24/7 Wall St. » HSOL

Market Close: Big Winners & Losers for March 22, 2013 (TOPS, HALO, ANAC, MRIN, SINO, AMBO, GALT, TIBX, DGICB, HSOL)

Paul Ausick — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:26:51 +0000

Here are today’s five biggest gaining stocks at closing:

Top Ships Inc. (NASDAQ: TOPS) is up 39% at $1.39.

Halozyme Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) is up 31% at $6.90.

Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ANAC) is up 26.2% at $6.11.

Marin Software Inc. (NYSE: MRIN) is up 20.4% at $16.85. This is the company’s IPO.

Sino-Global Shipping America Ltd. (NASDAQ: SINO) is up 20.2% at $2.19.

And here are today’s five biggest losing stocks at closing:

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. (NYSE: AMBO) is down 19.5% at $0.95.

Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: GALT) is down 9.7% at $3.74.

TIBCO Software Inc. (NASDAQ: TIBX) is down 9.6% at $20.95.

Donegal Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DGICB) is down 9.4% at $23.55.

Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 9.4% at $0.97.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AMBO, ANAC, DGICB, GALT, HALO, HSOL, MRIN, SINO, TIBX, TOPS

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — March 18, 2013: Markets Slide on Cyprus Woes (KMB, VZ, RGLD, ACI, HPQ, SYNM, CLSN, HSOL, HAST, KIOR, FF, SBLK, FDS, CTAS, GLUU, JCP, NOK, BBRY)

Paul Ausick — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:07:16 +0000

U.S. equity markets opened lower this morning following a weekend of confusion over the proposed solution to the banking problem in Cyprus. It’s not that Cyprus claims a particularly large banking system, but the proposed haircut for their depositors makes depositors everywhere wary (more coverage here). The Cypriot banking mess chilled markets in Asia and Europe today as well. There was little data released today, but the eurozone trade deficit came in higher than forecast and in China, house prices rose 2.1% month-over-month. In the U.S. the National Association of Home Builders index fell again in March, the second straight month of decline (more coverage here). U.S. financial stocks performed poorly today, while tech stocks posted a gain as speculation abounded that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) would seriously boost its dividend.

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.48% today, now at 82.654. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.4% at 652.50, with commodities prices mostly lower today on the stronger dollar. WTI crude oil closed up 0.3% today, at $93.74 a barrel. Brent crude trades down 0.2% at $109.57 a barrel. Natural gas is down 0.1% today at about $3.87 per million BTUs. Gold settled up 0.8% today at $1,604.60 an ounce, its first close above $1,600 this month.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down about 62 points to 14,452.06 (-0.43%), the NASDAQ fell more than 11 points (-0.35%) to 3,237.59, and the S&P 500 fell -0.55% or nearly 9 points to 1,552.10.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Kimberly-Clark Corp. (NYSE: KMB) cut to ‘sell’ at Goldman Sachs; Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) raised to ‘buy’ at Citigroup (more coverage here); Royal Gold Inc. (NASDAQ: RGLD) started as ‘buy’ at BB&T; Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) raised to ‘neutral’ at Nomura; and Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) raised to ‘overweight’ at Morgan Stanley.

Earnings reports since markets closed last Friday resulted in several price moves today, including these: Syntroleum Corp. (NASDAQ: SYNM) is down 12.3% at $0.40; Celsion Corp. (NASDAQ: CLSN) is up 1.9% at $1.08; Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is up 5.7% at $0.93; Hastings Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: HAST) is down 4.4% at $2.17; and Kior Inc. (NASDAQ: KIOR) is down 0.9% at $5.76.

Before markets open tomorrow morning we are scheduled to hear from FutureFuel Corp. (NYSE: FF), Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ: SBLK), FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NYSE: FDS), and Cintas Corp. (NASDAQ: CTAS).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

Glu Mobile Inc. (NASDAQ: GLUU) is up 11.1% at $3.71. The mobile games developer has been upgraded by several analysts.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is up 6.6% at $16.50. The beleaguered retailer gets a boost today from an analyst’s plan to convert some of the company’s stores to a REIT.

Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) is down 2.3% at $3.35. The handset maker is declining as the U.S. release of the new smartphone from BlackBerry (NASDAQ: BBRY) approaches later this week..

