Thursday, February 3, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - What To Do With Fannie And Freddie

DailyMarkets.com - What To Do With Fannie And Freddie

What To Do With Fannie And Freddie

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 05:45 PM PST

Since the two Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) were put under Federal Government conservatorship in 2008 media reports in the New York Times and Bloomberg have chronicled the tale of woe.

New York Times Jan 24/11
"Government support for legal fees in support of the GSEs and their former top executives $160 Million….

Government support of losses since 2008 $150 million….

Government committed to support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac up to $200 million in capital … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – GBP/JPY Up During The Asian Session

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:45 PM PST

Forex Pros – The British Pound was higher against the Japanese Yen on Friday.

GBP/JPY was trading at 131.79, up 0.04% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 129.91, Monday's low, and resistance at 132.95, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was up against the U.S. Dollar and the Euro, with GBP/USD gaining 0.03% to hit 1.6142 and EUR/GBP falling 0.08% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Soaring EPS Takes MTS Systems Ahead

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:35 PM PST

MTS Systems Corp. (NASDAQ:MTSC) reported that first quarter EPS soared 273.9% from last year to 86 cents, which also significantly surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 46 cents.
Management said that the strength in areas of Test ground and Sensors Europe experienced in the latter part of fiscal 2010 continued into this fiscal year. The results, according to the management, reflect being closer to the long term goals.
Quarter in Detail
Revenue increased 19.0% year over year to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

ACE Beats Bottom-Line Estimate

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:05 PM PST

ACE Limited (NYSE:ACE) reported fourth-quarter 2010 operating income of $2.05 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 20 cents. Results improved 2% from earnings of $2.01 in the year-ago period. Operating income in the quarter was $702 million, up 3% from $683 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.
Including net realized gains, net of tax, of $299 million or 87 cents per share, ACE Limited reported a net income of $1 billion or $2.92 per share compared with $0.95 billion or $2.81 in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Assurant Beats EPS, Matches Rev

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:05 PM PST

Assurant Inc.'s (NYSE:AIZ) operating earnings for the fourth quarter came in at $1.08 per share, fairly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 98 cents. The quarter's results also compared favorably with operating earnings of 86 cents per share recorded in the prior-year quarter.
The earnings surprise of 10% was bought about by improved performances at Health and Employee Benefit segments, partially offset by lower operating income from Solutions and Specialty Property.
Total revenue of $2.1 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

ESCO Tech Crushes Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 04:05 PM PST

ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ESE) reported fiscal first quarter diluted earnings per share of 40 cents, crushing Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents. The result was also up considerably from last year’s 2 cents per share.
Quarterly Performance
Net sales of $159.9 million were way ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $141.0 million and compared favorably with last year's $112.7 million.  
On a segment basis, revenues from the Utilities Solution Group (USG) increased … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The Day Ahead: Earnings, US Employment Report

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:50 PM PST

02/04/11 The stories, data, and stocks that may have the greatest impact during the next trading … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – NZD/USD Down During The Asian Session

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:50 PM PST

Forex Pros – The New Zealand Dollar was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.

NZD/USD was trading at 0.7727, down 0.09% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.7686, Monday's low, and resistance at 0.7825, Wednesday's high.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was down against the Australian Dollar and the Euro, with AUD/NZD gaining 0.02% to hit 1.3129 and EUR/NZD rising 0.01% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Stock Market Ideas For Friday, February 04

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:46 PM PST

  ( click to enlarge )

DryShips Inc. (NASDAQ:DRYS) was a winner today. The stock rose 9 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $5.04. The stock has had a bearish bias during the past couple of weeks but the downward price movement was not accompanied by volume, which suggests that people are still holding the stock. Currently price is now at $5.04 level and based on MACD indicator we might see an upward move for this stock again. In the daily chart, there is a MACD crossover and RSI is near … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Cincinnati Financial Zooms Past

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:35 PM PST

Cincinnati Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CINF) reported fourth quarter operating earnings of 70 cents per share, almost double the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 36 cents, primarily led by higher earned premiums in its property and casualty business. The earnings also compared favorably with 53 cents reported in the year-ago quarter.
Operating income per share for full year 2010 came in at $1.68, considerably above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34 per share. Total revenues of $3.8 billion were a tad … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Topic Comps Still In Red

