Jim Cramer Blog

Buy Syngenta (SYT), Jim Cramer said on CNBC's "Stop Trading!" segment Monday.
Cramer said the Swiss agriculture company has been welcomed in Europe, unlike American companies. "I always felt that Europe had been very inhospitable to American biotechs," he said, calling Syngenta "one that they embrace." The stock is a "great buy," he said.
Cramer pointed out that Syngenta is off its highs. Because Bunge (BG), Monsanto (MON) and Syngenta all trade alike, "Anytime you get a discount in one, I'd pull the trigger," he said.
In energy, Cramer recommended ABB Ltd. (ABB). Cramer said that presidential candidate John McCain has left nuclear power as "really the only option" he supports. "ABB is the nuclear company from around the globe," he said.
Cramer said that Deutsche Telekom (DT) ought to acquire Sprint Nextel (S). With "no growth" and a 7% yield, Cramer said, Deutsche Telekom should take advantage of Sprint's install base. "They need growth to get this thing energized," he said. "I don't know what the holdup is."
Of BP (BP), Cramer said that American investors are impressed with the company's new management. He said that BP's 4% yield is safe.
Published By TheStreet.com

Labels: ABB, BG, BP, DT, Jim Cramer, MON, S, Stop Trading, SYT

Yahoo (NasdaqGS:YHOO) rallied late in the day to finish down 15% after Microsoft withdrew its bid for the company. The Short Term PowerRating for YHOO is 5.
Shares of Sprint (NYSE:S) rallied on the news that the company was considering selling or spinning off Nextel as an independent entity. The Short Term PowerRating for S is 5.
Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) announces earnings before the open on Tuesday, with analysts expecting EPS of -$0.81. The Short Term PowerRating for FNM is 4.
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) announced that it planned to complete its take over of Countrywide Financial despite an analyst report critical of the takeover. The Short Term PowerRating for BAC is 4.
Reporting earnings before the market opens on Tuesday, Sara Lee LE is expected to announce earnings per share of $0.24. The Short Term PowerRating forSLE is 4.
The box office success of "Ironman" encouraged traders to bid shares of Marvel Entertainment (NYSE:MVL) higher by more than 9% on Monday. The Short Term PowerRating for MVL is 5.
Shares of General Motors (NYSE:GM) lost more than 3% on news of a labor dispute at a plant in Kansas. The Short Term PowerRating for GM is 2.

Labels: BAC, FNM, Hot Stocks, MVL, S, YHOO

Here are 7 options to watch for today.
Most Under-Priced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. This stock comes from today's list and is among the most under-priced individual calls.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Dec 160 Calls (NYSE:CMG - News). CMG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
Most Under-Priced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. This stock comes from today's list and is among the most under-priced individual puts.
Ericsson Nov 30 Puts (NasdaqGS:ERIC - News). ERIC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. This stock comes from today's list and is among the most overpriced individual calls.
DryShips Nov 130 Calls (NYSE:DRYS - News). DRYS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. This stock comes from today's list and is among the most overpriced individual puts.
Fluor Nov 145 Puts (NYSE:FLR - News). FLR's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Canon (NYSE:CAJ - News). CAJ's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
SanminaSCI (NasdaqGS:SANM - News). SANM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S - News). S's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Published By TradingMarkets.com

Labels: CAJ, CMG, DRYS, ERIC, FLR, S, SANM, stock options

Sprint Nextel Corp.'s quarterly profit plummeted as the nation's third-largest wireless provider said on Thursday it lost customers and revenue from its wireless business.
For the third quarter ending September 30, the Reston, Va.-based company, with operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan., said it earned $64 million, or 2 cents per share, compared with earning $279 million, or 9 cents per share, during the same period a year ago.
Not including one-time expenses, the company said it earned 23 cents per share, a penny higher than the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial.
Revenue during the quarter declined 4.2 percent to $10 billion, missing analysts' predictions of $10.45 billion.

Labels: S, Sprint Nextel Corp.

Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S - News) and Vonage (NYSE: VG - News) today announced that they have settled their ongoing patent dispute and entered into a licensing arrangement under Sprint's Voice over Packet ("VOP") patent portfolio. On September 25, 2007, a jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., found that Vonage had infringed six Sprint patents. The settlement agreement resolves all claims related to this dispute.
In addition, Sprint has agreed to license Vonage its VOP portfolio, which comprises more than 100 patents covering different methods, components and systems that efficiently connect telephone calls between a regular telephone network and a packet-switched network such as the Internet.
"We are pleased to resolve our dispute with Sprint and enter into a productive future relationship," said Sharon O'Leary, Vonage chief legal officer.
"We view this settlement and licensing agreement as a validation of the strength and breadth of our patent portfolio," said Harley Ball, Sprint Nextel's vice president of intellectual property. "This is an affirmation of Sprint's research and development and a testament to the rich history of innovation at Sprint Nextel.

