Tuesday, May 3, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - Forex – EUR/USD Up In Asian Trade

DailyMarkets.com - Forex – EUR/USD Up In Asian Trade

Forex – EUR/USD Up In Asian Trade

Posted: 03 May 2011 05:05 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Wednesday.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4837, up 0.08% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4755, Tuesday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4902, Monday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.07% to hit 0.8998 and EUR/JPY rising 0.21% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

GE Turbine Tech For Saudi Plant

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has selected General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) for providing gas turbine technology and services for its upcoming power plant expansion projects. The approximate value of the agreements with GE is expected to be $500 million and the projects are expected to create more than 100 new jobs.
The power plant expansion projects will add 1,680 megawatts of power to the grid and this is more than half of SEC's planned annual increase in generation.
The new projects are … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Excel Maritime Outperforms

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Yesterday after market close, Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. (NYSE:EXM), a global dry bulk carrier, declared solid financial results for the first quarter of 2011. GAAP net loss in the first quarter of 2011 was $1 million or a loss of 1 cent per share compared with a net income of $67.3 million or 82 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
However, the quarterly adjusted (excluding special-items) EPS of 1 cent was in contrast to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 4 cents.
Quarterly total … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Up During Asian Trade

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:15 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Japanese Yen on Tuesday.<br/><br/> USD/JPY was trading at 81.02, up 0.10% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 80.70, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 82.26, Thursday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was down against the Euro and up against the British Pound, with EUR/USD gaining 0.02% to hit 1.4828 and GBP/USD falling 0.001% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

SurModics Upped To Outperform

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:05 PM PDT

We are upgrading SurModics Inc. (NASDAQ:SRDX) to Outperform from Neutral following its strong showing in the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Our target price on the stock is $18.00.
The company delivered strong results in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 outshining the Zacks Consensus Estimate on both revenues and earnings fronts. Adjusted earnings in the quarter came in at $0.08 per share, well ahead of break-even earnings suggested by the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Adjusted revenues came in at … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

In Line Profits At Theravance

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:05 PM PDT

Theravance Inc.'s (NASDAQ:THRX) first quarter 2011 loss per share of 28 cents was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate but narrower than the year-ago loss of 35 cents per share. Earnings improvement was driven by better top-line performance.
Revenue at Theravance increased 10% over the prior year to $6.3 million due to higher royalty revenue from Vibativ sales in the reported quarter. Revenue was however below the Zacks Consensus Revenue Estimate of $7 million.
The Quarter in Detail
Revenues … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Wisconsin Energy Beats Estimates

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:05 PM PDT

Energy utility, Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE:WEC) earned net operating earnings of 72 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011, significantly beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 66 cents and the year-ago quarter’s operating earnings of 55 cents.
Wisconsin Energy posted better-than-expected first quarter results helped by additional income from its Power the Future plan and colder winter temperatures that drove strong customer demand for natural gas.
Total Revenue
Wisconsin Energy’s … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

DaVita Beats Estimates On Revenues

Posted: 03 May 2011 04:05 PM PDT

DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) reported first-quarter net operating income of $94.5 million, or 96 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. However, DaVita lagged the earnings of $109.4 million or $1.04 per share in the comparable quarter of 2010.
This was attributable to better-than-expected revenues and strong cash flows of the company. However, higher operating expenses resulted in the decline.
Net operating revenues for the reported quarter climbed 3.0% year-over-year to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Sony PlayStation Faces Second Security Breach

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:55 PM PDT

05/03/11 Sony revealed another breach of security of its online gaming service. Over 24 million PlayStation network accounts were … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Mixed Bag For America Movil

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:35 PM PDT

America Movil (NYSE:AMX), the largest telecom carrier in Latin America reported first quarter earnings per ADR of 97 cents, well below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05 but 15 cents or 18.3% above the year-ago quarter driven by strong wireless subscriber growth and Pay TV expansion in Latin America. Net profit grew 12.1% year over year to MXN$23.5 billion ($1.9 billion).
Total revenue was approximately MXN$156.2 billion ($12.9 billion), up 6.3% year over year and slightly ahead of the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Hologic Shows Strong Growth

