Friday, March 4, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - CRL For Merck KGaA MS Drug

DailyMarkets.com - CRL For Merck KGaA MS Drug

CRL For Merck KGaA MS Drug

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 05:05 PM PST

Merck KGaA (MKGAF) recently announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a complete response letter (CRL) for its new drug application (NDA) for cladribine. Merck KGaA is seeking approval for the use of cladribine for the treatment of relapsing-remitting forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
In the letter, the regulatory body has asked the company to either conduct additional analyses or additional studies in order to provide more information on the safety risks and the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Liberty Media Beats Zacks Estimate

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:35 PM PST

Zacks has removed this article. Thank you
 
LIBERTY M INT-A (LINTA): Free Stock Analysis … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Only Minor Details

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:32 PM PST

According to Reuters, today’s employment data confirms that happy days are here again:
“Payrolls Up 192,000, Near Estimates; Rate Falls to 8.9%”
U.S. employers hired more workers in February than in any month since May last year and the unemployment rate fell to a near two-year low, the strongest sign yet the recovery has become self-sustaining.
Nonfarm payrolls increased 192,000, the Labor Department said on Friday, in line with expectations. Data for December and January was revised to show … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

BIOLASE Gets New Patent

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:05 PM PST

Leading dental laser maker BIOLASE Technology (NASDAQ:BLTI) has secured a new patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which covers the application of its laser technologies for eye surgeries to treat vision conditions such as presbyopia (loss of near vision).
Presbyopia is an age-related eye condition characterized by the loss of the ability of the lens to focus, making it difficult to see close objects. The condition affects more than 100 million Americans and over 2 billion people … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

JCI’s Building Biz Expands

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE:JCI) announced that it will acquire California-based EnergyConnect Group Inc. that provides demand-response services to the electricity grid. The deal, signed to boost company's Building Efficiency business, will cost 22.53 cents per share, which is a 73% premium over EnergyConnect’s closing share price as on Wednesday.
EnergyConnect's technologies provide real-time pricing information that is used by commercial, institutional and industrial customers to manage … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Jobs Report In Depth, Part 2

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

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. In February, the unemployment rate for adult men (over 20) fell to 8.7% from 8.8% in January and from 9.9% as recently as November. It is down from 10.0% a year ago. A bit of the decline is an illusion though as the participation rate for men fell from 74.1% a year ago to 73.4% in February. That is up from 73.2% in January. Thus the improvement in the job … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

SIRIUS XM Is Still Neutral

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

We reaffirm our Neutral recommendation on SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI), following its mixed financial results for the fourth quarter of 2010. Nevertheless, the company was able to turn around in 2010 after facing a bankruptcy threat in the recessionary period of 2009.
The results followed a double-digit growth in revenue, significantly higher net addition to its pay-radio services and a meaningful improvement in ARPU. At present, SIRIUS XM is the second largest entertainment subscription … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hologic In For Some Major Publicity

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX), a leading player in meeting the healthcare needs of women, has taken a step forward for promoting several new and innovative breast health and medical imaging products. It is participating in the 21st Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference (NCBC), Las Vegas, during 12th to 16th March 2011 with its Selenia Dimension's next-generation 3D digital mammography system which has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Earnings Scorecard: ANADIGICS, Inc.

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

Earnings estimates for ANADIGICS, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANAD) have been slashed by most analysts covering the stock after the company provided disappointing guidance for the first quarter of 2011.

ANADIGICS projects sales of around $42 million – $44 million in the first quarter of 2011, much below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $55 million. Excluding one-time charges and stock-based compensation, ANADIGICS projects EPS around $0.07 – $0.08.

FOURTH QUARTER FLASHBACK

ANADIGICS reported net sales of $60.2 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Alliance Data-Cruise Line Tie Up

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

Epsilon, a subsidiary of Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE:ADS) inked a new multi-year agreement with Miami based Norwegian Cruise Line, to provide services, technology and expertise to support the latter's customer acquisition and retention.
The agreement requires Epsilon to administer the customer database, provide analytics, marketing strategy support and data services. Also, Epsilon will support Norwegian Cruise Line to boost consumer interest as well as demand for their product, by … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Whirlpool Upgraded By Moody’s

