Stock Market Wrapup June 11th
The three major indices started the week by bouncing around, with the Nasdaq ending down a hair and the Dow and S&P 500 up slightly. While the average retail price of a gallon of gas dropped overnight and down from its peak in May, gas and oil futures all climbed on the day. After a sell-off on Friday, the commodities rebounded today with light sweet crude leading the pack rising $0.88. Part of the boost came when the Iranian Minister of Petroleum declared supplies sufficient and that OPEC need not raise production. Saudi Arabia also informed Asian and European customers that July shipments would remain at June levels (which is -10% lower than contracted supplies for the time period). Natural gas closed down slightly.
Emcor Group, Inc. (NYSE: EME), a provider of electrical and mechanical services, upped its full-year earnings and revenue outlook. It is now estimating earnings of $2.75-3.00 per share, an increase from its previous forecast of $2.45-2.80 per share. The company credits the increase in a backlog from greater-than-expected contracts signed in the first quarter. Analyst expectations place earnings at $2.86 per share. The company simultaneously announced that the board had approved a 2-for-1 stock split to be paid as a 100% stock dividend on July 9th for shareholders of record as of June 20th. The stock climbed 8.4%.
Steelmaker Nucor (NYSE: NUE) offered revised guidance on its second-quarter earnings, warning that it would fare far worse than Wall Street's expectations. Today's announcement put earnings at between $1.05-1.15 per share, while analysts had expected $1.39 per share. The company blamed worsening market conditions and price decreases on the lowered guidance. Its shares fell -5.9%. U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) and Steel Dynamics (Nasdaq: STLD) were also down on the news.
After talk that the M&A boom might finally slow down, several small takeovers were announced. James River Group (Nasdaq: JRVR), a specialty property and casualty insurer, announced that it would be taken private by hedge fund D.E. Shaw Group. The hedge fund will purchase the financial services company for $575 million in cash or $34.50 per share. This offer is -1.9% less than the Friday trading price of $35.18. Forty-five percent of current shareholders have agreed to back the transaction.
Rexam Plc (Nasdaq: REXMY), a London-based drink can maker, agreed to buy Owens-Illinois' (NYSE: OI) plastics packaging business. The deal, worth $1.83 billion, will help Rexam to position itself to get into the medicine-packaging business, which it sees as a potentially lucrative market.
Discount airline AirTran (NYSE: AAI) extended an offer it put forward for regional carrier Midwest Airlines (Amex: MEH) through August 10th. The offer is for $15 per share and was first put out in April. The April offer is a bump up from a previous offer of $11.25 per share. Midwest Airlines has said that it intends to resist AirTran's hostile bid. Calyon Securities, meanwhile, downgraded AirTran to "hold" from "add." Its shares fell -2.9%.
By the BullMarket.com Staff
Emcor Group, Inc. (NYSE: EME), a provider of electrical and mechanical services, upped its full-year earnings and revenue outlook. It is now estimating earnings of $2.75-3.00 per share, an increase from its previous forecast of $2.45-2.80 per share. The company credits the increase in a backlog from greater-than-expected contracts signed in the first quarter. Analyst expectations place earnings at $2.86 per share. The company simultaneously announced that the board had approved a 2-for-1 stock split to be paid as a 100% stock dividend on July 9th for shareholders of record as of June 20th. The stock climbed 8.4%.
Steelmaker Nucor (NYSE: NUE) offered revised guidance on its second-quarter earnings, warning that it would fare far worse than Wall Street's expectations. Today's announcement put earnings at between $1.05-1.15 per share, while analysts had expected $1.39 per share. The company blamed worsening market conditions and price decreases on the lowered guidance. Its shares fell -5.9%. U.S. Steel (NYSE: X) and Steel Dynamics (Nasdaq: STLD) were also down on the news.
After talk that the M&A boom might finally slow down, several small takeovers were announced. James River Group (Nasdaq: JRVR), a specialty property and casualty insurer, announced that it would be taken private by hedge fund D.E. Shaw Group. The hedge fund will purchase the financial services company for $575 million in cash or $34.50 per share. This offer is -1.9% less than the Friday trading price of $35.18. Forty-five percent of current shareholders have agreed to back the transaction.
Rexam Plc (Nasdaq: REXMY), a London-based drink can maker, agreed to buy Owens-Illinois' (NYSE: OI) plastics packaging business. The deal, worth $1.83 billion, will help Rexam to position itself to get into the medicine-packaging business, which it sees as a potentially lucrative market.
Discount airline AirTran (NYSE: AAI) extended an offer it put forward for regional carrier Midwest Airlines (Amex: MEH) through August 10th. The offer is for $15 per share and was first put out in April. The April offer is a bump up from a previous offer of $11.25 per share. Midwest Airlines has said that it intends to resist AirTran's hostile bid. Calyon Securities, meanwhile, downgraded AirTran to "hold" from "add." Its shares fell -2.9%.
By the BullMarket.com Staff
posted by Stock Administrator @ 8:14 PM
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