Monday, May 14, 2012

DailyMarkets.com - N. Dakota Oil Sets Another Record In March; Will Probably Surpass Alaska This Summer For No. 2 Spot

DailyMarkets.com - N. Dakota Oil Sets Another Record In March; Will Probably Surpass Alaska This Summer For No. 2 Spot

N. Dakota Oil Sets Another Record In March; Will Probably Surpass Alaska This Summer For No. 2 Spot

Posted: 14 May 2012 04:24 PM PDT

The “Economic Miracle State” of North Dakota pumped another record amount of oil during the month of March at a rate of 575,490 barrels per day, which was an increase of 3% compared to February, and 60% above the output level from a year ago (see top chart above). The new record-setting production in recent months has moved the Peace Garden state ahead of California to become the nation's No. 3 oil-producing state, behind only Texas and Alaska. If North Dakota continues to increase monthly … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Barrick Gold Retained At Neutral

Posted: 14 May 2012 04:07 PM PDT

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX). The company's first-quarter 2012 adjusted net earnings (excluding one time items) of $1.09 a share matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Revenues jumped 18% year over year to $3,644 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,758 million.
Gold production fell 4% year over year while copper production jumped 56% from the year-ago period. Average realized gold price moved up 21% in the quarter whereas … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

US Airlines Post Q1 On-time Arrival Record

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:58 PM PDT

05/14/12 The nation’s largest airlines posted a record Q1 on-time performance in 2012. The latest DOT Air Travel Consumer Report showed that the on-time arrival rate improved to 84% in the January-March … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Unisys Launches New Application

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT

Global IT company Unisys Corporation (NYSE:UIS) has recently announced the launch of its latest mobile application called Unisys Storage Survey 2012. The platform is primarily for iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android and BlackBerry users and will offer IT executive customers an intuitive approach to maximize their device storage facilities.
The new application allows its users to comprehend their organizational information storage structure such as the pattern and quantity of information stored in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Assurant To Distribute More Wealth

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:48 PM PDT

As part of its concerted efforts to enhance value for its shareholders, the board of directors of Assurant Inc. (NYSE:AIZ) authorized a 17% increase in its quarterly common stock dividend last Friday. Assurant will now pay a quarterly dividend of 21 cents per share, up from 18 cents paid in the last quarter. The increased dividend will be paid on June 12, 2012 to shareholders of record as of May 29, 2012.
The dividend hike is primarily supported by Assurant's strong balance sheet (low debt ratio … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Aetna Downgraded To Neutral

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:33 PM PDT

We are downgrading our recommendation on the shares of Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) following the soft first quarter 2012 results. Reported quarter earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6 cents per share. Earnings also declined 6.3% year over year. Despite the increase in revenues, growth did not trickle down to the bottom-line results due to higher health care costs and operating expenses.
Though Aetna's earnings fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, we expect it to record top-line … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Celgene Retains Neutral Rec

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:33 PM PDT

We are maintaining our Neutral recommendation on Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) with a target price of $74.00.
Celgene disclosed its first quarter 2012 results last month. The company earned 96 cents on an adjusted basis during the quarter. Earnings were below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02. Higher-than-expected expenses were primarily responsible for the earnings miss in the quarter. The company also missed revenue estimates.
The company's key growth engine is Revlimid, currently … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Abercrombie

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:33 PM PDT

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF), a specialty retailer of premium, high quality casual apparel, will release its first-quarter 2012 financial results on Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
The current Zacks Consensus Estimate of 1 cent a share for the quarter reflects a decline of 96.3% from the comparable prior-year quarter's earnings of 27 cents per share. The estimates in the current Zacks Consensus range between a low of negative 3 cents and a high of positive 10 cents a share. The Zacks … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

US Retail Sales, EU GDP In Spotlight

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:20 PM PDT

05/14/12 The global economic calendar will be busy on Tuesday. A slew of data and earnings will be closely watched, along with developments in the Euro … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CNOOC, ROC To Share Production

Posted: 14 May 2012 03:13 PM PDT

CNOOC Limited (NYSE:CEO) announced that its parent company − China National Offshore Oil Corp. ("CNOOC") − has inked a production-sharing contract with an affiliate of Australia's Roc Oil Co. on an oilfield area in the Bohai Sea.
Per the agreement, the subsidiary − Roc Oil (Bohai) Company − will carry out three dimensional geological survey and drill wells on the 09/05 block during the first phase of exploration. Located 31 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Tianjin, the block covers … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Ford Issues $1.25 Billion Notes

