Tuesday, December 20, 2011

DailyMarkets.com - Forex Trading: EURUSD Resisted By October Lows

DailyMarkets.com - Forex Trading: EURUSD Resisted By October Lows

Forex Trading: EURUSD Resisted By October Lows

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 05:18 PM PST

On the old retracement below we see the EURUSD pair broke below the early October lows last week and rallied back to that level yesterday as positive Spanish bond auctions, German Confidence and some positional shifts helped the pair higher. In a relatively thin market this holiday season after a rollercoaster year for the Euro, a break above the October lows/100% should be resisted by the trending 21day … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Why The Republican Crackup Is Bad For America

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:31 PM PST

Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the Republican crackup threatens the future of the Grand Old Party more profoundly than at any time since the GOP's eclipse in 1932. That's bad for America.
The crackup isn't just Romney the smooth versus Gingrich the bomb-thrower.
Not just House Republicans who just scotched the deal to continue payroll tax relief and extended unemployment insurance benefits beyond the end of the year, versus Senate Republicans who voted overwhelmingly for it.
Not just … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Firms On Cheerier German Mood, Spanish Auction

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:26 PM PST

Forexpros – The euro strengthened against the dollar on Wednesday, bolstered by good news on multiple fronts ranging from healthy turnout at a Spanish bond auction to firming German confidence rates.

EUR/USD hit 1.3116 in early Asian trading, up 0.26% after hitting a session high of 1.3120 and above a session low of 1.3076.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2983, Monday’s low, and resistance at 1.3132, Tuesday’s high.

While the European Central Bank refuses to step in and buy … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – USD/JPY Down On Economic Data

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:10 PM PST

Forexpros – The U.S. Dollar was lower against the Japanese Yen on Wednesday after the release of Japanese data on Trade Balance.

USD/JPY was trading at 77.84, down 0.07% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 77.62, Friday's low, and resistance at 78.16, Monday's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that Japan's trade balance fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted -0.54T last month, from -0.46T in the preceding month.

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

Japan’s Trade Balance Falls More-than-expected

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:05 PM PST

Forexpros – Japan' trade balance fell more-than-expected last month, official data showed on Tuesday.

In a report, the Ministry of Finance said that the country's trade balance fell to a seasonally adjusted -0.54T, from -0.46T in the preceding month.

Analysts had expected the trade balance to fall -0.28T last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

A4A Forecasts Fewer Air Travelers

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:58 PM PST

12/20/11 According to Airlines for America, the number of air travelers are expected to decline during the holiday … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

A.M. Best Rates Aetna Securities

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:35 PM PST

 
Last week, rating agency A.M. Best Co. assigned ratings to Aetna's (AET) securities that were recently registered through the universal shelf registration process. The rating agency assigned a "bbb+" rating on the company's senior unsecured debt, "bbb" on subordinated debt and "bbb-" on preferred stock with a stable outlook.
Shelf registration is a process authorized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), which allows a single registration document … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Telus Sees Overall Growth In ’12

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:20 PM PST

The second largest Canadian telecommunications company, Telus Corporation (NYSE:TU) announced financial guidance for the upcoming fiscal year.
For 2012, the company projected its earnings per share in the range of $3.75–$4.15, reflecting an increase of 1–12% from its estimated earnings per share of $3.50-$3.90 for this year. The growth is expected to be driven by the company's improvement in operating activity backed by reduced financial costs.  
Revenue is expected in … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

US Housing, EU And UK Consumer Confidence To Be Eyed

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:20 PM PST

12/20/11 US housing data continues to highlight the economic calendar. November existing home sales are expected to post another monthly … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Is Everyone Rejoicing Online?

