Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
December Stock & Option Set Ups
December's Set Ups
Here are next week's economic releases and earnings reports...
Economic Releases & Earnings Reports for Dec 29 - Jan 2
www.leavittbrothers.com
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Dec 24 - Before the Open
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 2.4%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.25%
European markets are flat to slightly down
MBA Purchase Applications (wk12/19 , 2008)
Jobless Claims (wk12/20 , 2008)
Personal Income and Outlays (Nov , 2008)
Durable Goods Orders (Nov , 2008)
EIA Petroleum Status Report (wk12/19 , 2008)
EIA Natural Gas Report (wk12/19 , 2008)
Crude Oil is $37.50 per barrel
Gold is $838 per barrel
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday
Stocks closed down today on dire housing figures. The Dow dropped 100.28 to 8419.49. The Nasdaq dipped 10.81 to 1521.54 and the S&P gave back 8.47 to 863.16.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Wednesday.
One day after warning that the company was likely to report its first annual operating losss, Toyota Motor Company (TM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced that its president Katsuaki Watanabe would be leaving his post in 2009.
GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported that it would stop using corporate money for political donations. The company donated more than $600,000 in political contributions in Canada and the United States in 2008.
Shares of Palm (PALM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) have been moving higher over the past few days as traders and investors cheered news that the smartphone maker had received $100 million in additional funding from private equity firm, Elevation Partners.
On a day when the world's largest Ferris wheel (located in Singapore) broke down, stranding more than 100 riders, Walt Disney (DIS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported that it was looking to expand its theme park in Hong Kong.
CIT Group (CIT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) learned on Tuesday that it had received preliminary approval to receive more than $2 billion in funds from the Treasury department's TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program).
Wachovia (WB | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) shareholders approved of the merger with Wells Fargo (WFC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) Tuesday morning.
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 1.57%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 2.75%
European markets are flat to slightly higher early on
ICSC-Goldman Store Sales (wk12/20 , 2008)
Corporate Profits (Nov , 2008)
Gross Domestic Product (Q3f , 2008)
Redbook (wk12/20 , 2008)
New Home Sales (Nov , 2008)
Existing Home Sales (Nov , 2008)
Consumer Sentiment (Dec , 2008)
State Street Investor Confiden (Dec , 2008)
Toyota may layoff U.S. workers as unsold autos pile up
Crude Oil is $39.88 per barrel
Gold is $846 per ounce
Monday, December 22, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Tuesday
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Tuesday.
Micron Technology (MU | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Tuesday after the market closes. Analysts are expecting an EPS loss of 43 cents.
Cost-savings on all fronts have encouraged more and more consumers to opt for inexpensive dining at establishments like McDonald's (MCD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which was among the few Dow stocks in the green on Monday.
Monsanto (MON | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) found itself cut to a "neutral" by Goldman Sachs (GS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which cited the company's likely difficulty in maintaining profits during the continued decline in commodity prices.
Far and away the worst performer in the Dow on Monday was General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). GM was down more than 20% late in trading on the day.
Reporting earnings Monday before the market opened, Walgreen's (WAG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) missed expectations by five cents. The stock broke down from a 10-day consolidation range as sellers overwhelmed buyers on the day.
Toyota Motor Company (TM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) warned that was likely to post the first annual operating loss in the company's history due to waning demand.
Upgrades and Downgrades
IFX, NUE, BKC, FNF, OSG
Downgrades:
GM, CNX, NVLS, NEM, KGC, GG, EGO
ABX, AEM, DRI, X, ETN, NAT, FRO, TNP
OSG, PRU, PLCM
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 1.6%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 3.35%
European markets are trading lower early on
Banking on another bad year in 2009
Gas Prices continue to slip
Toyota on track for first-ever loss in fiscal 2009
Crude Oil is $42.60 per barrel
Gold is $846 per ounce
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Economic Releases & Earnings Reports for next week
Saturday, December 20, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Monday
The Dow ended the day down 25.88. The Nasdaq Composite closed up 11.95. And the S&P 500 added 2.60.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Monday.
General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler LLC will get more than $13 billion in loans from the Federal government to help the struggling automakers survive into the spring of 2009. An additional $4 billion will be made available to General Motors in February.
Still drawing interest after its better than expected earnings announcement Thursday after the close, Darden Restaurants (DRI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) was among the better performing stocks on Friday.
