Forex News Feeds

Out Of Touch With Reality
According to many of the “experts,” today’s data on retail sales was unequivocally good news: “This is a pleasant surprise, especially in the light of the severe winter weather across large parts of the country last month,” said Ian Shepherdson, an analyst at High Frequency Economics…. “Consumers are beginning to come out of their shells,” IHS Global ...

Four Ways To Go Short - Part I
Today, a closer look at two of the four most popular ways to go short - individual equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). It was Travers who went to the office of a company and asked to be allowed to see the books. The clerk asked him, “Have you an interest in this company?”and Travers answered, “I ...

Daily ETF Roundup: MOO, EWJ Surge
Most major indexes finished the week rangebound as markets digested conflicting data. Although retail sales increased unexpectedly, weak consumer sentiment and unchanged inventories helped to drag the markets lower and balance out the hopes of renewed consumer spending. “There is a lack of conviction in the markets, everyone is kind of in wait-and-see mode.” said ...

Cartoon: Financial Regulatory Reform
Source: John Darkow, Comics.com, March 5, … [visit site to read more]

Gold, Silver And Oil: Buying The Essentials In Tough Markets
The Money Morning newsletter bills itself as “Essential investment news & insight from MoneyWeek.com” which makes me suspicious right away because of all the times I have been lied to over the years by people telling me that something is “essential”, which it seldom is, and it usually turns out to be a code word ...

Potash Boosts MOO, PAGG
Agribusiness ETFs got a boost in Friday trading as good news from Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (POT) helped to lift the sector higher as the week came to a close. The Canadian producer of fertilizer and feed significantly raised its earnings guidance range to $1.30 to $1.50 a share, up from an earlier forecast of ...

Statoil Gaining Impetus At St Malo
Norwegian oil major Statoil ASA (NYSE:STO) has increased its interest in the St Malo development region. St Malo is a major discovery in the ultra-deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Statoil has exercised its preferential rights on a proposed sale of Devon Energy’s (NYSE:DVN) interest in the development. Following the deal, Statoil’s interest stood ...

Pall Corporation Slips
Pall Corporation (NYSE:PLL) reported earnings per share from continuing operations of 42 cents for the second quarter of 2010, compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 47 cents. Revenues were $560.4 million, up 3.2% compared to the second quarter of FY 2009. Sales in local currency declined 2.8% year over year. Segment Highlights Life Sciences BioPharmaceuticals sales were ...

Biotech ETFs For Any Risk Appetite
The biotechnology sector has been hopping around like Tigger lately; mergers and acquisitions dot the space, some stocks are rocketing higher while others are taking a few lumps. This is why biotech exchange traded funds (ETFs) might be a better way to access the sector than picking stocks. The biotech industry at large may appeal to ...

Don’t Mail In Your Gold
“What’s with all these ads to sell my gold jewelry?” writes a reader “Will I get a good deal on that?” The short answer: No. In general, the mail-order gold people are paying about 10-25 cents on the dollar. We’re seeing monetary psychology at work here. It’s the feel of cash in hand. We have relatively unsophisticated people ...

Exxon Raises Outlook
In its annual presentation to investment analysts at the New York Stock Exchange, ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM) claimed industry-leading results in 2009. The company also asserted that it is well positioned for future growth. Exxon’s focus for each of its three business segments (Upstream, Downstream and Chemical) remains on investment discipline, operational and technology excellence, the value ...

Video: NYSE Closing Bell Market Monitor:POT, PFE, SVU
The latest in news, commentary, and information on what's moving the US equities markets. Watch this broadcast LIVE at 4:00 pm EST daily @ "http://www.nyx.com/marketmonitor"

Starwood’s Rating Outlook Stable
Yesterday, Fitch Ratings affirmed Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.’s (NYSE:HOT) ratings. The outlook was revised to Stable from Negative. Fitch has affirmed the Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BB+’, $1.875 billion senior unsecured credit facility at ‘BB+’ and $2.7 billion of senior unsecured notes at ‘BB+’. The affirmation of Starwood’s ratings and its outlook revision to ...

Video: Crude Slides On Mixed Economic Data
Front month crude prices were on the downside this session following mixed economic data.

GOL Soars Past Estimates
GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE:GOL) reported results for the fourth quarter of 2009. During the quarter, net revenues were R$1,617.6 million, up from R$1,548.6 million in the year-ago quarter. During the quarter, GOL posted operating income of R$119.2 million, with an operating margin of 7.4%, 121.2% up from R$53.9 million and 3.5% margin in the ...

National Debt History As A Credit Card Statement
When your nation completely loses oversight over its financial position… this could be the consequence.  How are we going to resolve $12 trillion in debt? We’re open to your opinions.  We found this opinion via Jesse Felderin in his post on the country’s credit card … [visit site to read more]

Papandreou, Merkel, Juncker = Pandit, Mack, Fuld?
Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one … You have an entity that took on too much debt. It cooked its books. It failed to get its fiscal house in order. Its “executives” repeatedly refused to take the necessary steps to rein in risk. But when the LOGICAL consequences occurred - investors began dumping its ...

Smithfield Tops Zacks Consensus
Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE:SFD) reported results for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 with earnings of 22 cents per share. Earnings were above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 19 cents and were also up compared to a loss of 75 cents in the prior-year quarter. Revenues Net sales for the quarter declined 13.8% year-over-year to $2.9 billion, ...

Video: February Foreclosure Filings Post Smallest Increase In 4 Years
In the smallest increase in four years, US foreclosure filings rose 6% in February from one year earlier.

Intuit Offers New Product
Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) recently announced the Intuit Online Payroll for Google Apps (formerly PayCycle). This online payroll is available to small business owners on the Google Apps Marketplace; Google’s recently launched online storefront for Google Apps products and services. Intuit Online Payroll will also soon be available on Intuit’s own App Center with Web applications designed for ...

ProLogis Leases U.S. Facilities
ProLogis (NYSE:PLD), a leading global provider of distribution facilities, recently signed 3 new lease agreements spanning about 174,000 square feet of its development portfolio in the U.S. The continued leasing activities show signs of stabilization in the industrial property market fundamentals after a prolonged recession that pushed down the sector. About 103,000 square feet were leased ...

Dick Fuld Unaware Of Lehman “Cooking The Books”? It’s Ridiculous And Pathetic
Reports that Lehman was effectively ‘cooking its books’ prior to its ultimate demise are not a surprise. Reports that Dick Fuld, then CEO of Lehman, was not aware of the nature of this cooking are both ridiculous and pathetic. The lifeblood of every financial institution on Wall Street is access to financing for its ...

The Patsy Revolt Of 2010
“Masked youths…attacked the head of Greece’s largest trade union, who was addressing the crowd, and hurled stones at the police. GSEE union boss Yiannis Panagopoulos traded blows with the rioters before being whisked away, bloodied and with torn clothes.” The Daily Mail account put the blame for these disturbances on Germany’s finance minister, who warned the ...

The Sham Recovery
Are we finally in a recovery? Who’s “we,” kemosabe? Big global companies, Wall Street, and high-income Americans who hold their savings in financial instruments are clearly doing better. As to the rest of us – small businesses along Main Streets, and middle and lower-income Americans – forget it. Business cheerleaders naturally want to emphasize the positive. ...

Gas Prices Drop On Supply, Weather
The federal government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported an in-line decline in natural gas supplies. Stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states fell by 111 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended Mar. 5, 2010. The inventory decline was the 14th in as many weeks. This has finally started to erode the ...