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:10 PM PST

Is everyone rejoicing online?
Surely they are, at least for now as the recent data released by ComScore Inc. — the global leader in measuring the digital world — sees it.
ComScore reported that holiday retail e-commerce spending for the first 46 days, starting from November 1st to December 16, 2011, marked a jump of 15% year over year to touch $30.9 billion.
Earlier, ComScore stated that online Black Friday spending increased 26% to $816 million, while Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) led the pack as … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Goldcorp Remains Neutral

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 03:04 PM PST

We maintain our Neutral recommendation on Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE:GG), a leading gold producer engaged in gold mining and related activities including exploration, extraction, processing and reclamation.
Goldcorp reported excellent third-quarter 2011 results. Adjusted net earnings were $0.57 per share compared with $0.33 in the year-ago quarter. Results exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.56.
Revenues also increased 48% year over year to $1.3 billion. The average realized gold price for the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – NZD/USD Down On Economic Data

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:55 PM PST

Forexpros – The New Zealand Dollar was lower against the U.S. Dollar on Tuesday after the release of N.Z. data on Current Account.

NZD/USD was trading at 0.7677, down 0.05% at time of writing.

The pair was likely to find support at 0.7462, Thursday's low, and resistance at 0.7716, today's high.

Earlier in the day, official data showed that New Zealand's current account balance fell more-than-expected to a seasonally adjusted -4.60B in the last quarter from -0.92B in the preceding … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

AIG’s ILFC To Raise $650M From Notes

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:50 PM PST

Yesterday, American International Group Inc.'s (NYSE:AIG) aircraft leasing unit – International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) – announced the issue of long term notes worth $650 million.
Accordingly, the unsecured notes of $650 million are issued at an initial price of $100.00 and are scheduled to mature on January 15, 2022.  The non-callable notes are projected to have a coupon rate of 8.625%, while the spread stands at 681.5 basis points (bps). Besides, the settlement is scheduled … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Wells Fargo To Acquire Burdale

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:50 PM PST

Yesterday, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) announced that it would acquire Bank of Ireland's (NYSE:IRE) Burdale for €690 million ($898 million) in an effort to broaden its international commercial finance capabilities. The deal is expected to close in early 2012.
Headquartered in London, Burdale is a leading provider of comprehensive asset-based lending and operates in and across the UK and US markets. Wells Fargo will purchase Burdale Financial Holdings Limited, the UK entity, and the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

NY Times To Shed Regional Media

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:50 PM PST

The waning print advertising revenue in an economy, which is facing the brunt of the financial turmoil, compelled The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) to take the tough decision of divesting its Regional Media Group division, part of The New York Times Media Group and focus on core newspapers, which include The New York Times, The Boston Globe and The International Herald Tribune, and its online activities.
The company hinted that it is in discussion to sell its Regional Media Group segment – … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

NASDAQ Buys RapiData

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:35 PM PST

Yesterday, global exchange operator, NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. (NASDAQ:NDAQ) announced the acquisition of RapiData LLC, which offers government and economic data and news to a diverse group of market participants in the US. However, the terms and pricing of the deal remain undisclosed.
RapiData provides immediate access to the events regarding the US government and economic indicators that are integrated into algorithmic trading systems. Such news from readable-machine are imparted to trading firms and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Skype To Offer Free Wi-Fi At Airports

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 09:30 AM PST

12/20/11 According to an official blog post, starting tomorrow, anyone will be able to tap into free WiFi access at major airports across the country courtesy of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

MoneyGram Spreads In Ukraine

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:20 PM PST

Yesterday, MoneyGram International Inc. (NYSE:MGI) announced its expansion in Ukraine, where the company already functions in over 2,150 locations with the leading Oschadbank. This marks a 20% increase in the company's agent locations in Ukraine, thereby escalating it to 13,200 locations.
Previously, MoneyGram also allied with other major banks and UkrPost in Ukraine in oreder to expand its money transfer services in the region. The addition of Oschadbank further enhances the company's … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: Usd/sgd Tests The Top Of The Wedge For A Third Time And Comes Off.

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:18 PM PST

usd/sgd tests the top of the wedge for a third time and comes off signaling it might test the downside and see if they can break through that … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: Usd/hkd In An Upward Wedge

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:18 PM PST

usd/hkd in an upward wedge and being supported by the 50 bar moving … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: Usd/cnh In A Downward Wedge.

