Prudential Financial Inc.’s (PRU) third-quarter earnings of $1.59 per share was well ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.33. Results also topped prior-year period’s earnings of $1.02 per share. The upside was driven primarily by strong annuity sales and market appreciation.   Prudential raised its guidance for the full fiscal 2009, based on its earning’s strength and current financial market conditions, including equity market levels, interest rates and credit spread. The company now expects earnings of $5.40 to $5.60 per share, elevated from the earlier range of $5.00 to $5.20 per share.   Net income for the Financial Services Businesses attributable to Prudential Financial Inc. was $1.09 billion or $2.35 per common share, compared to a net loss of $118 million 25 cents a share in the year-ago quarter. The company’s outstanding shares increased 9% year over year due to its stock offering in June.   Prudential’s ...

Kimco Realty Corporation (KIM), a real estate investment trust (REIT) operating the largest portfolio of neighborhood and community shopping centers in North America, has reported a decline in third quarter 2009 FFO (fund from operations) to $112.6 million or 30 cents per share from $176.9 million or 68 cents per share in the year-earlier quarter. Fund from operations, 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 year-over-year decrease in FFO was due to the negative impact of non-cash impairments and charges related to early debt repayment. Excluding the one-time charges, FFO for the quarter was $117.9 million or 31 cents per share compared to $182.8 million or 70 cents per share in the year-ago period.  Overall occupancy in Kimco’s combined shopping center portfolio was 92.4% at quarter end. In ...

U.S. stocks wobbled Tuesday and ended the day mixed even as automakers reported improved auto sales and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway said it would buy Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.  Traders were reluctant to place big bets as they awaited the outcome of a two-day FOMC meeting which got underway Tuesday and Friday's monthly jobs report.  Although expectations are the Fed would keep interest rates in the 0-0.25% range, Wall Street has been speculating if there would be a change of tone in the policy statement. 

On Tuesday, the 30-stock Dow Jones industrial average closed down 17.53 points, or 0.18%, to 9,771.91.  The broad Standard & Poor's 500-stock index added 2.53 points, or 0.24%, to 1,045.41 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq advanced 8.12 points, or 0.40%, to 2,057.32.  On the NYSE, volume slowed to 1.38 billion shares.  

The news of a sale of 200 tons of gold to India sent

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Dr Stock Pick HOT News & Alerts!

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FREE Daily Stock Alerts From DrStockPick.com

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Monday October 19, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

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Prudential Annuities has won two top awards in the Boomer Market Advisor Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the fifth consecutive year one of Prudential Annuities’ living benefits has been recognized as “best in class.” Prudential Financial Inc.’s (NYSE:PRU) domestic annuity business also earned a first-time award for its service and support to advisors.

Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) received an $827.4 million contract from the Air Force for advanced funding for 11 variants of the C-130J, a military

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Raser Technologies Inc. (RZ) yesterday provided an update on its geothermal activities and its PHEV project. The company is gradually transiting from a developmental stage company towards a geothermal power producer.   Raser is progressing rapidly on the Lightning Dock No. 1 geothermal project. Recently it bagged final approval from the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division (OCD) for injection of geothermal fluids. The company is also in the process of negotiating a revision to its power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District. The revision is expected to include an increase in the expected output from the Lightning Dock project as well as an increase in the price of energy under the PPA.   Raser is now in the final stages of testing the fifth production well that is needed for the completion of its first geothermal plant Thermo No. 1 as ...

PennyOmega.com Stock Report!

PennyOmega.com Hot Stock News & Alerts!

 

Friday August 21, 2009

PennyOmega.com Stock Report!

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Albina Community Bancorp (OTCBB:ACBC), Portland’s only certified community development bank, announced today that it will receive a $216,547 Bank Enterprise Award (BEA), from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund (CDFI), for its 2008 community development work in Portland, Oregon. CDFI funds are awarded to viable financial institutions that have the financial and managerial capacity to provide affordable and appropriate financial products and services that positively impact their communities.

China Crescent Enterprises, Inc. (OTCBB: CCTR) today announced that the Company remains listed on the Regulation SHO Threshold Security List. SEC Regulation SHO targets abusive naked short

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Employing the Zacks Unusually High Option Volume screener for today's column, Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) caught my eye.

< ?DART(15);?> Before we begin, let's explain the contrarian stance that makes Schaeffer's so unique. When searching for a bullish pick, we like to see heavy skepticism toward an outperforming stock, as this leaves ample room for upgrades or other positive catalysts to fuel the stock higher. When searching for a bearish pick, on the other hand, contrarians are looking for significant bullish sentiment toward an underperforming stock, as we believe an excess of optimism is a sign that everyone has already bought into the stock and sideline money is virtually tapped out.

However, keep in mind that some optimism and pessimism is genuinely warranted and isn't always a contrarian indicator - like an outperforming stock with many "buy" ratings or an underperforming stock with

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On July 17, 2009, A.M. Best Co. downgraded the financial strength rating to A+ from A++  and issuer credit ratings to “aa" from “aa+" for The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (MLI) (Toronto, Canada), John Hancock Life Insurance Company (JHLIC) (Boston, MA) and their affiliates. Additionally, A.M. Best downgraded the ICR to “a" from “aa-" and all debt ratings of Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) as well as the enterprise. The outlook for all ratings has been revised to stable from negative.

Declining real estate values, challenged mortgage markets and the consequent decline in business and consumer confidence and increased unemployment globally have precipitated a recession in many of the regions in which MFC does business, including the United States and Canada. All operating divisions of the company have incurred losses related to segregated fund guarantees and reduced capitalized future fee income on equity-linked and variable universal life products, reduced fees due

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* Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) announced that it plans 22,000 new hirings in its US stores this year. Last year the firm added 33,800 jobs, a tally which includes Sam's Clubs, unlike the prior number. The company's annual meeting is scheduled for Friday

* Prudential (NYSE:PRU) shares declined 2.9% following its $1.25 billion share offering was priced at $39 per share

* Aluminum Corp. of China (NYSE:ACH) may revise its Rio Tinto (NYSE:RTP) $19.5 billion deal before the expiration of its June 14 deadline

* Ciena (NASDAQ:CIEN) reported a fiscal second quarter loss of 25 cents a share, a 16 cent miss, as revenues plunged 40.5% to $144 million* Costco's (NASDAQ:COST) reported its May same-store-sales dropped 7%, more than the expected 6.4% decline

* Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) received a Bernstein analyst upgrade due to its capital strength, permitting the firm to take advantage of improving conditions in fixed income, currency and commodity markets

* United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAUA)

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL - June 2, 2009 - Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Prudential (PRU), Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG), Allstate (ALL), Lincoln National Corp. (LNC) and Principal Financial Group (PFG).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=4579.

Here are highlights from Monday's Analyst Blog:

Prudential Chooses to Go It Alone

Last month, under the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) the major insurers, including Prudential (PRU), Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG), Allstate (ALL), Lincoln National Corp. (LNC) and Principal

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