Dow Chemical Company (DOW) is planning to sell more non-core assets in 2010 to pay off debt from its $16.5 billion acquisition of rival Rohm and Haas in April of this year. It is planning further debt reductions of about $12 billion. Dow stated that it plans to lighten its debt load and achieve its financial targets ahead of schedule. The Rohm and Haas acquisition is proving to be positive for Dow, which is expected to consolidate higher-margin and higher-growth specialty businesses and reduce volatility in earnings and cash flow, going forward. Dow is aiming to nearly double margins and quadruple earnings per share while reducing debt in the coming years. The company has predicted earnings of $4 to $4.50 per share in 2012 (up from last year’s $1.82) to be achieved through a mix of growth synergies as well as restructuring and cost synergies. ...

NuStar Energy L.P. (NS) announced the closing of its 5,750,000 common units of public offering, representing $52.45 per unit limited partner interest. Of this, 750,000 units were sold to underwriters. Total net proceeds from the public offering were $289 million, including the additional common units sold.   The partnership expects to use the proceeds of the public offering for general partnership purposes, including potential future acquisitions and growth capital expenditures. Net proceeds include the general partner’s − NuStar GP Holdings LLC (NSH) − proportionate capital contribution of $6.15 million. Pending the use of the proceeds for other purposes, the partnership intends to apply some or all of the net proceeds to reduce outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility.   NuStar Energy L.P. is a publicly traded limited partnership, with 8,417 miles of pipeline, 82 terminal facilities, four crude oil storage tank facilities and two asphalt refineries ...

Diversified chemical company Dow Chemical Company (DOW) has signed an agreement to sell its non-core Powder Coatings Business to Akzo Nobel N.V. (AKZOY), a leading producer of paints and coatings, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the second quarter of 2010, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.  Dow plans to use the proceeds from the transaction to repay debt, consistent with the company's de-leveraging plan. Dow plans to raise about $3.5 billion by divesting its non-core assets. For the Chemicals group Akzo Nobel, the deal will bring upgraded technological expertise and significant synergy potential for the Powder Coatings business, as well as enhance the company's position in the U.S.  The powder coatings activities were purchased by Dow earlier this year as part of its acquisition of Rohm & Haas. ...

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DrStockPick.com Watch List!

My Picks for Friday November 13, 2009 are:

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EMKR, EMCORE Corporation

EMKR provides compound semiconductor-based components and subsystems for the broadband, fiber optic, satellite, and terrestrial solar power markets. EMKR is the world’s largest manufacturer of highly efficient radiation hard solar cells for space power applications.

** EMKR has been awarded a contract by Dutch Space of Leiden, The Netherlands to manufacture, test, and deliver the solar panels to power the Cygnus’ spacecraft being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation for NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service project.

The total value of the contract would be in excess of $15 million.

More about EMKR

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 12, 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: Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), Telefonica (TEF), Deutsche Telekom (DT), France Telecom (FTE) and Verizon (VZ).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s Analyst Blog:

Vodafone Profit Leaps, Lifts Savings

Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), the largest wireless carrier in the world by revenue, has announced interim results for fiscal year 2010 with adjusted net income of £4.58 billion (US$7.3 billion) increasing 15% year over year from £3.99 billion (US$6.4 billion) reported a year

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NBTY Inc. (NTY) just posted record results for the fiscal fourth quarter as sales jumped 12%. The company is not only a value stock but analysts expect earnings to grow at 13.75% over the next 5 years. NBTY has a PEG ratio of just 0.90.

Company Description

NBTY manufactures and distributes nutritional supplements in the United States and around the globe. The company offers 22,000 products under the name brands Vitamin World, Puritan's Pride, Holland & Barrett, Rexall, Sundown, Worldwide Sport Nutrition and GNC (UK), among others.

NBTY Reports Record Fourth Quarter Results

On Nov 9, NBTY reported fiscal fourth quarter results which easily beat on the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 12.05%. Earnings per share were 93 cents compared to the Zacks Consensus of 83 cents. EPS was 28 cents in the year ago period.

Sales soared by 12% to a record $674 million from $602 million. Sales for

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Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), the largest wireless carrier in the world by revenue, has announced interim results for fiscal year 2010 with adjusted net income of £4.58 billion (US$7.3 billion) increasing 15% year over year from £3.99 billion (US$6.4 billion) reported a year ago, driven by favorable exchange rate movements and reduced tax. Adjusted earnings exclude one-time items such as impairment losses. Group Revenue & EBITDA The telecom giant reported consolidated revenues of £21.8 billion (US$34.8 billion) for the period, representing a 9.3% year over year growth. Favorable exchange rate (euro-sterling) swings and net impact of merger and acquisition initiatives contributed to this growth. Excluding these impacts (organic basis), revenue declined 3% year over year. Group service revenue declined 2.6% year over year on an organic basis to £20.5 billion (US$32.7 billion), primarily due to weaker contributions from European markets as recessionary conditions curbed demand ...

German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom (DT) announced results for third-quarter 2009 with reported earnings per ADS of 31 cents, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 25 cents. Net income of €959 million (US$1.4 billion) reflects a 7.2% increase from €895 million (US$1.3 billion) reported a year ago.   This year-over-year growth was fueled by the company’s ongoing cost-cutting initiatives under the "Save for Service" program. Total savings from this program reached approximately €5.4 billion (US$7.7 billion) at the end of the quarter, exceeding the annual savings target of up to €4.7 billion (US$6.7 billion) originally expected to be achieved in 2010.   Group Revenue & EBITDA   Reported revenues of €16.3 billion (US$23.2 billion) reflects 5.2% year-over-year growth, primarily due to the consolidation of Greek operator OTE group, in which Deutsche Telekom holds a 30% stake. Domestic revenues grew 0.6% year over year to €7.2 billion (US$10.3 billion), ...

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company NV (CBI) reported net income of $40.8 million, or 42 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2009, compared with $8.6 million, or 9 cents per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2008. This was higher than Zacks Consensus Estimate of 38 cents per share. Revenue for the quarter was $1.0 billion compared with third quarter 2008 revenue of $1.6 billion.  New awards for the reported quarter totaled $1.6 billion, including CB&I’s $550 million Gorgon LNG contract in Australia and the $530 million GASCO award in Abu Dhabi. With less work, the company cut sales-related costs 39%, although overhead shrank by a more modest 12%.  Earlier, the company had announced that it has agreed to buy hydrogen-management technology from H2Gen Innovations Inc. in order to get hold of the Mars modularized Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology. H2Gen's PSA technology ...

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Wednesday October 28, 2009

DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

AQNM, CX, PSFT, AXP, PWRM, NDAQ, CSRH, VZ, CVAT, GE

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AXP, American Express Company

AXP, a payments and travel company, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide.

AXP’s division American Express Business Travel announced today the findings of two surveys which offered separate yet similar predictions on the health and future of business travel heading into 2010. The company surveyed its Global Business Partnership (GBP) clients, its largest global clients, as well as 180 client organizations based across Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou in China through its annual China Business Travel Survey (The

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