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Thursday, March 01, 2007

Stock Market Wrapup Mar. 1

The stock market showed some resilience today, rebounding from a sharp drop at the opening bell and briefly turning positive before closing down slightly. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 indexes performed modestly better than the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite. A better-than-expected reading on the nation's manufacturing sector helped add some lift to stocks. Oil prices remained near the $62-a-barrel level, while bonds dipped, lifting the yield of the 10-year Treasury note 1 basis point.
The private Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index showed some strength in February. That encouraged the market two days after the Commerce Department reported that producer prices had dropped sharply in January. The ISM index came in at 52.3, up from 49.3 in January. Any reading over 50 is considered a positive indicator for manufacturing activity.
While the overall tech sector closed lower, some benchmark stocks turned in solid performances today. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL - News) bounced back to add 3% on the day, aided by an upgrade by Lehman Brothers and positive comments from Morgan Stanley. Lehman cited recent share-price weakness and a positive outlook for the upcoming iPhone product in raising its rating on Apple to "overweight" -- or "buy" -- from "equal weight." Also moving higher today was mobile handset maker Motorola (NYSE: MOT - News), which added 2% on a report that billionaire investor Carl Icahn notified the company that he might increase his current 1.4% stake. Rival Nokia (NYSE: NOK - News) closed lower.
In other tech news, Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL - News) said it was buying Hyperion Solutions (Nasdaq: HYSL - News) for $3.3 billion in cash. Hyperion makes business intelligence software, and its focus on the financial sector is considered a good fit for Oracle. Hyperion shot up 20% on the announcement. Analysts speculated that other small firms in the sector like Business Objects (Nasdaq: BOBJ - News) and Cognos (Nasdaq: COGN - News) might attract suitors like IBM (NYSE: IBM - News) or SAP (NYSE: SAP - News).
Sears Holdings (Nasdaq: SHLD - News) reported a 27% increase in its fiscal Q4 profit. The operator of Sears and Kmart retail stores earned $820 million, or $5.33 per share, in the quarter ended February 3rd, up from $648 million, or $4.03 per share, during the same period last year. Net income totaled $5.36 per share excluding one-time items. Analysts were looking for a profit of $5.18 a share. The company's bottom line improved despite weaker same-store sales, which fell -3.1%.
Finally, beverage giant Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ - News) plunged -15% after the company warned that its full-year earnings will be well below analyst current estimates. The world's largest wine maker by volume said it expects profits of between $1.30-1.40 a share, or $1.21-1.31 a share in GAAP earnings. Analysts had been looking for EPS of $1.83. The company, which has been suffering with a glut of Australian-made wine, is cutting inventory levels among U.S. distributors in a strategic retrenchment.
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Thursday's Biggest Stock Gainers

Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Lehman Bros., due primarily to valuation. The stock closed Wednesday up 0.8% at $84.61, after falling 6.2% over the previous three sessions. At Wednesday's close, the stock had lost 13% since reaching an all-time high of $97.80 on Jan. 10. Analyst Harry Blount said the stock's recent pullback "provides an attractive entry point and a favorable reward vs. risk ratio in front of an anticipated product cycle in 2007." Blount also sees lowered component pricing leading to additional potential operating margin expansion and the likelihood of PC market share gains.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE:CTB - News) said its fourth-quarter loss widened to $27.6 million, or 45 cents a share, from $6.85 million, or 11 cents a share, a year earlier, hurt by restructuring charges and the write-off of goodwill and intangible assets. The Findlay, Ohio, tire-maker said sales rose 29% to $739.1 million from $572.4 million in the year-ago period, helped in part by the addition of operations of Cooper Chengshan Passenger Tire Co. and Cooper Chengshan Tire Co. in China. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, breakeven earnings for the quarter.
DealerTrack Holdings (NasdaqGM:TRAK - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $5.7 million, or 14 cents a share, as revenue grew 37% to $45.7 million.
