Analysis Topic: Companies Analysis
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Bradford and Bingley- Another Bank Cracks Under Credit Crunch Pressure / Companies / Banking Stocks
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The Bradford and Bingley, Britain's biggest buy to let mortgage lender is expected to announce another profits warning later today as its Chief Executive abandoned the sinking ship ahead of a £300 million originally heavily discounted rights issue at 82p, which given Friday's close of 86p and today's expected price slump looks increasingly vulnerable.
Way back in August 2007, well before the credit crisis broke across the mainstream media, I specifically warned of three mortgage banks that are especially vulnerable during the next housing bust Of the three the first one to go was Northern Rock in spectacular style and much earlier than one could have imagined during Sept 07, by way of the first run on a British bank in 150 years. The Government eventually did another u-turn by nationalising the bank in January 08.
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Friday, May 30, 2008
The McDonalds Falling US Dollar Menu / Companies / Food Crisis
By: Michael_Pento
McDonalds Corp (MCD) held its annual meeting last Thursday, May 22 nd , and stated it has no plans to tamper with its highly successful dollar menu, which accounts for 14% of the company's sales. However, The Golden Arches must wish that its dollar menu was on the McGold standard instead of being based on a currency that has fallen 40% in the last 6 years. That dollar decline is putting the squeeze on the Oak Brook, Illinois-based firm, as agricultural input prices are surging while consumer food prices are only up about 4% since last year. Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, May 30, 2008
What Hewlett-Packard's Acquisition of EDS Means to Accenture / Companies / Mergers & Acquisitions
By: Hans_Wagner
Investors who wish to beat the market often look for value in picking stocks. Hewlett-Packard's (HP) acquisition of EDS (EDS) presents an opportunity to examine the large IT Services Provides. The move by HP doubles their market share in the global Information Technology Services market. Further, IBM's recent success stems primarily from the growth in its services business. Mark Hurd, HP's CEO, is trying to follow the IBM business model where services are the driver for growth. Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Home Depot Hammered by US Housing Market Slump / Companies / Housing Stocks
By: Mike_Shedlock
A weakening economy is hammering the home improvement retailers. Both Home Depot and Lowe's are feeling the slowdown. Home Depot's Net Falls 66% As Homeowners Cut Projects
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Thursday, May 08, 2008
Mining Companies Risk / Companies / Metals & Mining
By: David_Morgan
In last weeks column we discussed some risks associated with the junior mining sector. In this week's article it is important to recognize what has just been reported about mining operations in Venezuela, an article posted on International Business Times yesterday stated, "Hecla Mining's Isidora gold mine is the third operation in just one week in Venezuela's mineral rich Bolivar State to suffer a roadblock. Venezuelan workers have stalled operations of the country's largest gold miner, citing poor working conditions and demanding that President Hugo Chavez nationalize the mine."Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, May 05, 2008
Final Verdict on First Quarter Earnings Season / Companies / Corporate Earnings
By: William_Patalon_III
With earnings season starting to wind down, investors are not anticipating many new surprises. Still, a few prominent players are set to report this week led by The Walt Disney Co. ( DIS ) (entertainment), Cisco Systems Inc. ( CSCO ) (tech), and American International Group Inc. ( AIG ) (financial services).
The Microsoft Corp. ( MSFT ) / Yahoo Inc. ( YHOO ) (and occasionally Google Inc. ( GOOG ) ) soap opera will be worth watching - if only to make sure that Microsoft's withdrawal isn't a cover ploy for a hostile run at Yahoo [ For a related news story in this issue of Money Morning that details Microsoft's decision drop its pursuit of Yahoo , please click here ].
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Monday, May 05, 2008
Microsoft Withdraws Yahoo Bid- Shares Plunge on US Open / Companies / Mergers & Acquisitions
By: Martin_Hutchinson
Microsoft Corp. ( MSFT ) last Saturday yanked its $44.6 billion bid for struggling Internet-search pioneer Yahoo! Inc. ( YHOO ) after the two companies were unable to come to terms over the buyout price.
In a statement, the software giant said it failed to win over Yahoo's board of directors - even after boosting its bid by $5 billion. To move forward from here would require a shift into hostile mode, Microsoft said, a time-consuming and uncertainty filled process that would make Yahoo "undesirable as an acquisition candidate."
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Set Yahoo Free! / Companies / Tech Stocks
By: Alex_Epstein
Yahoo! ( YHOO ) recently released its first-quarter earnings numbers, and neither the market nor analysts were impressed. What will be the company's next move? Multiple suitors claim that they can leverage Yahoo!'s online products and talented employees better than Yahoo!'s widely criticized management is doing. The leading bidder is Microsoft ( MSFT ), whose $40 billion offer it is prepared to take directly to Yahoo! shareholders via a proxy fight. Other proposals said to be in the running are an advertising collaboration with Google, a merger with AOL, and a possible deal involving News Corp (including MySpace). Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
PowerShares Water ETF on the Rise / Companies / Water Sector
By: Mike_Paulenoff
Based on the pattern that has developed since the January spike low at 16.90, the PowerShares Water Resources Portfolio ETF (AMEX: PHO) is heading for the top of its price channels into the vicinity of 21.50/70 prior to the completion of the current upleg off of the 3/17 pivot low (18.11). If rice is in short supply, what about water? I don't know if access to fresh water will be a problem next week or in another 15 years, but that day is approaching. In any case, for my purposes right here, right now, I am looking for 21.50.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Microsoft Emerging Market Growth Threatened by Rampant Software Piracy / Companies / Microsoft
By: Mike_Caggeso
Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. ( MSFT ) announced its second "Fair Play Day" in 14 Latin American countries, where investigations led to the seizure of more than 160,000 counterfeit copies of Microsoft software. The contraband had an estimated street value of $18.2 million.