Electronic Arts (ERTS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced that it would eliminate up to 1,000 jobs and close some facilities due to slowing sales.
Among a number of financial institutions to have their outlooks downgraded by Standard and Poor's on Friday were Goldman Sachs (GS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Morgan Stanley (MS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).
A positive forecast from Research in Motion (RIMM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) Thursday after the market closed helped buoy the stock on Friday.
Walgreen's (WAG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Monday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 46 cents.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down about 1%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down around 2.5%
European markets are trading down by 2% early on
Dead hedge funds: 693 and counting
How a shutdown really saves Chrysler money
Today is Options Expiration
Crude Oil is $34 per barrel
Gold is $837 per ounce
7 Stocks you need to know for Friday
The Dow closed lower by 219.35. The Nasdaq Composite slid down 26.94. And the S&P 500 ended the day off 19.14.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Friday.
Research in Motion (RIMM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported EPS of 83 cents Thursday after the market closed, beating analyst estimates by a penny. The stock was up by more than 10% immediately after the announcement in after hours trading.
General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) denied rumors that it was investigating a possible merger with Chrysler LLC.
Reporting earnings after the bell on Thursday, Oracle Corporation (ORCL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced profits that were in-line with analyst expectations. Revenues, however, were lighter than expected.
Discover Financial Services (DFS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) smashed through analysts earnings expectations Thursday morning. The company's results included a more than $500 million antitrust settlement from a case against Visa and Mastercard.
Wal-Mart (WMT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) will begin selling the Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) iPhone in its stores on December 28th.
Standard and Poor's lowered its credit outlook for General Electric (GE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to negative, citing lower expected earnings from the company.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Upgrades and Downgrades
ALTR
Downgrades:
SIMG, NYX, NSR, NSM, MLNX
ITLN, ISIL, INTC, CY, CNXT
ATHR, AMD, ROCK, ALGT
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.65%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.25%
European markets are trading up slightly early on
Chrysler shuts down all production
Ford CEO 2009 will be a tough year
Trader sees Crude Oil bottom at $25-30 per barrel
Jobless Claims (wk12/13 , 2008)
Leading Indicators (Nov , 2008)
Philadelphia Fed Survey (Dec , 2008)
EIA Natural Gas Report (wk12/12 , 2008)
Money Supply (wk12/8 , 2008)
Crude Oil is $40.50 per barrel
Gold is $875 per ounce
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday
The Dow slid lower by 99.80. The Nasdaq Composite closed down 10.58. And the S&P 500 ended the day off 8.76.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Thursday.
Reporting earnings Thursday after the market closes are both Oracle Corporation (ORCL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Research in Motion (RIMM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). Oracle is expected to announce earnings per share of 34 cents. EPS of 83 cents are what analysts are expecting from Research in Motion.
Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) shares were lower on both an Oppenheimer analyst downgrade to "perform" from "outperform" as well as news that Steve Jobs would not be delivering the company's keynote address at MacWorld in January. Jobs had been the keynote speaker for the event for 11 years.
Improved terms for its $2 billion credit facility encouraged traders to bid shares of Macy's (M | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) dramatically higher on Wednesday.
Featured in TradingMarkets 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Wednesday yesterday, General Mills (GIS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) beat analyst earnings estimates by significant margins Wednesday morning.
Nike (NKE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) beat analyst earnings estimates by three cents in its quarterly announcement after the bell on Wednesday.
FedEx Corporation (FDX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Thursday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 1.57.
Upgrades and Downgrades
BCE, RAH, KSU, GOL
Downgrades:
AAPL, CSL, EXPD, ROCK, BMI
NTY, SAY, MAR, WYN, ROCK, SNV, CPII
TKC, GLW, LYG, AIR, XLNX, CBY, OMG
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.50%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 2.2%
European markets are currently trading down
MBA Purchase Applications (wk12/12 , 2008)
Current Account (Q3 , 2008)
EIA Petroleum Status Report (wk12/12 , 2008)
Crude Oil is $45 per barrel
Gold is $855 per ounce
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Wednesday.
Goldman Sachs (GS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported its first quarterly loss since going public in 1999. Traders shrugged off the news, however, sending the stock higher even before the FOMC-induced rally later in the day.
Announcing their quarterly earnings after the market closed on Tuesday, Adobe Systems (ADBE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) beat analyst estimates by two cents.
