Thursday, April 28, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - Student Loan Debt Hell: 21 Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Going To College

DailyMarkets.com - Student Loan Debt Hell: 21 Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Going To College

Student Loan Debt Hell: 21 Statistics That Will Make You Think Twice About Going To College

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 05:56 PM PDT

Is going to college a worthwhile investment? Is the education that our young people are receiving at our colleges and universities really worth all of the time, money and effort that is required? Decades ago, a college education was quite inexpensive and it was almost an automatic ticket to the middle class. But today all of that has changed. At this point, college education is a big business. There are currently more than 18 million students enrolled at the nearly 5,000 colleges and … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

PCE Core Inflation Close To 50-Year Low Of 0.9%

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 05:09 PM PDT

According to today’s BEA report, the annual inflation rate for Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) for the first quarter of 2011 is 1.6%, well below (less than half) of the average 3.6% rate back to 1960 (see top chart above).  Annual inflation for the PCE Index less food and energy is 0.90% for the first quarter, just slightly higher than the 0.8% in QIV 2010, which was 0.8% (see bottom chart above).  The only two quarters in more than fifty years going back to 1960 when the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Up In Asian Trade

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:50 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The New Zealand Dollar was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.<br/><br/> NZD/USD was trading at 0.8032, up 0.10% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 0.7972, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 0.8107, Wednesday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was up against the Australian Dollar and down against the Euro, with AUD/NZD shedding 0.04% to hit 1.3613 and EUR/NZD rising … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Cincinnati Financial Beats

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:37 PM PDT

Cincinnati Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CINF) registered first quarter 2011 operating earnings of 33 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents, on the basis of higher earned premiums in its property and casualty business. The earnings, however, remained below 39 cents reported in the comparable quarter last year.
Revenue of $929 million also topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $918 million and grew 5% year over year, led by higher earned premiums.
Segment Results
The Commercial … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Safeway Gets Encouraged

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:37 PM PDT

Safeway Inc. (NYSE:SWY) reported EPS of 7 cents during the first quarter of fiscal 2011. However, repatriation of $1.1 billion from Safeway’s Canadian subsidiary resulted in $80.2 million tax charge (22 cents per share) during the quarter.
After adjusting for this charge, the company's adjusted EPS came in at 29 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 28 cents and 16% higher than the year-ago quarter's 26 cents.
The company reported sales of $9.8 billion during the quarter, exceeding … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Affymetrix Profits, Misses Sales

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:37 PM PDT

Genetic products maker Affymetrix Inc (NASDAQ:AFFX) has turned in a modest profit in first-quarter fiscal 2011 helped by lower costs, which offset a decline in its top-line.
The California-based company posted a profit of $39,000 (or break-even earnings) in the quarter versus a net loss of $9.6 million (or 14 cents a share) a year-ago. The results were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Revenues
Revenues clipped 8% year over year to $73.7 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $75 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Humana To Pay Dividend; Ups Outlook

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:37 PM PDT

As a result of the health care sector’s latest restrictions, Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) plans to offer a quarterly dividend, besides raising the fiscal year 2011 forecast.
Accordingly, Humana's Board has initiated a quarterly cash dividend of 25 cents per share, payable on July 28 to shareholders of record on June 30. On an annual basis, the payout will represent a yield of nearly 1.4% based on April 25′s closing stock price.
Humana is expected to spend about $42.5 million per quarter on its new … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Using The TSI To Nail Both The BUY And The SELL

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:03 PM PDT

I wasn’t going to do this, but a reader asked me if I would mind making a chart to show how I used the True Strength Index (TSI) to buy and sell my Great Panther Silver (GPL) trade. You may recall that I sold my position from my TSI Trader account yesterday.  What I did not tell you was that in another account I had doubled this position and had not sold any shares – well, not until today, that is.

Click on the chart to ENLARGE

This is a 15 minute chart of Great Panther Silver … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

IPG 1Q Improves, Beats Estimate

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:00 PM PDT

The Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG) reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2011 with net results improving compared with the year-ago quarter. Net loss per share reported was 10 cents, an improvement over a loss of 15 cents in the first quarter of 2011 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 11 cents.
Revenue
Revenue in the first quarter escalated 10.3% year over year to $1.47 billion and was also above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,445 million.
Organic growth in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Time Warner Cable Posts Solid 1Q

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) reported solid first-quarter 2011 financial results, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimates. Both the Commercial and Residential subscription revenue grew simultaneously with the Advertising revenue.
EPS
Quarterly GAAP net income was $325 million or 93 cents per share compared with a net income of $214 million or 60 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. First-quarter 2011 adjusted (excluding special items) EPS of $1.01 cents was higher than the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Tractor Supply Reiterated Neutral

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:59 PM PDT

We are maintaining our long-term Neutral recommendation on Tractor Supply Company (TSCO).
Tractor Supply is the largest operator of farm and ranch stores in the U.S., a unique market niche that serve the lifestyle needs of recreational farmers and ranchers. The company's stores are strategically located in small towns, close to its target customers, which provide a competitive edge over its rivals.  
Tractor Supply has successfully tweaked merchandise assortment across its stores in line … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Sales Swell At Celgene

