Friday, September 16, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - Hot Option Plays: The Slope Of Hope Returns

DailyMarkets.com - Hot Option Plays: The Slope Of Hope Returns

Hot Option Plays: The Slope Of Hope Returns

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:33 AM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
The slope of hope is back and managers across the board are watching this rally, not to be missed. This has been an orderly expiration and I am not surprised with the choppiness. I want to see if the market is able to hold the lows, 1194 on the S&Ps, and challenge 1214.50 which I doubt we will see today but next week this could happen. Utilities are the leader in the equity space, looking for that protective yield into an uncertain environment. Call optionsXpress early if … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Allstate’s 3Q CAT Loss Surges $865M

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:25 AM PDT

Yesterday, home and auto insurer Allstate Corp. (NYSE:ALL) projected about $735 million in pre-tax catastrophe (CAT) losses for August 2011. Including the July and August estimates, to date the company is expected to incur about $865 million in CAT losses in the third quarter of 2011.
Allstate's CAT losses in the third quarter include about 8 natural disasters in the U.S. Hurricane Irene is projected to cause the most damage, whereby losses are anticipated to be about $500 million.
Effect on the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

American Capital Buys Back Stock

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:25 AM PDT

On Thursday, American Capital Ltd. (NASDAQ:ACAS) announced the buyback of its $75 million common stock in open market since early August. Common stock of 9.1 million shares has been repurchased at an average price of $8.21 per share.
Since August, out of total 9.1 million shares, 4.9 million shares have been repurchased at an average price of $8.12 per share. Further, in September till date, 4.23 million shares have been repurchased at an average price of $8.31 per share.
Concurrently, American … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Russia OKs BIOLASE Dental Lasers

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:25 AM PDT

Leading dental laser maker BIOLASE Technology (NASDAQ:BLTI) has won the approval  of the Federal Service of Health Care and Social Development Control in Russia to market its WaterLase iPlus all-tissue dental laser and iLase dental laser in that country.
The approval of these novel products in the key Russian market represents a major milestone for BIOLASE. Russia is highly receptive to the latest dental laser technologies. The company recently received regulatory clearance in Canada to market … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: AutoZone Inc.

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:25 AM PDT

AutoZone Inc. (NYSE:AZO) announced that it would release its results for the fourth quarter and the full fiscal 2011 that ended on August 27, 2011 before the market opens on September 20, 2011. Memphis, Tennessee-based AutoZone earned a profit of $5.29 in the third quarter of fiscal 2011, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimates of $4.97 per share. In the upcoming quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AutoZone is pegged at $6.97 per share, reflecting an annualized growth of 23%.
On the other … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: USDCAD Falls. Head And Shoulder Formation

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:23 AM PDT

There is market chatter of how the  USDCAD has broken below neckline support of a head and shoulders formation.  A break is supposed to lead to a sharp move down. The target is equal to the distance from the neck to the top of the head (in this case from 0.9828 to 1.0024 or 196 pips), subtracted from the right neckline (from 0.9844).  If that measurement is fulfilled, the price would reach to 0.9650. 
I personally perfer not to become married to a  target on the head … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

New Report Finds That Oil And Gas In The United States Are More Abundant Than Previously Thought

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT

HOUSTON CHRONICLE — “A new report that predictably found huge potential natural gas supplies in the U.S. also contained news its own writers found surprising – that oil is more abundant than they thought. 

The study released Thursday by the National Petroleum Council, a collection of industry, academic, government and other officials convened by the secretary of energy, touted how advanced technology has unlocked vast formations of natural gas previously deemed uneconomic to tap.”

The … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

European Stocks Close Week On Up Note; DAX Adds 1.2%

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:08 AM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – European stocks advanced in Friday trade, gaining for the fourth day in a row on the strength of banking issues as European finance officials met to discuss regional debt contagion.
At the end of Friday's European session, the STOXX 50 Index added 0.17% to 2,159.28, Britain's FTSE rose 0.58% to 5,368.41, and Germany's DAX climbed 1.18% to close at 5,573.51.
France's CAC 40 bucked the regional trend, slipping 0.47% to end the session at 3.031.08.
Speaking from a … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

UAW Extends Contract With Automakers

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:05 AM PDT

The United Auto Workers (UAW) extended its contracts with General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler Group LLC, controlled by Italy's Fiat SpA (FIATY) as it failed to meet the deadline to reach a new agreement with the automakers.
UAW would resume talks with GM today, while it is unclear when it would do the same with Chrysler. Chrysler is disappointed with UAW as its president, Bob King, didn't turn up yesterday.
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that failure to meet the deadline would … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Surprising History Of Job Growth

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:05 AM PDT

This has been a tough few years for job creation. The Great Recession was the worst downturn in employment in recent memory, and though the recession "officially" ended back in June of 2009, unemployment is still at a crisis level of 9.1%, and the number of long-term unemployed is at levels that would have been unheard of prior to this downturn.

President Obama has finally turned his focus towards bringing down the level of joblessness, but it seems highly likely that the "America Jobs … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Apogee: Losses Continue, Guides 2012

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 11:05 AM PDT

The leader in technologies for the design and development of value-added glass products Apogee Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ:APOG) reported a loss of 6 cents per share for fiscal 2012 second quarter ending August 27. Results were wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 3 cents, but narrower than the loss of 18 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Operational Update
Apogee's total revenue increased 14% to $165.6 million in the reported quarter from $144.7 million in the year-earlier quarter, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

America’s Most Successful State Economy: ND

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:48 AM PDT

There's no shortage of bad economics news these days. Take your pick: In August there were no new jobs created, retail sales were flat, consumer confidence plunged to recession-era lows, and it was reported this week that the nation's poverty rate last year rose to the highest level since 1993.  Amid all of the national "gloom and doom" there is an amazing story of America's most successful state economy – North Dakota, and I have been following that story for the last several … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Bayer Evenly Poised

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:35 AM PDT

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Germany's Bayer (BAYRY) with a target price of $56.00.
Headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, Bayer is one of the world's largest healthcare and chemical corporations. Bayer operates in three major segments – Healthcare, Material Science and Crop Science. The Health Care segment is involved in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of products for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The Material Science … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

BP Fortifies Brazilian Ethanol Biz

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:35 AM PDT

BP Plc (NYSE:BP) remains resolute in dominating the Brazilian ethanol sector. Accordingly, it recently acquired additional stakes in Tropical BioEnergia S.A. and a 3% share of the country's sugar and ethanol producer Companhia Nacional de Acucar e Alcool ("CNAA").
The U.K. major spent $71 million to buy the remaining 50% share in Tropical BioEnergia, which is currently owned by Maeda Agroindustrial and LDC Bioenergia. BP entered the Brazilian ethanol sector in 2008 with its initial purchase … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Gains In Early U.S. Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:24 AM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – The U.S. dollar moved higher against the Japanese yen in U.S. trade Friday, boosted by a fifth day of gains on Wall Street and a better-than-expected report on U.S. consumer sentiment.
In early U.S. trade USD/JPY hit 76.97, the pair's highest since Wednesday; the pair subsequently consolidated at 76.91, rising 0.26%.
The pair was likely to find support at 76.43, the low of August 31, and resistance at 77.96, the high of September 4.
Earlier Friday, the University of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

European Markets Mixed At Close; Dax Up 1.18%

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 10:05 AM PDT

Forexpros – European stocks were mixed after the closing bell on Friday.