Goldcorp Adjusts Q4 Profits Up
Gold mining company Goldcorp’s (NYSE:GG) adjusted net profits more than doubled to 25 cents in the fourth quarter of 2009 from 12 cents per share in the year-ago period. Earnings which benefited from high metal prices, were also ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 24 cents. For the full year 2009, earnings were $588.2 million ...

Hyperinflation: Is Black The New White?
If Nassim Nicholas Taleb (and others) posit that an outcome once considered extremely rare is increasingly likely, does that mean a certain type of swan has changed its colors? That is, based on the following Bloomberg BusinessWeek report, “‘Black Swan’ Author Concerned About Hyperinflation,” is black the new white? Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of “The Black Swan” ...

Fuel Cell Technology: This “Power Plant In A Box” Could Transform The Energy Sector
Friday, March 12, 2010: Issue #1215 Today, we’re going on the hunt for the Holy Grail. But Monty Python’s bumbling crew are nowhere to be seen. I’m talking about scientists’ and engineers’ constant search for the “Holy Grail” of the energy world: A resource that’s clean, has no emissions and is inexpensive. Simple right? Well, the “clean” and “no emissions” ...

Kirkland’s Beats Zacks Consensus
Kirkland’s Inc (NASDAQ:KIRK) reported strong results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal 2009. Quarterly earnings were 92 cents, which were well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 81 cents. Earnings were up 56% year-over-year. For fiscal 2009, earnings were $1.42 per share compared to earnings of 30 cents in fiscal 2008. Net sales for the ...

S&P 500 Stock Market Trends For March 2010
This is a monthly chart for the S&P 500 showing 20 years of performance. Since this index is the one used by professional traders, it is important to understand how it is performing. This chart is also excellent at defining the longer term trends for the market. The bull market of the last ...

The Bull Market Is Over
This morning, our driver sounded his horn, then started the engine. Cars are never taken in for repair in India unless the horn doesn’t work. You can drive without brakes, but not without a horn. Maybe that’s why 110,000 people die on India’s roads and railways every year. We were on our way to CNBC, where ...

Haemonetics Stays Neutral
We maintain our Neutral rating on Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE:HAE) with a target price of $58 per share, based on a P/E of 18.1x our fiscal 2011 EPS estimate of $3.20. Haemonetics’ third quarter fiscal 2010 results were mixed. Earnings per share of 71 cents narrowly missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 72 cents. However, earnings were ...

Zacks Picks Small-Cap Winners
Zacks Investment Research analysts have been actively searching through the Zacks database for small and micro-cap stocks to fit into a new product that the company is offering called Small-Cap Institutional Research. Analysts are specifically looking for stocks that are under-valued or under-followed by the market. Zacks has initiated coverage on several of these names over ...

Semtech Beats, Guides Up
Semtech Corp.’s (NASDAQ:SMTC) fourth-quarter earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3 cents. Shares were up in response. The company’s closest competitors, Maxim Integrated Products (MXIM), Linear Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:LLTC) and Intersil Corp. (NASDAQ:ISIL) also beat the Zacks Consensus, as end markets continued to strengthen. Revenue Revenue of $85.0 million was up 13.1% sequentially and up 35.6% ...

Video: Market Movers: ZQK, POT, CF, ARO, PSUN, ABT, GS, MS
The latest news and information on U.S. stocks that are moving the market.

Video: Risk Appetite Strong On Retail Sales
Higher-yielding currencies continued to rise this session following stronger-than-expected retails sales figures.

Zumiez Quarterly Sales Increases
Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ:ZUMZ), a mall-based specialty retailer of action-sports related apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories, reported fiscal 2009 fourth-quarter earnings of $8.8 million or $0.29 per share, compared to net income of $6.3 million or $0.21 per share in the year-earlier quarter. For fiscal 2009, the company reported net income of $9.1 million or $0.30 per ...

BP Enters Brazil’s Offshore Oil Market With $7 Billion Deal
British oil giant BP PLC (NYSE:BP) has finally entered Brazil’s vaunted deepwater oil market with a $7 billion purchase of Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) assets. BP yesterday (Thursday) announced it would acquire some of Devon’s interests in Brazil, Azerbaijan and the Gulf of Mexico. BP also agreed to sell Devon a 50% stake in its Kirby ...

Global Economies Surge Forward Without The US
There was a time…not so very long ago…when Americans held all the top spots. We had the most…the best…the biggest companies. And the richest people. Those days are gone… MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim is the first man from a developing nation to become the world’s richest person – a shift that underlines ...

New Evidence Indicates China May Be Bankrupt
China’s low debt is one key factor that contributes to the global perception of its strong economic health. The IMF estimates that China’s accumulated gross debt for 2010 is about 22% of GDP, which seems like a drop in the bucket relative to US gross debt at about 94% of GDP. However, Jim Jubak presents the ...

Discover Forecasts Q1 Loss
Yesterday, Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) announced that it expects to report a loss in the fiscal first quarter 2010 as the company had to boost its loan loss reserves. The company will have $305 million pre-tax increase in loan loss reserves in the quarter. This would bring its reserve coverage to approximately a year of losses. ...

Not Durable?
Following the severe downturn we’ve had, many economists would probably agree that one key ingredient for a sustained economic recovery is a healthy (i.e., low level) of inventories relative to sales. Relatively speaking, if businesses are carrying too much inventory on their books, that can act as a drag on growth because they will be hesitant ...

XOMA Tops Zacks Estimate
XOMA Ltd. (NASDAQ:XOMA) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2009 earnings of one cent per share, well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a loss of 3 cents but below the year-ago earnings of 7 cents. The lower earnings were primarily attributable to the dip in revenues in the fourth quarter of 2009. Quarterly Results Revenue declined approximately 41.5% to ...

Indonesia ETF (IDX) Surges Ahead
More than one year after the market bottom, most equity ETFs have seen a big rebound, but few have been able to match the meteoric rise of the Market Vectors Indonesia ETF (IDX), which is up more than 200% since last March. In fact, only two non-leveraged ETFs have outperformed IDX over the time period: ...

UNG In Freefall: New Driver, Same Result
Perhaps no exchange-traded product listed in the U.S. has seen the level of investor interest or been the subject of as much controversy as the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG). UNG was launched in April 2007, and the fund was moderately successful during its first 18 months, growing to more than $700 million in ...

NYX Vends Small Stake In Liffe
On Mar 10, NYSE Euronext Inc. (NYSE:NYX) announced that it has sold its prime minority stake in NYSE Liffe U.S. to DRW Ventures LLC, a unit of DRW Trading Group (DRW). This brings the total number of outside owners in NYSE Liffe to six. The other five owners are Citadel Securities, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ...

TWC To Offer VoIP Independently
Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE:TWC) decided to offer VoIP services independently as a part of its project called “Go It Alone”. The company announced that it will phase out the existing VoIP agreement with Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S) over the course of next four years. Time Warner Cable entered into a long-term contract in 2003 ...

Forex Trading: USD/JPY Hits Hard Resistance And Retreats Before Noon
The USD/JPY hit hard resistance at 91.07 and fell quickly back to trendline support at 90.96. The pair has held the 100 Hour moving average for over a week with only one break below, early in today’s session. The pair has climbed almost 300 pips since March 4th. Support will be found at the 100 ...

Arch Buys Stake In Texas Plant
Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE:ACI) that it purchased 35% equity interest in a Texas power plant as part of its ongoing pursuit of technology meant to reduce damaging greenhouse gas emissions. The Trailblazer Energy Center near Sweetwater, Texas is being developed by Tenaska Inc.  Arch’s investment will be staged over time as the development of the ...

