Jim Cramer Blog

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Thursday from TradingMarkets.com:
Airgas (NYSE:ARG - News) beat earnings expectations on Wednesday, with $0.67 EPS over an expected $0.63 EPS. ARG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
Akamai Tech (NasdaqGS:AKAM - News) beat earnings on Wednesday afternoon, announcing $0.34 EPS over an expected $0.33 EPS. AKAM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Advanced Medical Optics (NYSE:EYE - News) reports earnings on Thursday morning, with analysts looking for -$0.43 EPS. EYE's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) should announce $0.92 EPS before the bell on Thursday morning. AET's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
When Bunge (NYSE:BG - News) reports earnings on Thursday before the market opens, look for $1.78 EPS. BG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Analysts will be watching for Diamond Offshore (NYSE:DO - News) to report $1.49 EPS on Thursday morning. DO's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Motorola (NYSE:MOT - News) announces quarterly results tomorrow morning; watch for $0.04 EPS. MOT's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.

Labels: AET, AKAM, ARG, BG, DO, Hot Stocks, MOT

Aetna Inc. announced a 16 percent jump in profits for its second quarter Thursday as the insurer capitalized on premium and fee increases, membership growth, cost containment and higher investment income.
The Hartford-based company reported profits of $451.3 million, or 85 cents per share, compared with earnings of $389.5 million, or 67 cents per share during the same period last year.
Revenue for the three months ended June 30 increased to $6.79 billion, up nearly 9 percent from $6.25 billion in the same quarter last year.
Per-share earnings beat the estimate of 80 cents by analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Labels: AET, Aetna Inc.

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Thursday from TradingMarkets.com:
3M (NYSE:MMM - News) is expected to report $1.18 EPS before the bell rings on Thursday morning. MMM's PowerRating is 6.
When Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) announces quarterly earnings on Thursday morning, watch for $0.80 EPS. AET's PowerRating is 5.
Beazer Homes (NYSE:BZH - News) should announce -$0.46 EPS before the market opens on Thursday morning. BZH's PowerRating is 7.
Analysts will be watching for Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM - News) to report $1.94 EPS on Thursday. XOM's PowerRating is 5.
Ford (NYSE:F - News) hopes to announce -$0.40 EPS tomorrow morning. F's PowerRating is 5.
Wendy's (NYSE:WEN - News) and XM Satellite (NasdaqGS:XMSR - News) both report on Thursday morning; WEN is looking for $0.33 EPS and XMSR expects -$0.44 EPS. WEN's PowerRating is 6, and XMSR's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: AET, BZH, F, Hot Stocks, MMM, WEN, XMSR, XOM

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Thursday from TradingMarkets.com:
Skechers USA (NYSE:SKX ) missed earnings after the close on Wednesday; analysts were looking for $0.53 EPS, but SKX only announced $0.52 EPS. SKX's PowerRating is 6.
CYTYC Corporation (NasdaqGS:CYTC) beat earnings on Wednesday, with $0.32 EPS over an expected $0.31 EPS. CYTC's PowerRating is 5.
Aetna (NYSE:AET) reports earnings on Thursday morning before the bell; watch for $0.77 EPS. AET's PowerRating is 6.
Beazer Homes (NYSE:BZH) announces results on Thursday before the market opens, with analysts looking for -$0.17 EPS. BZH's PowerRating is 3.
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) should announce $1.52 EPS before the action beings on Thursday. XOM's PowerRating is 5.
When Ford (NYSE:F) announces earnings early Wednesday, analysts will be watching for -$0.60 EPS. F's PowerRating is 4.
Watch for Monster Worldwide (NasdaqGS:MNST) to report $0.33 EPS on Thursday morning. MNST's PowerRating is 4.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: AET, BZH, CYTC, F, Hot Stocks, MNST, SKX, XOM

