Monday, January 9, 2012

DailyMarkets.com - BUY NUGT @ $21.90

DailyMarkets.com - BUY NUGT @ $21.90

BUY NUGT @ $21.90

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 05:17 PM PST

Late in today’s trading session I saw enough evidence that gold’s current 4 hour cycle was finished and likely to lead to a rally – however short term. With that assumption in place, I purchased shares of Direxion Gold Miners Bull 3X ETF (NUGT) at $21.90.

What follows are three charts:
NUGT at the time of my purchase
GC 4 hour cycles overview
GC 4 hour cycles closeup

My TSI Trading Record has been … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Not Flush

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:45 PM PST

If these charts are any guide, it looks like Americans relied on what little cash they had left — or didn’t really have – to buy what they wanted (needed?) in the run-up to the holidays.

Not exactly flush, are … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Rises On Short Covering

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:36 PM PST

Forexpros – The euro firmed against the dollar Tuesday as investors snapped up the European currency to cover short positions as well as on sentiment that policymakers remained determined to resolve the debt crisis.

EUR/USD hit 1.2778 in early Asian Tuesday trading, up 0.10% and up from a session low of 1.2760 and off from a high of 1.2778.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2667, Monday's low, and resistance at 1.3077, Tuesday's high.

In Europe on Monday, French President … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: Usd/cnh Looking To Push Through The Bottom Of The Wedge.

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:18 PM PST

usd/cnh looking to push through the bottom of the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Novartis Recalls OTC Drugs

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:58 PM PST

01/09/12 Novartis is recalling four of its over-the-counter drugs: Bufferin, Excedrin, NoDoz and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Quest Acquires S.E.D. Medical

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:51 PM PST

Recently Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) completed the acquisition of S.E.D. Medical, a unit of Lovelace Health System that provides full-service drugs-of-abuse testing. The deal with Lovelace was announced earlier this month although financial terms were not disclosed.
S.E.D. Medical, with approximately 450 employees, performs over 7,500,000 reportable tests and handles over 1,000,000 patient encounters annually.
Quest Diagnostics accordingly, is looking forward to continuing with the strong growth … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

How To Use NYSE Statistics To Stay Off The Rocks

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:40 PM PST

The NYSE advance and decline, high and low data and VIX is all you will ever need to judge the health of the stock market, but it how you present the data that counts.

This is our view. Members can construct this chart if they wish via the Analysis Chart.

Members FAQ number 14 has more (members only)

This is one chart split into … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Qiagen Expands QIAensemble Portfolio

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:35 PM PST

Qiagen (NASDAQ:QGEN), a major provider of innovative technologies and products for pre-analytical sample preparation and molecular diagnostics solutions, recently introduced its QIAensemble Decapper automation system.
This is an open platform system with which laboratories can eliminate many manual steps needed for the management of liquid-based cytology and other liquid vials. The rollout of QIAensemble Decapper is underway in Europe and other parts of the world.
The QIAensemble Decapper automation … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Ulta Holiday Sales Solid, Outlook Up

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:30 PM PST

Illinois-based Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (NASDAQ:ULTA) recently announced strong holiday sales for the seven-week period starting from November 13, buoyed by which it also lifted its outlook for the fourth quarter of 2011.
Net sales for the holiday period soared 24.4% year over year to $386.0 million driven by a rise in comparable store sales, which escalated 12.6% from 9.5% reported in the same prior-year period. Over a two-year holiday period, comparable store sales surged … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Global Data And Earnings In Focus

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:20 PM PST

01/09/11 Markets will react to Alcoa’s latest earnings report. Tuesday brings a handful of global economic data releases on housing and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

MetroPCS Fails To Woo Users

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:15 PM PST

Despite the growing popularity of no-contract plans, MetroPCS Communications (NYSE:PCS) failed to impress the market, with lower-than-expected subscriber additions in the recently completed fourth quarter. The company reported 175,000 net new subscribers during the fourth quarter as opposed to market expectations of 214,000–250,000. However, on a year-over-year basis, MetroPCS registered subscriber growth of approximately 7%.
The company's churn rate deteriorated to 3.7% from 3.5% in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Macy’s Exits 2011 Up, Boosts Outlook

