China's economy grew at the slowest pace since 2005, handing more ammunition to Chinese officials calling for reduced gains by the yuan as the export outlook dims. Gross domestic product rose 10.1 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, down from 10.6 percent in the first, the statistics bureau said today in Beijing. Consumer prices rose 7.1 percent in June, slowing from 7.7 percent in May. The yuan had the biggest drop in seven weeks on speculation China's leaders will slow its advance to protect jobs at exporters after a 7 percent increase against the dollar this year. The Ministry of Commerce has urged China's cabinet to rein in currency gains and raise some export rebates, a ministry official said July 14, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The performance of the export sector could influence the government's ...

For the third straight quarter in a row, OmniComm Systems, a leader in integrated electronic data capture solutions for clinical trials, is reporting another landmark quarter for new business. The company has surpassed its previous best quarter and signed contracts through the first two quarters of 2008 totaling almost $12 million, which surpass all of the revenues brought in from last year’s signed contracts.

During the second quarter, OmniComm signed a long-term guaranteed contract with a major biotechnology company which helped to boost the company’s financials. They have also continued to increase their customer base by adding seven new clients to their customer list, and continue to see recurring business from their existing loyal customers, who have added five more trials. Finally, they have added six new partners to their very successful Preferred Partnership Programs.

“I couldn’t be happier with the current momentum and speed in which we continue to

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AuthenTec, Inc. stock was upgraded from “Outperform” to “Strong Buy” by Raymond James Financial on Thursday (June 12th). The announcement fueled a rapid appreciation of 12.3 percent for the day.

AuthenTec itself has been growing by leaps and bounds, seeing a 67 percent revenue increase in the first quarter of 2008. In a recent conference call held to discuss the quarter ended March 31st, the company expressed the belief that 2008 revenues will only continue to grow. It is estimated that earnings for the second quarter will total more than $17.2 million, as a result of large-volume shipments of the company’s “AES 2810″ PC fingerprint-authentication product. It has also been reported that Intel’s Montevina laptops will come equipped with the AES 2810 sensors, to begin shipping in the second half of 2008.

In addition, AuthenTec has announced its intent to step up research and development efforts in a play for an

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Ultralife Batteries Inc. (ULBI), a battery company that also offers products and services ranging from portable and standby power solutions to communications and electronics systems, recently increased the company’s second quarter 2008 revenue outlook from $65 million to $70 million to more than $75 million as product demand continues to increase and customers require expedited deliveries.

Ultralife’s stock posted a 25% increase in trading volume following the release of the higher earnings estimate. After evaluating recent sales and deliveries, the company boosted its earnings estimate due to strong demand from government, defense and commercial customers across the globe and increased shipments over the past quarter.

During the first quarter of this year, Ultralife Batteries formed a joint venture with its distributor partner in India. This new entity, Ultralife Batteries India Private Limited, is expected to expand the company’s global market share and increase sales to commercial, government and defense accounts throughout

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S&P Equity Research Analyst Scott Kessler rates SHANDA INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT (SNDA) a STRONG BUY based on : 1. Solid first quarter results and conservative second quarter guidance provided early yesterday. 2. The recent sell-off offers an enhanced entry point. 3. Company is a well-diversified leader in the high-growth Chinese online games category, and in-game advertising unit and literature portal have considerable unrealized value. 4. Company is very undervalued. Follow the performance of this pick and Scott Kessler’s other recommendations at: http://www.trackthepros.com/categories.php?category_id=229

On this week's earnings preview I wrote this in regards to Deere (DE):Major ag equipment player Deere (DE) - I don't own the equipment stocks anymore; at some point the rising cost of steel, petrol products and the like will be hurting the bottom line unless they can pass all the costs along to farmers - over the next year if inflation does not abate this is the type of company who could see profit margins squeezed simply from the constant increase in input costs.Here are the results - looks like a good call with the stock down 8%. Sometimes a rising tide (agriculture boom) does lift all boats. But sometimes you need to think farther ahead than that - as Wayne Gretzky says - don't be where the puck is, be where it's going to be. ("I ...