Signs that tensions were easing between Iran and Britain over captured British sailors sparked a sharp drop in crude oil prices today and helped spur a rally on Wall Street. Investors were also encouraged by a report that indicated home sales might be picking up. Trading was light, however, on a day that marks the start of Passover. The 10-year Treasury note closed lower.
The National Association of Realtors reported that pending sales of existing homes increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.7% in February compared with January. The industry group tracks signed contracts for used homes. Its index is still -8.5% below year-ago levels. In the oil markets, comments from a senior Iranian diplomat that the dispute over 15 British sailors and marines Iran says it captured trespassing in its waters would be resolved soon helped to cool a recent rise in futures prices.
Health insurers spiked today on a surprise announcement from the federal government that it would increase payments to firms operating private Medicare benefits plans by a greater amount than was expected. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said preliminary payments to companies that run Medicare Advantage programs will increase 3.5% in 2008. The market was looking for increases of between 2% and 3%. Among the shares rising today was Aetna (NYSE: AET - News). Also gaining today was Humana (NYSE: HUM - News), up 3.6%; Wellcare Healthplans (NYSE: WCG - News), which added 2.2%; and Coventry Health Care (NYSE: CVH - News), which closed 1.9% higher.
American automakers continued to fall short of efforts to post market share gains. Ford Motor (NYSE: F - News) reported a -9% drop in March vehicle sales; General Motors (NYSE: GM - News) said its sales declined -7.7%; and the Chrysler unit of DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - News) reported a -4% decline. Japan's Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM - News), meanwhile, continued its assault on Detroit, posting a 12% gain in U.S. sales during the same period. Despite the advance, Toyota has not yet overtaken Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker.
Shares of Google (Nasdaq: GOOG - News) rose 3.1% after it announced a deal with EchoStar Communications (Nasdaq: DISH - News) to create a system for auctioning advertising time over EchoStar's satellite TV network. Under the deal, Google will develop an online auction system, with advertisers bidding on the amount of money they are willing to pay per thousand households watching each commercial. Google has undertaken similar efforts in the radio and newspaper ad markets.
The planned merger of the two Chicago exchanges is on hold. Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings (NYSE: CME - News) announced it was postponing an April 4th shareholder meeting to vote on its proposed acquisition of CBOT Holding (NYSE: BOT - News). CBOT previously postponed a shareholder vote on the CME bid so its board could consider a competing offer from Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE - News). ICE is reported to have submitted a bid that is as much as $1 billion more than the $8 billion CME offered for its Chicago rival.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: AET, BOT, CME, CVH, DISH, F, GM, GOOG, HUM, ICE, TM, WCG

Bullish
Gaps Down 5% or More: These are stocks that gap down by 5% or more and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that gap down by more than 5% have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
American Oriental Bioengineering (NYSE:AOB - News). AOB's PowerRating is 6.
Laps Down 5% or More: These are stocks that lap down by 5% or more and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that lap down by more than 5% have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Cornell Companies (NYSE:CRN - News). CRN's PowerRating is 6.
5+ Consecutive Down Days: These are stocks that have closed down for five or more consecutive days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that close down for five or more days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Aetna (NYSE:AET - News). AET's PowerRating is 6.
2-Period RSI Below 2: These are stocks that have a 2-period RSI reading below 2 and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving with a 2-period RSI reading below 2 have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Clear Channel Communications (NYSE:CCU - News). CCU's PowerRating is 7.
Stocks Down 10% or More: These are stocks that have lost 10% or more over the past five days and are trading above their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading above their 200-day moving average that have lost 10% or more over the past five days have shown positive returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Empire Resorts (NasdaqGM:NYNY - News). NYNY's PowerRating is 8.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Higher Highs: These are stocks that have made a higher high for five or more consecutive days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that make higher highs for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day, 2-days and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
China Medical Technologies (NasdaqGS:CMED - News). CMED's PowerRating is 4.
Stocks Up 10% or More: These are stocks that have gained 10% or more over the past five days and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average that have gained 10% or more over the past five days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
International Asset Holdings (NasdaqCM:IAAC - News). IAAC's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: AET, AOB, CCU, CMED, CRN, Hot Stocks, IAAC, NYNY