Labels: S, Sprint Nextel Corp., VG, Vonage Holdings Corporation

Stocks teetered between positive and negative territory for most of the day before finally finishing in the red. On the final trading day of the quarter, the Dow ended down -17 points, while the Nasdaq and S&P fell -0.3%. Oil hit an all-time high intra-day before dropping to close -$1.22 lower at $81.66 a barrel. Gold finished the day solidly higher.
In economic news, the Commerce Department reported that consumer spending rose 0.6% in August, the fastest growth rate in two years, helped by a 0.4% rise in after-tax income adjusted for inflation and lower consumer prices. Consumer prices fell -0.1% for August, while the core CPI, which excludes food and energy costs, rose 0.1%. Wages rose 0.2%. Former Fed chief Alan Greenspan, meanwhile, said the chances that the economy will see a recession are growing, but the odds are still less than 50/50.
On the earnings front, consulting firm Accenture (NYSE: ACN - News) reported a profit of $316.8 million, or 50 cents per share, after the bell last night, beating estimates by 2 cents. Revenue grew 29% to $5.11 billion, easily surpassing the $4.89 billion consensus. The firm also upped its dividend to 42 cents a share. The stock rose 5.9%.
Contract electronics manufacturer Jabil Circuits (NYSE: JBL - News) beat earnings by a penny last night. The company reported net income of $11.7 million, or 6 cents per share, compared with a year-ago loss of -$45.6 million, or -22 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, EPS came in at 29 cents. Revenue climbed to $3.13 billion, a 6% increase. The stock fell -6.8%.
In M&A news, private equity firm Bain Capital Partners has agreed to buy ethernet inventor 3Com Corp. (Nasdaq: COMS - News) for $2.2 billion in cash. As part of the deal, Chinese networking behemoth Huawei Technologies will take a minority stake in 3Com. The acquisition price was a 44% premium to the stock's closing price on Thursday.
Shares of 3Com spin-off Palm (Nasdaq: PALM - News), meanwhile, initially climbed after the company introduced a new $99.99 smartphone last night. The model, called the Centro, is lighter, thinner, and cheaper than its previous offerings. Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S - News) will have exclusivity for the device for 90 days. Palm shares, however, finished the day down -0.8%.

Labels: 3Com Corp., ACN, COMS, Jabil Circuit, JBL, PALM, Palm Inc., S

Equities rose on the day, with all three major market averages solidly in the green. The Dow closed up 100 points, helped by the end of a strike at General Motors (NYSE: GM - News). The Nasdaq, meanwhile, finished up 16 points, while the S&P tacked on 8 points. Oil initially fell after weekly inventories levels unexpectedly rose, but rallied to close up 77 cents to $80.30 a barrel. The price of gold slipped on the day.

In economic news, the Commerce Department reported that demand for durable goods nose-dived in August, with weakness across most categories. Orders fell -4.9% for the month, worse than the -3.5% drop economists were expecting. It was the biggest decline since January, and comes on the heels of a large 6.1% gain in July. Crude oil inventories, meanwhile, unexpectedly rose last week by 1.8 million barrels to 320.6 million barrels. Analysts were expecting inventories to drop by -2 billion barrels.
Topping the headlines today, the United Auto Workers (UAW) and General Motors agreed to a tentative contract early this morning, ending a 2-day strike. As part of the contract, the two sides confirmed that GM would fund a newly created trust that the UAW will run to administer retiree healthcare benefits. For its part, GM will continue to offer some job guarantees. The UAW hopes to strike similar deals with Ford (NYSE: F - News) and Chrysler. Shares of GM spiked 9.4%.
Shares of defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LM - News), General Dynamics (NYSE: GD - News), and Raytheon (NYSE: RTN - News), hit or flirted with all-times Wednesday. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was meeting with Congress today to request an additional $45 billion to cover military costs in Iraq and Afghanistan. If approved, Gates' request will raise initial 2008 budget-year war projections by nearly a third to $190 billion.
Shares of Vonage (NYSE: VG - News) fell below a $1 after a jury found that it infringed on six patents held by Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S - News). The VoIP company was ordered to pay Sprint $69.5 million in damages. Vonage said it will seek to try to have the Sprint judgment overturned. Earlier this year, Vonage lost a patent infringement case to Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News) for $58 million plus royalties. Today, a court upheld two of the three patent infringement charges in a separate verdict.
In M&A news, Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ - News) and Borse Dubai raised their bid for Swedish exchange OMX to $4.9 billion, a 15% increase over their previous offer. The exchanges also made agreements with several large shareholders that combined control nearly 19% of OMX to now secure half of OMX's shares. The moves were made in response to The Qatar Investment Authority increasing its stake in OMX, which could indicate it may try to block the deal. Elsewhere, Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC - News) shares rose 7.7% on rumors that the investment bank is close to selling a minority stake in itself. Among the potential suitors named include a Chinese bank, HSBC Holdings, and Warren Buffett, among others.

