also played a role, but the lack of diversity in revenue sources and regulatory pressures prevented an upgrade. Meanwhile, anticipation of continued stable earnings, ample liquidity, strong capitalization and better asset quality compared to peers prompted Fitch to assign a stable outlook on the ratings, which means that there is very low possibility of a change in ratings in the near future. Fitch expects revenue growth in 2012 to be ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/axp-american-express-rating-action/99414/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(QCLN) Investing in the Smart Grid/Enernet Initiative</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/qcln-investing-in-the-smart-gridenernet-initiative/99529</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/qcln-investing-in-the-smart-gridenernet-initiative/99529#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>InvestmentU</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Exchange Traded Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABB Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BGC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESCO Technologies Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Enrg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General Cable Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ITC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ITC Holdings Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ITRI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Itron Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NGK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PWR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[QCLN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quanta Services Inc.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are still plenty of opportunities to invest in the developing smart grid or &#8220;Enernet&#8221; &#8211; such as First Trust&#8217;s GRID ETF. Remember a couple of years ago when you couldn’t get away from reading about the smart grid or what some others refer to as the Enernet? Today in the news it’s almost as if production on the first great infrastructure project of the twenty-first century has all but stopped. But don’t be fooled… Spending on the smart grid is still growing at a compound annual rate of 17.4%. According to London research firm, Visiongain, the global smart grid market will total $33.91 billion this year. In the next three years, MarketWatch reports that number is projected to exceed $46.5 billion. There are still plenty of opportunities to take ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/26/qcln-investing-in-the-smart-gridenernet-initiative/99529/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HIG) Hartford Financial Services Group Refunds Premiums &#8211; Cuts Rate</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/hig-hartford-financial-services-group-refunds-premiums-cuts-rate/99405</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/hig-hartford-financial-services-group-refunds-premiums-cuts-rate/99405#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:29:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property & Casualty Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American International Group Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hartford Financial Services Group Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MetLife Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Miller Industries Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLR]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99405</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) has agreed to refund premiums worth $24 million to its accidental death and dismemberment policyholders in New York, according to Reuters. The refund pertains to the minimum medical loss ratio (MLR) provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The New York Department of Financial Services said that the company reached a settlement with the state regulators after failing to meet the minimum MLR requirement. MLR is the ratio of total loss incurred in claims plus adjustment expenses to total premium earned. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to spend a minimum stipulated percentage of premiums earned on payment of claims. In case the insurer fails to do so, it is required to refund the difference between the actual ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/hig-hartford-financial-services-group-refunds-premiums-cuts-rate/99405/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(EIA) Natural Gas Prices Continue to Sink</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/eia-natural-gas-prices-continue-to-sink/99410</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/eia-natural-gas-prices-continue-to-sink/99410#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:27:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Closed-End Fund - Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anadarko Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chesapeake Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ConocoPhillips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Devon Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Encana Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exxon Mobil Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HAL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halliburton Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helmerich & Payne Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MHP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nabors Industries Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patterson-UTI Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PTEN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talisman Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ultra Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UPL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XOM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99410</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Energy Department&#8217;s weekly inventory release showed an in-line increase in natural gas supplies, as maintenance on two nuclear units in Southern California led to increased natural gas demand in the region. However, this is largely seen as a one-off shot, with mild April temperatures across the country restricting the commodity’s requirement for power burn. The injection – the fifth in 2012 – has added to already bloated inventories, thereby pressuring spot prices that slipped to a new 31-month low. Gas stocks – currently some 60% above the benchmark five-year average levels – are at their highest point for this time of the year, reflecting low demand amid robust onshore output. The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report – brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/22/eia-natural-gas-prices-continue-to-sink/99410/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(CHSI) SXC Health Solutions to Buy Catalyst Health</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/21/chsi-sxc-health-solutions-to-buy-catalyst-health/99404</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/21/chsi-sxc-health-solutions-to-buy-catalyst-health/99404#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:20:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance Brokers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barclays plc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BCS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catalyst Health Solutions Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHSI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CVS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CVS Caremark Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESRX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Express Scripts Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pacific Booker Minerals Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PBM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SXC Health Solutions Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SXCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNH]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unitedhealth Group Inc.