24/7 Real Media Inc. (NasdaqGM:TFSM - News) reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $227,000, or breakeven per share, compared with net earnings of $1.4 million, or 3 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $60 million from $41.7 million.
Amgen Inc. (NasdaqGS:AMGN - News) disclosed it's received an informal inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking more information about a Danish study of the company's Aranesp anemia drug.
Avocent Corp. (NasdaqGS:AVCT - News) revised its previously-announced fourth-quarter earnings down by $0.7 million and its revenue by $2.8 million after becoming aware that several previously recorded transactions did not meet revenue recognition criteria. The firm also said certain royalties earned by its LANDesk unit should have been recorded prior to the closing of its acquisition. Avocent said it now doesn't expect to pay the previously accrued contingent consideration of $27 million related to the acquisition. Taking account of the revision, Avocent said fourth-quarter revenue rose 55% to $166.1 million and operating income per share was 59 cents in the quarter, compared to 49 cents a year ago.
Ciena (NasdaqGS:CIEN - News) said it swung to a first-quarter profit of $11.1 million, or 12 cents a share, after revenue jumped 37% to $165 million. Excluding amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation and other items, it would've earned 22 cents a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected earnings of 23 cents a share on revenue of $164 million. "As bandwidth demands escalate across multiple traffic types, service provider and enterprise customers alike are increasingly looking for solutions that allow them to transition their networks toward powerful converged network architectures capable of delivering any service at any time," said Gary Smith, CEO, in a statement.
Circuit City Stores (NYSE:CC - News) was downgraded to market perform from outperform at Piper Jaffray.
Comfort Systems USA Inc. (NYSE:FIX - News) reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $7.5 million, or 18 cents a share. During the year-ago period, the company posted a net loss of $17.6 million, or 44 cents a share. Revenue at the Houston-based provider of commercial, industrial and institutional heating, ventilation and air conditioning services rose to $268.1 million from $233.7 million.
Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ - News) said it expects earnings of $1.21 to $1.31 a share for fiscal 2008. On a comparable basis, excluding items, the Fairport, N.Y., alcohol producer and marketer forecast earnings of $1.30 to $1.40 a share. It sees a net sales decrease of 12% to 14% for the year, citing the impact of using the equity method to report the results of its Crown Imports joint venture. The company expects free cash flow of between $140 million and $160 million for fiscal 2008. Constellation also said its board has approved the buyback of up to $500 million worth of its common stock. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial is for a profit of $1.83 a share in fiscal 2008. As for fiscal 2007, the company expects earnings of $1.34 to $1.39 a share. On a comparable basis, it sees a profit of $1.65 to $1.70 a share for the fiscal year ended Feb. 28. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for earnings of $1.67 a share for the year. It sees net sales growth in the low double digit to low teens for fiscal 2007. The company also said it expects its Svedka vodka acquisition to close in mid-March.
Corrections Corp. of America (NYSE:CXW - News) said its chief financial officer, Irving Lingo, will retire. The Nashville, Tenn. correctional facility operator said it has selected Todd Mullenger, currently the company's Treasurer, as the new CFO, effective March 16.
Douglas Emmett Inc. (NYSE:DEI - News) reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $20.6 million, or 18 cents a share. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based real estate investment trust posted total revenue of $87 million for quarter, which ended Dec. 31.
Energy Partners Ltd. (NYSE:EPL - News) posted a loss of $52.5 million, or $1.35 a share, for the fourth quarter, down from a year-ago profit of $28.1 million, or 69 cents a share. The New Orleans-based oil and natural gas exploration company attributed the majority of its loss in the latest period to $77.9 million in pre-tax non-cash costs related to property impairments. On an adjusted basis, the company said its earnings would have been $4.9 million, or 13 cents per basic share, in the latest quarter.
Focus Media Holding Ltd. (NasdaqGM:FMCN - News) agreed to acquire Allyes Information Technology Co., a China-based Internet, for $70 million in cash and $155 million of stock.
Goodman Global (NYSE:GGL - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $11.2 million, or 16 cents a share, up from a year-ago loss of $803,000, or 2 cents a share. Excluding items, the Houston-based maker of heating, ventilation and air conditioning products posted an adjusted profit of $13 million in the year-ago period. Looking ahead, the company forecast earnings of $1.30 to $1.40 a share for 2007. Wall Street's current consensus estimate is for a profit of $1.30 a share for the year.
Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTZ - News) said it will eliminate 1,350 jobs in a new restructuring initiative intended to save $125 million in yearly compensation.
IndyMac Bancorp (NYSE:NDE - News) said it sees tough conditions ahead for loan originations and credit, and warned earnings in 2007 will be lower than 2006. In a letter to shareholders, the company forecast a return on equity (ROE) of 10%-15% for the year. "Our ROEs for the early quarters of the year will be at the low end of the range above; however, during the second half of the year, if we execute on our plans as we expect, and with a little luck, our ROEs could be at or even somewhat above the high end of the range," the company said.
Input/Output Inc. (NYSE:IO - News) shares tumbled after the Houston-based provider of seismic acquisition equipment and software reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $13.7 million, or 15 cents a share, vs. $16.1 million, or 17 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $166.2 million from $131 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting a per-share profit of 15 cents. Input/Output forecast 2007 earnings of 45 cents to 60 cents a share on revenue of $610 million to $670 million.
Intevac (NasdaqGM:IVAC - News) was downgraded to market weight from overweight at Thomas Weisel Partners.
Laboratory Corp. of America (NYSE:LH - News) said it expects 2007 earnings will be reduced by 4-12 cents a share after Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET - News) cancelled its contract with the company, effective July 1. "We are disappointed with Aetna's decision but we are confident in our strategy for profitable growth," CEO David King said in a release.
Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE:LTD - News) said its profit fell in the latest quarter compared with the same period a year earlier, which was lifted by favorable onetime gains.
Medicis Inc. (NYSE:MRX - News) reported fourth-quarter net income of $17.9 million, or 27 cents a share, compared with $37.3 million, or 56 cents a share, for the same quarter last year. Revenue rose to $99.1 million, from $80.7 million last year. Medicis also said it expects to post earnings of 12 cents a share and revenue of $95 million for the first quarter 2007. For 2007, the company sees earnings of $1.12 a share, on revenue of $455 million.
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: AET, AMGN, AVCT, CC, CIEN, CXW, DEI, EPL, FIX, FMCN, GGL, HTZ, IO, IVAC, LH, LTD, MRX, NDE, STZ, TFSM

