Retailers appear to have been rescued at the last minute, according to data from the International Council of Shopping Centers. Shoppers looking for deals the week before Christmas -- and making up for the day lost to stormy weather on the East Coast -- spent aggressively, sparing the retail sector a dismal 2008-like performance.

The healthy conclusion to the holiday season led to a positive change from November and made December one of only three months (including September and October) in which retail sales increased year-over-year.

Continue reading Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped

Retailers Post Solid December, but Consumer Still Strapped originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back in the early 1990s, the U.S. was mired in a recession and the money center banks were in dire straits. But, of course, it was a great opportunity for investors.

So, are we seeing a repeat? Perhaps so, although, you still need to tread carefully. This is according to a front-page piece in Barron's [a paid publication].

And yes, this week has been particularly encouraging, as seen with a widespread rally in the financials. It certainly helped that there was strength from Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM). At the same time, the results from Citigroup (NYSE: C) weren't as bad as expected.

By any measure -- such as price-to-book values and P/Es -- the financials look extremely cheap. Besides, these companies are taking quick medicine in terms of write offs. In other words, once financials report next year, the comparisons should look strong.

Something else: the Securities and Exchange Commission has implemented new rules on short selling (regarding 19 financial companies). Ultimately, this may relieve some of the volatility.

So what are some interesting possible investments? Barron's mentions a variety of companies, such as JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH), Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK), Wells Fargo, and PNC Financial (NYSE: PNC). Though it might be smart to avoid companies like Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM), Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE) and Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM).

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Barron's: Are banks a "once-in-a-generation opportunity"? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The market for private mortgage insurance has narrowed and is tougher to obtain, further pressuring home buyers and affecting the market, the Wall Street Journal reported. "Clearly, the pendulum had swung a little too far in terms of flexibility in underwriting," said Len Sweeney, the chief risk officer at AIG United Guaranty, a part of American International Group Inc (NYSE: AIG).
• In a agreement with Viacom Inc (NYSE: VIA), Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) said it will remove visitor data from YouTube before it fulfills a judge's order to send data to Viacom, as a part of a larger copyright lawsuit, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• As part of its effort to emerge from bankruptcy protection, the Detroit News reported that Delphi Corp (OTC: DPHIQ) announced plans to sell its brake business. Delphi has retained W.Y. Campbell and Co to help sell the unit, which has around 1,000 employees worldwide.
• The New York Post learned that Dick Fuld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH), is seriously considering ways to take the company private. The Post said that talks centering on the privatization of Lehman have "gotten very serious consideration," according to sources, although details on how a maneuver may work remain unclear.

Newspaper wrap-up: Lehman CEO may look to take company private originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• ADC Telecommunications Inc. (NASDAQ: ADCT) beat Q2 estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) near-term earnings prospects led to an analyst downgrade.
• Banco de Chile (NYSE: BCH) earnings prospects after an acquisition led to an analyst's upgrade.
• Benihana Inc. (NASDAQ: BNHN) posted lower Q4 profits but still beat earnings estimates.
• Bob Evans Farms Inc. (NASDAQ: BOBE) reported solid Q4 results due in part to cost management.
• Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE: BF.B) easily beat Q4 estimates and offered full-year guidance.
• CMGI Inc. (NASDAQ: CMGI) lowered its guidance, sending shares tumbling 25%.
• Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Co. (NYSE: CCH) warned of weaker earnings due to economic conditions.
• Conn's Inc. (NASDAQ: CONN) reported solid Q1 results and issued in-line guidance for the year.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) earnings prospects impress analysts despite recent guidance.
• Guess? Inc. (NYSE: GES) topped Q1 expectations due to strong international expansion.
• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (NYSE: KKD) swung to a Q1 profit despite falling revenues.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) posted a bigger-than-expected loss on further write-downs.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Lehman, UBS, Krispy Kreme, Pepsico, Pep Boys and others

Earnings highlights: Lehman, UBS, Krispy Kreme, Pepsico, Pep Boys and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• If S&P 1340 doesn't hold, you're going to hear a lot of chatter regarding the March lows (S&P 1275) in a hurry. Be prepared. Be very prepared.
  
  
• One very savvy soothsayer, who I just got off the phone with, doesn't think we get there. He's looking for S&P 1320-ish as a long side opportunity. Just so you're hearing what I'm hearing as heck, we don't call him "As Good As It Gets" for nothing.
  
  
• Moi? Are you talking to me? You know my drill: I've got a pretty sizable ratio bet on (short crude, long oil), which I'm trading around as a function of price, along with some tertiary trading exposure, including Goldman (GS) calls.
  
