BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[A new and improved home buyers tax credit?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/a-new-and-improved-home-buyers-tax-credit/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/a-new-and-improved-home-buyers-tax-credit/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/a-new-and-improved-home-buyers-tax-credit/#commentsFiled under: ,

As expected, the popular home buyers tax credit has been extended. In fact, it is even more attractive.

OK, let's first look at the extension of the current program, which includes a maximum $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers (which is someone who hasn't owned a home in the past three years). The home must be a principal residence and the value may not exceed $800,000 (the credit is either 10% of the value of a home or $8,000, whichever is less). The credit is also refundable, which means that you can still get money even if you do not owe taxes.

Continue reading A new and improved home buyers tax credit?

A new and improved home buyers tax credit? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Home buyers tax creditHomeBuyersTaxCreditinthenewsFri, 06 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Primerica IPO: Citigroup unwinds its far-flung empire]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/primerica-ipo-citigroup-unwinds-its-far-flung-empire/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/primerica-ipo-citigroup-unwinds-its-far-flung-empire/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/06/primerica-ipo-citigroup-unwinds-its-far-flung-empire/#commentsFiled under: ,

Being 34% owned by the U.S. government, Citigroup's (NYSE: C) destiny is somewhat murky. Yet, to pay off the loans, this massive financial institution must shrink. To this end, Citigroup has filed a public offering for its Primerica Financial Services. According to the prospectus, the deal is expected to raise $100 million, but it's likely the amount will be much larger.

Primerica certainly has an interesting history. Back in 1977, an aggressive financial service executive, Arthur Williams, started the company, with the focus on providing term insurance to consumers as well as mutual fund products. However, he had an interesting twist on distribution: he used network marketing. Basically, a Primerica agent would get incentives by recruiting new agents. As a result, the company's growth exploded.

Continue reading Primerica IPO: Citigroup unwinds its far-flung empire

Primerica IPO: Citigroup unwinds its far-flung empire originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Arthur WilliamsArthurWilliamsccitigroupfeaturedinitial public offeringInitialPublicOfferingipoPrimericasandy weillSandyWeillFri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[JDA bulks up with I2]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/jda-bulks-up-with-i2/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/jda-bulks-up-with-i2/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/jda-bulks-up-with-i2/#commentsFiled under: ,

As companies try to find ways to cut costs, one popular approach is to leverage software. And an area that is getting lots of traction is supply chain management. Hey, it's worked for companies like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), right?

A leader in the supply chain software space is JDA Software (NASDAQ: JDAS). Well, now the company is going to get bigger; that is, it will purchase i2 Technologies (NASDAQ: ITWO) for $396 million. In fact, the deal will make JDA the world's largest player in the supply chain space.

Continue reading JDA bulks up with I2

JDA bulks up with I2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>catdelli2inthenewsitwoJDA SoftwarejdasJdaSoftwareorclwmtThu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Ancestry.com explores an IPO]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/ancestry-com-explores-an-ipo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/ancestry-com-explores-an-ipo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/05/ancestry-com-explores-an-ipo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

When it comes to the Internet, few consumers are willing to pay for services -- especially during the current economic hard times. Yet, there are still some websites that are able to get people to fork over their hard-earned money. One example is Ancestry.com (NASDAQ: ACOM), which provides extensive data and tools to research family histories.

In fact, this week the company hit another milestone: an IPO. Ancestry.com issued 7.4 million shares at $13.50 each. The expected price range was $12.50 to $14.50.

Continue reading Ancestry.com explores an IPO

Ancestry.com explores an IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acomancestryinitial public offeringInitialPublicOfferinginthenewsipoThu, 05 Nov 2009 10:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Blackboard rides the education boom]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/blackboard-rides-the-education-boom/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/blackboard-rides-the-education-boom/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/blackboard-rides-the-education-boom/#commentsFiled under:

No doubt, the internet is transforming the education market. After all, schools need to find ways to cut costs as well as improve instruction. And, the dominant player in providing digital solutions for education is Blackboard (NASDAQ: BBBB).

