Friday, January 7, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - Hot Option Plays: Using Put/Call Ratios To Catch Bears

DailyMarkets.com - Hot Option Plays: Using Put/Call Ratios To Catch Bears

Hot Option Plays: Using Put/Call Ratios To Catch Bears

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 03:19 PM PST

Cusick's Corner
The market bounced off the lows and the bulls staged a comeback. I have been monitoring the market using Put/Call ratios to see if any current trend is potentially threatened. Today, the market Put/Call ratio hit the lows of .61, exhibiting a ton of bullishness, but finished the day right below its highs of .93. The ratio closing above .85 puts me on watch for potential bears or sellers who can put more pressure on the market. Confirmation will come from the price action and … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

American Mandate: Congressional Reform Act Of 2011

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 03:03 PM PST

This outline needs no preamble or further remarks. The fact is this draft should be an American Mandate as it represents the ultimate 'sense on cents.' The time is long past due for some accountability in Washington. This mandate is the right start.
I thank the friend who passed this along and I would encourage others to spread this American Mandate!!

Congressional Reform Act of 2011
1. TERM LIMITS
12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Stock Movers To Watch Next Week

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:55 PM PST

( click to enlarge )

Nice day for Affymax, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFFY) everyone !! So, I first alerted on this one, yesterday night and this morning on Twitter I said the stock was on my watch radar. Today it hit a high of $8.50 for a possible gain on 20% and ended the day at $7.99 so readers who bought in on my initial alert are still up 15% !!  This was an amazing run for those who jumped in at that time. Hope everyone is having fun and making some money. Now the momentum on AFFY is building up … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Closing Bell Market Monitor: AKS, LIZ, AIG

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:40 PM PST

01/07/11 The latest in news, commentary, and information on what’s moving the US equities markets. Watch this broadcast LIVE at 4:00 pm EST daily @ … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

BMC Software Wins Deal

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:35 PM PST

Deal wins continue for BMC Software Inc. (NYSE:BMC). After sealing a couple of major deals in the preceding month, the leading large enterprise software company clinched a deal from Hong Kong based information technology (IT) services provider, Automated Systems Holdings Limited (The ASL Group).
BMC Software shares a long standing relationship of over 15 years with the ASL Group. The latter will now deploy BMC Software's Remedy Service Desk Solutions (interactive voice response service, short … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Bright Spots: Temp Help And Mfg. Overtime Hours

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:25 PM PST

Several bright spots in today’s jobs report include:

1. Employment in temporary help services continued to grow by 15,900 jobs in December, which is the 14th increase during the last 15 months.  Since the cyclical low of 1.724 million jobs in September 2009, there has been an increase of 495,000 jobs in the temporary sector to 2.219 million jobs in December.  That level of temporary and contract employment jobs is the highest since September of 2008, 27 months ago. 

2. Average … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – EUR/USD Down At The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:10 PM PST

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.2907, down 0.74% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2906, today's low, and resistance at 1.3432, Tuesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Earnings Preview: Earnings Season To Kickoff

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Earnings Preview 1/07/11

Next week marks the semi-official start of fourth-quarter earnings season. Things will be getting off to a slow start, with only 37 firms due to report, but 6 of those will be S&P 500 firms. We define any fiscal period ending in November, December and January to be the fourth quarter, and many of those reporting have November fiscal period ends.

While there are a not a lot of reports, the reports we get will provide some early clues on the fourth quarter. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

TOTAL Discovers Gas And Condensate

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Integrated oil and gas company, TOTAL S.A. (NYSE:TOT), announced that its subsidiary Total E&P UK has discovered gas and condensate in the West of Shetland on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. The vicinity of the new discovery to TOTAL’s Laggan and Tormore development will enable the company to use its existing facilities in this area for developing the new findings.
The Edradour exploration well is situated in block 206/4, 47 miles North West of Shetland in a water depth of 300 meters. … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Details On Employment Report (pt. 2)

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Demographics of Joblessness
This recession has hit men harder than it has hit women. However, over the past year, things seem to be "evening out" between the genders. This month the news was good for almost all demographic groups. In December, the unemployment rate for adult men (over 20) fell to 9.4% from 9.9% November. It is down from 10.2% a year ago.