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:35 PM PST

Hot Topic Inc. (NASDAQ:HOTT) reported a decline of 3.3% in same-store sales for the four weeks ended January 29, 2011. However, the drop in same-store sales narrowed considerably from a decline of 13.1% witnessed in the prior-year month and slightly widened from a decline of 1.7% in December 2010.
This marked the 21st consecutive month of negative same-store sales. The company had last registered same-store sales growth of 3.1% in April 2009.
Hot Topic recorded a 1.4% year-over-year drop in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Option Plays: The Bid Is Back

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:18 PM PST

Cusick's Corner
The VIX is down and trading 16.7 (see Index Trading) — there's less fear in the marketplace than there was last week. Today's strong economic data and retail sales numbers overshadowed worries over events in Egypt. S&P 500 closed up on the day, nearer the day's highs with no news as a catalyst, just that ever-present bid in force. Some jobs data will be released tomorrow – Unemployment Rate, Nonfarm Payrolls, and Hourly Earnings at 8:30am ET. Consensus estimates … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Navigant Posts Weak Prelims

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:10 PM PST

Navigant Consulting Inc. (NYSE:NCI), a financial and regulatory consultant, recently reported its preliminary results for the fourth quarter and fiscal 2010.  The full year results are expected to release in the month of February 2011.
The Chicago, Illinois-based company expects fourth quarter 2010 adjusted earnings per share to be 15 cents, below the last quarter and the year-earlier quarter's earnings of 16 cents and 18 cents, respectively. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Analyst Interviews: Hotels & Lodging Industry Outlook

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:05 PM PST

The hotels and lodging industry seems to be back in demand, thanks to the gradual global economic recovery. The industry has been witnessing a return of business travelers, with a rising demand for leisure. However, the rate of improvement in room rates still lags.

Riding on the back of improvement in the U.S. economy and the consequent rise in operating metrics, most of the hoteliers have started reporting positive quarterly results. Profits are expected to rise further in 2011 as bookings … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Lincoln Lags On Higher Charges

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:05 PM PST

Lincoln National Corporation's (NYSE:LNC) fourth quarter operating earnings per share of 82 cents came in way behind the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents and 90 cents recorded in the prior-year quarter.
Results were primarily impacted by a charge of $41 million or 13 cents per share arising from litigation and settlement expenses. However, favorable investment income results and other items mitigated this decline by $9.0 million or 3 cents per share. Consequently, operating income decreased … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Ameriprise Lags Estimate

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:05 PM PST

Ameriprise Financial Inc.'s (NYSE:AMP) fourth quarter 2010 operating earnings of $1.21 per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.31 but surpassed the prior-year quarter's earnings of 91 cents per share. The hike was driven by impressive results in Asset Management and Advice & Wealth Management segments.
For the full-year 2010, Ameriprise reported operating earnings of $4.47 per share, which also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.57 but was ahead of the previous year … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Regal Beloit Misses Estimate

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 03:05 PM PST

Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE:RBC) posted a net income of $25.2 million or 65 cents per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 compared with a net income of $34.7 million or 90 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. The results were in line with the management's EPS guidance range of 63 cents – 67 cents, but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimates of 66 cents per share.
Headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, Regal Beloit is a leading manufacturer of electrical and mechanical motion … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Dun & Bradstreet Beats Consensus

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:35 PM PST

Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (NYSE:DNB), a provider of business information, reported fourth quarter earnings before non-core gains and one-time charges of $1.92 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.88.
Operating Performance
Earnings per share, on a pro forma basis, increased 9.7% from $1.75 earned in the year-ago quarter. Net income, before non-core gains and one-time charges, were $96.2 million, up 5.3% year over year, with net margin improving 30 basis points (bps) on a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Snap-on Outperforms

