Thursday morning, GPS specialist Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) said it lost a patent dispute with Japanese firm Pioneer Corp. The District Court of Dusseldorf in Germany found that two patents owned by Pioneer were infringed by a certain functionality in Garmin's software.

However, Garmin says it has already worked out "minor software revisions that eliminate the narrow functionality at issue in the litigation." As a result, the company doesn't expect any significant impact on its ability to import and sell its navigational products.

Continue reading Garmin Slumps After Patent Defeat

Garmin Slumps After Patent Defeat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (NYSE: PXD) is poised to be the first independent operator to produce oil on the North Slope, an area dominated by the major producers such as Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), though other independents such as Andarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) may not be far behind.

Ten-year-old Pioneer, based in Irvine, Texas, plans to begin drilling in a few weeks off the coast of Oooguruk Island, Alaska, in a field expected to yield as much as 90 million barrels of oil. Pioneer expects to begin producing oil from there in the first half of next year.

Pioneer's efforts are being closely watched to see whether independents can establish themselves on the North Slope. "Ours is a bellwether project," says Chief Operating Officer Tim Dove. "If we do well, make the project work in reasonable time and in a fiscally responsible manner, it could open up some avenues for us and other independents."

Pioneer also announced the start-up of its South Coast Gas (SCG) project, expected to produce approximately 50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day by the end of the year. Scott Sheffield, Pioneer's Chairman and CEO, says, "With the completion of SCG and considering that a majority of the capital costs related to our Oooguruk development on the North Slope will be invested by the end of 2007, we expect our 2008 drilling and development budget to decrease significantly as compared to 2007."

The share price has been rising since reaching a 52-week low of $35.51 in August after Pioneer's second quarter report. The share price at close on Friday was $46.02. Pioneer will report on its third quarter on November 6.

Pioneer (PXD) blazes trail for independents in the North Slope originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• FTN Midwest initiated shares of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc (NYSE: ETH), Pier 1 Imports (NYSE: PIR) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (NASDAQ: BBBY) with Neutral ratings and Williams-Sonoma Inc (NYSE: WSM) with a Buy rating.

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Analyst initiations 4-27-07: BBBY, ETH, PIR and WSM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Apr 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Start looking at select commodity stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.