Stay tuned for Tuesday. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) begins its two-day meeting. We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – Housing starts
11:30 a.m. – 4-week bill auction

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: ACI, BBRY, CLSN, CTAS, FDS, FF, GLUU, HAST, HPQ, HSOL, JCP, KIOR, KMB, NOK, RGLD, SBLK, SYNM, VZ

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — March 15, 2013: Markets Open Lower, Don’t Recover (FCX, NDAQ, DAL, CL, RDS-A, ARO, MCP, ZUMZ, BWS, SYNM, CLSN, HSOL, HAST, KIOR, BAC, MU, AMX)

Paul Ausick — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 20:07:55 +0000

U.S. equity markets opened lower this morning and were never able to shake off the doldrums as stocks traded below the break-even line all day. There was little data out in either Asia or Europe, and data released in the U.S. today was decidedly mixed. The U.S. consumer price index was higher than expected, but core data was inline (more coverage here). The Empire State manufacturing index beat expectations (more coverage here), and results of the Federal Reserve’s stress tests on big banks weighed on financial stocks today as well (more coverage here). U.S. industrial production rose more than expected (more coverage here), but consumer sentiment tanked (more coverage here).

The U.S. dollar index fell 0.42% today, now at 82.262. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.5% at 650.23, with commodities prices mixed today. WTI crude oil closed up 0.5% today, at $93.45 a barrel. Brent crude trades up 1% at $110.03 a barrel. Natural gas is up 1.6% today at about $3.87 per million BTUs. Gold settled up 0.1% today at $1,590.70 an ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down about 25 points to 14,514.11 (-0.17%), the NASDAQ fell about 10 points (-0.30%) to 3,249.07, and the S&P 500 fell -0.16% or more than 2 points to 1,560.71.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (NYSE: FCX) raised to ‘buy’ with a price target of $42 at Goldman Sachs; Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) raised to ‘outperform’ at Wells Fargo; Delta Air Lines Co. (NYSE: DAL) cut to ‘market perform’ at Raymond James; Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) cut to ‘equal weight’ at Morgan Stanley; and Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS-A) cut to ‘underweight’ at JPMorgan Chase.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night resulted in several price moves today, including these: Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) is down 5.5% at $13.71; Molycorp Inc. (NYSE: MCP) is up 2.3% at $6.13 (more coverage here); Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) is up 5.2% at $25.49; and Brown Shoe Co. Inc. (NYSE: BWS) is down 4.8% at $17.52.

Before markets open Monday morning we are scheduled to hear from Syntroleum Corp. (NASDAQ: SYNM), Celsion Corp. (NASDAQ: CLSN), Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL), Hastings Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: HAST), and Kior Inc. (NASDAQ: KIOR).

Some standouts among heavily traded stocks today include:

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) is up 4.4% at $12.64 after posting a new 52-week high of $12.65 earlier. The big bank’s capital plan passed the Fed stress test and includes some big buyback plans. More coverage here.

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) is down 3.1% at $9.39. The chipmaker reports earnings next week and expectations are high, probably leading some short sellers to dump their positions today.

America Movil S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: AMX) is down 4% at $18.59 after posting a new 52-week low of $18.49 earlier today. The telecommunications company has been through a spate of selling in the past week following an announcement that Mexico is seeking to increase competition in the sector and encourage foreign investment.

Stay tuned for Monday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

10:00 a.m. – National Association of Home Builders housing market index
11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month bill auctions

Have a great weekend!

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AMX, ARO, BAC, BWS, CL, CLSN, DAL, FCX, HAST, HSOL, KIOR, MCP, MU, NDAQ, RDS-A, SYNM, ZUMZ

Chinese Solar Goal Lifts Sector Stocks

Paul Ausick — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:45:56 +0000

When the Chinese government’s National Development and Reform Commission announced yesterday that it will add 10,000 megawatts of solar capacity in 2013, today’s jump in solar stocks be came a sure thing. How China plans to install all those systems remains unsaid, but, hey, we’re talking about solar stocks here.

Shares of Chinese Solar makers are soaring since the first of the year, led by LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), which is up nearly 53%. That’s the same LDK Solar that has posted a net loss of at least $1 per ADS for the past year and a half.