  
• Speaking of taxi drivers, how long do you think it'll be before cabs are allowed to pick up multiple passengers in the Big Apple? That should help with societal acrimony!
  
  
• If you looked up "Where there's smoke, there's fire," you'd probably find a picture of Lehman Brothers (LEH)., this thing trades funky.
  
  
• I'm seeing a lot of stocks trade "wide," which is to say they're jumping around. That's a recipe for smaller size. Adapt, don't conform.
  
  
• Given the amount of typing I do on any given day, do you think I should get finger insurance?
  
  
• Baidu (BIDU) trades dry, so you see it.
  

Man, oh Manischewitz originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fortune reports that Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE: LEH) reported a $2.8 billion loss this morning. This $5.14 a share loss far exceeds the 22 cents a share that analysts were expecting. Thanks to mark-to-market asset write-downs and trading losses, Lehman posted revenue of negative $668 million in the latest quarter from $5.51 billion a year earlier.

The good news is that it reduced its leverage. Now it's only borrowing 12.5 dollars for every dollar of net equity compared 15.4 at the end of the first quarter. Lehman said it cut net assets by $60 billion in the latest quarter. And it plans to raise $6 billion in new equity -- a combination of common and preferred stock.

It's unclear why anyone would want to catch this falling knife. But those who do will demand a high price. And since Moody's (NYSE: MCO) is now cutting its outlook on Lehman to negative, it should be no big surprise that Lehman shares are down 10% in pre-market.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned

Lehman's $2.87 billion loss -- 23 times bigger than expected originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At best it was a week that was difficult; at worst it was a very concerning sign about what is to come. We have finally seen a significant drop in the overall sentiment due to extraordinarily high oil prices mixed with an unemployment level at 5.5%. The mixture of these and other troubling economic projections has finally come to cause investors to pause and realize that this is no place to be accepting risk beyond what is absolutely necessary.

This week will show a significant amount of reservation by investors not accepting of any shortfalls on earnings or even outlooks that are not significantly rosy. The current picture and the economic outlook was the focus of The Disciplined Investor Podcast this week, with help from money manager and economist, Michael "Mish" Sheldock.

Monday, June 9

Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) will be reporting earnings that are expected to be $.07 per share. This has continued to be a difficult market for them even as casino construction has been rising around the world and the use of many of the products of this company are beneficial to the net profits of their customers. The stock has suffered dramatically over the past 12 months and, unless there is a product shift or new technology announced, there should be no reason that we see a catalyst for growth. Look for revenues of $45.55 million.

Ashworth Inc. (NASDAQ: ASHW) is a high-brow retailer that is expected to show a significant turn toward the negative this quarter. First Call estimates are looking for a negative $.06 per share while a year ago they were earning $.03 per share. Once again, there doesn't seem to be any reason why this company should see a beneficial upside unless investors are willing to short cover at this point. Even if that is the case, that will probably end up being temporary anyway.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: Mixed bag

The Week in Preview: Mixed bag originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Bob Evans Farms Inc. (NASDAQ: BOBE) posted stronger-than-expected Q4 earnings.
• Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) beat earnings expectations, but share prices slipped anyway.
• Daktronics Inc. (NASDAQ: DAKT) Q4 results beat expectations and it raised its revenue outlook.
• Diageo (NYSE: DEO) is recession-proof and should deliver solid results, predicts one adviser.
• Donaldson Company Inc. (NYSE: DCI) beat Q3 expectations and raised its full-year guidance.
• Ensco International Inc. (NYSE: ESV) was upgraded because of its earnings growth potential.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) earnings prospects don't impress Jim Cramer.
• Netezza Corp. (NYSE: NZ) beat Q1 expectations and offered full-year revenue guidance.
• Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT) earnings are "set to soar" says one analyst, due to rising demand and prices.
• Sherwin-Williams Co. (NYSE: SHW) lowered its Q2 and full-year forecasts, sending shares down.
• Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) beat Q2 estimates on Grand Theft Auto IV demand.
• Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) beat Q1 estimates but shares fell on the disappointing Q2 outlook.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) was upgraded due to its earnings outlook and increased productivity.

See also: Earnings highlights: Toll Bros., National Semiconductor, Dr Pepper, Guess and others

Also, continued real estate losses are expected to hurt the quarterly reports of banks such as like Wachovia (NYSE: WB), Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), and National City (NYSE: NCC). And Steven Mallas wonders why Playboy (NYSE: PLA) shares have tanked since its last earnings report.

