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Thursday’s Market Focus

July 03, 2008 By: Ryan Vlastelica Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

thursdays-market-focus

Stock futures are mixed Thursday before the long holiday weekend in the U.S. and after the previous day’s sell-off.

Futures on the Dow Jones industrial average rose 1 point to 11,212, Nasdaq futures fell 6.00 to 1,819, while Standard & Poor’s 500 futures rose 1.10 to 1,263.90.

The Dow fell 166.75, or 1.46%, to 11,215.51, the lowest close since August 2006. The S&P 500 index fell 23.39, or 1.82%, to 1,261.52, while the technology-laden Nasdaq composite index fell 53.51, or 2.32%, to 2,251.46. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.96% from 4.01% late Tuesday. Crude oil hit a record $144.32 a barrel in after-hours trading after reaching a record settlement of $143.57, an advance of $2.60 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Non-farm payrolls for June, 8:30 a.m. ET, -50,000 estimate
  • Unemployment rate for June, 8:30 a.m. ET, 5.5% estimate
  • Initial jobless claims, 8:30 a.m. ET, 385,000 estimate
  • Institute for Supply Management non-manufacturing index for June, 10 a.m. ET, 50.7 estimate

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

Nvidia Corp. late Wednesday cut its second-quarter revenue outlook to between $875 million and $950 million and said it expects to post a one-time charge of $150 million to $200 million for the quarter. The company said global end-market weakness, price adjustments for GPU products and a delayed ramp in its next MCP lay behind the lower outlook.

The FDA approved Abbott Laboratories’s Xience V drug-coated stent for coronary disease, the Abbott Park, Ill.-based health-care company said. The stent will be launched in the U.S. immediately. Separately, Boston Scientific Corp. said the approval cleared the way for the immediate U.S. launch of its Promus stent, which is already available in some overseas markets.

American Airlines parent company AMR Corp. said it expects to record a non-cash impairment charge of about $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion in the second quarter, related to the company’s capacity reduction plans.

Wednesday’s Market Focus

July 02, 2008 By: Ryan Vlastelica Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

wednesdays-market-focus

Wall Street is on track to open higher Wednesday, helped by a media report that Microsoft Corp. is considering a fresh takeover bid for Yahoo Inc., with Starbucks Corp. also in focus after the coffee chain said it would close several hundred stores in the U.S.

According to spread bettors IG Index, the Dow Jones industrial average is expected to open 20 points up at 11,402. S&P 500 futures were up 2.10 at 1,288.30, while Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 4 to 1,873.

Wall Street began the third quarter with an erratic session and modest gain Tuesday after a mix of news made it clear the country is still deep in economic problems but may have some positive trends.

The Dow rose 32.25, or 0.28%, to close at 11,382.26, the Nasdaq composite gained 11.99, or 0.52%, to 2,304.97, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 4.91 points, or 0.38%, to 1,284.91. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.01% from late Monday’s 3.98%, and oil settled at a new record of $140.97 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Factory orders for May, 10 a.m. ET, 0.6% estimate

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                    Symbol    Period    Estimate 
Family Dollar                FDO       3Q      $  .40

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Tuesday’s close of trading, Starbucks Corp. said it will shutter 600 company-operated stores in the next year, up from its previous plan for 100 closures, impacting about 12,000 workers. In other after-hours action, Apollo Group Inc. said it earned $139.1 million as enrollment grew by 11% in its fiscal third quarter.

Tuesday’s Market Focus

July 01, 2008 By: Ryan Vlastelica Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

tuesdays-market-focus

Wall Street is set to open sharply lower Tuesday, dragged down by a sharp pullback on European bourses as concern continued to mount over the impact on the economy of the lingering credit crisis and record oil prices.

According to spread bettors IG Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to open down 115 points at 11,224. S&P 500 futures were down 11.70 at 1,269.40, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 25.50 to 1,820.50.

Wall Street ended an arduous first half Monday, closing mixed as investors again based their trades on what has become the dominant force in the market, the price of oil. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 3.50, or 0.03%, to close at 11,350.01, Nasdaq composite index fell 22.65, or 1.21%, to 2,292.98, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 1.62, or 0.13%, to 1,280.00. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.98% from 3.97% late Friday, and light, sweet crude fell 21 cents to settle at $140.00 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Construction spending for May, 10 a.m. ET, -0.5% estimate
  • Institute for Supply Management index for June, 10 a.m. ET, 48.7 estimate
  • U.S. car sales for June are released throughout the day, 10.1 million-unit annual rate estimate

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company               Symbol  Period  Estimate
Apollo Group          APOL    3Q      $ .78
Constellation Brands  STZ     1Q        .31

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Monday’s close of trading, Manitowoc Co. said Enodis PLC plans to recommend Manitowoc’s $2.7 billion takeover offer over a competing bid from Illinois Tool Works. Fortune Brands Inc. lowered its estimate for second-quarter profit due to a slowdown in consumer spending and higher Australian taxes. VF Corp. said its second-quarter profit may beat its guidance because of stronger earnings from operations and a tax benefit.

Monday’s Market Focus

June 30, 2008 By: Staff Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

mondays-market-focus

Wall Street is on track to open lower Monday on ongoing concern high oil prices and a financial sector hobbled by the credit crisis that will continue to act as a brake on economic growth.