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:35 PM PST

Moody's Investors Service, the credit rating agency of Moody's Corporation (NYSE:MCO) has upgraded its rating outlook on Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE:WHR) to 'Positive' from 'Stable'. At the same time, Moody's also reaffirmed its senior unsecured ratings of Baa3 – a level above the junk status.   
The upgradation in rating outlook reflects Moody's confidence in the company's efficient cost structure, better credit profile, improving demand trends across its operating … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Varian’s New Products At The ECR

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:35 PM PST

Leading integrated radiotherapy systems maker Varian Medical Systems (NYSE:VAR) will be exhibiting its new X-ray tubes and PaxScan flat panel image detectors at the ongoing European Congress of Radiology ("ECR") annual meet in Vienna, Austria. ECR is the annual meeting of the European Society of Radiology ("ESR") and is the largest radiological meeting in Europe.
Varian plans to showcase the new M-1500, its first X-ray tube designed specifically for advanced mammography applications. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Top Trade Ideas For Next Week

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:30 PM PST

 ( click to enlarge )

Priceline.com Incorporated (PCLN) broke out to new highs today on 1.5x the daily average volume. The stock has been on fire since July 2010. It’s hard to predict how far the momentum will take the stock. If you want to ride the uptrend as long as possible, you can hold the stock with a trailing stop of 10 per cent from the peak or its 50-day mvoing average. I’m using today's high of $469.74 as resistance for Monday. A break above that area could trigger further … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Option Plays: Futures Finish At A Discount

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:18 PM PST

Cusick's Corner
Stocks bounced into the After Hours, finishing the week with the cash market, Stock Indices, at a premium to the Futures. This means many longs may have potentially done some hedging into the weekend. And this leads to a discussion that I often bring up at the week's end in the Corner — protection. The choppy action, while consolidated, is something that could be expected for the next few weeks and insurance [[puts]] is still relatively cheap. With lines still being drawn … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Back-to-Back Acquisitions By Fiserv

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:05 PM PST

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV) recently announced that it has acquired Credit Union On-Line Inc. (CUOL), which has been providing data processing solutions to credit unions since 1980.
Co-owned by CEO Connie Boretti and two credit unions – RTN Federal Credit Union and Medical Area Federal Credit Union, CUOL is a credit union service organization that runs an outsourced version of the XP2 account processing solution of Fiserv. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Management stated that … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Duke Energy Focused On Carolinas

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:05 PM PST

Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) announced that it would spend $8 billion–$9 billion in the twin states of Carolina for new capital expansion projects over the period 2011–2012. The company spent more than $2 billion constructing new plants and solar farms in the Carolinas in 2010.
Duke Energy's, in the Carolinas, will also receive a boost when the ongoing merger proceedings with Progress Energy Inc. (NYSE:PGN) are completed. Earlier in January 2011, both companies have unanimously approved … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Heart Stronger As BSX, Atritech Unite

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:05 PM PST

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) has strengthened its structural heart portfolio with the acquisition of Minnesota based Atritech. Earlier, in January, the company had decided to acquire privately held Atritech for an upfront payment of $100 million.
In addition, milestone payment of up to $275 million will be made on achieving certain revenue-based targets through 2015. The transaction will dilute the company's earnings by 1 cent on an adjusted basis for the next two years and be accretive … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Anadarko’s Ghana Successes Continue

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 03:05 PM PST

Oil and gas company Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) announced the success of its Enyenra-2A (formerly known as Owo) appraisal well, offshore Ghana. The well, which encountered more than 120 net feet of pay, confirms that the Owo discovery is a major "light oil field".
The drilling results and other data confirm the total net pay at the Enyenra-2A well. The results reveal nearly 105 net feet of oil pay in high-quality sandstone reservoirs located in the upper and lower Enyenra … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Earnings Scorecard: Medco Health

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:35 PM PST

Subsequent to the release of Medco Health's (NYSE:MHS) fourth quarter and fiscal 2010 results on February 22, 2011, estimate revisions by analysts have been mixed for the forthcoming period.
Previous quarter highlights
Medco reported an EPS of 88 cents during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, up 25.7% from the year-ago quarter's 70 cents. After adjusting for amortization of intangible assets from the 2003 spin-off, the company's EPS came in 94 cents, meeting the Zacks Consensus Estimate and … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Amerisafe’s Results Poor, Outlook Dim

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:35 PM PST

Amerisafe Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMSF) fourth quarter operating earnings per share of 38 cents came in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate but were modestly ahead of 32 cents reported in the prior-year quarter.
Operating income increased 8.5% year over year to $7.1 million, primarily on lower share count. Including net realized gains of $0.1 million against $0.02 million in the year-ago period, net income for the reported quarter was $7.3 million or 39 cents per share, compared with $6.6 million or 28 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Earning Scorecard: American Tower Corp.