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:25 PM PST

Snap-on Inc. (NYSE:SNA) reported earnings from continuing operations of 99 cents per share for the fourth quarter of 2010, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents. 
Revenues of $696.9 million increased 12.7%, from the corresponding prior-year period and was ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $674 million. 
Segment Results
Commercial & Industrial Group segment revenues of $281.5 million in the fourth quarter increased $35.6 million, or 14.5%, from the year-ago period. … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Rightnow Tech. Beats Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:25 PM PST

Rightnow Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:RNOW) reported non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of 17 cents for the fourth quarter 2010, ahead of Zacks Consensus Estimate of 10 cents. The result compares favorably with the last year's 10 cents.
For the financial year 2010, the non-GAAP diluted earnings reported by the company was 49 cents per share, up from 39 cents reported in the previous year and surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 24 cents per share.
Quarter That Was
Total revenue for the quarter … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Why The Republican Budget Plan Is A Hairball.

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:25 PM PST

The federal budget is $3.8 trillion.
The Republicans have just come up with their plan to cut the federal budget. They've found $32 billion of cuts.
Their fiery campaign rhetoric, fierce determination, righteous indignation, and bloviated anger have summoned forth a hairball.
What happened to John Boehner's $100 billion budget-cutting commitment? What became of Paul Ryan's big ideas? Where did all the roaring and raging on the right during the 2010 election go?
This is embarrassing.
I … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Test

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:13 PM PST

1. Wikipedia – The NY Times reports that “less fewer than 15 percent of its hundreds of thousands of contributors are women,” and the reporter describes that outcome “as an intractable obstacle for the online encyclopedia.” 

And Sue Gardner, executive director of Wikimedia/Wikipedia, “Has set a goal to raise the share of female contributors to 25 percent by 2015, but she is running up against the traditions of the computer world and an obsessive fact-loving realm that is dominated by men … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Visa Begins Fiscal ’11 With Zeal

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:05 PM PST

Visa Inc.'s (NYSE:V) fiscal first quarter 2011 (ended December 31, 2010) operating earnings of $1.23 per Class A common share came in a couple ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21 per share but substantially exceeded $1.02 reported in the year-ago quarter on lower share count.
Visa's GAAP net income for the quarter came in at $884 million, increasing 15.9% from $763 million in the year-ago quarter. Besides, operating income climbed 12.2% year over year to $1.37 billion. However, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Revenue Falls But Bally Surpasses

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:05 PM PST

Bally Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BYI) reported second quarter 2011 diluted earnings from continuing operations of 49 cents per share outdoing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 46 cents per share.
The diluted EPS included 5 cents per share prior-period benefit from the reinstatement of the U.S. research and development tax credit to January 1, 2010. The reported EPS decreased 12.5% on year over year basis but increased 22.5% sequentially.
Management said that the recent innovations have all been … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Fronteer Bought Out By Newmont, Readers Up Over 120%

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 02:00 PM PST

Even though January of 2011 brought a lot of profit taking to mining stocks and precious metals, the leadership of Newmont (NYSE:NEM) has used this pullback to purchase one of my long term favorite recommendations Fronteer Gold (FRG) for a 37% premium.  I believed Fronteer was a great candidate for a takeout and mentioned it on thestreet.com over a month ago.  Click here for the video. My premium readers have gained 120% since my 8-4-10 buy signal.
If link doesn't work copy and paste … [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: 03 Feb 2011 01:55 PM PST

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3632, down 1.28% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3570, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3862, Wednesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 415.00K last week from 457.00K in the preceding week whose figure was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Moody’s Beats By A Dime

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:40 PM PST

Moody's Corp. (NYSE:MCO) reported fourth quarter earnings, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 48 cents by a dime. The growth was primarily driven by strong top-line growth.
Operating Performance
Moody's reported pro forma earnings of 58 cents per share, 38.1% year over year as compared with 42 cents in the previous-year quarter. Net income increased 35.9% year over year to $137.5 million, with net margin increasing 360 basis points (bps) year over year.
Operating income, excluding … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:40 PM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Japanese Yen on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

USD/JPY was trading at 81.62, up 0.08% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.32, Tuesday's low, and resistance at 82.26, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 415.00K last week from 457.00K in the preceding week whose figure was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