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:05 PM PST

The U.S. economy has long been grappling with the turbulent financial environment, which has gradually engulfed the global market. Amid this economic upheaval, Macy's Inc. (NYSE:M) has been moving on and keeping its upbeat note.
Macy's exited 2011 with a bang, and we believe it will sustain the same tempo in 2012. The company's relentless endeavors to keep itself on the growth trajectory have paid off in an economy, which is looking for ways to shield itself from a financial turmoil that … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

New Mail-Flying To Weigh On FedEx

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 03:05 PM PST

FedEx Express, a unit of FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), is expected to lose about $400 million when a new federal mail-flying contract is negotiated in 2013.
FedEx Express, the world's largest express company, offers timely delivery within one to three business days and serves markets that comprise over 90% of the world's gross domestic product. FedEx Express signed a contract with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for airport-to-airport delivery of priority mail, express mail and first-class mail … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Nucor To Shut Nuconsteel

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:50 PM PST

Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE) announced plans to exit the light-gauge steel framing sector by closing its Nuconsteel division in the coming months. The company's decision was based on the fact that the fabrication of residential and commercial light gauge steel framing was not giving profitable returns to the company. Nucor did not reveal the number of employees, who would be affected by the shutdown.
Nuconsteel has operations in Denton, Texas, and Dallas, Georgia. In November 2001, Nucor entered into … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

BofA Downgraded To Underperform

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:50 PM PST

We have lowered our recommendation on Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) to Underperform from Neutral. The downgrade is based on BofA's recent decline in credit ratings, weak capital position and various legal battles into which the company is embroiled.
Though BofA is poised to benefit from its large-scale operations, improving credit quality as well as the efficiency initiative program, the recent payments to settle mortgage-related claims will likely hamper its results. Also, revenue … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Clorox Adds Healthcare Products

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:40 PM PST

In an effort to further expand market share and product portfolio, Clorox Corporation (NYSE:CLX) has recently acquired Aplicare Inc. and HealthLink. These two companies are providers of infection control products in the healthcare industry.
The company spent in the range of $80 million to $90 million toward both the acquisitions while funding the deal with cash and commercial borrowings. Combined sales of both the companies are more than Clorox's 1% annual sales. According to Clorox, the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Greatbatch Unit Completes ISO Audit

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:35 PM PST

Greatbatch’s (NYSE:GB) Electrochem division, which offers high performance commercial batteries, has concluded its ISO 13485:2003 registration audit. The audit is carried out by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. In addition, the company's division has received a recommendation for certification. Electrochem anticipates receipt of final certification in about one and a half months time.  
The ISO 13485:2003 certification spells out mechanisms for a company's quality management … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Foster Wheeler’s German Acquisition

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:25 PM PST

Foster Wheeler AG's (NASDAQ:FWLT) Global Power Group has acquired a German company that designs, manufactures and installs circulating dry ash flue gas scrubbing technology. The technology from the scrubber company, Graf-Wulff GmbH, is used for all types of boilers in the power and industrial sectors. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.
The multi-pollutant scrubbing technology from Graf-Wulff reduces sulfur dioxide, particulates, heavy metals, acid gases and other pollutants … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Top Trade Ideas For Tuesday Jan 10th

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:25 PM PST

 ( click to enlarge )

InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDCC) stock is facing resistance from its 50 day SMA, but there is a good possibility that it will be back in bullish territory soon. Resistances from the 50 day SMA and the 43.25 level need to be crossed convincingly. The technical indicators are supporting the bullishness. Once volume shows up I expect it will take off. Hold.