Yellen Brings The Dollar Down
It was a great day in the currency markets for investors who own currencies or metals, as the dollar slid versus every asset over the past 24 hours. The big news driving the dollar lower was the ‘leaking’ of Obama’s pick for Vice-Chairmanship of the Federal Reserve. He apparently has chosen Janet Yellen, the Fed Bank ...

Human Genome Inks Deal
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:HGSI) and BioInvent International AB, a Swedish pharmaceutical research company, have joined forces to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutic monoclonal antibodies that specifically target antigens discovered by Human Genome. However, the financial terms of the transaction were undisclosed.  Under the terms of the agreement, the Swedish firm will apply its antibody discovery ...

CSC Named To Fortune List
Leading Information technology solutions company CSC Inc. (NYSE:CSC) is in the headlines again with positive newsflow. The company has recently secured a place in the “Fortune’s” list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” for 2010. CSC earned this coveted title after surpassing many industry peers and secured the fifth position in the information technology category. This ...

Cognizant Going Strong
Following the release of strong results in the fourth quarter 2009, estimates for Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSH) have been on the rise.   Headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, Cognizant is a leading provider of custom information technology to Fortune 1000 customers.   Cognizant posted a 20% year-over-year top-line growth and a 6% sequential growth in the fourth quarter. ...

Will U.S. Drivers “Get Their Motors Running ” If Gasoline Goes Above $3.00?
Fundamentals The days of relatively “cheap” Gasoline prices appear to be ending once again, a byproduct of improving economic conditions tied in with curtailed production. Despite attempts by the Chinese government to dampen its surging economy, energy demand remains robust, with China’s oil imports in February coming in at the second highest total in its history! ...

Chunghwa Raises Cap Ex Budget
Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd. (NYSE:CHT), the largest integrated telecom services provider in Taiwan , raised its capital expenditure budget for 2010. The company pegged its full-year 2010 cap ex at $937 million compared to $875 million in 2009. The primary reason for the increase is to expend its nationwide fiber-optic networks. Chunghwa will invest $422 million ...

Devon Sells $1.7B Assets Pre-JV
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) has agreed to sell its assets in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Brazil and Azerbaijan to BP PLC (NYSE:BP) for $7.0 billion. BP will also assume Devon’s leases of the Seadrill West Sirius and Transocean Deepwater Discovery drilling rigs for the duration of the contract terms.   The company also announced that Devon ...

Employment Report: Leading Indicators
This is a top shelf, 9 page report on employment as prepared TL. He presents 8 leading indicators of employment and comes to the conclusion: “On the whole, these leading indicators paint a positive picture, indicating that net hiring should emerge before the end of the second quarter.” To read this fabulous and very informative report ...

Video: Another Flop For Pfizer
Pfizer Incorporated (PFE) announced Friday that its new breast cancer drug failed to halt the progression of advanced breast cancer tumors in two studies.

Yellen Reported To Be Vice Chair
Bloomberg is reporting today that Janet Yellen is President Obama’s pick to succeed Donald Kohn as vice chairman of the Federal Reserve. Yellen is currently the President of the San Francisco Fed, the largest of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts, both geographically and economically. Yellen is an excellent selection for the post. She recognized the looming ...

Medtronic Offers Senior Notes
Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE:MDT) recently decided to offer its senior notes to the public. The offering includes $1.25 billion of 3.0% Senior Notes due 2015, $1.25 billion of 4.45% Senior Notes due 2020 and $500 million of 5.55% Senior Notes due 2040. Medtronic will use the proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. ...

Morning News Notes: 3/12/2010
The “Morning News Notes” as prepared by TL… Janet Yellen, Japan Fed Bank to loosen monetary policy, healthcare, student loans, US equity market strategy, and year to date performance by sector. Just click on the link or the coffee mug below. “Morning News Notes”: March 12, … [visit site to read more]

EQIX Focused On Data Center Growth
As a leading provider of co-location services, Equinix Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX) is well positioned in the market. The company is moving on with its leadership position in the energy efficient data center management segment. The company recently announced that its SV2 International Business Exchange (IBX) data center has earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ...

Sanofi Expands US Footprint
Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE:SNY) recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of Chattem Inc. This acquisition will help strengthen Sanofi’s presence in the US consumer health care market, which represents 25% of the current worldwide market.   Chattem is an established player in the consumer health care segment (brands include Selsun Blue and Icy Hot, among others), with ...

Video: Asian Markets Mixed As Week Ends
Similar to recent trends, the Hang Seng & Sensex indices were on the downside this session, but only by a small margin.

Video: NYSE Opening Bell Market Monitor: ANN, UTX
The latest in news, commentary, and information on what's moving the US equities markets.

NPWZ: Spec Buy On Fuel Cells
We are initiating Neah Power Systems (NPWZ) at Outperform with a $1.75 price target over the next 12 months. Neah, with an accumulated deficit of $51 million, is a development-stage (pre-revenue) company with silicon-based direct-methanol fuel cell intellectual property, design know-how and manufacturing capability that has been demonstrated in the course of multiple contract engagements. Initial ...

Retail Sales Do Not Disappoint
This morning, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that Retail Sales for February were up 0.3% from January and 3.9% from February 2009. Total sales for the December 2009 to February 2010 period were up 4.5% from the same period a year ago. Retail trade sales were up 0.3% from January 2010 and 4.4% above last year. ...

Airline ETF (FAA) Cleared For Takeoff
Airline stocks have been flying high in 2010 thanks to renewed hopes over an economic recovery, an uptick in business travel, and a stronger dollar. The Claymore/NYSE Arca Airline ETF (FAA) has shot higher on the news, gaining nearly 5% on the week and 15% so far on the year. A slight pullback in oil ...

Options Exchange CBOE Files For IPO
On Thursday, the final major private options exchange left in the U.S. − the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) − unveiled its decision of demutualization and going public by filing the initial S-1 form to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an initial public offering (IPO) of approximately $300 million. The company is expected ...

Mutual Funds: Top 5 Van Kampen Funds
One of the nation’s oldest and largest investment management companies, Van Kampen Investments was established in 1927. With a rich legacy of domain expertise, the company currently manages or supervises around $85 billion worth of assets. It has a strong commitment towards a research driven culture and uses a bottom-up approach to select investments. The ...

A Follow Up On UK’s Negative Outlook: “Britain’s AAA-Rating Is Highly At Risk”
In our post Forget UK! we have indicated the reasons why we believe it is unsafe investing in UK asset classes now. A reminder of negative UK economic outlook came today from a Telegraph article that reported words from Kornelius Purps, Unicredit ’s fixed income director. He said ”I am becoming convinced that Great ...

Mutual Funds: Top 3 Convertible Funds
Investors looking for a steady flow of income as well as protection from the market fluctuations would do well to consider convertible securities. In the recent past, such instruments have generated better returns than broad equity market indices during periods of market volatility. In addition, they also provide an income stream from equity categories, which ...

A.M. Best Affirms RNR Ratings
On Thursday, rating agency A.M. Best Co. affirmed the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” and all debt ratings of RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:RNR), reflecting the company’s superior risk-based capitalization level and historically excellent underwriting track record.   The rating agency has also affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) and ICR of “A+” (Superior) and “aa-”, respectively, ...

Forex Trading: AUD/USD Looking Like A Double Top Forming At 0.9193
The AUD/USD appears to be having challenges breaking above the 0.9193 as a double top forms. The pair has been in a bullish trend since late February, 2010. The pair has only been below the 200 Hour moving average once in that entire time so the bias remains bullish for the time being, however, the ...