Baidu.com (BIDU | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), the most popular Chinese search engine was upgraded from "neutral" to "conviction buy" by Goldman Sachs on Tuesday.
Nike (NKE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports earnings Wednesday after the market closes. Analysts are expecting EPS of 78 cents.
Also reporting quarterly earnings on Wednesday are General Mills (GIS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and ConAgra (CAG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). General Mills is expecting to report EPS of 1.23, while ConAgra is expected to announce earnings per share of 0.37.
Morgan Stanley (MS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Wednesday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting an earnings per share loss of 34 cents.
Monday, December 15, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Tuesday
The Dow slid 65.15. The Nasdaq Composite closed down 32.38. And the S&P 500 ended the day off 11.16.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Tuesday.
Goldman Sachs (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to neutral on Monday, pointing to concerns over softer consumer spending. Goldman Sachs reports quarterly earnings Tuesday morning before the market opens.
The White House has pledged to consider specific financial assistance to General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler in the wake of the automaker loan package dying in the Senate last week.
Coca Cola (KO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) has plans to switch to a new, natural, calorie-free sweetener based on the herb Stevia for its soft drinks and Odwalla juice line. Coca Cola's new sweetner has yet to be approved by the FDA.
Reporting quarterly earnings Tuesday morning before the market opens, Best Buy (BBY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to announced EPS of 25 cents.
With Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley both reporting earnings this week, traders also may want to pay attention to JP Morgan Chase (JPM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which was off significantly on Monday but will not report earnings until January.
Adobe Systems (ADBE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) is expected to announce earnings per share of 58 cents when it reports Tuesday after the market closes.
Upgrades and Downgrades
CLB, GET, CHH, TI, MTN, BBY
MO, TLAB, TNDM
Downgrades:
GOK, BBY, CERN, COCO, AHT
OCNF, KR, AUO, LO, ALU, INFN
RRC, SWN, DVN, BEC
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 5.2%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 2%
European markets are trading higher early on
FOMC Meeting Begins (Dec , 2008)
Treasury International Capital (Oct , 2008)
Industrial Production (Nov , 2008)
Housing Market Index (Dec , 2008)
Crude Oil is $48.40 per barrel
Gold is $827.50 per ounce
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Semiconductor Stocks
Semiconductor Stocks
Here are next week's economic releases and earnings reports...
Economic Releases & Earnings Reports for Dec 15 - 19
www.leavittbrothers.com
7 Stocks you need to know for Monday
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Monday.
Despite the failure of the Senate to pass automaker assistance legislation, both General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) rallied over the course of the trading day on the possibility that TARP funds might be used to help the struggling car manufacturers.
Technology stocks led the markets on Friday with semiconductor stocks like KLA-Tencor Corporation (KLAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) among the day's better performers and up more than 6%. Meanwhile, former Intel (INTC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) CEO Andrew Grove said in a Friday interview with the Wall Street Journal that Intel should begin developing batteries for plug-in electric cars to help diversify its operations.
Equitable Resources Inc. (EQT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), an oil and natural gas company, will replace Transocean Inc. (RIG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) in the S&P 500. RIG is changing its incorporation to Switzerland and as such can no longer remain in the S&P 500 Index.
Bank of America (BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced that it would eliminate up to 35,000 jobs over the next three years as part of its acquisition of Merrill Lynch.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Stocks, Dollar, Oil Tumble as Auto Bailout Plan Fails; Treasuries Advance
Upgrades and Downgrades
HXM, URBN, IBKC, ACAS
Downgrades:
VARI, WAT, DRYS, EXPD, LMNX
FII, SAP, F, AXL, MGA, TRW, LEA
VE, FMX, WAT, SWK
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 5.6%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 5.5%
European markets are down 4-5% in early trade
Auto Bailout collapses in Senate
Producer Price Index (Nov , 2008)
Retail Sales (Nov , 2008)
Business Inventories (Oct , 2008)
Consumer Sentiment (Dec , 2008)
Crude Oil is $45 per barrel
Gold is $813 per ounce
Thursday, December 11, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Friday
The Dow declined by 196.33. The Nasdaq Composite closed down 57.60. And the S&P 500 lost 25.65.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Friday.
Health care stocks were some of the better performers on Thursday, with United Health Group (UNH | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) gaining nearly 9%.
Renewed concerns that the $14 billion aid package for American automakers might not survive the Senate led to lower prices for shares of both General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) on Thursday.