In Q3, the company posted an 18% increase in revenues to $98.4 million, with net income of $4.3 million or $0.13 per share. The big growth drivers came from professional services and managed hosting solutions (there are 834 such clients).

Continue reading Blackboard rides the education boom

Blackboard rides the education boom originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BBBBBlackboardearningsWed, 04 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Web.com sees big business with small business clients]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/web-com-sees-a-big-business-with-small-business-clients/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/web-com-sees-a-big-business-with-small-business-clients/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/04/web-com-sees-a-big-business-with-small-business-clients/#commentsFiled under: ,

Web.com's (NASDAQ: WWWW) small business customers have certainly suffered during the recession. Yet, the company has been able to deal with it. Then again, small businesses realize that they need a strong web presence, which is exactly Web.com's laser focus.

In Q3, the company posted revenues of $26.1 million, which was up a bit from the $25.5 million in the same period a year ago. Most of the revenue came from recurring subscriptions.

Continue reading Web.com sees big business with small business clients

Web.com sees big business with small business clients originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dfsdnbinthenewsWeb.comwwwwWed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST<![CDATA[UBS posts Q3 loss as clients continue to flee]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/ubs-posts-q3-loss-as-clients-continue-to-flee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/ubs-posts-q3-loss-as-clients-continue-to-flee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/ubs-posts-q3-loss-as-clients-continue-to-flee/#commentsFiled under: ,

While UBS (NYSE: UBS) remains the largest bank in Switzerland, this isn't helping much. In the company's latest quarterly results, there was a net loss of $552.9 million. Then again, UBS had to take some major charges, such as for the sale of its Brazilian investment bank and valuation changes on its large outstanding debts.

But there is more bad news: UBS continued to suffer from problems with its private banking division. Unfortunately, assets continue to flee (up to $25.8 billion in the prior quarter). The main reason is the U.S. crackdown on offshore tax havens, which has resulted in UBS handing over information on 4,450 accounts. Obviously, this is extremely chilling for client relationships.

Continue reading UBS posts Q3 loss as clients continue to flee

UBS posts Q3 loss as clients continue to flee originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewsRobert J. McCannUBSTue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TeleNav IPO: On a collision course with Google?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/telenav-ipo-on-a-collision-course-with-google/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/telenav-ipo-on-a-collision-course-with-google/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/03/telenav-ipo-on-a-collision-course-with-google/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Founded in 1999, TeleNav was one of the first companies to deploy GPS navigation on a cell phone in North America. Now, the company has more than 11 million paying end users.

What's next? TeleNav has filed for an IPO.

The flagship of the company is the GPS Navigator, which is more than just a GPS device with cool features like real-time traffic alerts, weather content, route-planning and so on.

Continue reading TeleNav IPO: On a collision course with Google?

TeleNav IPO: On a collision course with Google? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredgooggrmnIPOstTeleNavtomtomTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IPOs getting a buzz kill?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/ipos-getting-a-buzz-kill/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/ipos-getting-a-buzz-kill/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/ipos-getting-a-buzz-kill/#commentsFiled under: ,

Going into the summer, it looked like the IPO market was poised for a resurgence. For example, the Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) said that it planned on taking eight companies public.

Despite the enthusiasm, things haven't panned out. According to the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], five of the last nine deals for October priced below their ranges. In fact, last week AEI wasn't even able to pull off its offering.

Continue reading IPOs getting a buzz kill?

IPOs getting a buzz kill? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aeibxinthenewsIPOsMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Denbury strikes a $3.25 billion deal for Encore]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/denbury-strikes-a-3-25-billion-deal-for-encore/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/denbury-strikes-a-3-25-billion-deal-for-encore/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/02/denbury-strikes-a-3-25-billion-deal-for-encore/#commentsFiled under: ,

In North America, the big focus for independent exploration and production firms is on natural gas. Yet, there is still a good amount of oil to be tapped (assuming prices remain relatively high).

