Stock Market News & Stocks to Watch from StraightStocks » Dallas

MetroPCS Upgraded to Neutral – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:11 +0000

We upgrade our recommendation for MetroPCS Communications (PCS) to Neutral following the company’s better-than-expected operating results in the last quarter. Reported earnings have outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate fueled by healthy revenue growth across the company’s Core and Northeast markets. MetroPCS is benefiting from its new unlimited international calling plan which is driving revenue per user.

MetroPCS remains a leading low-cost service provider in the unlimited prepaid market in the US and will continue to benefit from the ongoing wireline replacement trend. The company is increasingly focused on strengthening its position in the unlimited prepaid segment by broadening its portfolio of discounted service plans.

MetroPCS has initiated several steps to counter intense competition and drive subscriber accretion. The company is rolling out new product/services, upgrading network infrastructure and entering additional markets for growth.

The company is currently enjoying meaningful traction in the Northeast region, which is evidenced by healthy subscriber growth. Gains from the Northeastern markets continue to offset declines in Core markets (including Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco). A significant part of MetroPCS’ network infrastructure deployment initiatives is centered on the lucrative Northeast region.

MetroPCS has joined the league of the top-tier US wireless carriers such as Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) as the company recently declared vendors for its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband service. MetroPCS has selected Ericsson (ERIC) as network infrastructure vendor and Samsung as the supplier of LTE enabled handsets.

The company plans to launch 4G LTE service and several dual-mode smartphones across its metropolitan markets in second-half 2010. The ultra high bandwidth multimedia data applications supported by the 4G LTE network will boost revenue per user through increased minutes of use.

However, despite these encouraging growth prospects, MetroPCS contends with subscriber retention problems as customer accretion continues to decelerate on a sequential basis due to intense competition in the prepaid wireless segment. The company is experiencing sustained customer attrition in its legacy Core markets.

Churn (customer switch) level remains high due to increased customer defection as the company’s larger peers in the prepaid market such as Sprint Nextel (S) and America Movil’s (AMX) Tracfone continue to lure subscribers with competitive service plans and better product offerings.

While expansion into the Northeastern markets is expected to drive future growth, we feel that associated capital expenditures will strain balance sheet moving forward.
Read the full analyst report on "PCS"
Read the full analyst report on "VZ"
Read the full analyst report on "T"
Read the full analyst report on "ERIC"
Read the full analyst report on "S"
Read the full analyst report on "AMX"
Zacks Investment Research

Artfest International, Inc. (ARTS.OB) Announces Revenue Profit Jumps

QualityStocks — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:54 +0000

Artfest International Inc., the Dallas based art community marketing and services company, today announced financial results for the third quarter ending 9/30/09, including a huge jump in operating revenue. The company generated $896,404 in operating revenue for the quarter, as compared to $4,000 for the same quarter in 2008, representing an increase of 22,310%. The [...]

Maxim Sees Broad-based Strength – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:45:14 +0000

Maxim Integrated Products Inc.’s (MXIM) first quarter earnings beat consensus estimates by a penny. Revenue was over the high-end of management’s guidance range of $415-445 million, or a sequential increase of 5-13%.

Revenue
Revenue of $449.2 million was up 13.9% sequentially and down 10.4% year over year. The sequential strength in demand was reflective of the rebound in the semiconductor sector and follows stronger results reported by other chip companies, such as Linear Technology (LLTC), Intel Corp. (INTC), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Texas Instruments (TXN).

Revenue by End Market
The computing market generated 25% of revenue, up 13.9% sequentially and down 20% year over year. Revenue benefited from sequential strength in the server, financial terminals and notebook segments.

The consumer market generated 33% of revenue, up 17.4% sequentially and 5.6% year over year. The cell phone and LCD TV markets accounted for the strength in the last quarter. Several new designs ramped into production, providing further impetus to growth.

Industrial generated 24% of revenue, up 9.3% sequentially and down 10.4% year over year. Segment results were driven by broad-based strength in all areas.

Communications brought in the remaining 18%, a sequential increase of 13.9% and a year-over-year decline of 19.3%. The segment saw broad-based growth, although networking and data communications were the strongest.

Orders
Management does not provide specific information on orders, as shifts in customer vendor managed inventory programs distort quarter-to-quarter comparisons.

Our estimates indicate that orders were up 7.0% in the last quarter, resulting in a higher backlog. Turns sales also increased, although at a slower rate than in the last two quarters. The book-to-bill ratio was over 1.

Distributor bookings increased 6% sequentially, with channel inventories increasing 4%. Channel inventories remain lean overall, as they are still down 35% from year-ago levels. Distributor bookings on Maxim increased 90% sequentially, as end demand continued to strengthen. Customer lead times were steady.

Consumer market bookings were driven by very strong demand in LCD TVs and flattish cell phones. Computing market bookings were up low single-digits. There was double-digit bookings growth in financial terminals, storage, servers and peripherals. Communications bookings saw broad-based strength, particularly in networking and datacom. Base station bookings grew, driven by increased demand from China . All segments within industrial witnessed strong bookings growth in the last quarter.

Operating Performance
The pro forma gross margin was 57.2%, up 241 basis points (bps) sequentially and down 558 bps year over year. Management attributed the increase to higher utilization rates, driven by the higher volumes and the Dallas fab shutdown.

Operating expenses of $150.7 million were higher than the $139.9 million recorded in the Jun 2009 quarter. The operating margin was 23.7%, up 433 bps sequentially and down 849 bps year over year. Most of the sequential increae was attributable to the higher gross margin, although lower R&D and flattish SG&A (as a percentage of sales) also contributed.

The pro forma net income was $41.4 million, or a 9.2% net income margin compared to $47.4 million, or 12.0% in the previous quarter and $122.5 million, or a 24.4% net income margin in the prior-year quarter. The fully diluted pro forma earnings per share was $0.13 compared to $0.15 in the previous quarter and $0.38 in the Sep quarter of last year. Our pro forma calculations exclude restructuring charges, stock based compensation charges certain one-time litigation charges and impairment of long-lived assets and tax adjustments in the last quarter. On a fully diluted GAAP basis, the company recorded a net income of $41.9 million ($0.13 per share) compared to $8.1 million ($0.03 per share) in the previous quarter and a net profit of $67.6 million ($0.21 per share) in the prior-year quarter.

Balance Sheet
Inventories were down 11.7% to $192.3 million, yielding inventory turns of 4.0x. Days sales outstanding (DSOs) were around 46 days. The cash and marketable securities balance was $937.6 million, up $24.2 million during the quarter. The company spent $27 million on PP&E, $4 million on acquisitions, $61 million on cash dividends and $18 million on share repurchases in the last quarter. Around $100 million of investments were converted to cash. Maxim has no long term debt and long term liabilities totaled $220.0 million at quarter-end.

Guidance
In the fiscal second quarter, revenue is expected to lie in the $450-465 million range (up 0.2- 3.5% sequentially). The industrial end market is expected to see some strength, as bookings increased 22% in the last quarter. The communications market is expected to be up slightly, driven by continued growth in fiber modules. Computing will have mixed results, with a decline in notebooks offset by increase in servers and financial terminals. The consumer market is expected to decline as some customers engage in year-end inventory rebalancing. However, LCD TVs will continue to grow.

The GAAP gross margin is expected to lie in the 57-59% range, due to higher utilization rates and better mix. Operating expenses are expected to increase to $175-178 million, driven by higher bonuses, higher design activity and higher stock based expenses. The tax rate, excluding $15 million of additional tax provision for international restructuring is expected to be 36%. The pro forma EPS is expected to be $0.16-$0.20.
Read the full analyst report on "MXIM"
Zacks Investment Research

How To Play the Oil Conspiracy Theories

Investment U — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:48:09 +0000

How To Play the Oil Conspiracy Theories Tony Daltorio, Investment U Research Despite the world’s economic growth woes this year and consequent decreased energy demand in the U.S., the price of oil has held up pretty well this year ($77 as of November 3) when you’d actually think that it would be lower. What gives? Fundamentalists [...]

Belo Corp. (BLC) to Issue Senior Debt

QualityStocks — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:12:14 +0000

Belo Corp announced an offering of between $250-275 million of senior notes due in 2016. The notes were issued under a shelf registration filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September 2009, authorizing up to $600 million in debt. Belo Corp said that prior to the deal closing, which is expected at the end [...]

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 11/02/09, NP, CSRH, HS, A, INXI, STNR

Dr. Stock Pick — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:28:30 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Monday November 2, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! ************************************************************** Consorteum Holdings Inc. (OTCBB: CSRH) announced that it has proceeded to launch its consumer stored value rebate card. The consumer rebate card program will offer manufacturers and retailers a new way to process mail-in rebates that [...]

Claimsnet.com, Inc. (CLAI.OB) Reports Third Quarter Loss

QualityStocks — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:06:40 +0000

Claimsnet.com reported revenues of $565,000 in its third quarter, up 7% on a year over year basis. The company’s net loss for the quarter was $69,000, or $0.00 per share. During the same quarter in 2008, the company lost $161,000 or $0.01 per share. Claimsnet.com cut its selling, general and administrative expenses by $45,000 from the [...]

ARTS, LFBG, GNPG, X-Treme Hot Stock Alert by DrStockPick.com

Dr. Stock Pick — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:57:33 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Wednesday October 28, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! ************************************************************** ARTS, Artfest International Inc., ARTS.OB ARTS brings together artists, investors, decorators, designers, private collectors and art galleries. ARTS has completed the acquisition of 100% of the assets of Luxor International, Inc. of Frisco, Texas, a privately [...]

Another Reason Oil is Headed Higher

QualityStocks — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:43:20 +0000

People have been scratching their heads wondering why the price of oil has held up relatively well this year in the face of a global slowdown and decreased energy demand in the United States. Fundamentalists will point to continued strong demand for oil from emerging markets like China and decreasing oil output from non-OPEC producing nations [...]

Housing Prices Up Again – Analyst Blog

Dirk Van Dijk — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:47:33 +0000

Helped by the "first-time home buyer" tax credit and other forms of government assistance, home prices -- as measured by the Case Schiller Composite 20 index -- rose for the third straight month, up 0.97%, but still down 11.36% on a year-over-year basis, and off 29.89% from its May 2006 peak (note below when I reference peak levels they are from May 2006, not from the individual city peaks, which might have been a few months before or after the national peak).