 ( click to enlarge )

Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) stock hit a new six month high today of 2.08 but has … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Earnings Cycle Starts

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:19 PM PST

Cusick’s Corner
With all the talk about earnings and how to play this cycle, I thought that I would look at a specific sector and how one could drill down to an idea. Let’s look at metals and specifically a metal that is considered both a precious and industrial metal — Silver, SLV. SLV has been on a downtrend and the inverse correlation continues to be in play. So when the buck goes up, Silver goes down. But there is notable strength in the chip sector, SMH, which is a consumer of Silver so … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

GM & Ford See Record Car Sales In China

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:15 AM PST

01/09/12 According to company statements, both General Motors and Ford Motor Co. reported record car sales in China for 2011 while their Japanese counterparts suffered from supply outages and natural … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

People’s United Stays On Sidelines

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:06 PM PST

We are reiterating our Neutral recommendation on People’s United Financial Inc. (NASDAQ:PBCT) based on the company's better-than-expected third-quarter 2011 earnings. The earnings of the company also compared favorably with that of the prior quarter and prior-year quarter.
In October, People’s United reported its third-quarter 2011 operating earnings per share of 19 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents. Earnings also compared favorably with 17 cents per share reported in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Coke And Nestle End Tea JV In U.S.

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:06 PM PST

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has terminated its partnership with Nestle SA to sell Nestea in U.S. and Asia and has instead chosen to focus on the sale of ready-to-drink tea in Europe and Canada. Coca Cola will also enter into a license agreement with Nestle for the Nestea brand in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Apart from these, the dissolution of the Coca-Cola and Nestle's joint venture named Beverage Partners Worldwide (BPW) is expected in most of the regions where it operates by the end of 2012, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

NCR Divests Healthcare Solution

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST

NCR Corporation (NYSE:NCR) recently entered into a definitive agreement with QuadraMed Corporation, a leading provider of healthcare technologies that improve the overall patient care services, to sell certain healthcare solutions. 
As per the agreement, NCR Corp will divest its diversified healthcare solutions, such as MediKiosk patient access software, NCR Payment Manager, Patient Portal, Patient Tracking, Physician Referral Portal and eForms software solutions. The financial terms of the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Pleasant Surprise For Dendreon

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST

Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ:DNDN) shares went soaring up following the pre-announcement of better-than-forecast fourth quarter 2011 revenue from its sole marketed product, Provenge, a vaccine for prostate cancer. Management announced that Provenge grossed $82.0 million in revenue in the fourth quarter, 25% above the sequentially preceding quarter and in utter contradiction to management's guidance of only modest revenue growth in the quarter.
For the full year 2011, Dendreon reported Provenge … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Stocks Cling To Gains To Start Week

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:00 AM PST

01/09/12 With all focus on Europe and a new earnings season, US stocks managed to hold onto gains to start the new trading … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Fiserv Sues Fidelity

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:40 PM PST

Information technology (IT) services and systems provider Fiserv Inc. (NASDAQ:FISV) recently announced that two of its subsidiaries, CheckFree Corp and CashEdge Inc, have filed a patent infringement suit against Fidelity National Information Services Inc. (NYSE:FIS) and its subsidiary Metavante Corp.
As per the case filing, Fiserv subsidiaries complained that Fidelity and Metavante's products and solutions violate Fiserv's intellectual property that processes inter-bank account-to-account fund … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Natural Gas 2011: An Unhappy Ending

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:40 PM PST

The U.S. Energy Department’s weekly inventory release showed a slightly lower-than-expected drop in natural gas supplies, as warmer-than-normal temperatures across the country have restricted the commodity's requirement for power burn. In fact, gas stocks – currently 15.2% above the 5-year average and 11.4% higher than the same period last year – are at their highest level for this time of the year, reflecting low demand amid robust onshore output.
The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

U.S. Stocks Climb On Earnings Anticipation, Euro Zone Optimism; DOW Up 0.27%

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:34 PM PST

Forexpros – U.S. stocks closed Monday’s session higher on positive earning anticipation and euro zone’s optimism after the Merkel- Sarkozy meeting.

At the close of U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.27%the S&P 500 climbed by 0.23% and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.09%.

Stock bullish news from Europe included optimistic word from German Chancellor Angela Merkel that a solution to the debt crisis may be reached as early as the end of January.