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:35 PM PDT

Hologic (NASDAQ:HOLX) reported an adjusted EPS of 30 cents during the second quarter of fiscal 2011, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents and a penny above the year-ago quarter. Revenues were $438.7 million, an increase of 4.9% compared to the prior-year quarter and higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $433 million.
Hologic operates through four segments − Breast Health, Diagnostics, GYN (Gynecology) Surgical and Skeletal Health − which contributed 47%, 32%, 16% and 5%, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

ADP Reports In Line, Ups Outlook

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:35 PM PDT

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NYSE:ADP) reported third quarter 2011 earnings per share of 85 cents that were in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings per share increased 8.0% year over year and 37.1% sequentially.
The third quarter earnings were primarily driven by strong Employer Services and PEO Services. Additionally, the Dealer Services segment continued its recovery.
Operating Performance
Net income from continuing operations increased 5.5% year over year to $423.8 million. A … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Up In Asian Trade

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:35 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The New Zealand Dollar was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> NZD/USD was trading at 0.7988, up 0.02% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 0.7971, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 0.8120, Monday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was down against the Australian Dollar and the Euro, with AUD/NZD gaining 0.01% to hit 1.3581 and EUR/NZD rising 0.02% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The Day Ahead: Earnings – Anheuser-Busch, AOL, Kellogg, MetLife, News Corp, Time Warner, Transocean And Whole Foods; ADP Employment Report, ISM Services Index, EIA Oil Inventories

Posted: 03 May 2011 10:20 AM PDT

05/03/11 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: Trading Volatility

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:18 PM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
With the market teetering on a potential short-term pullback and volatility on the move, strategists may want to brush up on in-the-money calendar spreads. If you are short-term bearish and long-term bullish, selling the front month in-the-money option against the longer term long option gives the strategist the potential to collect time decay and mitigate premium risk on a pullback when markets become uncertain. If your sentiment is bearish and your interpretation of implied … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Rating Action On Genworth

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:10 PM PDT

Late last week, the rating agency A.M.Best reviewed the financial strength ratings (FSR) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of Genworth Financial, Inc. (GNW) It affirmed the FSR of "A" and ICR of "a" of Genworth's major life and health subsidiaries. The rating agency also affirmed the ICR of "bbb" of the company. All the above stated ratings carry a negative outlook.
The rating agency eyes Genworth favorably, taking into account its strong business position in term life, long-term … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: BMC Software

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:10 PM PDT

BMC Software Inc. (NYSE:BMC) is scheduled to release its fourth quarter 2011 results on May 4. There have been a few changes in the analysts' estimates post its third quarter 2010 results.
Third Quarter Recap
BMC reported decent third quarter results, with earnings per share (EPS) of 69 cents, at par with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
The company delivered revenue of $539.9 million, handily surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $528.9 million.
Reported revenue of approximately $540.0 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Tessera Beats The Zacks Consensus

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:05 PM PDT

Tessera Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRA) reported first quarter earnings that beat the Zacks Consensus estimate by 16 cents, or 50.0%. Despite a significant revenue decline, Tessera beat the Zacks Consensus due to lower-than-expected expenses and a much lower tax rate.
Revenue
Tessera's reported revenue of $67.8 million was down 15.8% sequentially and up 5.5% year over year, at the high end of management's expectations of $65-68 million (down 16-19% sequentially). The sequential comparison was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: R.R. Donnelley

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:05 PM PDT

A leading commercial printing company, R.R. Donnelley & Sons (NYSE:RRD) is scheduled to report its first quarter 2011 results on May 4, before the market opens.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first quarter of 2011 is pegged at 36 cents per share, which reflects a year-over-year growth of 9.1%.
R.R. Donnelley posted an average earnings surprise of 14.05% in the trailing four quarters, implying that it has outdone the Zacks Consensus Estimate by the same magnitude over the last four … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

HCP Zooms Past Estimates

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:05 PM PDT

HCP, Inc. (NYSE:HCP), the largest medical real estate investment trust (REIT) in the U.S., reported first quarter 2011 FFO (funds from operations) of $149.7 million or 40 cents per share, compared with $158.7 million or 54 cents in the year-earlier quarter.
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.
Excluding non-recurring items, FFO for the reported quarter was … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

UDR Reports Mixed Results

Posted: 03 May 2011 03:05 PM PDT

UDR, Inc (NYSE:UDR) reported first quarter 2011 FFO (fund from operations) of $56.8 million or 30 cents per share compared to $46.8 million or 28 cents in the year-earlier quarter.
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. The reported FFO per share was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Total revenues during the quarter were $164.5 million compared to … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Caterpillar To Redeem Again

