In recent weeks, you’ve probably heard a lot about WellPoint, the big insurance company that reported earning $2.7 billion in one quarter, and then promptly raised rates on some customers in California by up to 39 percent. Those aren’t the only big increases WellPoint has attempted to implement. In 2009, the company sought a 24 percent increase for its customers in Connecticut, and it’s asked to raise rates by 23 percent in Maine this year.

This pattern appears to be working for WellPoint. Recently, a major Wall Street analysis found that WellPoint would be a “primary beneficiary” if reform fails.

So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that WellPoint officials are doing everything they can to stop reform. WellPoint is a part of the coalition that has financed millions of dollars television ads against reform. And they are continuing to spread misinformation about what will happen when we make comprehensive reform a

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FuelCell Energy Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high efficiency, ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers. The company reported today that its hybrid power plant attained an average electrical efficiency of 62.5 percent, equipment up-time of 93 percent and reduced greenhouse gas emissions of up to 45 percent.

The power plant, located in Toronto, generates ultra-clean electricity while harvesting energy normally lost during natural gas pipeline distribution operations. The power plant is a joint development effort between FuelCell Energy and the Canadian gas pipeline company, Enbridge. It produces 2.2 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 1,700 homes. Funding for the project included $2.3 million from Natural Resources Canada and $500,000 from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. Additional funding came from NYSEARCH, the research arm of the Northeast Gas Association.

In its first full year of operation, the Direct

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Stocks are rallying after Fed Chairman Bernanke reaffirmed his commitment to keep interest rates low for an extended period

Stocks rebounded from a two-day slide Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that low interest rates are still needed to support the economy.

Bernanke sounded an upbeat note about a recovery as part of his regular semi-annual report to Congress on the economy. He told the House Financial Services Committee he still expects interest rates will remain low for an extended period. Investors want to see low-cost borrowing continue to help revive the economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 100 points, erasing a 101-point drop from Tuesday.

At the same time, a disappointing report on new home sales brought the latest reminder that a recovery in the economy will be difficult even with government aid.

The Commerce Department said sales of new homes fell to a record low in January. Economists

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 28, 2010 – 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: WellPoint, Inc. (WLP), Express Scripts, Inc (ESRX), United Technologies Corporation (UTX), General Electric Company (GE) and Honeywell International Inc (HON).

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:

WellPoint Beats Zacks Estimate

WellPoint, Inc. (WLP) reported fourth quarter as well as full-year results for fiscal 2009.

The company earned $1.16 per share in the fourth quarter as opposed to $1.34 in the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter

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United Technologies Corporation (UTX) reported fourth quarter 2009 earnings per share of $1.15, down 7% over the year-ago quarter. Results for the current quarter include an $0.08 per share charge for restructuring costs net of one-time items. This is ahead of Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.14 per share.

Consolidated revenues for the quarter of $14.1 billion were 5% below the prior year, including 6 points of organic decline and 1 point of net divestitures, offset by 3 points of favorable foreign currency translation. Segment operating margin at 13.7% was 110 basis points higher than in the prior year.

Restructuring and other charges for the quarter were $135 million, bringing the full year to $830 million. For the year, restructuring and other charges were $0.46 of earnings per share, net of one-time gains.

Share repurchase in the quarter was $320 million and totaled $1.1 billion for the year. Acquisition spending was $703 million

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What a recovery! If the economy keeps recovering like this we’ll soon all be busted…

House sales are falling…unemployment is rising…and people are getting poorer!

The Dow rallied a piddly 23 points yesterday. Oil is selling for less than $75 this morning. Stocks are in trouble. As we said yesterday, this could be the beginning of the end for this bear market. We’ve seen the first leg down. We’ve seen the rally. We’re ready for the next big plunge.

Yesterday, the latest numbers on existing house sales for December came out. They were disappointing – nearly 17% lower than the year before.

Unemployment is still rising, as near as we can determine. It is rising for two reasons. Because we are in a depression. And, because the feds are trying to ‘do something about it.’

In this regard, we refer to three different phenomena. They are inter-related…they all show the same thing: an economy going

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – January 22, 2010 – 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: Meredith Corporation (MDP), Xerox Corporation (XRX), Canon (CAJ), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Lexmark (LXK).

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 Thursday’s Analyst Blog:

Meredith Tops Zacks Consensus

Meredith Corporation (MDP), a leading media and marketing company, recently reported second-quarter 2010 results that exceeded Zacks' expectations on the heels of improved advertising performance at its National and Local Media groups, lower operating expenses, increased readership and online traffic.

The quarterly earnings of 49 cents

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Xerox Corporation (XRX) has posted net income of $221 million or 25 cents per share (before special items) for the fourth quarter of the year. This was higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 22 cents per share. However, net income decreased from $265 million or 30 cents per share (before special items) in the year-ago quarter.

Total revenue declined 3% to $4.2 billion due to economic weakness. Production revenue decreased 4% to $1.3 billion; Office revenue 2% to $2.4 billion; and Other revenue 10% to $545 million.

Post-sale and financing revenue were flat or went down 4% in constant currency. Equipment sale revenue shrank 11% or 15% in constant currency. Gross margin was 39.9% in the quarter, an increase of two percentage points from the prior year quarter.

Annual Results

Xerox reported a net income of was $526 million or 60 cents per share (before special items) for 2009. This is also

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Revolutions Medical Corporation, well known for their innovative medical technologies like the RevVac safety syringe, RevDisplay, RevColor, and the industry-standard setting Rev3D MRI technology, addressed recent mass media reports implicating CT scans as a major cause of cancer today, Thursday, December 17.

This devastating news is nothing short of revolutionary for MRI developers like RevMed, whose technology is free from the risks associated with CT scans. According to two new studies published Monday by the Archives of Internal Medicine, computerized tomography or CT, which uses radiation to map tissues systems in a non-invasive fashion, puts patients at substantial risk for triggering the development of cancerous cells and tumors.

The studies pointed out some alarming statistics. For example, the CT scans done in 2007 alone would result in some 29k cancers, including 2k cases of breast cancer that otherwise wouldn’t have existed, which means the death toll from CT scans in 2007

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ENGLEWOOD, CO–(Marketwire – December 15, 2009) – BioMedical Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: BMTL)

BioMedical Technology Solutions, Inc. (”BMTS”) is pleased to announce that it has placed several systems in communities that are served by American Medical Response, Inc., (”AMR”) a subsidiary of Emergency Medical Services Corporation effectively reducing the environmental impact of medical waste management.

AMR, headquartered in Greenwood, CO, is the nation’s leading medical transportation company supporting community-based operations nationwide in 39 states and the District of Columbia. More than 18,500 AMR paramedics, EMTS and other professionals transport more than four million patients nationwide each with an operating fleet of over 4,500 vehicles.

BMTS began working with AMR in 2008 to implement the innovative Demolizer® II System in select communities that required their ambulance providers to utilize GREEN alternatives to conventional business practices. The goal was to provide safer and environmentally friendly management of medical waste while simplifying operations

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