Ambac Financial Group (ABK) took the earnings stage Monday night -- and the stock took a quick dive right out of the gate Tuesday morning, if that gives you any indication about the quarterly results. The bond insurer swung to a loss of $57.6 million in the second quarter, and warned that a bankruptcy filing is likely if it can't come up with a plan to restructure its liabilities within the next year.

The company's official release stated the matter quite plainly: "Ambac has insufficient capital to finance its debt service and operating expense requirements beyond the second quarter of 2011 and may need to seek bankruptcy protection."

Continue reading Puts Popular as Ambac Financial Takes a Post-Earnings Dive

Puts Popular as Ambac Financial Takes a Post-Earnings Dive originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Buyout Capacity for Private Equity Biz Still Growing

Buyout Capacity for Private Equity Biz Still Growing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Repros Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RPRX) easily takes the prize for most dismal earnings report of the day. Not only did the drug firm report a wider-than-forecast second-quarter loss, it also warned that bankruptcy is a real possibility unless the company can secure significant additional capital.

Specifically, Repros confessed to a second-quarter net loss of $8.9 million, or 59 cents per share, compared to Wall Street's consensus estimate for a loss of 46 cents per share. The company chalked up its poor results to a 16% annualized increase in clinical development activities for Proellex -- which has been placed on clinical hold by the FDA -- as well as a 60% year-over-year jump in general and administration expenses.

Continue reading Cash-strapped Repros Therapeutics warns of potential bankruptcy

Cash-strapped Repros Therapeutics warns of potential bankruptcy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PNC Financial Services (NYSE: PNC) reported this morning it raised more than $600 million through an at-the-market offering of 15 million shares launched May 14.

Additionally, PNC said it has no plans to convert its preferred shares, and it expects to redeem the U.S. Treasury's $7.6-billion investment in its preferred shares "as soon as appropriate."

Continue reading PNC Financial raises $600 million in capital; investors yawn

PNC Financial raises $600 million in capital; investors yawn originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 May 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Banks need it. Home builders need it. Car companies need it. More banks need it. "It" is capital. Also known as equity. In reality, it's money. Banks need lots of it.

As we all know, there is a finite amount of everything. There is only so much money available for investing. The large banks have been at the trough and dipped, pulled out billions (names like Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC). That was over the last few weeks. Stock was issued. Money flowed in. Things looked pretty good.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: The race for capital is on

Comfort Zone Investing: The race for capital is on originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 May 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF) started today's trading with a resounding thud after announcing a $1.25 billion stock offering. The regional banking issue said it will offer $1 billion in common shares and $250 million in new convertible preferred shares. The proceeds will address roughly half of the $2.5 billion in capital Regions was instructed to raise by the U.S. Treasury Department following its stress test results.

Despite a negative start to the session, RF has since ticked fractionally higher. The security has shed more than 34% of its value in 2009, and it's currently struggling under the weight of resistance from its 32-week moving average. Since 2007, RF has managed to notch just one weekly close above this steadily descending trendline.

Continue reading Put volume spikes as Regions Financial rushes to raise capital

Put volume spikes as Regions Financial rushes to raise capital originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Given the current economic and regulatory environment, we felt this was a prudent step to take to further enhance our capital position and our liquidity," said President and CEO Larry D. Richman in a statement.

Continue reading PrivateBancorp plummets after slashing its quarterly dividend

PrivateBancorp plummets after slashing its quarterly dividend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nationalization on demand

Nationalization on demand originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Venture capitalists betting on Democrats? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) volatility Elevated into EPS, Risk Exposure & Outlook. GS is expected to report EPS on 9/20. Wachovia Corp.(NYSE:WB) say's "Lack of mortgage and Chinese exposure distinguish GS." GS September option implied volatility is at 50; October is at 45; above its 26-week average of 35 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) MS is expected to report EPS on 9/19. MS September option implied volatility is at 48; October is at 41; above its 26-week average of 33 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) is expected to report EPS on 9/20. Aquarian Investments holds a 6.97% stake in BSC for investment purposes. BSC Chairman & CEO James Cayne is 72. BSC Chairman of Executive committee Alan Greenberg is 79. WB say's BSC "shares are currently 1.2x book value compared to its historical average of 1.6x." BSC September option implied volatility is at 71; October is at 63; is above its 26-week average of 43 according to Track Data, suggesting large price movement.

Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) is expected to report 3rd quarter EPS on 9/18. WCHV say's LEH's "Q3 started strong but ended real weak." LEH September option implied volatility is at 76; October is at 62; above its 26-week average of 40 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

Option update: Goldman (GS), Morgan (MS), Bear (BSC) & Lehman (LEH) EPS, Risk Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Volatility Index S&P 500 Options-VIX down 0.57 to 14.02.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) April option implied volatility-Risk stays elevated into EPS.
MS operates its business through four segments: retail brokerage, asset management, institutional securities. Investors expect to hear more about MS plan to spin off its Discovery Card, a company with 50 million card members and four million merchant /cash access locations. MS is expected to report EPS of $1.88 on 3/21 according to Thomson First Call. MS April option implied volatility of 28 is above its 26-week average of 24 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT) volatility and volume Spikes on canceled CEO speech, LBO and PALM chatter.
MOT is recently up $0.46 to $18.74 on LBO speculation. Carl Icahn entities own 1.39% of MOT. The Chicago Tribune reported MOT CEO Edward Zander canceled his keynote speech at the cell phone's industry annual U.S. trade show, CTIA Wireless. Chatter is also circulating that MOT could purchase Palm Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM). MOT call option volume of 35,471 contracts compares to put volume of 18,121 contracts. MOT April option implied volatility of 35 is above a level of 30 from 70-minutes ago. MOT average option implied volatility over the last 26-week average is 29 according to Track Data. Increasing option volume and implied volatility suggests larger price risk fluctuations.

Note: The Daily Option Update is provided by Stock Options Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Daily option update - March 20, 2007 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.