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Beginning fiscal 2011, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT), has redeemed debt totaling $38.72 million, including twelve notes having different coupon rates. Soon after its outstanding first quarter results, the company yet again has come up with the redemption of $10.49 million of debt via three notes, issued earlier by Caterpillar Financial Securities.
The first note maturing on May 15, 2027, bears a coupon rate of 5.6% on the amount of $3.61 million; the second note, maturing on May 15, 2023, bears a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Caterpillar To Redeem Again

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Beginning fiscal 2011, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT), has redeemed debt totaling $38.72 million, including twelve notes having different coupon rates. Soon after its outstanding first quarter results, the company yet again has come up with the redemption of $10.49 million of debt via three notes, issued earlier by Caterpillar Financial Securities.
The first note maturing on May 15, 2027, bears a coupon rate of 5.6% on the amount of $3.61 million; the second note, maturing on May 15, 2023, bears a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Agrium Eyes European Buy

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Agrium Inc. (NYSE:AGU), a leading Canadian farm dealer and fertilizer producer announced the purchase of Italian fertilizer distribution company CerealToscana S.A. and its Romanian subsidiary, Agroport, for $27 million plus working capital.
The combined companies have a stable financial record with gross sales of approximately $200 million. The companies sell an estimated 400,000 tonnes of fertilizer a year including commodity and specialty products.
The deal will boost Agrium's presence in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Avon Beats On Emerging Markets

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Avon Products Inc. (NYSE:AVP) recently posted first-quarter 2011 adjusted earnings of 37 cents a share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents and increased 12.1% from the year-ago figure of 33 cents a share. On a reported basis, including one-time items, earnings jumped 230% to 33 cents per share from 10 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Total sales of the company rose 7.0% year over year to $2,629.1 million compared with $2,446.3 million a year ago. Total revenue also beat … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

NiSource Reports At Par

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Diversified utility NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) posted first quarter 2011 net operating earnings of 72 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as year-ago results. Net operating earnings totaled $202.3 million, up 2% year over year.
On a GAAP basis, net income was $204.8 million or 73 cents per share, higher from $197.4 million or 71 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
Operational Update
Gross revenue in the quarter under review improved 4.3% year over year to $2.14 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Wednesday’s Stocks To Watch And Trading Ideas

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:25 PM PDT

  ( click to enlarge )

As I reported before, the daily chart of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is not extremely good. It’s showing signs of topping. Indicators are not supporting the bullish cenario right now and there is a bearish divergence on MACD. RSI also crossed down the 50 level. All these factors are bearish factors. Break below $225 will give way to further weakening.

  ( click to enlarge ) 

Molycorp, Inc. (MCP) broke out today and traded nearly 2x normal daily volume. … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Interactive Reports Better Metrics

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:05 PM PDT

On Monday, Interactive Brokers Group Inc.'s (NASDAQ:IBKR) business segment Electronic Brokerage announced its monthly performance data for the month of April. The segment clears and settles trades globally for both individual and institutional clients.
Interactive reported 170,700 Customer Accounts for the month of April 2011. This marked a 1.7% increase from 167,900 in March 2011 and 19.9% from 142,400 in April 2010. However, the total customer Daily Average Revenue Trades (DARTs) was 404,000 for … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Closing Bell Market Monitor: PFE, GM, MA, SHLD

Posted: 03 May 2011 02:00 PM PDT

05/03/11 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 Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Stock Market Summary For Tuesday, May 3, 2011 Special Alert On Short Candidates

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:56 PM PDT

There has been a lot of activity during the first two trading sessions this week.  We thought we would provide a follow up to yesterday’s post on the list of stocks that we thought would make good candidates to sell short.  Overall, 10 out of 11 of the stocks have declined since yesterday’s open and the average return is 5%.  Below is how each stock has performed along with the support/resistance levels we see for them.  We would use the support/resistance levels as a … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:55 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4830, down 0.001% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4755, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4902, Monday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 1.02% to hit 0.8995 and EUR/JPY falling 0.34% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Tenet Rises On Top Line