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:35 PM PST

American Tower Corp. (NYSE:AMT) reported mixed fourth quarter 2010 financial results. Revenue exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate but earnings per share (EPS) felt short.  The top-line growth was mainly attributable to the company's global expansion strategy.
Fourth Quarter Highlights
Fourth quarter 2010 total revenue was approximately $547.6 million, up 22.2% year over year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $537 million.
On a GAAP basis, fourth-quarter net income was $83.5 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:10 PM PST

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

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3988, up 0.14% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3712, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.4007, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 192.00K last month, from 63.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

CenturyLink-Qwest Merger On Track

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:05 PM PST

The proposed merger of Qwest Communications (NYSE:Q) and CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE:CTL) has been approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The merger was already approved by shareholders of both companies and 18 other state regulators. It has also received the antitrust clearance from the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.
Both the companies expect completion of the deal (including the pending approval of Federal Communications Commission and state regulators in Oregon … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Boeing Eyes Australian Market

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:05 PM PST

Boeing Defense Australia, a subsidiary of aerospace and defense giant The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA), and Thales Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue the Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) contract for the Australian Defense Force.
Thales is a global player in the defense, security, aerospace and transport markets. The HATS program will provide a rotary-wing training capability for Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army aircrews. Boeing expects the Australian … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:05 PM PST

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.6270, down 0.05% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.6073, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.6344, Wednesday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was down against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.18% to hit 0.8598 and GBP/JPY falling 0.21% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Closing Bell Market Monitor: COO, C, Oil Price Rally

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST

03/04/11 The latest in news, commentary, and information on what’s moving the US equities … [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: 04 Mar 2011 02:00 PM PST

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

USD/JPY was trading at 82.31, down 0.16% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.58, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 83.05, today's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and up against the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.14% to hit 1.3988 and GBP/USD falling 0.05% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Toyota Gets A Ratings Cut From The S&P

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:45 AM PST

03/04/11 On Friday, the Toyota Motor Co. received a ratings downgrade by the S&P from AA to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

EIA Reports Neutral Natgas Data

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:40 PM PST

The U.S. Energy Department’s weekly inventory release showed an in -line drop in natural gas supplies, as weakness in imports offset slightly higher production.
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, latest storage level estimates, recent weather data and other market activity or events.
The report provides an overview of the level of reserves and their … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Label Update For Shire Drug

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:40 PM PST

Recently, Shire plc (NASDAQ:SHPGY) announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved a change in the label of its drug Firazyr. Firazyr is approved for treating patients suffering from hereditary angioedema (HAE).  HAE is a rare genetic disease characterized by acute swelling of the hands, feet, face and larynx.
Following the approval of the label change by the European regulatory authorities, the label for Shire's drug will include self-administration after training in subcutaneous … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:40 PM PST

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

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3982, up 0.09% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3712, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.4007, today's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.19% to hit 0.8598 and EUR/JPY falling 0.16% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Marvell Misses Our Estimate

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:35 PM PST

Marvell Inc.(NASDAQ:MRVL) reported fourth quarter fiscal 2011 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 35 cents, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 37 cents.
 Revenue
Marvell reported revenues of $900.5 million in the fourth quarter, up 7.0% from $842.5 million in the prior-year quarter. The quarter's revenue was below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $924.0 million and was at the lower end of the company's guidance range of $900.0–$950.0 million. The fourth quarter was affected to some … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Genzyme Sells Non-Core Biz

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:35 PM PST

Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ:GENZ) recently announced the sale of its pharmaceutical intermediates business to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG). Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Genzyme had initially announced its intention to divest its genetic testing, diagnostic products and pharmaceutical intermediates businesses in May 2010. While the company sold its genetic testing business to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (NYSE:LH) for $925 million, the diagnostic products … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Revenues Rise At Allos

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:35 PM PST

Allos Therapeutics Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ALTH) fourth quarter 2010 loss of $0.17 was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.18 per share. The year-ago loss was $0.22 per share. The lower loss per share was attributable to the higher revenues recorded in the final quarter of 2010 driven by increased sales of Allos' only marketed product Folotyn (pralatrexate injection). The higher revenues more than offset the rise in operating expenses.
Quarterly Results
The company recorded $11.7 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Earnings Scorecard: Public Storage

