Jim Cramer Blog

Stocks traded weakly today as investors became skittish over fears that problems in the subprime mortgage market are going to spill over into other sectors and lead to a slowing of the economy. Exacerbating those fears was a sharp loss by one of the nation's largest homebuilders, which said it could no longer accurately forecast its results for this year, along with a report of declining consumer confidence. The 10-year Treasury note also traded lower today, while crude oil futures closed up fractionally.
The catalyst for today's slump was the fiscal Q1 profit report from Florida-based homebuilder Lennar (NYSE: LEN - News). The company's FQ1 profit plunged -73%, driven lower by weak sales, the woes of the subprime sector, and rising land prices. Lennar joins fellow builders KB Homes (NYSE: KBH - News), Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE: HOV - News), and Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL - News) as reporting sharply lower earnings in the past month. The company acknowledged it would not meet its previously issued forecast for full-year earnings, and said it was "not comfortable" with making any further predictions at this time.
Lennar's report was in many respects not surprising, given what its competitors previously announced and coming as it did on the heels of yesterday's surprisingly weak report on February new-home sales from the Commerce Department. January sales were also sharply lower, the government previously said. The bad news from the housing sector, and a recent surge in prices at the pump, was reflected in a drop in consumer confidence as measured in a monthly survey by The Conference Board, a private business group.
In market news today, Pennsylvania utility operator PPL (NYSE: PPL - News) hit its second-consecutive new 52-week high after Lehman Brothers upgraded the stock to "overweight" from "equal weight," and boosted its target to $47 from $38. The stock added 2.7%, topping the $40.05 one-year high it set on Monday.
Independent refiner Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO - News) closed higher after announcing in a regulatory filing that it was delaying a planned expansion in Quebec and canceling another refinery project in Texas. The company was expected to discuss its plans at an industry conference tomorrow. Valero cited the need for controlling its capital spending in the face of rising refinery construction costs.
Shares of automaker DaimlerChrysler (NYSE: DCX - News), meanwhile, rose on reports that two different private equity groups, assisted by Wall Street banks, would submit bids for the company's troubled Chrysler unit by as early as Thursday. According to a report in the Detroit News, Blackstone Group and Centerbridge Partners have assembled a group of banks that includes Lazard (NYSE: LAZ - News), Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH - News), and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) for one bid. Another offer for the carmaker, the newspaper reported, may come from Cerberus Capital Management with help from Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS - News).
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BAC, DCX, GS, HOV, KBH, LAZ, LEH, LEN, PPL, TOL, VLO