Deere (NYSE: DE - News), Qwest (NYSE: Q - News), Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC - News), Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT - News), Safeway (NYSE: SWY - News), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP - News) and CSX Corp (NYSE: CSX - News): Cramer listed DE, Q, NSC, CAT and SWY as underappreciated "buys", adding that he sees no reason why DE will stop at $113. He observes that rails are on a "gigantic tear," but notes that although NSC is "delivering its numbers" it is his least favorite railroad stock. He prefers UNP, says that rumors of its guiding down are "nonesense" and predicts that it will reach $125 from $103. He also likes CSX, which is raising its dividend and buying back stock. Concerning Safeway, Cramer likes its gift card business, which he says is worth around $7 billion.
Aetna (NYSE: AET - News), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY - News), United Health (NYSE: UNH - News), Laboratory Corp of America Holdings (NYSE: LH - News), Schering Plough (NYSE: SGP - News): Cramer comments that the entire healthcare sector is "exploding" because Warren Buffett took a stake in UNH, and LH reported strong numbers. He likes AET, but says "No" to big pharma, especially LLY. While Cramer is bullish on SGP, he would take a breather since it has gone from $17 to $24 "in a straight line."

Published By SeekingAlpha

Labels: AET, CAT, CSX, DE, Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer's Stop Trading, LH, LLY, NSC, Q, SGP, SWY, UNH, UNP

Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) said its fourth-quarter profit rose 4% on membership growth and higher premiums, and the health insurer raised its full-year profit forecast.
Air T (NasdaqCM:AIRT - News) shares dropped after the Maiden, N.C., provider of air cargo services posted third-quarter earnings of $304,000, or 11 cents a share, down from a year-ago profit of $675,000, or 25 cents a share. The company attributed the lower earnings to a decrease in international deicer sales and air cargo maintenance revenue.
Amvescap Plc (NYSE:AVZ - News) said preliminary month-end assets under management for January rose to $469 billion from $462.6 billion the previous month. The London-based company said long-term assets increased to $401.4 billion from $398.3 billion at the end of December. Meanwhile, money-market assets rose to $67.6 billion from $64.3 billion.
Beacon Roofing Supply (NasdaqGS:BECN - News) shares fell after the Peabody, Mass.-based company reported fiscal first-quarter net earnings of $8.81 million, or 20 cents a share, down from $12.9 million, or 31 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $380.2 million from $339.9 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had forecast a per-share profit of 27 cents on revenue of $385.9 million.
Central Garden & Pet Co. (NasdaqGS:CENT - News) reported first-quarter net earnings of $2.97 billion, or 12 cents a share. During the same quarter a year ago, the company posted net earnings of $2.56 million, or 12 cents a share. On a post-dividend basis, the per-share loss was 4 cents, compared with a per-share profit of 4 cents a year ago.
Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE:EK - News) increased its plans for job cuts and related charges, as it seeks to wind down a four-year restructuring program by year-end.
Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. (NasdaqGM:EBHI - News) said shareholders did not approve the company's proposed sale to a firm owned by affiliates of Sun Capital Partners Inc. and Golden Gate Capital for $9.25 a share. As a result, the Redmond, Wash.-based apparel retailer said it will continue to operate as a standalone publicly traded company.
Family Dollar Stores (NYSE:FDO - News) said same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, rose about 0.1% in January. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial was for same-store sales growth of 2.1%. Total sales for the five weeks ended Feb. 3 climbed 38.2% to $585.3 million compared with $423.4 million for the four week period ended Jan. 28, 2006. But total sales comparing the five weeks to the similar five weeks a year ago rose just 4%. The discount retailer said it now expects February same-store sales to be flat, although it still expects second-quarter earnings of 58 to 64 cents. Analysts polled by Thomson are expecting earnings of 62 cents a share.
Gottschalks Inc. (NYSE:GOT - News) said January same-store sales slipped 1%, while total sales rose 21% to $43.5 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected a 3% same-store sales rise. "January was a clearance month for us as we deepened promotions in some soft line categories and, in particular, focused on selling through inventory in our home division as we continue to reposition our merchandise assortments in that category," the company said.
Gymboree (NasdaqGS:GYMB - News) shares fell after the San Francisco-based retailer said January same-store sales were flat compared with last year, while overall sales rose 24% to $62.5 million in the period. For the fourth-quarter, same-store sales rose 7% while overall sales rose 19% to $238.5 million. Gymboree expects fourth-quarter earnings of 64 to 66 cents a share, or 70 to 72 cents a share, excluding certain items. For 2007, the company forecast per-share earnings of $1.72 to $1.74, or $1.97 to $1.99 excluding items. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial are forecasting fourth-quarter earnings of 76 cents a share.
Hot Topic Inc. (NasdaqGS:HOTT - News) said its January sales at stores open at least a year fell 6.6% vs. a 0.7% fall in the same month last year. Analysts, on average, had expected the teen retailer to post a same-store-sales drop of 6.1%, according to Thomson Financial.
HSBC (NYSE:HBC - News) warned that bad-debt charges are set to exceed forecasts by about $1.76 billion, as higher interest rates and a lack of refinancing options in the slowing U.S. housing market leave customers unable to pay their mortgages.
Imperial Tobacco Group (NYSE:ITY - News) agreed to acquire Commonwealth Brands from closely held Houchens Industries Inc. for $1.9 billion (974 million pounds). Factoring in the net present value of tax benefits from the deal, the net cost is $1.5 billion. Commonwealth Brands, Bowling Green, Ky., is the No. 4 U.S. cigarette producer, with 3.7% of the American market, Imperial said.
Isilon Systems Inc. (NasdaqGM:ISLN - News) shares fell after the Seattle-based developer of clustered storage systems and software late Wednesday reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $10.4 million, or 72 cents a share, vs. a net loss of $4.08 million, or 78 cents a share, last year. There were 14.55 million shares outstanding in the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with 5.25 million a year ago Excluding items, the company posted a loss of $3.3 million, or 6 cents a share, compared with a loss of $4.1 million, or 9 cents a share, last year. Revenue rose to $20.7 million from $8.7 million. Isilon expects first-quarter revenue of $21 million to $23 million. For the full year 2007, the company expects revenue of $115 million to $125 million.
J.C. Penney Co. (NYSE:JCP - News) said its January sales at department stores open at least a year increased 3.6%. Analysts, on average, expected it to post a same-store sales gain of 3.5%, according to Thomson Financial. Total department-store sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 27 rose 5.5%, the Plano, Texas, company said. For February, Penney forecast comparable department-store sales to increase in the low-single digits.
JoS A Bank Clothiers (NasdaqGS:JOSB - News) said annual earnings will be at least $2.25 a share, up 15% from last year, with total sales up 18% to $546 million. January same-store sales dropped 4.7%, while direct marketing sales improved 42%, the company said. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected a 1% rise in January same-store sales, and annual earnings of $2.17 a share.
Level 3 Communications (NasdaqGS:LVLT - News) said its fourth-quarter loss widened to $237 million from $169 million a year earlier as it announced that it would reduce headcount in 2007 by about 1,000 employees. The company said the fourth-quarter loss included a loss of $54 million for the extinguishment of debt. Level 3 posted a loss of 20 cents a share for the quarter, compared with a loss of 24 cents a share a year earlier, when the company had fewer shares outstanding. The Broomfield, Colo., telecommunications and information-services company said Thursday that revenue rose to $846 million from $418 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, expected a loss of 14 cents a share on revenue of $831.8 million. Level 3 forecast total communications revenue of $1 billion to $1.05 billion for the first quarter and $4.03 billion to $4.31 billion for the full year. The company also said its financing unit would offer $500 million in senior notes.
Shares of New Century Financial (NYSE:NEW - News) tumbled as much as 30% Thursday, hitting their lowest in nearly four years at one point, as investors punished the mortgage services provider over its warning that loan production for 2007 would fall short of expectations.
New York & Co. (NYSE:NWY - News) said its January sales at stores open at least one year rose 2.3%. Analysts, on average, had expected same-store sales to rise 2.9%, according to Thomson Financial. Net sales for the five weeks ended Feb. 3 rose 32.4% to $83.7 million. The retailer backed its fourth-quarter profit forecast of 37 cents to 46 cents a share. The company continues to expect to report an increase in gross margin for the fourth quarter due to improved merchandise margins and also still expects non-recurring litigation expenses of about 2 cents a share, which are included in its outlook.
Published By MarketWatch

Labels: AET, AIRT, AVZ, BECN, CENT, EBHI, EK, FDO, GOT, GYMB, HBC, HOTT, ISLN, ITY, JCP, JOSB, LVLT, NEW, NWY

Health insurer Aetna Inc. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit increased 4 percent as growing medical enrollment lifted health care premiums. The company also raised profit guidance for the full year.
Net income was $434.1 million, or 80 cents per share, up from $416.3 million, or 70 cents per share, a year ago. Excluding favorable reserve development and a previously announced severance charge, profit was 76 cents per share in the latest period.
Total revenue was up 8 percent to $6.36 billion from $5.87 billion a year earlier.
The results were in line with analysts' consensus estimates, according to a Thomson Financial poll.