Since home prices do exhibit a fair amount of seasonality, I am working with the seasonally adjusted numbers. Most of the press has a habit of tracking the unadjusted numbers, which I feel is a mistake. So realize that the numbers presented here might be different from what you read in the newspaper tomorrow.

A total of 16 of the 20 cities registered price increases, so the gains were widespread. The older Composite 10 index registered a similar 1.03% gain for the month and is down 10.67% on a year-over-year basis, and off 30.85% from the peak.

The first graph below (from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/) shows the history of both the Composite 10 and the Composite 20 indexes. The first-time homebuyer tax credit provides up to $8,000 to buyers of houses, but is scheduled to expire at the end of November. To claim the credit, the closing must be by that date, so any house that is going to qualify pretty much had to be under contract by now, and even in August (the data is released with a 2-month delay) people were scrambling to make the deals in time to qualify.

When a subsidy is given for a purchase, it is very much of an open question as to how much of that subsidy goes to the buyer, and how much goes to the seller. To the extent any of it goes to the seller, then what the Federal government is doing is using tax dollars to prop up housing asset values.

One would expect that a large portion of the subsidy ended up in the hands of the sellers. The acid test will be what happens to housing prices once that subsidy is removed. The Fed is also helping by its purchase of $1.25 Trillion in Fannie Mae (FNM)- and Freddie Mac (FRE)-backed mortgages, which is artificially holding down mortgage rates.

What happens to mortgage rates when they stop in March? Or will they continue to just keep the printing presses turned on and continue to buy every mortgage out there? The HAMP mortgage modification program is helping to keep the number of foreclosures down, even as delinquency rates continue to skyrocket. This keeps the supply of distressed houses for sale down. However, many of these mortgage modifications are likely to eventually fail, especially if the principal left on the mortgage remains higher than the value of the house. It is a game of "extend and pretend."

Geographically, some of the best gains came from California, which has been among the states hardest hit by the collapse of the housing bubble. San Fransciso saw prices rise by 2.59% for the month, although prices are still down 12.49% on a year-over-year basis and off 40.00% from the peak. San Diego rose 1.52% for the month and is now down just 8.86% for the year and down 39.33% from the peak. Los Angeles saw a 1.27% rise for the month, bringing the decline since last year to 12.00% and is 39.70% below peak levels.

There were also two winners in the Midwest, with Minneapolis seeing a 2.32% gain for the month, but down 13.83% year-over-year and down 30.00% from the peak, and Chicago saw a 1.22% monthly gain. Windy City housing prices are down 12.72% from a year ago and off 22.74% from the peak.

The second graph has a somewhat different way of presenting the city performance information. It shows the declines through different dates on a cumulative basis. Thus, if the final red bar is shorter on the down side than the yellow middle bar it means that prices in that city are actually up year-to-date. It shows that many of the cities that were hit hardest early in the downturn (large blue bars) continued to suffer even bigger declines in 2008, and are for the most part still suffering declines on a year-to-date basis.

Meanwhile, cities that largely sidestepped the bubble on the way up, and which held up well as the national housing market started to turn south, such as Dallas and Denver, suffered only minor losses in 2008 and have already started to see housing prices rebound on a year-to-date basis.

While enormously expensive, the government support of the housing market is working. If housing prices continue to fall, it means more and more people will end up underwater on their homes, and being underwater is the single best predictor if a house will end up being foreclosed upon. This is already a huge problem as illustrated by an analysis by First American Core Logic.

"More than 15.2 million U.S. mortgages, or 32.2 percent of all mortgaged properties, were in negative equity position as of June 30, 2009... June’s negative equity share was slightly lower than the 32.5 percent as of the end of March 2009 and it reflects the recent flattening of monthly home price changes. As of June 2009, there were an additional 2.5 million mortgaged properties that were approaching negative equity. Negative equity and near negative equity mortgages combined account for nearly 38 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage nationwide."

As housing prices rebound, it means that some people who were underwater are able to catch a breath, and many who were on the cusp of going underwater will stay above the waves -- at least for now. The actions have served to slow the trainwreck, and that is a good thing since it gives people time to adjust and for banks to try to earn their way out of the mess (the extremely steep yield curve that is a consequence of the Fed Funds rate near zero is a very big part of that).

However, I am not convinced that the housing market has turned for real, that it will not start to fall again after the supports are removed. Prices are still above normal when measured relative to both incomes and rents, although not nearly as out of whack as they were a few years ago.

But rents are now falling, which will put additional pressure on the price to rent ratio, and with the official (U-3) unemployment rate at 9.8% and rising, with the underemployment rate (U-6) at 17.0% the income side of the price to income ratio is not looking so hot either.

Still, this is a welcome report, I just worry that it will not be sustained. I hope I am wrong about that.
Read the full analyst report on "FNM"
Read the full analyst report on "FRE"
Zacks Investment Research

DrStockPick.com Weekend Update! PSFT, PWRM, CSRH, CVAT, AQNM

Dr. Stock Pick — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:17:45 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _________________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _________________________________________ Saturday October 24, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! PSFT, PWRM, CSRH, CVAT, AQNM ************************************************************** PSFT, Powersafe Technology Corp., PSFT.PK - Powersafe Technology Corp. A breakthrough in the design of photon detectors Powersafe Technology Corp.’s (Other OTC: PSFT.PK) Subsidiary Amplification Technologies has just patented a revolutionary solution for low-level signal detection: multichannel [...]

Real Estate Investment Trusts – Zacks Analyst Interviews

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Equity REITs rebounded nicely in the third quarter, recording total returns of 33% (total return FTSE NAREIT Index) vs. a 15% gain each for the S&P and the Dow. The strong third quarter returns marked the second consecutive record-setting performance of equity REITs after a dismal performance in the first quarter of 2009.

In what has been a volatile year, equity REITs gained approximately 29% (total return FTSE NAREIT Index) in the second quarter after falling 32% in the first quarter. So far in October, equity REITs are down about 1%; the worst performing sectors in October have been Self Storage (- 3.4%), Retail (-1.6%), Industrial/Office (-1.6%), and Residential (-0.8%).

OPPORTUNITIES

Many REITs are still trading at discounts to NAV (net asset value), traditionally a good "buy" signal. Over the past seven or so years, REITs have traded near or in excess of NAV.

With dividend cuts and share price gains, the average yield for equity REITs during the third quarter was about 4%. Although yields have exceeded that of the 10-year Treasury, the spread has narrowed considerably over the past quarter. Most companies have been raising cash through asset sales and equity financing, with the proceeds being used to pay down debt.

The credit freeze will have a positive effect on commercial real estate down the road; new office, apartment and retail construction has slowed considerably, which will benefit owners in a couple of years. Many companies that we cover have stopped all-new construction.

In this environment, we like well-capitalized companies that have adequate liquidity and manageable near-term debt maturities. Currently, we are bullish on American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC), a mortgage REIT that invests exclusively in agency securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by U.S. government agencies like Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). During the second quarter of 2009, American Capital reported net spread of 3.66% with 39.8% return on equity (ROE), and is one of the few companies to have increased the dividend.

Another stock worth mentioning is Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), the largest publicly traded office REIT in the New York region concentrating on Class A office properties. The core properties of Vornado are still performing at a high level, maintaining strong occupancies and increasing rents in most property formats. We believe this puts the company well ahead of many competitors, and warrants upside potential.

We would also like to mention Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG), the largest publicly traded retail real estate company in North America, with assets in almost all retail distribution channels. The geographic and product diversity of the company insulates it from market volatility to a great extent and provides a steady source of income. Furthermore, Simon Property's international presence gives it a more sustainable long-term growth story than its domestically focused peers.

WEAKNESSES

REITs still depend on access to capital to fund growth, and with the credit markets still not fully back to normal, it is difficult to raise money for new developments/acquisitions. In this scenario, most REITs are raising capital through property level debt, dividend reductions and equity offerings. Although both debt and equity financings provide the much-needed cash infusion, they could potentially burden an already leveraged balance sheet and/or dilute earnings. Property level debt is also harder to obtain and more expensive as commercial real estate prices continue to remain under pressure.

Fundamentals are declining in many suburban office markets as corporate expansion continues to slow. More and more corporations are putting off leasing decisions until the economy recovers. Recent employment trends are also not encouraging as the U.S. economy continues to shed jobs at a rapid pace. To date, the U.S. has lost about 7.2 million jobs since the start of recession in December 2007. The national unemployment rate has surged to 9.8%. As the U.S. economy struggles with the economic downturn, REITs will have trouble holding tenants and leasing new space.

Given the market uncertainties, we are bearish on Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (DDR), which is primarily engaged in owning and leasing shopping centers across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia and Canada. The current recession has led to increased tenant bankruptcies, which in turn have led to a decline in occupancy and an increase in vacancy rates. The possibility of store closings at many Developers Diversified centers further adds uncertainty to the earnings, and it might have to re-let large "big-box" spaces at significantly lower rents in a very tough leasing environment.

We would also avoid Post Properties, Inc. (PPC), an apartment REIT relying heavily on low-barrier markets such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and Tampa. We think the company will have a difficult time continuing to raise rents in a faltering economy, and expect flat rental rates and negative same-store revenue growth in 2009. Zacks Investment Research

Real Estate Investment Trusts – Industry Outlook

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

OPPORTUNITIES

Many REITs are still trading at discounts to NAV (net asset value), traditionally a good "buy" signal. Over the past seven or so years, REITs have traded near or in excess of NAV.

WEAKNESSES

Xerox’s Profit Dips 52% – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:44:50 +0000

Xerox Corp. (XRX) revealed a 52% drop in profits to $123 million or 14 cents per share for the third quarter of the year, from $258 million or 29 cents per share in the same quarter a year ago. However, the company did manage to outperform the Zacks Consensus Estimate profit of 12 cents per share.

Total revenue declined 16% to $3.7 billion, including a 2 percentage point negative impact from currency. Post-sale and financing revenue went down 11%, or 9% in constant currency. Equipment sale revenue shrank 29% or 28% in constant currency.

Operating cash flow was $610 million during the quarter. Xerox has generated $1.2 billion in operating cash flow throughout the third quarter. Consequently, the company has increased its operating cash flow expectation for the full year to $1.7 billion.