Del Monte Foods Co.'s (NYSE:DLM - News) third-quarter earnings fell 10%, due to lower sales volumes for consumer products, higher costs, and higher marketing and interest expense. The San Francisco canned food company had third-quarter earnings of $46.5 million, or 23 cents a share, compared with $51.9 million, or 26 cents a share, a year earlier. Del Monte said revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 28 rose 15% to $907.2 million from $789.6 million a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 22 cents a share on revenue of $943 million.
EchoStar Communications (NasdaqGS:DISH - News) said fourth-quarter net income rose to $153 million, or 35 cents a basic share, from $133 million, or 30 cents a basic share, with revenue up 17% to $2.58 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 32 cents a share on revenue of $2.54 billion. The operator of the DISH Network added 350,000 net new subscribers during the quarter, giving it a total of 13.1 million subscribers.
Greif Inc. (NYSE:GEF - News) reported fiscal first-quarter net earnings of $34 million, or $1.15 per Class A share, up slightly from $33.4 million, or $1.13 per Class A share, in the year-ago period. Revenue at the Delaware, Ohio-based industrial packaging company rose 29% to $750.8 million from $582.3 million.
Hana Biosciences (NasdaqGM:HNAB - News) was upgraded to buy from hold at Cantor Fitzgerald.
Leading Brands (NasdaqCM:LBIX - News) said its TrueBlue Blueberry Juice brand is now listed with The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR - News).
Longs Drug Stores' (NYSE:LDG - News) fiscal fourth-quarter net income fell 24% to $26.9 million, or 71 cents a share, from $35.4 million, or 93 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter ended Jan. 25 increased 8% to $1.34 billion from $1.24 billion a year ago.
ManTech International Corp. (NasdaqGS:MANT - News) reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $13.9 million, or 41 cents a share, up 33% from $10.4 million, or 31 cents a share, during the year-ago period. The company posted revenue of $290.7 million vs. $261 million.
Martha Stewart Omnimedia (NYSE:MSO - News) was upgraded to equal-weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT - News) said it has been notified that certain Carl Icahn entities have filed to acquire additional shares of Motorola stock. The Schaumburg, Ill.-based telecommunications company said the notice stated that Icahn and Icahn Partners LP are each filing to acquire between $119.7 million and $500 million worth of Motorola stock, while Icahn Partners Master Fund LP and Icahn Partners Master Fund II LP are each filing to acquire more than $500 million, but less than 25% of Motorola's outstanding stock.
New Century Financial Corp. (NYSE:NEW - News) was upgraded to peer perform from underperform at Bear Stearns.
Oracle Corp. (NasdaqGS:ORCL - News) confirmed that it was buying business performance management software maker Hyperion Solutions Corp. (NasdaqGS:HYSL - News) in a deal valued at $3.3 billion, or $52 a share. The per-share bid represents a 21% premium to Hyperion's closing price of $42.84 on Wednesday. Oracle said the acquisition, which is expected to close in April, should to add 1 cent a share to fiscal 2008 earnings on an adjusted basis, and 4 cents a share to fiscal 2009 results.
Parallel Petroleum (NasdaqGM:PLLL - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $11.1 million, or 29 cents a share. In the same period a year earlier, the company earned $8.4 million, or 24 cents a share. The latest results include a $9 million pre-tax gain on an asset sale, and a $2.8 million gain related to the fair market value of derivative instruments and ineffective portion of hedges.
PharmaNet Development (NasdaqGS:PDGI - News) posted adjusted earnings of $6.8 million, or 36 cents a share, for the fourth quarter, and forecast an adjusted profit of $1.06 to $1.21 a share for fiscal 2007.
PRG-Schultz International (NasdaqGM:PRGX - News) reported a fourth-quarter loss of $2.9 million, or 43 cents a share, narrower than a year-ago loss of $175.8 million, or $28.32 a share.
Smith Micro Software Inc.'s (NasdaqGM:SMSI - News) fourth-quarter net income rose 63% to $3.61 million, or 14 cents a share, from $2.21 million, or 9 cents a share, a year earlier. The Aliso Viejo, Calif., developer and marketer of software products and services said revenue more than doubled to $17.2 million from $8 million a year ago.