Labels: AET, Aetna Inc.

Stocks traded mixed, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending the day flat. The broader market averages posted modest gains, while technology stocks showed strength today. After initially spiking higher, crude oil prices retreated to slip below $58 a barrel. Bonds moved higher with the yield on the 10-year Treasury note dipping to 4.75%.
The day's economic news was mostly positive. The Labor Department reported that U.S. productivity grew during the final three months of last year. Non-farm productivity grew at a 3.0% rate in Q4, which reversed a revised -0.1% decline in the previous quarter. The National Association of Realtors, meanwhile, said it believes the housing market bottomed out in the fourth quarter and that sales of existing homes will grow over the course of the current year. New home sales are forecasted to slide again during the current quarter before the trend gradually turns positive.
In business news, Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO - News) paced technology stocks today after posting better-than-expected fiscal Q2 results after last night's market close. Cisco also guided higher for the current quarter, calling increased use of video-downloading services the driver behind growth of its Internet equipment business. Semiconductor stocks were also strong. Market leader Intel (Nasdaq: INTC - News) was up modestly, while smaller players recorded sharp gains. Infineon Technologies (NYSE: IFX - News) gained 10% after announcing that it had won a contract to supply chips to mobile phone maker Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News). Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM - News) added 5% on the eve of its earnings announcement, which is scheduled for tomorrow night. The company was also upgraded to "overweight" by Morgan Stanley.
Health insurer Cigna (NYSE: CI - News), whose shares have risen sharply since the middle of last year when concerns over costs sent the stock into a brief tailspin, reported record Q4 profits. The market cap of the Philadelphia-based insurer rose 2% today and reached a new 52-week high in intraday action. Strong enrollment in its medical plans powered earnings of $232 million, or $2.28 a share, which was up 10% from $210 million, or $1.67 a share, a year earlier. Analysts also noted the company's attention to cost discipline, as Cigna's medical cost ratio beat analyst expectations in the quarter. Another major health insurer, Aetna (NYSE: AET - News), will report its earnings tomorrow before the opening bell. An unexpected spike in Aetna's medical cost ratio last year also caused a sharp sell-off from which the stock has partly recovered. Aetna ended up 1% today.
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (NYSE: NWS - News) posted a bottom-line earnings decline of -24% in its fiscal Q2, but the previous year's quarterly results contained a gain from the sale of assets. The company reported profits of $822 million, or 26 cents a share, down from $1.1 billion, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier, but 1 cent better than expected. Revenue rose 18% to $7.8 billion. Profits at appliance maker Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR - News) declined -13%. The company said costs from discontinued operations, higher raw material costs, and reduced demand for home appliances contributed to the weak results. Whirlpool earned $109 million, or $1.37 a share, down from $126 million, or $1.83 a share, a year earlier. The loss from discontinued operations in the quarter was -30 cents per share. Revenue was sharply higher, rising to $5.0 billion from $4.0 billion, aided in part by its acquisition of Maytag.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: AET, BRCM, CI, CSCO, IFX, INTC, NOK, NWS, WHR

Disney (NYSE:DIS - News) beat expectations on Wednesday after the bell, announcing $0.50 EPS over an expected $0.39 EPS. DIS's PowerRating is 5.
Akami Tech (NasdaqGS:AKAM - News) barely beat expectations Wednesday afternoon, with $0.27 EPS over a consensus of $0.27 EPS. AKAM's PowerRating is 5.
Aetna (NYSE:AET - News) announces quarterly earnings on Thursday before the bell; watch for $0.76 EPS. AET's PowerRating is 4.
When Express Scripts (NasdaqGS:ESRX - News) announces earnings Thursday morning, analysts will be looking for $0.97 EPS. ESRX's PowerRating is 3.
Diamond Offshore (NYSE:DO - News) should report $1.37 EPS on Thursday before the market opens. DO's PowerRating is 6.
Analysts are watching for Qwest (NYSE:Q - News) to announce $0.08 EPS Thursday morning. Q's PowerRating is 5.
PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP - News) is looking to announce $0.72 EPS on Thursday morning before the market opens. PEP's PowerRating is 6.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: AET, AKAM, DIS, DO, ESRX, Hot Stocks, PEP, Q