Gross margin increased of over half a percentage point to 39.8% from the prior year. Selling, administrative and general expenses (SGA) were down $131 million year-over-year. SGA, as a percentage of revenue, stood at 27.4%.

Financial Position

Xerox ended the third quarter with a cash balance of $1.2 billion. Total debt was down $938 million to $7.44 billion as of Sept. 30, 2009 compared to Dec. 31, 2008. Long-term debt-to-capitalization ratio stood at 47% as of Sept. 30, 2009. The company is on track to reduce total debt by more than $1 billion this year.

In the first nine months of 2009, Xerox generated cash flow from operations amounting to $1.24 billion. Capital expenditures stood at $69 million in the above period.

Outlook

Xerox expects earnings per share in the range of 20 cents to 22 cents, excluding costs related to the $6.4 billion acquisition of Dallas-based business process outsourcing provider Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) for the upcoming quarter, which is compatible with the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents per share.

The company has increased its full-year earnings expectations to 55 cents to 57 cents per share, which excludes fourth-quarter ACS acquisition related costs. This is slightly higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 54 cents per share.

We recommend the shares of Xerox as Neutral.
Read the full analyst report on "XRX"
Zacks Investment Research

Real Estate Investment Trusts – Industry Outlook

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:06:40 +0000

Amid positive signals emanating from the uptick in housing prices and an improving outlook for consumer spending, the housing sector is gradually stabilizing. Both new and existing home sales have increased during the last four consecutive months and are now 32% and 17% above their recent lows, respectively. Single-family housing starts have also risen 37% from their low point, and inventories of homes-for-sale have fallen sharply.

Equity REITs rebounded nicely in the third quarter, recording total returns of 33% (total return FTSE NAREIT Index) vs. a 15% gain each for the S&P and the Dow. The strong third quarter returns marked the second consecutive record-setting performance of equity REITs after a dismal performance in the first quarter of 2009.

In what has been a volatile year, equity REITs gained approximately 29% (total return FTSE NAREIT Index) in the second quarter after falling 32% in the first quarter. So far in October, equity REITs are down about 1%; the worst performing sectors in October have been Self Storage (- 3.4%), Retail (-1.6%), Industrial/Office (-1.6%), and Residential (-0.8%).

OPPORTUNITIES

Many REITs are still trading at discounts to NAV (net asset value), traditionally a good "buy" signal. Over the past seven or so years, REITs have traded near or in excess of NAV.

With dividend cuts and share price gains, the average yield for equity REITs during the third quarter was about 4%. Although yields have exceeded that of the 10-year Treasury, the spread has narrowed considerably over the past quarter. Most companies have been raising cash through asset sales and equity financing, with the proceeds being used to pay down debt.

The credit freeze will have a positive effect on commercial real estate down the road; new office, apartment and retail construction has slowed considerably, which will benefit owners in a couple of years. Many companies that we cover have stopped all-new construction.

In this environment, we like well-capitalized companies that have adequate liquidity and manageable near-term debt maturities. Currently, we are bullish on American Capital Agency Corp. (AGNC), a mortgage REIT that invests exclusively in agency securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by U.S. government agencies like Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). During the second quarter of 2009, American Capital reported net spread of 3.66% with 39.8% return on equity (ROE), and is one of the few companies to have increased the dividend.

Another stock worth mentioning is Vornado Realty Trust (VNO), the largest publicly traded office REIT in the New York region concentrating on Class A office properties. The core properties of Vornado are still performing at a high level, maintaining strong occupancies and increasing rents in most property formats. We believe this puts the company well ahead of many competitors, and warrants upside potential.

We would also like to mention Simon Property Group Inc. (SPG), the largest publicly traded retail real estate company in North America, with assets in almost all retail distribution channels. The geographic and product diversity of the company insulates it from market volatility to a great extent and provides a steady source of income. Furthermore, Simon Property’s international presence gives it a more sustainable long-term growth story than its domestically focused peers.

WEAKNESSES

REITs still depend on access to capital to fund growth, and with the credit markets still not fully back to normal, it is difficult to raise money for new developments/acquisitions. In this scenario, most REITs are raising capital through property level debt, dividend reductions and equity offerings. Although both debt and equity financings provide the much-needed cash infusion, they could potentially burden an already leveraged balance sheet and/or dilute earnings. Property level debt is also harder to obtain and more expensive as commercial real estate prices continue to remain under pressure.

Fundamentals are declining in many suburban office markets as corporate expansion continues to slow. More and more corporations are putting off leasing decisions until the economy recovers. Recent employment trends are also not encouraging as the U.S. economy continues to shed jobs at a rapid pace. To date, the U.S. has lost about 7.2 million jobs since the start of recession in December 2007. The national unemployment rate has surged to 9.8%. As the U.S. economy struggles with the economic downturn, REITs will have trouble holding tenants and leasing new space.

Given the market uncertainties, we are bearish on Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (DDR), which is primarily engaged in owning and leasing shopping centers across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia and Canada. The current recession has led to increased tenant bankruptcies, which in turn have led to a decline in occupancy and an increase in vacancy rates. The possibility of store closings at many Developers Diversified centers further adds uncertainty to the earnings, and it might have to re-let large "big-box" spaces at significantly lower rents in a very tough leasing environment.

We would also avoid Post Properties, Inc. (PPS), an apartment REIT relying heavily on low-barrier markets such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Orlando and Tampa. We think the company will have a difficult time continuing to raise rents in a faltering economy, and expect flat rental rates and negative same-store revenue growth in 2009.Zacks Investment Research

UDR Reports Modest Quarter – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:49:41 +0000

Despite challenging macroeconomic conditions, UDR Inc. (UDR), a leading multifamily real estate investment trust (REIT), reported relatively modest third quarter results with an increase in rental revenues and comparatively high same-store occupancy rates at 95.6%. Although rental revenues during the quarter increased to $150.3 million from $147.4 million in the year-ago period, year-over-year same-store revenues and net operating income decreased 3% and 3.7%, respectively.

During the quarter, UDR reported FFO (fund from operations) of $29.8 million or 19 cents per share compared to $49.6 million or 33 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income. The decrease in FFO was primarily due to non-cash equity loss on an unconsolidated JV and loss relating to a debt tender offer. Excluding the one-time items, FFO during the quarter was 31 cents compared to 30 cents in the year-earlier quarter.

UDR made rapid strides during the quarter on automating its business, which resulted in a 7% decline in same-store marketing and advertising costs, reduced collection costs, and improved cash management through use of electronic payments. Furthermore, the company originated 64% move-ins during the quarter compared to 53% in the previous year, due to the increased use of the resident internet portal.

Currently, UDR has six active development projects and two redevelopment projects under construction, totaling 2,666 homes at a total cost of $405 million. The company anticipates delivering most of its projects in the next fiscal year. However, the company does not plan to start any new development projects in 2009. The company bought a 289-home community in Dallas during the quarter for $28.3 million under its pre-sale agreement.

During the quarter, UDR obtained a $200 million 10-year secured credit facility from Fannie Mae at a blended interest rate of 5.28%. The company utilized the proceeds to repay all of its 2010 secured debt. The company also sold approximately 2.3 million shares at a weighted average price of $14.89 each. In addition, UDR formed a $450 million joint venture with Kuwait Finance House to invest in key markets in the U.S.

At quarter end, UDR had a liquidity of over $1 billion through a combination of cash and available capacity under its credit facility. Additionally, the company had a $3.2 billion of unencumbered asset base to raise more funds if required. By the end of the quarter, UDR had a total debt of $3.3 billion and a fixed charge coverage ratio of 2.1x. In accordance with the current uncertainty in the market, UDR has revised its guidance for 2009, and currently expects FFO in the range of $1.14 to $1.20 per share.
Read the full analyst report on "UDR"
Zacks Investment Research

Time Warner Launches WiMAX – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:45:47 +0000

Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC) will launch the 4G WiMAX mobile broadband services in three North Carolina markets from Dec 1. The WiMAX connection will offer wireless data transmission at speeds five times faster than the 3G connections currently provided by the company. Under the brand name of “Road Runner Mobile", this super-fast mobile broadband network will support Internet speed of 6 Mbps with a monthly between $40 and $80 for customers with at least one other Time Warner Cable service.

The “Road Runner Mobile" service will provide its subscribers the convenience of mobility so that the customers can enjoy the WiMAX services on their devices anywhere they go within their service circle. The company also said that it plans to add new mobile services in the future, such as the ability to program a DVR from a mobile device and for customers to take their video content with them while moving.

With the deployment of WiMAX network, Time Warner Cable has become a formidable player to challenge its much bigger telecom rival Sprint Nextel (S) which is also likely to start offering WiMAX services in North Carolina from early December. Both Time Warner Cable and Sprint Nextel will utilize the nationwide WiMAX network infrastructure being set up by Clearwire LLC (CLWR), a specialized WiMAX broadband service provider. Time Warner Cable will expand its WiMAX coverage in Dallas , Texas and Honolulu and Maui, and Hawaii during the next few months.

We believe early entry into 4G mobile broadband market will be incrementally positive for the company. Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable MSO in the U.S. , will now be able to effectively diversify into phone and Internet services industry with next-generation state-of-the-art technology. The U.S. WiMAX market is getting quickly activated. Comcast Corp. (CMCSA), the largest cable MSO in the country, is offering WiMAX under the "High-Speed 2go" brand, with services already going in Atlanta and Portland , and launches expected soon in Dallas , Chicago , and Philadelphia , as well. Comcast will also utilize Clearwire’s network.

Furthermore, Clearwire has also taken a decision to roll-out its own standalone WiMAX service under the brand name of “Clear" in North Carolina in the near future. Telecom giants like Verizon Wireless (VZ) and AT&T (T) may also start offering WiMAX services from the first half of 2010. Bright House Network, a cable MSO and a member of Clearwire WiMAX partnership may also follow suit.
Read the full analyst report on "TWC"
Read the full analyst report on "S"
Read the full analyst report on "CLWR"
Read the full analyst report on "CMCSA"
Read the full analyst report on "VZ"
Read the full analyst report on "T"
Zacks Investment Research

Economy Hampers Fastenal Results – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:25:14 +0000

The Fastenal Company (FAST) of Winona, MN reported a drop in earnings to $47.6 million or 32 cents per share in the third quarter of 2009, from $72.9 million or 49 cents in the prior-year quarter. However, the company has managed to meet the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Net sales for the quarter declined 22% to $489.3 million.

