Casey's General Stores Inc. (CASY) is watching analysts boost estimates ahead of reporting fiscal second quarter results in early December. For the year ending April 2010, the Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped from $2.19 to $2.21 per share in 1 month's time.

Company Description

Casey's General Stores, Inc. together with its subsidiaries, operate convenience stores under the Casey's General Stores name in the Midwest states. It has operations in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa.

Earnings Projections are on the Rise

The company is watching analysts boost estimates ahead of reporting fiscal second quarter results in early December. For the year ending April 2010, the Zacks Consensus Estimate jumped from $2.19 to $2.21 per share in 1 month's time.

For the following year, analysts polled by Zacks are calling for earnings of $2.25 per share, up

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Corrections Corporation of America (CXW) reported a third quarter profit of 33 cents per share. Results beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 32 cents. The company had earned a profit of 33 cents in the year-ago quarter. However, including an unusual income tax benefit of $7.0 million, the company made a profit of $45.3 million or 39 cents a share, compared with $37.9 million 30 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Corrections Corporation’s revenue increased 5.5% from the prior-year period to $426.0 million. Results were driven primarily by a 4.5% increase in its average daily inmate population and a 1.3% increase in revenue per compensated man-day. Management revenue from state customers increased 6.6% from the prior-year period to $224.9 million. The state revenue increase stemmed from a growth in inmate population from California and Arizona but was partly offset by a fall in inmate ...

Regulators shut down 5 more banks in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and California; tally hits 120 so far this year  U.S. regulators on Friday shuttered five more institutions in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and California , as the recession continues to take its toll on banks. This takes the total number to 120, compared to 25 in 2008 and 3 in 2007.  As the industry has to tolerate bad loans that were made during the credit explosion, the trouble in the banking system goes even deeper, increasing the possibility of more failures. However, the regulators are trying to avoid panic by seizing banks slowly. Also, the slow pace of seizing could be a strategy as it is hard to get buyers for so many failed banks.  The failed banks were -- Georgia-based United Security Bank of Sparta with total assets of $157 million and total deposits ...

American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc. (AMMD) reported strong fiscal third quarter results. For the quarter, earnings per share was 27 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents and the year-ago earnings of 18 cents. Earnings per share for the reported quarter were also ahead of the company’s previous guidance of 17 to 21 cents.   Sales   Total sales for the quarter increased 4.9% year over year to $123.2 million. Excluding an unfavorable foreign currency translation (FX), net sales increased 6.7% year over year. On a geographic basis, U.S. sales accounted for roughly 75% of total sales and increased 9.2% year over year. International sales declined 6.1% year over year.   In terms of business segments: Men’s health revenues increased 6.6% year over year to $54.7 million. Growth was primarily due to higher sales of the erectile restoration system.   Women’s health revenues increased 4% year over

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Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. closed on its direct registered offering of 6.5 million shares of its common stock. The company sold the shares at a price of $9.12, and received $56.2 million in net proceeds.

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. said it would use the funds for working capital, to repay borrowings on its credit line, and possibly pursue acquisitions if any attractive assets could be found.

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. is an exploration and production company headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota. The company has three main areas of operations:

Bakken Shale – Northern Oil and Gas has 70,000 net acres under lease in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The company has a 100% success rate here, and has at least 220 future drilling locations.

Trenton/Black River – Northern Oil and Gas has 10,000 net acres in a leasehold in Yates County, N.Y, with exposure to natural gas.

Red River and Mission Canyon

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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 ensures increased customer loyalty and decreased overhead costs. Consorteum will work directly with manufactures and retailers to reduce the administration costs associated with mail-in rebate programs while providing a new way to increase consumer awareness. Additional revenue and cost-saving opportunities will be

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Digital River, Inc. (DRIV) recently reported third-quarter revenues of $99.4 million, up 3.2% from the year-ago level and surpassed management’s revenue guidance of $96.5 million – $98.5 million. The growth in revenues was driven by strength in software, consumer electronics and games markets where the company expanded existing client relationships and closed new business as well. Earnings per share of 42 cents easily beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 33 cents and exceeded management’s forecast of 38 cents – 41 cents. Earlier, prime customer Symantec announced that it would not renew its existing e-commerce agreement with Digital River beyond June 30, 2010, when its existing contract expires. However, management is encouraged by the future prospects of its existing business. Going forward, management continues to work on its business plans in response to Symantec’s decision to not renew its e-commerce contract. The company stated that it does

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ATS Medical, Inc. (ATSI) reported a third quarter 2009 net loss of 1 cent per share, in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate but better than the year-ago loss per share of 6 cents. Total revenues for the reported quarter were $18.8 million, increasing 17.3% year over year. Excluding an unfavorable foreign currency translation (FX), total revenues increased 19.4% year over year. Growth was broad-based across its major business segments. Heart valve therapy revenues increased 20.5% year over year to $14.2 million. In this segment, Mechanical valve revenues increased 10% year over year to $11.6 million. This was due to higher demand for the ATS Open Pivot Mechanical Heart Valve in Asia and success from the recent launch of the AP360 valve in Japan. Tissue valve revenues were $1.4 million, compared to $0.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Heart valve repair revenues increased 29% year over ...

Waste management service provider Stericycle Inc. (SRCL) earned 55 cents in the third quarter, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2 cents. Earnings were up about 24% year-over-year, while it improved 9% sequentially on higher revenues and margins.  Revenues showed an increase of 7.5% year over year to $46.5 million helped by recent acquisitions, which added $19.3 million in the quarter. Stericycle completed six acquisitions during the first nine months of this year, which included the recently acquired Healthcare Waste Solutions’ operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, besides Omni Medical Waste in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Operating costs decreased to 52.7% of total sales in the quarter from 55.6% in the same period of the previous year following which gross profit expanded to $140.9 million from $123.0 million in the same quarter last year. As a percent of revenue, gross profit improved to 47.3% from 44.4% in the ...

3M Company (MMM) reported third-quarter earnings of $1.35 per share on sales of $6.2 billion, with operating income margins of 23.9%. This was higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.17 per share. Sales and per-share earnings declined 5.6% and 4.3% year-on-year, respectively. 3M’s Display and Graphics and Health Care businesses each delivered double-digit year-on-year profit improvements. All business segments and all geographic regions reported sequential sales improvements. For Consumer and Office, sales were $923 million, down 4.8% year-on-year in local currency, which includes 2.8 percentage points from acquisitions; currency impacts reduced sales by 1.8%. For Display & Graphics, sales were $896 million, up 5.5% year-on-year in local currency, including 2.5% points of growth from acquisitions; currency impacts reduced sales by 1%; sales rose 10.8%  sequentially. In Safety, Security and Protection services, sales were $864 million, down 2% year-on-year in local currency; currency translation impacts reduced ...