Wall Street bounded higher Wednesday, lifting the Nasdaq composite index well over 1 percent after profit reports from Yahoo Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc. restored investors' confidence in the tech sector. The Dow Jones industrials logged fresh trading and closing highs.
Tech stocks have borne most of Wall Street's concern about the health of corporate earnings in recent weeks. Restive investors, taking their cues from a flurry of profit reports, have been at turns pleased and concerned about the prospects that profit growth will help drive stocks higher following a sharp run-up in 2006.
There was little overall movement in the energy and health sectors in response to President Bush's State of the Union address, during which he called for expanded health insurance coverage and a 20 percent reduction the country's consumption of gasoline over the next 10 years. Some alternative-energy companies pulled back after rising sharply before the speech.
In an essentially all-earnings day, investors were left without new economic data to help provide some clues about the direction of interest rates.
"I think investors were waiting with the techs for the earnings to come out," said Neil Massa, equity trader at John Hancock Funds. "Investors were in the show-me mode. They had to be shown good numbers because they didn't want to take anything for granted because they had been laggards for a while."
The tech-laden Nasdaq composite index jumped 34.87, or 1.43 percent, to 2,466.28. The gain marked the Nasdaq's biggest one-day increase since early December.
The Dow rose 87.97, or 0.70 percent, to 12,621.77 after rising 56.64 on Tuesday. The Dow surpassed a record close of 12,582.59 set Jan. 16; it was the Dow's 26th record close since the blue chip average began its surge higher at the start of October. The Dow also reached a record intraday high of 12,623.45, topping a trading high of 12,614.00 reached a week earlier.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index reached a six-year high, rising 12.14, or 0.85 percent, to 1,440.13.
Bond prices showed little change as there was no economic news to guide investors. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was flat at 4.81 percent from late Tuesday. The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices rose.
Light, sweet crude settled up 33 cents at $55.37 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as investors grew more confident OPEC would make good on production cuts and cooler weather took hold in the Northeast. Prices rose even as U.S. government figures showed a build in crude, gasoline and distillate inventories last week. On Tuesday, oil rose more than $2 per barrel on news that the United States plans to double the size of its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Among energy companies, Exxon Mobil Inc. rose 41 cents to $74.90. The energy sector appeared to take in stride the president's call for austerity in gasoline consumption, though some companies that make a business of alternative energy products were lower. Xethanol Corp., an ethanol maker, fell 31 cents, or 10.10 percent, to $2.76, while larger rival Archer Daniels Midland Co. declined 54 cents to $32.09.
Health care stocks also appeared little moved by the speech; Aetna Inc., the insurer, fell 44 cents to $41.74, while drug maker Pfizer Inc. rose 45 cents to $26.82.
Kim Caughey, equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, noted that investors are focusing on earnings reports for comments on current and future business conditions and for hints as to whether inflation will cool adequately to allow the Federal Reserve to lower short-term interest rates.
"Investment mangers are looking at two areas, one is inflation and one is growth," she said. "Far out in the future they kind of tie together because if we have too much inflation the Fed is going the take the punch bowl away."
In other corporate news, Yahoo jumped $1.98, or 7.3 percent, to $28.94 after the Internet-search company's fourth-quarter profit topped Wall Street's estimates. The company unveiled an ad search technology and said it expects to draw more revenue from each page view during the year.
Sun Microsystems, a maker of server and storage products, rose 49 cents, or 8.7 percent, to $6.15 after the company reported its first quarterly profit in years as revenue increased. Earnings were above what Wall Street expected.
McDonald's Corp. fell 69 cents to $44.16 after some analysts said operating profits at the world's largest fast-food came in lower than expected. Overall fourth-quarter earnings were in line with Wall Street's estimates. The company's profit more than doubled amid a spinoff of a burrito chain and strong sales in Europe.
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. fell $1.48, or 8.5 percent, to $16.03 after the chip maker swung to a loss from a profit in its fourth quarter. Sales of high-margin server chips were flat in the fourth quarter.
Corning Inc., which makes glass, fiber optics and specialty materials, rose $2.06, or 10.9 percent, to $20.90 after posting a stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter profit amid strong sales of liquid-crystal-display glass for flat-screen televisions. The company forecast strong growth in its glass-monitor business.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by about 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 2.86 billion shares, compared with 3.02 billion shares traded Tuesday.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies was up 8.65, or 1.10 percent, at 794.03.
Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed up 0.57 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 closed up 1.40 percent, Germany's DAX index finished up 1.04 percent, and France's CAC-40 was up 1.13 percent.
Published by Tim Paradis, AP Business Writer