Fastenal blamed the weak economy for the fall in earnings and sales. Economic conditions negatively affected sales in the industrial production business (business where the company supplies products that become part of the finished goods produced by others) and non-residential construction business.

Sales to manufacturing customers (constitutes 50% of sales) contracted approximately 23% on a year-over-year basis. Meanwhile, sales in the non-residential construction business (constitutes 20% to 25% of sales) contracted about 25%.

During the first nine months of 2009 Fastenal opened 45 new stores, compared to 140 new stores in the first nine months of 2008. The slowdown in store openings suggested the company’s attempt to balance long-term opportunities for growth with the necessary short-term reactions to its current realities. The company slowed its store openings to a range of 2% to 5% new stores for 2009. It also stopped adding any headcount except for store openings and for stores that are growing.

Financial Position

In the first nine months of 2009, Fastenal generated $253.2 million (or 181.1% of net earnings) of operating cash flow compared to $173.7 million (or 80% of net earnings) in the prior-year period. This strong free cash flow allowed the company to increase its second dividend payment (declared July 2009 and paid in August 2009) by 37% to 37 cents per share in 2009 from 27 cents per share in 2008.

As planned, Fastenal’s capital expenditures for the first nine months of 2009 went down to $40.1 million from $79 million in the comparable period of 2008. This was primarily related to the Indianapolis, IN distribution expansion and to the company’s new distribution center, located near Dallas, TX. The company expects its capital expenditures to dip from $95 million in 2008 to $65 million in 2009.

We recommend the shares of Fastenal as Neutral.
Read the full analyst report on "FAST"
Zacks Investment Research

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 10/12/09, YRCW, ARW, AIRO, ORCL, LFBG, LPSN

Dr. Stock Pick — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:02:21 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Monday October 12, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! ************************************************************** YRC Worldwide Inc. (Nasdaq: YRCW) today announced that it has finalized amendments of its credit facilities that extend to October 30, 2009 certain provisions under the previous amendments. Specifically, the amendments extend the expiration of the [...]

Zacks Earnings Preview: Intel, Goldman Sachs, Google, Fairchild Semiconductor International and Safeway – Press Releases

Charles Rotblut — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:08 +0000

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 12, 2009 – Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This week’s list includes Intel (INTC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Google (GOOG), Fairchild Semiconductor International (FCS) and Safeway (SWY). To see more earnings analysis, visit http://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

Every day, Zacks.com makes 4 stock picks available, free of charge. To see them, go to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5612.

This Week's Events

Large-cap companies will dominate the earnings headlines this week.

Six Dow components, including Intel (INTC), are scheduled to release third-quarter results. Joining them will be Goldman Sachs (GS) and Google (GOOG). In total, we have confirmed reports from 72 companies, 29 of which are in the S&P 500.

There will be quite a bit of economic data published, including CPI and industrial production and capacity utilization. We will also get the minutes from the September Fed meeting, which will be scrutinized for any talking points about the pace of the recovery.

Wednesday: September retail sales, Fed minutes, August business inventories, weekly crude inventories, weekly mortgage applications
Thursday: September Consumer Price Index (CPI), October Philadelphia Fed survey, weekly initial jobless claims, weekly natural gas inventories
Friday: September industrial production and capacity utilization, preliminary October University of Michigan sentiment

Both Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer and Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn will speak at the National Association for Business Economics' Annual Meeting in St. Louis on Tuesday. Romer has a morning presentation and Kohn will speak in the afternoon. Also on Tuesday, New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley will talk to the Institute of International Bankers.

Fed Governor Daniel Tarullo will testify before a House subcommittee on Wednesday afternoon. His testimony will focus on the state of the banking industry. Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher will appear at a conference in Dallas on Friday. The conference is co-sponsored by SMU's business school.

Though Monday is Columbus Day, both the stock and futures markets will operate on normal hours.

Though stocks are poised to continue the rally, a good reaction to the third-quarter results will be required to get the Dow firmly above 10,000. The key will be whether business conditions improved enough to enable companies to surpass both revenue and earnings forecasts.

Keep in mind the number of reports will jump substantially next week.

Companies That Could Issue Positive Earnings Surprises

Fairchild Semiconductor International (FCS) has topped expectations for 4 consecutive quarters. Another positive surprise could be in works as 4 analysts recently raised their third-quarter profit projections. These revisions have pushed the Zacks Consensus Estimate a penny higher to 7 cents per share. The most accurate estimate is even more bullish at 9 cents per share. FCS is scheduled to report on Thursday, Oct 15, before the start of trading.

More than half of the covering analysts raised their third-quarter profit forecasts on Goldman Sachs (GS) over the past 30 days. These revisions resulted in a 63-cent upward revision in the Zacks Consensus Estimate, to $4.07 per share. The most accurate estimate is even more bullish at $4.16 per share. Last quarter, GS beat expectations by $1.41 per share. Goldman Sachs is scheduled to report on Thursday, Oct 15, after the close of trading.

The third-quarter Zacks Consensus Estimate for Google (GOOG) has risen 2 cents over the past 30 days to $4.66 per share. Positive revisions by about a quarter of the covering analysts are behind the optimism. The most accurate estimate is even more bullish at $4.72 per share. Google has topped expectations for 4 consecutive quarters. Google is scheduled to report on Thursday, Oct 15, after the close of trading.

Five analysts have raised their third-quarter profit forecasts on Intel (INTC) during the past 4 weeks. Due to the fact that more than 30 analysts cover INTC, the changes did not move the Zacks Consensus Estimate from its current level of 27 cents per share. They did, however, result in a slightly more bullish most accurate estimate of 28 cents per share. The semiconductor company has topped expectations during 3 out of the last 4 quarters. Intel is scheduled to report on Tuesday, Oct 13, after the close of trading.

Companies That Could Issue Negative Earnings Surprises

Safeway (SWY) has missed expectations for 4 consecutive quarters. Recent earnings estimate cuts by 2 analysts suggest another disappointment could be forthcoming. The revisions pushed the Zacks Consensus Estimate down a penny to 31 cents per share. The most accurate estimate is more bearish at 28 cents per share. Safeway is scheduled to report on Thursday, Oct 15, before the start of trading.

Charles Rotblut, CFA, is the senior market analyst for Zacks.com.

About the Zacks Rank

Since 1988, the Zacks Rank has proven that "Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." Since inception in 1988, #1 Rank Stocks have generated an average annual return of +26%. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%, while the S&P 500 tumbled -37.6%. Also note that the Zacks Rank system has just as many Strong Sell recommendations (Rank #5) as Strong Buy recommendations (Rank #1). Since 1988, Zacks Rank #5 stocks have underperformed the S&P 500 by 111% annually (-0.8% versus +8%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

Zacks "Profit from the Pros" e-mail newsletter offers continuous coverage of the industries and the stocks poised to outperform the market. Subscribe to this free newsletter today by visiting http://at.zacks.com/?id=5614.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978 by Leonard Zacks. As a PhD in mathematics Len knew he could find patterns in stock market data that would lead to superior investment results. Amongst his many accomplishments was the formation of his proprietary stock picking system; the Zacks Rank, which continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Register for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros by going to http://at.zacks.com/?id=5615.

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Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Visit http://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Disclaimer: Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investors should always research companies and securities before making any investments. Nothing herein should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

Contact: Charles Rotblut, CFA
Company: Zacks.com
Phone: 312-265-9352
Email: pr@zacks.com
Visit: www.Zacks.com

Zacks Investment Research

Sprint Expands 4G WiMax Footprint – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:35:09 +0000

Sprint Nextel (S) has further expanded its fourth-generation (4G) wireless broadband network coverage to ten more U.S. markets. The third largest US carrier has officially launched commercial services in Salem (Oregon), Milledgeville (Georgia) and Texas cities of Amarillo , Killeen-Temple, Corpus Christi , Lubbock , Waco , Wichita Falls , Abilene and Midland-Odessa. This follows Sprint’s 4G service launches in Atlanta, Portland and Las Vegas in August 2009.

Sprint offers its 4G service under the "Sprint 4G" brand and leverages the WiMax (a mobile broadband technology) network operated by Clearwire Corp. (CLWR) in which it holds 51% stake. The 4G WiMax network offers up to 10 times faster network speeds than the existing 3G deployments. The download speeds enabled by the 4G WiMax network averages 3-6 megabits per second (Mbps) with peak speed exceeding 10 Mbps.

Subscribers across the newly launched markets can now enjoy lightning fast mobile broadband experience by paying just $10 per month over their existing 3G wireless data plans. This is enabled by the nation’s first dual-mode (operates on 3G and 4G networks) mobile broadband modem, which was launched by Sprint in December 2008.

Sprint made history by becoming the first U.S. carrier to deploy 4G WiMax mobile broadband services in the U.S with a commercial launch in Baltimore in October 2008. This was followed by subsequent launches in five more cities of Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Seattle and Honolulu.

The company plans to continue the aggressive network deployments through 2010 with 4G service launches in key US markets such as Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Sprint’s 4G WiMax initiative is a response to its major competitors Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T), who are preparing to deploy their own advanced wireless broadband networks in the 2010-2011 timeframe based on the emerging 4G wireless standard known as Long-Term Evaluation (“LTE").

The 4G WiMax service is expected to play a critical role for Sprint’s survival in the wireless market as the company continues to lose market share to its larger rivals. Additionally, WiMax is expected facilitate the deployment of broadband in rural areas where the expansion of traditional fiber-based networks may not be feasible.
Read the full analyst report on "S"
Read the full analyst report on "CLWR"
Read the full analyst report on "VZ"
Read the full analyst report on "T"
Zacks Investment Research

UBS Boosts Energy Lending Biz – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:45:53 +0000

As part of strengthening its Global Energy banking practice UBS Investment Bank, a subsidiary of UBS AG (UBS), is hiring 18 Investment bankers who will focus on energy lending. Based in Dallas , this new team will have Darrell Holley serving as Managing Director and Global Head of energy lending.

The new team has significant expertise in energy lending and will complement UBS’s existing Energy Banking team in Houston and New York .