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Celgene Corporation's (NASDAQ:CELG) first quarter 2011 earnings (excluding special items but including stock-based compensation expense) of $0.71 per share were below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.02 but exceeded the year-ago earnings by $0.17.
On a reported basis (including special items), the company's earnings increased 8% to $0.54. Higher revenues boosted earnings in the quarter.
Adjusted revenues climbed 40% to $1.11 billion in the first quarter of 2011. Revenues were boosted by the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Fiserv Misses Zacks Estimate

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Fiserv Inc.  (NASDAQ:FISV) reported adjusted income from continuing operations of $151 million (excluding items) or $1.02 per share in the first quarter of 2011, which was up 7% year over year.
However, the reported figure missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.04.
Including one-time items, net income from continuing operations came in at $114 million, down 7% year over year.
Revenues
Revenues came in at $1.05 billion in the first quarter of 2011, up 4% from the year-ago quarter and ahead of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Lincoln Electric Beats Consensus

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LECO) delivered adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.00 in its first quarter ended March 31, 2011, ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents and 72% above EPS of 58 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted EPS for both quarters excludes the per share effect of special items, such as charges associated with severance and other costs related to the consolidation of manufacturing operations initiated in 2009. These were excluded from the results of both … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Yahoo! Email Suffers Partial Outage

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:55 PM PDT

04/28/11 Yahoo Mail experienced a partial outage, affecting some users of the free email … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Up On Economic Data

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:55 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The New Zealand Dollar was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of N.Z. data on Trade Balance.<br/><br/> NZD/USD was trading at 0.8042, up 0.23% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 0.7972, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 0.8107, Wednesday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Earlier in the day, data showed that New Zealand&rsquo;s trade balance rose more-than-expected to a seasonally … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

New Zealand’s Trade Balance Rises More-than-expected

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:55 PM PDT

Forex Pros – New Zealand&rsquo;s trade balance rose more-than-expected last month, data showed on Thursday.<br/><br/>In a report, Statistics New Zealand said that the trade balance rose to a seasonally adjusted 464M, from 193M in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from 194M.<br/><br/>Analysts had expected the trade balance to rise 204M last … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

CMS Beats On EPS, Reaffirms Outlook

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:42 PM PDT

Michigan-based CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:CMS) announced adjusted earnings for the first quarter 2011 of 51 cents per share, compared with 38 cents in the year-ago quarter. The results of the company were higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents by 7 cents. Performance in the reported quarter was boosted by a colder winter in Michigan.
On a reported basis, the company clocked earnings of 52 cents per share versus 34 cents in the year-ago quarter. The variance of a penny between … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Aflac Profits Up, Top Line Weak

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:42 PM PDT

Aflac Inc.'s (NYSE:AFL) first quarter operating earnings per share of $1.63 came in modestly higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.52 and $1.41 reported in the year-ago quarter.
Earnings in the reported quarter excluded after-tax realized investment gains from securities transactions of $357 million or 75 cents per share compared with $41 million or 8 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Additionally, impact of derivative and hedging activities was worth negative $19 million or 4 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

NII Holdings Reported Mixed 1Q11

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:42 PM PDT

Latin American wireless operator NII Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:NIHD) declared mixed financial results for the first quarter of 2011. However, during the reported quarter, the company generated significant growth of subscribers. 
Quarterly net income was $96.8 million or 56 cents per share compared with a net income of $48.5 million or 28 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. First-quarter 2011 EPS of 56 cents falls below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 60 cents.
Quarterly total revenue was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

$60B TARP In Store

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:42 PM PDT

According to a top Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) watchdog, the Treasury still has the capacity to spend $60 billion of taxpayers' money for TARP to support housing and other programs, MarketWatch reported today. The program was initiated two years ago to rescue the nation's financial industry.
Considering the success of the program, it should not be a concern if the Treasury drains its TARP account. Moreover, this investment might even earn a decent profit like other investments … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Harsco Beats Zacks Estimate

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:42 PM PDT

Harsco Corporation (NYSE:HSC) posted an EPS of 15 cents from continuing operations in the first quarter of fiscal 2011, compared with 10 cents  in the year-earlier quarter. The results surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 4 cents per share.
Based in Pennsylvania, Harsco Corporation is a diversified, multinational provider of market- leading industrial services and engineered products to a variety of industries that are fundamental to the world's economic growth and … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

J&J To Acquire Synthes

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:41 PM PDT

In order to strengthen its medical device portfolio, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) recently announced its intention to acquire Synthes, Inc. for $21.3 billion. The companies entered into a definitive agreement under which Johnson & Johnson will acquire Synthes for CHF159 per share.
Terms of the Agreement
Per the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by the Boards of both companies, each Synthes share will be exchanged for a combination of cash (CHF55.65) and stock (CHF103.35 in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The Day Ahead: Earnings – Caterpillar, Chevron, DR Horton, Merck; U. Of Michigan Consumer Sentiment, US Personal Income And Spending, Chicago PMI

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:20 PM PDT

04/28/11 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 Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Will Consumers Stay Strong?