Upcoming results to watch for include Krispy Kreme (NYSE: KKD), Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL), Pep Boys (NYSE: PBY), Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), and Casey's General Stores (NASDAQ: CASY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Wal-Mart, Lehman Bros., Take-Two, Ciena, Trina Solar and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fortune -- which shares parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) with BloggingStocks -- provides a clue about how big of a write-down Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE: LEH) needs to take in order to account accurately for its Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) portfolio. By my estimate, that write-down could total roughly $4 billion -- wiping out 20% of Lehman's $20 billion in capital.

How so? I calculated $4.07 billion worth of write-downs -- $1.63 billion of the write-off is from worthless BB and below rated CDOs and another $2.44 billion is from the remaining CDOs that are worth about half their stated value. This is based on Fortune's report that Lehman has $6.5 billion worth of CDOs. The 25% that are rated BB or below it believes are worthless. The remaining 75% it figures are worth 50 cents on the dollar.

But wait, there's more. Lehman has $39 billion worth of Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBSs) which have lost value. A key index has declined in the last quarter -- but I don't know how much. Assuming the decline was 25%, Lehman would need to write down an additional $9.8 billion. If Lehman needed to take the $9.8 billion write-down plus the $4 billion for the CDOs, its capital would decline 75%.

When I think about how Lehman is not the only one to hold these dodgy securities, it becomes clear that our financial system is resting on a very shaky foundation.

Peter Cohan is President of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College and edits The Cohan Letter. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.

When will Lehman take $4 billion in CDO write-downs? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lehman Brothers Holdings (NYSE: LEH) has approached a Korean sovereign wealth fund (SWF) about investing. But Lehman probably won't get the money it seeks. Reuters reports that Korean Investment Corp (KIC), an SWF that manages about $20 billion and is an investor in Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER), is unlikely to invest in Lehman.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that investors on the Einhorn side of Lehman -- those hoping its stock will drop -- are increasing their wager. It notes that options traders increased their bearish positions to a two-month high yesterday. With one analyst expecting Lehman to report a second-quarter loss of 50 cents a share during the week of June 16, put option volume rose to 283,676 contracts, or quadruple the 20-day average, and bearish bets on the company exceeded bullish ones by 1.6-to-1.

As I mentioned during my talk at Stanford in April, SWFs have been burned by their investments in the U.S. finance industry. One of them, the Citic Group, was lucky it was able to bail out of its commitment to invest $1 billion in Bear Stearns. But that close call is likely to keep other SWFs from throwing good money after bad.

Continue reading Lehman seeks Korean capital as shorts smile

Lehman seeks Korean capital as shorts smile originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that a federal judge said that the government had "sufficient evidence" for a jury to conclude that a conspiracy to fraudulently boost the financials of American International Group Inc (NYSE: AIG) began with former CEO Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg. That led to a transaction that artificially inflated AIG's loss reserves.
• Citigroup Incorporated's (NYSE: C) Falcon Strategies fixed income hedge fund is down 75%, the Wall Street Journal reported, bad news for the three U.S. banks that invested in it to help increase returns on employee life insurance. One of the banks, Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB), is suing Transamerica Life and Smith Barney, both of whom helped to arrange the investment, and some are now questioning whether Citigroup will be forced to give back some of the investments as they have with individual investors.
• After it stopped offering some mortgages last month because it was swamped by volumes of new applications, the Financial Times reported that First Direct, a unit of HSBC Holdings Plc (NYSE: HBC), has resumed lending to new customers. The bank said it has continued to receive "significant interest" in its mortgages from existing customers.

• In an effort to raise capital from shareholders, the Telegraph reported that Barclays Plc (NYSE: BCS) is considering a takeover bid for a rival in the U.S. or UK. Sources believe Barclays may attempt to acquire an investment bank, a struggling bank or a deal in a fast-moving economy. Potential names mentioned include UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH).

Newspaper wrap-up: Citigroup may have to repay some hedge fund losses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• To help stop Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) $44.6 billion takeover offer, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is in talks with Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) about combining internet operations. Meanwhile, Microsoft is talking with News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) about a joint bid for Yahoo! And Yahoo! is is considering a possible advertising agreement with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), the Wall Street Journal reported.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) is planning to launch a number of new web sites, and hopes to capture a variety of audiences including African-Americans, children and news followers.