At the close of European trade, Germany's DAX rose 1.18%, London's FTSE 100 gained 0.58%, France's CAC 40 declined 0.48% and the EURO STOXX 50 was down 0.52%.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding month.

Analysts had expected UoM consumer sentiment to rise to 56.0 last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

NCOs & Delinquency Drop Continues

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:55 AM PDT

Regulatory filings by major credit card companies for the month of August revealed mixed results in credit card defaults and delinquency rate. According to the respective regulatory filing, four of the nation’s top six credit card companies reported a decline in card defaults, while five of them recorded reduced delinquency rates.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.(NYSE:JPM), Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS), American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) and Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) recorded further drop … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Becton To Fight Cervical Cancer

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:55 AM PDT

Leading global medical technology company Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) recently disclosed its commitment to "Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon", in an effort to exploit private and public investments in worldwide healthcare. Their focus will be to fight breast and cervical cancer. Leadership will be provided by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief ("PEPFAR"), George W. Bush Institute, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Pink … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Falls In Mid-day U.S. Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:46 AM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – Crude oil futures moved lower in U.S. trade Friday, retreating from the previous session's rise on the back of higher equities and hopes for imminent action to address European debt woes.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange light, sweet crude futures for October delivery traded at USD87.92 a barrel during mid-day U.S. trade, falling 1.7%, after hitting a daily high of USD89.77.
Speaking from a meeting of euro-zone finance ministers in Poland Friday, Luxembourg Prime … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Smithfield Upped To Outperform

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:35 AM PDT

Following the first quarter 2012 earnings, Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE:SFD) has been upgraded to Outperform from Neutral.
Smithfield posted improved earnings of 69 cents per share in the first quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny, which was driven by strong packaged meats earnings in spite of higher raw material costs.
Further, management has undertaken restructuring initiatives in an effort to save costs and boost profitability, which augur well for future operating … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Altera Downgraded To Neutral

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:35 AM PDT

We recently downgraded our recommendation to Neutral from Outperform for chipmaker Altera Corporation (NASDAQ:ALTR).
Altera recently updated its sales guidance for the third quarter of 2011. It now expects third quarter sales to be down 3% to up 1% on a sequential basis, compared to the previous sales guidance of up 2% to 6%.
Management stated that the downgrade in guidance was due to weaker demand in several vertical markets including Telecom and Wireless (particularly outside Asia). In addition, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Falls In Early U.S. Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:06 AM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – The euro moved lower against the U.S. dollar in early trade Friday, as investors looked to a meeting of European policy makers for details of a planned rescue fund to aid debt-threatened euro-zone members.
EUR/USD hit 1.3754 in early U.S. trade, the pair's lowest since Tuesday; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3784 falling 0.68%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.
Speaking from a meeting … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

TOTAL Grows Indonesian Footprint

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:05 AM PDT

Oil and gas producer TOTAL S.A. (NYSE:TOT) has tied up with Talisman Energy Inc. (NYSE:TLM) to jointly develop three deep-offshore exploration blocks in the Makassar Strait in Indonesia. Located in the offshore South Makassar Basin at water depths of 1,312 to 6,561 feet, the three blocks cover an area of 4,128 square miles. The three blocks are operated by Talisman.
As part of the deal, TOTAL has acquired stakes in Talisman's production sharing contracts (PSC) related to the blocks. The company has … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Progressive Reports Lower Earnings

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 09:05 AM PDT

Progressive Corp.'s (NYSE:PGR) earnings per share for August 2011 were 4 cents, plummeting 60% from 10 cents in the year-ago period. Net income plunged 66% from the year-ago period to $66.5 million.
The company recorded net premiums of $1.21 billion during August 2011, up 5% from $1.15 billion in August 2010 but down 19% from $1.50 billion during July 2011. Net premiums earned were $1.15 billion, up 4% from $1.11 billion in the year-ago period but down 20% from $1.44 billion in the prior … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Up Toward The End Of European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:40 AM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Japanese Yen on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

USD/JPY was trading at 76.89, up 0.24% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 76.56, Thursday's low, and resistance at 77.59, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding month.

Analysts … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Medtronic Grows Spinal Portfolio

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:25 AM PDT

Leading medical devices player, Medtronic's (NYSE:MDT) TSRH Spinal System has received 510 (k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with pedicle screws. The system, developed in collaboration with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (TSRH), offers several types of pedicle screws, implants and other instruments to stabilize the spine.
AIS is the most common pediatric spine condition, where many patients have curved spines. Moreover, if … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

BMO Harris Bank Chooses NCR ATMs

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:25 AM PDT

NCR Corp. (NYSE:NCR) was recently chosen as the exclusive supplier of its latest SelfServ Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to BMO Harris Bank, an arm of BMO Financial Group. Financial details of the deal were not divulged.
The deal requires NCR to offer its Scalable Deposit Module (SDM) technology-enabled SelfServ ATMs that allow simultaneous cash and check deposit in any orientation through a single slot. This latest technology will also double the speed of ATM transactions.
BMO Financial acquired … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – GBP/USD Up Toward The End Of European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:25 AM PDT

Forexpros – The British Pound was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5802, up 0.01% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5707, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.5885, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

ADP Buys Asparity

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:05 AM PDT

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) recently announced the acquisition of privately held Asparity Decision Solutions. However, financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Durham, North Carolina-based Asparity offers solutions for both employees and employers. Asparity's employee benefits decision support tool known as PlanSmartChoice is currently used by more than 100,000 federal employees, who participated in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program in 2011.
Asparity … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Sandisk Unveils New Products

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:05 AM PDT

Storage solutions company Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) recently rolled out a number of retail products and introduced a new preservation solutions category. SanDisk's product portfolio addresses all market segments—from mobile phones and cameras to notebooks and tablets—and use cases ranging from entry level to professional.
The recently released product categories include SanDisk Memory Vault: a new product that is tested to preserve images in their original quality for up to 100 years. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3784, down 0.67% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding month.

Analysts had … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: EURUSD Moves Back Toward The 38.2% Of The Weeks Range.