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:18 PM PST

usd/cnh in a downward wedge in this daily … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Oracle Puts Damper On Up Day

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:05 PM PST

Uncharacteristically, tech behemoth Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCL) has badly missed earnings estimates today after the closing bell. Reporting lower sales for both hardware and software, Oracle reported earnings of 43 cents (54 cents minus one-time items) per share on revenues of $8.8 billion in the company’s fiscal second quarter of 2012. The Zacks Consensus Estimates were for 55 cents per share and $9.23 billion in revenues.

In other words, not good. Oracle shares have plummeted in the aftermath of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Washington Federal Hikes Dividend

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 02:05 PM PST

On Monday, Washington Federal Inc. (NASDAQ:WFSL) announced a 33% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to 8 cents per share. The new dividend will be paid on January 13, 2012 to the stockholders of record as of December 30, 2011.
This is the second dividend rise for Washington Federal since the end of the recent financial crisis. Before this, the company had increased its quarterly dividend by 1 cent per share to 6 cents in December 2010.
However, in midst of the financial crisis, Washington … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Strong Spanish Debt Sale Sees Dow Surge

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 09:00 AM PST

12/20/11 NYFP’s Closing Bell Report: The Big Board was in full rally mode this afternoon as a successful Spanish debt auction and strong housing data kept stocks in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Alliance Approves Buyback Plan

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:55 PM PST

With an intention to return more value to its shareholders, the board of directors of Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE:ADS) authorized the company to buy back $400 million worth of stock in 2012.
With the approval, the total buyback authorization now comes to $2.4 billion. This authorization program began in the first quarter of 2008, when the board had approved a buyback program of $500 million. Since then, the company has deployed $1.9 billion to buy back 35.3 million or 45% of the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Dril-Quip In Neutral Lane

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:55 PM PST

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Dril-Quip (NYSE:DRQ), following the better-than-expected third quarter results, partially offset by the challenging macro environment.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas Dril-Quip manufactures highly engineered offshore drilling and production equipment for deepwater severe-service applications and harsh environmental conditions. The company's products are used by major integrated, large independent and foreign national oil and gas companies in … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Health Net Discloses 2012 Guidance

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:55 PM PST

Yesterday, Health Net Inc. (NYSE:HNT) revealed its earnings and expense guidance for 2012. The company expects reported earnings of $2.80–2.90 per share in 2012, substantially up from the 2011 guidance of 71–73 cents.
Additionally, the 2012 guidance includes the impact of $15–20 million of pretax expenses, primarily severance costs related to the company's cost reduction efforts and approximately $46–52 million of anticipated pretax expenses related to the run-out of the company's … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

New Zealand’s Current Account Balance Falls More-than-expected

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:55 PM PST

Forexpros – New Zealand's current account balance fell more-than-expected in the last quarter, official data showed on Tuesday.

In a report, Statistics New Zealand said that New Zealand's current account balance fell to a seasonally adjusted -4.60B, from -0.92B in the preceding quarter.

Analysts had expected New Zealand's current account balance to fall -3.77B in the last … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Ohio, Kansas May Be Next States To See Oil Booms

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:50 PM PST

1.  CNNMoney — “Ohio hasn’t been an oil powerhouse for nearly 100 years. But thanks to controversial new drilling technology, the state that once produced a third of the nation’s crude and was the birthplace of John D. Rockefeller’s mighty Standard Oil could once again be a significant source of domestic supply.

If given the proper development, Ohio could be producing 200,000 barrels of crude a day by 2020.  Based on current production rates it would be enough to make Ohio the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Thinking Like A Bull

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:45 PM PST

After today’s big rally in share prices, maybe it’s time to start looking at things a little differently.
Let’s start with this morning’s report on November housing starts. Some might say the data isn’t as good as it looks because a 25 percent jump in multifamily construction accounted for most of the gain. Individuals, in other words, are still very hesitant to wade in and buy their own homes.
Bullish take: renters need less money to live on, so that means they have more to invest in … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U.S. Stocks Soar On Bullish Data; DOW Surges 2.87%

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:36 PM PST

Forexpros – U.S. shares soared higher on the Tuesday as positive housing data combined with German confidence numbers, raised hopes of a continued world wide economic recovery.

At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 2.87%, the S&P 500 jumped 2.98% and the Nasdaq Composite index advanced 3.19%.