Other solar stocks with big gains since January 2nd include Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL), up almost 37%, Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL), up more than 33%, Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE), up nearly 30%, JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO), JinkoSolar Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: JKS) up more than 20%, and Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP), up nearly 20%.

Even U.S.-based, but French-controlled, SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) is up 48%. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is up a modest 7% to lag far behind the field.

The low prices for the solar stocks make them a perfect target for traders looking for a fast and volatile play. Whether or not there is any fundamental reason for the shares to trade at less than a buck or at nearly $7 is irrelevant. LDK’s 52-week range is $0.71 to $6.92, and its trading at $2.22 today, up nearly 8% from yesterday.

LDK’s high is nearly 10x more than the low. No one can put a value on the stock with a range like that. Solar stocks are like slot machines: put in some money, pull the handle, and hold on.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Alternative Energy, China, Green Biz Tagged: featured, FSLR, HSOL, JASO, JKS, LDK, SPWR, STP, TSL, YGE

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — January 3, 2013: Markets Fight Back from Lower Open, But Can’t Buck the Fed (C, PCLN, SPWR, CSCO, ALU, FDO, SONC, MOS, AA, BRK-A, LDK, TSL, YGE, HSOL, LPH, VRNG, GOOG)

Paul Ausick — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:03:14 +0000

U.S. equity markets opened lower this morning following a higher-than-expected report of new claims for unemployment benefits (more coverage here). The news more than compensated for the afterglow of yesterday’s big gains and the better-than-expected ADP national employment report. In Asia, markets in Shanghai and Tokyo were closed again, but the Hong Kong market rose again to finish at its highest level in more than 18 months. China’s non-manufacturing PMI rose to 56.1, more than expected (more coverage here). In Europe, markets were mixed following a better-than-expected number for German unemployment, but that was offset by a jump of 50% in Greek bad loans. U.S. retailers reported mixed same-store sales initially this morning (more coverage here), but the final tally came in better than expected (more coverage here). Equities took a dive in the afternoon, following publication of the FOMC minutes, which noted that bond purchases by the Fed may be terminated in 2013 (more coverage here).

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.67% today, now at 80.358. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.9% at 652.56, with commodities prices mixed again today. WTI crude oil closed down 0.2% today, at $92.92 a barrel. Brent crude trades down 0.3% at $112.12 a barrel. Natural gas is down 1.1% today at about $3.20 per thousand cubic feet. Gold settled down 0.8% today at $1,674.60 an ounce.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 22 points to 13,390.05 (-0.17%), the NASDAQ fell more than 11 points (-0.37%) to 3,100.57, and the S&P 500 fell -0.21% or about 3 points to 1,459.34.

There were a several analyst upgrades and downgrades of note today, including Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) raised to ‘buy’ at Sterne Agee and ‘market perform’ at JMP Securities; Priceline.com Inc. (NASDAQ: PCLN) raised to ‘buy’ at BofA/ML; SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) raised to ‘buy’ at Lazard; Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) raised to ‘outperform’ at RBC; and Alcatel-Lucent SA (NYSE: ALU) raised to ‘neutral’ at Credit Suisse.

There only earnings report of note today came from Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO). Shares are down 12.7% at $55.90 (more coverage here).

After U.S. markets close today and before they open again tomorrow we are scheduled to get earnings reports from Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC) and Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS). Earnings season begins in earnest next Tuesday, when Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is scheduled to report results.

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) is up 43.9% at $8.82. The solar panel maker sold two projects to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) late yesterday (more coverage here) and shares were upgraded by one investment firm. The sale has renewed interest in the solar sector, with LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK), Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL), Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE), and Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) all trading up more than 15% today.

Longwei Petroleum Investment Holding Ltd. (NYSEMKT: LPH) is down 72.9% at $0.624 after posting a new 52-week low of $0.46 earlier today. The Chinese fuel distributor was the subject of a scathing report that called its “purported business operations … massively overstated and a brazen fraud.” Ouch.

Vringo Inc. (NYSEMKT: VRNG) is up 16.8% at $3.41. The intellectual property company is seen as having gained some ground in its lawsuit against Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) based on a comment Google made in a request for a postponement of a ruling setting an ongoing royalty payment from Google to Vringo.