WEB SITES:

• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) said it liquidated three investment funds, with assets valued at $1 billion as of February 29, because of "market disruptions," Bloomberg reported.
• Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Defense approved the sale of 157 armored trucks to Britain. The trucks are built by Force Protection Inc. (NASDAQ: FRPT), and the deal is valued at $125 million if all options are exercised.

Newspaper wrap-up: Yahoo talks with Time Warner, Google; Microsoft talks with News Corp. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• If Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) accepts a buyout offer from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), it will have to be at the software maker's original offer of $44.6B. Microsoft won't raise the price, the Wall Street Journal reported, and the state of the economy might work in their favor.
• The FAA said that landing gear made by Illinois-based AAR Corporation (NYSE: AIR), and used on hundreds of Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)-built aircraft, includes "unapproved" parts, the Wall Street Journal also reported.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH) is thinking of not allowing its two British subprime mortgage units to provide any new loans. The Financial Times reported that the company may also order the units to put additional pressure on borrowers with a spotty credit history whose mortgages are coming to the end of fixed-rate terms.

• According to the Detroit News, people familiar with the matter said that the strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc (NYSE: AXL) could threaten production of General Motors Corporation's (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

Newspaper wrap-up: Microsoft will wait out Yahoo, and not raise its offer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Except for a few deals -- such as the Visa (NYSE: V) public offering -- the IPO market has been fairly quiet. But, there are some companies that think things will warm up.

Take SolarWinds, which has recently filed for an offering. The company develops enterprise-class network management software. What's more, the technology is easy to use (which is a rarity in the space).

As of last year, SolarWinds had more than 50,000 customers, which range from small businesses to Fortune 500 biggies.

A key to SolarWinds success is its focused marketing, which heavily leverages online marketing. There is also a direct sales force that knows how to close leads.

So far, the results have been stunning. From 2005 to 2007, revenues have gone from $27.9 million to $61.7 million. What's more, operating income is about $30.9 million.

And there is much room for growth. According to a research report from Gartner, the network management sector is expected to grow from $4.95 billion in 2008 to $5.66 billion by 2011.

The underwriters on the IPO include JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH). You can also locate the prospectus at the SEC website.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

SolarWinds: Headwinds or tailwinds for the IPO? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There has been concern for several weeks that Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) might have problems similar to Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC). Customers might be worried about Lehman's financial health and, if they were to withdraw large sums of money, the brokerage could face liquidity problems.

Just as those concerns appear to be falling, Lehman has been hit by a fraud that may involve amounts as great as $250 million.

According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), "swindlers used forged documents from one of Japan's biggest trading companies to bilk it out of as much as $250 million." The money was to go to a division of Japanese firm LTT Bio-Pharma. The capital was secured by certificates from Marubeni, a huge trading company. Marubeni may have to pay Lehman back the capital, but that is not yet clear.

One consequence of the news is likely to be that investor confidence in Lehman will be eroded again. Why the brokerage would extend the money without complete due diligence is certainly a fair question for shareholders to ask.

One more straw on the pile of Lehman's troubles.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Lehman Bros. hit by fraud originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) first-quarter profit soared and it offered an encouraging outlook.
• AgFeed Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: FEED) full-year results were in line with expectations.
• Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS) warned that it expects a first-quarter loss due to write-downs.
• Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) first-quarter profit plunged on the unloading of Goldfish
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) posted lower-that-expected third-quarter earnings on rising fuel prices.
• 4Kids Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: KDE) posted dismal fourth-quarter and full-year results.
• GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) posted strong fourth-quarter earnings on Guitar Hero and other games.
• General Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) third-quarter profit surged on increased demand for Cheerios, yogurt, etc.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LEH) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Lumber Liquidators Inc. (NYSE: LL) beat estimates on infrastructure investments and merchandise variety.
• Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
• Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) third-quarter profits soared on strong international demand.
• Shuffle Master Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) missed expectations for the first quarter.
• Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) lowered its earnings outlook on delays and order cancellations.

Also, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is recession proof? Ted Allrich wonders if there are any safe stocks. Jim Cramer doesn't expect much from tech stocks. And Aaron Katzman looks at the effect of rising grain prices.

Upcoming results to watch for include Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG), Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF), Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL), ConAgra (NYSE: CAG), and KB Home (NYSE: KBH).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Goldman Sachs, Lehman Bros., Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After a week in which the market finally seemed to vote that big financial companies will be OK, S&P took the holiday to slam Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH). No one was even on the floor of the NYSE to react.

According to Reuters, S&P revised its outlook to "negative" from "stable" on Goldman's "AA-minus" and Lehman's "A-plus" long-term credit ratings, suggesting a possible downgrade in one to two years.