U.S.Housing starts soared higher than any time in the last 19 months signaling a potential end to the U.S. housing crisis increasing the optimism of the stock … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Nissan Makes Two Recalls

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:35 PM PST

Nissan Motor Co. (NASDAQ:NSANY) announced that it will recall 34,000 units of Sentra compact cars due to a problem with their battery cables, causing the engines to stall. The recall includes 2010 and 2011 model year vehicles that are equipped with MR-20 engines and manufactured between May 11, 2010 and May 22, 2010, and July 8, 2010 and October 25, 2010.
The automaker revealed that a thick zinc coating on the cable bolts is leading to voltage drop that can damage the computerized engine control. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

PHOTOS: The Year In Volcanic Activity, 2011

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:32 PM PST

More amazing photos from The Atlantic.

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

Wash DC Moves To Establish NYC-Style Taxi Cartel

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:28 PM PST

The word “quota” appears four times in the draft of the District of Columbia’s taxi reform bill, including this key phrase:

“The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission is authorized to establish a public vehicle-for-hire licensing quota which provides that the number of new taxicab vehicle licenses may be limited, after making a determination that the market is saturated with taxi vehicles and would benefit from a stabilization or reduction of new vehicles."

Translation: Like NYC, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CAT Losing Steam, Sales Moderate

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:25 PM PST

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) recorded machines sales growth of 30% for the three months ending November 31, continuing its 19-month run of positive sales growth, but hitting rock bottom so far in 2011. Engine sales increased 15% across the globe.
The 30% sales growth in November saw a percentage point drop from the 31% sales clip in the three months periods ending October and September. Sales growth has nonetheless moderated form the highs of 66% recorded in the month of April. Even though … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Duke-ATC Buy Zephyr Project

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:05 PM PST

Duke-American Transmission Co. ("DATC"), a joint venture of Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE:DUK) and American Transmission Co. ("ATC"), has bought Zephyr Power Transmission Project from a subsidiary of Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy LLC. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The Zephyr project would extend from Chugwater and end at Eldorado Valley just south of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 500-kilovolt, high-voltage direct current project will include an AC/DC converter station at … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Surges On Strong U.S. Data

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 01:04 PM PST

Forexpros – Crude oil futures surged higher on Tuesday on strong U.S. housing data and Iranian supply worries.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for January settlement traded at USD97.43 a barrel during late U.S. trade, advancing 3.44%.

It earlier hit a daily high of USD97.59 a barrel.

Weakness in the U.S. dollar helped trigger soaring crude prices.

The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Chevron: 12th Offshore Aussie Discovery

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:55 PM PST

Global integrated energy company Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) announced the discovery of natural gas in Vos-1 well, offshore Western Australia, marking its twelfth offshore find in the country since mid-2009.
Located in the WA-439-P permit block in the Carnarvon Basin, the well is estimated to hold approximately 453 feet of net gas pay. The well, about 186 miles from Exmouth on the Western Australian coast, was drilled in 4869 feet of water to a depth of 12,461 feet.
The Australian unit of Chevron … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Leading Economic Indexes Rebound Strongly In October For France, Australia And Germany

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:53 PM PST

According to releases over the last several days from the Conference Board, October leading economic indicators increased by 0.5% in France (following three monthly declines), 0.6% in Australia (following two strong monthly gains), and 0.3% in Germany (following two monthly … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Cyberonics Reaffirmed At Neutral

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:50 PM PST

We recently reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Cyberonics (NASDAQ:CYBX) with a target price of $34.00, following our assessment of its second quarter 2012 results.
Cyberonics reported second quarter 2012 EPS of 32 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 30 cents and 28% higher than the year-ago quarter's adjusted EPS.
Cyberonics develops and markets Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy System, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:35 PM PST

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY), one of the leading operators of specialty retail stores in the U.S. and Canada, is scheduled to report its third-quarter 2011 financial results after the market closes on December 21, 2011. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is earnings of 88 cents a share. For the quarter under review, revenue is expected to be $2,355 million, according to the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Second-Quarter 2011, a synopsis
Bed Bath & Beyond reported … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Sanofi’s Dermatology Unit Sold