By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BSC, F, GD, GM, LM, NDAQ, RTN, S, VG, VZ

Here are 7 trading ideas for today. These lists come directly from the TradingMarkets Stock Indicators page and are based upon our latest quantitative research.
Bullish
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.
Nice-Systems (NasdaqGS:NICE - News). NICE's PowerRating (for Traders) is 6.
5+ Consecutive Lower Lows: These are stocks that have made a lower low 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 make lower lows 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.
Western Refining (NYSE:WNR - News). WNR's PowerRating (for Traders) 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.
Silicom (NasdaqCM:SILC - News). SILC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 8.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have closed up 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 close up for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Dress Barn (NasdaqGS:DBRN - News). DBRN's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
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.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S - News). S's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
2-Period RSI Above 98: These are stocks that have a 2-day RSI reading above 98 and are trading below their 200-day moving average. Our research shows that stocks trading below their 200-day moving average with a 2-period RSI reading above 98 have shown negative returns, on average, 1-day and 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Imergent (NYSE:IIG - News). IIG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 2.
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.
Jo-Ann Stores (NYSE:JAS - News). JAS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
Published By TradingMarkets.com

Labels: DBRN, Hot Stocks, IIG, JAS, NICE, S, SILC, WNR

Here are 7 trading ideas for today. These lists come directly from the TradingMarkets Stock Indicators page and are based upon our latest quantitative research.
Bullish
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.

Medarex (NasdaqGM:MEDX - News). MEDX's PowerRating (for Traders) is 8.
5+ Consecutive Lower Lows: These are stocks that have made a lower low 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 make lower lows 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.
United Industrial Corporation (NYSE:UIC - News). UIC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
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.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGM:ACAD - News). ACAD's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
Bearish
5+ Consecutive Up Days: These are stocks that have closed up 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 close up for five or more days have shown negative returns, on average, 1-week later. Historically, these stocks have provided traders with a significant edge.
Innovative Solutions (NasdaqGS:ISSC - News) . ISSC's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
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.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S - News) & E.W. Scripps Company SP. S's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4, and SSP's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3..
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.
Leap Wireless (NasdaqGS:LEAP - News). LEAP's PowerRating (for Traders) is 3.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ACAD, Hot Stocks, ISSC, LEAP, MEDX, S, UIC

Labels: PCLN, RL, S, TOL

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Wednesday from TradingMarkets.com:
Allied Capital (NYSE:ALD - News) reports earnings on Wednesday before the bell; watch for $0.31 EPS.
Allis-Chalmers Energy (NYSE:ALY - News) should report $0.43 EPS when the company announces earnings on Wednesday morning.
Biovail (NYSE:BVF - News) is expected to report $0.36 EPS tomorrow morning before the market opens.
Analysts are watching for Energy Partners (NYSE:EPL - News) to report -$0.12 EPS before the bell on Wednesday.
Foster Wheeler (NasdaqGS:FWLT - News) should announce $1.33 EPS on Wednesday morning.
Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL - News) and Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S - News) both report Wednesday morning; RL is expected to announce $0.85 EPS, and S should report $0.22 EPS.
PowerRatings (for Traders) are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ALD, ALY, BVF, EPL, FWLT, RL, S, Stocks to Watch

Sprint (NYSE: S - News) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ - News): On the report that Vodaphone may make a bid for VZ, Cramer would buy Sprint since "Vodaphone is saying cell phone networks are worth a lot of money." He thinks Sprint may be bought by private equity or "someone who needs to have another network in America." Concerning Verizon's CEO, Ivan Siedenburg, Cramer said, "He's done a great job with triple play. He's an underestimated man from day one."
Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO - News): Cramer reiterated Coke is the "ultimate weak-dollar play" and predicts the stock will reach $55 or $56 by the end of the week.
Moody's (NYSE: MCO - News) and McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP - News): Cramer would short MCO by being long MHP since the latter company, which owns Standard and Poor's is "a better outfit that's more diversified."