Stay tuned for Friday. Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser, Fed Vice-chair Janet Yellen, and St. Louis Fed President James Bullard are giving speeches. We have also noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – Employment situation
10:00 a.m. – Factory orders
10:00 a.m. – Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing PMI
10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly natural gas storage report
11:00 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AA, ALU, BRK-A, C, CSCO, FDO, GOOG, HSOL, LDK, LPH, MOS, PCLN, SONC, SPWR, TSL, VRNG, YGE

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — September 11, 2012: Markets Stumble Toward a Higher Close (CMCSA, JNJ, DNKN, YELP, FINL, COOL, PANW, HSOL, UNFI, PLL, SCMR, UEC, SABA, WSB, OLBK, CTIC, VLO, PSX, KSW, AMD)

Paul Ausick — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:03:57 +0000

The three major U.S. stock indexes opened higher this morning and have remained higher by a modest amount all day. Overseas markets were mixed, with Asian markets down in advance of tomorrow’s ruling from Germany’s Constitutional Court on the legality of the country’s participation in the eurozone bond-buying program (more coverage here). European markets closed mixed today, with Germany’s DAX index up 1.3% and the UK’s FTSE 100 down fractionally. The U.S. trade deficit came in lower than expected at $42 billion, near an 18-month low (our coverage here). We’re all waiting breathlessly for the German court’s decision tomorrow and the Fed announcement on Thursday.

The U.S. dollar index is lower today, now down 0.7% at 79.835, it’s lowest level since May. The GSCI commodity index is up fractionally at 677.88, with commodities prices mostly lower and corn losing another 0.7% to trade around $7.78/bushel. WTI crude oil closed up 0.7% today, at $97.17/barrel. Brent crude trades up 0.4% at $115.26/barrel. Natural gas is up 6.1% today to $2.986/thousand cubic feet. Gold closed at $1,734.90/ounce, up 0.2% today.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up more than 69 points to 13,232.52 (0.52%), the NASDAQ rose less than 1 point (0.02%) to 3,104.53, and the S&P 500 rose 0.32% or more than 4 points to 1,433.58.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) started as ‘buy’ at Janney; Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) started as ‘neutral’ at Credit Suisse; Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc. (NASDAQ: DNKN) reiterated as ‘buy’ with a target price of $38 at Argus; Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP) started as ‘neutral’ at Piper Jaffray; and Finish Line Inc. (NASDAQ: FINL) reiterated as ‘buy’ and target price raised to $28 at Canaccord Genuity.

Some companies that reported earnings since markets closed last Friday and have recent share price changes today include Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: COOL) is down 5% at $1.65 after posting a new 52-week low of $1.62 earlier today; Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW) is down 7% at $66.75; Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is down 2.8% at $1.03 (more coverage here); and Unified Natural Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI) is 9% at $55.01.

There are no earnings releases of note before markets open on Wednesday, although there are a few results due out after tomorrow’s close, including Pall Corp. (NYSE: PLL), Sycamore Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: SCMR), Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSEMKT: UEC), and Saba Software Inc. (NASDAQ: SABA).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

WSB Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: WSB) is up 82.2% at $5.32 after posting a new 52-week high of $5.90 earlier today. The financial holding company is being acquired by Old Line Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: OLBK) for $49 million or about $6.12 per share.

Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CTIC) is up 38.6% at $3.56. The drug company has launched its treaty for a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Europe.

Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) is up 2.1% at $32.69 after posting a new 52-week high of $32.88 earlier today. The oil refiner led the entire group of refiners higher today, including Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) which also posted a new post-IPO high. Refining stocks are likely getting the boost from expected lower future crude prices and higher prices in the Gulf Coast area as refiners come back online following the shutdown for Hurricane Isaac.

KSW Corp. (NASDAQ: KSW)) is up 22.1% at $4.97 after posting a new all-time high of $5.02 earlier today. The HVAC company is being acquired by Related Companies for $5 a share in a transaction worth $32.1 million.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) is up 8.2% at $3.76. The chipmaker made an investment of an undisclosed amount in cloud-based video game maker CiiNow, whose game technology works with AMD’s Radeon graphics products.