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99404</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Wednesday, Catalyst Health Solutions Inc. (CHSI) announced that it has entered into a $4.4 billion takeover agreement with rival pharmacy benefits management (PBM) company, SXC Health Solutions Corp. (SXCI). As per the agreement, SXC Health will acquire Catalyst Health for $28 per share in cash and 0.6606 shares of SXC Health in exchange of every share of Catalyst Health. Considering the closing share price of the two companies on April 17, 2012, the agreement terms translate into a purchase price of $81.02 per share of Catalyst Health, representing a 28% premium on Catalyst’s closing price of $63.54 on April 17. Following the acquisition, the shareholders of SXC Health and Catalyst Health will own 65% and 35% of the combined company, respectively. The takeover is expected to be completed by ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/21/chsi-sxc-health-solutions-to-buy-catalyst-health/99404/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(PSA) REIT Industry Review and Stock Picks &#8211; April 2012 &#8211; Industry Outlook</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/psa-reit-industry-review-and-stock-picks-april-2012-industry-outlook/98919</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/psa-reit-industry-review-and-stock-picks-april-2012-industry-outlook/98919#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:26:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REIT - Industrial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Avalonbay Communities Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AVB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cousins Properties Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CUZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GDP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goodrich Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HCP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HCP Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Host Hotels & Resorts Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HST]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PSA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Storage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98919</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With sustained yet slow improvements in the economy, the U.S. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) industry outperformed the broader equity market in fiscal 2011. The FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT Index reported total returns of 8.28% for full year 2011 vs. a 2.11% and (1.80%) for the S&#38;P 500 Index and the NASDAQ Composite, respectively. This was preceded by two solid back-to-back fiscal performances for the industry, as the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REIT Index reported total returns of 27.95% in 2010 and 27.99% in 2009. A combination of factors has helped the listed REIT sector to stand out and gain critical mass over the past 15 to 20 years, the most notable among them being a healthy dividend payout. Total returns of 8.28% for the FTSE NAREIT All Equity ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/psa-reit-industry-review-and-stock-picks-april-2012-industry-outlook/98919/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Big Day for Data and Earnings</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/bac-big-day-for-data-and-earnings/99159</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/bac-big-day-for-data-and-earnings/99159#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:25:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EI DuPont de Nemours & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microsoft Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSFT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verizon Communications Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VZ]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A slew of economic and earnings news provides the backdrop to today’s trading action. We have reassuring news out of Spain this morning, with a decently successful auction for long-term government bonds. The earnings story is also unfolding favorably, with this morning’s basket of reports from Bank of America (BAC), DuPont (DD) and Morgan Stanley (MS) providing a positive backdrop. But the all-important domestic labor market picture emerging out of this morning’s Jobless Claims reading is less than inspiring. And that’s not all in terms of economic reports for today: we also have readings on Existing Home Sales, Leading Indicators and a regional manufacturing survey from the Philly Fed on deck for release a little later. Importantly, Spain held a reasonably good auction for longer-duration government bonds today, which should ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/bac-big-day-for-data-and-earnings/99159/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(JPM) JPMorgan Chase &amp; Company Returns to Form</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-company-returns-to-form/98546</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-company-returns-to-form/98546#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:24:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DaVita Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After profit declines for two straight quarters, JPMorgan Chase &#38; Company (JPM) reported first quarter earnings per share of $1.31, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17. This also compares favorably with $1.28 earned in the prior-year quarter. That’s more like the JPMorgan we have always known. JPMorgan’s better-than-expected earnings signals good going by the sector as it has exposure in almost all banking businesses. Marked recovery of the bond and equity market and consequent revenue growth, which helped JPMorgan to bounce back, should lift the results of other mega-banks during the quarter. JPMorgan’s earnings per share for the reported quarter included certain significant nonrecurring items, such as after-tax benefit from reduced loan loss reserves of 28 cents per share, after-tax benefit from the Washington Mutual bankruptcy settlement of 17 ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-company-returns-to-form/98546/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(CMA) Comerica Analyst Stays Neutral on Shares</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/cma-comerica-analyst-stays-neutral-on-shares/98408</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/cma-comerica-analyst-stays-neutral-on-shares/98408#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:18:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Midwest Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CMA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comerica Incorporated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98408</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have reaffirmed our Neutral recommendation on Comerica Inc. (CMA) based on its fundamentals, stress test clearance and the subsequent capital deployment efforts as well as the current economic environment. Fourth Quarter Results Comerica Inc. reported fourth-quarter 2011 operating earnings of 60 cents per share. However, the reported earnings included 12 cents per share of merger and restructuring charges related to the acquisition of Sterling Bancshares Inc. After considering this expense, net income attributable to common shares came in at 48 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 46 cents. Comerica’s results reflected a growth in net interest income and a decrease in loan loss provisions driven by an improvement in credit quality. However, a fall in non-interest income and a rise in expenses were on the downside. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/cma-comerica-analyst-stays-neutral-on-shares/98408/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(JPM) JPMorgan Chase Earnings Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-earnings-preview-2/98488</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-earnings-preview-2/98488#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:15:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DaVita Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NIM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nuveen Select Maturities Municipal Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98488</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase &#38; Co. (JPM) is scheduled to report its first quarter 2012 results before the market opens on Friday, April 13. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is $1.17 per share, representing a year-over-year slump of about 9%. After profit declines for two straight quarters, we expect JPMorgan to report impressive numbers this quarter as it is wont to do. Marked recovery of the bond and equity market and consequent revenue growth forms the basis of our assumption. Though there are fundamental pressures like low interest rates and sluggish loan demand growth on the sector, improving macroeconomic elements, such as rising consumer spending and lower unemployment, are expected to bring revenue stability for JPMorgan and the other major U.S. banks. However, JPMorgan has been fighting with poor capital market ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/20/jpm-jpmorgan-chase-earnings-preview-2/98488/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HBAN) Huntington Bancshares Maintain Neutral Rating</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/hban-huntington-bancshares-maintain-neutral-rating/97929</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/hban-huntington-bancshares-maintain-neutral-rating/97929#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:45:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Midwest Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fifth Third Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FITB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBAN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huntington Bancshares Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97929</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have reaffirmed our Neutral recommendation on Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (HBAN) based on its fundamentals, the share buyback authorization and the recent acquisition of the Fidelity Bank. Fourth Quarter Result Huntington reported fourth-quarter 2011 earnings of 14 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results were slightly down from 16 cents per share earned in the prior quarter but significantly ahead of the prior-year earnings of 5 cents per share. Earnings were positively influenced by higher net-interest revenues and lower non-interest expenses. Yet, a fall in fee income and a modest rise in provision for loan losses offset the positives. Fidelity Bank Acquisition In an effort to expand its footprint in Southeast Michigan, Huntington recently acquired Fidelity Bank in a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) assisted deal. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/hban-huntington-bancshares-maintain-neutral-rating/97929/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(GS) Goldman Acquires Ariel Reinsurance</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/gs-goldman-acquires-ariel-reinsurance/98392</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/gs-goldman-acquires-ariel-reinsurance/98392#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:53:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diversified Investments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lloyds Banking Group plc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LYG]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98392</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Tuesday, The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) completed the purchase of Ariel Reinsurance’s Bermuda-based insurance and reinsurance operations from Ariel Holdings Ltd. The terms of this deal were undisclosed. Goldman will combine the acquired business with its existing Lloyd’s business. The combined entity will work as part of Goldman Sachs Reinsurance Group (GSRG) with the brand name Ariel Reinsurance (Ariel Re). GSRG covers the property and casualty reinsurance business in London. Founded in 2005, Ariel Holdings Ltd. provides a wide range of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance products to companies and policyholders across the globe. It focuses on achieving above-average economic returns for the risks taken and maintains adequate financial availability to meet the requirements of underwriting businesses. Managers at Ariel Re find the acquisition quite opportunistic. They ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/gs-goldman-acquires-ariel-reinsurance/98392/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(WFC) Wells Fargo Beats the Street as Revenues Increase</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/wfc-wells-fargo-beats-the-street-as-revenues-increase/98548</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/wfc-wells-fargo-beats-the-street-as-revenues-increase/98548#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:29:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Governor and Company of The Bank of Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98548</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wells Fargo &#38; Company’s (WFC) first quarter 2012 earnings of 75 cents per share were 2 cents ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results improved from earnings per share of 73 cents in the prior quarter and 67 cents in the year-ago quarter. First quarter net income applicable to common stock came in at $4.0 billion, up 3% sequentially and 13% year over year. Wells Fargo’s results were primarily driven by a higher top line. The company reported a growth in mortgage banking revenue. It also reported $400 million (pre tax), attributable to improved portfolio performance. However, an increase in operating expenses was on the downside. The quarter’s revenue came in at $21.6 billion, which was above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $20.5 billion. Revenue was also up 5% sequentially ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/wfc-wells-fargo-beats-the-street-as-revenues-increase/98548/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(EPS) Stock Market News for April 19, 2012 &#8211; Market News</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/eps-stock-market-news-for-april-19-2012-market-news/99160</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/eps-stock-market-news-for-april-19-2012-market-news/99160#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:27:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Exchange Traded Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial Select Sector SPDR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HPQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[INTC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intel Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Business Machines Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KEY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KeyCorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regions Financial Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WisdomTree Earnings 500]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XLF]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99160</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A day after the benchmarks had their best run in nearly a month, insipid results from two tech-bellwethers and European economic concerns dragged the markets lower on Wednesday. Incidentally, benchmarks’ robust performance on Tuesday was largely boosted by the same fronts, except that corporate results came in strong and Europe had positive news to share about. Unfortunately, IBM and Intel’s results failed to lift investors’ sentiment yesterday, and bad loans of Spanish banks reached to the highest level since 1994. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) slumped 0.6% to close at 13,032.75. The Standard &#38; Poor 500 (S&#38;P 500) was down 0.4% and finished yesterday’s trading session at 1,385.14. The tech-laden Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.4% to sign off at 3,031.45. The fear-gauge CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) edged up by ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/eps-stock-market-news-for-april-19-2012-market-news/99160/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Apr 19: Economic,Earnings News To Drive Indices &#8211; Economic Highlights</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bac-apr-19-economicearnings-news-to-drive-indices-economic-highlights/99162</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bac-apr-19-economicearnings-news-to-drive-indices-economic-highlights/99162#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:27:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EI DuPont de Nemours & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microsoft Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSFT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verizon Communications Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VZ]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99162</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A slew of economic and earnings news provides the backdrop to today’s trading action. We have reassuring news out of Spain this morning, with a decently successful auction for long-term government bonds. The earnings story is also unfolding favorably, with this morning’s basket of reports from Bank of America (BAC), DuPont (DD) and Morgan Stanley (MS) providing a positive backdrop. But the all-important domestic labor market picture emerging out of