Holley will report to Stephen Trauber, Global Head of Energy banking at UBS. Previously, Holley was with Fortis Bank in Dallas , where he was Global Head of Oil and Gas banking.

Over the last month, UBS added more than a dozen of Managing Directors to its Investment Banking Department. The focus on the energy lending business is a strategic move as a result of the energy sector’s resiliency during the economic turmoil. Management also expects this sector to be most active in mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings with the recovery of the economy.

Recently, UBS announced its intention to close its relationship with the Swiss government by purchasing its toxic assets back from the bad bank deal and anticipated to turnaround by next year. With the recent rebound in the credit markets, the company believes that it could add its assets back to its balance sheets. However, this would not be possible before the second half of 2010.

The Director of FINMA, Switzerland’s financial independent supervisory authority, has however commented that UBS’s financial situation has now stabilized though it would take some more time to become profitable once again.

The ongoing global economic turmoil has severely hurt the Swiss banking major’s balance sheet after the subprime crisis led to record losses. In particular, the investment banking arm of UBS experienced large trading losses after significant decreases in commissions and fee income.

The bank’s asset quality is beginning to turn negative and is expected to worsen further in the coming quarters. Moreover, upon request from French tax authorities, Switzerland has recently signed an agreement to share banking information from Jan 2010. This has resulted in large fund outflows as worried investors are eyeing a safe haven. However, we expect the recent signs of economic recovery to herald happy times for UBS. Additionally, the government’s exit from UBS and such restructuring activities provide some relief to the stock.
Read the full analyst report on "UBS"
Zacks Investment Research

EMR, PWRM, AVCT, CSRH, MSFT, CVAT, PALM, AQNM, HON, DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:42:52 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _________________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _________________________________________ Tuesday October 6, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! EMR, PWRM, AVCT, CSRH, MSFT, CVAT, PALM, AQNM, HON ************************************************************** EMR, Emerson Electric Co. and AVCT, Avocent Corporation EMR a diversified global technology company, engages in designing and supplying product technology and delivering engineering services to various industrial and commercial, [...]

KMP Completes Crosstex Buy – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:13 +0000

Late last week, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) closed the previously announced acquisition of natural gas treating business from Dallas-based Crosstex Energy LP (XTEX) and its general partner Crosstex Energy Inc. (XTXI) for approximately $266 million.

As part of the transaction, Kinder Morgan purchased approximately 290 amine-treating and dew-point control plants from natural gas company Crosstex. These plants are primarily located in Texas and Louisiana , with additional facilities in Mississippi , Oklahoma , Arkansas and Kansas.

Kinder Morgan will use these natural gas treatment plants in servicing its Texas Intrastate customers and to other producers in various supply basins, including the fast growing shale plays. Following the deal, Kinder Morgan has become the largest provider of contracted natural gas treating services in the country.

The Crosstex asset acquisition will allow the partnership to expand its natural gas business through the inclusion of additional fee-based assets that produce stable cash flows. Kinder Morgan expects the transaction to be immediately accretive and to add value to its business.

Houston-based Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P. is the largest independent owner and operator of petroleum product pipelines in the U.S. , transporting nearly 2 million barrels per day of gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, and natural gas liquids. The partnership also has capacity to transport 7 billion cubic feet/day (Bcf/d) of natural gas. It owns or operates more than 26,000 miles of pipeline and approximately 170 terminals. The terminals store petroleum products and chemicals, besides handling bulk materials like coal and petroleum coke. Kinder Morgan is also the largest carbon dioxide marketer and transporter in the country.

We currently rate Kinder Morgan units as Neutral.
Read the full analyst report on "KMP"
Read the full analyst report on "XTEX"
Read the full analyst report on "XTXI"
Zacks Investment Research

CVAT Cavitation Technologies, Inc. CTI Enters Into Agreement for Womack Systems to Manufacture Its Cutting Edge Nano-Cavitation Process Systems

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:10:38 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Tuesday October 6, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! CVAT, Cavitation Technologies Inc, CVAT.OB ************************************************************** CTI Enters Into Agreement for Womack Systems to Manufacture Its Cutting Edge Nano-Cavitation Process Systems. Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI); (OTCBB: CVAT); is a “Green-Tech” company, established in 2006 to become a world leader in the development [...]

Stuck in Washington D.C.

Prieur du Plessis — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:45:58 +0000

Isabel (Ms Investment Postcards) and I have just heard what we were not bargaining on – our flight from Washington D.C. has been delayed by 15 hours! Indeed, news from hell. Stuck at an airport hotel with only our small cabin bags (i.e. no clothing besides what we are wearing!) is not quite what we have [...]

“Words from the Wise” – taking a break while visiting Texas

Prieur du Plessis — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:00:30 +0000

I am visting Texas at the moment to, among others, attend John Mauldin's 60th birthday celebrations in Dallas this weekend. As you might have noticed, my blogging activity has been confined to republishing interesting snippets and guest posts while I am on the road. "Words from the Wise" will also be taking a break today (October 4) as I will not be able to put together the review as I tackle the long haul back to Cape Town. The normal blogging service will be resumed when I am home on October 6.

CVAT, Cavitation Technologies, Inc. CTI Enters Into Agreement for Womack Systems to Manufacture Its Cutting Edge Nano-Cavitation Process Systems

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:46:26 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Friday October 2, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! CVAT, Cavitation Technologies Inc, CVAT.OB ************************************************************** CTI Enters Into Agreement for Womack Systems to Manufacture Its Cutting Edge Nano-Cavitation Process Systems. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 /CRWENEWSWIRE/ — Cavitation Technologies, Inc. (CTI) (OTC Bulletin Board: CVAT - News; Berlin: WTC - News) is [...]

Time Warner Cable Does Wideband – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:10:10 +0000

Time Warner Cable Inc (TWC) has recently deployed its first next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 (also called Wideband) service in New York City. With this, TWC has established itself as a formidable player to counter the threat from high-speed FiOS network of Verizon Wireless (VZ). Earlier this month, the company has taken a decision to continue to roll-out switched digital video (SDV) in three major markets of Los Angeles, New York City (NYC) and Dallas. Deployment of SDV will free up bandwidth that can be used by TWC to offer 100 high-definition TV channels (HDTV), HD video-on-demand programs, and DOCSIS 3.0.

TWC will offer its residential tier Wideband service with 50 Mbps downstream and 5 Mbps upstream speed for $99.95. The company will also offer two commercial tier Wideband service. Together these services will cover 1.4 million subscribers in the NYC area.

The U.S. cable MSOs are aggressively deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology to counter the threat from large telecom operators. Verizon Communications with FiOS network and AT&T (T) with U-Verse network are likely to make the entertainment, information, and communications market highly competitive. Quest Communications International Inc (Q) has also implemented VDSL-2 based high-speed network. Besides TWC, another major cable MSO -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) -- has already launched DOCSIS 3.0 service in the NYC region with 101 Mbps download speed.

Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) -- the largest cable MSO in the U.S., commanding 25% market share -- meanwhile is aggressively rolling-out its wideband network. Management predicted that 80% of its residential networks will be upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0 (with 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speed) by the end of 2009 and the rest by mid 2010.

Recently, the company has launched its first high-speed voice and Internet service for small and medium sized businesses leveraging on the DOCSIS 3.0 platform. This new service will provide downstream speeds of 100 Mbps and upstream speeds of 15 Mbps.
Read the full analyst report on "TWC"
Read the full analyst report on "VZ"
Read the full analyst report on "T"
Read the full analyst report on "Q"
Read the full analyst report on "CVC"
Read the full analyst report on "CMCSA"
Zacks Investment Research

The Grinder

Dr. Stock Pick — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:10:37 +0000

We are proud to broadcast “The Grinder Show” Grinding up and breaking down America’s businesses for you with topical content, facts, and analysis. Every Sunday, corporate leaders, experts in their fields and your opinions and questions revealed. Live Sundays 11 am to 12 pm EST About David Webb David Webb has over a decade of major market local and [...]

Blogging – taking a break while visiting Texas

Prieur du Plessis — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:57:35 +0000

I will be traveling to Texas later today to, among others, attend John Mauldin's 60th birthday celebrations in Dallas over the weekend. Blog posting will be absent for most of the time while I am on the road and "Words from the Wise" will take a break next Sunday (October 4). The normal blogging service will be resumed on my return to Cape Town on October 6.

XRX, PWRM, ABT, CSRH, CMCSA, CVAT, FMCN, DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Dr. Stock Pick — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:34:01 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _________________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _________________________________________ Monday September 28, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! XRX, PWRM, ABT, CSRH, CMCSA, CVAT, FMCN ************************************************************** XRX, Xerox Corp. XRX engages in the development, manufacture, marketing, servicing, and financing of document equipment, software, solutions, and services worldwide. XRX said Monday it will buy Affiliated Computer Services Inc. for $6.4 billion [...]

Taubman Writes Down Asset Values – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:12:22 +0000

Taubman Centers Inc. (TCO) recently said it would record impairment charges of $161 million to $169 million in the third quarter. The real estate investment trust is writing down book values of its The Pier Shops at Caesars asset in New Jersey and Regency Square in Virginia to fair values due to the continued economic downturn.

The Pier Shops at Caesars is a 282,000 square feet shopping center in which Taubman owns a 77.5% stake. The company considers net operating income from the property to be insufficient to repay its $135 million non-recourse mortgage debt. Thus, it will write down book value of the asset by $106 million to $111 million, out of which Taubman has a share of about $100 million to $105 million.

Regency Square is an 820,000 square feet shopping center housing leading fashion retailers like Macy’s Inc. (M), J. C. Penney Co. Inc. (JCP) and Sears Holding Corp. (SHLD). Taubman anticipates cash flow from the property to be hurt by the decline in its net operating income and necessary capital expenditures. It is accordingly writing down book value of the asset by $55 million to $58 million to approximately $30 million.

Taubman owns, develops, acquires and operates regional and super-regional shopping centers throughout the U.S. and Asia. Retail shopping centers spanning over 400,000 square feet of gross leaseable area (GLA) are generally referred to as regional shopping centers, while those with GLA in excess of 800,000 square feet are called super-regional shopping centers. A large number of these shopping centers are strategically located in major metropolitan areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Detroit, Phoenix, Miami, Dallas, Tampa, Orlando and Washington DC.