Acco Brands (NYSE:ABD - News) reported a fourth-quarter loss of $800,000, or a penny per share, down from a year-ago profit of $26.2 million, or 48 cents a share. The latest results include restructuring and non-recurring after-tax costs of about $20.9 million, or 39 cents a share. On an adjusted basis, excluding items, the company earned $27.3 million, or 50 cents a share, in the latest quarter. Sales edged 1% higher in the latest three months to $520.6 million from $513 million a year earlier. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for a profit of 46 cents a share in the December period. Looking ahead, the Lincolnshire, Ill., office products seller said it expects to generate EBITDA of between $230 million and $240 million for 2007.
The Andersons Inc. (NasdaqGS:ANDE - News) said it expects to "slightly exceed" its previous 2006 earnings forecast of $1.90 to $2.10 a share. The Andersons is based in Maumee, Ohio.
Apollo Group (NasdaqGS:APOL - News) said that its first-quarter net income dropped to $115.6 million, or 66 cents a share, from $130.8 million, or 73 cents a share, a year ago following higher costs. Analysts had been expecting the education program provider to post earnings of 62 cents a share, according to data compiled by Thomson Financial. Revenue rose by 6.3% to $668.2 million. The company said that it's expecting accounting changes to have a material adverse impact on previously reported results. Apollo said that it's preparing to restate its financial statements and said that this situation could also affect the latest set of financial statements and information.
Aspen Technology (NasdaqGM:AZPN - News) shares gained after the Cambridge, Mass.-based software provider late Tuesday reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $96.4 million, up 26% from last year. Aspen said income from operations came in at $25.8 million in the quarter. The company also said it expects to restate its previously issued financial statements for fiscal 2004 through 2006 and the first quarter of fiscal 2007, relating primarily to non-cash adjustments in its reported non-operating income.
Brightpoint Inc. (NasdaqGS:CELL - News) said fourth-quarter net income rose, as wireless devices handled gained, to $9.74 million, or 19 cents a share, from $8.85 million, or 18 cents a share, during the same period in the prior year.
British Airways (NYSE:BAB - News) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Merrill Lynch.
Brooks Automation (NasdaqGM:BRKS - News) swung to a fiscal first-quarter profit of $22.1 million, or 30 cents a share, from a year-earlier loss of $11.7 million, or 18 cents a share, on higher revenue from core hardware business along with acquisitions. The company had expected GAAP earnings of 24 cents to 28 cents a share in the first quarter. Excluding certain items, non-GAAP earnings in the most recent quarter were 35 cents a share. The Chelmsford, Mass., automation products provider's revenue for the first quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 76% to $191.4 million from $108.5 million a year ago. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected, on average, quarterly revenue of $187 million. Meanwhile, the company had forecast first-quarter revenue of $185 million to $190 million. Brooks expects second-quarter GAAP earnings of 25 cents to 30 cents a share, including 5 cents a share of charges, and revenue of $185 million to $190 million.
Cisco (NasdaqGS:CSCO - News) reported that quarterly profit surged 40%, boosted by its acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta and surging demand for Internet equipment among telecom companies and small businesses.
Consolidated Graphics (NYSE:CGX - News) said fiscal third-quarter net income rose to $16.4 million, or $1.17 a share, from $9.9 million, or 71 cents a share. Sales rose to $269.6 million from $226.2 million. Analysts, on average, expected it to earn $1.02 a share on revenue of $243 million, according to Thomson Financial. For the March quarter, the commercial printing company expects quarterly revenue to increase 15% from the prior year to $255 million, with earnings per share increasing 39% to $1.03. Analysts polled by Thomson expect it to earn 95 cents a share on revenue of $229 million, on average.
Digital River (NasdaqGS:DRIV - News) was initiated with a buy rating at American Technology Research.
DirecTV Group Inc. (NYSE:DTV - News) said fourth-quarter net income rose to $356 million, or 29 cents a share, from $121.2 million, or 9 cents a share. El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV said revenue rose to $4.18 billion from about $3.6 billion. Analysts, on average, expected it to earn 30 cents a share on revenue of about $4.1 billion, according to Thomson Financial.
Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ - News) said it offered to buy back up to 13.9 million shares of its common stock, as part of plan to recapitalize the company. The Ann Arbor, Mich. pizza delivery service said it would pay no less than $27.50 a share and no more than $30 a share for each stock it buys back. The company also said it was offering to repurchase the outstanding 8 1/4% debt, due 2011, and will repay all of its outstanding borrowings under the existing credit facility. The company said it was negotiating an asset-backed securitized facility of up to $1.85 billion.
Edge Petroleum (NasdaqGS:EPEX - News) was upgraded to strong buy at Raymond James.
FEI Co. (NasdaqGM:FEIC - News) said it swung to net income in the fourth-quarter, as bookings remained solid and operating expenses declined, of $14.7 million, or 36 cents a share. During the same period in the prior year, the net loss was $30.7 million, or 92 cents a share.
Fidelity National Information Services Inc. said fourth-quarter net income rose, as revenue gained, to $75.1 million, or 39 cents a share, from $45.5 million, or 35 cents a share, during the same period in the prior year.
Horace Mann Educators Corp. (NYSE:HMN - News) reported fourth-quarter earnings of $28.6 million, or 64 cents a share, up from a year-ago profit of $16.1 million, or 35 cents a share. Looking ahead, the Springfield, Ill., insurance provider forecast net income before realized investment gains and losses of $1.80 to $1.95 per share in 2007.
Infineon Technologies (NYSE:IFX - News) said it will provide an integrated system-on-chip for Nokia's (NYSE:NOK - News) entry-level phones. Nokia said it's aiming to further improve the power performance in entry level phones and reduce their size.
Intevac (NasdaqGM:IVAC - News) said its fourth-quarter net income more than doubled to $21.3 million, or 97 cents a share, from year-earlier earnings of $9.93 million, or 46 cents a share, helped by higher sales and a larger margin. Results included a $1.1 million reversal of tax costs. The Santa Clara, Calif., maker of flat-panel display manufacturing equipment saw revenue rise 82% to $95.9 million from $52.7 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 70 cents a share on revenue of $86.5 million. Gross margin improved to 40.8% from 34.9% a year earlier. The stock was upgraded to buy from hold at Needham & Co.
Keane (NYSE:KEA - News) agreed to be acquired by Caritor Inc., a private San Ramon, Calif., information technology services provider, for about $854 million. The deal values Keane shares at $14.30 each in cash, a 19% premium to Tuesday's closing price of $12. The parties, which expect the transaction to close in the calendar second quarter, said the resulting private company would have anticipated annual revenue of more than $1 billion. Keane, based in Boston, posted revenue of $232 million in the third quarter ended Sept. 30.
Lazard Ltd. (NYSE:LAZ - News) said fourth-quarter earnings rose to $36.6 million, or 78 cents a share, from $21.7 million, or 57 cents a share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had been expecting earnings of 63 cents a share, on average. Revenue rose to $498.3 million from last year's $391.9 million, as strong merger and acquisition performance helped boost revenue in its financial advisory business.
Multi-Fineline Electronix (NasdaqGS:MFLX - News) said its fiscal first-quarter earnings fell 79% to $3.65 million, or 14 cents a share, from $17.3 million, or 69 cents a share, a year earlier, hurt by price reductions and reduced sales. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 20 cents a share and sales of $130.7 million. The Anaheim, Calif., provider of flexible printed-circuit and component-assembly services said sales for the period ended Dec. 31 fell 11% to $123.9 million from $139.7 million from the year-ago period.
Published By Michael Baron

Labels: ABD, ANDE, APOL, AZPN, BAB, BRKS, CGX, CSCO, DPZ, DRIV, DTV, EPEX, FEIC, HMN, IFX, IVAC, KEA, LAZ, MFLX, NOK