Stay tuned for Wednesday. Germany’s Constitutional Court ruling on eurozone contributions is due tomorrow morning at 4:00 a.m. ET. The Fed’s FOMC meeting begins tomorrow as well. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications
8:30 a.m. – Import and export prices
10:00 a.m. – Wholesale trade
11:30 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report
1:00 p.m. – 10-year note auction

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AMD, CMCSA, COOL, CTIC, DNKN, FINL, HSOL, JNJ, KSW, OLBK, PANW, PLL, PSX, SABA, SCMR, UEC, UNFI, VLO, WSB, Yelp

Solar Stocks Clawing Back Up (FSLR, HSOL, SPWR, STP, TSL, LDK)

Paul Ausick — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:58:41 +0000

Energy stocks were generally higher yesterday as shares reacted positively to China’s latest stimulus package and the expectations for more. Coal stocks did particularly well, but solar stocks also moved a little higher. The move continues today.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) announced this morning that it had signed a power-purchase agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (NYSE: PCG) for 72 megawatts of electricity from two California plants. Project construction is expected to start next year. That’s really a pretty paltry amount, but First Solar shares are up more than 5% on the news.

Korean-owned but China-based Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) reported a loss of $0.50 per U.S. ADS this morning, much worse than the expected loss of $0.31, and revenues missed estimates as well. Normally that would crush a solar maker’s shares, but Hanwha is down only 2.4%. Investors seem to believe that Hanwha’s acquisition of Germany’s bankrupt Q-cells will allow Hanwha to avoid the 31% tariffs slapped on Chinese solar makers because the German company owns manufacturing facilities in Germany and Malaysia. That may happen, and Hanwha, a major Korean conglomerate, has the cash to wait. We’ll see.

Other solar makers, with the exception of SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) are also getting a boost today. SunPower signed a power-purchase agreement for 100 megawatts last week.

First Solar is up 5.2% at $21.87 in a 52-week range of $11.43 to $93.64.

Hanwha Solarone is down 2.8% at $1.03 in a 52-week range of $0.81 to $3.33.

SunPower is down 0.4% at $4.71 in a 52-week range of $3.71 to $9.54.

LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) is up 2.4% at $1.26 in a 52-week range of $1.20 to $6.92.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is up 8.4% at $0.805 in a 52-week range of $0.71 to $4.40.

Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) is up 2.4% at $4.20 in a 52-week range of $3.95 to $ 12.19.

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Alternative Energy, Green Biz Tagged: FSLR, HSOL, LDK, SPWR, STP, TSL

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — September 10, 2012: Markets Spend Another Day Around the Flat Line (AAPL, ITRI, NRG, CELG, S, PPHM, RFIL, JW-A, COOL, PANW, HSOL, UNFI, GERN, TITN, GMCR, KSW, AMZN)

Paul Ausick — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:09:16 +0000

The three major U.S. stock indexes opened lower this morning after a weekend of mixed news from Asia. China’s trade balance rose on falling imports and industrial production failed to meet estimates (more coverage here). In Europe, the French government lowered its GDP growth estimate from 1.2% to 0.8% for 2012, leading the new French president to say he would introduce legislation to raise taxes and cut spending in an effort to curb deficits (more coverage here). In the U.S., stocks have traded mostly lower today, but only slightly. The big news this week comes from Germany’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday (more coverage here) and the U.S. Federal Reserve on Thursday.

The U.S. dollar index is higher today, now up 0.08% at 80.320. The GSCI commodity index is up 0.7% today at 676.64, with commodities prices mostly lower on the stronger dollar and corn well below $8.00/bushel again. WTI crude oil closed up 0.1% today, at $96.54/barrel, as prices reacted to some big transactions and more hope for a boost from China’s stimulus deal announced last week (more coverage here). Brent crude trades up 0.3% at $114.59/barrel. Natural gas is up 3% today to $2.76/thousand cubic feet. Gold closed at $1,731.80/ounce, down 0.5% today, as traders wait for Thursday’s Fed meeting.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 52 points to 13,254.29 (-0.39%), the NASDAQ fell more than 32 points (-1.03%) to 3,104.02, and the S&P 500 fell -0.61% or nearly 9 points to 1,429.08.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) started as ‘buy’ at Monness Crespi Hardt; Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) started as ‘buy’ at BofA/ML; NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) raised to ‘buy’ at Goldman Sachs; Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ: CELG) cut to ‘neutral’ at UBS; and Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S) raised to ‘buy’ at Nomura.