A bit of the decline is an illusion, though, as the participation rate for men fell from 73.9% a year ago to 73.5% in December, and down … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Vicor Tech (VRCT)

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Brian Marckx, CFA

Vicor Tech (VRCT) – Huge Support for SCD Indication
 
There was an interesting article in the January 4, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal that brings to light the significant issue of over-implantation (or perhaps under-implantation) of defibrillators.  Over-implantation can unnecessarily put patients at risk of dying on the operating table and contributes to skyrocketing health care costs (these are expensive medical devices).  Under-implantation means … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Prelim Results Of CPTS Disappoints

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Conceptus (NASDAQ:CPTS) has reported disappointing preliminary results for the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2010. The company expects net sales of $36.3-$36.6 million during the fourth quarter which is approximately 1-2% lower than the year-ago quarter, although up 7-8% on a sequential basis.
Moreover, the expected revenue is lower than Conceptus' guidance of $39-$41 million and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $39 million. Following the announcement, shares of the company were down … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – GBP/USD Up At The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:05 PM PST

Forex Pros – The British Pound was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5547, up 0.47% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5407, today's low, and resistance at 1.5646, Tuesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – USD/JPY Down At The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:00 PM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

USD/JPY was trading at 83.14, down 0.23% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.13, Monday's low, and resistance at 83.69, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – EUR/USD Down Toward The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:40 PM PST

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.2918, down 0.65% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2906, today's low, and resistance at 1.3432, Tuesday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the British Pound and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 1.24% to hit 0.8300 and EUR/JPY falling 0.98% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Guy Garb Gauge Flashing Negative?

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:36 PM PST

Many of you are familiar with the hemline index, which holds that the length of women’s dresses tends to rise and fall with the economy. Well, it seems that’s not the only apparel-related indicator. WWD’s Mensweek gives us on update on what might be called the “guy garb gauge” in “Is Men’s Wear Back?”:
Yes — and you can credit the recession.
Behavioral experts say shopping doesn't come naturally to most men, yet men's wear was among the star performers this past holiday and retailers are … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Ford’s China Arm Raises Funds

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:35 PM PST

Chongqing Changan Automobile, a joint venture partner of Ford Motor (NYSE:F) in China, has revealed that it will raise up to 4 billion yuan ($600 million) by selling shares at 9.74 yuan each. The Chinese automaker will use the net proceeds from sale to expand production capacity.
Presently, Ford owns a 35% stake in Changan Ford Mazda, with Changan holding 50% and Mazda the remaining 15%. It is reported that Ford and Mazda will each form a separate 50:50 JV with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

ZOLL & Saints Medical Team Up

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:35 PM PST

Resuscitation devices maker ZOLL Medical (NASDAQ:ZOLL) has entered into a multi-faceted collaboration pact with Massachusetts-based community hospital Saints Medical Center. Under the agreement, Saints Medical's emergency medical services ("EMS") team will collaborate with ZOLL Medical to test new product and technology concepts.
Saints Medical is a leading non-profit healthcare facility with 163 licensed beds, serving Greater-Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. The entity recently purchased ZOLL … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – GBP/USD Up Toward The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:30 PM PST

Forex Pros – The British Pound was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday.

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5559, up 0.55% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5407, today's low, and resistance at 1.5646, Tuesday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was up against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 1.23% to hit 0.8301 and GBP/JPY rising 0.22% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – USD/JPY Down Toward The End Of U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:20 PM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Friday.

USD/JPY was trading at 83.04, down 0.35% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.13, Monday's low, and resistance at 83.69, today's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and down against the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 0.66% to hit 1.2917 and GBP/USD rising 0.55% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

U.S. Markets Close Lower; Dow Jones Down 0.19%

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:10 PM PST

Forex Pros – U.S. stocks were down after the closing bell on Friday.

At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.19%, the S&P 500 index shed 0.18%, while the Nasdaq 100 index declined 0.04%.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, European stock markets closed lower. France's CAC 40 was down 0.99%; Germany's DAX shed 0.48%; Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.58%; and the EURO STOXX 50 fell … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST

Zacks Small Cap Research

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

The week of January 10th is perhaps one of the biggest weeks in the biotechnology  industry. Three significant healthcare conferences will take place in San Francisco, headlined by the 29th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The event is attended by the "Who's Who" of the healthcare industry, with currently over 350 companies registered to attend. Two smaller conferences will also … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST

Zacks Small Cap Research

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

The week of January 10th is perhaps one of the biggest weeks in the biotechnology  industry. Three significant healthcare conferences will take place in San Francisco, headlined by the 29th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The event is attended by the "Who's Who" of the healthcare industry, with currently over 350 companies registered to attend. Two smaller conferences will also … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Mattel Appoints New COO

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST

California-based company Mattel Inc (NYSE:MAT), the world's largest manufacturer of toys, has appointed its president of International division Bryan Stockton as its new chief operating officer (COO), effective immediately. Stockton will report to Robert A. Eckert, Mattel's Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO).
Stockton joined the company in 2000 as executive vice president of business planning and development and became the head of Mattel’s International division in 2003. Under his … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