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:19 PM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
The lack of follow through and leadership from critical sectors, Financials (XLF) & Tech (XLK), has left traders a bit on edge. Housing really was a boost to the market but not nearly enough to be the catalyst for further upside. The market has been able to finish in the green all of this week and technically poised for further upside but we do have data that is due out tomorrow, Personal Income & Spending, followed later in the session by the Michigan Sentiment. As … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

EQT Beats On Volume Growth

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) reported first quarter earnings from continuing operations of 67 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11 cents. Results compare favorably with 65 cents earned in the prior year quarter. 
Including a gain on the sale of the Langley natural gas processing complex and a reduction of certain non-income tax accruals of 15 cents in the quarter, the company reported net income of 82 cents.
Operational Update
Operating revenue in the quarter under review … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Solid Quarter At Bristol-Myers

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company's (NYSE:BMY) first quarter 2011 earnings (excluding special items) of $0.58 per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.05 and the year-ago earnings by $0.02. Higher revenues boosted earnings in the reported quarter. On a reported basis (including special items), Bristol-Myers' earnings in the quarter increased 33% to $0.57 per share. The healthcare reform enacted in 2010 negatively impacted earnings in the reported quarter by $0.03.
Net sales in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Rite Aid Comps Inch Up

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Leading drugstore chain operator Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) reported a marginal increase of 0.5% in same-store sales for the four weeks ended April 23, 2011. Results improved marginally from a decline of 0.1% in March 2011.
For the month of April, front-end same-store sales decreased 0.4%. Pharmacy same-store sales in the month improved 1.0% despite a 133 basis point headwind from new generic introductions. Prescriptions count increased 0.7% at comparable stores.
Total drugstore sales … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

SAP Underperforms

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) reported first quarter2011 earnings per share from continuing operations of €0.34 (46 cents) which were below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 65 cents. Total revenues were €3.02 billion ($4.12 billion) below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.17 billion.
Software revenue was €583 million, an increase of 26% year over year.
Software and software-related service revenue was €2.33 billion, an increase of 20%.
Operating profit was €597 million, an increase of 7%. Operating … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

DENTSPLY Beats, Guides Low

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Leading dental products maker DENTSPLY International (NASDAQ:XRAY) posted first-quarter fiscal 2011 adjusted (excluding one-time items) earnings per share of 49 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny while surpassing the year-ago adjusted earnings of 44 cents.
Net income (attributable to the company) for the quarter soared 11.7% year over year to $69.1 million (or 48 cents a share) on the back of higher sales and lower restructuring costs.
Revenues
Net sales rose 4.5% year over year … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Host Hotels Reports In-Line

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:13 PM PDT

Host Hotels & Resorts Inc. (HST) reported first quarter 2011 FFO (funds from operations) of $77 million or 11 cents per share, compared to $49 million or 8 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter.
Fund 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. Recurring FFO for the quarter stood at 12 cents per share compared to 9 cents in the year earlier quarter. The first … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

CME Group Beats On Revenues

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:12 PM PDT

CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) reported its first quarter earnings of $292 million or $4.36 per share, way ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.18. The earnings also surpassed the prior-year earnings of $240 million or $3.62 per share.
The improved result in the reported quarter was primarily attributable to strong volumes and robust revenues, which also led to solid bottom-line results.
The net operating earnings in the first quarter of 2011 excludes the $164 million benefit within tax expense … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Flextronics Disappoints

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:12 PM PDT

Flextronics International Ltd.(NASDAQ:FLEX) reported fourth quarter 2011 earnings per share of 19 cents (including stock-based compensation but excluding intangible amortization and restructuring charges), missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents.
Earnings improved 35.7% from the prior-year quarter, but were below the guidance range of 21 cents to 23 cents.
For fiscal year 2011, Flextronics had earned 80 cents per share, up 73.9% from the year-ago quarter but again short of the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

JAKKS Beats Top And Bottom Lines

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 03:12 PM PDT

JAKKS Pacific Inc. (NASDAQ:JAKK) reported a first quarter 2011 loss of 39 cents per share, an inch narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 40 cents. 
The result compares to a 37-cent loss per share in the prior-year quarter.
The company reported a 6.5% year-over-year decrease in revenues to $72.3 million. The quarter's revenue, however, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $67.0 million.
Gross margin expanded 100 bps to 33.6%, despite persistent cost pressures and a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The Oil Company Gusher

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:47 PM PDT

Exxon-Mobil's first quarter earnings of $10.7 billion are up 69 percent from last year. That's the most profit the company has earned since the third quarter of 2008 — perhaps not coincidentally, around the time when gas prices last reached the lofty $4 a gallon.
This gusher is an embarrassment for an industry seeking to keep its $4 billion annual tax subsidy from the U.S. government, at a time when we're cutting social programs to reduce the budget deficit.
It's specially … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Quick Charting The Russell And NASDAQ At New Highs