PTX: New Deals Fortify Long-Term Outlook

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:35 PM PST

Brian Marckx, CFA

PTX: New Deals Fortify Long-Term Outlook, Support Higher Valuation
       
            Cough Candidate JV
 
On December 20, 2010 Pernix announced it had entered a joint-venture with a U.K-based company for the development and commercialization of BC1036.  BC1036, also known as theobromine, is the highly-anticipated antitussive drug candidate that Pernix management had yet to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Reynolds American Misses Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:35 PM PST

Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) reported fourth quarter and full fiscal 2010 results.
The company posted adjusted quarterly earnings of 60 cents per share which was below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 62 cents, but surged 9.1% compared to the prior-year quarter.
For the full year earnings grew 7.3% year-over-year to $2.49 per share, which were below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.51 a share.
On a reported basis, earnings grew 43.2% to 53 cents a share in the quarter and surged 15.2% to $1.90 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Closing Bell Market Monitor: MRK, YUM, BJ

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:34 PM PST

02/03/11 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

Sold BGLPF $2.41 – Buy JAG $5.61

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:30 PM PST

The position I took yesterday, as part of my new trading strategy, B2 Gold Corp (BGLPF) I sold today at $2.41 for a quick 3.9% gain. 

The other position I bought yesterday, as part of my new trading strategy, was Coral Gold Resources (CLHRF) and I was fortunate to sell it at the open today for a gain of 8.1%.

Click on a chart to ENLARGE

Near the close I added a position in Jaguar Mining (JAG) at $5.61.  Apparently the market was bent out of shape by Jaguar’s surprise … [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: 03 Feb 2011 01:25 PM PST

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3634, down 1.27% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3570, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3862, Wednesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 415.00K last week from 457.00K in the preceding week whose figure was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

International Paper Tops Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:10 PM PST

International Paper Co. (NYSE:IP) delivered adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 68 cents for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2010, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 65 cents per share. The reported quarter’s EPS was more than double that of the year-ago quarter’s 24 cents.
Both the reported quarter and the year ago quarters' EPS did not include any special items. The fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 EPS excluded a benefit of 5 cents per share and the year ago quarter excluded special … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

U.S. Markets Close Higher; Dow Jones Up 0.17%

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 01:10 PM PST

Forex Pros – U.S. stocks were up after the closing bell on Thursday.

At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.17%, the S&P 500 index gained 0.24%, while the Nasdaq 100 index climbed 0.09%.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed at close. France's CAC 40 was down 0.74%; Germany's DAX gained 0.14%; Britain's FTSE 100 declined 0.28%; and the EURO STOXX 50 fell … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Spectra Energy Outperforms

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:55 PM PST

Premier natural gas company Spectra Energy Corp. (NYSE:SE) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter as well as full-year 2010 results owing to strong growth from expansion projects that came online, higher commodity prices and a stronger Canadian dollar.
Earnings per share (excluding special items) were 47 cents in the reported quarter, fairly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 40 cents and the year-earlier profit of 33 cents. Full-year 2010 earnings of $1.57 per share also surpassed the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Rewarding Quarter For Edwards

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:55 PM PST

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE:EW) has reported an EPS of 54 cents in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 compared to 40 cents in the year-ago period. However, after adjusting for certain items, the EPS came in at 55 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents and the year-ago quarter's earnings of 42 cents.
For the full year, the EPS was $1.84, higher than both the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.82 and $1.52 in the previous year.
Edwards reported revenues of $392.4 million, up … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Productivity Rises 2.6% In 4Q

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:55 PM PST

Non-Farm Business Productivity grew at 2.6% (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the fourth quarter, an acceleration from the 2.4% rate in the third quarter. The third quarter numbers were revised up slightly from 2.3%. For 2010 as a whole, productivity rose by 3.6%, up from 3.5% for all of 2009, and just 1.0% in 2008.