AIG Strong On Recapitalization Path

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST

Moving a step ahead with its recapitalization plan, yesterday American International Group Inc. (NYSE:AIG) announced a dividend of 10-year warrants worth $75 million, which will enable investors to purchase the company's common stock at $45 per share.
The declared dividend will be paid on January 19 to AIG's common shareholders of record as on January 13, 2011. However, the US Treasury is not eligible for receiving warrants in this arrangement. Meanwhile, the investors will receive about one … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Details On Employment Report (pt. 1)

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:05 PM PST

The economy added a total of 103,000 jobs in December. That is far below consensus expectations for a gain of 150,000. The small increase is particularly disappointing relative to the numbers put out on Wednesday by ADP that showed a gain of 297,000 private sector jobs.

Government payrolls declined by 10,000 and the private sector added a total of 113,000. The consensus was looking for a decline of 12,000 government jobs and thus also for a gain of 162,000 private sector jobs. On the other … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex Trading: EURUSD Selling Off Into The NY Close.

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:59 PM PST

The EURUSD looks like it will close the week at or near the lows. The pair is comfortably below the 200 day MA and th 50% retracement at the 1.3078 level and also the 1.2920 support … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – GBP/USD Up During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:45 PM PST

Forex Pros – The British Pound was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5558, up 0.54% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5407, today's low, and resistance at 1.5646, Tuesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Harris Wins Tactical Radio Contract

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:35 PM PST

Harris Corp. (NYSE:HRS) has won a 5-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide tactical and land mobile radios to international allies of the U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Defense. The potential size of the contract is $475 million.
In a nutshell, Harris will supply its pathbreaking RF Falcon II and Falcon III products. As a leading government electronics supplier, Harris is benefiting from the increase in U.S. defense expenditure as well as strong … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Neutral On American Tower

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:35 PM PST

We downgrade our recommendation for American Tower Corp. (NYSE:AMT) to Neutral, which signifies that the stock will perform almost in line with the broader market. American Tower continues its strong performance driven by substantial demand for tower space to facilitate high-speed wireless data and on demand video services, together with super-fast 3G/4G technologies.
We believe tremendous demand for wireless data and video in the developed markets coupled with diversification into several … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Monetary Policy Week In Review – 8 Jan 2011

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:33 PM PST

The past week was another quiet, but not uneventful, week in monetary policy. The central banks of Indonesia, Romania, and Peru all met to review monetary policy rates. Indonesia and Romania held steady, while Peru unexpectedly increased its rate +25bps to 3.25%, as a preventative move on inflation. Also announcing monetary policy measures was the central bank of Bosnia, which reduced its required reserve ratio -400bps to 10%. The central bank of Chile also announced measures to intervene in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

JAKKS Pacific Downgraded To Neutral

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:05 PM PST

We recently downgraded our long-term rating on a California-based multi-brand company JAKKS Pacific Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK), from Outperform to Neutral based on the seasonality of demand and increasing input costs. The company is engaged in designing and marketing a broad range of toys and consumer products.
The company's third quarter 2010 results came in well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Besides, the company has ample cash balance.  We remain optimistic about the company's long-term … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Dollar Financial Expands In U.K. (revised)

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:05 PM PST

In an attempt to expand its payday lending business in U.K., Dollar Financial U.K. Ltd., a wholly owned U.K. subsidiary of Dollar Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:DLLR) has agreed to acquire Purpose U.K. Holdings Limited for $195 million.
Purpose is a provider of online payday loans, which operates under the brand PaydayUK in U.K. since 2003.
The deal is expected to complete in the next 90 days, which is subjective to closing conditions and regulatory approval. Further, the acquisition of Purpose would … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

VZ To Sell 4G Devices In Mid-2011

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:05 PM PST

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone Group plc (NYSE:VOD), expects to unveil ten devices by mid-2011 to support its fourth generation (4G) network. The company plans to launch four smartphones, two tablet computers, two notebooks and two additional 4G devices.
The company ties with Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG), which makes the popular Android software for mobile devices, and handset makers like Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., LG Electronics Inc., HTC … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – USD/CAD Down During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:05 PM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Canadian Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

USD/CAD was trading at 0.9925, down 0.42% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9888, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.0034, Tuesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Update On The Stupidest Man Alive Kerfuffle

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:56 AM PST

Here are the latest posts from Brad DeLong and Don Boudreaux on the “Stupidest Man Alive” kerfuffle.  While Brad and Don work out the terms of their possible upcoming bet on the future trends in the inflation-adjusted prices of natural resources or petroleum products, let’s do a quick review the historical record of real gas prices over the last 92 years (this series goes back to 1919, which is the longest historical price record I could find for oil or gas). 

