Continue reading Spirit Airlines Adds Carry-on Fee -- Nudist's Delight?

Spirit Airlines Adds Carry-on Fee -- Nudist's Delight? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Citigroup (NYSE: C) closed at $5.00. C is expected to report Q3 EPS today. C options were active on October 14th with 1,117,189 contracts trading. C October 5 straddle is priced at 33c, November 5 straddle is at 72c. C November option implied volatility is at 56, December is at 56, January is at 59; verses its 26-week average of 79, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement after EPS.

UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) closed at $7.82. UAUA is scheduled to report Q3 EPS on October 20. UAUA November option implied volatility is at 80, December is at 84; below its 26-week average of 111, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Citigroup options suggest flat movement into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AMR Corp (NYSE: AMR) closed at $5.20. WTI Crude oil is recently up 1.57% to $67.16 according to Bloomberg. AMR July and November option implied volatility of 94 is below its 26-week average of 115, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) closed at $5.29. UAUA July option implied volatility is at 102, December is at 111; below its 26-week average of 128, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Airliner volatility at low end of range originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Airlines are still having a problem with the economy. Consumers aren't traveling as much, businesses are cutting back on sending executives across country. Indeed, I'm sure the summer months are going to see a lot of vacation plans being eliminated as people decide to stay closer to home.

Continue reading AMR beats in Q1, shares see a bid

AMR beats in Q1, shares see a bid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Calyon upgraded major network carriers based on falling oil prices and capacity cuts. The analyst is positive over the next 12 months but cautious short-term given the uncertain economy, and volatile markets and oil prices. AMR Corp (NYSE: AMR) and Delta Air (NYSE: DAL) were upgraded to Add from Neutral and UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) was raised to Neutral from Reduce.
• Ryanair (NASDAQ: RYAAY) was upgraded at Citigroup to Buy from Hold.
• Boardwalk Pipeline (NYSE: BWP) was raised to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Cowen lifted Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Outperform from Neutral.
• JP Morgan upgraded Choice Hotels (NYSE: CHH) to Neutral from Underweight following the better-than-expected Q3 report.
• Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) to Outperform from Perform on valuation, the company's minimal exposure to economic conditions, and expectations for margin improvement and a rebound in organic growth.

• Sherwin-Williams (NYSE: SHW) and AerCap Holdings (NYSE: AER) were downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.
• UBS downgraded Embarq (NYSE: EQ) to Neutral from Buy following the CenturyTel (NYSE: CTL) merger announcement.

Continue reading Analyst calls: AMR, DAL, UAUA, RYAAY, BIIB, SHW, EQ, INTU, NYT, GOOG, YHOO ...

Analyst calls: AMR, DAL, UAUA, RYAAY, BIIB, SHW, EQ, INTU, NYT, GOOG, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading UAL bankruptcy rumors untrue: Stock plunges 76%, old news story reportedly the culprit

UAL bankruptcy rumors untrue: Stock plunges 76%, old news story reportedly the culprit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• In a move to help cut expenses and save on fuel prices, UAL Corporation (NASDAQ: UAUA), parent of United Airlines, will reduce its 460 airplane fleet by 70 jets. Not yet known is how may jobs will be affected, the Wall Street Journal reported.
• In an all stock deal, J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) is expected to buy Folgers coffee from The Proctor & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) for an estimated $2B, according to the Wall Street Journal. Folgers, the best selling ground coffee in the U.S., has annual sales of about $1.6B.
• The Financial Times reported that Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH) lost $500M-$700M on some of its hedging positions in Q2, which have contributed to a larger than expected loss that could result in the bank raising more capital by selling a stake to an outside investor. Lehman has begun negotiations with potential investors, including asset managers and Asian banks, sources said.

• According to sources, the Rocky Mountain News reported that troubled home builder Beazer Homes USA Inc (NYSE: BZH) is pulling out of Colorado. Beazer, which is being investigated for mortgage fraud by several government agencies, has built homes in the suburbs of Denver and in Colorado Springs.

Newspaper wrap-up: UAL Corp. to drop 70 more jets originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Merger talks between UAL Corporation's (NASDAQ: UAUA) United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc (NYSE: LCC) have been put off for now, the Wall Street Journal reported. United is reportedly close to an alliance with Continental Airlines Inc (NYSE: CAL).
• Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS) is for sale and the company has begun to hear from interested parties, the Wall Street Journal also reported. Harris is looking for $75 to $80 per share. Speculation about the bidders includes General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC).

• The Charleston Gazette reported that Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) has decided not to build its Eastern Division headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia in the wake of a West Virginia Supreme Court ruling on May 22.