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:46 PM PDT

If you're focusing all of your attention on either the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Index, there's a major headline you might be missing:
The Russell 2000 Broke to New Lifetime Highs while the NASDAQ Index Broke to New Recovery Highs.
The Russell 2000 is comprised mostly of Small-Cap Companies while the NASDAQ is mostly comprised of technology-related companies.
Here – let's start with the Monthly simple view of the Russell 2000:

For reference, the all-time high for the Russell 2000 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Teradyne Misses On Bottom Line

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:42 PM PDT

Teradyne Inc. (NYSE:TER) reported disappointing first quarter results that missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Teradyne's adjusted earnings per share missed by 3 cents, or 8.3%, on revenue that exceeded by 3.3%.
The weak first quarter results and disappointing guidance caused share prices to slump 4.81% in after-hours trading.
Revenue
Revenue of $377.2 million was up 21.6% sequentially and 14.4% from December 2010. Teradyne has seen very strong year-over-year growth in revenues in each of the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Equifax Matches EPS, Misses Rev

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:42 PM PDT

Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX) posted first quarter 2011 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 58 cents, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and up 9.4% from the year-ago quarter. The adjusted EPS excludes acquisition-related amortization expense. The earnings improvement was fueled by growth across all revenue segments and increased demand for new products.
Revenue
Revenue grew 6.7% year over year to $472.6 million, but missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $474.0 million. The year-over-year … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

WPPGY’s 1Q11 Trading Update

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:42 PM PDT

Ireland-based advertising giant WPP Group plc. (NASDAQ:WPPGY), released its trading update for the first quarter of 2011,on April 28. The company reported its top-line year-over -year growth of 7.0% to £2,223 million (US$3,557 million).
Revenue growth was attributed to strength across all geographical regions and communication services sector. On a constant currency basis, revenue grew by approximately 8.4%. Excluding the impact of acquisitions and currency fluctuations, revenue was up 6.7% in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Lincoln Outshines Across Board

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

Lincoln National Corporation's (NYSE:LNC) first quarter operating earnings per share of $1.08 came in substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 92 cents and 83 cents recorded in the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, operating income surged 26.6% year over year to $349.5 million.
Conversely, net income for the reported quarter, available to common shareholders, was $339.4 million or $1.05 per share compared with $265.0 million or 85 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. GAAP net … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Equinix Tops On Higher Revenues

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

Equinix Inc. (EQIX) reported first-quarter 2011 earnings per share of 55 cents, comprehensively beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 30 cents.
Revenues
Revenues in the first quarter were $363.0 million, up 46.0% from the comparable period last year and 5.0% from the previous quarter. Reported revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $355.0 million as well as the company's guidance.
The quarterly revenue of the company includes non-recurring benefits of about $4.0 million. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

SurModics Beats Sales, Ups View

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

SurModics Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SRDX) second quarter fiscal 2011 earnings (excluding special items) of $0.08 per share were well ahead of break-even earnings suggested by the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, earnings fell short of the year-ago figure of $0.10. The weak year-over-year performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 was attributable to lower revenues.
Revenues on an adjusted basis dropped 4.9% year over year to $17.4 million in the reported quarter. Revenues, however, surpassed the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Zimmer Beats On All Fronts

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

Zimmer Holdings (NYSE:ZMH) reported an EPS of $1.08 during the first quarter of fiscal 2011 compared with $1.01 in the year-ago quarter. However, after considering certain adjustments, the EPS was $1.19, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 and $1.02 in the first quarter of fiscal 2010.
Zimmer reported revenues of $1,116 million during the quarter, 5% higher than the year-ago period (3.3% at constant exchange rates, CER) and beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,093 million. On a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Waste Management Misses Estimates

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:WM) recorded a decline in profit to $186 million or 39 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011 from $199 million or 41 cents per share (excluding an after-tax charge related to the partial withdrawal from a Teamsters' underfunded multiemployer pension plan) in the year-ago quarter. The profit was lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents per share.
Revenues increased 6% to $3.10 billion in the quarter, driven by strong yield in collection and disposal … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Medco Sound Overall, Misses Revs

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:28 PM PDT

Medco Health Solutions (NYSE:MHS) reported an EPS of 80 cents during the first quarter of fiscal 2011, up 19.4% from the year-ago quarter's 67 cents. After adjusting for amortization of intangible assets, the company's EPS came in at 91 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 88 cents and 19.7% higher than the year-ago quarter's 76 cents.
Medco, the leading pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), recorded an increase of 4.3% in revenues on a year over year basis to $17.0 billion, marginally … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Shell Delivers Royal Quarter

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT

Europe's largest oil company Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A) reported better-than-expected first quarter 2011 results, thanks to higher oil prices, better refining margins and the group's robust operating performance.  
Earnings per ADR (on a current cost of supplies basis), excluding one-time items and gains or losses from inventories, came in at $2.04, significantly ahead of the year-ago result of $1.57 and also exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.86. Revenues were up 27.7% to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