However, Sarkozy obtained … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Eli Lilly’s 2012 Outlook Disappoints

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:25 PM PST

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) recently presented disappointing guidance for 2012 reflecting the tough times ahead for the company. Like several pharma companies including Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Eli Lilly is facing or will be facing generic competition for blockbuster drugs in its portfolio.
The biggest near-term challenge for Eli Lilly will be to replace the revenues that will be lost to generic competition now that blockbuster drug, Zyprexa, has lost exclusivity in the US and EU.
Sales of Zyprexa, a … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Customers Invest In CSX Network

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:15 PM PST

The growing demand for rail freight transportation over truck has driven significant investment in rail infrastructural by CSX Corp. (NYSE:CSX). Following its investments of approximately $2 billion last year, the company will investment approximately $1.4 through its customers in rail infrastructural development. The timeline for the investments remain unspecified.
CSX customers, involving entities from manufacturing, consumer goods, energy and other industries will invest in expanding tracks and … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

InterMune 4Q Esbriet Sales Snapshot

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:04 PM PST

InterMune, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITMN) recently reported preliminary fourth quarter revenue for its potential blockbuster drug Esbriet. Esbriet is approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The drug has been launched first in Germany in September 2011. InterMune also announced updated data from the drug's RECAP study.
Preliminary Esbriet Update
InterMune reported Esbriet revenue of $2.8 million since launch in September 2011, of which $2.7 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

A Better 2012 For Marvell

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:04 PM PST

The holidays are over, but the party time will likely to continue for ace integrated silicon circuit maker Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRVL). The company has a series of new products waiting in the wings. Plus, it has bulked up with a strategic tie-up with leading search engine Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and a newly acquired entity namely Xelerated AB.
Marvell is now offering 88NV9145 PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) SSD controller. The 88NV9145 controller will provide a core … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Limited Brands Sales Rise

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 01:04 PM PST

December being the busiest gift-giving time of the year is also the most crucial month for retailers, and Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE:LTD), a specialty retailer of women's intimate and other apparel, beauty and personal care products, has made the most of it this time.
The company posted better-than-expected sales results for the five-week period ended December 31, 2011 on the heels of healthy sales at its Victoria’s Secret Stores and Bath & Body Works, and consequently, raised its … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Crude Oil Futures Drop On Iran Tension, German Production

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:52 PM PST

Forexpros – Crude oil futures dropped Monday for the third day as German industrial output declined and Iranian supply tensions eased.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for February settlement traded at USD101.31 a barrel during late U.S. trade giving falling 0.25%.

It earlier hit a daily high of USD102.14 and a low of USD100.11 a barrel.

Weakness in the U.S. dollar did little to lift oil prices. The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Shire’s ADHD Drug Up For Review

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:40 PM PST

Shire (NASDAQ:SHPGY) recently announced that the marketing application of Venvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been accepted for review in Europe. The application will be reviewed by the UK based agency, Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which will act as the reference member state for this decentralised procedure (DCP). The DCP will initially comprise eight European nations.
The application was filed following … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Hilltop Upped To Outperform

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:30 PM PST

We have upgraded our recommendation on Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH) to Outperform from Neutral based on its sound capital position along with a risk-free balance sheet, which also paved the way for resumption of share buybacks, imbibing shareholders’ confidence in the stock.
Hilltop broke even in the third quarter of 2011 against the loss of 13 cents in the year-ago quarter and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss of 22 cents per share. Net income also rose to $0.25 million from a loss of $7.2 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – U.S. Dollar Lower On Euro Optimism, Swiss Banker Resignation

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:29 PM PST

Forexpros – The U.S. dollar fell against its major counterparts on Monday as the Franco German leader meeting sparked euro zone optimism and Swiss Central Bank head Philippe Hildebrand resigned.

During early session U.S. trade, the greenback traded lower against the euro, with EUR/USD gaining 0.32% to hit 1.2759.