Some companies that reported earnings since markets closed last Friday and have recent share price changes today include Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: PPHM) is down 0.2% at $4.49 after posting a new 52-week high of $5.14 earlier today; RF Industries Ltd. (NASDAQ: RFIL) is up 11.9% at $4.47 after posting a new 52-week high of $4.98 earlier today; and John Wiley & Sons Inc. (NYSE: JW-A) is down 5.4% at $48.55.

Earnings releases scheduled before markets open on Tuesday morning include Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: COOL), Palo Alto Networks Inc. (NYSE: PANW), Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL), and Unified Natural Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: UNFI).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Geron Corp. (NASDAQ: GERN) is down 56.9% at $1.25 after posting a new 52-week low of $1.23 earlier today. The biopharmaceuticals maker has stopped a breast cancer drug trial. More coverage here.

Titan Machinery Inc. (NASDAQ: TITN) is down 23.1% at $19.51 (more coverage here). The farm and heavy equipment retailer lowered guidance this morning and badly missed earnings estimates. More coverage here.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) is up 8.1% at $30.08. The coffee roasting firm continues to get a boost from a ratings upgrade last Friday that might have been a bit exuberant. More coverage here.

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) put up a new high today of $260.00 before pulling back to $257.63 later.

Apple also put up a new high today of $683.29 before falling back to $665.61.

Stay tuned for Tuesday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

7:30 a.m. – National Federation of Small Businesses small business optimism index
8:30 a.m. – International trade
11:30 a.m. – 4-week bill auction
1:00 p.m. – 3-year note auction

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: AAPL, AMZN, CELG, COOL, GERN, GMCR, HSOL, ITRI, JW-A, KSW, NRG, PANW, PPHM, RFIL, S, TITN, UNFI

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — September 4, 2012: Markets Off to Slow Start in September (ARMH, GME, NWSA, IBM, MT, CPB, SFD, HSOL, BLMN, FNSR, PBY, DG, MRX, VRX, HEK, QCOR)

Paul Ausick — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:06:42 +0000

The three major U.S. stock indexes opened flat to slightly lower this morning after the three-day holiday weekend. PMI readings from Europe came out weaker than expected yesterday (our coverage here), as did the PMI readings from China (our coverage here). While last week was spent anticipating Friday’s speech by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the first several days of this week are another holding period awaiting a Thursday announcement from the ECB on interest rates, and some expect more support from the central bank for sovereign bond purchases (more coverage here). The ISM PMI reading for August indicated a contraction in the economy, albeit a small one (our coverage here). U.S. auto sales were strong in August, but that wasn’t enough to move shares much today.

The U.S. dollar index is higher today, now up 0.11% at 81.300. The GSCI commodity index is up 1.2% today at 675.03, with commodities prices mixed and corn rising to $8.00/bushel again. WTI crude oil closed down 1.2% today, at $95.30/barrel. Brent crude trades down 1.5% at $114.10/barrel. Natural gas is up 2% today to $2.855/thousand cubic feet. Gold closed at $1,696.00/ounce, up 0.5% today, and the highest close in more than 5 months.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down nearly 55 points to 13,035.86 (-0.42%), the NASDAQ rose more than 8 points (0.26%) to 3,075.06, and the S&P 500 fell -0.12% or nearly 2 points to 1,404.94.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including ARM Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: ARMH) cut to ‘sell’ at Deutsche Bank; GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) raised to ‘buy’ at Goldman Sachs; News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA) raised to ‘overweight’ at Barclays; International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) raised to ‘overweight’ with a target price of $240 at Barclays; and ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) started as ‘buy’ at Jefferies.

Some companies that reported earnings since markets closed last Friday and have recent share price changes today include Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB)is down 0.1% at $35.10 after posting a new 52-week high of $36.28 earlier today (our coverage here) and Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE: SFD) is up 3.2% at $19.93 (our coverage here). Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) was scheduled to announce earnings today, but postponed the release until next Tuesday.

Earnings releases scheduled before markets open on Wednesday morning include Bloomin’ Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: BLMN), Finisar Corp. (NASDAQ: FNSR), Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY), and Dollar General Corp. (NYSE: DG).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. (NYSE: MRX) is up 38.3% at $43.65 after posting a new 52-week high of $43.70 earlier today. The specialty drugmaker has agreed to be acquired Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) for $2.6 billion in a deal that was announced yesterday. More coverage here.