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:41 PM PDT

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:THC) reported its first-quarter income from continuing operations of $82 million or 16 cents per share, ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 14 cents per share. Net operating income in the prior-year quarter was $83 million or 16 cents per share.
The improved results were due to strong results in all lines of the business, especially the robust performance in outpatient volumes, has contributed to the growth. The increase in both paying admissions and total … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Torchmark Splits Common Stock

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:41 PM PDT

The board of directors of Torchmark Corporation (NYSE:TMK) has authorized a three-for-two partial stock split of its common stock.
Torchmark stated that the stock split will be carried out through a stock dividend issue. The 3:2 stock split will be paid in the form of a 50% stock dividend on all the company’s outstanding common stock. The stock split will be effective June 1, 2011.
On July 1, 2011, the payment date, the common stock holders of Torchmark will receive one additional share of stock … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

PartnerRe Plummets On CAT Loss

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:40 PM PDT

PartnerRe Ltd.'s (NYSE:PRE) first quarter operating loss per share of $10.82 came in significantly higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $7.68 per share and 60 cents recorded in the year-ago quarter. Operating loss substantially increased to $735.6 million from $50.4 million in the prior-year quarter.
Operating earnings were calculated after payment of preferred dividends. This excluded after-tax net realized and unrealized investment losses of $88.4 million or $1.30 per share … [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: 03 May 2011 01:40 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Tuesday.<br/><br/> USD/JPY was trading at 81.00, down 0.27% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 80.70, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 82.26, Thursday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 0.04% to hit 1.4824 and GBP/USD falling 1.01% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

PEG Active On “Solar 4 All”

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (NYSE:PEG), along with Matrix Development Group completed installation of two solar rooftops at adjacent Matrix-owned buildings in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. The two 2.8 megawatts (MW) systems are built by enXco and are a part of PSE&G's Solar 4 All program.
The two solar systems comprise 10,395 crystalline solar panels and cover more than 217,000 square feet of roof space. The panels are … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Cognizant Beats But Shares Down

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Leading information technology services provider Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) reported revenues of $1.37 billion in the first quarter of 2011, up 42.9% year over year and up 4.6% sequentially, in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and management’s expectation of at least $1.36 billion.
Net income came in at $208.3 million or 67 cents per diluted share compared to a net income of $151.5 million or 49 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.  This easily beat … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Anadarko Kick-Starts 2011

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:36 PM PDT

Independent oil and gas producer Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's (NYSE:APC) operating earnings of 72 cents per share in the first quarter showed a positive surprise of 26.3% rising significantly above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 57 cents. On a year-over-year comparison, however, operating earnings dipped 11% from 81 cents reported in first quarter 2010.
On a GAAP basis, Anadarko's net earnings of 43 cents per share in the first quarter lagged the year ago earnings of $1.43 per … [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: 03 May 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4830, up 0.001% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4755, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4902, Monday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 1.03% to hit 0.8996 and EUR/JPY falling 0.25% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Buying Precious Metals At The Right Time

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:14 PM PDT

In August 2010 and January of 2011, gold and silver presented excellent buying opportunities. But what now?

When one begins trading it is important to realize that it is like any other business and your goods are your stocks.  There is a basic rule that one must learn and never forget when buying and selling merchandise.  You must be prepared to accumulate your products when there is a panic and sell them when there is euphoria. One has to sell when the product is in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

U.S. Markets Mixed At Close; Dow Jones Up 0.00%

Posted: 03 May 2011 01:10 PM PDT

Forex Pros – U.S. stocks were mixed after the closing bell on Tuesday.<br/><br/> At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.00%, the S&P 500 index shed 0.34%, while the Nasdaq 100 index declined 0.32%.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mixed at close. France&rsquo;s CAC 40 was down 0.29%; Germany&rsquo;s DAX shed 0.36%; Britain&rsquo;s FTSE 100 climbed 0.21%; and the EURO STOXX 50 fell … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Calgon Carbon Posts Weak Q1

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Calgon Carbon Corporation (NYSE:CCC) reported a profit of 15 cents per share in the first quarter of 2011 compared with 17 cents in the year-ago quarter. Reported earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 17 cents.
Revenues
Sales in the quarter increased 20.8% to $124.4 million beating the the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $123 million. Calgon Carbon Japan's (CCJ's) sales contributed 83% of the increase in sales.
Sales in Calgon Carbon’s biggest segment, Activated Carbon and Service, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Alere Beats Estimates