So this week, Denbury Resources (NYSE: DNR) capitalized on the opportunity by shelling out $3.2 billion for Encore Acquisition (NYSE: EAC). It's not cheap, coming at a 35% premium. Yet, the deal will create a powerhouse in oil exploration and production in North America.

interestingly enough, in a sign that credit markets are loosening up, JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) has agreed to provide a revolver of $1.25 billion to bridge the deal.

Continue reading Denbury strikes a $3.25 billion deal for Encore

Denbury strikes a $3.25 billion deal for Encore originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Denbury ResourcesDenburyResourcesdnreacEncore AcquisitioninthenewsjpmMon, 02 Nov 2009 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Entrepreneur's Journal: Smart ways to renegotiate with your creditors]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/01/entrepreneurs-journal-smart-ways-to-renegotiate-with-your-cred/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/01/entrepreneurs-journal-smart-ways-to-renegotiate-with-your-cred/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/01/entrepreneurs-journal-smart-ways-to-renegotiate-with-your-cred/#commentsFiled under: ,

Unfortunately, when a company cannot pay its debt, the consequences can be severe. In fact, when it comes to bank debt, liquidation may be the only alternative.

However, with the recession, creditors realize that it may make more sense to work things out, especially since there are signs that the economy is making a comeback.

So, if you're behind on your debt payments, there certainly steps you can take to work things out. Have a look:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Smart ways to renegotiate with your creditors

Entrepreneur's Journal: Smart ways to renegotiate with your creditors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creditorsdebtEnterpreneurs Journalfeaturedloan modificationssmall businessSun, 01 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Sonic's mastermind, Troy Smith, dies at 87]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/sonics-mastermind-troy-smith-dies-at-87/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/sonics-mastermind-troy-smith-dies-at-87/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/sonics-mastermind-troy-smith-dies-at-87/#commentsFiled under:

In the restaurant business, Troy Smith is a giant. He is the founder of Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC). Now, the company has a chain of about 3,600 units across 42 states.

Unfortunately, Smith died this week. He was 87.

Like many great entrepreneurs, Smith got experience in his industry before he started his business. After serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, he got a job as a truck driver for some cafes and restaurants. From this, he started to brainstorm business ideas.

Continue reading Sonic's mastermind, Troy Smith, dies at 87

Sonic's mastermind, Troy Smith, dies at 87 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewssoncSonicTroy SmithTroySmithFri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Investors less secure about McAfee ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/investors-less-secure-about-mcafee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/investors-less-secure-about-mcafee/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/30/investors-less-secure-about-mcafee/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

While more and more software becomes free, there is one market for which consumers and businesses are willing to shell out money. Yes, it's security software.

A mega player in the space, McAfee (NYSE: MFE), reported its latest earnings report Thursday, a day after its main rival Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) reported its own quite strong results.

Continue reading Investors less secure about McAfee

Investors less secure about McAfee originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuredmcafeemfeFri, 30 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Loopnet fights the commercial real estate depression]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/loopnet-fights-the-commercial-real-estate-depression/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/loopnet-fights-the-commercial-real-estate-depression/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/loopnet-fights-the-commercial-real-estate-depression/#commentsFiled under:

Loopnet (NASDAQ: LOOP) operates an online marketplace to allow for the purchase of commercial real estate. Of course, the industry has been in a slump for the past two years. That is, transaction volumes are low, credit markets are still frozen, vacancy rates continue to rise and asset prices remain on the down trend.

Yes, it's hard to find any silver lining.

Continue reading Loopnet fights the commercial real estate depression

Loopnet fights the commercial real estate depression originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Commercial Real EstateCommercialRealEstateinthenewsloopLoopnetThu, 29 Oct 2009 15:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Symantec finally getting some traction?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/symantec-finally-getting-some-traction/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/symantec-finally-getting-some-traction/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/29/symantec-finally-getting-some-traction/#commentsFiled under: ,

While Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) is the biggest player in security software, it has been lagging over the past few years. But, the company has been taking action, especially in revamping its sales organization.

And, it seems to be working. Today, Symantec reported its Q2 results, which showed a 19% increase in net income to $150 million or $0.18 per share. Yet, sales were still soft, declining 2.9% to $1.48 billion (but it was still better than the $1.43 billion consensus forecast).