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:20 PM PST

French pharma giant Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) recently announced that it has completed the divestiture of Dermik, its dermatology business, to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE:VRX) for a total cash consideration of $422.5 million.
Dermik enjoys significant market share in the dermatology markets of the US and Canada. The Dermik unit includes therapeutic and aesthetic brands such as BenzaClin for treating acne; Carac for treating  keratoses and Sculptra for combating facial wrinkles and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

General Mills Unable To Cook Up A Profit

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:15 PM PST

12/20/11 After spending more on advertising and dealing with higher costs, General Mills announced Tuesday that its 2Q fiscal 2012 earnings fell … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Plains Hives Natural Gas Assets

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 12:05 PM PST

Oil and gas company, Plains Exploration & Production Co. (NYSE:PXP) has hived off its natural gas assets in Texas Panhandle to Linn Energy LLC (NASDAQ:LINE). The sale is in accordance with the announcement made by the company during its third quarter earnings release.
Plains received $555 million in cash from Linn Energy and another $74 million is forthcoming for the gas fields, taking the total consideration to $629 million. These assets have proven reserves of 263 billion cubic feet (bcf).
The … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – U.S. Dollar Falls On Increased Risk Appetite

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:52 AM PST

Forexpros – The U.S. dollar fell against its major counterparts on Tuesday as increased risk appetite attracted investors to the beaten down euro resulting from positive euro zone data.

During mid session U.S. trade, the greenback was down against the euro, with EUR/USD climbing 0.59% to 1.3076.

The single currency was lifted by bullish euro zone data including rising German business confidence, a strong Spanish note auction and an agreement to fund the International Monetary Funds crisis … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Sempra Confident Of 2011 Outlook

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:50 AM PST

Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) has revised its earnings outlook for fiscal 2011. The company expects pro forma earnings per share (EPS) to meet or exceed the higher end of its guidance range of $4 to $4.30 for 2011.
Including a gain of $1.14 from the company’s South American utility acquisitions, the company expects GAAP EPS to match or outstrip the higher end of its guidance range of $5.14 to $5.44.
With its third quarter results declared in November this year, the company had set pro forma EPS in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

HWAY: Status Quo On U.S. Well-Being

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:35 AM PST

Healthways (NASDAQ:HWAY), the well-being enhancement company, and statistical research services provider Gallup recently announced the results of the monthly Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index ("WBI") for November 2011. The overarching WBI measure remained stagnant at a score of 65.8.
The Life Evaluation Index moved up to 47.7 from 46.8 in October. About 3.9% of Americans reported they were suffering while 51.6% stated they were thriving, which represents the high point in the past 4 months.
The … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

GD Buys Off Force Protection

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:20 AM PST

General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE:GD) announced that it has successfully completed the tender offer to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Force Protection Inc. (NASDAQ:FRPT) for a price of $5.52 per share in cash, or approximately $360 million. The transaction is expected to be accretive to General Dynamics’ earnings in 2012.
General Dynamics, earlier in November 2011, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Force Protection to acquire the latter. Per the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: EURUSD Forming Head And Shoulder

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:18 AM PST

I tend not to be a big Head and Shoulders guy, but the picture is fairly clear.  The price has also been able to stay below the 100 hour MA (blue line) and below the initial high from earlier in the day (at 1.3089).  The 1.3077 level is the 38.2% of the days range and a move below the level opens the door for a re-test of the 1.30607 level.
What keeps me cautious is the offer by the ECB to make loans out to 3 years for liquidity. The first offering will be made tomorrow and it is … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

China Tries Deflating Realty Bubble

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:05 AM PST

The Chinese government is attempting to calm the country's overheated property market. Goaded by measures such as ownership restrictions on property and taxes, home prices declined in big cities in November. But this is also a tell-tale sign of China's flagging growth. China's Central Bank had recently lowered the cash reserve ratio to help commercial banks push lending and revive the economy.
Last month, the World Bank identified four major risks to China's financial markets in its … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Fed Nod To PNC-RBC Deal

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:05 AM PST

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (NYSE:PNC) received the approval from the Federal Reserve to acquire RBC Bank (USA), the U.S. retail banking subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE:RY). The approval takes PNC Financial a step nearer the completion of the deal, slated for the first quarter of 2012.
In June 2011, PNC Financial announced its plan to purchase RBC Bank (USA) for $3.45 billion. The acquisition would help PNC Financial to expand its footprint in the Southeast markets. It would also make … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Gold Futures Rally On Weak U.S. Dollar

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 11:04 AM PST

Forexpros – Gold soared on Tuesday as the falling dollar lifted demand for the precious metal as an alternative investment.