Labels: ADM, AET, AMD, GLW, MCD, pfe, SUNW, XNL, YHOO

Ethanol producers and health care service providers are among the potential corporate beneficiaries of policies proposed by President Bush, while domestic automakers and oil companies could get slightly stung.
The winners and losers will be more apparent in the months ahead, as the Democrat-controlled Congress responds to the president's State of the Union speech, though economists said they expect few drastic changes in Washington between now and the 2008 election. In this scenario, the status quo prevails -- a trend Wall Street tends to prefer.
"The business community is quite skeptical that much, if anything, will be produced out of the Congress in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election year," said Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics Inc.
Sinai added that Bush's proposals on energy and health care, including a call for a tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families regardless of whether they buy their own health insurance or receive medical coverage at work, were not overly ambitious.
But Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., along with US BioEnergy Corp., VeraSun Energy Corp. and other ethanol producers nevertheless stand to benefit from Bush's call to raise consumption targets for ethanol and other alternative fuels to 35 billion gallons by 2017. More than 5 billion gallons were produced in the U.S. in 2006. The long-term technological challenge, experts say, will be finding inexpensive ways to use feedstocks other than corn to meet the higher targets.
Some ethanol stocks were down in pre-market activity Wednesday. Archer-Daniels-Midland dipped 53 cents to $32.10, after adding 81 cents to close at $32.63 on Tuesday, and Pacific Ethanol slid 49 cents, or 2.8 percent, to $17.36 after adding $1.03 to close at $17.85 Tuesday.
Traditional energy companies will have their "antennae up" to monitor the progress of Bush's alternative energy proposals, Sinai said.
Automakers said they were open to the president's goals of increasing fuel economy standards.
The proposal could benefit Japanese automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which have higher fleetwide fuel economy levels than domestic manufacturers. The proposal also includes a system of trading or "banking" credits to meet new standards, which could lead to Detroit's automakers buying fuel credits from Toyota and Honda.
But GM and Ford Motor Co. have pledged to build two million flexible-fuel vehicles by 2010, so they too could benefit by an influx of ethanol and other renewable fuels. GM said it wanted to ensure, however, "that any fuel economy increases are technically achievable and do not compromise safety, performance, or limit consumer choice."
Energy analysts said the call for a sharp escalation in the use of ethanol will have little immediate impact on major oil companies, such as Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. and San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron Corp., primarily because it'll be used as a partial substitute and not a replacement for gasoline.
In a research note before the speech, Citigroup analyst Doug Leggate called Bush's plan to cut gasoline consumption by 20 percent by 2017 "a huge target, and one where a reality check may be necessary to determine if this is really achievable."
The health care taxation plan is the most appealing to the private sector, analysts said. Specifically, the second part of the provision that would curb health care spending by taxing any expenses over the $7,500 and $15,000 marks, and could drive many Americans to the individual-oriented plans offered by UnitedHealth Group Inc., Wellpoint Inc. and Aetna Inc.
WellPoint and Aetna slid in pre-market trading. WellPoint dipped 88 cents to $76.15 after adding 22 cents to end at $77.03 on Tuesday and Aetna dipped 18 cents to $42 the morning after it closed up 39 cents at $42.18.
The health proposal also would encourage middle- to lower-income individuals to opt for hospital care instead of avoiding visits that formerly would have required out-of-pocket expenses, said Tom Ochsenschlager, vice president of taxation for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Employers, including automakers, would welcome the plan since benefit costs, not wages, continue to hinder their bottom lines, said Brian Bethune, U.S. economist at Global Insight in Lexington, Mass.
That's good news for hospital operators like Triad Hospitals Inc. and Health Management Associates Inc., and General Motors Corp., the nation's largest private provider of health care.
And the potential health care benefits should outweigh the hit domestic automakers would take if Bush is successful in raising fuel economy standards for passenger cars, economists said.
The president devoted roughly 20 minutes of his speech to the global war on terror, with seven of those minutes spent on Iraq.
The defense industry outlook is dictated primarily by policies in Iraq and Bush's recent call to increase U.S. troops there by 21,500 elicited fierce opposition on Capitol Hill, Nomura's Resler said.
But since Bush's troop announcement on Jan. 10, the stock prices of defense contractors like Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies, Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. and Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin Corp., are up.
The Defense Department is expected to submit its fiscal year 2008 budget request to Congress for approval next month with initial estimates suggesting it could reach more than $600 billion, which could further bolster defense companies' shares.
AP Business Writers John Porretto in Houston, and Donna Borak, Matthew Perrone and Ken Thomas in Washington, contributed to this report.

Labels: ADM, AET, CVX, HMA, HMC, LMT, PEIX, TM, TRI, UNH, USBE, UTX, VSE, WLP, XGM, XOM