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:42 AM PDT

The EURUSD is pushing back toward the 38.2% of the weeks trading range at the 1.3767 level.  The price fell below this level in early NY trade but quickly rebounded.  Since that time weakish US data has fought a declining overseas stock market and concerns about Euro stability. The latest taking charge. 
There is a report now that participation in Greek private debt restructuring is below expectations at 75%. This is below the 90% level expected. This has added to the downside … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – GBP/JPY Up In European Trading Hours

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:40 AM PDT

Forexpros – The British Pound was higher against the Japanese Yen on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

GBP/JPY was trading at 121.58, up 0.31% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 120.69, Thursday's low, and resistance at 123.03, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Medco’s Specialty To Market Anascorp

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:35 AM PDT

Accredo Health Group, the wholly owned subsidiary of Medco Health Solutions (NYSE:MHS) recently got the approval to market Rare Disease Therapeutics' (RDT) Anascorp, an equine-derived anti-venom. Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Anascorp as the first treatment for Centruroides scorpion sting envenomation. Moreover, the agency conferred Anascorp with the orphan drug status. 
With Accredo being the only specialty distributor of medication in US, Medco expects … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

RIMM Misses On Lower Sales

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:35 AM PDT

BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion, Ltd., (NASDAQ:RIMM) declared its second quarter 2012 financial results yesterday, after the closing bell. The company reported top and bottom line results well below the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Following the earnings release, shares of RIMM fell $5.74 (19.43%) to $23.80 in the after market trade in NYSE.
Total revenue in the reported quarter was $4,168 million, down 9.8% year over year and was also below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4,522 million. During … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

More On Social Security = Ponzi Scheme?

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:28 AM PDT

1. Cato’s Michael Tanner, “At Least Ponzi Didn’t Force People to Enroll”:

“Imagine that someone comes to you with a new plan to save for your retirement. They take your money, but they spend it. Then, they find new investors. They take money from those new investors and give it to you, then go looking for still more investors so that they can give their money to the people whose money they gave to you. That is exactly what Charles Ponzi did in 1916 with the original Ponzi scheme. And that … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: GBPUSD Breaks Above Trendline And Scoots Higher

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:21 AM PDT

The GBPUSD broke above trendline resistance at the 1.5822 and scooted higher. The price has target tressitance now at the 1.4849 which is the 38.2% of the move down from September 8th. Above that the high from yesterday and the 13th of September at the 1.5867 area, and above the 200 hour MA at the 1.5873.
On the downside, the market will be looking for the broken trendline to hold support at the 1.5822 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down On Economic Data

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:15 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3833, down 0.32% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.

Earlier in the day, preliminary data showed that U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 57.8 last month from 55.7 in the preceding month.

Analysts had … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U.S. UoM Consumer Sentiment Rises More-than-expected

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:05 AM PDT

Forexpros – U.S. UoM consumer sentiment rose more-than-expected last month, preliminary data showed on Friday.

In a report, the University of Michigan said that consumer sentiment rose to a seasonally adjusted 57.8, from 55.7 in the preceding month.

Analysts had expected UoM consumer sentiment to rise to 56.0 last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: EURUSD Pushing Higher Above 200 Hour MA But Falls Back Down

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 07:01 AM PDT

 
The EURUSD has pushed higher as the Michigan Consumer confidence showed Economic outlook at the lowest level since 2000.   The move higher pushed above the 200 hour MA at the 1.3827 level (see prior post) but the price has since fallen back down in volatile trading.  The low price on the fall has moved back toward the 38.2% of the move down from yesterday afternoons high at the 1.3808 area.  Support should be found here with resistance back against the 200 hour MA at … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

What’s Behind The Market Gains?

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT

Stocks have made steady gains in recent days as some of the more exaggerated Europe-centric fears have started easing. There is also a growing realization that the U.S. economy may be able to muddle through without slipping into another recession.

Everybody understands that Europe is dealing with serious issues that have the potential of dragging down the global economy. Favorable statements from European leaders in recent days about Greece’s place in the union were helpful in improving … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Estee Lauder, Marni To Charm Europe

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT

US cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) has inked a multi-year licensing agreement with Milan-based fashion house Marni, announcing that it will partner the European fashion giant to launch a fragrance by the fall of 2012.
The Aramis and Designer Fragrances, a division of Estee Lauder, will take over the exclusive worldwide license to produce fragrances for Marni. This is Marni's first venture into perfume business and comes after years of the beauty industry's anticipation … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Darden

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:55 AM PDT

Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI) is slated to release its first quarter 2012 earnings on September 19, after market closes. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first quarter is pegged at 78 cents per share (reflecting a year-over-year negative growth of 2.24%).
Darden has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters and was in line in the remaining two quarters. The average earnings surprise was positive 3.38%.
Fourth Quarter Recap
Darden's fourth quarter … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Euro Weakens As Finance Ministers Meet In Poland

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:51 AM PDT

Fundamental Headlines
• Euro Collapse Could Lead to War: Polish FinMin – CNBC
• Geithner Presses EU to Act Decisively, Speak as One – CNBC
• Euro-zone Finance Ministers' Comments – Reuters
• Lagarde Warns Recovery Options Narrowing – Reuters
• Central Banks Pour Dollars into Europe – WSJ
European Session Summary
As data in the overnight was relatively sparse, with no major events on the docket, markets instead turned towards rumor and speculation for direction. While no … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Up During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:50 AM PDT

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

NZD/USD was trading at 0.8338, up 1.23% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8119, Monday's low, and resistance at 0.8342, today's high.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was up against the Australian Dollar and the Euro, with AUD/NZD shedding 0.69% to hit 1.2451 and EUR/NZD falling 1.63% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Quick Charting The Trading Levels In Financials XLF FAS And FAZ

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:39 AM PDT

We've been hearing a lot of attention – as usual – on the Financial sector (particularly in Europe), so let's take a brief moment to see the key chart/trading levels we're watching on the popular XLF Financial Sector ETF and then peek at the wild 3x leveraged financial funds FAS (3x Bullish) and FAZ (3x Bearish).
Let's focus most of our chart-work on the XLF Financial Fund:

Cutting right to the chase, the price is in a sideways rectangle consolidation (contraction) with upper … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Watson Launches Keppra XR’s Generic

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:35 AM PDT

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE:WPI) recently announced the launch of levetiracetam extended release tablets in 500 mg and 750 mg formulations. Levetiracetam is the generic version of UCB's (UCBJF) drug Keppra XR. The drug is indicated for the treatment of partial onset seizures in patients aged 16 years and above.
According to IMS Health, US sales of Keppra amounted to $163 million for the 12 months ended July 31, 2011.
Watson Pharma in News
Last month, Watson Pharma received tentative … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Stock Market News Briefs: Bank Of America, Deutsche Bank AG, Fundtech Ltd., Goldman Sachs Group, Newcastle Investment, Netflix, Pier 1 Imports, SuperValu, UBS AG

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:35 AM PDT

    Pier 1 Imports (NYSE:PIR) posted Q2 EPS of $0.14, in line with Zacks Consensus Estimates. Revenues for the quarter rose 9.6% to $339.6 million

    Swiss bank UBS AG’s (NYSE:UBS) share prices fell 10.02% after the banking giant revealed that rogue trading in London has resulted in a loss of $2 billion. The investment bank also expressed fears of lower profits for the third quarter because of the loss

    Analysts at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) added … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Supervalu Upped To Neutral

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:35 AM PDT

Following the first quarter 2012 earnings, Supervalu Inc. (NYSE:SVU) has been upgraded to Neutral from Underperform.
Supervalu posted higher-than-expected earnings of 35 cents per share in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents. However, earnings declined 18.6% year over year owing to high inflation and price increases in several fresh categories.
A slight improvement in customer traffic at the company's stores fueled Supervalu's sales … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Are Bulls Losing Their “Golden” Touch?