this morning’s Jobless Claims reading is less than inspiring. And that’s not all in terms of economic reports for today: we also have readings on Existing Home Sales, Leading Indicators and a regional manufacturing survey from the Philly Fed on deck for release a little later. Importantly, Spain held a reasonably good auction for longer-duration government bonds today, which should ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bac-apr-19-economicearnings-news-to-drive-indices-economic-highlights/99162/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BRKL) Company News for April 19, 2012 &#8211; Corporate Summary</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/brkl-company-news-for-april-19-2012-corporate-summary/99161</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/brkl-company-news-for-april-19-2012-corporate-summary/99161#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:26:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Savings & Loans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BRKL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brookline Bancorp Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catalyst Health Solutions Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHSI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GHL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greenhill & Co Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SXC Health Solutions Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SXCI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VCBI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virginia Commerce Bancorp Inc]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99161</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[•    Virginia Commerce Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCBI) reported first quarter earnings per share of $0.14, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.17 •    Brookline Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKL) reported first quarter earnings per share of $0.15, falling shy of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.17 by 2 cents •    Greenhill &#38; Co., Inc. (NYSE:GHL) reported first quarter earnings per share of $0.53, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.44 •    Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHSI) rose 34.1% after SXC Health Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ:SXCI) announced cash-and-stock offer deal at a price of $81.02 per share BROOKLINE BC (BRKL): Free Stock Analysis Report CATALYST HEALTH (CHSI): Free Stock Analysis Report GREENHILL &#38; CO (GHL): Free Stock Analysis Report SXC HEALTH SOL (SXCI): Free Stock Analysis Report VIRGINIA COMMRC (VCBI): Free Stock Analysis Report To ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/brkl-company-news-for-april-19-2012-corporate-summary/99161/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BBT) BB&amp;T Beats Estimates &#8211; Higher Revenues</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bbt-bbt-beats-estimates-higher-revenues/99165</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bbt-bbt-beats-estimates-higher-revenues/99165#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:26:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Mid-Atlantic Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BB & T Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[State Street Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[STT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=99165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[BB&#38;T Corp.’s (BBT) first-quarter 2012 earnings of 61 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4 cents. In addition, the reported earnings significantly outpaced the prior-year quarter’s earnings of 32 cents. Better-than-expected quarterly results benefited from higher revenue and lower provision for covered loans. The quarter also witnessed improved credit quality and enhanced capital and profitability ratios. Moreover, accelerating growth in loans and low-cost deposits were also impressive. However, a rise in non-interest expenses was the dampener. Net income available to common shareholders for the quarter was $431 million, jumping 92% from $225 million reported in the prior-year quarter. Quarter in Detail BB&#38;T reported first-quarter revenue of $2.34 billion, up 14.7% year over year. The improvement in revenue was primarily due to higher net interest income and increased ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/19/bbt-bbt-beats-estimates-higher-revenues/99165/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HBAN) Huntington Bancshares Beats &#8211; Revenue Increases</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/hban-huntington-bancshares-beats-revenue-increases/98964</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/hban-huntington-bancshares-beats-revenue-increases/98964#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:13:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Midwest Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[France Telecom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FTE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBAN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huntington Bancshares Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northern Trust Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NTRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TCB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TCF Financial Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98964</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After reporting an in line result in the prior quarter, Huntington Bancshares Inc. (HBAN) came up with better-than-expected results in the first quarter of 2012. The company reported earnings per share of 17 cents, 3 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results also compared favorably with earnings of 14 cents per share both in the prior quarter and the year-ago period. Results in the reported quarter includes one cent per share gain related to the recently announced Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-assisted purchase of Fidelity Bank in Dearborn, Michigan.  Moreover, it incorporates a negative impact of 2 cents per share for addition to its litigation reserves. Excluding such items, the company reported 18 cents per share in the quarter. Huntington’s earnings were marked by an improvement in its revenue, primarily ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/hban-huntington-bancshares-beats-revenue-increases/98964/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Bank of America Looks to Sell Assets Again</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/bac-bank-of-america-looks-to-sell-assets-again/98970</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/bac-bank-of-america-looks-to-sell-assets-again/98970#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:12:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Community Properties Trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Suisse Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Deutsche Bank AG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toronto-Dominion Bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UBS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UBS AG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98970</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Tuesday, Reuters reported that Bank of America Corporation (BAC) is again preparing to divest its international units in a bid to further streamline its operations and focus on its core businesses. This time, BofA intends to sell its international wealth management units in anticipation of receiving about $3 billion. The units on sale, which were mostly obtained by BofA from its Merrill Lynch acquisition in 2009, comprise nearly $90 billion worth of assets under management. However, this division of BofA has been procuring mediocre results due to inadequate business scale. The Prospective Buyers The potential bidders have been asked to present their tenders this week for the first round of bidding. However, the sale offer may not seem attractive to many buyers as the wealth management businesses normally do ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/18/bac-bank-of-america-looks-to-sell-assets-again/98970/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(EIA) Natural Gas Woes: No End in Sight</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/eia-natural-gas-woes-no-end-in-sight/98590</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/eia-natural-gas-woes-no-end-in-sight/98590#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:18:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Closed-End