The chart above shows … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Momentum Stock: Cummins, Inc.

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:35 AM PST

Cummins, Inc. (NYSE:CMI) just hit a new all-time high above $113 as the global recovery fuels demand for trucks and engines. With an average earnings surprise of 58% over the last four quarters and bullish 37% growth projection, this Zacks #2 rank stock is hauling some serious momentum.
Our last update on Cummins’ came in late October when the company reported strong Q3 results that saw big gains from last year.
Third-Quarter Results
Revenue for the period was up 34% from last year to $3.4 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Jolly Holidays For Ulta, Outlook Up

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:35 AM PST

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) recently announced sales results for the seven-week holiday period from November 14, 2010 to January 1, 2011, which spans from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Total net sales, during this period, surged 18.4% to $310.4 million from the prior year's holiday period, owing to the company's significant holiday merchandising and marketing initiatives that delivered new products. Apart from the sales announcement, Ulta also increased its … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

ArcelorMittal-Nunavut War Continues

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:35 AM PST

The takeover bid revolving around Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. between ArcelorMittal and Nunavut continues. The steel giant, ArcelorMittal (NYSE:MT) has been trying to acquire 100% of Baffinland and is currently offering C$1.40 a share, valuing the company at about C$550 million ($550 million) as it pursues its undeveloped iron ore deposit in Canada’s Arctic. The bid is due to expire on January 10.
Rival, Nunavut Iron Ore Acquisition Inc. (Nunavut), backed by private equity and a Canadian … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Upgrading Oracle To Outperform

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:35 AM PST

We are upgrading software giant Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCL) to Outperform from our previous Neutral rating based on our incrementally positive outlook on the stock.
Oracle's better-than-expected second quarter 2011 results with both earnings and revenues beating estimates and robust third quarter 2011 outlook have led to a substantial rise in earnings estimates for the third quarter and full years 2011 and 2012.
Oracle is expected to gain from strong software license revenue growth, focus on … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Option Plays: Jobs Number Not Big Enough For Bulls

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:19 AM PST

Cusick's Corner
The employment number didn't look big enough to keep all the bulls happy, so there's been some small profit taking. The EU is weighing down the market and the Euro. I'll be watching the Euro's close today to see if it cannot break and settle above 1.30, the currency could continue its pullback. Also want to see if the market can hold the lower end of today's range of 1262 on the SPX. If not, looks like we could have some more potential volatility hit the market. See … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – EUR/USD Down During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:15 AM PST

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.2930, down 0.56% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2907, today's low, and resistance at 1.3432, Tuesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Apache Produces In GoM Deepwater

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:05 AM PST

Leading independent energy company Apache Corporation (NYSE:APA) announced that it has started producing hydrocarbon at its Balboa Field in the Gulf of Mexico ("GoM"), south of Galveston, Texas. This happens to be the first deepwater production in the Gulf region since the oil spill accident. 
In a flashback — on April 20, 2010, an ultra-deepwater Horizon drilling platform of British major BP plc (NYSE:BP) exploded and sank in the U.S. GoM. The incident, which killed 11 workers and spewed … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Morgan Stanley Reshuffles Execs

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:05 AM PST

Yesterday, Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) announced the reshuffling of its top executives in an effort to focus on growth capabilities in the fast-growing emerging markets.
In order to align its business and geographic objectives in an improved manner, MS  announced that the co-presidents of the bank's institutional securities group (ISG), Colm Kelleher and Paul J. Taubman, will retain their positions and will be bestowed with more international responsibilities.
Colm Kelleher will relocate to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The Future Of Education

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:47 AM PST

We can talk all we want about aggregate demand and what it will take to pull us out of this jobs and housing depression, but the key to longer term prosperity and American leadership in the world is improving our broken educational system.
My two years as chancellor of a major university system wasn't long enough to make me an expert on education, but it was long enough to give me some opinions. One of those opinions confirms the conventional wisdom that U.S. higher education, especially at … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

“Today’s Numbers Were Good, But Some Disappointment”

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:37 AM PST

01/07/10 ICAP’s Kenneth Polcari discusses the US employment report, and weighs in on the upcoming earnings … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The Gap’s Comparables Decline

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:35 AM PST

The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) reported a decline of 3% in same-store sales for the five-week period ending January 2, 2010. Results substantially lagged a 2% growth in December 2009.
The shrinking of same-store sales stemmed from Gap North America reporting an 8% decrease, Old Navy North America reporting a 2% decline and International reporting a 4% slide. However, 1% same-store sales increase at Banana Republic North America came as a partial offset.
The company reported net sales of $2.0 billion in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