Eli Lilly & Company (LLY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) said that it would go ahead and seek approval for a once-a-week diabetes treatment co-developed with Amylin Pharmaceuticals (AMLN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).
Procter & Gamble (PG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) warned that quarterly sales were lower than expected, but affirmed its profit and revenue forecasts for both the quarter and the full year.
Citing the software giant's own predictions for slowing sales, Morgan Stanley cut its profit forecast for Microsoft Corporation (MSFT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).
Upgrades and Downgrades
CL, WW, TSCO ONXX,
RTP, TEF, BLL
Downgrades:
HCBK, BA, ETEL, EE,
PACR, WERN
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.70%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 0.25%
European markets are currently mixed to flat
House passes Detroit bailout
Jobless Claims (wk12/6 , 2008)
Import and Export Prices (Nov , 2008)
International Trade (Oct , 2008)
RBC CASH Index (Dec , 2008)
Quarterly Services Survey (Q3 , 2008)
EIA Natural Gas Report (wk12/5 , 2008)
Money Supply (wk12/1 , 2008)
Crude Oil is $45.50 per barrel
Gold is $826.50 per ounce
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday
Costco Wholesale (COST | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings on Thursday, with analysts expecting EPS of 62 cents.
Among the coal producers that have continued to do well are Massey Energy Company (MEE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which gained more than 14% on Wednesday.
Pointing to a survey showing a decreased number of consumers saying that they were buying iPods as gifts this holiday season compared to last year, Morgan Stanley (MS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) lowered its price target on Apple (AAPL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) to $95 per share from $105.
Shares of General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) slid midday after Republican senators jointly announced their opposition to the controversial auto assistance package currently under debate in Washington.
Still searching for a CEO to replacing outgoing, co-founder Jerry Yang, Yahoo! (YHOO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) eliminated 1,500 jobs on Wednesday.
Upgrades and Downgrades
FORR, AWR, HE, ASR
Downgrades:
ERTS, FTI, BJ, FLIR, WSO, NKE
IFX, CTRN, AXYS, GE, ERIC, CYT
ADCT, HTLD, KNX, SINA
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 3.15%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 5.6%
European markets are flat in early trade
Minerals Giant Rio Tinto to cut 14,000 Jobs
MBA Purchase Applications (wk12/5 , 2008)
Wholesale Trade (Oct , 2008)
EIA Petroleum Status Report (wk12/5 , 2008)
Treasury Budget (Nov , 2008)
Crude Oil is $43.25 per barrel
Gold is $786 per ounce
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Wednesday
Sony Corporation (SNE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced that it would cut 16,000 jobs as part of an overall cost-cutting strategy.
Lowered profit forecasts for 2009 from FedEx Corporation (FDX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), contributed to selling throughout the transportation industry, including truckers and other shippers.
Mixed in with the more traditional industrially-oriented stocks expected to benefit from President elect Obama's public infrastructure plan is networking king, Cisco Systems (CSCO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) as more communities are wired for high-speed Internet access.
A final deal between the White House, Congress and the Big Three automakers of General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler may involve the government taking equity stakes in the companies.
Citing a weakness in steel demand due to the credit crisis, Nucor Corporation (NUE | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced that its quarterly profits were likely to be worse than expected.
The CFO of Netflix (NFLX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reported on Tuesday that the current quarter was "remarkably strong".
Upgrades and Downgrades
OCR, GMXR
Downgrades:
CTXS, DIS, TXN, STP, BLK, RIO
ITW, MMM, UPS, RFMD, CBEY
ATU, ROP
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.80%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 2%
European markets are trading higher by 1.5-2% early on
ICSC-Goldman Store Sales (wk12/6 , 2008)
Redbook (wk12/6 , 2008)
Pending Home Sales Index (Oct , 2008)
Sony will eliminate 16K jobs
Crude Oil is $43.50 per barrel
Gold is $771 per ounce
Monday, December 08, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Tuesday
The Dow closed up 298.76. The Nasdaq Composite ended the day higher 62.43. And the S&P 500 added 33.63.
Here are 7 Stocks You Need to Know for Tuesday.
The White House and Congress on Monday appeared close to agreeing to a $15 billion dollar assistance package for struggling U.S.automakers Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler.
Texas Instruments (TXN | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) issued a forecast update Monday afternoon after the bell that was much lower than what analysts had been expecting.