Twin Setbacks For Pfizer
In a major setback for the company, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) has had to discontinue a final stage study. It was evaluating the effectiveness of a combination of an investigational compound figitumumab with erlotinib for the second/third-line treatment in previously treated patients for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).   The decision to discontinue the study was taken following the ...

Family Dollar To Outperform
We recently upgraded our recommendation on Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO), the operator of self-service retail discount stores in the United States, to Outperform from Neutral with a target price of $40.00.   Despite a sluggish macro economic environment, Family Dollar’s strategic initiatives to improve the merchandising, marketing, and store operations have resulted in sustained growth in ...

Harry Markopolos’ Unfinished Madoff business
Madoff hunter Harry Markopolos talks with David Weidner about how the SEC has fared since the Ponzi scheme was uncovered, and about what kind of regulatory role he would accept in … [visit site to read more]

Swiss Franc: The Upside Prevails
Update on supports and resistances.

Australian Dollar: Rebound Expected
Update on supports and resistances.

Canadian Dollar: Under Pressure
Update on supports and resistances.

Japanese Yen: Rebound
Update on supports and resistances.

British Pound: The Upside Prevails
Update on supports and resistances.

Euro: Rebound Expected
Update on supports and resistances.

Optimer Loss Narrows
Optimer Pharma’s (NASDAQ:OPTR) fourth quarter loss per share came in at 28 cents, narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 34 cents and the year-ago loss of 31 cents. For 2009, the company reported a loss per share of $1.30 compared to a loss of $1.24 in 2008. Optimer does not have any marketed ...

Wendy’s/Arby’s Eyeing CKE
According to a recent report in the New York Post, Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management, the owner of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. (NYSE:WEN) is looking to acquire CKE Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:CKR).   Atlanta-based, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group is considering a bid of $1 billion for CKE Restaurants, the operator of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast food chains.   Earlier, in February 2010, ...

Stock Market News Briefs: Aeropostale Inc, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The), Morgan Stanley, National Semiconductor Corporation, Pall Corporation
 Aeropostale (NYSE:ARO) posted fourth quarter earnings after the close, which were below Zacks estimates of $1 at 99 cents on a 16.1% rise in revenues to $801 million versus estimates of $794 million. The firm also announced a 3-for-2 stock split and an increase in fiscal first quarter guidance  National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM) reported a fiscal third ...

Label Expansion For Botox
Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) recently received good news with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting approval to Botox for the treatment of increased muscle stiffness in the elbow, wrist and fingers in adults with upper limb spasticity.   The FDA approval comes after the company submitted additional data following the receipt of a complete response letter ...

Forex Trading: EUR/USD Moves Higher Into Major Resistance
The EUR/USD moveed higher after breaking above the trendline near 1.3680, and climbed into major resistance at 1.3799. This is the 50% retracement level from the move seen on the daily chart. The pair is likely to have challenges with getting above this key level. Looking at the daily chart, the level becomes clear. The longer ...

New Banking Regulations Nothing But A Thin Veil To Further Enrich Banking-Sector Executives
U.S. banks, drunk with greed, drove the nation’s economy to the brink of financial Armageddon. To save U.S. banks from losing their license to dangle the nation’s economy over a cliff, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the country’s elected elite threw them a bailout party and gifted them with the accounting- world’s version of “Transformers. ...

Picture Of The Day: US Consumers Hold Back Growth
An interesting chart comes from the Consumer Metrics Institute (via Clusterstock - Chart of the Day) that constructs a US consumption index based on actual transactions data for a range of major discretionary purchases such as cars, houses, durable goods, and vacations. Although the time series is rather short, the “Daily Growth Index” ...

Treasury Sells Signature Warrants
The Treasury announced Thursday that it has received net proceeds of $11.2 million from the sale of warrants it obtained as part of its investment in New York-based Signature Bank (NASDAQ:SBNY) through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) during the height of the financial crisis. In Mar 2009, Signature had repaid the entire $120 million ...

Forex Trading: GBP/USD Breaks Above Formation - Pushed Higher
Overnight and into the start of the US session, the GBP/USD has broken the top side of the pennant formation (1.5050.) The pair is now holding above the 100 Hour & 200 Hour MA’s, against the the 38.2% retracement level near 1.5176. The Fibonacci is calculated from the high on Feb 17th, 2010 (1.5814) to ...

Forex Trading: Eurozone Industrial Production
Eurozone Industrial Production m/m came in at 1.7%, stronger than the 0.8% forecasted and -1.7% prior reading. Eur/Usd has been bid all session and has recently made new high at 1.3763. The pair has given back 10 points, but still looks … [visit site to read more]

Video: IATA Forecasts Airline Industry Recovery
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts a recovery in the global airline industry in 2010. While airlines are expected to post a loss of $2.8 bn, it is still an improvement from 2009.

Number And Percent Of U.S. Tax Nonpayers At Record High; More Tax Filers Now See IRS As A Source Of Income
Maximum Income a Married Couple with Two Children Can Earn and Pay NO Federal Income Tax From The Tax Foundation: A nonpaying tax return is one filed by an individual or couple who, thanks to legal credits and deductions, owes nothing. Nonpaying status used to be a sure sign of poverty or near-poverty, ...

Check Out These Income-Producing ETFs
Trying to interpret what the markets are doing can be just as crazy-making as attempting to predict what’s happening. That’s why it might be necessary to add in some income-producing exchange traded funds (ETFs) along with the risky funds. The always insightful Gary Gordon at ETF Expert has a few favorite income-producing ETFs, ranging from bonds ...

U.S. Foreclosures Dipped In February, Constrained By Rescue Programs And Poor Weather
U.S. mortgage foreclosure filings dropped for the second straight month in February and posted the smallest annual increase in four years as government housing-rescue efforts and poor weather constrained bank repossessions, a report released by RealtyTrac Inc. showed Thursday. RealtyTrac, which sells mortgage default data collected from more than 2,200 counties representing 90% of the U.S. ...

Earnings Preview: Economic Data In Focus Next Week
Earnings Preview 3/12/10 Earnings Season is winding down, but that does not mean it is over. Next week will bring 112 earnings reports, but just 5 members of the S&P 500. Some of the higher profile firms to report will be Nike (NYSE:NKE), Cintas (CNTS) and Discover Financial (NYSE:DFS). Instead of earnings reports, the focus will be ...

Bear Of The Day: ATS Medical, Inc. (ATSI)
ATS Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSI) is one of the leading players in the mechanical heart valve market in the world. While mechanical heart valves are still growing in international markets, demand for this product is declining in the U.S. markets where tissue valves are more in favor. We believe overseas markets will eventually adopt this trend, as ...

Stock Buy: Lululemon Athletica, Inc.
Lululemon Athletica, Inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) recently hit a new 52-week high as investors look for the company to build on its recent string of earnings surprises with its March 25, Q4 results. Company Description Lululemon Athletica, Inc. designs, manufactures and sells athletic apparel for men and woman in the United States, Australia and Canada. The company sells its ...

Bull Of The Day: Skechers U.S.A. (SKX)
Skechers U.S.A. (NYSE:SKX) is well positioned to benefit through a sustained focus on new products, opening of new retail stores and distribution channels, and a multi-brand strategy. A healthy balance sheet and in-demand inventory position it to capitalize on future growth opportunities. Further, the company’s international business provides an enormous second leg of growth, in our ...