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:58 PM PDT

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) has issued $1.25 billion note for three years after its rating was enhanced by Fitch Ratings in April 2012. Fitch Ratings Services boosted the issuer default rating of Ford and its Ford Motor Credit Company LLC (Ford Credit) unit to "BBB-" from "BB+." The advancement was attributable to the company's better financial performance along with improvement in balance sheet and product portfolio.
The 2.75% notes were issued at par, thus saving 1.125% from $1.55 billion … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

New Deals For Accenture

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:58 PM PDT

Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN) announced last week that its insurance suite will be deployed by Pennsylvania-based insurance carrier, Mutual Benefit Group. Financial terms of the deal were kept confidential.
Per the contract, Accenture will offer its Accenture Claim Components solution to Mutual Benefit Group to replace the latter's legacy system for processing clients' claims.
The insurance carrier serves comprehensive commercial and personal insurance coverage to 90,000 beneficiaries and has been … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

CVS Reiterated At Neutral

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:58 PM PDT

Recently, we reiterated our Neutral recommendation on CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) with a target price of $47.00.
CVS Caremark reported first quarter 2012 EPS of 59 cents, up 13.5% year over year. However, after excluding the impact of certain one-time items from both the periods, adjusted EPS came in at 65 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 63 cents and up 14.0% year over year. Net revenue during the quarter increased 19.9% year over year to $30.8 billion, marginally beating … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Change In Green Mountain’s Board

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:38 PM PDT

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) recently removed two senior members from their positions in the Board of Directors due to the violation of internal policies.
Robert Stiller, the company's founder and chairman, along with lead director William Davis were removed from their respective positions. These board members were sacked after they sold their shares for margin calls when the trading window was closed as per the company's internal trading policy.
According to the company, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

FedEx Seals TATEX Deal

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:38 PM PDT

Following acquisition talks in April,  FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) has finally reached an agreement to acquire TATEX Express. French-based TATEX Express provides courier and express transport services to industrial customers across Europe and international markets.
Although the terms of the deal remain undisclosed, we expect FedEx to gain from TATEX's proven market position. TATEX ships 19 million parcels annually, accounting for 150 million Euros in sales revenue.
Following the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Precision Castparts

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:17 PM PDT

Precision Castparts Inc. (NYSE:PCP) is scheduled to report its fourth quarter and fiscal 2012 results on Thursday May 17, 2012. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is $2.27 a share. For the quarter under review, revenue is $2.0 billion, according to the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Third-Quarter 2012, a Synopsis
Total revenue in the quarter increased 14.0% year over year to $1.8 billion. The surge in the top line was primarily due to strong aerospace growth in Castings and Forgings … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Scorecard: American Tower

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:17 PM PDT

Following the first quarter earnings announcement on May 3, most of the analysts covering American Tower Corp (NYSE:AMT) have revised their estimates.
The brokers have revised their estimates based on the belief that the company will do well based on the strong demand for tower leasing to support high-speed wireless voice, data and on-demand video services. However, they remain concerned about the company's highly leveraged balance sheet and exposure to foreign exchange … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Smart Phones And Tablets Might Be Spreading Faster Than Any Technologies In Human History

Posted: 14 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT

Click to enlarge.

From an article in MIT’s Technology Review “Are Smart Phones Spreading Faster than Any Technology in Human History?”:

“Presented in the top graphic above is the U.S. market penetration achieved by nine technologies since 1876, the year Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. Penetration rates have been organized to show three phases of a technology’s spread: traction, maturity, and saturation. 

Those technologies with “last mile” problems—bringing electricity … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Double-Quote Reality

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:59 PM PDT

If these three reports are any guide, it looks like the “recovery” is still “on track” — that is, the same dismal, downward spiral it’s been ever since the “experts” told us that the recession was “over,” the housing market had “bottomed,” and the jobs market was getting “better.”
“Recession Added Debt, Drained Families’ Savings” (USA Today)
The economy may be improving but many American families are still weighed down by debt and without a safety net.
One out of five families owes more on … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

GIS To Market Yoplait In Canada

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:58 PM PDT

General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) recently announced that it will sell its Yoplait brand of yogurt products in Canada under a license from Yoplait S.A.S., a company in which General Mills acquired a 51% controlling interest in July last year.
Until now, Yoplait S.A.S. held the Yoplait brand license in Canada, which will be terminated on September 1, 2012, following which General Mills Canada will sell Yoplait-branded products. The products will continue to be manufactured by Ultima Foods, the current … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Scorecard: Viacom Inc.

