First off, who are Duke Energy (DUK) and Progress Energy (PGN), and why are they merging? Both are located in North Carolina. Both operate fleets of fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. The merger will give them the boost needed to expand their nuclear power stations outside North Carolina. So the partners decided that bigger is better.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that it's an all stock merger valued at about $13.7 billion. Under the deal Duke will exchange 2.6125 of its shares for each Progress share. Based on Duke's closing price on Friday, Progress shareholders would receive $46.48 a share, a 3.9% premium. Progress closed at $44.72 Friday. Duke will also assume $12.2 billion in debt. Duke plans to effect a reverse stock split immediately after the close.

Continue reading Duke Energy Merger Creates Largest U.S. Power Company

Duke Energy Merger Creates Largest U.S. Power Company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Option traders appear to be setting up for a bullish move on Market Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO). Traders plowed into 2,601 new call option contracts -- 20.81 times the average volume -- on the stock on Wednesday. And we know that traders were eager to get into this trade because 89% of the trades came in on the ask price.

The ETF closed Wednesday at $45.60, up 4.35% during the past month.

Continue reading Option Traders Betting on Agriculture and the British Pound

Option Traders Betting on Agriculture and the British Pound originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Barrick Gold (ABX) to buy from hold and reiterates a buy rating on Newmont Mining (NEM) after upping its 2011 gold forecast to $1,450 per ounce and 2012 forecast to $1,600 per ounce. The firm upped its target for Barrick shares to $53 from $45, for Newmont shares to $74 from $72, and on hold-rated Goldcorp (GG) and Kinross Gold (KGC) to $40 and $20, respectively.
• Citigroup upgraded General Dynamics (GD) to hold from sell following the recent pullback in shares. The firm keeps a $67 price target for the stock.
• UBS upgraded Public Service (PEG) to buy from neutral and has a $34 price target on the stock. The firm cites the company's solid balance sheet, earnings profile, and valuation for the upgrade.
• News Corp. (NWS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Soleil.
• AK Steel (AKS) was upgraded to neutral from underperform.
• Progress Energy (PGN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• PNC Financial (PNC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABX, AKS, BK, GBDC, GD, NEM, NWS, ODSY, PNC, UQM ...

Analyst Calls: ABX, AKS, BK, GBDC, GD, NEM, NWS, ODSY, PNC, UQM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 May 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC) to outperform from market perform following the company's Q1 results.
• RBC Capital transferred coverage on Gildan Activewear (GIL) with an outperform from sector perform. The firm is positive on Gildan's low-cost producer strategy and free cash flow generation. The firm raised its target to $35 from $26.
• Wunderlich upgraded Delphi Financial (DFG) to buy from hold following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $31 from $29.
• Aflac (AFL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Sterne Agee.
• Time Warner (TWX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Pride International (PDE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: NSC, GIL, DFG, F, DVA, PFWD, PGN, TDS, PSSI ...

Analyst Calls: NSC, GIL, DFG, F, DVA, PFWD, PGN, TDS, PSSI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The Safest Dividends in the S&P

The Safest Dividends in the S&P originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JMP Securities views Yahoo!'s (YHOO) risk-reward as compelling, especially as cyclical and secular growth of online advertising improves. The firm upgraded shares to outperform from market perform and has a $21 target.
• FBR Capital upgraded PNC Financial (PNC) to outperform from market perform, citing an attractive valuation and better risk profile following the company's capital raise. The firm raised its target price on shares to $65 fro $55.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded SEI Investments (SEIC) to buy from neutral on expectations the company's revenues will accelerate in 2011. The firm has a $28 price target on shares.
• Research in Motion (RIMM) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Cisco (CSCO) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Macy's (M) was upgraded to buy from hold at Soleil.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMTD, CSCO, M, PALM, PNC, RIMM, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: AMTD, CSCO, M, PALM, PNC, RIMM, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Citigroup upgraded Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) to Buy from Hold after meeting with management as it believes a more aggressive strategy will lead to the company regaining market share. Citi raised its target on shares to $66 from $54.
  
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Allscripts (NASDAQ:MDRX) to Overweight from Neutral after learning the company signed a large contract with North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. Piper now sees upside to estimates and raised its target on shares to $22.50 from $14.
  
• UBS upgraded Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) to Buy from Neutral following a review of the Senate Finance Committee's healthcare proposal, which they view as "benign." The firm raised its target to $57 from $46.
• Daimler (NYSE:DAI) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Bernstein.
  
• Boston Private (NASDAQ:BPFH) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• E-Trade (NASDAQ:ETFC) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While other earnings may have disappointed last week, the news was good for oil giant ConocoPhilips (NYSE: COP). In what some took as a good sign for big oil, the Houston-based company reported that third quarter net income surged 41% year over year to $3.39 per share, and that revenue also surged 52% to $70 billion. We'll see whether the good news extends to other petroleum giants scheduled to report quarterly results this week.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are looking for BP (NYSE: BP) profits to have grown 43.2% in the most recent quarter to $2.34 per share on revenue of $109.7 billion, and Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) to post earnings up 39.4% to $3.25 per share on revenue of $86.8 billion. Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO), ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) likewise are expected to report higher net income of $2.33 per share (sales of $23.4 billion), $2.40 per share (sales of $131.4 billion), and $2.65 per share, respectively. Even Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) is expected to post earnings slightly higher to $1.46 per share (sales of $36.4 billion), despite the effects of Hurricane Ike. Among these companies, only BP and Valero beat earnings expectations in the previous quarter. Not surprisingly, analysts on average recommend buying all except Valero, and shares of all of these companies have recently hit 52-week lows.

Continue reading The week in preview: Focus on oil and energy

The week in preview: Focus on oil and energy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of Progress Energy Inc (NYSE: PGN) to Neutral from Underweight citing the company's improving earnings profile.

• Lehman upgraded shares of Mattel Inc (NYSE: MAT) to Equal Weight from Underweight with a $26 target, citing increased traction at retail stores for Barbie as well as expectations for 10% earnings growth.

• Career Education Corp (NASDAQ: CECO) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse as they believe general start growth will bottom in 4Q/1Q and that its University division will return to positive start growth in 3Q07.

• Pacific Growth upgraded shares of Marvell Technology Group ltd (NASDAQ: MRVL) to Buy from Neutral to reflect the aggressive transfer of the Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) cell phone foundry business.

• Both Soleil Securities and Bank of America upgraded Warner Music Group Corp (NYSE: WMG) to Buy from Hold with a $23 target in order to reflect the company's improved fundamentals; they believe Warner's balance sheet restructuring bodes well for earnings.

• Merrill Lynch upgraded JetBlue Airways Corp (NASDAQ: JBLU) to Buy from Neutral on valuation.

• Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE: DO) was added to Goldman Sachs' Conviction Buy List.

• CIBC upgraded Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE: WFC) to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer, citing valuation and the $8 billion in excess capital in the coffers.

• Wachovia upgraded Fossil, Inc (NASDAQ: FOSL) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• HSBC upgraded Sony Corp (NYSE: SNE) to Neutral from Underweight.

Analyst upgrades 2-21-07: Sony, Marvell Tech and Mattel upgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.