Brinker International (EAT) has elevated its outlook for fiscal 2010, as evidenced by a 27% increase in its quarterly dividend, to be made effective with its fourth quarter payment.

The operator of the Chili's and Maggiano's restaurant chains said it expects full year 2010 earnings to come in between $1.40 and $1.44 per share. The previous estimate was for between $1.15 and $1.30 earnings per share. According to a PR Newswire press release, provided by DailyFinance, the fourth quarter dividend will be paid on July 1, 2010, to shareholders of record as of June 17, 2010.

Continue reading Brinker International Boosts Dividend and 2010 Outlook

Brinker International Boosts Dividend and 2010 Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to Bloomberg, General Motors (GRM) is close to announcing a deal to sell its Saab division to Spyker Cars. A person familiar with the matter said that an announcement could come as early as late afternoon in Sweden. In Amsterdam, trading was suspended on the automaker amid the rumors.

Spyker has offered GM roughly $75 million in cash and $325 million preferred shares in Spyker, which would come from the transaction. Reportedly GM would receive $100 million of Saab's existing liquidity.

Continue reading GM to Sell Saab to Spyker?

GM to Sell Saab to Spyker? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• In a step toward expanding its reach into China, UCBH Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: UCBH) has acquired a full stake in Shanghai-based Business Development Bank in a deal valued at $205M, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• After creating an agreement with the International Herald Tribune, Reuters Group Plc (NASDAQ: RTRSY) is reportedly in discussion for a similar agreement with The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), the UK Times reported.

• In an interview with Bloomberg, E.I du Pont de Nemours and Company's (NYSE: DD) CEO Charles Holiday said he believes the U.S. economy will be able to avoid a recession in 2008.
• According to "people familiar with the plan," Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) may sell its Japanese unit in an effort to help cut global costs due to a slump in sales and lower earnings forecast, Bloomberg reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Reuters looks for revenue-sharing deal with NY Times originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cadbury Schweppes (CSG) to spin off U.S. beverage unit after no buyers emerge originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Home Depot (HD) vs. Wal-Mart (WMT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week's rumor round-up: CV Therapeutics for sale? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Barneys New York sale coming soon? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that TPG Capital and Silver Lake are poised to buy telecommunications equipment company Avaya Inc (NYSE: AV) for about $17 a share; Nortel Networks Corporation (NYSE: NT) was also said to be interested.
• News Corporation's (NYSE: NWS) Rupert Murdoch said he is willing to go along with tighter editorial independence, but won't give in to a key demand from Dow Jones & Company Inc's (NYSE: DJ) controlling Bancroft family that they control an editorial oversight board that would protect this, the Wall Street Journal reported.
• Barron's Online's Trader section believes Service Corporation International's (NYSE: SCI) 90% surge since August is the result of funeral service companies' virtual immunity to a slowing economy or rising rates - the market's two biggest fears right now.

• The New York Times reported that software maker Cadence Design Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CDNS) is in talks with private-equity players that include Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Blackstone Group about a possible sale of the company.
• Technology Web sites have discovered that Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) embeds customers' personal data into files the company uses to distribute music from its online iTunes music store, creating fears about privacy, the UK Times reported.
• The UK Times also reported that Royal Bank of Scotland Group (OTC: RBSPY) may be looking to sell Southern Water for GBP4B, a move that could lead to many more deals in Britain's privatized water industry.

Newspaper wrap-up 6-04-07: TPG Capital, Silver Lake may buy Avaya originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week's rumor round-up: Lam Research close to sale? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 May 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading This week's rumor round-up: Monster up for sale?

This week's rumor round-up: Monster up for sale? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 May 2007 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, it has gone and done it now. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) has apparently initiated talks with Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) again. All I can say is, HAVE IT NO PRIDE???

After Yahoo!'s management shrugged it off the last time it made an offer, Microsoft management should have undertaken an entirely different strategy which should have involved ramping up its own Internet advertising showboat and pinning Yahoo against the wall until it cried uncle and begged for just anyone to acquire it. Instead, MSFT went home, licked its wounds and now came back whining, "Please oh please, won't you marry me?" What kind of limp-wristed business strategy is that?!

The whole thing seems to be sired by Microsoft's bushel of sour grapes in regard to losing the DoubleClick bidding war to Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG). My interpretation of Microsoft's subliminal message here is that it couldn't win the game so it's going to pay the crippled kid down the street to come play with it. The only problem here is that the crippled kid isn't all too interested in playing, and Microsoft doesn't even seem to realize that it's a cripple.

Continue reading Microsoft and Yahoo!: When it's too late, it's too little

Microsoft and Yahoo!: When it's too late, it's too little originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 May 2007 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week's rumor round-up: Starbucks in play? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 Mar 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The concept of focusing on the "meat" of a business may be both a cliche and an overly carnivorous metaphor, but that doesn't make it any less true. And Wendy's is taking the cliche very literally in today's news, announcing it will sell Baja Fresh and refocus on its core hamburger business.

The renewed focus on burgers makes sense, but Wendy's International (NYSE:WEN) bought Baja Fresh only four years ago for $275 million and will be selling for barely more than 10% of that figure, $31 million, to a consortium of investment firms. That's a pretty miserable return.

Hopefully, however, the sale will allow management to spend some time getting introspective. First, there's the sagging brand. I'd agree that, as QSR Magazine's Sherri Daye Scott says, the brand image is struggling. Wendy's used to be known for its higher quality and spicier menu options compared to other fast food restaurants, and now I can barely tell the difference. When was the last time you felt the yearning for an ice-cold Frosty? In high school (I'll admit), I'd have a few a week. I haven't tasted one for years.

Then there's the menu. Why doesn't Wendy's have breakfast? We've already determined that (yes) fast food customers -- and even many of the health nuts out there -- love breakfast. The restaurant has plans to expand its test to the rest of its outlets this year. Also, Wendy's will be adding a double-melt hamburger, along with more "indulgent" sandwiches.

A lot of this sounds very derivative, picking and choosing from the successes of its competitors' strategies. I don't have a problem with that! Wendy's stock was up $1.39 today, 4.12%, to $35.11 on anticipation of good news.

[Photo diana connolly.]

Wendy's sells Baja Fresh: back to the beef, and breakfast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Oct 2006 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) has finally reached terms over the sale of AOL Germany's online access business. As noted, Time Warner is already in a general agreement with Neuf Cegetel for the sale of AOL France. Now that there are separate deals for the German and French units, it should set a guideline for the AOL UK terms.

Telecom Italia SpA is paying 675 million Euros (roughly $870 million) in cash to Time Warner, and the deal is expected to close in early 2007 pending regulatory approvals. Approvals come at the formality-stage -- there are really not any major hurdles known by the Street that would need to be overcome for the deal to close.

The AOL Germany unit has 1.1 million broadband users and 1.3 million who use dial-up or ISDN access. This deal will make Telecom Italia the number two player in Germany with some 3.2 million customers, second only to Deutsche Telekom's T-Online unit. That valuable broadband segment from AOL Germany is said to be 9% of Germany's 12 million+ total broadband subscribers, although it is expected to grow by 10 million more through 2009 according to an Associated Press figure.

As part of a five-year partnership, AOL will host a web portal for Telecom Italia's entire base of residential users in Germany and it will design and host an audience service for the Telecom Italia subscribers in Germany. AOL will be responsible for all online advertising sales for the co-branded audience services. The financial terms of the audience services partnership were not disclosed.

Continue reading Time Warner to sell AOL Germany to Telcom Italia

Time Warner to sell AOL Germany to Telcom Italia originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Sep 2006 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.