Fund - Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anadarko Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chesapeake Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ConocoPhillips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Devon Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eaton Vance Insured California Municipal Bond Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Encana Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exxon Mobil Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HAL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halliburton Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helmerich & Payne Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MHP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nabors Industries Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patterson-UTI Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PTEN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talisman Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ultra Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UPL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XOM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98590</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Energy Department&#8217;s weekly inventory release showed a smaller-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, as pipeline imports from Canada declined. However, this is largely seen as a one-off shot, with mild April temperatures across the country restricting the commodity’s requirement for power burn. The injection – fourth in 2012 – has added to the already bloated inventories, thereby pressuring spot prices that slipped to a new 31-month low. Gas stocks – currently some 60% above the benchmark five-year average levels – are at their highest point for this time of the year, reflecting low demand amid robust onshore output. The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report – brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002 – includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/eia-natural-gas-woes-no-end-in-sight/98590/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HALL) Hallmark Financial Services Sees Rating Action</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/hall-hallmark-financial-services-sees-rating-action/97749</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/hall-hallmark-financial-services-sees-rating-action/97749#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:16:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property & Casualty Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flagstone Reinsurance Holdings Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FSR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HALL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hallmark Financial Services Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hartford Financial Services Group Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Markel Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MKL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Travelers Companies Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TRV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97749</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A.M. Best reiterated the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb-” on Hallmark Financial Services Inc. (HALL). Concurrently, the rating agency also reiterated financial strength rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and ICR of “a-” of Hallmark Insurance Group and its operating subsidiaries. The outlook remains stable. The rating affirmations of Hallmark Insurance Group and its operating subsidiaries came on the back of the strong risk-adjusted capitalization, moderate operational performance over the five years and financial support provided by Hallmark Financial. The strong risk-adjusted capitalization stemmed from impressive investment income, capital gains and other incomes, though underwriting loss somewhat muted the positives. The rating agency also noted that Hallmark Group remains focused on expanding its exposure to less competitive markets in an effort to enhance its operational performance. However, acquisition integration risks ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/hall-hallmark-financial-services-sees-rating-action/97749/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(C) The Thick of Q1 Earnings Season &#8211; Earnings Preview</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/c-the-thick-of-q1-earnings-season-earnings-preview/98620</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/c-the-thick-of-q1-earnings-season-earnings-preview/98620#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:14:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abbott Laboratories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ABT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American Express Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AXP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EBAY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eBay Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EI DuPont de Nemours & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General Electric Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HAL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halliburton Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IBM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[INTC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intel Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International Business Machines Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JNJ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johnson & Johnson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MCD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[McDonald's Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Microsoft Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSFT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Schlumberger Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SLB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Coca-Cola Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Verizon Communications Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[VZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yahoo! Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[YHOO]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98620</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are jumping right into the thick of the first quarter reporting cycle this week, with more than 250 companies coming out with results, including 89 companies from the S&#38;P 500. We will have representation from the who’s who of the corporate world, with a number of bellwether players on tap to come out with results. By the end of the week, we will have a good enough number to judge this earnings season. While earnings will remain the primary focus during the week, we have a number of market-moving economic releases on deck as well. We will get a sense of the consumer economy though the monthly Retail Sales numbers, while the Industrial Production report will give us a good read on the manufacturing sector. Regional manufacturing surveys from ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/16/c-the-thick-of-q1-earnings-season-earnings-preview/98620/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Bank of America: The New Landlord</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/11/bac-bank-of-america-the-new-landlord/96714</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/11/bac-bank-of-america-the-new-landlord/96714#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:56:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96714</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week, Bank of America Corporation (BAC) announced its ‘Mortgage to Lease’ initiative, allowing the distressed customers (related to foreclosures) to remain in their houses as the ownership of their property would be taken over by the company. At present, the company has launched a pilot project in the states of Nevada, Arizona and New York and only about 1,000 homeowners will become a part of this program. BofA further stated that the customers will be chosen by the company itself. They will not be allowed to apply or volunteer for the program. Once the program is successful, it will be rolled out nationally. Eligibility Criteria BofA has stated that the customers who would be chosen in the pilot project will have to fulfill all the criteria that the company ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/11/bac-bank-of-america-the-new-landlord/96714/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(PNC) PNC Financial Services Group Hikes Dividend &#8211; Announces Share Buyback</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/10/pnc-pnc-financial-services-group-hikes-dividend-announces-share-buyback/98107</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/10/pnc-pnc-financial-services-group-hikes-dividend-announces-share-buyback/98107#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:03:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty All Star Equity Fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PNC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PNC Financial Services Group Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royal Bank of Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=98107</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is finally something official for the shareholders of PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (PNC) to cheer for.  