CONSOL Beats Estimates

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT

Diversified fuel producer CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE:CNX) posted first quarter 2011 adjusted earnings of 84 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 78 cents. This outperformance was seen on the back of robust revenue growth at the company's Coal Division.
Company-wide sales revenue grew 18.2% in the first quarter, boasting record revenues of $1.465 billion, driven by higher-than-expected coal sales coupled with favorable coal prices. CONSOL's first quarter revenue also showed … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Montpelier Betters Estimate

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT

Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:MRH) reported first quarter 2011 operating loss of $1.90 per share, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate loss of $2.08. The loss, however, was wider than the loss of 31 cents incurred in the prior-year period. Operating loss was $119 million, compared with a loss of $23.1 million in the year-ago quarter.
The quarter suffered largely due to huge catastrophe losses coupled with significant increase in expense as well as lower investment income.
The company … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Motorola Solutions Thrives In 1Q11

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT

Motorola Solutions Inc. (MSI) reported excellent financial results for the first quarter of 2011. Both top-line and bottom-line easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimates. Sales increased in all four geographic regions of the company.
Furthermore, on April 21, 2011, Nokia Siemens Network, a 50-50 joint venture between Nokia Corp. (NYSE:NOK) and Siemens AG (NYSE:SI), received the Chinese regulatory clearance to acquire wireless network infrastructure assets of Motorola Solutions. This was the last … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Focusing On The Five Prior SPX Daily Rallies And The Aftermath

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:25 PM PDT

As chartists, we have a tendency to over-complicate the simple price chart with a plethora of indicators and overlays.
We're all guilty of this, and the solution is to take a brief moment to look at a pure price chart of a stock or index (or ETF).
When you do that, you tend to see things that you might otherwise miss.
For example, let's take a look at five recent multi-day rallies in the S&P 500 and the resulting rally that continued from the strong two or three day rally phase:

As … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Noble Energy Tops, Reviews Guidance

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Noble Energy Inc. (NYSE:NBL) reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.35 for the first quarter of 2011, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.16. The quarterly results were way above the year-ago earnings of 78 cents per share reported by the company.
The year-over-year growth in earnings was mainly driven by a 9% increase in sales volume.
Revenue
Noble Energy’s net revenue of $899 million in the first quarter was way above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $800 million and 22.6% … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Cardinal Beats On All Fronts

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) reported third-quarter fiscal 2011 (ended March 31) adjusted (excluding one-time expenses) earnings per share of 75 cents, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 69 cents as well as the year-ago earnings of 61 cents per share. Net income from continuing operations (as reported) grew 11% year over year to $249.5 million (or 71 cents a share).
Revenues
Total revenues were $26.1 billion in the reported quarter, up about 7% year over year, beating the Zacks Consensus … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

O’Reilly Gets Highly Profitable

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT

O'Reilly Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) revealed a 21% increase in profit to $118.4 million (excluding the impact of the charges relating to the company’s new financing plan) in the first quarter of 2011 from $97.5 million in the same quarter of 2010. This is equivalent to earnings of 83 cents per share during the quarter, up from 70 cents per share in the first quarter of 2010 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 78 cents per share.
The company's results were attributable to solid consolidated … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Merck KGaA Beats, Raises Outlook

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Merck KGaA (MKGAF) posted first quarter 2011 earnings of $2.78 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.13 and the year-ago earnings of $2.01. Higher revenues helped boost the quarter's earnings.
Revenues
Revenues for the reported quarter jumped 22.1% (in local currency), driven primarily by the acquisition of Millipore Corp. last year and increased pharmaceutical sales.
The company operates under two heads: Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals. The Pharmaceutical division, in turn, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Owens-Illinois Beats Zacks Estimates

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Owens-Illinois Inc. (NYSE:OI) delivered adjusted EPS of 47 cents in its first quarter ended March 31, 2011, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 45 cents.
However, the result dropped a penny from 48 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted EPS excluded a 3-cent restructuring charge. Including the said charge, the company reported EPS of 44 cents, compared with 48 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Total revenue rose 11% year over year to $1,719 million and outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Closing Bell Market Monitor: PG, S, CEG, XOM, MSFT

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 09:00 AM PDT

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

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:55 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4824, up 0.24% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4494, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4882, today&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.21% to hit 0.8911 and EUR/JPY falling 0.53% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

MDCO Beats By A Wide Margin

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

The Medicines Company (NASDAQ:MDCO) reported a first-quarter profit of 60 cents per share, including the impact of stock-based compensation expense. First quarter profit was well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 39 cents and the year-ago profit of 19 cents.
Performance was boosted by higher revenues. Revenues, up 9.8% at $112.1 million, surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $110 million.
The Quarter in Detail
Angiomax US sales increased 9.7% to $105 million during the first quarter. During … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Growth Picks Up At CTS Corporation

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Ken Nagy, CFA
Growth Picks up at CTS Corporation

CTS Corporation (CTS) designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells electronic components and sensors worldwide. The company has diversified its EMS business over the past several years to markets such as medical, defense and aerospace, and industrial. The faster growing Components and Sensors  segment has found new customers and new markets for existing products. This should be a tail wind for CTS.