Read the full analyst report on "TCO"
Read the full analyst report on "M"
Read the full analyst report on "JCP"
Read the full analyst report on "SHLD"
Zacks Investment Research

FIG, ETLY, DrStockPick.com Watch List! for Wednesday September 23, 2009, Fortress Investment Group LLC and ECOtality Inc., ETLY.OB

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:25:55 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ DrStockPick.com Watch List! My Picks for Wednesday September 23, 2009, are: ************************************************************** FIG, Fortress Investment Group LLC FIG is a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $31.0 billion in assets under management (fee paying) as of June 30, 2009. FIG is headquartered in New York and has [...]

(OTC: WNCG) Announces Estimated Fees of $5 Million

Stuart T. Smith — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:55:32 +0000

NEW YORK, NY — (Marketwire) — 09/22/09 — The Wyncrest Group, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: WNCG) announced yesterday that it is expecting commissions earned from its Dallas based financial services target acquisition to hit $5,000,000.00 in 2009. The past few years has seen a shift in the insurance arena from large conglomerates to smaller, niche insurers. Size itself, [...]

Wyncrest Group’s Strategic Acquisition to Raise Earned Fees by $5 Million

Stuart T. Smith — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:50:20 +0000

CHICAGO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Wyncrest Group, Inc. (Pink Sheets: WNCG) today announced that it expects commissions earned from the sales of insurance and other financial products by its Dallas-based realtor and financial services target acquisition will be $5 million in 2009. During 2008, it generated gross premium sales of $15 million, resulting in [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces Research Coverage Initiated With Beacon Equity With Report Expected 1st Week in October to Review $100 Million in Profitable Annual Revenue

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:06:05 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Friday September 18, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces Research Coverage Initiated With Beacon Equity With Report Expected 1st Week in October to Review $100 Million in Profitable Annual Revenue DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/18/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT) today announced [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Gears Up for Dividend Plan, Upgraded Public Listing with $65 Million in New Sales Contracts YTD

Dr. Stock Pick — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:42:27 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Wednesday September 16, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Gears Up for Dividend Plan, Upgraded Public Listing with $65 Million in New Sales Contracts YTD - Company to Post Progress Update Tomorrow on Corporate Website - DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/16/09) – NewMarket Technology, [...]

Stock-PR Pink Sheet Stock Headlines September 15, 2009

Stock-PR — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:49:04 +0000

CareView Communications, Inc. Announces Relocation to Larger Office/Warehouse Facility in Lewisville, Texas CareView Communications, Inc. (“CareView” or the “Company”) (Pink Sheets: CRVW), an information technology provider to the healthcare industry, announced today that it is relocating to a new office warehouse complex as of October 1, 2009. Located at the intersection of State Highway 121 and [...]

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 9/15/09, FE, ATSI, MAR, CRVW, CALM, JCP

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:20:46 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Tuesday September 15, 2009 ************************************************************** The Board of Directors of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) today declared an unchanged quarterly dividend of 55 cents per share of outstanding common stock. The dividend will be payable December 1, 2009, to shareholders of record as of November 6, 2009. ATS Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATSI), [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Signs LOI in China for 3rd Major Outsourcing Opportunity This Year to Add to $65 Million in Recent Contracts and Bolstering $100 Million Forecast

Stock-PR — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:15:06 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/15/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT) today announced signing a letter of intent (LOI) in China for a second large outsourcing opportunity in China and the third this year for Company. The Company recently announced a $30 million contract signed with Beijing Chuangzhitongda Technology Development and a $33 million outsourcing agreement with [...]

NewMarket Technology, Inc. Eyes East Africa to Expand Its Nearly $100 Million in Global Sales

Stock-PR — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:56:28 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/15/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT), a global systems integrator and emerging technology provider, has released an exclusive presentation on its expansion plans into East Africa. The twelve-year-old Company has grown to nearly $100 million in technology and service sales across North America, China, Southeast Asia and Latin America, with a focus [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Eyes East Africa to Expand Its Nearly $100 Million in Global Sales

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:48:32 +0000

Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! _______________________________________ FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com _______________________________________ Tuesday September 15, 2009 DrStockPick.com Stock Report! NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Eyes East Africa to Expand Its Nearly $100 Million in Global Sales - Company Extends Invitation to October Trade Mission to Kenya - DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/15/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT), a global [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates Dividend and Upgraded Listing to Help Increase PPS to $1.00 Suggested Fair Value Target in Alignment With $100 Million Revenue

Dr. Stock Pick — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:00:21 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Report! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates Dividend and Upgraded Listing to Help Increase PPS to $1.00 Suggested Fair Value Target in Alignment With $100 Million Revenue Monday September 14, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates Dividend and Upgraded Listing to Help Increase PPS to $1.00 Suggested Fair Value [...]

NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates Dividend and Upgraded Listing to Help Increase PPS to $1.00 Suggested Fair Value Target in Alignment With $100 Million Revenue

Stock-PR — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:46:55 +0000

DALLAS, TX CRWNewswire NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) is scheduled to present a corporate update on Thursday, September 17, 2009. The presentation’s agenda includes a discussion of the Company’s plan to align share price and fundamental financial performance, an update on the previously announced dividend plan and more information on the Company’s plan to [...]

With Almost $100 Million in Sales Worldwide, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Plans to Expand $40 Million Subsidiary in China by Launching Operation in East Africa

Stock-PR — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:34:50 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWE Newswire - 09/14/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) is scheduled to release a corporate Webcast tomorrow, September 15th focused on the Company’s opportunities in Kenya and East Africa, as well as a trade mission to the region. The Webcast will highlight the Company’s plans to leverage its subsidiary in China to [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Targets Upgraded Public Listing Alongside Adidas, BASF, Peugeot and Benetton as First Step in NASDAQ or NYSE Listing Strategy

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:26:24 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Report! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Targets Upgraded Public Listing Alongside Adidas, BASF, Peugeot and Benetton as First Step in NASDAQ or NYSE Listing Strategy Friday September 11, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Targets Upgraded Public Listing Alongside Adidas, BASF, Peugeot and Benetton as First Step in NASDAQ or NYSE [...]

U.S. Trade Deficit Widens, but Signals a Healthier Economy

Jason Simpkins — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:40:22 +0000

Tiny Texas Oil Company Hits $2.8 Trillion Discovery A microcap company from Dallas has discovered 40 billion barrels of crude oil. The haul is worth $2.8 trillion. It’s one of the biggest oil discoveries in history. And one company now owns the right to every drop. It’s about to bring this oil to market. Investors [...]

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc.’s Sales in China Boost 2009 $100 Million Revenue and Profit Outlook

Stock-PR — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:21:08 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWENewswire 09/08/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets: NWMT) - has its financial results independently audited in compliance with SEC regulations. The Company’s current financial reports are on file with the SEC and available for public review. The Company recently posted on its website a strategic update, on-demand Webcast hosted by Board Member Hugh G. [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc.’s Sales in China Boost 2009 $100 Million Revenue and Profit Outlook

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:16:40 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Makes Headlines in Latin America With Recent $33 Million Service Contract

PennyOmega.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:04:22 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces Three-Year Microsoft Licensing and Service Agreement Adding to $65 Million in Recently Announced New Contracts

PennyOmega.com — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:36:14 +0000

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PAPA, IFUS, BEHL Stock-PR Hot Pinks Stock Headlines September 4, 2009

Stock-PR — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:45:46 +0000

Aero Financial is pleased to announce today that the company has acquired the controlling equity stake in Papa Bello Enterprises (OTC Pink Sheets: PAPA) through a private transaction with Papa Bello CEO, Chase Canfield. Under the terms of the transaction, Aero Financial purchased 20,000,000 shares of Papa Bello common stock from Mr. Canfield. About Papa Bello [...]

NewMarket Eligible for Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for North America

Stock-PR — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:53:18 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWE Newswire) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) has recently made the 2009 Tech Titans Fast Tech Five-Year Listing by the Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), the largest technology trade organization in Texas. The Tech Titans Fast Tech Award sponsored by Deloitte annually recognizes the fastest-growing technology companies in the DFW Metroplex, based [...]

CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Announces Post Labor Day Update on $0.30 Suggested Fair Value Price per Share Alignment With $50 Million Revenue Pace and Record Profit (PennyOmega.com Stock Report!)

PennyOmega.com — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:08:52 +0000

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CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Announces Post Labor Day Update on $0.30 Suggested Fair Value Price per Share Alignment With $50 Million Revenue Pace and Record Profit (DrStockPick.com Stock Report!)

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:49:40 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Thursday September 3, 2009 CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc., CCTR.OB ************************************************************** China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Announces Post Labor Day Update on $0.30 Suggested Fair Value Price per Share Alignment With $50 Million Revenue Pace and Record Profit - On-Demand Webcast Tuesday, September 8th - DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/03/09) - China Crescent Enterprises, [...]

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 9/03/09, NXTH, FSLR, ATMI, SCIL, HOT, ABFS

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:37:20 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Thursday September 3, 2009 ************************************************************** NXT Nutritionals Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: NXTH) developer and marketer of SUSTA(TM) Natural Sweetener, the great tasting, all-natural, healthier sweetener, and SUSTA(TM)-based food and beverage products, today announced it has retained Stern & Co. to launch a nationwide media campaign to introduce SUSTA(TM) and to [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Honored by Deloitte-Sponsored Tech Titan Fast Tech Award for Growth Over $95 Million

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:43:40 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Alert! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Honored by Deloitte-Sponsored Tech Titan Fast Tech Award for Growth Over $95 Million Thursday September 3, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Honored by Deloitte-Sponsored Tech Titan Fast Tech Award for Growth Over $95 Million - NewMarket Eligible for Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for North America [...]

