Tuesday, February 14, 2012

DailyMarkets.com - McDonald’s Makes More Room For Oink-kind

DailyMarkets.com - McDonald’s Makes More Room For Oink-kind


McDonald’s Makes More Room For Oink-kind

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:58 PM PST

02/14/12 McDonald’s announced it will require its pork suppliers to transition away from sow gestation stalls. The world’s largest restaurant chain joins other companies in ensuring the humane treatment of … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


AmerisourceBergen’s CFO Quits

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:30 PM PST

Shares of AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE:ABC) dipped 3.6% yesterday, following the decision of the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Michael D. DiCandilo to vacate his office immediately. Mr. DiCandilo, who resigned to pursue other interests, was with AmerisourceBergen for 21 years, including his 10 year tenure of serving as the CFO of the company.
The company stated that Tim G. Guttman, the company’s Vice President and Corporate Controller since 2002, will … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


FOMC Minutes, EU GDP Highlight Calendar

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:20 PM PST

02/14/12 EU finance ministers abandoned a plan for a Wednesday meeting and will hold a teleconference instead. US data releases and EU Q4 GDP will be closely watched in midweek … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Hot Option Plays: When Markets Disagree

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:18 PM PST

Cusick’s Corner 02-14-2012
The market was able to recover most of the midday pullback but bond yields finished close to the worst levels of the trading session, which is confusing since the bond yields and the equities bias have been correlated for most of this financial crisis. But that correlation is breaking apart — today I saw the yields finish on the lows and the equities get to almost break even. Now the argument is that the Fed’s actions are keeping yields down, and if the equities … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Chesapeake To Sell Assets For Funds

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:15 PM PST

Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE:CHK), the second-largest U.S. natural-gas producer, seeks to fill the funding gap for its 2012 expenditure that resulted from the low natural gas prices, through divestitures. The company plans to raise as much as $10 billion to $12 billion from assets sales and joint ventures to cope with the mounting debt level and sinking gas prices.
Chesapeake, like its peer ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), has been keeping gas production under check in response to the weak natural gas … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


SurModics Upped To Outperform

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:05 PM PST

We recently upgraded SurModics Inc. (NASDAQ:SRDX) to Outperform from Neutral with a target price of $17.00.
We are pleased with SurModics' move to sell its Pharmaceuticals unit which, apart from strengthening its balance sheet, will allow the company to focus on its core businesses. In November 2011, Surmodics sold the assets of the Pharmaceuticals division to Germany's Evonik Industries AG for $30 million cash. Following the sale, SurModics reports through two divisions. The divisions are … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Earnings Preview: NVIDIA

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 03:00 PM PST

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is scheduled to announce its fourth quarter 2012 results on February 15, 2011, after the market closes. We see some movement in the analysts' estimates at this point.
Third Quarter Overview
NVIDIA reported decent third quarter 2012 adjusted earnings of 31 cents per share, significantly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents. 
The company witnessed revenue growth across all its segments, with GPU business inching up 1.0% from the prior quarter. The … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


E*TRADE’s January DARTs Perk Up

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:50 PM PST

Online broker E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:ETFC) released its Activity Report for January 2012 on Monday, recording a sequential rise in average U.S. trades. However, trades dropped from the year-ago period due to high market volatility, which pushed investors to the sidelines.
For the reported month, Daily Average Revenue Trades (DARTs) were 145,390, up 20% sequentially. However, on a year-over-year (y/y) basis, it went down 20%.
Broker performance is generally measured through DARTs. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Top Breakout Stocks For Your Watchlist

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:41 PM PST

  ( click to enlarge )

LSI Corporation (NYSE:LSI) has broken out to all time highs again. The volume on Tuesday's break was great and the stock is now seeing blue skies as there is no resistance overhead. The technical chart is showing tremenous strength with KD rising and MACD above 0. In addition, both 50 day and 200 day are both rising showing the stock would be in bull market for a while. Only a close below $8 would warrant a change in sentiment.

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


General Mills Returns To Brazil

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:35 PM PST

General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is reportedly coming back to Brazil after four long years. Its  return to the land of Samba beats was spurred by its decision to buy Yoki, a local family-owned food manufacturer, for around R$2 billion (US$1.16 billion).
Yoki has nine manufacturing plants in six Brazilian states and sells around 600 products across the Latin American country. According to sources, Yoki – that produces cereals, popcorn, juice mixes, snacks, flour as well as packaged tea – has … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Exxon Faces Iraq Ire

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:35 PM PST

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) will be banned from participating in Iraq's fourth oil and gas licensing auction scheduled to take place in May. ExxonMobil's exclusion from the auction is mainly due to the contracts that it signed with the country's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.
ExxonMobil turned out to be the first among the oil giants to gain entry into Kurdistan, after it signed a deal in mid October 2011 to explore six areas. But the signing of this contract has angered the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Manulife Stays At Neutral

