Before the bell 11-6-06: XMSR earnings, DELL, GE, F and more

Posted Nov 6th 2006 8:45AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Before the Bell, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Dell (DELL), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), General Electric (GE), Starbucks (SBUX), Daimler (DAI), Ford Motor (F), General Motors (GM), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), McDonald's (MCD), International Business Machines (IBM), Sony Corp ADR (SNE)

For general and main news here is the first morning post.

XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:XMSR) third-quarter loss fell by 36% to $84 million, or 32 cents a share on a 57% revenue increase to $240.2 million. XM increased subscribers by 43% to 7.185 million. Analysts forecast a loss of 46 cents a share and revenue of $235.3 million. XMSR shares are up 10% in pre-market trading.

Lenovo Group Ltd., the world's third-largest computer maker, will be posting quarterly financial results and should report a second straight quarterly profit. Lenovo has been turning around International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) losing market and its home market is robust, yet analysts still think global business should stay weak. Lenovo's rivals Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) and Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ) proved tough competition.

General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE) made a few headlines this morning starting with it joining The Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (BLIHR), a business-led program to help lead and develop the corporate response to human rights. GE is apparently also a favorite among money managers, while Google, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM) were named most overvalued. Finally, MIT researchers, unveiled a silent jet.

From the fast food chains, Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN), McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD) and Burger King Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BKC), we get a technology some might call big-brotherish, as they install cameras in the drive-thrus.

An automaker newspaper reported that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has lobbied other carmakers to support the introduction of steel futures contracts. This could help carmakers hedge metal prices.

A very interesting article regarding holiday electronic sales claims the holiday may not be that exciting for electronic makers. Other than Apple Computer, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPod, the reporter sees the holiday as slow. This could affect, among other, Sony Corp.'s (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation 3 sales. Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) delay of Window Vista to after the holiday will not help computer sales either (HPQ, DELL and others).

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) defended on Sunday with a big ad its business practices with poor coffee farmers around the world.

News Corp. (NYSE:NWS, NWS.A) CEO Rupert Murdoch said a joint venture with Japan's Softbank Corp. to bring the popular Internet social-networking site MySpace to Japan was "a possibility." Also, "Borat" opened taking first place in the weekend's blockbusters with a $26.4 million debut.

Tags: aapl, apple, burger king, BurgerKing, dell, f, ford, ge, general electric, general motors, GeneralElectric, GeneralMotors, gm, goog, google, Hewlett=packard, hpq, mcd, mcdonalds, microsoft, msft, news corp., NewsCorp., nws, sbux, sne, sony, starbucks, wen, wendy's, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., XmSatelliteRadioHoldingsInc., xmsr