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Monthly Archives: May 2010

Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (AMZN, MT, CVS, DELL, FDX, GERN, GFIG, HPQ, RTP, UPS, WAG, WFC, WFMI)

Posted: May 20, 2010 at 8:10 am

These are some of this Thursday's top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls this morning: Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) Started as Buy at Stifel Nicolaus. ...
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Customer Service Still A Problem For Sprint

Posted: May 20, 2010 at 6:05 am

Sprint-Nextel (NYSE: S) is in the midst of rolling out its next-generation 4G WiMax service which it hopes will give it advantages over larger rivals AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless. ...
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State Pensions Face $1 Trillion Shortfall

Posted: May 20, 2010 at 5:44 am

The problem with state and private sector pensions has grown since the beginning of the recession for the same reason that Social Security is troubled: the population is aging and ...
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IMF Points To Japan As Next Trouble Spot

Posted: May 20, 2010 at 4:59 am

The IMF had indicated that Japan may be the next trouble spot in the global economy, adding it to a list of several counties in Europe. The  agency visited the ...
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Media Digest 5/20/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

Posted: May 20, 2010 at 4:03 am

Reuters:   The Senate was not able to reach consensus on the financial reform bill. Reuters:   Heavy oil from the BP plc (NYSE: BP) rig came ashore in Louisiana. Reuters:   Trading ...
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Big Pharma Makes More Money On Kids, Use Of Medications Among The Young Rises

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 8:10 pm

The pharmaceutical industry has found a growing source of sales--the prescription of medicines, primarily used by adults in the past, to children. A portion of the sharp increase in drugs ...
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Dividend Hike Onslaught (ACE, CLX, DPS, NOC, SWY, XEL)

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 5:09 pm

It felt like the pace of dividend hikes was slowing down.  Wrong.  There were at least six big hikes today that came from the likes of ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE), ...
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BP plc Liability Rises As Oil Moves East

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 5:08 pm

The BP plc (NYSE: BP) Deepwater Horizon spill is quickly moving east. The NOAA now reports what a number of scientists have already said--the oil slick will move into powerful ...
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Rare Earth Metals Getting Attention in China and US (CVX, CEO, SI, GE)

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 4:07 pm

On April 19th, Molycorp, Inc., a privately held company, filed with the US SEC for an IPO. The company did not say how many shares would be offered nor did ...
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Can Solar Energy Create 200,000 U.S. Jobs? (AMSC, CSIQ, STP, TSL, YGE)

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 3:02 pm

200,000 jobs... That is the new 'independent study' estimate on how many jobs can be created by the solar industry by the year 2016.  The Solar Energy Industries Association is ...
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National Employee Morale Day At H&R Block

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 2:39 pm

Troubled tax return company H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) said today that it would lay-off 400 people. The firm will also close 400 "under-performing" offices. H&R said the moves would save ...
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A More Optimistic FOMC

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 2:15 pm

The minutes from the latest FOMC meeting are indicating a more optimistic group that controls the monetary policy.  The higher GDP forecast for 2010 is now at 3.2% to 3.7% ...
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GE Further Outlines Dividend and Other Strategies (GE)

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 2:01 pm

General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) is still on the path toward a higher dividend.  It is also may begin buying back stock, taking other shareholder-friendly initiatives, and maybe even making ...
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Crude Oil Price Slide Should Help Refiners

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 1:40 pm

Crude oil prices are off more than 20% from their high of $87.15 on May 3rd. The major contributor to that slide are serious concerns over sovereign debt primarily in ...
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Novell Set For Higher Buyout Price (NOVL)

Posted: May 19, 2010 at 1:34 pm

Novell Inc. (NASDAQ: NOVL) is trading higher today on hopes that a higher buyout offer will be heading its way.  There is at least some caution despite the notion that ...
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