This is just the latest attempt by the software giant to try to stem the rising tide of counterfeit products that costs the company millions of dollars annually in some of its most promising markets.
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Monday, April 28, 2008
United States- The Land of the Robots / Companies / Social Issues
By: Michael_Nystrom
Imagine living amongst a race of immortal, super-human creatures with superior intellect, abilities, resources and power. Further, imagine that these alien creatures enjoy all the same rights as citizens, but are burdened neither with the responsibilities that come with citizenship, nor a moral conscience that would give them some measure of forbearance from using their full power to their own advantage against us. What would it be like to live in such a world? It would no doubt be treacherous, fraught with an assortment of possibly life-threatening dangers.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Investment Opportunities in Natural Gas Service Companies / Companies / Natural Gas
By: Hans_Wagner
To beat the market investors it often makes sense to invest in companies that support the companies that are most directly involved in a top performing sector. The Energy sector has outperformed the S&P 500 for several years. An earlier article examined the key issues driving opportunities in natural gas in the U.S. Natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel and is now trading at a lower cost relative to oil. Demand for natural gas should continue to expand, driven by substitution for coal to generate electricity and for heating. Natural gas is also being used by government and corporate fleets, as it is a lower cost and cleaner fuel.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earnings Reports Contain Interesting and Troubling Economic Messages / Companies / Corporate Earnings
By: John_Browne
Last week, as the corporate “earnings season” got underway and some 30 percent of S&P 500 firms reported their results from the first quarter of 2008, investors seized on any shred of positive news in the first wave of reports and sent share prices surging.
Looking beyond this first blush euphoria, the reports do contain some very interesting, and troubling, economic messages.
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Google Earnings Boost From Foreign Markets and Falling US Dollar / Companies / Google
By: Nadeem_Walayat
Google Earnings Boost From Foreign Markets and Falling US DollarGoogle surprised a market that was getting used to earnings disappointments by beating expectations for the first quarter in posting earnings of $1.31 billion / $4.12 per share, against $1 billion ($3.18) up 31% from a year earlier. Google's clicks based adsense advertising model continues to prove profitable as Google expands into strong overseas markets, which now account for 50% of Google's revenues and therefore providing google a revenue and profits boost due to the falling Dollar that has tumbled as much as 15% against many currencies including the Euro in less than a year.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Two Important Lessons from GE's Earnings Drop / Companies / Corporate Earnings
By: Money_and_Markets
Tony Sagami writes: In 1896, General Electric was one of the original 12 companies listed on the newly-formed Dow Jones Industrial Average. After 112 years, GE is the only original company remaining in the Dow.
So when one of America's most respected — and largest — companies announced that their quarterly profits fell well short of expectations ... and warned that the rest of 2008 wasn't looking so hot ... I perked up.
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Monday, April 14, 2008
Weak Earnings from GE Spark Economic Concerns / Companies / Corporate Earnings
By: Jennifer_Yousfi
General Electric Co. ( GE ) shocked the market when it announced a 6% drop in net income for the first quarter of 2007.
Continuing earnings per share for the quarter were down 8% to 44 cents per share, missing the mean of analyst expectations at 51 cents per share. Continuing earnings were down 12% from the same period a year prior to $4.4 billion.
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Friday, April 11, 2008
How to Play China's Wired for Profit Internet Boom / Companies / China Stocks
By: Money_and_Markets
It's no surprise that computers, video games, cell phones, and the Internet have become a fact of modern life in America. After all, we live in a very wired country.
But you may be surprised to learn that we aren't the most wired country in the world.
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Will Citibank Survive? / Companies / Banking Stocks
By: James_Turk
The center of focus this past week on Wall Street – and indeed, much of the financial world – was whether or not Bear Stearns will go belly-up. As questions arose about the quality of its $395 billion of assets that were carried on only $12 billion of equity, its customers and other brokers became unwilling to accept the counterparty risk that arises from transacting with Bear, while its lenders began worrying about repayment. Being leveraged to that extent, even a small decline in the value of its assets can significantly erode the firm's equity base. But given that Bear is no more than the fifth largest broker in the US , it is a relatively small fish in the financial world. Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Halifax (HBOS) Hit by Hedge Fund Short Selling and Emergency Funding Rumours / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
By: Nadeem_Walayat
The Halifax (HBOS), Britain's biggest Mortgage bank shares crashed by 20% on the opening this morning as suspected hedge fund forced short selling drove the stock price sharply lower to £3.98. This was accompanied by rumours that the bank had to seek emergency funding from the Bank of England and that the central banks staff leave had been cancelled to deal with the crisis.
The Bank of England and the FSA took the unprecedented step of issuing statements that categorically denied the rumours. The FSA went further that it had launched an investigation into the trading activity surrounding HBOS and other banks this morning and accused traders of 'market abuse by spreading false rumours to profit from short-selling.
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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Lehman Brothers Next Wall Street Bank to Go Bust? / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
By: Nadeem_Walayat
In the wake of Bear Stearns Firesale to JP Morgan, which itself is far from immune to panic withdrawals, the credit crisis loss of confidence contaigent appears to have Lehman Brothers in its sights. Panicking Wall Street investors who saw their shares in Bear Stearns go from $62 to $2 in a matter of days dumped stock in Lehman Brothers on Mondays opening. The stock traded down to $20 on Monday before rallying and closing at $31.75 down about 20% on the day. Read full article... Read full article...