The company has announced a 14% hike in its quarterly dividend. Moreover, PNC Financial also intends to buy back up to $250 million of common stock under its existing 25 million share repurchase program during the remainder of 2012. The Details The increased quarterly cash dividend now stands at 40 cents per share, up 5 cents from 35 cents paid earlier. This new dividend payment date is May 5, 2012, payable the next business day, to shareholders of record as of the close of business April 17, 2012. Moreover, the company plans to buy back up to $250 million of common stock under its existing 25 million share repurchase program. The shares ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/10/pnc-pnc-financial-services-group-hikes-dividend-announces-share-buyback/98107/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(PMI) U.S. Jobless Data Shows Decoupling</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/pmi-u-s-jobless-data-shows-decoupling/96249</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/pmi-u-s-jobless-data-shows-decoupling/96249#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:05:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Surety & Title Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dollar General Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economic Crises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDIC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FedEx Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HSBC HLDGS PLC ADS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LULU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lululemon Athletica Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PMI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PMI Group Inc.]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96249</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This morning’s economic data is giving investors the clearest possible evidence of divergence in global economic growth outlook, with the U.S. economy decoupling from Europe and China. We have another better-than-expected read on Initial Jobless Claims in the U.S., while readings of the manufacturing sector in China and Europe show contraction. The surprise factor in the European slowdown is limited since that region is widely believed to be already in a recession, but I suspect that today’s soft Chinese manufacturing data will remain front and center and trump the favorable domestic labor market report. The preliminary Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for March created by HSBC Bank (HBC) shows a slippage from last month’s level. The index dropped to 48.1 in March from February’s 49.6, both below the critical 50 level ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/pmi-u-s-jobless-data-shows-decoupling/96249/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(C) Citigroup Analyst Lowers Shares to Underperform</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/c-citigroup-analyst-lowers-shares-to-underperform/96107</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/c-citigroup-analyst-lowers-shares-to-underperform/96107#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:04:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MetLife Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[STI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SunTrust Banks Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96107</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are downgrading our recommendation on Citigroup Inc. (C) to Underperform from Neutral based on its failure to pass the Federal Reserve’s most recent stress test. Investors were widely speculating about the amount of money companies like Citigroup will be allowed by the Fed to return to their shareholders this year. Notably, Citi has failed to significantly enhance shareholder value following the financial crisis and this somewhat weakened its competitive position. Besides Citi, the three other companies that have failed the stress test this time are Ally Financial Inc., MetLife Inc. (MET) and SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI). Contrary to Citigroup and the other three failed companies, the other Wall Street bigs such as JPMorgan Chase &#38; Co. (JPM), U.S. Bancorp (USB) and Wells Fargo &#38; Co. (WFC) managed to clear ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/c-citigroup-analyst-lowers-shares-to-underperform/96107/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(MS) Morgan Stanley Faces Federal Reserve Fury</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/ms-morgan-stanley-faces-federal-reserve-fury/97940</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/ms-morgan-stanley-faces-federal-reserve-fury/97940#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diversified Investments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97940</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Morgan Stanley (MS) is facing the Federal Reserve’s fury. According to a Reuters report, the Fed plans to fine Morgan Stanley on grounds of misconduct and negligence in handling foreclosures by one of its mortgage servicing units. The mortgage servicing unit in question is Saxon Mortgage Services Inc. While Morgan Stanley agreed to sell this unit to Ocwen Financial Corp in October 2011 and closed the deal recently, the Fed pointed at this unit’s behavior with respect to foreclosures between 2009 and 2010. According to Fed allegations, this particular unit of Morgan Stanley completed foreclosures without properly verifying the documents. Moreover, according to Fed, the company was also in dearth of adequate staff and resources for handling an increased flow of foreclosures during that period. While Fed has not revealed ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/09/ms-morgan-stanley-faces-federal-reserve-fury/97940/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(MAA) MAA Acquires Virginia Property</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/maa-maa-acquires-virginia-property/97732</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/maa-maa-acquires-virginia-property/97732#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:51:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[REIT - Residential]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[3M Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AT&T Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boeing Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FedEx Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LMT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lockheed Martin Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MAA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UDR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UDR Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Xerox Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XRX]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97732</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[MAA (MAA), an apartment-only real estate investment trust (REIT), has recently completed the acquisition of Adalay Bay – a 240-unit upscale apartment community in Chesapeake, Virginia &#8212; for an undisclosed price. The transaction was funded with the proceeds from a secondary offering of approximately 1.96 million shares completed earlier in the year. Developed in 2002, Adalay Bay is strategically located in the Hampton Roads area of Chesapeake that houses the commercial Port of Hampton Roads, which is serviced by about 90% of the world&#8217;s shipping lines. The region is also famous for the presence of several Fortune 500 companies, including 3M (MMM), AT&#38;T (T), Boeing (BA), Federal Express (FDX), Xerox (XRX) and Lockheed Martin (LMT). Besides the booming technology industry, Hampton Roads also boasts a strong tourism