Jobless Data Triumphs in Economic Data Deluge
We just had a deluge of economic data in Personal Income & Spending for September, a rather solid figure on weekly jobless claims and in continuing jobless claims, and a somewhat tepid durable goods…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Top 10 Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades, Initiations (BRCD, DRWI, EMC, JDSU, MSFT, NRG, NTAP, SVVS)
These are this mornings top 10 analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls. In fact, because today is a short day or partial off for most, there are not even…
Wal-Mart (WMT) Big Winner In Online Holiday Shopping Traffic
More than 13% of people who went to the top 500 retail websites went to Walmart.com for the week ending November 21. The number was up 77% from the previous week, which is not…
Starbucks (SBUX) Goes To China
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) wants to follow Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), Dell (NADSAQ:DELL) and hundreds of other large American companies into China. It is the promised land for consumer spending. The middle class in the world’s…
The Federal Reserve Speaks With Forked Tongue
The minutes of The Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee for November 3 and November 4 are a study in contradiction and perhaps even confusion. Members of the committee almost all…
The Bank Regulation Tower Of Babel
FDIC chair Sheila Bair, who would seem to be one of the less important members of the government’s financial team, yesterday strongly suggested that secured creditors at the largest banks bear losses of as much as 20%…
Media Digest 11/25/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: Chinese banks must raise large sums of capital which could test equity markets. Reuters: AIG’s (NYSE:AIG) CEO had his pay package approved. Reuters: The Fed sees growth but substantial policy risks.
Asia Markets And Europe Open (11/25/2009)
Markets in Asia were higher. The Nikkei rose .4% to 9,442. Mitsubishi UFJ (NYSE:MTU) was down. Sony (NYSE:SNE), Toyota (NYSE:TM), and Honda (NYSE:HMC) rose. The Hang Seng was up .7% to 22,590. The Shanghai…
Fannie Mae Delinquencies Keep Rising (FNM, FRE)
It seems that the end of the recession notices via positive GDP has not reached Main Street America, at least as far as paying for their single-family house. Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) has just…
The Great Merck Buyback.. Dividend Too (MRK)
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) barely has its Schering-Plough deal behind it. And today came the announcement of its dividend rate, but more importantly came word of a large share repurchase program. The…
FOMC Narrows Unemployment, Inflation and GDP Targets
The November 3 to 4 Minutes of the FOMC meeting are now out, and as you have been told over and over (and over and over)…. It has the flexibility to keep rates low…
Punishing Ciena… By Everyone (CIEN)
Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) is trading higher today, a day after it’s weakness on the announced buyout of the Nortel assets. Continuing to pick on it about the risks, the leverage, and the potential…
Stocks For Buffett To Unload (BRK-A, BNI, COP, XOM, GCI, WPO, MCO, NSC, UNP, UPS, UNH, WLP, GSK, SNY, IR, STI, BAC, WFC, TMK, TRV)
We recently discussed the changes that have taken place inside Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) as Warren Buffett has gone higher up the food chain. In his more focused and more opaque approach, it…
Options & Future Only Highlight Positive GE Research Call (GE)
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) has seen at least some decent trading action today, despite the softness in the market. The stock was reaffirmed as “Overweight” at JPMorgan, but the research call sounded much…
FDIC Fund Goes Into the Red
It seems that the healthy banks will get to come up with new funds all over again to protect the unhealthy banks, or maybe it is the regionals and community banks which will get…
More SPAC Deal & Warrant News (EDS, TGY, NSAQ, CAEL)
We have been given some exclusive coverage on the recent developments in special purpose acquisition companies and blank check companies from SPACupdate.com this morning. Exceed Co. (NASDAQ: EDS), the Chinese apparel maker brought public…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (11/24/2009) (FRE)(PALM)
Updated throughout the day. Playboy (NYSE:PLA) may outsource many of its publishing operations. (WSJ) Cadbury (NYSE:CBY) may counter the Kraft (NYSE:KFT) big by making an offer for Kraft’s confectionery business. (NYPost) Palm (NASDAQ:PALM) board member Rajiv…
Top Day Trader Alerts (AMLN, BRCD, TIVO, SEED, FEED)
These are this morning’s top day trader and active trader alerts seen in early pre-market trading. We have more details and analysis on each stock available in links over at VSInvestor.com: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.…
GDP Revisions Keep Recession at Bay
This morning we just received the first revision to third quarter Gross Domestic Product. The original unrevised figure was reported +3.5% for Q3, and the revision came in at +2.8%. Bloomberg had a consensus…
Top 10 Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades, Initiations (ATVI, AMLN, CEPH, CEO, ERTS, EXPE, PCLN, PRU, TIF, UNP)
These are this Tuesday morning’s top 10 analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations we have seen early this morning in Wall Street research calls: Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo. Amylin…