On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for February delivery traded at USD1617.35 a troy ounce during mid U.S. trade surging 1.29%. It earlier hit a high of USD1596.45.

Gold futures were likely to find support at USD1613.25 and technical resistance exists at USD1619.85.

Bullish news from the euro zone on German confidence, the Spanish … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Micron Technology

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 10:50 AM PST

Micron Technology Inc. (NYSE:MU) is scheduled to announce its first quarter fiscal 2012 results on December 21, and we notice that analyst reaction is mixed at this point.
Fourth Quarter Overview
Micron delivered fourth quarter 2011 loss per share of 41 cents per share, as against the Zacks Consensus earnings estimate of 1 cent per share. The huge miss was largely due to subdued PC sales, which adversely affected the demand for memory chips. Another aspect which hurt the company's fundamentals … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Valdes: “Regional Banks…different League Of Their Own”

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 10:20 AM PST

12/20/11 DME Securities’ Alan Valdes dissects today’s equity market rally and what to expect heading into the final trading days of the year. The technology sector and regional banks are also … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Hits One Week High On Euro Zone News

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 09:57 AM PST

Forexpros – The euro gained ground against the U.S. dollar on the heels of a successful Spanish bill auction and rising German business confidence.

EUR/USD hit a high of 1.3132 during early U.S. trade. It is currently trading at 1.3081 higher by 0.62% on the session.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3055 and technical resistance exists at 1.3106.

The single currency climbed to a weekly high on a German business confidence index posting an increase to 107.2 this month as compared to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For ETF Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:32 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for ETFs
For Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The top 40 ETFs by net assets
In alphabetical order by symbol

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AGG – iShares Lehman Aggregate Bd Fd
110.01
− 0.14
110.06
109.85

Neutral

BND – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF
83.85
− 0.20
84.01
83.84

Neutral

DBC – DB Commodity Index Tracking Fd
26.65
+ 2.30
26.26
26.49

Bullish

DIA – SPDR DJ Industrial Average … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Stock Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:32 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for the Dow 30 Stocks
For Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

In alphabetical order by symbol

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AA – Alcoa Inc
8.88
+ 4.10
8.75
9.01

Neutral

AXP – American Express Company
47.92
+ 4.08
46.95
47.29

Bullish

BA – Boeing Co
72.44
+ 3.25
71.33
71.13

Bullish

BAC – Bank of America Corporation
5.17
+ 3.61
5.15
5.32

Neutral

CAT – Caterpillar Inc
91.73
+ … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Forex Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:32 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Forex
For Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

THE BIG SIX

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AUDUSD – Aust Dollar / US Dollar
1.0080
+ 1.88
0.9971
1.0014

Bullish

EURUSD – Euro / US Dollar
1.3081
+ 0.64
1.3038
1.3121

Neutral

GBPUSD – British Pound / US Dollar
1.5660
+ 1.05
1.5549
1.5536

Bullish

USDCAD – US Dollar / Canadian Dollar
1.0300
− 0.81
1.0352
1.0330

Bearish

USDCHF – US Dollar … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Futures Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Posted: 20 Dec 2011 04:32 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Futures
For Trading On Wednesday, December 21, 2011

INDICES

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

S&P 500 – Mar ESH2
1236.00
+ 3.09
1214.50
1221.17

Bullish

Dow Jones – Mar YMH2
12031
+ 2.80
11825
11875

Bullish

Nasdaq – Mar NQH2
2266.75
+ 2.45
2238.75
2256.58

Bullish

Russell – Mar TFH2
734.30
+ 4.38
718.71
720.07

Bullish

INTEREST RATES

US T-Bond – Mar ZBH2
144-03
− … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards
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