The U.S. policies have driven short-term interest rates to Japan-like levels, creating “free” money for banks, creating a massive carry-trade speculative investment funds flow,  financially crippling low and middle income senior citizens who have historically relied on bank deposits to supplement their meager Social Security checks, and pushing very hard on investors to leave the short-term Treasury “nest” to take flight into riskier assets.

The goal, of course, is to rehabilitate the banks; but they are doing so at the expense of taxpayers, at the expense of savers, while forcing cautious investors into risk assets they do not prefer at this time, while creating a massive tool for the carry-trade speculators, and while restoring enormous bonus potential to financial executives whose Boards will reward them for seeming to have solved their company’s problems (when free money will have been the main medicine).

Never before, and we hope never again — or Japan

...

Moody's Investors Service has cut various ratings on UBS AG (UBS) pointing out the significant challenges the company continues to face in its Investment Banking and Wealth Management businesses.  Moody's has downgraded the bank financial strength rating and the long-term debt and deposit ratings of UBS AG. The bank financial strength rating was lowered two notches to C from B-, while its deposits and senior debt ratings were lowered to Aa3 from Aa2. The ratings for senior subordinated debt were slashed to A1 from Aa3. The outlook for all ratings is negative implying that further downgrades are possible over the next 12 to 18 months.   Moody’s has expressed its concern over the loss of customer confidence, which is reflected by the ongoing net fund money outflows in the wealth management business. Also a number of key employees have left the organization that resulted in a significant ...

We are raising our estimates for Moody's Corp. (MCO) for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 and full year of fiscal 2010 due to continued resurgence in the company's results. Moody's is an industry leader in the credit rating industry and enjoys a high organic growth rate, along with strong profit margins and cash flows.  Results for the first nine months of 2009, although below year-ago level were better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, reflecting an improvement in credit markets and growth in Moody's Analytics business.  We believe that Moody's remains a solid franchise in rating debt instruments and will show substantial growth with its diversified credit research business model and international growth.  The company raised its outlook for fiscal 2009, for the second time this year, due to continuing strength in corporate debt issuance. Earnings per share, is expected to range between $1.60 and $1.68, up ...

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Friday October 23, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

PSFT, VZ, PWRM, CSRH, HD, CVAT, MRK, AQNM, SGP

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VZ, Verizon Communications Inc.

VZ provides communication services in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments, Wireline and Domestic Wireless.

Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest wireless service provider, today announced a new advertising effort, “Don’t Text and Drive,” encouraging people who get into a vehicle’s driver seat to keep their hands on the wheel. Dan Mead, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Verizon Wireless, said the “Don’t Text and Drive” campaign begins next week with a mix of ads, including television, radio,

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Yesterday, Crown Castle International Corp. (CCI), a leading wireless tower operator in the U.S. and Australia , raised its third quarter fiscal 2009 financial outlook. Management stated that its Site rental revenue and Adjusted EBITDA will beat the company’s prior estimate. Earlier, Crown Castle predicted that the Site rental revenue during the third quarter will approximate within a range of $385 million-$390 million. Adjusted EBITDA is forecasted in the $246 million-$251 million range. The company will report third quarter 2009 financial results on Nov 3.  We believe the primary reason for this upward revision of financial estimate is the increasing deployments of 3G/4G high-speed mobile voice, data, and video technology. It has become imperative for carriers to improve network quality, and coverage, in order to minimize customer churn. Increased wireless coverage, by using more tower space, is one of the major initiatives that carriers take to improve transmission quality. ...

Note: We are re-issuing this post after correcting a mistake in the original post that ran yesterday.

As a result of another sign of dwindling confidence about MBIA Incorporated’s (MBI) business prospects, Standard & Poor's (S&P) has downgraded its ratings on the parent company as well as its structured finance insurance arm, MBIA Insurance Corporation. Rating of the parent company has been slashed to “BB-“ from “BB" and its subsidiary MBIA Insurance Corporation’s rating has been slashed to “BB+" from “BBB". The ratings for both the parent and the subsidiary are now below investment grade. The rating agency holds a negative outlook on the ratings, which means that there could be additional downgrades if the company incurs further losses. The rating action follows concerns about the company's exposure to residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations that ...

As a result of another sign of dwindling confidence about MBIA Incorporated’s (MBI) business prospects, Standard & Poor's (S&P) has downgraded its ratings on the parent company as well and its structured finance insurance arm, MBIA Insurance Corporation. Rating of the parent company has been slashed by one notch to “BB+" from “BBB" and its subsidiary MBIA Insurance Corporation’s rating has been slashed by one notch to “BB-“ from “BB." While the parent company’s rating stands at one step below investment grade, the subsidiary’s rating has been reduced to three steps below investment grade. The rating agency holds a negative outlook on the ratings, which means that there could be additional downgrades if the company incurs further losses. The rating action follows concerns about the company's exposure to residential mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations that it delved into during the heights of credit boom, ...

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc (FNFG) announced its intention to sell $400 million of common stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. and Sandler O'Neill + Partners, will be the joint book-running managers of the offering and representatives of the underwriters. Underwriters have an option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the shares sold to cover over-allotments, if any. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes. The share issuance will bolster the company’s capital levels, providing it with sufficient cash to grow organically as well as inorganically. This is the third planned capital raise in the past 12 months for First Niagara. Earlier this month, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., the bank holding company of First Niagara Bank, completed its acquisition of 57 Western Pennsylvania bank branches with $3,900 million of deposits and $757 million of ...

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Friday September 25, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

CVAT, JNJ, CSRH, MRK, PWRM, MU

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CSRH, Consorteum Holdings Inc, CSRH.OB

CSRH is a company in the financial services, payment and transaction processing industries.

CSRH provides electronic transaction processing and management services to financial institutions, healthcare, government, public and private sector companies. CSRH’s services provide customized, innovative technology solutions that create, augment and enhance customers’ existing financial, payment and transactional processing systems.

CSRH has established an agreement with a third party partner within the payment processing industry to offer Merchant Discount Rates. Consorteum will leverage this new partnership to offer competitive Merchant Discount Rates and Point of

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Willis North America Inc., a subsidiary of Willis Group Holdings Limited (WSH)  has priced its $300 million worth of senior unsecured notes due 2019 at 7.0%. The notes which are guaranteed by Willis Group Holdings carry ratings of Baa3 of Moody’s and BBB- of S&P.  Bank of America (BAC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) were the joint book running managers for the sale. Willis intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to purchase any and all of Willis North America's outstanding 5.125% senior notes due 2010 that are tendered and accepted in a separate offering. Any remaining proceeds will then be used for general corporate purposes.  Willis Group Holdings’ second-quarter profit of 52 cents per share was just a penny ahead of Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results reflected growth in Global operations (7% organic growth) and International (5%), partly offset by a fall in ...