Productivity is the output per hour, and thus depends on two things: output, which roughly corresponds to GDP growth, and hours, which roughly corresponds to employment (and the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:45 PM PST

Forex Pros – The British Pound was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

GBP/USD was trading at 1.6146, down 0.27% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5822, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.6278, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 415.00K last week from 457.00K in the preceding week whose figure was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Estee Lauder Outpaces Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:35 PM PST

Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL) reported robust results for the second-quarter of fiscal 2011 with quarterly earnings of $1.77 per share. Earnings were well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.44 and soared 38% from $1.28 delivered in the prior-year quarter.
New York-based Estee Lauder now expects full-year 2011 earnings in the range of $3.40 to $3.60 per share. Profits were primarily driven by strong holiday season sales and weak U.S. dollar.
Net Sales
Net sales for the quarter grew 11.0% … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

BMC Top Line Grows

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:10 PM PST

BMC Software (NYSE:BMC) reported third quarter fiscal 2011 earnings per share of 69 cents, at par with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company delivered revenue of $539.9 million, handily surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $528.9 million.
Revenue
Reported revenue of $540.0 million increased 6.0% year over year. BMC's growth strategy seems to have worked well for the company as suggested by improved bookings. Service automation, SaaS and cloud solutions all continue to drive strong … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

CIGNA Beats On Lower Utilization

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST

CIGNA Corp.'s (NYSE:CI) fourth quarter core earnings of $1.15 per share were fairly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01. Earnings also compared favorably to $1.03 reported in the prior-year quarter.
Better-than-expected results came in due to improved contribution from Health Care, Disability & Life and International segments. Earnings per share were also higher due to the lower number of shares in the quarter compared with year-ago quarter. 
CIGNA's net income increased … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

ITT Corp. Beats Zacks Estimates

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST

ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT) released its fourth quarter 2010 earnings results before the market opened today, reporting earnings per share from continuing operations of $1.36, outperforming the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.26. Earnings in the quarter increased by 42% year over year.
For FY10, earnings per share from continuing operations were $4.41, outperforming the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.32, up 18% year over year.
Total Revenue
Total revenue in the quarter was $3 billion compared with … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

MasterCard Exits 2010 Honorably

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST

MasterCard Inc.'s (NYSE:MA) fourth quarter operating earnings per share of $3.16 came in substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.05 and $2.24 in the year-ago quarter. Net income for the reported quarter was $415 million, dramatically up 41.2% from $294 million in the prior-year quarter.
Results for the reported quarter improved over the prior-year quarter primarily due to better pricing, an increased number of processed transactions, strong gross dollar value (GDV) growth and a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 12:05 PM PST

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Canadian Dollar on Thursday.

USD/CAD was trading at 0.9898, up 0.20% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9860, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.0058, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 1.21% to hit 1.3642 and GBP/USD falling 0.26% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

“Keeping An Eye On Egypt, Jobs Numbers”

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 11:00 AM PST

02/03/11 DME Securities’ Alan Vades weighs in on sideways trading in US equities, ahead of the January jobs … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Market Musings: A Virtuous Cycle

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 09:14 AM PST

On the surface it seems like a great idea.  The Federal Reserve jump starts the economy through asset purchases, and all is ok because inflation is under control.  The stock market goes up and the official inflation numbers remain tame although everything we touch and need to function and subsist day to day goes up in price.  What a great thing.  What a great country we live in.  And most importantly, why didn’t we think of this before?

I actually heard some analyst … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

On The African Gold Trail With GoldStone Resources

Posted: 03 Feb 2011 07:08 AM PST

Since Jurie Wessels took the reigns as chief executive of Goldstone Resources (LON:GRL) in May 2009, the company has snapped up a collection of prospective gold projects in west and central Africa that have given its investors a reason to get excited. Together with exploration director Dr Hendrik Schloemann, Wessels has built a shimmering prospector's portfolio that started in Ghana and now stretches west to Senegal and south to Gabon. The more advanced Homase project in Ghana has the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Understanding The Rise Of China

Posted: 02 Feb 2011 10:00 PM PST

More than 1.3 billion Chinese people are celebrating the New Year this week. We'll discuss that more in Friday's Investor Alert, but a friend sent me this TED video last week that is one of the best discussions on China I've seen in recent memory.
Martin Jacques, author of When China Rules the World, spoke at a TED Conference back in October 2010. Jacques began his speech by saying, "the world is changing at a really remarkable speed."
Jacques says China is going to change the world … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates
at

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