On April 26, 2011 the firm announced its … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Dominion Beats EPS, Revs Short

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Dominion Resources Inc. (NYSE:D) reported first quarter 2011 operating earnings of 93 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus estimate of 91 cents. Results were however lower versus the year-ago operating earnings of 96 cents.
On a reported basis the company clocked earnings per share of 82 cents in the reported quarter versus 29 cents in the year-ago quarter. The variance of 11 cents between the reported and operating earnings in the quarter came mainly after considering an impairment charge for … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Shutterfly Tops, Loss Widens

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Shutterfly Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY) reported adjusted first-quarter 2011 loss of 15 cents per share, handily beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 26 cents but deteriorating from the year-earlier loss of 7 cents. The results came in line with its own guidance range of a loss of 17 cents to 14 cents per share.
On a GAAP basis, loss came in at 27 cents versus 18 cents in comparable quarter prior year and was within the company's guidance range of loss of 30 cents to 26 cents per share. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

LSI Corp. Beats Easily

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

LSI Corporation (NYSE:LSI) generated revenues of $473 million from continuing operations in the first quarter of 2011, flat year over year and up 0.4% sequentially.
On March 9, LSI entered into a definitive agreement to sell its external storage systems business to NetApp, Inc. The transaction will be completed in May.
Including operations from the storage systems, LSI generated revenues of $629 million, down 1% year over year and down 5.3% sequentially, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Higher Output Boosts Cabot

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Independent energy exploration and production ("E&P") company Cabot Oil and Gas (NYSE:COG) reported first quarter earnings per share (excluding special items) of 20 cents, ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 12 cents, while revenue of $209.0 million was ahead of our expectation of $192.0 million. The positive results can be attributed to higher production.
However, Texas-based Cabot's adjusted income declined from the year-ago level of 30 cents, while revenue was down 3.4% year over … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Norfolk Outperforms

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE:NSC), the leading U.S. railroad company, reported adjusted first quarter earnings of $1.00 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 90 cents. Adjusted earnings per share shot up 33% from 75 cents in the year-ago quarter. Earnings were primarily driven by accelerated growth in rail shipments.
Total revenue improved 17% year over year to $2,620 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate $2.470 million. The increase in revenue was driven by higher revenue … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Franklin Runs Ahead Of Estimates

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Franklin Resources Inc.'s (NYSE:BEN) second-quarter 2011 earnings of $2.25 per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.00 per share. Results reflected strong growth in revenue and higher assets under management (AUM), partially offset by increased operating expenses.
Moreover, the results were ahead of earnings of $1.55 per share in the prior-year quarter and $2.23 per share in the prior quarter.
Net income was $503.1 million in the quarter, compared with $501.2 million in the prior … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Dun & Bradstreet Beats By 2c

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

A provider of business information, Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (NYSE:DNB) reported first quarter earnings before non-core gains and one-time charges of $1.29 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.27.
Operating Performance
Earnings per share (EPS) on a pro forma basis were flat year over year. Net income, before non-core gains and one-time charges, was $64.5 million, down 3.0% year over year, with net margin falling 70 basis points (bps) to 16.0%.
In the first quarter, GAAP … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Capella Beats On Bottom-Line

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:42 PM PDT

Capella Education Company (NASDAQ:CPLA), the provider of online education, recently delivered better-than-expected first-quarter 2011 results. The quarterly earnings of 97 cents a share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 82 cents, and grew 9% from 89 cents earned in the prior-year quarter. Management hinted that the growth in enrollment and revenue was marginally above expectations, which lends support to the bottom-line.
On a reported basis, including one-time items, earnings came in at 90 cents … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Microsoft Beats, But Modestly

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:41 PM PDT

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) reported fiscal 3rd quarter earnings after the closing bell today. On the headline things look pretty good — EPS of 61 cents per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 56 cents, and revenues of $16.43 billion beat the $16.19 billion expected.

However, the earnings beat is tied to a tax benefit worth 5 cents per share, which can thus be seen as Microsoft merely meeting expectations. Sales in the Consumer and Entertainment & Devices businesses were lackluster … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:40 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Thursday.<br/><br/> USD/JPY was trading at 81.49, down 0.79% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 81.27, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 82.78, Wednesday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.24% to hit 1.4824 and GBP/USD rising 0.07% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Potash Beats Consensus

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (NYSE:POT) earned 84 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011, outperforming the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 80 cents per share. Earnings increased 71% from last year’s 49 cents per share.
Quarterly sales shot up 28.6% to $2,204 million from $1,714 million in the first quarter of 2010 and outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,981 million.
Segment Review:
Potash: The segment was the star performer in the first quarter, producing 50% ($1,109 million) … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4826, up 0.25% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4494, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4882, today&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 429K … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