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:58 PM PDT

Following the second quarter earnings announcement on May 3, most of the analysts covering Viacom Inc. (VIAB) have raised their estimates mainly based on the huge number of movies slated to release in 2012 coupled with improved advertising spending in the U.S. due to the upcoming presidential election to be held in 2012.
Second Quarter Highlights
Net income from continuing operations in the quarter was $588 million or $1.08 per share compared with $376 million or 63 cents per share in the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Analyst Interviews: Aerospace & Defense Stock Overview

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT

The U.S. is the world's largest aerospace and defense market, and also home to the world's largest military budget. The growth of the Aerospace and Defense industry depends largely on the spending outlook of government departments, with the U.S. defense budget being the primary driver. The industry largely depends on U.S. government contracts.

Given the uncertain macroeconomic environment, not just in the U.S. but also globally, the industry faces the risk of fewer new orders as customers … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

NY Times Offloads Fenway Sports

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT

As a part of its ongoing strategy to completely offload assets that bear no direct relation with the core operations, The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) recently divested its remaining stake (210 Class B units) in the Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox and the Liverpool Football Club, for $63 million.
As a part of the transaction, the company would register a pre-tax gain of approximately $38 million during the second quarter of 2012. Moreover, the names of the buyers were not … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Taubman Centers Stays Neutral

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:40 PM PDT

We have reiterated our Neutral recommendation on Taubman Centers Inc. (NYSE:TCO), a real estate investment trust (REIT), as we expect the stock to perform in line with the broader market.The company reported first quarter 2012 FFO (funds from operations) of $65.1 million or 75 cents per share, compared with $52.7 million or 63 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 … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Wall Street Tumbles Again On Euro Jitters

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:30 PM PDT

05/14/12 U.S. stocks closed lower Monday as fears of Greece leaving the euro zone kept investors cautious and triggering a move to safer … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Ecolab Unit Building New Plant

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:25 PM PDT

Global sanitation products major Ecolab Inc. (NYSE:ECL) recently announced that its newly-acquired subsidiary, Nalco Holdings, will soon begin the construction of a dry polymer making factory at its Garyville complex in Louisiana. The dry polymer offerings produced at the facility will be used in the paper, mining and water industries.
The 300,000 square-feet factory will expand the existing Garyville complex to one million square feet. The construction is expected to utilize the services of about … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: Staples

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:04 PM PDT

Staples Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS), one of the global leaders in the supply of office products, is slated to report its first-quarter 2012 financial results on Wednesday, May 16.
The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is 30 cents a share that reflects a growth of 7.1% from the prior-year quarter's earnings. The estimates in the current Zacks Consensus range between a low of 28 cents and a high of 31 cents a share. The Zacks Consensus revenue estimate is pegged at $6,190 million for the … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Alliance Data-Blue Nile Ink Deal

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:04 PM PDT

Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE:ADS) inked a long-term agreement with Blue Nile (NASDAQ:NILE) in order to initiate and control a new private label credit card program for the latter. Seattle-based Blue Nile is the leading online retailer of diamonds and fine jewelry.
The card program will encompass customized financing options and online account management without charging any annual card fee. The program enables customers to choose from financial options including 6 and 12 months which would … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Still Neutral On Genworth Financial

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:04 PM PDT

Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE:GNW) reported soft first quarter 2012 results. Also, the initial public offering (IPO) of its Australian Mortgage insurance company has been rescheduled for early 2013.
Nevertheless, Genworth remains focused on streamlining its businesses, with the ultimate goal of maximizing shareholders’ net worth. It also scores strongly with the rating agencies. Thus, we retain our Neutral recommendation on Genworth Financial.
The company continues to streamline its businesses, … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Earnings Preview: SINA Corp.

Posted: 14 May 2012 01:04 PM PDT

SINA Corp. (NASDAQ:SINA) is scheduled to announce its fiscal first quarter 2012 results after market closes on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. In the run up to the earnings release, we do not notice any significant changes in the analyst estimates for the quarter. However, we note that SINA has failed to outperform the Zacks Consensus Estimates on three occasions out of the last four quarters.
Prior Quarter Highlights
SINA's fourth-quarter bottom line not only missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate but … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Grainger April Sales Up 12%

Posted: 14 May 2012 12:44 PM PDT

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) reported year-over-year sales growth of 12% in April 2012. Growth slackened from 17% in January, 18% in February and 15% in March this year because of sluggish customer end markets.
Acquisitions added 5 percentage points to growth and organic sales increased 7% with higher volume contributing 5 percentage points and pricing another 3 percentage points. However, a 1-percentage point dip from unfavorable foreign exchange was a partial offset.
Geographically, daily sales in … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Outperform On Eastman Chemical

Posted: 14 May 2012 12:24 PM PDT

We are retaining our Outperform recommendation on Eastman Chemical Company's (NYSE:EMN) following our assessment of its first-quarter 2012 results.  Adjusted earnings of $1.22 a share outstripped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.14.
Revenues rose 4% year over year to $1,821 million, yet missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The growth was backed by higher selling prices and double-digit revenue expansion at the Tennessee-based company's Fibers segment.
Eastman Chemical expects volatility … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

April Real Estate Blowout?