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:31 AM PDT

Friday, September 16, 2011
With Gold prices possibility setting up for a much needed major correction in prices, some traders with a bearish bent may wish to explore the purchase of a bear put spread in Gold futures options. For example, with October Gold trading at 1780.70 as of this writing, the October 1780 puts could be bought and the October 1750 puts sold for 13.00, or $1300.00, not including commissions. The risk on this trade would be the entire amount of the investment in the spread, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/CHF Up In European Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:25 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was higher against the Swiss Franc on Friday.

EUR/CHF was trading at 1.2065, up 0.001% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2024, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.2092, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the U.S. Dollar and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/USD shedding 0.53% to hit 1.3803 and EUR/JPY falling 0.46% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: EURUSD Finds Intraday Support After Dip Below 38.2% Retracement Of The Weeks Range

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:17 AM PDT

The weaker than expected TIC data has helped push the EURUSD higher. The data has been on the low side over the last few months and may have the market concerned about the flow of funds from overseas into US assets/the dollar. From a technical perspective, the fall in the first few hours of NY trading took the price through the 38.2% of the weeks range but the price  bounced back quickly.

The next upside target comes in at the 1.3804-11 area where channel trendline from the 5 minute … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U.S. TIC Long Term Purchases Rise Less-than-expected

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:10 AM PDT

Forexpros – U.S. TIC long term purchases rose less-than-expected last month, official data showed on Friday.

In a report, Department of the Treasury said that U.S. TIC long term purchases rose to a seasonally adjusted 9.5B, from 3.4B in the preceding month whose figure was revised down from 3.7B.

Analysts had expected U.S. TIC long term purchases to rise 27.3B last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down On Economic Data

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:10 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Friday after the release of U.S. data on TIC Net Long-Term Transactions.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3785, down 0.66% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. TIC long term purchases rose less-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted 9.5B last month from 3.4B in the preceding month whose figure was … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CBE Updates Outlook

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:05 AM PDT

Cooper Industries plc (NYSE:CBE) has updated its third-quarter and full-year 2011 guidance and for the first time provided an outlook for 2012. Fully diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2011 is expected to be in the range of $0.94-$0.98 by the company.  The company expects sales in the quarter to rise by 9% to 12% compared with the third quarter of 2010. The third-quarter 2011 sales include revenue contribution from the Martek and Gitiesse acquisitions (approximately $25 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

AIR Sales Up, Misses Estimate

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:05 AM PDT

On September 15, 2011, AAR Corp. (NYSE:AIR) posted favorable first-quarter 2012 financial results. The company's net income surged by approximately 21.8% to $16.6 million or 41 cents per diluted share compared with $13.7 million or 36 cents per diluted share earned in the prior-year quarter. Earnings per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 43 cents per share marginally.
Revenue
In the first quarter of 2012, consolidated sales were $479.3 million, up from $404.4 million in the first … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CAD Down In European Trading Hours

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 06:00 AM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Canadian Dollar on Friday.

USD/CAD was trading at 0.9836, down 0.01% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9830, today's low, and resistance at 1.0027, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 0.63% to hit 1.3790 and GBP/USD falling 0.03% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Canadian Foreign Securities Purchases Rise

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 05:40 AM PDT

Forexpros – ign investment in Canada rose last month, official data showed on Friday.

In a report, Statistics Canada said that Canadian foreign securities purchases rose to a seasonally adjusted 11.78B, from -3.45B in the preceding month whose figure was revised up from -3.46B.

Analysts had expected Canadian foreign securities purchases to 0.00B last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Alcoa To Invest $300M In Iowa

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 05:30 AM PDT

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE:AA) announced that it intends to invest $300 million to expand its Davenport, Iowa rolled products plant in order to meet the rising demand from the automotive market.
The expansion will lead to the addition of the 150 jobs to the plant and is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Alcoa selected the Davenport plant for expansion due to its workforce and a very progressive support from the government side. Moreover, the government has provided an incentive package, including … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Tiffany To Expand In New York

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 05:30 AM PDT

In an effort to bank upon the incremental sales in New York, Tiffany & Company (NYSE:TIF) announced the opening of its new store in New York's SoHo district.
The new 7,000-square-foot store in SoHo district is slated to open in September 2012, marking the company's third store in New York. Further, the opening also coincides with Tiffany's 175th anniversary.
Going further, Tiffany plans to open 17 stores in fiscal 2011 with 6 in the Americas, 3 in Europe and 8 in Asia-Pacific.
As of July … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Set To Follow Stocks Lower, Gold Setup Hints Losses Ahead

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 05:30 AM PDT

Talking Points

Crude Oil Vulnerable as S&P 500 Futures Point to Risk Aversion
Gold Technical Setup Hints Significant in Place Below $1900/oz

WTI Crude Oil (NY Close): $89.40 // +0.49 // +0.55%
While the correlation between the S&P 500 and crude oil prices has come off a bit, the relationship remains significant enough to suspect that the decline in stock index futures ahead of the trading open in North America bodes ill for the WTI contract as well as shares. Needless to say, the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/GBP Down During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 05:00 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the British Pound on Friday.

EUR/GBP was trading at 0.8734, down 0.54% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8532, Monday's low, and resistance at 0.8790, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the U.S. Dollar and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/USD shedding 0.56% to hit 1.3799 and EUR/JPY falling 0.58% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – GBP/CHF Up In European Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 04:30 AM PDT

Forexpros – The British Pound was higher against the Swiss Franc on Friday.

GBP/CHF was trading at 1.3813, up 0.54% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3709, Thursday's low, and resistance at 1.4129, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was up against the U.S. Dollar and the Euro, with GBP/USD gaining 0.10% to hit 1.5817 and EUR/GBP falling 0.54% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – AUD/USD Up In European Trading Hours

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 04:00 AM PDT

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

AUD/USD was trading at 1.0358, up 0.29% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.0178, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.0416, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the Australian Dollar was up against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/AUD shedding 0.77% to hit 1.3334 and AUD/JPY rising 0.27% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

ECB Announces Joint USD Liquidity Operations

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:42 AM PDT

The European Central Bank (ECB) announced the commencement of joint USD liquidity operations: “The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided, in coordination with the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank, to conduct three US dollar liquidity-providing operations with a maturity of approximately three months covering the end of the year. These operations will be conducted in addition to the ongoing weekly seven-day … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CHF Up During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 03:20 AM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Swiss Franc on Friday.

USD/CHF was trading at 0.8742, up 0.55% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8648, Thursday's low, and resistance at 0.8928, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/USD shedding 0.55% to hit 1.3801 and USD/JPY rising 0.06% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Up In European Trade

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 02:30 AM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was higher against the Japanese Yen on Friday.