industry with several ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/maa-maa-acquires-virginia-property/97732/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(KSU) Railroads Hit by Coal Concerns</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/ksu-railroads-hit-by-coal-concerns/97737</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/ksu-railroads-hit-by-coal-concerns/97737#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:51:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Closed-End Fund - Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian National Railway Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canadian Pacific Railway Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CSX]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CSX Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kansas City Southern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[KSU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Norfolk Southern Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NSC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Union Pacific Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNP]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97737</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After lower coal production forecasts by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), railroads are again worried about the proposed regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for power plants across 27 states. The proposed guideline –– Carbon Pollution Standard for New Power Plants –– aims at restricting emission of carbon dioxide by new power plants under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act. The standard proposes new power plants to now limit their carbon-dioxide emission to 1,000 pounds per megawatt-hour. Power plants fueled by natural gas have already met these standards but majority of the units using conventional resources like coal are exceeding the set limit, as they emit an average of 1,800 pounds of carbon-dioxide per megawatt-hour. As a result, new power plants either have to be fueled by ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/ksu-railroads-hit-by-coal-concerns/97737/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(GS) Goldman Sachs Group in Trouble Again</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/gs-goldman-sachs-group-in-trouble-again/96264</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/gs-goldman-sachs-group-in-trouble-again/96264#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:49:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diversified Investments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Citigroup Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HSBC HLDGS PLC ADS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[M&T Bank Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MTB]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to Reuters, the federal judge in New York rescinded the bid filed by The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) regarding the dismissal of a lawsuit charged against the bank, accusing it of selling risky debts. The US District Judge, Victor Marrero, has ordered the plaintiff, Dodona I LLC, to pursue the proceedings over its claims against Goldman relating to the $2 billion offering of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Established in 2007, hedge fund Dodona filed a lawsuit against Goldman in the federal court in New York over Hudson Mezzanine Funding 2006-1 and 2006-2 CDOs. The securities offered to the investors, were residential mortgage-backed securities. CDOs typically repackage bonds and other assets into new securities. These are not traded on a public exchange, allowing firms like Goldman to generate fees ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/05/gs-goldman-sachs-group-in-trouble-again/96264/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(NTRS) Northern Trust Corporation Increases Dividend</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/ntrs-northern-trust-corporation-increases-dividend/95423</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/ntrs-northern-trust-corporation-increases-dividend/95423#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:57:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Midwest Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northern Trust Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NTRS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wells Fargo & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WFC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=95423</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Wednesday, Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) increased its quarterly common stock dividend by 2 cents to 30 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on July 2, 2012 to shareholders of record as of June 8. The strength of Northern Trust’s business model reflects the company’s commitment towards returning value to the shareholders with its strong cash generation capabilities. Prior to this revision, the company had increased its quarterly dividend to 28 cents per share in December 2007, an increase of 12%. Northern Trust got the approval for its capital plan, which includes a hike in the quarterly dividend and the buyback of shares worth $240 million through March 2013. After receiving the regulatory nod, Northern Trust decided to hike dividend and board of directors approved a new common ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/ntrs-northern-trust-corporation-increases-dividend/95423/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HBAN) Michigan Bank Fails &#8211; 2012 Tally Hits 16</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/hban-michigan-bank-fails-2012-tally-hits-16/97488</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/hban-michigan-bank-fails-2012-tally-hits-16/97488#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:53:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regional - Midwest Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BB & T Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BBT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HBAN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huntington Bancshares Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JPMorgan Chase & Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Us Bancorp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USB]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97488</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Friday, the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation shuttered Dearborn-based Fidelity Bank, taking the number of failed U.S. banks thus far in 2012 to 16. This follows 92 bank failures in 2011, 157 in 2010, 140 in 2009 and 25 in 2008. While the financials of a few large banks continue to stabilize on the back of an economic recovery, the industry is still on shaky ground. The sector presents a picture similar to that of 2011, with nagging issues like depressed home prices along with still-high loan defaults and unemployment levels troubling such institutions. The lingering economic uncertainty and its effects also weigh on many banks. The need to absorb bad loans offered during the credit explosion has made these banks susceptible to severe problems. Fidelity Bank ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/hban-michigan-bank-fails-2012-tally-hits-16/97488/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Company News for March 21, 2012 &#8211; Corporate Summary</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/bac-company-news-for-march-21-2012-corporate-summary/96067</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/bac-company-news-for-march-21-2012-corporate-summary/96067#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:35:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EMC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EMC Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TIF]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiffany & Company]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96067</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[•    EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) announced the acquisition of privately-held Pivotal Labs through an all cash transaction •    Shares of Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE:LGF) soared 7.2% to $15.30, an all-time high, before the release of its movie, The Hunger Games •    Shares of Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) gained 2.9% after it announced that it will not be issuing any further equity in a second offering •    Tiffany &#38; Company (NYSE:TIF) posted fourth-quarter 