Stock Buy: HSN Inc.
HSN, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSNI) shares are surging on the latest earnings report. However, rising estimates are keeping valuations in check. Company Description HSN, Inc. is a retailer that operates several television stations to sell directly to customers. Products can also be purchased online, through catalogs or at brick and mortar locations. Crushed Estimates On Mar 3 HSN reported fourth-quarter results ...

Stock Buy: Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the last five quarters by an average of 22.7%. Company Description Tiffany & Co. is a jeweler and specialty retailer that designs, manufactures, and sells an extensive selection of jewelry as well as timepieces, sterling silverware, china, crystal, stationery, fragrances, and accessories. The Zacks Rank #1 stock ...

Stock Buy: American Italian Pasta Company
American Italian Pasta Company (AIPC) has seen earnings jump as more consumers stay home to eat during the recession. AIPC has surprised on the Zacks Consensus Estimate 4 quarters in a row by an average of 21.05%. Company Description American Italian Pasta produces dry pasta under 10 consumer brands in the United States, including Golden Grain, Pennsylvania ...

Stock Picks For Friday 12 March: DryShips, Plug Power, Hemispherx BioPharma
( click to enlarge ) DryShips (NASDAQ:DRYS) - The stock is threatening to break through the 200 day moving average which would be a very bullish sign for DRYS. Resistance is $6.26. The stock has been strong over the past days, so watch it closely the next few trading sessions. ( click to enlarge ...

To Wall Street, Washington And World: Fool Me Once…
…shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me!!! There are a handful of financial journalists who pull no punches in telling the absolute truth and in providing real transparency. Bloomberg’s Jonathan Weil holds a special spot in the Sense on Cents Hall of Fame for his determination in calling people and institutions on ...

Lin TV And AFC Enterprises Lead Small-Cap Percentage Gainers
Lin TV Corp (NYSE:TVL), AFC Enterprises Inc (NASDAQ:AFCE), RXI Pharmaceutical Inc (NASDAQ:RXII) and Geoeye Inc (NASDAQ:GEOY) are among the biggest percentage Gainers in Thursday’s trading among companies with market capitalizations under $1 billion. Also included among the results: Green Bancshares Inc (NASDAQ:GRNB), Fox Chase Bancorp (FXBC), Metabolix Inc (NASDAQ:MBLX), Nutri System Inc (NASDAQ:NTRI) and Isramco Inc ...

U.S. Dollar Down Against Other Currencies As Demand For Risk Surges
The U.S. Dollar declined into the close after trading in a tight range most of the day. A strong surge in the equity markets late in the session confirmed investor demand for risky assets, thereby pressuring the lower yielding Dollar. At times on Thursday, traders were demanding lower yielding currencies in response to an overnight report ...

Why So Concerned?
Since hitting their lows last March, Fedex shares have rallied more than 150 percent and are not far off their 2009 highs. Given that equity investors are supposedly able to anticipate the future, that must mean things looks are looking up for America’s premier transportation and logistics company. Right? And since the company’s fortunes are also closely tied ...

Video: The Day Ahead: U.S. Retail Sales
The stories, data, and stocks that may have the greatest impact during the next trading session.

China Inflation Ticks Upwards
China released its February inflation figures showing that CPI had increased 2.7% year over year in February, against expectations for 2.5%, and the January figure of 1.5%. The figure shows a trend of increasing inflation in China, and may make China’s goal of keeping inflation at 3% in 2010 somewhat difficult. The ...

Statistical Color
Although I’m not an economist, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out which way the economic winds are blowing. For a country as large, diverse, and globally connected as the United States, it can be quite challenging deciding which trends and data points are relevant at any given point in time, and ...

Forex Trading: EUR/USD Testing Resistance Again
The EUR/USD is again has tested the descending trendline resistance we examined yesterday on the 4-hr chart, with the 4-200hr moving average directly above that line and the 1.37 handle.  The trendline had held yesterday and the pair is continuing to test it early in the Asian session. The signals on this chart might suggest a ...

Q&A On Emerging Markets With Mark Mobuis
A recent Q&A with Mark Mobius, Templeton Asset Management’s emerging markets guru, follows below, courtesy of the company’s Market Views newsletter. What are the pros and cons of investing directly in emerging market equities and bonds as opposed to companies based in developed markets with emerging markets operations? By directly investing in emerging ...

Telefonica SA (NYSE:TEF) – May Get Offered An “Unprecedented Deal”
Forbes’ recently released list of billionaires shows a Latin America telecom owner at the top of the list, and also a Brazilian, Eike Batista, cracking the top 10 at number eight. It gives you the distinct impression that there’s something in those markets worth looking into. One colleague who is intimately familiar with the Spanish-speaking ...

Five Reasons To Be Skeptical About Target-Date ETFs
Are you planning to retire someday? Unless you are already retired the answer is almost certainly “Yes.” It’s the American Dream! Of course, there’s nothing magical about age 65. Some people end their careers earlier and busy themselves in different ways. Others enjoy their work so much they keep on going as long as their health ...

Tata: The Name You See All Over India
Yesterday was another dull day on Wall Street. The Dow rose 2 points. Oil held at $81. Gold didn’t move enough for us to remember, one way or another. The recovery continues…or so says the mainstream financial press. But the economy is still losing jobs…and people are still getting poorer. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – The percentage of ...

Cartoon: How China Sees The World
Source: The Economist, May 19, 2010 (hat tip: Atlantic Asset … [visit site to read more]

Cartoon: Laws To Curtail Credit Card Charges, But…
Source: Dave Granlund, Comics.com, March 9, … [visit site to read more]

Bet Against The Majority. Buy Gold.
I was laid out on the couch, which I remember distinctly because my wife was yelling, “If you’re going lay down on the couch instead of doing something around the house to help me out, at least take your damned shoes off!” and I was using the remote to idly flip through the channels on ...

CONMED Remains At Neutral
We recently maintained our Neutral rating on CONMED Corporation (NASDAQ:CNMD) with a target price of $24 based on a P/E of roughly 19.4x our fiscal 2010 EPS estimate of $1.24. CONMED Corporation reported fourth quarter fiscal 2009 earnings per share of 37 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 32 cents and the year-ago earnings of ...

PIMCO Preps To Boost Bond ETF Lineup
PIMCO, the bond fund giant that has quickly become a major player in the fixed income ETF space, is looking to expand its ETF presence even further. The Newport Beach, California-based firm has filed for SEC approval on six new bond ETFs, including: PIMCO 0-3 Year Banking Sector Corporate Bond Index Fund: This ETF would be ...

AIG Unit’s Fate Hangs In The Balance
Taiwan’s financial regulator has set five conditions for the American International Group Inc.’s (NYSE:AIG) Nan Shan deal, according to Reuters. The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) is expected to give a report to Taiwan’s parliament this Thursday. Last October, AIG agreed to sell its Taiwan life insurance company, Nan Shan Life, to China Strategic and Hong Kong-based ...

Huntington Reaffirms 2010 Guidance
In a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday, Huntington Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:HBAN) reaffirmed its 2010 guidance. As announced concurrent with the fourth-quarter earnings release on Jan 22, 2010, Huntington expects to return to a profitable quarterly performance at some time in 2010, which would be earlier than most analysts expect, the company ...

Throw The Book At Former Obama Car Czar Steven Rattner
Does crime pay on Wall Street? When those implicated in ‘pay to play’ schemes on Wall Street are not dealt with in truly appropriate fashion, everybody loses. Why? We end up with a loss of confidence not only in the markets, but even moreso a loss of confidence in our judicial system. I ...