If the call is proactive, the agency obviously believes that a great deal more bad news lies ahead in falling revenue and further write-offs.

The market open next week just gained a bit of drama.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

S&P cuts outlook for Goldman Sachs (GS) and Lehman (LEH) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Lehman Bros. (NYSE: LEH), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), and Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) are scheduled to report quarterly results this week. Unless you spent your Spring Break last week on Mars, you probably heard about the blow-up at Bear Stearns. But just in case, here's a quick look back at the most recent BloggingStocks coverage of Bear Stearns to bring you up to speed before tomorrow's Bear Stearns first-quarter report and whatever the coming week may bring:

• March 16: Will JPMorgan buy Bear Stearns for $2 billion?
• March 16: Which is worse: Moral hazard or credit collapse?
• March 16: Bear Stearns China investor gets ready to walk
• March 15: Is Lehman Brothers next?
• March 14: Dollar falls to record low vs euro on Bear Stearns, credit market woes
• March 14: How the Fed is putting itself at risk for Bear Stearns
• March 14: Bear Stearns conference call: 'Untrue rumors' fueled concern
• March 14: Bear Stearns: The horrors of an institutional panic
• March 14: Why does Bear Stearns need a government bailout?
• March 11: Cramer on BloggingStocks: Bear needs to play the Fuld card
• March 10: Greenberg scoffs at Bear liquidity crunch rumors

Continue reading Bear Stearns recap

Bear Stearns recap originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Analogic Corp. (NASDAQ: ALOG) beat estimates and announced an acquisition.
• AnnTaylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) swung to a loss in the fourth quarter on restructuring costs.
• Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) beat fourth-quarter earinings estimates and offered revised guidance.
• Bon-Ton Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT) posted disappointing fourth-quarter and full-year results.
• Carrols Restaurant Group (NASDAQ: TAST) posted solid results on same-store sales for certain chains.
• Ferrellgas Partners (NYSE: FGP) saw profit fall in what should have been its strongest quarter.
• Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL) fourth-quarter profit fell on weaker same-store sales.
• Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) cut its first-quarter and full-year forecasts on higher expenses.
• Imax Corp. (NASDAQ: IMAX) widened its losses for the fourth quarter and the full year.
• Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ: JSDA) swung to a loss due to costs related to distributing in product in cans.
• K-Tron International Inc. (NASDAQ: KTII) said fourth-quarter and full-year earnings soared.
• Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ) posted disappointing fourth-quarter and full-year results.
• Six Flags Inc. (NYSE: SIX) narrowed its fourth-quarter and full-year losses.
• Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) lowered its forecast on fewer orders from a key client.
• United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) warned it may miss first quarter estimates due to the slowing economy.
• Vail Resorts Inc. (NYSE: MTN) second-quarter profit slipped due to lack of snow early in the season.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Humana, Texas Instruments, UPS, Liz Clairborne, and others

Earnings highlights: Humana, Texas Instruments, UPS, Liz Clairborne, and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are a few highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT) beat estimates by closing underperforming branches.
• Aristotle Corp. (NASDAQ: ARTL) fourth-quarter revenue edged up while earnings slipped.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) fourth-quarter profit plunged on bond insurance related write-downs.
• Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) fourth-quarter profit more than doubled as drinkers switch to craft beers.
• CAI International Inc. (NYSE: CAP) beat expectations fourth quarter and raised its guidance.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) offered encouraging guidance for the full year and long term.
• Consolidated Communications Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) beat estimates for the fourth quarter.
• Flow International Corp. (NASDAQ: FLOW) beat expectations, sending shares up sharply.
• Gehl Co. (NASDAQ: GEHL) fourth-quarter profit fell but beat expectations due to international growth.
• J. Crew Group Inc. (NYSE: JCG) raised its full-year outlook, sending shares higher.
• Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) beat fourth-quarter expectations though profit slumped due to inflation.
• Maidenform Brands Inc. (NYSE: MFB) beat fourth quarter estimates due to sourcing initiatives.
• Smart Balance Inc. (NASDAQ: SMBL) nearly doubled its fourth-quarter loss despite strong revenue growth.
• Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) posted a narrower-than-expected first-quarter loss.
• WellPoint Inc. (NYSE: WLP) cut its first-quarter and full-year forecasts on higher expenses.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Blackstone, Caterpillar, Kroger, WellPoint, Boston Beer, and others

Earnings highlights: Blackstone, Caterpillar, Kroger, WellPoint, Boston Beer, and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.