2011 earnings of $1.39 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41 BANK OF AMER CP (BAC): Free Stock Analysis Report EMC CORP -MASS (EMC): Free Stock Analysis Report LIONS GATE ETMT (LGF): Free Stock Analysis Report TIFFANY &#38; CO (TIF): Free Stock Analysis Report View original at: Zacks Investment Research &#8211; All Commentary Articles]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/04/bac-company-news-for-march-21-2012-corporate-summary/96067/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(BAC) Bank of America Wins Dismissal of Lawsuit</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/bac-bank-of-america-wins-dismissal-of-lawsuit/97290</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/bac-bank-of-america-wins-dismissal-of-lawsuit/97290#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:36:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Money Center Banks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bank of America Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackRock Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BLK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MET]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MetLife Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97290</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On Thursday, the dismissal of lawsuit pertaining to the buyback of defective mortgage-backed securities (MBS), gave reprieve to Bank of America Corporation (BAC). The lawsuit was filed against BofA by a group of investors led by Walnut Place group. The litigation charged BofA’s Countrywide Financial Corp. unit, which the bank acquired in 2008, of making wrong representations and warranties about the loans that backed these securities. The judge also dismissed Walnut Place&#8217;s allegation that Countrywide&#8217;s MBS trustee, The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BK), had not acted on its complaints regarding defective Countrywide loans. The judge who dismissed the present litigation will also decide the fate of BofA’s $8.5 billion MBS settlement deal. In June 2011, the company had entered into an agreement to pay $8.5 billion for its ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/bac-bank-of-america-wins-dismissal-of-lawsuit/97290/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(TMK) Torchmark Corporation Shares Stay Neutral</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/tmk-torchmark-corporation-shares-stay-neutral/97301</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/tmk-torchmark-corporation-shares-stay-neutral/97301#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:35:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PRU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prudential Financial Inc.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TMK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Torchmark Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UIL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UIL Holdings Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unum Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are reiterating our Neutral recommendation on the shares of the life and health insurer, Torchmark Corp. (TMK). Though we are optimistic about the company’s life insurance business, its underperforming health insurance business keeps us on the sidelines. Torchmark distributes its Life and Health products primarily via its subsidiaries American Income Life Insurance Co. (“AIL”), Direct Response operation at Globe Life and Liberty National Life (“LNL”). While AIL and direct response have performed strongly over the last several years, LNL has lagged behind. In the recently concluded quarter, AIL net life sales increased 11% on the back of a 12% increase in agents over the prior year. This was the result of the management’s aggressive actions to bring about a turnaround in sales. These initiatives are progressing well, and for ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/04/02/tmk-torchmark-corporation-shares-stay-neutral/97301/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(CHK) Nat Gas Stocks in Record Territory</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/31/chk-nat-gas-stocks-in-record-territory/97288</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/31/chk-nat-gas-stocks-in-record-territory/97288#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:17:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Closed-End Fund - Debt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anadarko Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[APC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chesapeake Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CHK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ConocoPhillips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Devon Energy Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ECA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Encana Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Exxon Mobil Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HAL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Halliburton Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helmerich & Payne Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MHP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nabors Industries Limited]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patterson-UTI Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PTEN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Talisman Energy Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TLM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ultra Petroleum Corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UPL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XOM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=97288</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Energy Department&#8217;s weekly inventory release showed a larger-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies, as record-warm March temperatures across the country have restricted the commodity’s requirement for power burn. In fact, the second injection of 2012 and the largest ever for March, has added to the already bloated inventories. Gas stocks – currently some 59% above the benchmark five-year average levels – are at their highest point for this time of the year, reflecting low demand amid robust onshore output. The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report – brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002 – includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage level estimates, recent weather data and other market activities or events. The report provides an overview of the level ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/31/chk-nat-gas-stocks-in-record-territory/97288/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>(HTH) Hilltop Holdings Incorporated &#8211; Bull of the Day</title>
		<link>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/28/hth-hilltop-holdings-incorporated-bull-of-the-day-4/96858</link>
		<comments>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/28/hth-hilltop-holdings-incorporated-bull-of-the-day-4/96858#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:45:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>vitalstocks</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property & Casualty Insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hilltop Holdings Inc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HTH]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stockbloghub.com/?p=96858</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are upgrading our recommendation on Hilltop Holdings, Inc. (HTH) to Outperform based on its fourth quarter earnings that modestly surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, based on a higher-than-expected top line that benefited from improved premiums, investment income and net realized gain coupled with lower-than-expected expenses. Hilltop&#8217;s capital position remains sound along with a risk-free balance sheet that lays scope for efficient capital deployment. This is also evident from the new share buyback program, fostering shareholders&#8217; confidence in the stock. Overall, Hilltop should continue to tread ahead with its strategic approach in order to capitalize on the opportunities that the markets provide on stabilization. Our six-month price target is $10.00 per share, reflecting about 0.8x our book value estimate of $12.33 per share at September 30, 2012. This target price ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stockbloghub.com/2012/03/28/hth-hilltop-holdings-incorporated-bull-of-the-day-4/96858/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