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Alere (ALR), a medical products company focused on integrating rapid diagnostics with health management, reported first-quarter fiscal 2011 adjusted earnings per share of 61 cents, beating the corresponding Zacks Consensus Estimate of 57 cents while trailing the year-ago earnings from continuing operations of 64 cents a share. 
Reported net income was about $8.1 million (or 9 cents per share) in the first quarter compared with $9 million (11 cents per share) in the prior-year period, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Hartford’s Profits Pops

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:55 PM PDT

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE:HIG) reported its first-quarter adjusted core earnings of $494.0 million or 97 cents per share, modestly beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 95 cents. Additionally, Hartford was way behind the adjusted core earnings of $408 million or 86 cents per share reported in the first quarter of 2010.
Hartford's adjusted core earnings in the first quarter 2011 exclude the DAC unlock benefit of $61 million or 12 cents a share and a benefit from net … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:45 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The British Pound was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> GBP/USD was trading at 1.6475, down 1.08% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.6464, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.6747, Thursday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the British Pound was down against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 1.06% to hit 0.8998 and GBP/JPY falling 1.37% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Stock Market Summary For Tuesday, May 3, 2011 Special Alert DUG

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:43 PM PDT

We are going to remove from the watch list the position in the ProShares Ultra Short Oil & Gas Fund (symbol: DUG) at the current intra-day price of $27.81. We added this position on Friday, April 29, 2011 at the intra-day price of $25.77. The position in DUG returned 7.9% in 4 days while on the watch list. We have one remaining position in DUG on the watch … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Haemonetics Beats On EPS, Revs Short

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE:HAE) reported an adjusted EPS of 85 cents in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 83 cents and the year-ago quarter's 75 cents. For the full year, the adjusted EPS came in at $3.27, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.25 and the previous year's $2.85.
The company reported revenues of $170 million in the quarter, up 1% compared with the year-ago period. However, revenues were lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

HP Rolls Out New Retail Solutions

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) recently launched a set of new technology solutions targeted at retailers. The solutions promise an enhanced shopping experience and are aimed at customer satisfaction and retention.
HP added rp5800 Retail System and Self-Service Kiosks to its existing retail solutions. The rp5800 Retail System is a point-of-sale (POS) solution, which expedites cash processing time and makes retail transactions easier. The solution facilitates users with a choice of operating … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Marathon Rides Oil Price Wave

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE:MRO) – the fifth largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products in the U.S. – reported a jump in its first-quarter 2011 profits.
As has been the case with the larger rivals that have already reported, such as ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM), Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE:CVX), results were boosted by higher crude prices. Much-improved downstream margins also contributed towards Marathon's strong results.
Earnings per share, excluding special items, came in at $1.65, … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Amerisafe Misses On High Expenses

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Amerisafe Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AMSF) first quarter operating earnings per share of 35 cents lagged behind the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 39 cents and 45 cents reported in the prior-year quarter.
Operating income decreased 25.2% year over year to $6.5 million. Including net realized gains of $0.1 million against $2.6 million in the year-ago period, net income for the reported quarter was $6.6 million or 35 cents per share, compared with $11.3 million or 58 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Results … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Defense, Defense

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:18 PM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
Defense is in play. The VIX continues higher, 3 up days in a row, Financials (XLF) and Tech (NASDAQ:QQQQ) lag and are now well behind Consumer Staples (XLP) and Healthcare (XLV). There’s been a rush to Consumer Staples like toothpaste, beverages, soap, and Drugs (not the illegal kind!), makers/distributors, are outperforming the offensive sectors, especially when there’s uncertainty on employment and domestic and global GDP growth. This might be a short-term pullback (not … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Trends

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:15 PM PDT

1. For the first time in 20 years, the number of homes in the United States with television sets has dropped.  (Source.)

2. Charging different tuition rates for different courses of study is a growing trend among public research universities across the country.  … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CAD Up In U.S. Trade

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Forex Pros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Canadian Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> USD/CAD was trading at 0.9536, up 0.31% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 0.9447, Monday&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 0.9548, Friday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 0.03% to hit 1.4826 and GBP/USD falling 1.06% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Analyst Interviews: U.S. Banks Industry Outlook

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:05 PM PDT

A major recovery in the asset markets, improving balance sheets and declining credit costs promise growth for the U.S. banking sector. Yet, the outlook for the industry remains in question due to several negatives, including asset-quality troubles, the continuation of both residential and commercial real estate loan defaults, weak loan demand, and the impact of tighter regulations and policy changes.