USD/JPY was trading at 76.72, up 0.01% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 76.56, Thursday's low, and resistance at 77.59, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar was up against the Euro and the British Pound, with EUR/USD shedding 0.59% to hit 1.3795 and GBP/USD falling 0.09% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Reserve Bank Of India Hikes Repo Rate 25bps To 8.25%

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 02:22 AM PDT

The Reserve Bank of India [RBI] increased its repo rate by 25 basis points to 8.25% from 8.00% and raised the reverse repo rate to 7.25% from 7.00%.  The RBI said: “The monetary tightening effected so far by the Reserve Bank has helped in containing inflation and anchoring inflationary expectations, though both remain at levels beyond the Reserve Bank’s comfort zone.  As monetary policy operates with a lag, the cumulative impact of policy actions should now be … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down In European Trading Hours

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:55 AM PDT

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

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3784, down 0.67% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the British Pound and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 0.44% to hit 0.8744 and EUR/JPY falling 0.63% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: Eurozone Current Account

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:12 AM PDT

Eurozone Current Account came in at a 12.9B deficit, weaker than the 5.6B expected.
Eur/Usd has felt the effects of this news as the pair has come off 30 points thus far to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – GBP/USD Down During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 01:10 AM PDT

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5751, down 0.32% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5707, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.5885, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was up against the Euro and down against the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 0.35% to hit 0.8752 and GBP/JPY falling 0.27% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/GBP Down During The European Session

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 12:15 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the British Pound on Friday.

EUR/GBP was trading at 0.8754, down 0.32% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8532, Monday's low, and resistance at 0.8790, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the U.S. Dollar and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/USD shedding 0.53% to hit 1.3803 and EUR/JPY falling 0.38% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Asian Markets Close Higher; Nikkei Up 2.25%

Posted: 16 Sep 2011 12:10 AM PDT

Forexpros – Asian stocks were up after the closing bell on Friday.

At the close of Asian trade, Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 2.25%, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index gained 1.91%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was trading 1.73% up.

Meanwhile, the outlook for U.S. equity markets was mixed. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures indicated a gain of 0.02%, S&P 500 futures pointed to a decrease of 0.04% and Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a fall of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Bear Of The Day: Gerdau S.A.

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau S.A.’s (NYSE:GGB) second quarter results were rather disappointing as the company’s EPS of $0.18 plummeted 38% year over year and lagged behind the Zacks Consensus by 14 cents. Results were plagued by higher raw material costs that have been persistently affecting the company’s financial health.
To add to the peril, Gerdau’s positive momentum gets restricted by the headwinds arising from foreign currency fluctuation, cyclicality of the industry and stiff competition. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Aggressive Growth Stock: Melco Crown Entertainment

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Melco Crown Entertainment (NASDAQ:MPEL) analysts are growing more bullish by the day, but the price has fallen off in the midst of the market down turn.
With these valuations, now could be the time to take a gamble on this exponential growth story.
Company Description
Melco Crown Entertainment owns gaming and entertainment resorts, primarily in Macau.
Estimates on the Rise
Thanks to an earnings surprise in late August the Zacks Consensus Estimates for MPEL have been climbing. In the past 3 months, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Growth & Income Stock: Oxford Industries, Inc.

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Oxford Industries, Inc. (NYSE:OXM) recently delivered its third consecutive positive earnings surprise on strong sales growth and margin expansion.
Management raised its guidance for the remainder of the year, prompting analysts to revise their estimates higher. This sent the stock to a Zacks #2 Rank (Buy).
Oxford offers exceptional growth potential and solid income. Based on consensus estimates, analysts project 80% EPS growth this year and 19% growth next year. Moreover, the company pays a … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Momentum Stock: Carbo Ceramics, Inc.

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Carbo Ceramics, Inc. (NYSE:CRR) has been a standout energy stock, hitting a series of new highs over the last year on surging demand. With an average earnings surprise of 15% over the last four quarters and bullish 34% growth projection, this Zacks #2 Rank stock has momentum to burn.
Company Description
Carbo Ceramics, Inc. makes and sells ceramic propant, a key ingredient used by oil-field service companies in the extraction of crude and natural gas. The company was founded in 1987 and has a … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Bull Of The Day: Expedia, Inc. (EXPE)

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPE), one of the leading online travel companies in the world, solidly beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the second quarter, despite higher expenses. A stronger economy, increased travel spending by both individuals and corporations and international expansion are driving results.
Additionally, Egencia is turning around, posting strong results in the last quarter. The solid growth strategy across markets and stronger business fundamentals overall are the reasons for our … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down During The Asian Session

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:55 PM PDT

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

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3857, down 0.14% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, Thursday's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was down against the British Pound and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 0.18% to hit 0.8766 and EUR/JPY falling 0.04% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – GBP/USD Up In Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:25 PM PDT

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5810, up 0.06% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5707, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.5885, Monday's high.

Meanwhile, the British Pound was up against the Euro and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP shedding 0.10% to hit 0.8773 and GBP/JPY rising 0.14% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – Dollar Advances In Mid-day Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 08:12 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – The U.S. dollar moved higher against its major counterparts in Asian trade Friday, lifted by a four-day winning streak on Wall Street and prospects for progress on Europe's debt crisis.
In mid-day Asian trade, the greenback was higher against the euro, with EUR/USD falling 0.18% to hit 1.3851.
Earlier Thursday, the European Central Bank, the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks said they would coordinate an extension of loans to euro-zone banks, in an effort … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Rises In Mid-day Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 07:33 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – The U.S. dollar moved higher against the Japanese yen in Asian trade Friday, following the announcement from the European Central Bank of a plan to extend dollar loans to debt-threatened regional financial institutions.
In mid-day Asian trade USD/JPY hit 76.86, the pair's highest since Thursday; the pair subsequently consolidated at 76.79, rising 0.11%.
The pair was likely to find support at 76.41, the low of August 31, and resistance at 77.58 Monday's … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Asian Stocks Advance In Early Trade; Nikkei Rises 1.6%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:47 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – Asian stocks moved higher in Friday trade, led by financial issues after the European Central Bank announced plans to coordinate efforts to address European sovereign debt.
During early Asian trade, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.7 to 19,181.50, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.64% to 8,810.80, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.7% to 4,142.10.
Along with the Nikkei, the broader-based Topix Index of all issues listed on the first section of the Tokyo … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Government Bureaucracy Gone Wild: Medical Service Codes Go From 18,000 To 140,000

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:43 PM PDT

Wall Street Journal — “Today, hospitals and doctors use a system of about 18,000 codes to describe medical services in bills they send to insurers. Apparently, that doesn’t allow for quite enough nuance.  A new federally mandated version will expand the number to around 140,000—adding codes that describe precisely what bone was broken, or which artery is receiving a stent. It will also have a code for recording that a patient’s injury occurred in a chicken coop. (See code.)”

A search … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Peter Schiff’s Testimony Before Congress

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:27 PM PDT

“Government stimulus will never grow this economy. It will never create jobs. It is the equivalent of trying to put out a fire by pouring gasoline on it. We have to understand that the housing bubble, the financial crisis of 2008, were the consequences of government stimulus.