Stats Chippac Ltd. (NasdaqGS:STTS - News) shares surged after Temasek Holdings Ltd. said it would launch a cash offer, through its subsidiary Singapore Technologies Semiconductors Ltd., for the remaining shares in Stats Chippac that it does not already own. Temasek currently holds a 35.6% stake in the semiconductor test company. Temasek, Singapore's state-owned investment company, is offering S$1.75 per share and S$17.50 per American Depositary share in cash. If the offer results in Temasek owning more than 90% of Stats Chippac, Temasek will raise the offer price to S$1.88 per share and S$18.80 per ADS.
Sun-Times Media Group (NYSE:SVN - News) said it received a favorable review on its international tax liability from representatives of a foreign taxing authority.
Todco (NYSE:THE - News) said its fourth-quarter net income roughly tripled to $64.1 million, or $1.11 a share, from $21.2 million, or 34 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter rose 73% to $260.1 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting earnings of $1.01 a share on revenue of $255 million. Todco said the improved performance was largely due to improved utilization and higher day-rates.
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Thursday, January 25, 2007

Wednesday's Biggest Gainers

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE - News) shares rose 5.8% Wednesday after the company named Mark Garrett, an EMC Corp. (NYSE:EMC - News) executive, as its new chief financial officer, more than two weeks after the software maker said it had completed an internal review of its stock-options practices.
Affymax Inc. (NASDAQ:AFFY - News) shares rose 6.1% after the company was initiated with an outperform rating at Cowen & Co. RBC Capital Markets also began coverage of the company with an outperform rating and set a $44 price target.
Albemarle Corp. (NYSE:ALB - News) shares added 6.6% after the company reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $63 million, or $1.29 a share, compared with $32.2 million, or 67 cents a share, on the back of a $5.4 million tax benefit and lower costs of good sold.
Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ATI - News) shares gained 5.6% after the company posted a 41% surge in fourth-quarter profit on the back of strong demand for titanium and nickel alloys from the aerospace and defense markets.
AmerisourceBergen Corp. (NYSE:ABC - News) shares rallied up 8.1% after the pharmaceutical services company posted a 26% rise in first-quarter profit and lifted its 2007 earnings outlook above Wall Street's forecast.
Ametek (NYSE:AME - News) shares advanced 6.4% after the Paoli, Pa., maker of electronic instruments posted a fourth-quarter profit of $47.8 million, or 45 cents a share, up from year-ago earnings of $36.9 million, or 35 cents a share. Sales rose 19% in the quarter to $480.7 million. The company sees earnings of $1.93 to $1.97 a share for fiscal 2007, surrounding Wall Street's current consensus estimate of $1.95 a share.
Artic Cat (NASDAQ:ACAT - News) shares rose 8.6% after the Thief River Falls, Minn., maker of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles reported third-quarter earnings of $8.2 million, or 43 cents a share, on sales of $228.1 million. These results include 2 cents a share in stock option expense and an income tax benefit of 3 cents a share.
Conolog Corp. (NASDAQ:CNLG - News) shares soared 86% after the company said its CM-100 direct substation communicator system has received final testing approval. The CM-100 is scheduled to ensure delivery to customers by the third quarter, the company said. Conolog makes electronic and electromagnetic components and subassemblies for telephones, radio and microwave transmissions.
Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW - News) said it swung to a fourth-quarter net profit of $646 million, or 41 cents a share, from a year-ago loss of $33 million, or 2 cents a share. Revenue for the quarter rose 14.1% to $1.37 billion. Excluding one-off items, Corning said it earned $488 million, or 31 cents a share in the quarter, exceeding its own guidance and the 28 cents-a-share estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call. The materials and fiber optics group said it expects the overall market for LCD glass substrate to grow in the mid-30 percent range, driven by continued demand for LCD televisions, and added its own LCD glass volume is expected to grow at the upper end of this range. The firm added it expects to see significant growth in its heavy-duty diesel products, due to new U.S. emissions regulations that became effective Jan. 1. Overall, Corning said it expects first quarter sales to be in the range of $1.26 billion to $1.31 billion, with earnings in the range of 24 to 27 cents a share.