U.S. Markets Mixed At Close; Dow Jones Up 0.57%

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:10 PM PDT

Forex Pros – U.S. stocks were mixed after the closing bell on Thursday.<br/><br/> At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.57%, the S&P 500 index gained 0.36%, while the Nasdaq 100 index declined 0.15%.<br/><br/> Earlier in the day, industry data showed that Pending home sales in the U.S. rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 5.1% last month from 0.7% in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

3 Top Themes This Week (Apr 24-29): Bernanke Green Lights “Risk On”, AUD At Record Highs, UK & US GDP

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 01:07 PM PDT

1. Fed Bernanke Gives All Clear for Continuation of "Risk-On" Carry Trade Funded with USD:
The historic FOMC decision and press conference came and went this week, for the most part we got the same statement as we had in March, with a slight more emphasis on inflation.
Fed Chairman's performance came through "dovish" as he reiterated the need to keep rates low. We did see the FOMC upgrade their outlook on inflation, but it seems investors chose to focus on the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Another Negative Development For Kodak

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 08:00 AM PDT

04/28/11 Weak sales of cameras and film have resulted in Eastman Kodak posting another quarterly … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

EBay Reports In-line Quarter

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:55 PM PDT

After the market closed yesterday, eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) reported fourth quarter earnings of 40 cents, which was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. eBay saw cost escalation in the last quarter and it was only the better-than-expected revenues that enabled it to meet expectations.
Revenue
Gross revenue of $2.55 billion was up 2.0% sequentially and 15.9% year over year, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.8% and at the high end of eBay's guidance range of $2.4-2.5 billion.
Nearly … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Bemis’ Rev Unblemished, EPS Falls

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Bemis Company Inc. (NYSE:BMS) reported first-quarter adjusted EPS of 47 cents, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 52 cents and disappointing management's guidance of 50 cents to 55 cents per share. On a year-over–year basis, EPS dipped 2% or a penny from 48 cents per share affected by increases in the cost of specialty resin raw materials, particularly in the Flexible Packaging segment.
The reported quarter's adjusted EPS matched the reported EPS. However, the year-ago … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Cameron Net Down, Misses View

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Oil drilling equipment maker Cameron International Corp. (NYSE:CAM) reported weak first quarter 2011 results, adversely affected by muted performance from its 'Drilling & Production Systems' segment.   
The company's earnings per share (excluding special items) for the quarter came in at 46 cents, lagging the 51 cents (adjusted) earned in the prior-year quarter and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 57 cents.
Cameron generated total revenue of $1,501.3 million in the quarter, up … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Deutsche Bank Gains On Acquisitions

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE:DB) reported first quarter 2011 net income of €2.1 billion ($3.1 billion) or €2.13 per share, compared with €1.8 billion or €2.43 per share in the prior-year quarter.
While Deutsche Bank recorded stellar net earnings in the quarter, an increase in shares outstanding pulled down the earnings per share figure from the prior-year period. The company witnessed a rise in net income on the back of increased revenues, which in turn benefited from recent … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Aetna Outshines, Provides Outlook

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) reported first quarter 2011 operating earnings of $1.43 per share which were substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 96 cents.
This was a stark improvement of 46% from 98 cents earned in the prior-year quarter.
Better-than-expected results stemmed from a higher commercial underwriting margin owing to favorable development of prior-period health care cost estimates, partially offset by lower Commercial Insured membership.
Including net realized capital gains of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:45 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The British Pound was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.<br/><br/> GBP/USD was trading at 1.6649, up 0.14% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.6432, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.6747, today&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the British Pound was down against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.13% to hit 0.8904 and GBP/JPY falling 0.61% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Pulte’s 1st Quarter Disappoints

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT

PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE:PHM) reported a much wider loss of $40 million or 10 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011 compared with a loss of $12 million or 3 cents per share in the corresponding quarter of 2010. However, per share loss was lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 14 cents per share.
Consolidated revenues in the quarter slipped 26.7% to $805.2 million from last year's $1.02 billion. However, revenues exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $792 million. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Novellus Beats, Outlook Disappoints

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Novellus Systems (NASDAQ:NVLS) reported first quarter earnings that beat the Zacks consensus by 2 cents, or 1.9%. Revenue edged past the Zacks Consensus, exceeding by 0.8%. While gross margins suffered, cost containment on the opex side resulted in higher operating margins in the quarter.
The results were not too bad, but increased caution related to the the Tsunami in Japan and its impact on Novellus drove share prices down 4.27% in after-hours trading.
Revenue
Novellus reported revenue of $413.2 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Sluggish Start For Qiagen

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN) reported an adjusted EPS of 20 cents (treating share based compensation as a normal expense) for the first quarter of fiscal 2011, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 21 cents but surpassing the prior-year quarter by a penny (at constant exchange rates or CER).
Net sales during the quarter were $264.3 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $273 million and almost unchanged from the year-ago quarter. At CER, revenues declined 2% year over year. The sluggish result … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Apache Delivers Stand-Out Quarter