We stimulated our way into this problem, we're not going to stimulate our way out. In fact, the stimulus is actually a sedative. The stimulus is preventing the free market from unraveling the problems that years of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Gains In Early Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 06:02 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – Crude oil futures rose in Asian trade Friday, lifted by a better-than-expected U.S. industrial output report and the European Central Bank's announced plan to provide liquidity to debt threatened financial institutions in the region.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange light, sweet crude futures for October delivery traded at USD89.45 a barrel during early Asian trade, rising 0.21%, after hitting a daily low of USD88.86.
Earlier Thursday, the ECB announced it “has … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Gold Futures Rise In Early Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 05:20 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – Gold futures recovered from three-week lows in Asian trade Friday, after falling under USD1,800 an ounce, as the European Central Bank announced plans to provide dollar liquidity to euro-zone financial institutions.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for October delivery traded at USD1,790.05 a troy ounce during early Asian trade, up 0.11%, after hitting a low of USDS1,786.95.
Gold futures came under selling pressure earlier after … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Climbs In Early Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 04:40 PM PDT

Forexpros –
Forexpros – The euro moved higher against the U.S. dollar in Asian trade Friday, as global central banks announced a concerted effort to provide fresh dollar loans to debt threatened euro-zone financial institutions.
EUR/USD hit 1.3893 in early Asian trade, the pair's highest since Monday; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3882, rising 0.04%.
The pair was likely to find support at 1.3556, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.4089, the high of September 9.
Earlier Thursday, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Too Big To Fail Party

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 04:36 PM PDT

Cusick’s Corner
With global banks and governments coming together for a “too big to fail” party, the market is in a grinding approach to the upside. This has been a broad based rally and volatility, VIX is down 30% THIS WEEK. The cash that has been rotating out of fixed income, precious metals, and big cap tech is becoming a little nervous of missing the next potential leg to the upside. With the S&Ps over the 1200 mark and a Put/Call ratio at .4, the bulls may have momentum into expiration … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Down During The Asian Session

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 04:10 PM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3874, down 0.03% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, today's high.

Meanwhile, the Euro was up against the British Pound and the Japanese Yen, with EUR/GBP gaining 0.02% to hit 0.8784 and EUR/JPY rising 0.02% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Netflix Slashes Subscriber Forecast

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:58 PM PDT

09/15/11 Netflix shares tumbled on Thursday, after the movie rental company downwardly revised Q3 subscriber … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Is Poised For A Move

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:51 PM PDT

Crude Oil has been trending lower for months, ever since price topped out at around $115 at the beginning of May. Crude is now sitting just below an important fulcrum that could pave the way for a major move ahead. Here's why..

Three-Way Resistance
The daily chart shows Crude is facing tough, three-way resistance in the form of quarterly VWAP, an upper trend line, and visual resistance – all of which culminate at the $90.50 level.
Visual resistance at $90.50 was formerly support in June, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Southwest Capacity Growth On Hold

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:35 PM PDT

The largest U.S. low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) plans to keep next year's capacity relatively flat with the 2011 level. The company might not increase flights even in 2013.
The decision was based on surging fuel prices and economic weakness. Given steep rises in fuel prices, the company is taking cautious steps to counter weaker demand, softness in corporate travel trends and lower bookings due to high unemployment and the recent topsy-turvy in financial markets.
Although … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Berkshire To Close Lubrizol Deal

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:35 PM PDT

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A) (BRK.B) has announced that it will close the acquisition of Lubrizol on Friday, 16th September 2011. This was followed by the receipt of notification by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China.
Lubrizol is a specialty chemical company that makes chemicals for pharmaceutical companies, fuel additives for gasoline and diesel, and other ingredients for the transportation sector. The closure will mark the timely execution of the deal, which was … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Down In Asian Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:35 PM PDT

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

NZD/USD was trading at 0.8235, down 0.02% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8119, Monday's low, and resistance at 0.8280, today's high.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Dollar was down against the Australian Dollar and the Euro, with AUD/NZD gaining 0.06% to hit 1.2544 and EUR/NZD rising 0.07% to hit … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U. Of Michigan Consumer Sentiment, TIC Data, Quadruple Witching, UK Nationwide Consumer Confidence, Euro-zone Trade Balance

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:20 PM PDT

09/15/11 The preliminary September reading of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index will be released. Friday is also quadruple witching … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Aflac’s Note Exchange Offer Lapses

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:10 PM PDT

Yesterday, Aflac Inc. (NYSE:AFL) announced the cessation of the earlier announced notes exchange offer, wherein $850 million of notes with interest of 8.5% due 2019 were to be exchanged for new senior notes due 2022. In May this year, rating agency A.M. Best had maintained arating of "a-" on these notes, reflecting a stable outlook.
The closure of the offer was backed by the failure to fulfill the main condition whereby at least $250 million worth notes should be exchanged to honor the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

National Retail Closes Offering

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:05 PM PDT

National Retail Properties Inc. (NYSE:NNN) recently closed an underwritten public offering of 9.2 million shares at an average price of $26.07 per share. The public offering also included 1.2 million shares sold to the underwriters. After deducting underwriting discounts and other expenses, the company generated net proceeds of $229.4 million.
Consistent with its investment objectives and strategies, National Retail intends to utilize the proceeds generated from the offering to acquire additional … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Northrop Becomes Inmarsat Distributor

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:05 PM PDT

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) said it is partnering with Inmarsat Global Limited, London, to provide leased services and act as a network services distribution partner for Inmarsat Commercial Satellite Services around the world.
Northrop's three-year agreement with Inmarsat entails distribution of the latter's Broadband Global Area Network and offer standard Inmarsat products and services, and customized power and bandwidth worldwide.
Northrop expects the deal to contribute to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Teva To Invest More In CureTech

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 03:05 PM PDT

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ:TEVA) recently announced its intention to increase its investment in CureTech Ltd. Besides investing an additional $19 million in CureTech, Teva intends to finance up to $50 million of CureTech's R&D program.
Teva's decision to increase its investment in CureTech is based on positive final results on oncology candidate, CT-011. Results from a phase II study showed that CT-011, an investigational anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, met the primary … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Republican Weapon Of Mass Cynicism

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:39 PM PDT

According to the latest ABC New/Washington Post poll, 77 percent of Americans say they "feel things have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track" in this country. That's the highest percentage since January, 2009.
No surprise. The economy is almost as rotten now as it was two years ago. And, yes, this poses a huge risk to President Obama's reelection, as it does to congressional Democrats.
But the truly remarkable thing is how little faith Americans have in government to set … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Haemonetics Remains Neutral

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Recently, we reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE:HAE) with a target price of $63.00.
Haemonetics reported an adjusted EPS of 65 cents in the first quarter of fiscal 2012, way below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 78 cents and the year-ago quarter's adjusted EPS of 74 cents. The company was impacted by the OrthoPAT devices recall during the quarter.
In addition, high costs were incurred in an effort to substitute plasma HS core product (to collect plasma for … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CSC Takes Over AppLabs Technologies

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Virginia-based Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) recently announced that it has acquired privately held pure-play software testing and quality management service provider, AppLabs Technologies Private Limited for an undisclosed amount.
The acquisition will enable Computer Sciences to provide application testing services in the high growth discrete testing market, supporting the company's multi-year strategic growth plan.
Post acquisition, Computer Sciences will gain access to the strong portfolio … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Humana Expands Louisville Workforce

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:35 PM PDT

Yesterday, Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM) announced its plans of adding 200 new full-time employees at the company's National Medicare service center in Louisville. A majority of the new employees will be working at Humana's Medicare call center as customer care specialists and front-line supervisors.
Additionally, Humana has more than 100 openings in Information Technology as well as various other job opportunities in Louisville, which will be revealed over the coming weeks. The new additions are … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Stock Picks For Friday 16 September

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:09 PM PDT

( click to enlarge )

I have been following RF Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:RFMD) for while and over the last weeks I never seen so many buyers purchasing the stock. The volume over the recent days has dramatically increased. The technical indicator OBV shows exactly this situation. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but remain bullish signaling. I suspect the stock may continue to appreciate over the coming days.