NewMarket Technology, Inc. Honored by Deloitte-Sponsored Tech Titan Fast Tech Award for Growth Over $95 Million

Stock-PR — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:25:42 +0000

NewMarket Eligible for Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for North America DALLAS, TX–(CRWE Newswire - 09/02/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) has made the 2009 Tech Titans Fast Tech Five-Year Listing by the Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), the largest technology trade organization in Texas. The Tech Titans Fast Tech Award sponsored by Deloitte [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Honored by Deloitte-Sponsored Tech Titan Fast Tech Award for Growth Over $95 Million

PennyOmega.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:25:04 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates Continued Revenue Growth to as Much as Double Current Annual Revenue in 2010

PennyOmega.com — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:13:19 +0000

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CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Presents East Africa Expansion Plan in On-Demand Webcast and Extends Invitation for Upcoming Trade Mission to Kenya (PennyOmega.com Stock Report)

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:31:02 +0000

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The U.S. Housing Market’s False Dawn

Martin Hutchinson — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:10:43 +0000

Why Did These Companies Cream the S&P 500? Is the U.S. housing market truly at a turning point, as investors seem to increasingly believe? Or is this actually a false dawn, meaning that there are problems and pain ahead for those who turned bullish too soon? New home sales jumped almost 10% in July, while the Case-Shiller [...]

CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Presents East Africa Expansion Plan in On-Demand Webcast and Extends Invitation for Upcoming Trade Mission to Kenya

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:02:32 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises Inc, CCTR.OB Tuesday September 1st, 2009 ************************************************************** China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Presents East Africa Expansion Plan in On-Demand Webcast and Extends Invitation for Upcoming Trade Mission to Kenya DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 09/01/09) - China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTC.BB:CCTR) has released an exclusive Webcast discussing the Company’s planned expansion into Africa and upcoming [...]

NewMarket Technology, Inc. Webcast by Former Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Hugh G. Robinson Highlights Breakout Potential of Award Winning Success and New Direction

Stock-PR — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:31:22 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWE Newswire - 09/01/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) has released an exclusive Webcast hosted by Board Member Major General Hugh G. Robinson. General Robinson begins the presentation with an overview of NewMarket’s founding strengths in light of the recent global economic crisis and his vision for the future of those founding [...]

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Webcast by Former Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Hugh G. Robinson Highlights Breakout Potential of Award Winning Success and New Direction

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:09:17 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Webcast by Former Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Hugh G. Robinson Highlights Breakout Potential of Award Winning Success and New Direction

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:36:29 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Alert! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Webcast by Former Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Hugh G. Robinson Highlights Breakout Potential of Award Winning Success and New Direction Tuesday September 1st, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Webcast by Former Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Hugh G. Robinson Highlights Breakout Potential of Award Winning [...]

Mid-America CFO to Retire – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:25:49 +0000

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc. (MAA), a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), recently announced the retirement of its CFO Simon Wadsworth as part of the long-term succession-planning program.

The company’s Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Financial Planning Albert Campbell will replace Simon Wadsworth. Campbell joined Mid-America Apartment in 1998 as Vice President of Financial Planning and was later promoted to Senior Vice President and Treasurer of the company in 2003.

Mid-America Apartment owns and manages apartments in the Sunbelt region of the U.S. The company defines its portfolio in two tiers– primary markets and secondary markets. Having a diversified presence in diverse markets helps mitigate risk and decreases volatility in the event of a slowdown in any one product type.

Primary markets are relatively larger in size compared to secondary markets. On the other hand, secondary markets often have stable fundamentals due to limited new supply. Primary markets include Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, Raleigh, Austin, Jacksonville and Tampa. Secondary markets include Memphis, Lexington, Columbus, Greenville, Jackson, Little Rock and Savannah.

Due to conservative use of leverage over the past couple of years, Mid-America Apartment has a healthy balance sheet with low near-term debt maturities and adequate coverage ratios. The company also has moderate unfunded future development costs. We think Mid-America Apartment is well positioned to withstand the current problems in the capital markets and has an able leadership to steer it to future profitability.

Read the full analyst report on "MAA"
Zacks Investment Research

August 31st CEOcast Weekly Newsletter

QualityStocks — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:26:55 +0000

Companies featured in this edition of the newsletter: CVM, ICLK, IMUC, ITUI, IWEB, MBCI, NXOI, OMCM, ONEZ, PHC, SRCO, SVUL, XCR Markets closed moderately higher yet again this week, as mostly better than expected economic data helped stave off profit taking to leave most indices in positive territory on the week. All told, the Dow [...]

August 31st CEOcast Weekly Newsletter

QualityStocks — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:26:55 +0000

CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. Reports Record Profits With Expected Expansion and Growth Highlighted in Back-to-Back Webcasts Tomorrow and Wednesday (PennyOmega.com Stock Report!)

PennyOmega.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:38:57 +0000

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Energy Transfer Settles Dispute – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:37:32 +0000

Last week, Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) informed that it has entered into a settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which had accused the natural gas and propane gas distributor of unfair trading activities during Hurricane Rita in 2005. However, the partnership did not disclose the terms of the agreement as it is still subject to approval by the federal agency.

The FERC had earlier alleged that Energy Transfer employed a complicated scheme to artificially suppress the price of physical natural gas at the Houston Ship Channel in September and November 2005, and then report the manipulated prices to a widely circulated trade magazine.

The FERC is claiming $69.9 million in disgorgement of profits, as well as interest, and $82 million in civil penalties associated with these market manipulation claims. At the time, Energy Transfer denied any wrongdoing.

We welcome the news of the settlement as we believe that prompt resolution of the issue is in the best interest of Energy Transfer’s customers and unitholders.

Dallas, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners L.P. is a master limited partnership owning and operating a diversified portfolio of energy assets. The partnership's natural gas operations includes miles of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines, natural gas treating and processing assets located in Texas and Louisiana, and three natural gas storage facilities located in Texas.

We currently rate Energy Transfer units as Underperform.
Read the full analyst report on "ETR"
Zacks Investment Research

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces Audited Financials Filed With SEC Reporting $95 Million in 2008 Revenue and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue First Six Months 2009

PennyOmega.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:51:05 +0000

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NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Webcast Update and Outlook With $100 Million Profitable Revenue Forecast, Recent Microsoft Contracts and $63 Million in New Business

Stock-PR — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:26:48 +0000

DALLAS, TX–(CRWENewswire - 08/28/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT - News) is a reporting company with audited financial reports filed with the SEC. On Tuesday September 1st, Board Member Hugh G. Robinson, Retired Major General and Former Chairman of the Dallas Federal Reserve, is scheduled to host a strategic update in an on-demand Webcast. The [...]

CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. to Webcast 2009 Outlook With $50 Million Profitable Revenue Forecast, Recent Hong Kong Contract and $30 Million in New Business

PennyOmega.com — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:21:19 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Webcast Update and Outlook With $100 Million Profitable Revenue Forecast, Recent Microsoft Contracts and $63 Million in New Business

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:43:43 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Alert! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Webcast Update and Outlook With $100 Million Profitable Revenue Forecast, Recent Microsoft Contracts and $63 Million in New Business Friday August 28, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Webcast Update and Outlook With $100 Million Profitable Revenue Forecast, Recent Microsoft Contracts and [...]

CCTR, PennyOmega.com Stock Alert! China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. to Preview Anticipated Favorable 3rd Quarter Financial Performance With $30 Million Outsourcing Contract Going Into Service

PennyOmega.com — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:04:28 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc.’s Retired Major General Hugh Robinson, Board Member and Former Chairman of the Dallas Federal Reserve, to Present Strategic Update With CEO Philip M. Verges

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:58:24 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Alert! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc.’s Retired Major General Hugh Robinson, Board Member and Former Chairman of the Dallas Federal Reserve, to Present Strategic Update With CEO Philip M. Verges Thursday August 27, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc.’s Retired Major General Hugh Robinson, Board Member and Former Chairman of the Dallas [...]

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 8/26/09, ERHE, DNRR, GOVX, LMT, NKE, RNOW

PennyOmega.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:12:27 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces $33 Million Outsourcing Agreement in South America

PennyOmega.com — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:03:23 +0000

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NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces $33 Million Outsourcing Agreement in South America

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:54:47 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick Stock Alert! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces $33 Million Outsourcing Agreement in South America Tuesday August 25, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces $33 Million Outsourcing Agreement in South America DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSWIRE - 08/25/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT) and NewMarket Colombia, SAS, a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary headquartered in Bogota, Colombia, [...]

House Prices Actually RISING – Analyst Blog

Dirk Van Dijk — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:10:55 +0000

The Case-Schiller composite index of housing prices in 20 major metropolitan areas rose 0.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis in June, following an essentially unchanged reading in May. The not-seasonally-adjusted numbers were even better (and what most of the press coverage were initially focused on). However, there is a distinct seasonal pattern to housing prices, so it is better to focus on the seasonally adjusted numbers.

The increase in prices was widespread, with 15 of the 20 areas seeing an increase -- better than expected, and extremely good news. In May, nine of the 20 cities were up. The news is still tentative, with much of the good news coming from a reduction in supply as banks have been letting the foreclosure pipeline build, and an increase in demand from the first-time homebuyer tax credit, which expires at the end of November.

On a year-over-year basis, the composite 20 index was down 15.5%. The Composite 10 index, which has a longer history, was down 15.1% (also up 0.7% on a monthly basis).

All 20 metro areas are down on a year-over-year basis. Of course, the housing bubble did not pop a year ago -- the decline has been going on a lot longer than that. The peak in both of the composite indexes was in May 2006. Since that time, the composite 20 index is down 31.5% and the composite 10 index is down 32.6%.

This has destroyed the wealth of most of the middle class and resulted in millions of people being underwater in their homes. When people are underwater on their homes, they are far more likely to stop paying on their mortgages than if they have equity in their homes. This, in turn, has led to massive (and still partially hidden due to very lax accounting rules) losses at the banks. This has depleted their capital and made it much more difficult to lend.

The collapse in housing values is probably the single most important factor in causing the world-wide economic decline. Signs that it is reversing are thus extremely important.

Not all areas have been equally affected by the bursting of the housing bubble. In two markets, Phoenix (-54.1%) and Las Vegas (-54.5%), prices have been more than cut in half since May 2006. In six other markets, Las Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, Tampa and Detroit, prices are down by more than 40%. On the other hand, three markets, Dallas (-3.8%), Charlotte (-4.2%) and Denver (-9.4%) are down by less than 10%, and five more are down less than 20% from the nationwide peak (individual peaks varied by a few months).

Similarly, the increases over the last month have been very uneven. Five markets, surprisingly lead by Cleveland (3.3%) reported seasonally adjusted increases of 2.0% or more. The others were San Francisco (3.1%), Portland (2.9%), D.C. (2.2%) and Minneapolis (2.0%).

