Dell Inc. (DELL) reported third quarter 2010 EPS of 23 cents, below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 27 cents. Revenue Revenue for the quarter was $10.75 billion, down 17.0% from $12.97 billion reported in the year-ago quarter and up 1.0% from $10.62 billion reported in the previous quarter. The company’s third quarter reported revenue was adversely affected by the timing of the Windows 7 launch and due to backlog buildup in the company’s SMB and consumer businesses. Revenue by Segment Large Enterprise posted revenue of $3.4 billion, an increase of 4.0% sequentially and decline of 23.0% year-over-year. In the last quarter, the company expended its networking partnership with Brocade and Juniper, and introduced products like PowerEdge 11g servers and expanded PowerVault storage systems. Public revenue for the quarter was $3.7 billion, down 3.0% on sequentially and 7.0% from the year-ago quarter. Shipments were ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 19, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: PG&E Corporation (PCG), Edison International (EIX), Autodesk Inc. (ADSK), Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) and Apple Inc. (AAPL).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

California May Ban High-Watt TVs

In California, an average residential customer’s 10% electrical consumption goes to television sets. However the regulatory apprehension is that with upgrade to larger television sets the consumption pattern for television sets will spike by as much as 8% annually. This is a worrisome

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Salesforce.com (CRM) reported third quarter EPS of 34 cents, which exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 16 cents per share. Revenue Revenue for the third quarter was $330.5 million, an increase of 20.0% from $276.5 million reported in the year-ago quarter and an increase of 4.5% from $316.1 million reported in the second quarter of fiscal 2010. This exceeded the company’s guidance range of $323.0 million to $324.0 million. The increase in revenue can be attributed to improvement in new business demand and lower attrition rate experienced by the company. Subscription & Support revenue of $306.9 million increased 21.0% from the year-ago quarter. Professional Services & Other revenue of $23.7 million increased 3.0% from the year-ago quarter. Geographically, the Americas contributed 70.0% of total third quarter 2010 revenue, growing 26.4% year-over-year. Europe contributed 18.0%, growing 13.0% year-over-year. Asia-Pacific contributed 12.0%, growing 33.2% year-over-year.   Customer...

IMS Health (RX) recently agreed to its acquisition by investment funds managed by TPG Capital (TPG) and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) for a total value of $5.2 billion.

The Board of Directors approved the decision based on the Transaction Committee recommendation, which was set up to review IMS’ strategic alternatives. Following the agreement, IMS shareholders will receive $22 cash for each share of IMS stock they own. The transaction is likely to be completed by the first quarter of 2010.

The transaction will be financed by a combination of equity to be invested by TPG and CPPIB and debt financing to be provided by Goldman Sachs & Co., including its principal loan and mezzanine funds.

Earlier, in October, IMS announced that it is exploring several strategic alternatives. While details were not provided, we believed that the company was seeking a buyer. During the third quarterly results, IMS recorded a

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Energy-focused engineering and construction company, McDermott International Inc. (MDR) reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings, driven by robust performance from the Offshore Oil and Gas Construction segment. Earnings per share came in at 50 cents, 10 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate and 13 cents above the prior-year period. Revenues were up marginally (by 0.7%) to $1.7 billion.   Offshore Oil and Gas Construction   McDermott’s Offshore Oil and Gas Construction segment revenues were up 26% to a record $1 billion, as higher sales in the Middle East and Caspian regions more than offset reduced levels in other areas. Operating income for the quarter came in at $106.5 million (second highest quarterly income ever), compared to a loss of $19.7 million during the third quarter of 2008, reflecting strength in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions. As of Sept 30, 2009, segment backlog was $3.9 billion, as against a backlog

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Diversified chemical company Dow Chemical Company (DOW) has signed an agreement to sell its non-core Powder Coatings Business to Akzo Nobel N.V. (AKZOY), a leading producer of paints and coatings, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the second quarter of 2010, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.  Dow plans to use the proceeds from the transaction to repay debt, consistent with the company's de-leveraging plan. Dow plans to raise about $3.5 billion by divesting its non-core assets. For the Chemicals group Akzo Nobel, the deal will bring upgraded technological expertise and significant synergy potential for the Powder Coatings business, as well as enhance the company's position in the U.S.  The powder coatings activities were purchased by Dow earlier this year as part of its acquisition of Rohm & Haas. ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 13, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the latest Industry Outlook. Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Steel Industry, including ArcelorMittal (MT), Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD), AK Steel Holding Corporation (AKS), United States Steel Corporation (X) and Nucor Corporation (NUE).

A synopsis of today’s Industry Outlook is presented below. The full article can be read at http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/27253/Steel+Industry.

ArcelorMittal (MT) is the world’s largest steel company with steel production of 103.3 million tons in 2008. Other major players in the industry are Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD), AK Steel Holding Corporation (AKS), United States Steel Corporation (X) and Nucor Corporation (NUE).

The Asia-Pacific region, especially China and India, is witnessing higher production and consumption of steel. This is due to the per capita consumption reaching up

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Steel Output Mounting The Steel industry, which consists of companies engaged in the extraction of iron ore and coke coal for the processing of iron and steel, has the major chunk of sales concentrated with a few producers. The industry includes metal ore exploration and mining services, iron and steel foundries for smelting, rolling, forging, spinning, recycling, stamping, polishing and plating of iron and steel products such as pipes, tubes, wire, spring, rolls and bars. The largest drivers of steel consumption have historically been the automotive and construction markets, which make up more than 50% of total steel consumption. Other steel consuming industries include appliances, converters, containers, tin, energy, electrical equipment, agricultural, domestic and commercial equipment and industrial machinery. Large automakers such as General Motors, Ford Motor Company ([url=http://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/f]F[/url]), Toyota Motor Corporation ([url=http://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/tm]TM[/url]) and Honda Motor Company ([url=http://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/hmc]HMC[/url]) depend upon the steel industry. ArcelorMittal ([url=http://www.zacks.com/stock/quote/mt]MT[/url]) is ...

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) announced that it has entered into a partnership with Shanghai International Port (Group) Co. Ltd. (SIPG) to develop and expand the Chinese cruise market. The Memorandum of Understanding is supposed to build up long term partnership between the two companies, focusing on cruise operations, marketing, staffing and sharing management experience.  Pursuant to the partnership agreement, Royal Caribbean will train and develop new staff and improve quality of service, besides upgrading infrastructure at the port.  The partnership is also a step by Royal Cruises to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific Region. Royal Caribbean, the second largest cruise company in the world, expects revenues from international operations to form a major chunk of the total revenues.  Cruises have gradually gained acceptance from Chinese tourists as a new vacation product, and after several years of marketing promotion by some famous international ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 12, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Southern Copper Corporation (PCU), Logitech International (LOGI), Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (PHG).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Southern Copper’s Earnings Jump

Southern Copper Corporation (PCU), one of the leading copper producers in the world, posted net earnings of 37 cents in the third quarter of 2009, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 31 cents. Earnings jumped 78.6% from 21

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