Clear Channel (CCU) Sues Providence Over Buy-Out
Almost every week now a private equity or hedge fund walks away from a transaction to take a public company private. In most cases the public company boards try to keep deals on track…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
US Drugs: A “Made In China” Label (BAX)
The uproar about Heparin, a widely-used drug marketed by Baxter International (NYSE: BAX), is just beginning. As The Wall Street Journal writes "Baxter said the active ingredient for its heparin was supplied by Scientific…
This week on Stockhouse February 11 – 15
The Dow and the TSX ended higher despite late-week selling on poor U.S. economic data. Warren Buffett made an offer to support the municipal bond insurance business that – even as it was not…
Birinyi’s Top Equity Holdings (MO, AAPL, CVX, DE, XOM, GS, GOOG, MA, SLB, UTX)
Laszlo Birinyi of Birinyi Associates, Inc. is one of the more frequently watched portfolio managers by the public. The reason is not that he is one of the largest fund managers. But he is…
George Soros Top Equity Holdings (AAPL, AUXL, BFLY, CBI, CMG, CRUS, COV, MAPP, POT, SVNT)
This week we got to see critical SEC filings showing holdings of many key and influential investors. Included in these filings were billionaire George Soros, a billionaire whom is loved by some and much…
Will Whole Foods Earnings Prove Downgrade Wrong? (WFMI)
On Tuesday we’ll get to see earnings out of Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFMI). The estimates from First Call are $0.36 EPS on $2.42 billion in revenues. Next quarter estimates are $0.34 EPS…
Wal-Mart Earnings Key For Retail (WMT, COST, TGT)
Tuesday we’ll get to see earnings out of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT). The estimates from First Call are $1.02 EPS on $106.9 billion in revenues. Next quarter estimates are $0.74 EPS on $92.29…
Tech Investors Eager For Hewlett-Packard Earnings (HPQ, DELL)
After the market closes on Tuesday we’ll get to see earnings out of Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ). The estimates from First Call are $0.81 EPS on $27.59 billion in revenues. Next quarter estimates are…
A Split-Up Of Bond Insures Would Hurt Banks (MBI)(ABK)
If muni-bond insurers like Amback (NYSE: ABK) and MBIA (NYSE:MBI) are forced to break into two pieces, some banks could be badly hurt. The halving of the firms would leave the muni piece of…
Bill Gates Personal Stock Holdings (MSFT, CNI, FSCI, OTTR, LGBT, PNM, RSG, SIX, FMX, TV, BRK.A)
Below are most of the equity holdings listed for Bill Gates’ own Cascade Investment, L.L.C. as of December 31, 2007. These were disclosed in a filing late in the week. Keep in mind that…
The 52-Week Low Club (AMLN, ARRS, AU, ED, GCI, IACI, IUSA, PCG, SLRY)
Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AMLN) is becoming a regular in this club. Yet another low of $28.02 intraday from a high of $53.25. It actually closed at $28.62, so it closed above the prior…
Will Other Integrated Oils Hike Dividends Too? (COP, XOM, CVX, BP)
ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) hiked its dividend Friday, and not just by a penny. Its quarterly dividend was raised from $0.41 per quarter up to $0.47 per quarter. ConocoPhillips hiked its dividend a year or…
McClatchy (MNI) Downgraded Again
Night of the living dead newspaper chain McClatchy (NYSE: MNI) got hit with another downgrade today. Fitch cut the company’s issuer default rating further into the junk word, dropping it to "BB". It is…
Toyota (TM) Gets Pounded In Europe
Toyota (NYSE: TM) is not used to seeing its sales go anywhere but up. It has certainly had a tremendous ride in the US and Europe over the last several years. Numbers from Europe…
This Week’s Key Stock Buybacks & Repurchases (SYK, NILE, TDC, WW, CPWR, CE, EFX, VARI)
While earnings season is slowly winding down and while the economy is obviously cooling, we still have many large and small companies alike with solid balance sheets or that have extra cash to deploy…
IPO FILING: IDS Group (IDSI)
IDS Group, Inc. submitted an IPO filing on Thursday. The total proposed maximum aggregate amount in securities is listed as $86,250,000. They have applied to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol…
IPO WITHDRAWAL: Concentric Medical
Concentric Medical, Inc. withdrew its IPO filing this morning, citing “unfavorable market conditions.” The company originally filed it IPO paperwork on August 17, 2007 and had planned to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market…
IPO WITHDRAWAL: Critical Homecare Solutions (CHCS)
Critical Homecare Solutions Holdings, Inc. withdrew its IPO filing this morning, stating that the withdrawal is “consistent with the public interest and the protection of investors.” Critical Homecare Solutions Holdings originally filed its IPO…
Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox Failure Rate As High As 16%
According to a report in The Inquirer, the failure rate of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xboxs is running at about 16%. One retailer put the number as high as 33%. Most industry observers believe that…
Banks At Risk For Another $203 Billion In Write-Downs
UBS says that global banks may face another $208 billion in write-downs. The banks are at risk due to issues that could cause the failure of bond insurance companies. “Banks have made progress in…