Heckmann Corp. (NYSE: HEK) is up 42.2% at $3.83. The water and waste-water services provider to shale oil & gas producers will acquire privately-held Power Fuels for $381 million, doubling the company’s revenue stream and adding immediately to EPS.

Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOR) is up 9.6% at $47.62. The biopharmaceutical maker has been told by the federal government that it may be able to reduce the Medicaid rebate it currently pays by 77%.

Stay tuned for Wednesday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

7:00 a.m. – Mortgage Bankers Association purchase applications
8:30 a.m. – Productivity and costs
11:30 a.m. – 4-week bill auctions

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: ARMH, BLMN, CPB, DG, FNSR, GME, HEK, HSOL, IBM, MRX, MT, NWSA, PBY, QCOR, SFD, VRX

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell — August 31, 2012: Markets Rise After Bernanke Speech (GLW, SE, TD, GRMN, MT, OVTI, SAI, STP, ZUMZ, CPB, HSOL, CPB, FB, SPLK, SABA, KNXA, IBM)

Paul Ausick — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 18:03:04 +0000

Today’s issue of the “Closing Bell” is out early as we join many of you in an early start to the holiday weekend. Data in today’s report was compiled between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. ET.

The three major U.S. stock indexes opened higher this morning and were trending lower on stagnant unemployment reports and slightly higher inflation from Europe (our coverage here). The Chicago Fed PMI index also came in a bit lower than expected although it still indicates a modest expansion in the economy (our coverage here). Fed chairman Bernanke’s long-awaited remarks from Jackson Hole did not promise an expected new round of easing and that sent markets down to their lowest point of the day (our coverage here). Then a rumor surfaced that the ECB is still considering a yield band target as part of a bond buying program, and stocks ticked up to their highest point of the day before giving a little of the gain back just after noon.

The U.S. dollar index is lower today, now down 0.51% at 81.277. The GSCI commodity index is down fractionally today at 666.96, with commodities prices mostly higher and corn falling below $8.00/bushel again. WTI crude oil is trading up 1.7% today, at $96.24/barrel. Brent crude trades higher at $114.32/barrel. Natural gas is up 1.24% today to $2.782/thousand cubic feet. Gold is trading at $1,682.80/ounce, up 1.6% so far today.

At about 2:00 p.m. today, the DJIA is up more than 77 points to 13,077.77 (0.59%), the NASDAQ has risen more than 14 points (0.47%) to 3,062.98, and the S&P 500 is up 0.44% or about 6 points to 1,405.60.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) raised to ‘outperform’ with a target price of $16 at Oppenheimer; Spectra Energy Corp. (NYSE: SE) cut to ‘equal weight’ with a target price of $30 at Barclays Capital; Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE: TD) cut to ‘neutral’ at Credit Suisse; Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) started as ‘outperform’ at Wells Fargo; and ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) started as ‘equal weight’ at Morgan Stanley.

Some companies that reported earnings since markets closed last night and have recent share price changes today include Omnivision Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: OVTI) are up 5.1% at $16.72; SAIC Inc. (NYSE: SAI) is up 4.3% at $12.32; Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. (NYSE: STP) is up 1.3% at $0.91; and Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) is down 9.8% at $29.05.

Earnings releases scheduled before markets open on Tuesday morning include Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB), Hanwha Solarone Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL), and Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE: SFD).

Some standouts from today include the following stocks:

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) is down 4.9% at $18.16 after hitting a new post-IPO low of $18.08 earlier today. The social network company’s stock was downgraded today on concerns over remaining share lockup exits. More coverage here.

Splunk Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLK) is up 14.4% at $34.89. The enterprise software company beat earnings estimates and raised guidance for the current quarter.

Saba Software Inc. (NASDAQ: SABA) is up 12.3% at $8.94. The HR cloud-based software maker continues to be considered a takeover target following the acquisition of Kenexa Corp. (NYSE: KNXA) by International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM).

Stay tuned for Tuesday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

9:00 a.m. – Institute for Supply Management PMI
10:00 a.m. – Construction spending
11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month bill auctions

Have a great holiday weekend!

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, HI/LOW, Market Close Tagged: CPB, FB, GLW, GRMN, HSOL, IBM, KNXA, MT, OVTI, SABA, SAI, SE, SPLK, STP, TD, ZUMZ