• AppleInsider reported that Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is expected to announce a back-to-school deal soon that will encourage students to buy new Macs by offering some of the largest incentives in the history of the company.

Newspaper wrap-up: United Airlines puts US Airways on hold, talks to Continental originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 30 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• H.J. Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) is today expected to increase its sales and profit projections for the next two years, as it reports results of its fiscal year ended April 30. The Wall Street Journal reported that sales are to grow 6% or higher from 4%, while earnings per share growth for the next two years is projected to grow between 8% and 11% from the earlier projection of 7% to 9%.
• It appears that Vistaprint Limited (NASDAQ: VPRT), a graphic design services and printed products company, counts on referral fees from pop up rewards programs on it website for a certain amount of its revenue and profit and also relies on the referral of its customers to outside firms offering rewards programs, which turns out to be a monthly fee for services such as discounts on movies and amusement parks, according to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street". Some believe the stock, whose shares have plummeted over concerns of slowing revenue and slimmer gross margins, may be trading too high for its own good.
• According to people familiar with their plans, the Financial Times reported that the CEOs of UAL Corporation's (NASDAQ: UAUA) United Airlines and US Airways Group (NYSE: LCC) will today meet to discuss the carriers' potential merger agreement.

• The Independent reported that for the second time this month, Barclays Plc (NYSE: BCS) revised lower its calculation of analysts' consensus for its full-year profit, cutting its 2008 figure by nearly 8% to GBP5.876B pre-tax; Barclays cut the calculation 15% two weeks ago.

Newspaper wrap-up: Heinz expected to raise earnings, sales projections originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 May 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA) is recently down $4.32 to $17.00.

Soleil says: "Lower passenger revenue and higher oil prices relative to our model led UAUA to a worse than expected Q108 loss of ($4.45)."

UAUA call option volume of 6,743 contracts compares to put volume of 6,642 contracts. UAUA May option implied volatility of 101 is above its 26-week average of 76 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: UAL Corp volatility elevated as shares collapse 25% after EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Air travelers have been dealing with delays for the past week as all the major airlines are working to get all their planes inspected and given the "all clear" by the FCC. Last week, we saw major cancellations and delays for travelers flying American Airlines (NYSE: AMR) and Delta (NYSE: DAL) as those two carriers were having scores of planes inspected for potential problems with their wiring bundles.

The United inspections are looking at the fire suppression system in the cargo bays. The company wants to make sure that this system is working correctly, and notified authorities when it discovered that one of the five bottles in the suppression system was skipped over during the last inspection of the system.

Continue reading United Airlines (UAUA) pasengers brace themselves for travel delays

United Airlines (UAUA) pasengers brace themselves for travel delays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that KKR Financial Holdings LLC (NYSE: KFN), a unit of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, revived concerns of a credit crunch after it asked for a restructuring of billions of dollars in short-term debt.

• According to sources, the Chicago Tribune reported that Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTC: DLAKY) could look to take an equity stake in a merger between Continental Airlines Inc (NYSE: CAL) and UAL Corporation's (NASDAQ: UAUA) United Airlines.
• The Associated Press reported that the pilots' unions of Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) and Northwest Airlines Corporation (NYSE: NWA) are unable to agree on how seniority for the companies' pilots would work under a combined carrier. The impasse puts the deal in "serious jeopardy," inside sources reported.

• Electronics retailer Sharper Image Corporation (NASDAQ: SHRP) has filed for bankruptcy, citing declining sales and profitability, Bloomberg reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Lufthansa could take stake in Continental, United combination originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Within two weeks a merger between Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) and Northwest Airlines Corporation (NYSE: NWA) is expected to be announced. Not far behind may be one between UAL Corporation's (NASDAQ: UAUA) United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc (NYSE: CAL), the Wall Street Journal reported.

• Bloomberg reported that Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK.A) Chairman Warren Buffett forecast that the dollar's value is likely to decline if policies remain unchanged and said he believes a credit crunch is not under way.
• Tech Crunch reported that either Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) or News Corp's (NYSE: NWS.A) MySpace is likely to announces a social space acquisition in the near-future. According to industry sources, the acquisition could be in the $1B-$1.5B range and may involve Bebo.

Newspaper wrap-up: Airline mergers may soon fly originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Although Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) would like to merge with either UAL Corporation's (NASDAQ: UAUA) United Airlines or Northwest Airlines Corporation (NYSE: NWA), the company is close to Air France-KLM (NYSE: AKH), and together the two may be able to better shape a deal, the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" reported.
• The Wall Street Journal also reported that recent acquisitions by Sun Microsystems Inc (NASDAQ: JAVA) and Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) have suggested factors like a slowing economy could kick the high-tech deals into a "higher gear".
• Following a risk/reward reassessment, UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) decided to wind down its Switzerland-based private banking business for rich U.S. clients; the decision was announced internally in late December, but confirmed publicly this week, the Financial Times reported.

