Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF), the largest producer of iron ore pellets in the U.S., recorded third-quarter 2009 profits of 45 cents, significantly lower than last year’s earnings of $1.61 per share, on weak iron volumes and prices. However, reported earnings were in contrast to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 6 cents. Consistent with weaker year-over-year global demand for iron ore -- the steelmaking raw material -- revenues in the quarter tumbled 44% to $666.4 million. Performance by Segments North American Iron Ore: Sales in the segment slipped 47% to $428.2 million on a 31% decline in volumes to 5.5 million tons. Iron ore production halved to 4.6 million tons in the quarter. Demand for iron ore pellets remained weak year over year despite steel demand picking up in the last quarter. Capacity utilization in the North American steel industry ramped from 49% in ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 13, 2009 – Zacks Equity Research highlights Amphenol Corporation (APH) as the Bull of the Day and Palm (PALM) the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on United States Steel Corporation (X), Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) and ArcelorMittal (MT).

Full analysis of all these stocks is available at http://at.zacks.com/?id=2676

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Amphenol Corporation (APH) is scheduled to release its fiscal Q3 results on October 15. The company stated that though the economic environment remains uncertain, there was a stabilization of demand in most markets.

We remain optimistic about Amphenol's long-term growth prospects in the mobile devices business. Demand for mobile phones remains strong. Beyond mobile phones, the company continues to expand the use of its products into fast

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On Oct. 9, United States Steel Corporation’s (X) wholly owned subsidiary U.S. Steel Canada Inc., ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (CLF) have agreed to sell their respective interest in the Wabush Mines joint venture to a Montreal-based steel mining company, Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd., for $120 million. Wabush Mines owns and operates iron ore mining and pellet facilities in Newfoundland in the U.S. and Labrador and Quebec in Canada. Wabush's total rated annual production capacity is 6.4 million tons of iron ore pellets. U.S. Steel holds 44.6%, ArcelorMittal Dofasco holds 28.6% and Cliffs Natural Resources holds 26.8% in the joint venture. Completion of the transaction is subject to a right of first refusal held by the third owner - Cliffs. ArcelorMittal (MT), the world's largest steelmaker, will receive $34.28 million for its interest. Consolidated Thompson plans to finance the transaction with ...

Thomson Reuters and The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) today announced the integration of NASDAQ Market Replay into Thomson Reuters Transaction Analytics, a product suite featuring post-trade best execution analytics, trade exception monitoring and SEC compliance reporting.

UDR, Inc. (NYSE: UDR) today announced that it has established a joint venture with Kuwait Finance House (”KFH”) to invest up to $450 million in multifamily properties located in key, high barrier markets. The partners will contribute equity of $180 million with a 70% contribution by KFH and 30% by UDR for a holding period of up to seven years. Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. assisted in arranging the joint venture.

Northern Abitibi Mining Corp. (”Northern Abitibi”) (TSX VENTURE: NAI) is pleased to provide assay results for drill holes 09VK-22 to 25 from its ongoing exploration program at the Viking gold property in Newfoundland. Drill hole 09VK-23 has intersected one of the widest high grade zones

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After posting stellar gains on Monday, the Canadian Markets took a well deserved breather during Tuesday’s session. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange added 0.19%, while the TSX Gold Index fell 0.3% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, tacked on 0.31% with the decliners beating out the advancers by a 437 to 397 margin on good volumes of 207 million shares traded.

Mindoro Resources inked a deal allowing Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI) the right to earn up to a 75 per cent stake in Mindoro’s El Paso, Lobo and Talahib porphyry copper-gold projects in the Philippines. Gold Fields must fund all the exploration and produce a feasibility study for each project to earn the interest. Mindoro ended the day up C$0.01 at C$0.15.

Tenajon Resources tabled an updated resource for its Moly Brook zone in Newfoundland. At a cut-off of 0.04% molybdenum, the

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In the rocky hills of northern Canada, companies are scathing the landscape in search of the next gold fortune. One minerals exploration company has found a strip of land that is showing anywhere from .2 ounces to 9.8 ounces per ton of the yellow metal. And make no mistake, 9.8 ounces of gold is simply HUGE.

But it gets even better than that. This gold find happens to be just one of the half-dozen gold projects this company currently has in the works. And with one government bailout after the next, the prospects for gold and other precious metals as safe havens will only grow.

That’s why today we are recommending Altius Minerals (TSX: ALS). Based in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Altius Minerals is a mineral exploration company with over $200 million in total assets.

As an exploration company, ALS does not do any

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The base metals were all modestly lower on Friday. Copper declined into the New York open, and though it rallied from there, came off its highs late to finish at $1.4318/lb., down more than a penny. Nickel fell below the $5 mark and, though it struggled mightily to regain it, fell just short at $4.9986/lb., down 7 cents. Zinc was off through most of the day, ending at $0.4835/lb., down three-quarters of a cent. Aluminum was weak, closing at $0.592/lb., down a penny, while lead sank to $0.5082/lb., down almost a penny.

While copper was down in late trading, the early rally was enough for Michael Gross, an OptionSellers.com analyst in Tampa, Florida, to comment that, “With the oil moving up and gold being higher, that got people into copper today … A lot of traders didn’t want to go home over the weekend short on copper.”

But Gross hastened to add

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Some of the valuations in today’s market are absurd, says Chris Mayer. Though market volatility means high risks in the short-term, now is the time to “plant the seeds of monster future returns.” Chris picks four deep value stocks with big upside potential.

This from The Rude Awakening:

The panic in this market is incredible. It’s leading to some absurd valuations. Particularly among the smaller-cap stocks. These stocks have really been hit hard because they have less liquidity than large cap stocks.

When waves of selling sweep through the stock market, they might rock a large cap stock from stem to stern. But the same waves will capsize a small cap stock. So the conditions in the financial markets are very scary right now for any investor who’s holding small-cap resource stocks. But unless we slip into some global depression, these stocks will come back - and

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Across the board selling continued during Monday trading on the Canadian markets, with investors betting that the economic outlook will get worse before it gets better. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange fell 2.88%, while the TSX Gold Index plunged 3.6% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, lost 1.97% with the declining issuers outpacing the advancers by a 489 to 264 margin on volume of 121 million shares traded.

Management of Forsys Metals approved the C$7 per share takeover offer tabled by George Forrest International Afrique SPRL. The advanced uranium player added C$1.36 to close at C$6 even.

Shares of Northern Abitibi Mining lost C$0.015 to close at C$0.075 after the company reported a 3.7 metre intercept running 50.05 grams gold per tonne at the Viking property in Newfoundland. Northern is earning a majority interest in the project from Altius

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Reason for comment Playfair received assays from ten holes drilled during its 2008 exploration programme at its Grey River tungsten project in southern Newfoundland. The drilling successfully defined a significant down-plunge zone of tungsten mineralisation at the advanced project that extends the No. 10 vein at depth and to the north.

Notably, drill hole GR08-122 produced a 2.4-metre interval averaging 1.13 percent tungsten trioxide, and somewhat deeper zones yielding 1.04 percent tungsten trioxide over 0.6 metres and 0.69 per cent tungsten trioxide over 1.5 metres. In all, eight of the ten drill holes encountered tungsten mineralisation. A ninth test intersected the No. 10 vein in an area with a high sulphide content, but no wolframite, the tungsten ore present at Grey River. The tenth test did not intersect the vein.

Objective's view:

The latest drill programme extends the No. 10 vein approximately 250 metres down-dip below the previously defined deposit.

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