( click to enlarge )

Rediff.com India Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:REDF) -  Waiting to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Sasol Gives U.S. First GTL Unit

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:05 PM PDT

South Africa-based petrochemicals group Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL) announced plans to set up a gas-to-liquids (GTL) plant in the southwestern region of the State of Louisiana. This will be the first facility in the U.S. to generate GTL transportation fuels and other products.
Sasol, which constructed the world's first commercial-sized GTL plant in Qatar, will conduct an extensive feasibility study regarding the viability of the project in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, over the next 18 months. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Lockheed To Upgrade U.S. Army Tanks

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:05 PM PDT

Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) said it has received a $28.6 million contract to upgrade tank systems for the U.S. Army Program Executive Office of Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI).
The contract entails Lockheed to upgrade more than 60 Advanced Gunnery Training Systems (AGTS) for M1A1 and M1A2 main battle tanks. The company will also provide 11 new M1A2 training systems as a part of the two-year effort. 
Lockheed Martin will also integrate the newest version of its … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Alliant Secures NSA Contract

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:05 PM PDT

Alliant Techsystems Inc. (NYSE:ATK) has received a contract worth $30 million from the U.S. Army to supply non-standard (non-NATO) ammunition (“NSA”) to the security forces of Afghanistan.
Alliant has a strong footing in the NSA market as the company, apart from providing ammunitions, also offers technical assistance, assures quality, and supports a supply chain for a variety of non-standard small, medium, and large caliber ammunition, aviation rockets, rocket propelled grenades and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

PepsiCo Gets Philanthropic

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:05 PM PDT

Pepsico Inc. (NYSE:PEP), the world leading retailer of soft drinks and snacks has decided to offer help to the nation’s premier center of Mexican-American culture, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles. The company wants to boost their praiseworthy work of educating people about the history and contributions of Mexican Americans to the nation.
The retail giant is donating $1 million to the organization. The three-year grant will go toward the establishment of an Edible Teaching Garden and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Amerisafe Not So Safe

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:05 PM PDT

We reiterated our Underperform recommendation on Amerisafe Inc. (NASDAQ:AMSF) based on its persistent weak performance that questions its current sustainability factor. The company's second-quarter operating earnings per share of 23 cents substantially lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 38 cents and 53 cents reported in the prior-year quarter. Operating income substantially plummeted 56.4% year over year to $4.4 million.
Results worsened primarily due to higher underwriting losses, reduced … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Dow Rises 186 Points As Eurozone Debt Concerns Ease

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 02:00 PM PDT

09/15/11 NYFP’s Closing Bell Market Monitor: The Dow rallied for a fourth straight session after the ECB announced a coordination with other central banks to inject dollars into European banks. Meanwhile, UBS took a hit on a rouge … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

‘The Most Difficult Part Of The Job Search Is Waiting For Permission To Give Up’

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:55 PM PDT

(Image: source)
Maybe I’m just a glass-half-empty, cloud-behind-every-silver-lining, doddering old fool, but I can’t quite reconcile Wall Street’s almost surreal notion of where things stand — you know, “just close your eyes and buy, buy, buy” — with Main Street’s ever more pessimestic view  of the reality on the ground — let’s call it “cry, cry, cry.”
That disparity is all the more apparent on a day like today, when share prices scream higher right out of the gate on yet another … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

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

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:55 PM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3879, up 0.91% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

E*TRADE Downgraded To Neutral

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:50 PM PDT

We have downgraded our recommendation on E*Trade Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC) to Neutral from Outperform due to volatile trading business and the turbulence in the global markets.
In July, E*TRADE reported second-quarter 2011 earnings of 16 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as the prior quarter. However, the company's net income compared favorably with 12 cents per share earned in the prior-year quarter owing to higher net operating interest income and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

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

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:40 PM PDT

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

USD/JPY was trading at 76.65, up 0.02% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 76.56, today's low, and resistance at 77.59, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Chevron To Drop S. African Asset

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT

Global integrated energy company, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has signed an initial agreement with the mid- and down-stream unit of Trafigura Beheer BV – Puma Energy – for the sale of its fuel marketing business in Namibia. The financial terms were not disclosed.
The deal does not include Chevron's lubricants business and will not involve the company's operations in South Africa, Botswana or Swaziland. The transaction is expected to be closed following regulatory and government … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

New President For Boston Scientific

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT

Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) has named Michael Mahoney as the President of the company effective October 17, 2011. Mahoney, the Worldwide Chairman of the Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is expected to occupy the post of CEO of Boston Scientific from November 1, 2012.
Earlier, in May 2011, Ray Elliott had announced his intention to step down as the President and CEO and confirms he will do so on October 17, 2011. Subsequently, Hank Kucheman, the Executive Vice … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Hilltop Treads A Rough Patch

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT

We reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) based on the critical sustainability factor. The company's second quarter loss increased to $13.2 million or 23 cents per share from a loss of $5.2 million or 9 cents per share in the year-ago period. This also compared unfavorably with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings of 2 cents per share.
Results benefited from modest growth in premiums, investment income and net realized gains that drove the top line. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Manpower Balances Risk-Reward

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:35 PM PDT

We currently maintain our long-term Neutral rating on ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN), the global leader in the employment services industry. Moreover, the company also holds a Zacks #3 Rank, which translates into a short-term Hold rating and correlates with our long-term outlook.
Manpower's comprehensive range of services makes it a truly global staffing firm. The company provides services for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment, employee … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

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

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:25 PM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3884, up 0.95% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U.S. Markets Close Higher; Dow Jones Up 1.66%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:15 PM PDT

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

At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.66%, the S&P 500 index gained 1.72%, while the Nasdaq 100 index climbed 1.50%.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up from 414K.

Analysts had expected Initial Jobless Claims to fall to 410K last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

American Superconductor To Sue Sinovel

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:05 PM PDT

Global power technologies company, American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:AMSC) announced that it is taking a series of legal actions against Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd. which includes payments for past shipments, and compensation for infringement of intellectual property rights. American Superconductor alleges that Sinovel illegally obtained and used its proprietary technology to upgrade its 1.5 megawatt wind turbines to meet proposed Chinese grid codes.
It can be termed as payback time for … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Apple Leads Tablet Market

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 01:05 PM PDT

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) continues its success story with the iPad 2, as it has emerged as the leading tablet maker in the second quarter of 2011 in terms of global shipments. Research firm IDC confirmed that 9.3 million units of Apple's iPad 2 being shipped during the quarter, netting a 68.3% market share worldwide, up from 65.7% in the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, with an estimated market share of 26.8%, Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android-based tablets were down from 34.0% in the previous quarter. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Mortgage Rates Fall To New Record Lows; In Real Terms You Can Borrow Now For Free At 0% Or Less

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:59 PM PDT

Freddie Mac reported today that the average rate on 30-year fixed mortgages fell to 4.09% this week, down from 4.12% last week, and the lowest rate since the early 1950s (see top chart above, news report here).  The 15-year fixed rate fell to 3.30% this week from 3.33% last week, setting a new all-time record low (see bottom chart above).