Posted: 14 May 2012 12:21 PM PDT

In what might be looked upon as a major turning point for the U.S. real estate market, April is shaping up to be one of the best months in years for home sales.  Based on news reports for April sales that have been released in the last few days, there are now at least 20 metro markets that have reported double-digit gains in either the number of homes sold, or median home prices, or in some cases, both.  See the list here.

The full national report for existing-home sales in April … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

LLL Gets Australian Contract

Posted: 14 May 2012 12:09 PM PDT

L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. (NYSE:LLL) announced that it has been selected by the Commonwealth of Australia to provide the C-27J Spartan for the country’s Battlefield Airlifter program.
According to the company, the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program has an approximate contract value of $600 million and includes the supply of 10 new C-27J aircraft worth about $300 million, plus contractor logistics support, spares and training.
Australia selected the C-27J aircraft for its multifunctional … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Baxter Remains Neutral

Posted: 14 May 2012 12:09 PM PDT

We reiterate our Neutral rating on Baxter International (NYSE:BAX). Its earnings per share of $1.01 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 99 cents and sailed past the year-ago earnings of 98 cents per share. The first quarter results beat Baxter's earlier earnings guidance of 98 cents to $1.00 per share.
Sales for the quarter were $3,388 million, up 3% year over year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3,302 million. On a segment-wise basis, Bioscience sales were $1,462 million, up 4% … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

Valdes: “Spain…next Thing To Watch”

Posted: 14 May 2012 11:00 AM PDT

05/14/12 DME Securities’ Alan Valdes weighs in on today’s global market action, and drop in gold and crude oil futures. The short-term and long-term outlook for US stocks are ales … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For ETF Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Posted: 14 May 2012 05:03 AM PDT

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for ETFs
For Trading On Tuesday, May 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
111.04
+ 0.23
110.84
110.79

Bullish

BND – Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF
84.10
+ 0.18
83.97
83.94

Bullish

DBC – DB Commodity Index Tracking Fd
26.33
− 1.31
26.68
26.85

Bearish

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

The Trend Trader For Forex Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Posted: 14 May 2012 05:03 AM PDT

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Forex
For Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

THE BIG SIX

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AUDUSD – Aust Dollar / US Dollar
0.9957
− 0.61
1.0036
1.0085

Bearish

EURUSD – Euro / US Dollar
1.2824
− 0.72
1.2907
1.2962

Bearish

GBPUSD – British Pound / US Dollar
1.6090
+ 0.15
1.6107
1.6108

Bearish

USDCAD – US Dollar / Canadian Dollar
1.0035
+ 0.38
1.0012
0.9994

Bullish

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

The Trend Trader For Stock Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Posted: 14 May 2012 05:03 AM PDT

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for the Dow 30 Stocks
For Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

In alphabetical order by symbol

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

AA – Alcoa Inc
8.92
− 1.55
9.06
9.15

Bearish

AXP – American Express Company
58.42
− 2.05
59.29
59.74

Bearish

BA – Boeing Co
73.12
− 0.60
73.63
74.30

Bearish

BAC – Bank of America Corporation
7.35
− 2.65
7.58
7.65

Bearish

CAT – Caterpillar Inc
93.60
− … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards

The Trend Trader For Futures Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Posted: 14 May 2012 05:03 AM PDT

By ForexMansion.com

The Trend Trader for Futures
For Trading On Tuesday, May 15, 2012

INDICES

Close
%
Change

3×1

7×5
Minor
Trend
Major
Trend
Trend Reading

S&P 500 – Jun ESM2
1334.00
− 1.19
1349.17
1353.17

Bearish

Dow Jones – Jun YMM2
12655
− 1.04
12771
12827

Bearish

Nasdaq – Jun NQM2
2585.00
− 0.99
2609.58
2614.08

Bearish

Russell – Jun TFM2
775.30
− 1.62
786.02
785.27

Bearish

INTEREST RATES

US T-Bond – Jun ZBM2
146-03
+ … [visit site to read more] or compare Credit Card Rewards and Best Credit Cards
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