The single currency was lifted as German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that her meeting with French President Sarkozy provided hope that leaders could sign off on a fiscal pact … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Hot Option Plays: Tight Range Consolidation

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:22 PM PST

Cusick’s Corner 01-09-2012
Tight range consolidation continues into the Midday. With earnings starting to kick off and meetings in the EU being discussed, the market is content with staying in these ranges until we get some sort of data point or headline to move the market. The Euro, FXE, has bounced off its lows after an ugly overnight session, so keep an eye on that market. I have been saying for the last week that this is constructive action in the face of mixed headlines and decent data. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Medtronic Unveils Remote CGM Tech

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:05 PM PST

Leading medical devices player, Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) has strengthened its Diabetes portfolio with the launch of a remote glucose monitor dubbed mySentry. This first-of-its-kind technology would enable a parent or a caregiver to monitor from another room a patient's MiniMed Paradigm Real-Time Revel System, an insulin pump with built-in continuous glucose monitoring ("CGM").
This product could be of great help for parents, who could be alerted through an alarm in the middle of the night if … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Phoenix Home Sales Up By 9%, Prices Are Stable

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:04 PM PST

DQ News — “The number of homes that resold in the Phoenix area rose above a year earlier for the twelfth month in a row in November as activity increased across the price spectrum. A variety of median sale price measures trended higher month-to-month, and the region's overall median sale price fell year-over-year by less than 1 percent – the smallest dip since the median began to erode consistently in summer 2010.  

A total of 7,766 new and resale Phoenix area houses and condos … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Joy Global To Snap Up IMM

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

Joy Global Inc. (JOY) has taken steps to acquire all outstanding shares of International Mining Machinery Holdings Limited ("IMM") to become its sole owner. Joy Global will make a tender offer for the remaining 30.8% shares of IMM, which is required as per Rule 26.1 of the Hong Kong Takeovers Code.
Rule 26.1 of the Hong Kong Takeovers Code is applicable once the acquirer crosses the 30% voting right of the acquiree company. At the fag end of the previous year Joy Global completed the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

GD Upgrading M1A1 Tanks To M1A2

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

General Dynamics Land Systems, a subsidiary of  General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD), has received a $60 million contract under which it will continue upgrading M1A1 tanks to the M1A2 Systems Enhancement Package ("SEP") V2 configuration.
M1A2 SEP V2 is the most advanced digital tank with improved color displays, day and night thermal sights, commander remote operated weapon station ("CROWS II"), a Thermal Management System ("TMS") and a tank-infantry phone. 
In February … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Gold Futures Lower Despite Weak Dollar And Euro Meeting Optimism

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:45 AM PST

Forexpros – Gold futures dropped in mid U.S. trade Monday despite a lower dollar and optimism over the Merkel- Sarkozy meeting in Berlin.

On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for February delivery traded at USD1611.55 a troy ounce during mid U.S. trade giving back 0.32%.

It earlier hit a high of USD1624.35 and a low of USD1606.05.

Gold futures were likely to find support at USD1523.95 and technical resistance exists at USD1644.12.

Weakness in the U.S. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

4th Quarter Earnings Could Be Light

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST

Third quarter earnings season was a good one, but unfortunately we may not be able to say the same about the fourth quarter. While it is still way too early to draw any firm conclusions — only 26 firms of the S&P 500 (5.2%) have reported — the median surprise is only 2.38% and the surprise ratio is just 1.75. Normally, when all is said and done, the median runs about 3% and the ratio about 3.0.

In most recent quarters, we have started out of the gate much faster than that, only to fade … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Dillard’s Reports Robust Dec Comps

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:30 AM PST

Leading fashion apparel, cosmetics and home furnishings retailer Dillard's Inc. (NYSE:DDS) reported a sales increase of 3% and comparable store sales increase of 4% for a 36-day period, which ended on January 1, 2012. Total sales for the period rose to $1.11 billion versus $1.08 billion recorded in the same period last year.
Geographically, sales for the 36-day period gained due to better-than-expected sales trends in the Central region, offset by slightly weak trend in the Eastern and Western … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