• According to the Economic Times, after the dissolution of a proposed joint venture with Rajesh Exports, Fossil Incorporated (NASDAQ: FOSL), the U.S. fashion accessories giant, is set to enter India on its own.

Newspaper wrap-up: Delta, Air France may be able to shape a deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• According to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street," as the economy continues to slow and the credit markets face further turmoil, high-profile companies like Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) and The Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) are cutting back on buybacks as their shares drop.
• The New York Times reported that BlackRock Inc (NYSE: BLK) is expected to be the main asset manager for a $75B fund being created by Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC), Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C), and JP Morgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) to help stabilize the market fJor asset-backed securities, according to a source. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK) is reportedly a leading contender to be a custodian of the fund.

• A ruling in Vodafone Group Plc's (NYSE: VOD) favor may cause Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) to rethink its business model for the iPhone device. The injunction against Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT)'s T-Mobile unit may force Apple to "unlock" its iPhones, the UK Times reported.
• Struggling airline UAL Corporation (NASDAQ: UAUA), along with its unit United Airlines, is struggling, but finding a carrier willing to merge may be a problem, BusinessWeek speculated.

Newspaper wrap-up: Countrywide, Home Depot cut back on buybacks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Delta Air (NYSE: DAL) is recently up $0.53 to $20.53. On November 14, Pardus Capital Management, an activist hedge fund, sent a letter to DAL recommending DAL merger with UAL Corp (NASDAQ: UAUA). WTI Crude oil is down 0.51% $93.61 according to Bloomberg. DAL December option implied volatility of 74 is above its 24-week average of 50 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risk.

AMR (NYSE: AMR) is recently up $1.04 to $24.36. AMR the world's largest airline, has been frequently mentioned as a merger partner over the last seven months. AMR December option implied volatility of 62 is above its 26-week average of 52 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Option update: Delta Air and AMR volatility elevated on merger talks, oil & economy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Competitors lift US Airways (LCC) ahead of Thursday's earnings

Competitors lift US Airways (LCC) ahead of Thursday's earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Positive momentum building in airline sector originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR), parent of American Airlines, was urged by one of its top shareholders to consider "all options to enhance shareholder value" such as spinning-off American's frequent flier program, according the ' DealBook blog.

In a letter to the Fort Worth-based company, FL Group of Iceland said "a conservative analysis" of AMR
shows "there is significant hidden shareholder value to be unlocked." In particular, FL Group believes that unbundling AMR's AAdvantage ("AAD") Frequent Flier program could increase shareholder value "by more than $4 billion."

The idea isn't without precedent. As DealBook notes UAL Corp (NYSE: UAUA), the parent of United Airlines, are expected to consider spin-offs at its annual meeting this week and that Air Canada has already spun off its frequent flier plan. Shares of AMR, which have plunged 50% since January, are trading slightly higher today. But investors who have watched airlines destroy billions of dollars in shareholder value over the years shouldn't get their hopes up.

Ceylon Securities analyst Ray Neidl told Bloomberg News that AMR sees "greater value in keeping all of the parts together."

Maybe AMR will change its tune if other shareholders join forces with FL Group.

Should AMR spin-off its frequent flier business? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UAL Corporation (NASDAQ: UAUA), the parent of United Airlines, got beat up pretty good along with the rest of the airline group yesterday.

However, investors should not stampede away from this sector, or more specifically, from UAL. As discussed in a Bear Stearns report released yesterday, the airline, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, continues to explore ways to utilize its massive cash hoard of $5 billion to maximize shareholder value, $1 billion of which management believes is excess cash.

Also, UAL is seeking ways to unlock value for its Mileage Plus program, a business that generates $800 million per year in revenue and has a large deferred revenue stream which provides some visibility for future revenue. Aeroplan, the Canadian-based loyalty marketing service business that was spun off from Air Canada's holding company, sells for a 60% premium to its former parent and a 200% premium on an enterprise value/EBITDA basis to the pure airline, Air Canada.

The Bear report places a $65 price target on UAL, with the asset break-up value of the company going as high as $80. Operational turnaround, huge free cash flow generation and the potential to realize value for the mileage plus business are all cited as reasons that could lead to a considerably higher stock price.

Drop in United Airlines (UAUA) provides buying opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.