After enduring overwhelming recessionary shocks, the U.S. banking industry is now slowly … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Narrower Loss At BioMarin

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:05 PM PDT

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.'s (NASDAQ:BMRN) first quarter 2011 loss of $0.04 per share was narrower than the Zacks Consensus loss estimate of $0.10 per share. The narrower-than-expected loss was attributable to higher-than-expected revenues recorded by BioMarin in the first quarter of 2011. The company reported break-even earnings (on an adjusted basis) in the year-ago quarter.
Total revenues climbed approximately 28.9% to $109.5 million in the reported quarter. Revenues surpassed the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

NuStar Quarterly Profit Soars

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:05 PM PDT

San Antonio-based publicly traded partnership NuStar Energy L.P. (NS) announced strong first quarter results, driven by higher operating income from all three business segments.
The owner and operator of crude oil and refined products pipelines and storage facilities reported earnings per unit (EPU) of 40 cents (excluding the effect of early termination cost and other smaller items), comfortably surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents and way above the year-ago profit of 19 … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Legg Mason Outshines Estimate

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Legg Mason Inc.'s (NYSE:LM) fourth-quarter 2011 earnings of 77 cents per share significantly outpacing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 45 cents. Reported quarter results included 7 cents per share in transition-related costs.
Earnings outpaced the prior-year quarter by 8 cents. Results improved due to higher revenue, offset by higher operating expenses coupled with a decline in total assets under management (AUM).
Adjusted net income came in at $117.7 million compared with $110.3 million in … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The 4 Key Fundamental Questions

Posted: 03 May 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Early May is beset by a "Flight to Safety" trade. That may be hard to see from the modest losses of the S&P 500 the past couple days. However, as I write this article the riskier/smaller cap stocks of the Russell 2000 are down 3% since Monday morning. So quite likely your more aggressive positions that outperformed the market over the last 4 months are now getting brutalized.

This brings us back to a topic that I have discussed in the past. What do you do when the market goes through … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Forex Trading: GBPUSD Is Back Below 1.6504 And Making New Lows. Target Approaches

Posted: 03 May 2011 11:55 AM PDT

Twenty four hours ago at this time, I was talking about the non-trending 10 pip range in the GBPUSD at around the 1.6690 level (CLICK HERE FOR THE COMMENTARY).  Now the price has trended lower with two corrections but overall, a trend move lower. 

Now the price is back below the 1.6504 level. This  is the old trendline in the daily chart. The next target off the same chart comes in at the 1.6435 level. The GBPUSD has been hurt by PMI data today which was weaker than … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

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

Posted: 03 May 2011 11:45 AM PDT

Forex Pros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday.<br/><br/> EUR/USD was trading at 1.4832, up 0.01% at time of writing.<br/><br/> The pair was likely to find support at 1.4755, today&rsquo;s low, and resistance at 1.4902, Monday&rsquo;s high.<br/><br/> Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 1.04% to hit 0.8996 and EUR/JPY falling 0.37% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Yahoo! Jump Or Dump

Posted: 03 May 2011 11:10 AM PDT

How much of the “fundamental” analysis offered by Wall Street is actually rationalization for having the positions they already own and how much of what we hear is merely story telling, a sales pitch, fabrication about something they hope will eventually turn out to be a reality. So much of what we see and hear is little more than predictions or, more correctly, wishful thinking?
I happened to be listening to a discussion between several Wall Street analysts on CNBC yesterday about the … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Stock Investor Sentiment: Shorts Giving Up?

Posted: 03 May 2011 07:55 AM PDT

Echoing a theme I highlighted in the weekly look at investor sentiment, here is an article from MarketWatch on David Einhorn, head of hedge fund firm Greenlight Capital.  It seems as though Greenlight Capital closed a significant number of short positions in quarter 1 not so much because of fundamental reasons but because the market only goes up.  

In an April 29 letter to investors, Einhorn wrote that “we are in a particularly difficult environment for shorting stocks,"and … [visit site to read more] or compare Best Credit Cards and Balance Transfer Credit Cards
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