The Ins And Outs Of Chinese Gold Reserves
Here we go again. Markets have caught a chill after signs of inflation fever in China. And that’s not even the half of it. Let’s dive in… Consumer price inflation in China hit a 16-month high in February – a 2.7% year-over-year increase. China’s National Bureau of Statistics was quick to put out a statement reassuring ...

Video: NYSE Closing Bell Market Monitor: C, ZLC, SNV
The latest in news, commentary, and information on what's moving the US equities markets.

DaVita’s Bright Outlook
Last month, DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA), a leading provider of dialysis services in the United States to patients suffering from chronic kidney failure (also known as end stage renal disease (ESRD)), announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2009. Earnings estimates for 2010 are on the rise following the ...

Daily ETF Roundup: UNG Slides, EWJ Surges
A barrage of economic data and reports of some major M&A activity gave markets a boost on Thursday, although volume was relatively light for most securities. The number of idled U.S. workers applying for jobless benefits fell by 6,000 last week, and Devon Energy reported that British oil giant BP had agreed to buy its ...

Anadarko To Reduce $1B Debt
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:APC) initiated a cash tender offer to buyback $1 billion of its outstanding debt. The tender offer consists of two separate offers: an Any and All Offer and a Maximum Tender Offer. The first offer seeks to purchase any and all of the 6.750% Senior Notes due May 2011, originally issued by Anadarko ...

UTX Share Buyback, F-35 Update
The Board of Directors for United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) authorized a share buy-back program for up to 60 million shares of the company, worth approximately $4.3 billion at current prices. The new authorization supersedes a previous program, approved in Jun 2008, which is nearing completion. The company repurchased $1.1 billion of its shares during 2009 and expects ...

Cliffs Takes Steps To Reduce Debt
Mining company Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE:CLF) yesterday announced that it has priced its public offering of $400 million worth of 5.9% senior notes due March 2020. The company plans to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which could include funding capital expenditures, paying down debt or repaying a portion of the company’s ...

The Safety Downsides To Globalization
China, “workshop to the world,” produces low-priced goods that have overwhelmed the global economy with value… except for some notable exceptions. Historically, it’s a nation that’s not always held to the same health or safety standards to which US manufacturers, for example, are obligated to uphold. Occasionally it’s resulted in disastrous consequences. In a sometimes-accurate parody of the ...

Emerging Market ETFs: Does High Growth Lead To High Returns?
Thanks to the promise of high growth, emerging market exchange traded funds (ETFs) have been the darlings of the investing world since the economic recovery first sprang to life. But whether it’s roundly true that emerging markets will always outperform developed ones is another question altogether. Emerging economies have a much healthier balance sheets compared to ...

Nasdaq Adds Newedge Clearing
As reported by the Reuters on Wednesday, Nasdaq OMX Group Inc.’s (NASDAQ:NDAQ) majority-owned International Derivatives Clearing Group (IDCG) has added Newedge USA, LLC, the world’s largest multi-asset brokerage and clearing firm, for offering a central counterparty clearing of Interest Rate Swap (IRS) products. IRS, a significant financial risk management tool, has the largest $400 trillion ...

BNY Mellon Acquires BHF
As part of its initiative to expand its global market share, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE:BK) is acquiring Germany’s BHF Asset Servicing GmbH for $343 million. The deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2010, will make BNY Mellon the second largest organization in fund administration in Germany. With this ...

Three Reasons Why The Cocoa ETF (NIB) Is Leaving Investors Bitter
Many commodities have surged in recent weeks–especially base metals such as copper–on hopes of a continued economic recovery and increased demand from both emerging and developed markets. But not all resources have participated in the recent surge; many of the “soft” commodities, including sugar and cocoa, have slumped. After soaring to finish 2009, the iPath ...

Initiating Symantec With Neutral
We are initiating coverage on Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) with a Neutral rating and a price target of $18.00, representing a P/E multiple of 12.9x our 2010 EPS estimate. We believe Symantec Corp. is fairly valued at its current P/E multiple of 12.6x our 2010 EPS estimate of $1.39, which is a substantial discount to the ...

Target Price Raised For Wells Fargo
On Tuesday, we raised the target price of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) to $30.00 from $29.00 after the company posted strong fourth-quarter results, paving the way for an optimistic 2010 ahead. The company’s fourth-quarter earnings came in significantly ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, aided by strong growth in revenue and deposits, though offset by ...

Capitalize On The Smartphone Trend With These ETFs
As consumers start to loosen the grip on their wallets and search for a solution to fuel their appetite for innovation, the technology sector is likely to reap the benefits. The technology sector as a whole is relatively broad based. Of all the sub-sectors included in the sector, those which are involved, either directly or indirectly, ...

Uranium And Specialty Metals: A Few Of My Favorite Things, Part II
Uranium – One of the best investments you can make right now is to pick up relatively secure, low-cost uranium – the feedstock for nuclear reactors. The demand for uranium is building in intensity like a heap of hot coals. There are already 436 reactors up and running today. And there is a surge in demand ...

Nabi Beats Zacks Estimate
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:NABI) reported fourth quarter fiscal 2009 (ended Dec 26, 2009) earnings of 2 cents per share (from continuing operations). This was well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 11 cents. The company suffered a loss of 10 cents (from continuing operations) in the year-ago quarter (ended Dec 27, 2008). Nabi’s loss ...

Forex Trading: USD/JPY Pressed Up Into An Area Of Resistance
The USD/JPY is holding for a second full day inside the Goalposts of the 100MA (90.14) and 200 Day moving averages (91.90.) The positive US data from this morning likely helped the pair stay inside. We will need to look at a shorter timeframe to see if there is potential for a move higher. Now looking ...

Investing In Gold During A Fed-Induced Bounce
Stocks up, gold down. Once again yesterday, investors demonstrated their preference for paper over the shiny yellow metal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a slight 3-point gain, while gold tumbled about $17 an ounce. This divergence between stocks and gold is not enormous, but it is telling. Most investors believe the credit crisis is a mere ...

CA Grabs Nimsoft
Leading information technology (IT) management software company CA Inc. (NASDAQ:CA) recently disclosed that it has entered into an agreement to acquire privately-held software company Nimsoft, Inc. in an all-cash deal valued at $350 million. The company provides IT performance and availability monitoring software solutions for emerging enterprises and other managed service providers. This acquisition will help ...

DexCom Loss Down On Up Revs
DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXCM) reported a net loss of 25 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2009, a couple cents narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate for a net loss of 27 cents and significantly narrower than the year-ago net loss of 49 cents. The significant improvement in financial results was due to higher ...

A Year After The Bear Market Bottom: Stock Moves To Make Now
With the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index up nearly 70% from the post-financial-crash low it set on March 9, 2009, U.S. stocks on Tuesday recorded their second-strongest showing ever for the first 12 months of a bull market. But that near-record-setting performance brings to light two key issues. First, despite the numbers that stand as evidence of ...

Treasury Sells WFSL Warrants
The Treasury announced Wednesday that it has received net proceeds of $15.4 million from the sale of warrants it obtained as part of its investment in Washington Federal Inc. (NASDAQ:WFSL) through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) during the height of the financial crisis. In May 2009, WFSL repaid the entire $200 million of bailout ...

How Long Will China Support The US Dollar?
China says it is continuing to buy US bonds “every day.” It doesn’t have much choice. It earns money by selling things abroad. In fact, exports in February were up more than 40% over February ’09. This leaves it with a lot of foreign money – most of it in dollars. What can it do ...