The big warning signs that we were in a housing bubble were that housing prices were getting out of line with rents and with median incomes. The slide in prices over the last three years has brought us back to more normal levels. This can be seen in the two graphs below (from http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/).

Most of the adjustment in home prices is behind us, but I am not totally sure we are out of the woods. With the soft economy and rising unemployment, median incomes are not going up and are probably falling.

Major apartment REITs like Equity Residential (EQR) and Apartment Investors (AIV) have been reporting that they have had to lower stated rents recently and effective rents even more (i.e. throwing in a few free months of rent when you sign a lease). This means that rents are most likely going down nationwide, although it has not yet shown up in Owners Equivalent Rents, which is how the government tracks housing for calculating inflation. Declining rents and incomes will put more pressure on housing prices.

This will be particularly true once the artificial prop of the first-time home-buy tax credit expires. The other major prop to the market has been the Federal Reserve, which has turned into the mortgage buyer of first and last resort as it is in the process of buying $1.25 trillion in Fannie (FNM) and Freddie (FRE) backed securities. Eventually the Fed will have to reverse those actions (or inflation will spiral out of control), and when it does, the mortgage market is likely to get much, much tighter.

Still, it is abundantly clear from the charts that we are much closer to the bottom than we are from the top. We are unlikely to see a major rise in home prices going forward, but just stopping the freefall is very good news indeed. It does not repair the very significant damage that has already been done, but it does mean that things are not getting materially worse.

Read the full analyst report on "EQR"
Read the full analyst report on "AIV"
Read the full analyst report on "FNM"
Read the full analyst report on "FRE"
Zacks Investment Research

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 8/25/09, KNXA, NTAP, SHOR, STMP, NYMH, SYMC

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:28:00 +0000

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CCTR, PWRM, PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Monday August 24, 2009, China Crescent Enterprises Inc, CCTR.OB and Power 3 Medical Products Inc, PWRM.OB

PennyOmega.com — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:28:45 +0000

PWRM, Power 3 Medical Products Inc, PWRM.OB CCTR, China Crescent Enterprises Inc, CCTR.OB PennyOmega.com Watch List! PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Monday August 24, 2009 Our Picks at PennyOmega.com for Monday August 24, 2009 are: ************************************************************** PWRM, Power 3 Medical Products Inc, PWRM.OB PWRM is a leading Bio Medical company engaged in the commercialization of neurodegenerative disease and cancer biomarkers, pathways, and [...]

DrStockPick.com Week’s Hot Stock Alert! NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc.

Dr. Stock Pick — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:58:56 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK DrStockPick Week’s Hot Stock Alert! DrStockPick Week’s Hot Stock Alert! Saturday August 22, 2009 DrStockPick Week’s Hot Stock Alert! is for: ************************************************************** NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK NWMT has combined a traditional systems integration and support services capacity with a specialized asset-based approach to assisting its clients with the delicate balance between maintaining legacy systems and [...]

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Reviews Positive Q2′09 Financial Results With Preview of Upcoming Contracts Anticipated to Drive Record Revenue Growth in 2009

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:48:43 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick News Report! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Reviews Positive Q2′09 Financial Results With Preview of Upcoming Contracts Anticipated to Drive Record Revenue Growth in 2009 Friday August 21, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Reviews Positive Q2′09 Financial Results With Preview of Upcoming Contracts Anticipated to Drive Record Revenue Growth in 2009 Webcast [...]

NWMT, SPNG, DrStockPick Watch List! for Friday August 21, 2009, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK and SpongeTech Delivery Systems Inc, SPNG.OB

Dr. Stock Pick — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:08:54 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK SPNG, SpongeTech Delivery Systems Inc, SPNG.OB DrStockPick Watch List! DrStockPick Watch List! for Friday August 21, 2009 My Picks for Friday August 21, 2009 are: ************************************************************** NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK NWMT has combined a traditional systems integration and support services capacity with a specialized asset-based approach to assisting its clients with the delicate balance between [...]

NWMT, CBR, PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Friday August 21, 2009, CIBER, Inc. and NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK

PennyOmega.com — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:34:25 +0000

CBR, CIBER, Inc. NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK PennyOmega.com Watch List! PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Friday August 21, 2009 Our Picks at PennyOmega.com for Friday August 21, 2009 are: ************************************************************** NWMT, NewMarket Technology Inc, NWMT.PK NWMT has combined a traditional systems integration and support services capacity with a specialized asset-based approach to assisting its clients with the delicate balance between [...]

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08 and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue Through First Six Months of 2009

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:29:55 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick News Report! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08 and $43 Million in Profitable Revenue Through First Six Months of 2009 Thursday August 20, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Announces 43% Net Income Increase in Q2′09 Compared to Q2′08 and $43 Million [...]

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 8/19/09, TEAM, HIG, FICO, RCII, MSGI, CCTR

PennyOmega.com — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:15:22 +0000

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NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates 2nd Quarter Results With Record Net Income From Operations in China to Support $1.00 to $2.50 Suggested Fair Value Target PPS

Dr. Stock Pick — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:39:57 +0000

NWMT, NewMarket Technology, Inc., NWMT.PK DrStockPick News Report! Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts! NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates 2nd Quarter Results With Record Net Income From Operations in China to Support $1.00 to $2.50 Suggested Fair Value Target PPS Wednesday August 19, 2009 ************************************************************** NewMarket Technology, Inc. Anticipates 2nd Quarter Results With Record Net Income From Operations in China to [...]

PennyOmega.com Stock Report! 8/18/09, EGP, SANMD, FTCH, APWR, ESWW, BYOC

PennyOmega.com — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:06:10 +0000

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August 17th CEOcast Weekly Newsletter

QualityStocks — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:32:35 +0000

Companies featured in this edition of the newsletter: ACTC, CVM, CUR, DKAM, FMTI, ICLK, IMUC, IWEB, OMCM, ONEZ, SIHI, TAGS Markets took pause from their four week run this week, as some less than encouraging economic reports coupled with profit taking led to slight declines in all of the major indices. All told, the [...]

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. to Review 2nd Quarter Performance Highlighting Better Than Expected Net Income Contribution From Chinese Operation in Webcast This Friday

PennyOmega.com — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:25:54 +0000

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NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Recognized for Record Revenue Growth as Compiled by Deloitte for the Titan Fast Tech Awards

Stock-PR — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:21:33 +0000

Stock -PR release on August 13,2009 NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Recognized for Record Revenue Growth as Compiled by Deloitte for the Titan Fast Tech Awards DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSwire - 08/13/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. (Pinksheets:NWMT) today released an on-demand Webcast presenting the Company’s offshore sales initiatives and year-to-date progress. In the past two weeks the Company has announced [...]

NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Recognized for Record Revenue Growth as Compiled by Deloitte for the Titan Fast Tech Awards

Dr. Stock Pick — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:07:06 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Thursday August 13, 2009 NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Recognized for Record Revenue Growth as Compiled by Deloitte for the Titan Fast Tech Awards ************************************************************** NWMT NewMarket Technology, Inc. Recognized for Record Revenue Growth as Compiled by Deloitte for the Titan Fast Tech Awards DALLAS, TX–(CRWENEWSwire - 08/13/09) - NewMarket Technology, Inc. [...]

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! 8/11/09, WBC, TSYS, CAST, WH, PLD, CRTX

Dr. Stock Pick — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:51:12 +0000

DrStockPick.com Stock Report! Tuesday August 11, 2009 ************************************************************** WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC) (www.wabco-auto.com), a global technology leader and tier-one supplier to the commercial vehicle industry, today announced that WABCO and Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group, have completed an agreement for development of transmission automation technology and the long [...]

CCTR, XTEX, SPNG Stock-PR Stock Highlights August 7, 2009

Stock-PR — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:01:21 +0000

Las Vegas CRWENewswire.com is pleased to announce a stock highlight on China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR), Crosstex Energy (NASDAQ: XTEX), SpongeTech(R) Delivery Systems, Inc. (”SpongeTech”) “The Smarter Sponge(TM)”, (OTCBB: SPNG) Sign up to receive FREE Stock-PR alerts from CRWENewswire.com at http://www.crwenewswire.com/?p=2546 China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR) today announced the launch of a $30 million [...]

ProLogis Declares Dividend – Analyst Blog

Zacks Market Commentaries — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:56:56 +0000

ProLogis (PLD), one of the leading global providers of distribution facilities, recently declared a third-quarter dividend of $0.15 per share.

The company had previously reduced its annual dividend payout to $0.70 per share from $1.00 declared earlier, significantly down from $2.07 in 2008. The move is aimed at conserving liquidity in the current credit-constrained market.

In response to the continued economic downturn and rapidly deteriorating industrial real-estate fundamentals, ProLogis had already stopped all new initiatives and early-stage developments. The company is currently concentrating on increasing its liquidity and deleveraging its balance sheet through asset sale.

ProLogis owns and manages interests in over 2,500 distribution facilities, service offices, and properties spanning 475 million square feet (including properties under development) of space. During the first quarter of 2009, the company sold its operations in China and Japan to affiliates of GIC Real Estate, the real-estate investment arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.

During the second quarter, ProLogis sold about 136 properties with an average age of 20 years. Spanning across 14.2 million square feet, the properties were located in markets like Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, Northern and Southern California, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Washington DC and Northern New Jersey.

ProLogis is the best-positioned industrial REIT in the current scenario. However, we maintain our Neutral recommendation on the stock in view of the overall decline of the industrial real estate sector.

Read the full analyst report on "PLD"
Zacks Investment Research

MFN, FRNTQ, PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Friday July 31, 2009, Minefinders Corp. Ltd. and Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc, FRNTQ.PK

PennyOmega.com — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:02:21 +0000

MFN, Minefinders Corp. Ltd. FRNTQ, Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc, FRNTQ.PK PennyOmega.com Watch List! PennyOmega.com Watch List ! for Friday July 31, 2009 Our Picks at PennyOmega.com for Friday July 31, 2009 are: ************************************************************** MFN, Minefinders Corp. Ltd. MFN engages in the mining, exploration, and development of precious metal properties primarily in Mexico and the United States. MFN principal property includes Dolores Mine, an [...]