How A Little Bit Of Good Economic News Can Be Bad For The President

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:22 AM PST

Two years ago the unemployment rate was 9.9 percent. Now it's 8.5 percent. At first blush that's good news for the President. Actually it may not be.
Voters pay more attention to the direction the economy is moving than to how bad or good it is. So if the positive trend continues in the months leading up to Election Day, Obama's prospects of being reelected improve.
But if you consider the number of working-age Americans who have stopped looking for work over the past two years because … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex – EUR/USD Higher On Meeting Progress, Short Covering

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:20 AM PST

Forexpros – The euro broke a three day losing streak against the dollar Monday on agreement progress at the Merkel, Sarkozy meeting in Berlin and short covering.

EUR/USD hit a low of 1.2667 during U.S. trade. The pair is off a high of 1.2785 and is currently trading at 1.2739 up 0.16%.

The pair was likely to find support at 1.2721 and technical resistance exists at 1.2770.

The single currency broke it losing streak against the greenback and the franc gained 0.1% per euro, the strongest … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: EURJPY Still In Channel. Key Level For The Pair

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:18 AM PST

The EURJPY fell below the bottom trendline in the first few hours of trading today/this week – making yet another 11 year low for the pair. The move on the hourly chart also fell below the bottom trendline at that time (see red area in the chart above) . This is an acceleration of the downward  trend and should have seen added selling.
However, the move lower was rejected/failed and a sharp correction ensued.  The move higher has taken the price up to the topside trendline (see … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Accenture, FBI In IT Service Pact

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 11:10 AM PST

Globally accredited management and technology consulting company Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) will now provide information technology (IT) support services to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Financial terms of the deal were kept confidential. The IT support services contract includes one base year with four option periods.
As per the agreement terms, Accenture will install, test and supervise an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to support the FBI's Human Resources … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Texas Capital Downgraded To Neutral

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:50 AM PST

We are downgrading our recommendation on Texas Capital Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:TCBI) to Neutral from Outperform as we believe that the positive factors have already been priced in the current valuation.
Texas Capital's third-quarter 2011 operating earnings of 56 cents per share were well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 50 cents. The results also outpaced the prior-year earnings of 25 cents per share. Quarterly results benefited from an increase in net interest income. However, lower … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Exxon-Statoil, Govt Settle GoM Row

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:35 AM PST

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) and Statoil ASA (NYSE:STO) have reached an agreement with the US government to advance with the development of Julia field, an oil prospect in the Gulf of Mexico.
Both the companies together hold five leases in the field, located around 250 miles southwest of New Orleans, with a 50% interest each. Three of the five leases were signed in 1998 while the other two were leased in 2003.
The conflict commenced in October 2008, when ExxonMobil made an application for lease … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Easy Kickoff To Earnings Season

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:30 AM PST

Earnings Preview 1/6/12

There will only be a handful of firms reporting this week, even though it is considered the kickoff of the earnings season when Alcoa reports. A total of just 27 firms are scheduled to report, including 4 of the S&P 500. While few in number, some of the reports come from firms that are highly significant in that they will give clues to the overall direction of earnings in the fourth quarter.

The firms reporting next week include: Alcoa (NYSE:AA), J.P. Morgan (NYSE:JPM), … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Guilfoyle: “Tread Lightly As We Get Into Thursday, Friday”

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:30 AM PST

01/09/12 Meridian Equity Partners’ Stephen Guilfoyle discusses this week’s key events: earnings, economic data and EU debt … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Plexus Strikes Deal With Kontron

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:25 AM PST

Plexus Corp. (PLXS) recently announced an asset-based transaction with Germany-based Kontron AG, a leading provider of embedded computer technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Plexus will buy certain assets of Kontron Design Manufacturing Services (KDMS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kontron AG, in Penang, Malaysia, for approximately $30.0 – $35.0 million. 
Kontron will shift all manufacturing units of KDMS to Plexus' Penang facilities. In exchange, Kontron is expected to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Forex Trading: GBPUSD Falls Below Trendline Support And Down On Day Now