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:35 PM PST

Public Storage (NYSE:PSA), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT) operating self-storage facilities, reported fiscal 2010 fourth quarter recurring funds from operations (FFO) of $1.45 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8 cents.
(Funds from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.)
We cover below the results of the recent earnings announcement, as … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:30 PM PST

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.6264, down 0.09% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.6073, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.6344, Wednesday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 192.00K last month, from 63.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised … [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: 04 Mar 2011 01:20 PM PST

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

USD/JPY was trading at 82.30, down 0.17% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 81.58, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 83.05, today's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and up against the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.13% to hit 1.3987 and GBP/USD falling 0.03% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Three-legged Bull Prepares For A PNC Rally

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:17 PM PST

Three-legged bull prepares for a PNC rally
Today’s tickers: PNC, CEDC, SPLS & GILD
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE:PNC) – Shares in the financial services firm are down 1.00% at $60.34 in early-afternoon trade, but activity in May contract call and put options suggests one strategist sees shares in PNC rising sharply in the next few months. The three-legged bullish player appears to have sold 5,000 puts at the May $55 strike for a premium of 1.39 each, purchased the same number of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

U.S. Markets Close Lower; Dow Jones Down 0.72%

Posted: 04 Mar 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 0.72%, the S&P 500 index shed 0.74%, while the Nasdaq 100 index declined 0.50%.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. non-farm payrolls rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 192.00K last month, from 63.00K in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from 36.00K.

Analysts had expected U.S. non-farm payrolls to rise 180.00K … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

SEC Probes Shady Loan Reforms

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:05 PM PST

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is scrutinizing an unknown number of regional and community banks, in an attempt to detect if these have resorted to off beam accounting practices in their troubled commercial real estate loan modifications, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The banking industry has already been hit hard by a significant amount of troubled loans offered during the credit explosion. A significant amount of these loans are still alive and, must under any … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Veolia’s EPS Decline, Revs Grow

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:05 PM PST

Veolia Environnement (NYSE:VE) announced its fiscal 2010 financial results. The company’s 2010 operating earnings per share declined 6.4% to €1.24 from €1.29 in 2009.
Earnings per share, as per GAAP, during the year were €1.21 in 2010 versus €1.24 in 2009. The difference between GAAP and operating earnings was due to the impact of discontinued operations.
Total Revenue
In 2010, the total revenue of the company was €34.78 billion versus €33.95 billion in 2009, reflecting a growth of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Fundamental Shift: Transparent Hospital Pricing

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 01:05 PM PST

From today’s Detroit Free Press, “Shopping Comes to Health Care: More Hospitals Post Prices, Negotiate Costs”:

“As out-of-pocket costs for health care increase, some of the most significant changes in decades are coming to hospitals to meet the demand for price information. Three Michigan hospital systems — Ford, Dearborn’s Oakwood Healthcare and Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids — post average prices for common tests and procedures, from X-rays to back surgery. Ford and Oakwood have … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

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

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:45 PM PST

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.6268, down 0.06% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.6073, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.6344, Wednesday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was down against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.17% to hit 0.8597 and GBP/JPY falling 0.18% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Striking Fall In Gap Comps

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:35 PM PST

The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) reported a decrease of 3% in same-store sales for the four-week period ended February 26, 2011. Results substantially lagged 4% growth in February 2010.
The decline in same-store sales stemmed from International reporting a 7% decrease and Banana Republic North America reporting a 4% fall. Gap North America suffered a 1% slip and Old Navy North America another 4% dip.
The company reported net sales of $821 million in February 2011, compared with $838 million in the year-ago … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Disappointing Data From Amylin

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:35 PM PST

Shares of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMLN) lost more than 25% when the company released disappointing data on Bydureon (exenatide once-weekly) from a head-to-head study. Bydureon failed to achieve its primary endpoint of non-inferiority in the DURATION-6 study, which compared Bydureon with Novo Nordisk's (NYSE:NVO) Victoza.
Results showed that patients in the Bydureon arm achieved a reduction of 1.3 percentage points in A1C levels compared to a reduction of 1.5 percentage points in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Nordstrom Comparables Rise