Video: Crude Trades In A Tight Range
Front month crude prices remained steady following a clash between weak jobless claims data, low inventories, and a trade balance improvement.

Merck Ests Revised Downward
Earnings estimates for Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) are on the lower side following the release of fourth quarter and full-year 2009 results. The company’s earnings per share (EPS) came in at 79 cents (excluding non-recurring items), marginally beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 78 cents but lower than 87 cents reported in the year-ago period. ...

Cautious Outlook On McKesson
McKesson Corp. (NYSE:MCK) reported in-line results for the third quarter of fiscal 2010. Earnings came in at $1.19 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, and 13% above the year-ago profit of $1.05. Meanwhile, revenues increased 4% to $28.3 billion, driven by the strong performance of the Distribution Solutions business. Although the Distribution Solutions ...

Video: Market Movers: SNV, CNK, ZLC, JTX, DPS, BBBY
The latest news and information on U.S. stocks that are moving the market.

Trade Deficit Falls, But…
The nation’s trade deficit fell in January to $37.3 billion from a downwardly revised $39.9 billion in December. It did so, however, for the “wrong reason.” We saw a bigger decline in imports, which dropped by $3.1 billion or 1.69% to $180.0 billion, than we did in exports, which fell by $0.5 billion or 0.35%, to ...

More Billionaires In China Than Any Other Nation… Except The US
Forbes has revealed its annual list of top billionaires and big gains have been made in Asia. China, for the first time ever, has the most billionaires outside the US when Hong Kong is included. Notably, a decline in the number and wealth of US billionaires is continuing. The total number of US billionaires is down ...

State Street’s Russia ETF (RBL) Begins Trading Today
The SPDR S&P Russia ETF (RBL) began trading on Thursday, becoming just the second U.S.-listed ETF offering exposure to one of the world’s largest countries and most unique economies. RBL will seek to track the performance of the S&P Russia Capped BMI Index, a float adjusted market cap-weighted benchmark consisting of publicly-traded companies domiciled in ...

What’s Next For U.S. Stock Markets In Light Of Greece’s Troubles?
The recent month of February was quite interesting for U.S. stocks, because while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.6%, it didn’t exactly take a direct route to those gains: There were eight separate triple-digit moves in the Dow, both up and down. At the root of that volatility were political and economic developments that challenged ...

Video: Weak Jobless Claims Figures Lead To Dollar Decline
Investors have steered clear of the US dollar this session following weak US jobless claims figures.

TiVo Upped To Neutral
We are upgrading TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ:TIVO) to Neutral from our previous Underperform rating on its better-than-expected fourth-quarter 2010 results driven by higher revenues.  TiVo recently reported a net loss of 9 cents per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, 3 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 12 cents per share ...

Initial Jobless Claims Edge Down
Initial Claims for Unemployment Insurance fell by 6,000 this week to 462,000. However, the 4-week moving average, which is generally considered a better measure given the high degree of volatility in the weekly numbers, rose by 5,000 to 475,500. Starting about a year ago, when the weekly level was at 657,000 and the 4-week average was ...

BP Acquires Devon Assets
UK oil super major, BP plc. (NYSE:BP) is buying a bunch of assets of US independent oil and gas producer Devon Energy Inc (DVN) for $7.0 billion in cash. These include properties in offshore Brazil, Azerbaijan and the US deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM).  Offshore Brazil assets include interests in ten exploration blocks of Brazil, including ...

What Does The Increase In Chinese Inflation Mean For The Global Economy?
News this morning that China’s inflation rate has hit a 16-month high is garnering significant attention. China’s economy is only one-fifth the size of the U.S. economy while China’s population is more than four times that of the United States. In fact, China’s population is approximately one-fifth of the entire world’s population. Clearly, ...

Genomic Health Stays At Neutral
We maintain our Neutral recommendation on Genomic Health Inc. (NASDAQ:GHDX) with a target price of $20.00.   Genomic Health, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, is an oncology-based biotech company focused on the development and commercialization of genome-based clinical tests to diagnose cancer that allow physicians and patients make individualized treatment decisions.  The company’s first ...

Liberty Global Expanding Wideband
Liberty Global Inc. (NASDAQ:LBTYA) is rapidly deploying Wideband network based on EuroDOCSIS 3.0 technology in several European markets. Liberty Global, the largest cable MSO in Europe is facing intensified competition in several European markets from growing fiber-to-the home network deployment. Implementation of Wideband will enable the company to deliver superfast100 Mbps downstream speed.  Management has undertaken ...

Forex Trading: EUR/USD Also In Large Wedge Formation
The EUR/USD can also be seen in a large wedge formation setting up since March 2nd, 2010. The pair has been in a tightening range since that time with lows getting higher and highs getting lower. This pattern typically indicates a powerful move in one direction or the other. The pair has currently broken just ...

Direxion Launches Six New Leveraged ETFs
Direxion, a pioneer in the 3x leveraged ETF space, announced Thursday the launch of six new funds, bringing the firm’s total product offerings to 34, and represent firsts for both the company and the ETF industry. The leveraged ETFs beginning trading on Thursday include: Ticker ETF Index Leverage (BRIL) Daily BRIC Bull 2x Shares BNY Mellon BRIC Select ADR Index 200% (INDL) Daily India Bull ...

Motorola’s Strategic Move In China
Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) has taken a strategic decision to enable the smooth sailing of its newly launched 3G smartphones in China. The company has entered into a global agreement with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) to deploy the latter’s Bing services on its 3G smartphones. Users will enjoy a pre-loaded Bing bookmark on their mobile browser and ...

Sony Out With Playstation `MOVE’
Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE) plans to launch its new motion-control video game device named ‘PlayStation Move’ in late 2010. The company displayed the new device at a Game Developer’s event in San Francisco . The shares of Sony surged 1.35% (or $0.50) following the company’s announcement.   The new ‘PlayStation Move’ includes a motion controller that allows game ...

Kodak Finalizes Tender Offer
Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) announced the expiration and final results of its tender offer to purchase up to $200 million of its outstanding 7.25% Senior Notes due 2013. The tender offer was made pursuant to an offer to purchase on February 3, 2010. The tender offer expired on March 9, 2010. Holders of 2013 notes who ...

Traders Fear Chinese ‘Bubbles’
The big story on the screens this morning comes to us from China where inflation has reached a 16 month high. These dramatic headlines have sent currency investors heading back to the Japanese yen and US$ as many of these stories suggest the Chinese will be stepping in to slow the Chinese economy. But if ...

Hug A Tree… Bag Some Profits
Over the past two decades, the world’s most wealthy and powerful people – pension funds, endowments and insurance companies – have plowed $40 billion into this asset class. That’s up from just $1 billion in 1989. In fact, the so-called “smart money” has invested heavily in this area ever since the days of Robin Hood. And there’s ...

CME Collaborates With India ’s NSE
In an attempt to expand its presence in the emerging markets, CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) has partnered with India’s largest stock exchange National Stock Exchange (NSE) for a cross-listing pact that includes license agreements covering benchmark indexes for the U.S. and Indian equities. Besides, CME and NSE have also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ...

Gold Is Overbought Near-Term
Last August I wrote a piece for 321 Gold about preparing for a monster rally up in Gold and Gold stocks. At the time, Gold was hovering around $900 an ounce and I was looking for $1225-$1250 ranges in a “C” wave up. Gold had consolidated into a “Triangle” pattern according to ...