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:25 PM PST

We are reiterating our Neutral recommendation on the shares of Canadian life insurer, Manulife Financial Corp. (NYSE:MFC), following the fourth quarter earnings release, which reflected the company's success in achieving three-year product mix repositioning in all three of its geographies. We are also impressed with the company's hedging strategy related to its equity and interest rate exposure.
Manulife reported a net loss of 5 cents per share in the fourth quarter, in contrast to the Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Stocks See-saw On Greece

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST

02/14/12 U.S. stocks closed near flat Tuesday as mixed reports out of Greece prevented major moves in either … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Safeway To Shed Genuardi’s Stores

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:35 PM PST

Recently, Safeway (NYSE:SWY) entered into an agreement to sell three of its Genuardi’s stores in Pennsylvania to Weis Markets, Inc. (NYSE:WMK). However, the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The company's decision was based on the prevailing economic scenario, which has led to food cost inflation during the first three quarters of 2011 and made consumers more price-sensitive. Retail inflation remains a constant overhang and companies like Safeway may find it difficult to pass on … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Nat Gas Rig Count At 28-Month Low

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:25 PM PST

In its weekly release, Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE:BHI) reported a dip in the U.S. rig count (number of rigs searching for oil and gas in the country). This can be primarily attributed to a decrease in the tally of natural gas-directed rigs, partially offset by an improved oil rig count.
The Baker Hughes rig count, issued since 1944, acts as an important yardstick for drilling contractors such as Transocean Inc. (NYSE:RIG), Diamond Offshore (NYSE:DO), Noble Corp. … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Prudential Retained At Neutral

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:12 PM PST

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on the shares of Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU), following its fourth quarter earnings release. The company reported substantially ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate due to a three-fold increase in International earnings, led by Japan acquisitions during early 2011.
However, we reiterate our Neutral recommendation on the back of a volatile equity market and low interest rate environment, both of which do not bode well for the life … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


HCP Marginally Misses 4Q Estimates

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:06 PM PST

HCP Inc. (NYSE:HCP), a health care real estate investment trust (REIT), reported fourth quarter 2011 FFO (funds from operations) of $150.6 million or 37 cents per share, compared with $202.6 million or 62 cents in the year-earlier quarter. Funds from operations, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.
Excluding non-recurring items, FFO for the reported quarter was $275.6 million or 67 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


AT&T Puts Limits On Unlimited Plan

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 01:06 PM PST

Given the massive demand for wireless data services thanks to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) seems to be falling short of bandwidth. The company has formed a new policy of curtailing data speeds to better manage its data services on its network.
For an unlimited plan user through AT&T's smartphone's downloading data would now mean a struggle as the company has axed approximately 99% of the data speed in an attempt to limit the "unlimited" services.
The company's … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Is The Market Overvalued And Overbought?

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:57 PM PST

I was struck by a post on Slope of Hope entitled "An Ongoing Balloon Ride" the major premise of which was that the the market has risen too far and diverged too far from its 400-dma such that there's no … Continue reading … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


CSC Wins U.S. Navy Contract

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:55 PM PST

The recent contract win from the U.S. Navy reinforces the fact that, Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE:CSC) continues to foster a very strong business relationship with the U.S. Government departments. The U.S. Navy engineering contract is worth up to $38.0 million to provide engineering support to the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.
The contract has a one-year base period and also carries two one-year renewal options. Government order wins have emerged as a strength for the company … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Air Products Buys ROVI

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:50 PM PST

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (NYSE:APD) announced that it has acquired Schluchtern, Germany-based ROVI Cosmetics International GmbH at undisclosed terms. ROVI Cosmetics specializes in delivery systems for skin care and hair care products. It has 18 employees.
Air Products considers the acquisition as an opportunity to develop into a company providing differentiated personal care products. The combined companies will provide advanced skin care products.
Air Products believes that ROVI’s … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


DuPont Inks $100M Deal With Yingli

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:35 PM PST

E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Com (NYSE:DD) inked a $100 million deal with the Chinese solar energy technology manufacturer Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE), whereby DuPont will supply its polyvinyl fluoride film and photovoltaic "paste," which will be used in the production of Yingli's modules for solar panels.
The deal is aimed at accelerating the adoption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. 
DuPont's solar energy materials help to increase efficiency, extend the lifetime … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Risk, Reward Balance BOK Financial

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:35 PM PST

We have reiterated our Neutral recommendation on BOK Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:BOKF) following a detailed analysis of the company's fourth quarter and full year financial results in light of the current economic environment.
BOK Financial's fourth-quarter 2011 earnings came in at 98 cents per share, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12 cents. Results were, however, above 86 cents earned per share in the prior-year quarter, but below the prior quarter’s earnings of $1.24.
The earnings … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Milestone For Stereotaxis Vdrive

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:20 PM PST

Medical equipment maker Stereotaxis Inc. (NASDAQ:STXS) has reported adoption milestone for its Vdrive robotic navigation system in Europe. The company said that the device is gaining popularity in the continent and is expected to exceed 500 clinical procedures in February 2012.
Vdrive enables surgeons to remotely manipulate traditionally non-robotic catheters. According to Stereotaxis, since its initial launch in Europe last year, the product has been deployed in nine centers with more units slated … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Hot Option Plays: Can New Longs Hold Market?