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 10:18 AM PST

1.5410 is the next target below.  The low last week comes in at 1.53745.  The low for December came in at the 1.53567 level.
The price in the GBPUSD has been mired in an up and down range since mid November. The last move higher came in short of the topside ceiling (see chart below) which gives the nod to a break below. However, Friday and againt today, the price at the bottom, was bought.  From the hourly chart above the 1.5466 level is topside resistance with lows from January … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Euro Barely Bounces Back

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:45 AM PST

01/09/12 The euro currency has seen a slight rebound from last week’s lows as investors await the outcome of a meeting between Sarkozy and Merkel concerning the regions health and the decline in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Euro Stocks Lower On Bearish Numbers; DAX Off 0.67%

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 09:20 AM PST

Forexpros – European stocks closed lower Monday on bearish declining German production numbers and uncertainty from the Merkel Sarkozy meeting in Berlin.

After the close of European trade, the EURO STOXX 50 gave back 0.53%, France’s CAC 40 fell 0.31%, while Germany’s DAX 30 closed lower by 0.67%. Meanwhile, in the U.K. the FTSE 100 fell 0.66%.

The selling was triggered by declining German production numbers. Production fell 0.6% from October, greater than the 0.5% economist’s … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Swiss National Bank Chairman Hildebrand Resigns

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 08:55 AM PST

The Swiss National Bank announced that Chairman, Philipp Hildebrand, “is resigning from his office as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank” with immediate effect.  The SNB Governing Board also noted that it would continue its policy of a minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20 against the Euro, with “utmost determination”.  Hildebrand’s resignation followed allegations that his wife had acted on insider information about an impending SNB policy move … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For ETF Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:33 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for ETFs
For Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

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
110.03
− 0.08
110.07
110.05

Bearish

BND – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF
83.41
+ 0.08
83.37
83.32

Bullish

DBC – DB Commodity Index Tracking Fd
27.62
+ 0.11
27.56
27.61

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 Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:33 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for the Dow 30 Stocks
For Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

In alphabetical order by symbol

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AA – Alcoa Inc
9.43
+ 2.95
9.29
9.18

Bullish

AXP – American Express Company
48.39
+ 0.25
48.47
48.31

Neutral

BA – Boeing Co
74.53
+ 0.74
73.88
73.91

Bullish

BAC – Bank of America Corporation
6.27
+ 1.46
6.19
6.05

Bullish

CAT – Caterpillar Inc
97.10
+ … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Futures Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:33 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Futures
For Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

INDICES

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

S&P 500 – Mar ESH2
1275.50
+ 0.10
1272.72
1272.08

Bullish

Dow Jones – Mar YMH2
12337
+ 0.23
12317
12314

Bullish

Nasdaq – Mar NQH2
2346.75
− 0.23
2343.17
2337.83

Bullish

Russell – Mar TFH2
750.20
+ 0.35
746.48
746.40

Bullish

INTEREST RATES

US T-Bond – Mar ZBH2
142-29
− … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Forex Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:33 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Forex
For Trading On Tuesday, January 10, 2012

THE BIG SIX

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AUDUSD – Aust Dollar / US Dollar
1.0238
+ 0.12
1.0245
1.0270

Bearish

EURUSD – Euro / US Dollar
1.2766
+ 0.38
1.2772
1.2830

Bearish

GBPUSD – British Pound / US Dollar
1.5460
+ 0.23
1.5471
1.5490

Bearish

USDCAD – US Dollar / Canadian Dollar
1.0234
− 0.43
1.0228
1.0213

Bullish

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

Have Winds Shifted To Provide Relief To Investors?

Posted: 08 Jan 2012 10:00 PM PST

Wind currents between the ocean and atmosphere affect climates around the world; likewise, government policy shifts and economic data have a similar ripple effect on markets.
During our Outlook 2012 webcast, our listeners heard a very passionate John Mauldin assess the debt situation in Europe, Japan and the U.S. and the need for immediate policy change. If you listened in, you may have wondered what economics and politics have to do with investments.
Listen to a replay of the Outlook 2012 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards
at

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