Video: BMW’s February Sales
BMW AG announced that its February sales figures

Forex Trading: GBP/USD Looks Like A Giant Coil Spring - Is It Ready To Pop?
The GBP/USD looks like a giant coil spring, or a wedge formation on the 1 Hour chart, as we start to see signs of the three’s a crowd rule. This rule states that when the price and both the 100 and 200 MA’s converge, there is bound to be a move in one direction or ...

McDermott Inks JV With Indian Firm
Energy-focused engineering and construction company McDermott International (NYSE:MDR) announced the formation of a joint venture with India-based power solutions provider Thermax Ltd. to manufacture highly efficient sub-critical and super-critical boilers and pulverizers for the Indian power sector. The venture, to be based in the Indian city of Pune , will be 51% owned by Thermax, ...

Timberland Stocks: Why It’s Time To Knock On Wood For Profits… Literally
Thursday, March 12, 2010: Issue #1214 If you’re not following the money into timberland stocks, you should. Here’s why… Timberland has outperformed the S&P 500 since 1910. In recent history, timber has outperformed the market significantly. Since 1987, the NCREIF Timberland Index climbed by an average of 15% per year, compared to roughly 11% for the S&P 500. Such ...

Skechers To Outperform
We recently upgraded the recommendation on Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX) the designer, marketer and distributor of footwear, to Outperform from Neutral.  We believe, Skechers’ sustained focus on new lines of products, opening of new retail stores and distribution channels, and the development of new international distribution agreements, should facilitate the increase in sales and profitability. With growing ...

Nordstrom To Open New Rack Stores
Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE:JWN), a leading fashion specialty retailer, recently announced plans to open a new 35,351 square feet Nordstrom Rack at Burbank Empire Center, a premier shopping center in California. Burbank Empire Center spans across 900,000 square feet of space and hosts leading retailers such as Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), and Costco (NASDAQ:COST).   The ...

Video: Asian Markets Mostly Positive
The major Asian/Pacific markets were mostly on the upside this session following significant gains in commodity-related stocks.

A Bitter Taste
Fundamentals Sugar prices continue to tumble on expectations that Indian output will be higher than previously expected. The bearish supply news comes on the heels of Indian buyers backing out of import deals, which has quickly cast a dark cloud over the Sugar market. The country is said to be adequately supplied at the moment and ...

AIG Sees $490M On Stake Sale
American International Group Inc.’s (NYSE:AIG) expects $490 million from its stake sale in the reinsurance company Transatlantic Holdings Inc. (NYSE:TRH).   Last Friday, the company announced its plan to sell its remaining 14% stake in Transatlantic owned by American Home Assurance Company (AHAC), an AIG subsidiary.  Last Tuesday, the offering of 8,466,693 shares of Transatlantic’s common stock was ...

Initiating Angeion At Outperform
We are initiating coverage of Angeion Corporation (NASDAQ:ANGN) with an Outperform rating and a near-term price target of $6.00. The company has struggled to post positive net income since 2007 as a result of declines in revenue due to the conclusion of a major clinical research trial in 2008 and a significant slide in hospital capital ...

Mutual Funds: Top 5 Pacific Funds
The Pacific Basin countries constitute one of the world’s most diverse and economically vibrant regions. Among its inherent strengths are considerable technological capabilities and a growing pool of savings. Prominent centers of production and fast growing potential markets in this part of the world also ensure that it is an exciting investment destination. With a ...

Cogo Group Matches Estimates
COGO Group Inc (NASDAQ:COGO) reported fourth quarter of 2009 earnings per share from continuing operations of 13 cents, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Cogo posted revenue of $88.1 million, up 7% year-over-year and up 7.4% sequentially compared to the prior quarter. In the fourth quarter, its industrial business represented nearly 16% of total business. This segment ...

Schlumberger Buys Nexus Geo
The oilfield services giant Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB) has acquired Nexus Geosciences, Inc, a Houston-based provider of integrated seismic software and services for rapid imaging, modeling and interpretation.   Though the company has not provided any numbers regarding the deal, Nexus will be grouped under Schlumberger’s WesternGeco segment. WesternGeco provides worldwide reservoir imaging, monitoring, and development services and ...

USDJPY: It Isn’t Correlated
While the excitement of the media has been focused on equities, other corners of the markets go unnoticed. One such asset is the USDJPY cross rate. From my perspective, the USDJPY is on the cusp of a secular trend change. I previously reviewed the technical and fundamental picture for the USDJPY. Fundamentally, the Yen should be ...

Fortune Sells Cobra Golf To Puma
Fortune Brands Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company, recently sold its Cobra golf brand, including its related inventory, intellectual property, and endorsement contracts to Puma AG, a German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear.   With the sale, Fortune Brands intends to concentrate its golf business on its leading brands ...

Forex Trading: USD/CAD Pushes Hard Into The Goalposts
A burst of activity in the USD/CAD has pushed the pair hard up into the Goalposts, causing the pair to surge above the 100 hour MA (blue line) all the way to 1.0315 (200 Hour MA, green line) as seen in the 1 Hour chart. Moving to the 5 Min chart the pair has backed down ...

Sasol Net Sags On Fuel Prices, Rand
Sasol Ltd. (NYSE:SSL) announced weak results for the six months ended Dec 31, 2009, hurt by lower fuel and chemical prices on the back of falling demand, together with an unfavorable exchange rate. The South Africa-based petrochemicals group reported headline earnings per share, excluding one-time items, of R11.26 ($1.53), down significantly from R21.54 ($2.03) earned during ...

Swiss Franc: The Upside Prevails
Update on supports and resistances.

Australian Dollar: Rebound Expected
Update on supports and resistances.

Canadian Dollar: Rebound In Sight
Update on supports and resistances.

Japanese Yen: Rebound
Update on supports and resistances.

British Pound: The Upside Prevails
Update on supports and resistances.

Euro: The Upside Prevails
Update on supports and resistances.

Stock Market News Briefs: Airgas, Inc., BP P.l.c., Devon Energy Corporation, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The), Hershey Foods Corporation, Jefferies Group, Inc., Piper Jaffray Companies, Smithfield Foods, Inc., Sunoco, Inc., UBS AG, United Technologies Corporation, EBay Inc.
 BP (NYSE:BP) plans to pay Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) $7 billion for assets in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and Azerbaijan  United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) announced that its board authorized buying back up to 60 million shares of its common stock, worth $3.4 billion at current levels  Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) removed Sunoco (NYSE:SUN) and Hershey (NYSE:HSY) from its Conviction ...

Reinsurers Estimate Prelim Losses
This week, reinsurers such as Everest Re Group Ltd. (NYSE:RE) and PartnerRe Ltd. (NYSE:PRE) have provided their preliminary loss estimates from the earthquake in Chile and the European Windstorm Xynthia.   Yesterday, Everest Re announced that it expects to incur $225 million of losses for the earthquake in Chile. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred off the ...

The Proposed Creation Of A European Bailout Fund - A Bad Idea
Has bailout mania finally reached Europe? The 16 nations that make up the Eurozone are seriously exploring the creation of a “European Monetary Fund,” a bailout fund that would help euro-member countries that can’t pay their debts. This has the potential to be a pretty good idea. If structured correctly, the EMF could provide the discipline and ...

Conexant Offering Over-Alloted
Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT) announced that the underwriters of its recent public offering have exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 2.1 million shares of common stock. Last week, Conexant announced a comprehensive refinancing plan designed to improve its balance sheet and address its liquidity needs. The company recently issued 14.0 million shares of its common ...

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