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:35 PM PST

Same-store sales at Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE:JWN) grew by 7.3% for the four-week period ended February 26, 2011. Total retail sales in February 2011 improved 12.3% to $606 million from $539 million in February 2010.
As of March 3, 2011, Nordstrom had 115 stores, 87 Nordstrom Racks, 2 Jeffrey boutiques and 1 clearance store. Same-store sales at Nordstrom stores (includes Nordstrom full-line stores and Direct) increased 9.6% in February while Nordstrom Rack edged up 1.6%.
Guidance
The company … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Hot Option Plays: Running Late

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:19 PM PST

Cusick Corner
Running late today, I apologize. This is the consolidation that I had been discussing since last week, the market looks content at this stage to stay in a range, S&P 1300-1340. While this is frustrating, it is important for traders and investors to keep an eye on both volatility (VIX relatively low at 18) and market sentiment (Put/Call Ratio on OEX at 1 neutral) to help gauge sentiment and fear or lack thereof. If you have been spreading off your trading convictions then you … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Forex – USD/CAD Up In U.S. Trade

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:05 PM PST

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

USD/CAD was trading at 0.9722, up 0.05% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9684, Tuesday's low, and resistance at 0.9790, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and up against the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.13% to hit 1.3987 and GBP/USD falling 0.10% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Crude Oil At The Key 100 Level Intraday

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:57 AM PST

Keeping with the simplicity theme, it's often very informative to watch price as it interacts (tests) a critical "psychological" technical level – for example, $100 for Crude Oil.
Let's take a look at the current and past "power plays" crude oil has made at this key Bull/Bear Battle-Zone:

Technical Analysis (charting) doesn't have to be complicated – particularly for the short-term trader.
As price interacts with a critical, well-known reference level, you can play moves AWAY … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Monetary Policy Week In Review – 5 March 2011

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:56 AM PST

The past week saw 11 central bank monetary policy announcements, with 4 rate changes; all increases, and all emerging and developing markets. The banks that reviewed policy and held were: Australia, Canada, Poland, the EU, Indonesia, Mexico, and West Africa. Those that increased rates were: Azerbaijan +200bps, Brazil +50bps, Tajikistan +75bps, and the Dominican Republic +100bps. Other policy moves included a+25bps increase to the required reserve rate for banks in Peru. Other notable events in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The Warp Speed NFLX Calendar

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:53 AM PST

When considering the specific architecture of the various option trades that occupy an option trader's day, the overriding consideration is to put as many factors at your back as possible. Remember that the trades are impacted by the three primal forces of the option traders' world: price of the underlying, time to expiration, and implied volatility. Trades designed to maximize the positive effect of each of these variables have a much higher probability of success.
One commonly used … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Stock Market Summary For Friday, March 4, 2011 Special Alert UUP And EUO

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:38 AM PST

We are going to add to our watch list another position in the PowerShares Double US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (symbol: UUP) at the current price of $21.94 and another position in the ProShares UltraShort Euro (symbol: EUO) at the current price of $18.38. We have now averaged into these two ETFs four … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

Mexico Central Bank Holds Rate At 4.50%

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:24 AM PST

Banco de Mexico maintained the overnight interest-rate target at 4.50%, however the Bank cited rising agricultural commodity prices and tensions in the middle east as increasing upside inflation risk and rising uncertainty. Mexico saw inflation of 3.78% in January, versus 4.4% in December, which was above the central bank’s 3% official inflation target. The Mexican economy grew 4.6% year-on-year in Q4 2010, compared to 5.3% growth in the third … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The VIX And The Powerful 200 Day SMA

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 11:18 AM PST

Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the most difference/impact.
Take for example the daily VIX – Volatility Index – and its 200 day Simple Moving Average:

While there are other standard indicators on the chart, let me call your attention to the flat red line – the 200 day simple moving average.
The VIX broke sharply through the 200d SMA initially in April 2010 and in a big way early May (think "Flash Crash") as Volatility Surged and price (stocks) collapsed.
The VIX fell … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates

The U.S. Golden Asset

Posted: 03 Mar 2011 10:00 PM PST

I appeared on CNBC's "Street Signs" yesterday to discuss gold and how the U.S. government may be able to use its stockpile of gold to soften its $1 trillion deficit. The idea was first put forward by Daniel Gross, economics editor for Yahoo! Finance, who also appeared on the program.
On Wednesday, Daniel published an article "America's Secret Asset" which laid out the case for the U.S. government selling off a piece of its gold reserves. In the article, Gross points out that the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Best CD Rates
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