EZCorp (NASDAQ:EZPW - News) shares jumped 12% after the Austin, Texas-based provider of credit and other financial services late Tuesday reported fiscal first-quarter net earnings of $9.76 million, or 23 cents a share, up from $6.76 million, or 17 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $91.7 million from $75.8 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had forecast a per-share profit of 20 cents on revenue of $85.5 million. The company expects fiscal second-quarter earnings of 23 cents a share, and fiscal 2007 earnings of 85 cents a share.
Hyperion Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ:HYSL - News) shares moved up 18% after the company agreed to acquire privately held Decisioneering Inc. to gain access to its risk analysis software. Hyperion, a business management software maker, which employs 2,700 workers, plans to run Decisioneering, which employs 75 workers, as an independent unit in Denver. No job cuts are expected. Hyperion declined to disclose the terms of the deal, which is expected to close within the next month. The company also said its second-quarter earnings rose 34%, boosted by growth in software license and maintenance and service revenue. The company had second-quarter earnings of $21.5 million, or 36 cents a share, compared with $15.5 million, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 20% to $222.9 million from $185.5 million a year ago. Software license revenue rose 14% to $84.9 million, and maintenance and service revenue rose 24% to $138 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 44 cents a share on revenue of $212 million.
Integrated Device Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:IDTI - News) (NYSE:IDT - News)shares added 5.6% after the company reported a third-quarter net loss of $1.94 million, or a penny a share, down from $42.3 million, or 21 cents a share, during the year-ago period.
Introgen Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:INGN - News) shares moved up 7.9% after the company said Wednesday a preclinical study with INGN 241 in combination with Genentech Inc.'s (NYSE:DNA - News) Avastin showed "synergistic activity" resulting in "a curative therapeutic effect" in the treatment of lung cancer. The new data were published in the journal Molecular Therapy. Introgen said the study showed that the combination of INGN 241 and Avastin was "very effective" and blocked tumor angiogenesis. In the study, tumors completely regressed within the first four weeks of treatment and no additional growth was observed after cessation of therapy, the company said.
Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ:LVLT - News) shares gained 5.2% after the company was initiated with an outperform rating at Cowen & Co.
National Interstate's (NASDAQ:NATL - News) shares advanced 23% after the Richfield, Ohio-based insurance company late Tuesday forecast fourth-quarter net income in a range of 54 cents to 60 cents a share and full-year 2006 net income of $1.80 to $1.86 a share. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are looking for fourth-quarter earnings of 51 cents a share and 2006 earnings of $1.75 a share. The company expects gross premiums written of $61.5 million in the fourth quarter, and $305.5 million for 2006.
OSI Systems (NASDAQ:OSIS - News) shares added 6.5% after the company said it expects revenue of about $137 million for the second quarter, a level that would represent growth of 17% from year-ago levels. The company also disclosed plans for a restructuring, saying it will reduce its global workforce by 8% and consolidate certain facilities. It's targeting annual cost savings of between $15 million and $17 million from these moves. OSI expects to record a charge of between $31 million and $34 million in the second quarter from asset impairment and the recording of additional inventory reserves. Excluding items, it sees a breakeven performance in the quarter on an operating basis. Hawthorne, Calif.-based OSI withdrew its earnings outlook for fiscal 2007 but backed a forecast for revenue of between $535 million and $545 million for the year.
Shares of Parametric Technology Corp. (NASDAQ:PMTC - News) rose 7.2% after the business software maker reported that its fiscal first quarter earnings doubled compared to the year-earlier period. PTC said GAAP net income rose to $15.2 million, or 13 cents per diluted share, compared to $7.5 million, or seven cents per diluted share in the year-earlier period. Revenue grew 15% to $221.7 million, the company said, while total software license revenue grew 14% to $66.6 million.
RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ:RFMD - News) shares surged 14% after the company said fiscal third-quarter net income rose sharply to $59.3 million, or 26 cents a share, from $14.7 million, or 7 cents a share, a year earlier. The Greensboro, N.C., mobile communications technology company said results were driven by strength at the world's leading handset manufacturers, market share gains in RF semiconductors and high demand for the company's cellular transceivers and transmit modules. Results from the latest quarter included other income of $1.3 million, whereas the year-ago quarter included other income of $298,000. Excluding items such as share-based compensation, amortization, an impairment charge, a gain on sale of substantially all Bluetooth assets, and restructuring charges related to sale of substantially all Bluetooth assets RF Micro Devices earned 16 cents a share, up from 8 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 35% to $281.1 million from $208 million. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 13 cents a share on revenue of $273.2 million. Third-quarter results also beat the company's internal projections.
Rockwell Medical Technologies' (NASDAQ:RMTI - News) shares rose 11% after the Wixom, Mich.-based pharmaceutical company reported favorable results from pre-clinical safety studies for its iron-delivery product, soluble ferric pyrophosphate. Rockwell said it's preparing to begin human clinical trials consisting of a nine-month dose ranging study followed by a final clinical study. Upon favorable results, the company said it expects to receive Food and Drug Administration market approval for SFP sometime thereafter.
Seagate Technology (NYSE:STX - News) shares added 8.3% after the company said its fiscal second-quarter net income fell 51.2% to $140 million, or 23 cents a share, from $287 million, or 57 cents a share a year ago. Excluding a $76 million charge related to an acquisition of Maxtor and $29 million for the early retirement of 8% notes, earnings were $236 million, or 39 cents a share. Revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 29 increased 30.3% to $3 billion from $2.3 billion a year earlier, said the Scotts Valley, Calif., provider of hard disc drives. On average, analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted second-quarter earnings of 32 cents a share, on revenue of $2.93 million. Analyst estimates exclude integration and retention costs and amortization of intangibles.
Sun Micro (NASDAQ:SUNW - News) shares surged 8.5% after the hardware maker issued an upbeat fiscal second-quarter report and bullish forecast.
Transcend Services' (NASDAQ:TRCR - News) shares jumped 37% after the Atlanta-based company reported fourth-quarter earnings of $762,000, or 10 cents a share. In the same quarter last year, the company posted a net loss of $444,000, or 6 cents a share. Revenue rose to $8.95 million from $7.3 million. Transcend Services provides medical transcription services to the healthcare industry.
TransDigm Group (NYSE:TDG - News) shares leapt 12% after the Cleveland-based maker of aircraft components forecast fiscal first-quarter net earnings of 43 cents a share, or adjusted earnings of 46 cents a share, on revenue of $123 million. TransDigm also said it now expects fiscal 2007 earnings of $1.68 to $1.80 a share, or adjusted earnings of $1.79 to $1.91 a share, on revenue of $500 million to $510 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are forecasting 2007 earnings of $1.68 a share on revenue of $533 million.
TRM Corp. (NASDAQ:TRMM - News) shares rocketed up 50% after the company said it's sold its TRM Ltd. unit, which owns its ATM business in the U.K. and Germany, to NoteMachine Ltd. for 47.1 million pounds ($92.6 million). Portland, Ore.-based TRM said net proceeds from the sale were used to pay down debt. NoteMachine is a portfolio company of Rutland Partners LLP, a private equity partnership. "The sale of our European ATM business is a component of our ongoing efforts to simplify our business operations," said Jeff Brotman, TRM president and chief executive, in a statement.
Vertrue (NASDAQ:VTRU - News) shares rose 9.2% after the Norwalk, Conn.-based Internet marketer reported fiscal second-quarter net earnings of $8.7 million, or 74 cents a share, up from $7.66 million, or 66 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue rose to $178.6 million from $160.1 million. The company expects fiscal 2007 earnings of $3.30 to $3.40 a share on revenue of $748 million to $758 million.
Yahoo (NASDAQ:YHOO - News) shares added 7.5% after the company reported fourth-quarter profit plunged 61% from a year ago, when it booked a large one-time investment gain. The Internet bellwether was also hurt by higher costs for employee stock options.
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