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 12:18 PM PST

Cusick’s Corner
The churn continues but we are not seeing sellers actually shorting. Rather, you are seeing long-term longs cashing out and new longs, the so called underinvested crowd, buying at high levels, say 1345-1350 on the S&Ps. I think that the shorts are not in the market because the short interest (go to the CFTC for that data) is really low. In the short term this is mixed to slightly bearish because if we do get a deeper pullback, this could pressure these new longs to start to … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Heller: “Stocks Are Red But No Valentine’s Day Massacre”

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:55 AM PST

02/14/12 OnPoint Executions’ Bobby Heller talks trends in equities, commodities and ETFs, and weighs in on fundamentals affecting the broader … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Ugeux: “EU Downgrade: Moody’s Is Following S&P”

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 06:50 AM PST

02/14/12 Galileo Global Advisors’ Georges Ugeux weighs in on the latest Euro-zone developments following Moody’s downgrade. The medium-term outlook for the US is also … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


White House’s Warm Welcome To China’s Next President

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:45 AM PST

02/14/12 The red carpet is being rolled out for China’s VP Xi Jinping, the man slated to be China’s next president, who began his US tour today by meeting with President Obama in the Oval … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Euro Extends Losses On Moody’s Downgrade

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 05:00 AM PST

02/14/12 The euro extended its losses this afternoon as Moody’s downgraded the sovreign debt ratings of six euro countries while U.S. retail sales data rose … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


The Trend Trader For Forex Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:02 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Forex
For Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

THE BIG SIX

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AUDUSD – Aust Dollar / US Dollar
1.0692
− 0.36
1.0705
1.0719

Bearish

EURUSD – Euro / US Dollar
1.3130
− 0.43
1.3192
1.3183

Bearish

GBPUSD – British Pound / US Dollar
1.5692
− 0.46
1.5755
1.5806

Bearish

USDCAD – US Dollar / Canadian Dollar
0.9986
− 0.10
0.9996
0.9991

Bearish

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


The Trend Trader For ETF Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:02 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for ETFs
For Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 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
110.54
+ 0.08
110.49
110.41

Bullish

BND – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF
83.80
+ 0.13
83.74
83.70

Bullish

DBC – DB Commodity Index Tracking Fd
28.51
− 0.04
28.48
28.50

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, February 15, 2012

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:02 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for the Dow 30 Stocks
For Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

In alphabetical order by symbol

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AA – Alcoa Inc
10.21
− 1.16
10.29
10.48

Bearish

AXP – American Express Company
51.96
− 0.21
51.93
51.93

Bullish

BA – Boeing Co
75.56
+ 0.95
75.14
75.16

Bullish

BAC – Bank of America Corporation
7.98
− 3.27
8.12
8.06

Bearish

CAT – Caterpillar Inc
114.45
+ … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


The Trend Trader For Futures Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 04:02 AM PST

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Futures
For Trading On Wednesday, February 15, 2012

INDICES

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

S&P 500 – Mar ESH2
1347.75
− 0.09
1344.89
1341.17

Bullish

Dow Jones – Mar YMH2
12840
+ 0.04
12805
12788

Bullish

Nasdaq – Mar NQH2
2576.00
+ 0.32
2560.28
2541.33

Bullish

Russell – Mar TFH2
820.10
− 0.33
818.56
818.53

Bullish

INTEREST RATES

US T-Bond – Mar ZBH2
143-18
+ … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


60 Minutes Airs India’s Love For Gold

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:00 PM PST

I often discuss how India, the world's largest gold market, is vital to the Love Trade in gold. In fact, last week I talked with Canada's Business News Network about India's rising demand for the precious metal.
This past Sunday, 60 Minutes aired a feature on the concept of the Love Trade, in which correspondent Byron Pitts highlighted the importance of gold to Indian history, culture and tradition. Byron sat down with two Indian wedding planners to discuss the traditional wedding ritual … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards


Hold Your Nose And “rent” The Junk

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:29 AM PST

The stock rally in 2012 has been characterized by a low-quality rally, or “dash for trash”. I wrote here that investors were under-invested in equities and have been rushing for the entrance. They have been chasing the low-quality high-beta names as a way to quickly increase their equity exposure.

If I am right in my thesis that we are in the midst of a buying panic, then the low-quality theme makes sense as a trade. The way to participate is through the use of the Phoenix strategy.

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


No comments:

Post a Comment