Continue reading Symantec finally getting some traction?

Symantec finally getting some traction? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsGOOGGoogleinthenewssoftwareSymanticSYMCThu, 29 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vitamin Shoppe pumps up its IPO]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/vitamin-shoppe-pumps-up-its-ipo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/vitamin-shoppe-pumps-up-its-ipo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/vitamin-shoppe-pumps-up-its-ipo/#commentsFiled under:

It's been a long wait for the Vitamin Shoppe, which filed for its IPO back in May 2007. Well, today the company finally hit the markets.

The Vitamin Shoppe issued 9.1 million shares at $17 each (the range was $14-$16). With the money, the company will pay down a portion of its outstanding debt.

Started in 1977, Vitamin Shoppe has grown into a large chain of vitamin/supplement stores, with 434 across 37 states. Even with the recession, the company has still been able to churn out same-store sales growth of more than 4%. For the first half of this year, revenues were $343.7 million, up from $307.1 million a year ago. Net income was $8.8 million.

Continue reading Vitamin Shoppe pumps up its IPO

Vitamin Shoppe pumps up its IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewsIPOVitamin ShoppeVitaminShoppeVSIWed, 28 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SAP revenue sags, cuts outlook]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/sap-revenue-sags-cuts-outlook/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/sap-revenue-sags-cuts-outlook/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/28/sap-revenue-sags-cuts-outlook/#commentsFiled under: ,

While the world economy continues to improve -- or at least "stabilize" -- this is not enough to get companies confident in buying expensive software. Just look at the latest quarterly results from business software giant, SAP (NYSE: SAP).

Revenues came in at 2.51 euros, which is a 9.2% drop over the past year. True, net income increased 12% to 435 euros (yes, SAP has been slashing costs). But, this was off from consensus forecasts.

Continue reading SAP revenue sags, cuts outlook

SAP revenue sags, cuts outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>inthenewsOracleORCLSAPWed, 28 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Cisco secures a deal for ScanSafe ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/cisco-secures-a-deal-for-scansafe/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/cisco-secures-a-deal-for-scansafe/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/cisco-secures-a-deal-for-scansafe/#commentsFiled under:

It was perfect timing: Back in 2004, ScanSafe was founded to provide Web security using the SaaS model (that is, using the Net as the platform to deliver the technology). Since then, the company has grown at a rapid clip.

In fact, today Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) agreed to buy ScanSafe for a $183 million.

Continue reading Cisco secures a deal for ScanSafe

Cisco secures a deal for ScanSafe originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AnyConnest VPNAnyconnestVpnCiscocscogooginthenewsnetwork securityNetworkSecurityScanSafeTue, 27 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[UBS snags Merrill vet to save its wealth management business]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/ubs-snags-merrill-vet-to-save-its-wealth-management-business/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/ubs-snags-merrill-vet-to-save-its-wealth-management-business/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/27/ubs-snags-merrill-vet-to-save-its-wealth-management-business/#commentsFiled under: ,

In wealth management circles, Robert McCann is a pro. After all, he ran Merrill Lynch's financial advisory business -- known as the "thundering herd" -- which is now part of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC).

However, he left in January and wanted another opportunity. But there was a problem: he had a noncompete. So, with the help of skillful attorneys, he was able to reach some type of settlement.

Continue reading UBS snags Merrill vet to save its wealth management business

UBS snags Merrill vet to save its wealth management business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BACBank of AmericainthenewsMorgan StanleyMSRobert McCannUBSwealth managementTue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ING gets dinged]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/ing-gets-dinged/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/ing-gets-dinged/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/ing-gets-dinged/#commentsFiled under:

Like many other global financial institutions, ING Groep NV (NYSE: ING) got emergency government funding a year ago -- to stave off the financial chaos. The loan amounted to about 10 billion euros.

But, according to the European Union, it appears that the assistance was a bit too generous. As a result, the powerful organization has pressured ING to start to pay back the loans.

Continue reading ING gets dinged

ING gets dinged originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eufeaturedING GroupIngGrouponline bankOnlineBankMon, 26 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST