Daimler Financial Services, the financial services arm of auto giant Daimler (DAI), has opened two new companies in the UAE – Mercedes-Benz Finance Middle East and Mercedes-Benz Leasing Middle East – in order to boost slackening sales in the region. This has made Daimler the first automaker to have its own finance and leasing companies in the oil rich country.  Both the financial services companies will offer loans and leasing deals to customers of new and pre-owned Daimler vehicles that will comply with Islamic law or Sharia. The Islamic law prohibits companies or persons from charging or collecting interest fees when money is lent or accepted or invested in businesses, goods or services such as pork, alcohol or gambling that are contrary to its principles.  This creates difficulty for the financial services companies to operate. Daimler’s interest in the UAE was revealed when Abu Dhabi’s Aabar ...

A U.S.-led group – the Crown consortium – has revealed its interest to acquire the ailing Volvo unit from Ford Motor Co. (F). The group included former Ford director Michael Dingman and former Ford and Chrysler executive Shamel Rushwin. In 1999, Ford had acquired the Volvo Car Corporation from Sweden-based Volvo Group for $6.45 billion. However, the company put up the unit for sale in December last year in an effort to cut costs and raise cash amidst plunging industry-wide auto sales. Ford had discussions with many automakers for the sale, including Renault SA and China’s third-largest automaker, Dongfeng Motor Group. So far, China's Geely Automotive has submitted the only concrete bid for the unit. Media reports have disclosed that Geely has valued the unit at around $2 billion. Rumors had spread that Crown consortium had offered significantly less than Geely, but both plans involved ...

Ford Motor (F) is trying hard to offload its unprofitable Volvo car unit by the end of the year. Finance Chief Lewis Booth recently said that the company had no plans of retaining the unit. Ford only wants to concentrate and strengthen its own in-house brand.

In 1999, Ford acquired Volvo Car Corp. from Sweden-based Volvo Group for $6.45 billion. However, the company put up the unit for sale last December in an effort to cut costs and raise cash amidst plunging industry wide auto sales.

Ford negotiated the sale with many automakers, including Renault SA and China’s third-largest automaker, Dongfeng Motor Group. So far, China’s Geely Automotive was reportedly the only company to submit a concrete bid, valuing the unit at about $2 billion. However, Geely later denied such reports.

In the first half of 2008, Ford sold its UK-based Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian auto

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – July 27, 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: ITT Educational Services (ESI), Toyota Motor (TM), Ford (F), General Motors (MTLQQ) and Schlumberger Limited (SLB).

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 Friday’s Analyst Blog:

ITT Educational Tops; Lifts Guidance

ITT Educational Services (ESI) reported strong second quarter results, and beat expectations by $0.15 per share. Quarterly earnings were $1.87 per diluted share, representing a 55.8% increase over $1.20 reported in the corresponding prior-year period.

Quarterly revenue increased 28.7% year-over-year to

...

Recently, North American chief of Japanese auto giant Toyota Motor (TM), Yoshimi Inaba, revealed that the company’s North American operations would possible become profitable in 2010. The forecast assumed U.S. vehicle sales to reach 10 million units this year and 12 million next. However, Inaba is dubious about returning to the 2007 level vehicle sales of 16 million units soon.  Last month, Akio Toyoda – the newly joined President and grandson of Toyota’s founder Kiichiro Toyoda – expressed views about making the company profitable. He anticipated the annual global vehicle production capacity to increase from 10 million units to 13 million units.  Toyota has been struggling hard amidst weak U.S. sales. In the first six months of the year, the company’s U.S. sales plunged 38%, higher than the overall market decline of 35%. In June, Ford (F) toppled the automaker by occupying the second position ...

Recently, Japanese auto giant Honda Motor Co. (HMC) revealed its plan to introduce two new gas-electric hybrid vehicles in 2010 in Japan. The company will offer the CR-Z hybrid sports car in February next year, followed by a hybrid version of its Fit compact by the end of next year. The CR-Z has also been set for an international roll-out, but this has not yet been confirmed for the Fit. The new hybrid lineup by Honda is expected to deliver a serious blow to its rival Toyota Motors (TM) in low-emission vehicles. The hybrid version of Fit will be cheaper than the Toyota Prius, on the back of its low-cost single-motor hybrid drive used in Honda’s Insight hybrid. Previously, Honda Insight had lost its luster to Toyota’s third generation Prius in terms of fuel efficiency. Prius 2010 clocks 51 mpg in the city ...

In last week's edition of Trading Tools, German auto giant Daimler AG (DAI) was examined as it appeared on the Zacks Unusually High Option Volume stock screener. Utilizing the same filter today, a different security caught my eye: New Orleans-based oil and gas concern McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR).

< ?DART(15);?> For an explanation of the contrarian stance that makes Schaeffer's so unique, check out a recent version of Trading Tools.

According to Zacks, put players pelted MMR on Thursday, with single-day volume soaring to nearly 19 times the norm. More specifically, the stock saw roughly 15,700 puts change hands, compared to its average daily volume of fewer than 900 contracts.

The bombardment sent the equity's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) - which measures options slated to expire within 3 months - skyrocketing overnight from 0.42 to a new pessimistic

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US stocks are way up today.

MarketWatch reports that the Dow had its "greatest intraday point gain on record after a frantic weekend of international government actions bolstered confidence in the banking sector and credit markets."

The US benchmark is now well on track to record its biggest ever gain in terms of percentage points.

The Dow was recently ahead 587.17 points, or 6.9%, to 9,038.36.