SM Energy: Capex & Output Guidance

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:35 AM PST

SM Energy (NYSE:SM) set its 2011 capital budget and provided the production guidance, which is 20% higher than 2010's level.
The company’s board of directors approved an initial total capital budget of $1.04 billion for 2011, with drilling capital budget of $830 million, which is about 80% of the annual capital budget. Of the drilling budget, 60% or $500 million will be used in Eagle Ford shale and 20% or $170 million in the Bakken and Three Forks intervals in the Williston Basin.
The drilling … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:35 AM PST

Zacks Small Cap Research

Focus Turns To Biotech Next Week

The week of January 10th is perhaps one of the biggest weeks in the biotechnology  industry. Three significant healthcare conferences will take place in San Francisco, headlined by the 29th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel. The event is attended by the "Who's Who" of the healthcare industry, with currently over 350 companies registered to attend. Two smaller conferences will also … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – AUD/USD Up During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:35 AM PST

Forex Pros – The Australian Dollar was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday.

AUD/USD was trading at 0.9945, up 0.01% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9907, today's low, and resistance at 1.0224, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the Australian Dollar was up against the Euro and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/AUD shedding 0.54% to hit 1.3008 and AUD/JPY falling 0.36% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Ardea’s Promising Gout Candidate

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:05 AM PST

Recently, Ardea Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:RDEA) announced encouraging results on its gout candidate RDEA594 from a mid-stage study (n=208). The 4 week study evaluated the efficacy of Ardea's gout candidate as a combination therapy with allopurinol (the current standard of care) in patients with elevated uric acid levels in spite of being on a stable dose of allopurinol. RDEA594 focuses on increasing the excretion of uric acid to bring  it to normal levels  in the body.
The study revealed … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

MasterCard Gains Wukesong Rights

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:05 AM PST

In an effort to expand its international business, MasterCard Inc. (NYSE:MA) has obtained the naming rights of Wukesong Arena in Beijing for a five-year period. Though the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, it was decided that the arena will be re-named the MasterCard Center or Wanshida Zhongxin in China.
The Wukesong arena, which has a capacity of 18,000 seats, will become the first 2008 Olympic Games venue in China's sports and entertainment industry to be re-branded commercially. … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – NZD/USD Up During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 10:00 AM PST

Forex Pros – The New Zealand Dollar was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday.

NZD/USD was trading at 0.7576, up 0.13% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.7552, Thursday's low, and resistance at 0.7784, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was up against the Australian Dollar and the Euro, with AUD/NZD shedding 0.21% to hit 1.3112 and EUR/NZD falling 0.72% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

European Markets Close Lower; Dax Down 0.48%

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 09:55 AM PST

Forex Pros – European stocks were down after the closing bell on Friday.

At the close of European trade, Germany's DAX fell 0.48%, London's FTSE 100 shed 0.58%, France's CAC 40 declined 0.99% and the EURO STOXX 50 was down 0.99%.

Meanwhile, on Wall Street, equity markets were down after the open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.75%; the S&P 500 index shed 0.86%, while the Nasdaq 100 index declined … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex Weekly Technical Update 1.7.2011 – USD In The Spotlight; Euro And Precious Metals Fall

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 09:50 AM PST

USD in the Spotlight; Euro and Precious Metals Fall
The Forex market came back to full force this week and drove the USD in anticipation of better economic form the US, the most important one being the Non-Farm payroll. The market stalled before this important release for the USD crosses. Other major themes to start 2011 was continuing woes for the Euro, and for many a surprising drop in gold and silver. The Aussie is also making a sharp reversal.
After the Non-Farm Payroll, the USD-Crosses … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – USD/JPY Down During The U.S. Session

Posted: 07 Jan 2011 09:35 AM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Nonfarm Payrolls.

USD/JPY was trading at 82.97, down 0.43% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.13, Monday's low, and resistance at 83.69, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 103.00K last month, from 71.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Can The World Hold 7 Billion?

Posted: 06 Jan 2011 10:00 PM PST

Some time this year, there will be 7 billion people on the planet. If we all stood shoulder-to-shoulder, we would fit inside the city of Los Angeles.
National Geographic just kicked off its year-long series dedicated to this global milestone. Check out this video.

According to National Geographic, no human had lived through a doubling of the human population before the 20th Century. Now, there are people on this planet who have seen it triple. In fact, the world population hasn't fallen … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates
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