A dramatic earnings miss in National Semiconductor (NSM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) on Monday as the company fell short of expectations by seven cents.
Kroger (KR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Tuesday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 38 cents.
FedEx (FDX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) lowered its 2009 earnings per share forecast after the bell on Monday.
Dow Chemical (DOW | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) announced plans to eliminate 5,000 jobs and shut down 20 plants.
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed up 5.2%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 8.66%
European markets are trading up around 6% early on
ICSC-Goldman Store Sales (wk12/6 , 2008)
GM's Implosion turns Detroit into Urban Prairie
Crude Oil is up nearly $2 per barrel and is $42.75
Gold is up $16.60 per ounce and is $769
Sunday, December 07, 2008
How We Traded the Last Couple Weeks
How We Traded the Last Couple Weeks
Here's an updated copy of tradeable ETFs...
Summary of ETFs
Here are next week's economic releases and earnings reports...
Economic Releases & Earnings Reports for Dec 8 - 12
www.leavittbrothers.com
7 Stocks you need to know for Monday
General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler continued to press their case before the House Financial Services Committee on Friday. The Big Three CEOs received a relatively less harsh reception compared to their Senate appearance on Thursday.
Bank of America (BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) shareholders approved of the acquisition of Merrill Lynch (MER | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating).
UBS analysts suggested that Microsoft Corporation (MSFT | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) could miss quarterly earnings estimates for the first time since 2000.
Some of the good news early on Friday was the profit forecast from Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which was better than expected. The stock soared by more than 110%.
National Semiconductor {NSM|NSM] reports quarterly earnings Monday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 21 cents.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Upgrades and Downgrades
BT, SWY, ARTC, SAFM
Downgrades:
BWLD, TE, ENER, BBG, BRY
CBST, SIRO, AMRI, PRAA
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed flat
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed up 2.5%
European markets are trading down 2% early on
Layoffs pickup as year end nears
Job recovery could be slow and weak
Employment Situation (Nov , 2008)
Consumer Credit (Oct , 2008)
Crude Oil is $44 per barrel
Gold is $770.50 per ounce
Thursday, December 04, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Friday
General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), and Chrysler appeared before Congress on Thursday in an effort to secure billions in bridge loans and other financial assistance.
Struggling to combat declining sales with job cuts and spending restraint, Merck & Company (MRK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) warned that profits in 2009 may be less than expected.
Nokia (NOK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) hopes to gain market share in the otherwise shrinking handset market.
AT&T (T | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Dupont (DD | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) were among the companies announcing plans to cut thousands of jobs. AT&T alone announced jobs cuts that will amount to 4% of its overall workforce.
Big Lots (BIG | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Friday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting EPS of 16 cents.
Upgrades and Downgrades
ALTH, RRI, NILE, AMZN, YRCW
MUR, RHT, SNPS, AMAT
Downgrades:
HOTT, IACI, ADBE, KLAC
Morning News
In Japan the Nikkei 225 closed down 1%
In Hong Kong the Hang Seng closed down 0.60%
European markets are trading higher early on
Chain Store Sales (Nov , 2008)
Monster Employment Index (Nov , 2008)
Jobless Claims (wk11/29 , 2008)
Factory Orders (Oct , 2008)
EIA Natural Gas Report (wk11/28 , 2008)
Treasury STRIPS (Nov , 2008)
Money Supply (wk11/24 , 2008)
Crude Oil is currently $46 per barrel
Gold is currently $772 per ounce
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
7 Stocks you need to know for Thursday
Among the weakest stocks in the market on Wednesday were metal and mining stocks. Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold (FCX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) fell by more than 20% as the company reported that it was suspending its dividend and considering writedowns if metal prices remained soft.
Also struggling on Wednesday were oil service stocks such as Schlumberger (SLB | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), which warned of lower profits for fiscal 2008.
Speculation grew late on Wednesday that Toshiba would make a takeover bid for SanDisk (SNDK | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating). SanDisk has been in the news in recent months as a potential acquiree, with Samsung the most recent failed suitor.
General Motors (GM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating), Ford Motor Company (F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) and Chrysler won major concessions from the United Auto Workers union one day after announcing restructuring plans that combined ask for $36 billion in assistance.
Toll Brothers (TOL | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) reports quarterly earnings Thursday morning before the market opens. Analysts are expecting an EPS loss of 47 cents.