To purchase a median priced existing home at $174,000 (most recent data available is for July) with a 20% down payment, the monthly payments at 4.09% … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

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

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:55 PM PDT

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

GBP/USD was trading at 1.5799, up 0.19% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.5707, Wednesday's low, and resistance at 1.5885, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

TARP Banks: Victims Of Gambling?

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:35 PM PDT

U.S. banks that were sheltered by government bailout during the height of financial crisis took more credit risk afterward, according to a University of Michigan study released on Wednesday.
About 700 financial institutions received approximately $205 billion in bailout money as part of their participation in the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) initiated by the government in 2008. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) were … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Medicines Co Launches Argatroban

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:35 PM PDT

The Medicines Company (NASDAQ:MDCO) recently announced the launch of a 50mL ready-to-use formulation of Argatroban injection. Argatroban is a direct thrombin inhibitor indicated for prophylaxis or treatment of thrombosis in adult patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) and as an anticoagulant in adult patients with or at risk for HIT undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The ready-to-use formulation gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in late June … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Activision To Unravel Bond 007

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:35 PM PDT

From November 1, 2011, 'espionage' is set to be redefined when Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) releases its latest James Bond game GoldenEye 007: Reloaded and GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Double ‘O’ Edition. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded will be made available in Microsoft Corp's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox 360 entertainment system and Sony Corp's (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 3. Moreover, PS3 will also exclusively have the GoldenEye 007: Reloaded Double ‘O’ Edition version.
The game is being developed by Eurocom under … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CHF Down In U.S. Trading Hours

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Swiss Franc on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

USD/CHF was trading at 0.8694, down 0.75% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.8648, today's low, and resistance at 0.8928, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Rockwell Reaffirms 2011 Outlook

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:15 PM PDT

Rockwell Collins Inc. (NYSE:COL), the supplier of avionics and military equipment, reaffirmed its fiscal 2011 guidance and raised the share repurchase authorization. The company expects revenue in the range of $4.80 billion – $4.85 billion, cash flow from operations of about $650 million and earnings per share from continuing operations between $4.00 –  $4.10. The EPS guidance however excludes the potential gain on sale of Rollmet product line.
Earlier, in June 2011, Rockwell Collins … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/CAD Down In U.S. Trade

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Canadian Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

USD/CAD was trading at 0.9840, down 0.55% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.9836, today's low, and resistance at 1.0027, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Prologis Leases In Brazil

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Prologis Inc. (NYSE:PLD), a leading industrial real estate investment trust (REIT), has recently signed a lease agreement spanning 309,400 square feet of its development portfolio in Brazil with an unnamed retailer of the country for an undisclosed amount. With the deal, Cajamar Industrial Park – the leased property – is fully pre-leased.
When fully built out, the facility is expected to total approximately 2 million square feet of industrial space. The project is a joint venture with Cyrela … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CPI Up 0.4%, Core Up 0.2%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:05 PM PDT

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.4% in August, down from a 0.5% increase in July, but higher than the expected increase of 0.2%. In June, the CPI actually fell by 0.2%. Year over year it is up 3.8%.

Looking a little bit deeper, the increase in headline inflation is mostly with energy, and to a lesser extent, food prices. The higher-than-expected level stems entirely from energy. Energy prices rose 1.2%. While that is down from a 2.8% increase in July, it is still a big jump. However, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Textron Offers Buyback, Cuts View

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 12:05 PM PDT

Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) has commenced a cash tender offer for any and all of its 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2013. The company also lowered its fiscal year 2011 earnings outlook.
Per the terms and subject to the conditions set in the company's Offer to Purchase, dated September 14, 2011, and the related Letter of Transmittal, the company has started a tender offer to purchase for cash any and all of its outstanding 4.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2013. Unless extended or earlier … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Boom Industry: There Are Now 1,300 Retail Clinics

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:57 AM PDT

During the month of August, 40 new retail health clinics opened including 25 new Minute Clinics in CVS stores (bring the total to 520, the most of any national chain), 6 new Clinics at Walmart (137 total), and 4 new Target clinics (44 total).  After accounting for 5 closings in August, the net increase of 35 new retail clinics last month brought the national total up to 1,300, an all-time record high, according to retail clinic trade association Merchant Medicine.  Compared to August … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Short Term Correction In Gold And Silver Provides Buying Opportunity

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:49 AM PDT

Deflationary Repeat of 2008?
There is fear in the land. Many are asking where to go if a deflationary repeat of 2008 is in the cards. The response to such an event may be an initial decline in all holdings across the board. The market roller coaster may take us down, but if we keep our eyes open, at exactly the same moment we could see a sudden rise directly ahead in certain sectors.
The drop might initially reflect a short term decline in commodity markets which are inherently … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

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

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 11:45 AM PDT

Forexpros – The Euro was higher against the U.S. Dollar on Thursday after the release of U.S. data on Initial Jobless Claims.

EUR/USD was trading at 1.3888, up 0.97% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3500, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3937, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that U.S. Initial Jobless Claims rose unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted 428K last week from 417K in the preceding week whose figure was revised up from … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Denmark Central Bank Holds Lending Rate At 1.55%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:39 AM PDT

The Danmarks Nationalbank held its key lending rate unchanged at 1.55% .  The Bank also cut the interest on certificates of deposit -10 basis points to 1.00%, the current account rate -10 basis points to 0.90%, and held the discount rate at 1.25%.  The Bank said in its press release: “The interest rate reduction follows Danmarks Nationalbank’s purchase of foreign exchange in the market. The short euro market rates have fallen and the spread to the equivalent Danish rates has … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Latvia Central Bank Holds Interest Rate At 3.50%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:30 AM PDT

Latvijas Banka kept its main monetary policy interest rate, the refinancing rate, unchanged at 3.50%, and held its other interest rates unchanged.  The Bank said:”In recent months the trend of abating inflation has become evident with only the raising of several tax rates preventing a more rapid drop in prices,”.  The Bank further noted that “domestic demand is growing slowly and represents no risk of rising prices; moreover it is becoming likely that economic growth in Latvia … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

National Bank Of Georgia Holds Refinancing Rate At 7.50%

Posted: 15 Sep 2011 10:13 AM PDT

The National Bank of Georgia maintained its benchmark refinancing interest rate unchanged at 7.50%.  The Bank said: “As expected, in the recent months inflation kept decreasing. This trend could possibly continue in future. According to the existing forecasts, the inflation by the end of the year will be within the target level.” The Bank further noted: “Recently the growth in economic activity has been stable. The decrease of the interest rates, decided on by the MPC at previous … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards
at

No comments:

Post a Comment