Labels: Jim Cramer, Jim Cramer's Stop Trading, KO, MCO, MHP, S, VZ

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Underpriced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
IPSCO Inc. Aug 160 Calls (NYSE:IPS - News). IPS' PowerRating is 5.
Most Underpriced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Apple Inc. July 130 Puts (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News). AAPL's PowerRating is 5.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Deckers Outdoor Corp. Aug 110 Calls (NasdaqGS:DECK - News). DECK's PowerRating is 6.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Bear Sterns Aug 125 Puts (NYSE:BSC - News). BSC's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S - News). S' PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
Financial Select Sector SPDR (AMEX:XLF - News). XLF's PowerRating is 5.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Centex Corp. (NYSE:CTX - News). CTX's PowerRating is 4.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: AAPL, BSC, CTX, DECK, Hot Stock Options, IPS, S, XLF

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Underpriced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Goldman Sachs July 260 Calls (NYSE:GS - News). GS' PowerRating is 6.
Most Underpriced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Altria Group Jun 70 Puts (NYSE:MO - News). MO's PowerRating is 6.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Apple Inc. July 115 Calls (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News). AAPL's PowerRating is 2.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Oil Service HOLDRs June 150 Puts (AMEX:OIH - News). OIH's PowerRating is 6.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Encana Corp. (NYSE:ECA - News). ECA's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
None today
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE - News). NKE's PowerRating is 6.
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S - News). S' PowerRating is 7.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: AAPL, ECA, GS, MO, NKE, OIH, S, stock options

Positive economic reports combined with more good profit news from U.S. companies provided a solid lift to the stock market today, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to its fourth record close in the last five sessions. Advancing stocks swamped decliners by about 3 to 1 on the NYSE and 2 to 1 on the Nasdaq. Crude oil prices and the 10-year Treasury note both eased.
The Commerce Department reported that U.S. factory orders surged 3.1% in March, the biggest monthly increase in manufacturing activity in two years. The report echoed the positive signs exhibited by yesterday's report on manufacturing activity by the Institute of Supply Management, whose figures showed that after two-straight months of slowing growth, factories were picking up steam. The Treasury Department, meanwhile, said shrinking budget deficits will allow it to discontinue the 3-year note after next week's regular quarterly auction of government debt.
Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News) topped today's earnings news. Though the media company reported Q1 earnings that declined -18% from the same period last year, the company said strong growth at its cable unit allowed it to raise its full-year guidance. Time Warner now expects to earn about $1.05 a share, instead of the $1 a share it previously forecasted. Excluding one-time items, the company earned 22 cents a share, which beat analyst forecasts by 2 cents.
MasterCard (NYSE: MA - News) said its growing international business and favorable currency exchange rates helped lead to a 70% increase in Q1 profit. The No. 2 credit card company said it earned nearly $215 million, or $1.57 a share, up from $126.7 million, or 94 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue climbed 24% to $915 million. The profit numbers handily surpassed Wall Street estimates, and the stock closed up 10.0%. Biogen Idec (Nasdaq: BIIB - News) said strong sales of its two-leading drugs were behind a 7% profit increase, but that result fell a bit short of Wall Street's expectations and the stock closed fractionally lower. Rituxan, a treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis that Biodec co-promotes in the U.S. with Genentech (Nasdaq: DNA - News), grew sales 13%. Avonex, an 11-year-old treatment for multiple sclerosis, grew sales 14%. Its new MS treatment, Tysabri, reported growing revenue despite carrying a "black box" warning label.
Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S - News) swung to a loss as a result of amortization charges. Without the charges, the company would have reported earnings of 18 cents a share, which was below analyst forecasts of 22 cents. The stock rose on an improved outlook for the current quarter. BullMarket.com subscribers can read a full report on Sprint Nextel in today's edition.
Blockbuster (NYSE: BBI - News) said its Q1 loss widened. The company lost -$46.4 million, or -26 cents a share, compared with a loss of -$1.9 million, or -3 cents a share, last year. The company blamed costs associated with the launch of its online movie rental business and flat in-store sales. The company has been spending heavily to support its Total Access service, which is meant to compete with Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX - News).
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: BBI, BIIB, DNA, MA, NFLX, S, TWX

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Wednesday from TradingMarkets.com:
Getty Images (NYSE:GYI - News) beat earnings on Tuesday after the close, announcing $0.68 EPS over an expected $0.62 EPS. GYI's PowerRating is 5.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH - News) beat earnings on Tuesday, with $0.34 EPS over a consensus of $0.31 EPS. MOH's PowerRating is 6.
Beckman Coulter (NYSE:BEC - News) announces earnings on Wednesday before the bell; watch for $0.59 EPS. BEC's PowerRating is 4.
CIGNA (NYSE:CI - News) reports earnings on Wednesday morning, with analysts looking for $2.51 EPS. CI's PowerRating is 5.
When Dominion (NYSE:D - News) reports earnings before the market opens on Wednesday, look for $1.48 EPS. D's PowerRating is 5.
Pride International (NYSE:PDE - News) should report $0.58 EPS before the bell Wednesday. PDE's PowerRating is 5.
Analysts will be watching for Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S - News) to announce $0.24 EPS tomorrow morning. S's PowerRating is 6.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: BEC, CI, D, Hot Stocks, MOH, PDE, S