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT

U.S. Energy firm Apache Corp. (APA) reported strong first-quarter results, mainly due to increased volumes and higher realized oil prices.
Earnings per share, excluding one-time items, reached $2.90, comfortably surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.61 and way above the year-ago adjusted profit of $2.10.
Revenues of $3,925.0 million were up 46.8% from the first quarter 2010 and also beat our projection by 8.8%.
Operational Performance
The production of oil and natural gas averaged … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Starwood Beats Overall

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE:HOT) reported first-quarter adjusted earnings from continuing operations of 30 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents and improved from the year-earlier quarter's earnings of 13 cents. The earnings also topped the company's guidance range of 22 cents to 26 cents.
On a GAAP basis, including loss on asset dispositions and income tax benefit associated with the disposition, Starwood recorded earnings of 15 cents per share … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Canary In The Coal Mine 04-28-11

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:18 PM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
The Base Metals sector (take DBB ETF for example) can be used as the canary in the coal mine. These metals — Copper, Zinc and Aluminum are the backbone of a thriving economy and the ETF DBB is drifting to March lows. If there is weakness in Copper or the group in general, this could be a red flag for the economy, signaling that consumers are still struggling. Now consumers (XRT, XLY) have been strong but they are the most economically sensitive group, so if the upside does get … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CAD Up In U.S. Trade

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Canadian Dollar on Thursday.<br/><br/> USD/CAD was trading at 0.9512, up 0.15% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 0.9466, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 0.9576, Wednesday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.20% to hit 1.4818 and GBP/USD rising 0.08% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

BP Slips, GoM Still Haunts

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

BP Plc (NYSE:BP) reported first-quarter 2011 earnings of $1.69 per American Depositary Share (ADS), well below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.80. The quarterly result was also lower than the year-earlier profit level of $1.78. We have adjusted earnings for non-operating items for the comparable periods.
The company realized higher oil and gas prices and lower depreciation in the quarter. However, weaker production, increased spill-associated costs and a lower contribution from gas marketing … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Equity Residential Toes The Line

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), reported fiscal 2011 first quarter funds from operations (FFO) of $176.9 million or 56 cents per share, compared to $149.0 million or 49 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Fund 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.
The reported FFO for first quarter 2011 was in line with the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Akamai Tops Consensus

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM) reported first quarter 2011 earnings of 29 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by two cents. The upside was driven by strong revenue and margin expansion in the quarter.
Operating Performance
Earnings per share (EPS), excluding non-recurring items of two cents, increased 20.8% year over year on the back of strong top-line growth.
Net income was $54.9 million, up 22.0% year over year. Net income margin expanded 120 basis points (bps) on a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Int’l Paper Tops Zacks Estimate

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

International Paper Co. (NYSE:IP) reported first quarter EPS of 78 cents, compared with a loss of 38 cents in the prior-year quarter.
The result outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 59 cents.
The EPS included a loss from discontinued operations of 11 cents and a gain of 7 cents from special items expense.
Excluding these items adjusted EPS amounted to 74 cents, versus a loss of 4 cents in the year-earlier quarter.
Net sales were $6,387 million, versus $5,807 million during the year-ago … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Delta Beats On Fare Hike

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL), the second largest U.S. airline, reported first quarter adjusted net loss of 38 cents outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of net loss of 50 cents on large fare hikes, despite higher fuel costs.
Delta raised its ticket prices for domestic as well as international flights several times in the reported quarter, which helped to cover at least 70% of the rising fuel costs. However, the adjusted net loss was wider than the year-ago loss of 23 cents. The deterioration could … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Allstate Shines On Low CAT Losses

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Allstate Corporation's (NYSE:ALL) first quarter operating earnings of 93 cents per share came in substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 68 cents and 69 cents per share recorded in the year-ago quarter.
Results for the quarter improved primarily due to reduction in catastrophe (CAT) losses, lower expenses and increase in standard auto new business, partially offset by lower average premiums and policies-in-force in Property-Liability insurance unit coupled with lower investment … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Sprint Ahead, Loss Narrows

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT

The third-largest U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) reported first quarter 2011 adjusted net loss per share of 15 cents, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 22 cents. Adjusted net loss narrowed from the year-ago loss of 29 cents.
Despite competitive pressure from its chief rivals AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), Sprint generated solid results, thanks to its cheap service plans, fourth generation (4G) leadership, healthy service and a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

War On Walmart: Who’s Afraid Of Cheap Groceries?

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 11:58 AM PDT

Forex – EUR/USD Up In U.S. Trading Hours

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 11:45 AM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4816, up 0.19% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4494, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4882, today&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 429K … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

WalMart CEO No Signs Of A Recovery, How Can We Profit

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 02:13 AM PDT

Walmart CEO last month forecast an inflation tick up, now he’s forecasting a retail slow down. So far his forecasts a 1 for 1. Inflation has picked up as confirmed by the Federal Reserve it self. So how can we profit?

Source: Wal Mart CEO: “Shoppers Are Running Out Of Money”; There Is “No Sign Of A Recovery”

Mike Duke CEO Extract..

Wal-Mart shoppers, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck, typically shop in bulk at the beginning of the month when their paychecks come in.

Lately, they’re … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards
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