Attila the Huntsman (HUN)
Huntsman Corp. looks like it may be trading up 50% pre-market after a recent battering. This chemicals and products maker had been down and out after its private equity buyout from Apollo Management &…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Sirius (SIRI): Some Upside
Sirius (SIRI) management has been desperate to convince shareholders that the merger of the two satellite radio companies would work. Wall St. has not bought into the pitch, but there are two or three…
Conexant One To Watch on Guidance (CNXT)
Conexant Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CNXT) did something unusual even for a small cap stock. The communications chip company raised its guidance. It now sees EPS of $0.24 to $0.26 vs. $0.15 estimates. It also…
Top Pre-Market Analyst Upgrades (ANF, ARG, EMR, LSTR, SPNC, WFC)
These are some of the key upgrades from analysts we are focusing on this Tuesday morning: Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) Raised to Outperform at FBR. Airgas (ARG) Raised to Outperform at Baird. Emerson Electric…
Top Pre-Market Analyst Downgrades (APKT, FITB, GNTX, NYM, PLD, ROK, TSS, VRAD)
These are not all of the downgrades, butthese are some of the standout calls early this Tuesday morning: Acme Packet (APKT) Cut to Sell at Piper Jaffray. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) Cut to Neutral…
Oil To $60, Speculation On The Way Down
Two months ago, it was unimaginable that crude could drop below $100. The stink of $147 oil was still in the air. Eulogies for the car and airline industries were being written. The average…
Opening The Fed Lending Window To Hedge Funds
The poor and middle class like to spit on the rich when they are down. It happens so rarely. The idea of bailing out hedge funds or helping them in any way runs counter…
The Fed Needs To Cut Interest Rates To Zero
Up until recently, the Fed had a good reason not to cut interest rates. Inflation might catch hold of the economy and undercut the purchasing power of individuals and corporations alike. Inflation does not…
Media Digest 9/30/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
According to Reuters, the credit crisis has sharply increased the chances of a deep recession. Reuters reports that the fall in the stock market is pushing investors into safe investments like Treasuries. Reuters reports…
Small Business Gets Crushed In Credit Crisis
With the Congressional rejection of the Treasury bailout package lending from banks to small businesses has ground to a halt. According to Forbes,"The Discover Small Business Watch index of economic confidence slipped to 74.6,…
CMGI Is No More (CMGI, MLNK)
CMGI Inc. (NASDAQ: CMGI) is about to go through an investor transformation. The former Internet incubator is now mostly ModusLink and will reflect that change. It also released its quarterly earnings with its net…
Wachovia Re-Opens, Some Value Remains (WB, C)
Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB) has just resumed trading after its FDIC-led Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) "take-under" came in. By now you’ve already heard enough about the merger news and how ugly this was going…
Fed Could Cut To Zero: Can The System Save Itself?
Now that the Congress has voted against the Treasury bailout and the Dow has dropped700 points, the important question is whether they system can save itself before the market moves toward 9,000. That would…
Bailout: House Says No, Stock Market Wants Yes
If Congress was worried that the bailout package was or wasn’t going to help, the failure out of the House of Representatives to pass the new bailout package just killed the stock market. As…
Defensive Stocks Only Mixed In Stock Market Turbulence (PE, KO, TAP, KFT, CPB, HRL, MCD, MO, RAI, PG, CL, MRK, JNJ)
You know it’s a rough day in the market when even defensive stocks are weak or mixed. We are at least seeing a mixed bag from some of these. But the trend is a…
Oppenheimer’s National City Upgrade Spurns Options Activity (NCC)
Right after noon today, our screen for most active call options pointed out the movements in shares of National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC). We already noted that famed Oppenheimer banking analyst Meredith Whitney actually…
Gold Fields Underscores Woes of Gold Sector (GFI, NEM, GG, ABX, AU, GLD, GDX)
South African gold miner Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI) posted its fiscal year 2008 earnings today. The company has been hit hard by higher costs, lower production, and a cave-in that killed eight miners. The…
Grand Canyon Education Sets IPO Terms (LOPE)
In an SEC filing this morning, Grand Canyon Education sets its IPO terms. In the first indications, it looks like 10.5 million shares are being planned for sale in a range of $18.00 to…
Fed Throws in $620 Billion In Swaps For Dollar Liquidity
It appears that a US-led bailout package may only be part of an effort to calm market fears. The Federal Reserve has announced a massive coordinated liquidity package to provide U.S. dollar liquidity. The…
Apple (AAPL) And Google (GOOG) Both Break Under 52-Week Lows
In a sign that the entire market has gone under the sword, Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and RIM (RIMM) have all breached their 52-week lows. Apple dropped to $109, down from a 52-week high…