According to spread bettors IG Index, the Dow Jones industrial average is expected to open down 30 points at 11,317. S&P 500 futures were down 0.70 at 1,279.30, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 6.75 to 1,859.00

Wall Street ended a depressing week with another big loss on Friday amid escalating worries about high oil prices and the fallout from the credit crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 106.91, or 0.93%, to 11,346.51, the Nasdaq composite index lost 5.74, or 0.25%, to 2,315.63, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index slid 4.77, or 0.37%, to 1,278.38. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 3.96% from 4.03% late Thursday, and light, sweet crude for August delivery settled up 57 cents at a record $140.21 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Chicago purchasing manager’s index for June, 9:45 a.m. ET, 48.0 estimate

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                    Symbol    Period    Estimate 
H&R Block                   HRB        4Q      $   2.03

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Friday’s close of trading, News Corp. and private equity firm Permira Advisers LLP proposed a deal to take News Corp. subsidiary NDS Group PLC private, with Permira owning 51% of the company and News Corp. 49%. In other after-hours action, Red Lion Hotels received a buyout offer of $9.50 a share from Columbia Pacific Opportunity Fund LP.

Thursday’s Market Focus

June 26, 2008 By: Staff Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

thursdays-market-focus

Wall Street is on track to open lower Thursday after a cautious outlook from software maker Oracle Corp. and a downgrade of the U.S. brokerage sector by Goldman Sachs.

According to spread bettors IG Index, the Dow Jones industrial average is expected to open down 66 points at 11,746. Separately, S&P 500 futures were off 7.10 at 1,315.50, while Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 12.75 to 1,919.50.

Wall Street on Wednesday ended an erratic day with a modest gain after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged and issued a mixed assessment of the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 4.40, or 0.04%, at 11,811.83, the Nasdaq composite index gained 32.98, or 1.39%, to 2,401.26, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 7.68, or 0.58%, to 1,321.97. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was 4.1%, the same as late Tuesday, and crude oil fell $2.45 to $134.55 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Final first-quarter gross domestic product, 8:30 a.m. ET, 1.0% estimate
  • Initial jobless claims, 8:30 a.m. ET, 380,000 estimate
  • Existing home sales for May, 10 a.m. ET, 5.0 million unit annual rate estimate

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                    Symbol    Period    Estimate
ConAgra Foods                CAG       4Q      $   .34
Ziscover Financial           DFS       2Q          .37
Lennar Corp.                 LEN       2Q         (.55)
McCormick & Co.              MKC       2Q          .39
Micron Technology            MU        3Q         (.29)
Rite Aid                     RAD       1Q         (.10)
Figures in parentheses denote losses.

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Wednesday’s close of trading, Oracle posted fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street expectations. In other after-hours action, Research in Motion Ltd. reported a first-quarter profit a penny below analysts’ mean estimate; Nike Inc. said strong growth overseas helped boost its fourth-quarter profit by 12%; Red Hat Inc. said its first-quarter 2009 profit rose 6.6%; and Google named Patrick Pichette as its new chief financial officer to replace George Reyes, who retired in December.

Wednesday’s Market Focus

June 25, 2008 By: Staff Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

wednesdays-market-focus

Wall Street shares are set to open higher Wednesday amid expectations the Federal Reserve will leave its key interest rate unchanged when it announces its decision in the afternoon.

According to spread bettors IG Index, the Dow Jones industrial average is expected to open up 51 points at 11,858. Separately, Standard & Poor’s 500 futures were up 7.20 at 1,322.70, while Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 12.00 to 1,923.50.

Wall Street ended an erratic session moderately lower Tuesday as concerns grew about the impact of high fuel costs on consumers and corporate profits. Treasury prices rose on the economic uncertainty. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 34.93, or 0.29%, to close at 11,807.43, the Nasdaq composite index dropped 17.46, or 0.73%, to 2,368.28, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 3.71, or 0.28%, to 1,314.29. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note slid to 4.1% from 4.17% late Monday, and crude oil prices rose 26 cents to settle at $137.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Durable goods for May, 8:30 a.m. ET, 0.0% estimate
  • New home sales for May, 10 a.m. ET, 515,000 estimate
  • Federal Open Market Committee interest rate decision expected about 2:15 p.m. ET

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                    Symbol    Period    Estimate 
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.     BBBY      1Q       $    .27
General Mills Inc.         GIS       4Q            .69
Monsanto Co.               MON       3Q           1.34
Nike Inc.                  NKE       4Q            .96
Oracle Corp.               ORCL      4Q            .44

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Tuesday’s close of trading, Darden Restaurants Inc. said it swung to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter, helped by strong sales at the Olive Garden. In other after-hours action, Jabil Circuit Inc. reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $52.8 million, or 26 cents a share, beating the consensus Wall Street estimate; Sonic Corp. said its fiscal third-quarter profit fell nearly 17%; and 3Com Corp. said its fiscal fourth-quarter loss widened after the network equipment maker took a goodwill impairment charge.

Tuesday’s Market Focus

June 24, 2008 By: Staff Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

tuesdays-market-focus

Stocks in the U.S. are likely to open lower Tuesday after United Parcel Service Inc., the world’s largest shipping carrier, lowered its earnings forecast for the second quarter because of slowing U.S. economic growth and high fuel costs.

Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 57 points to 11,774, Nasdaq futures tumbled 13.25 to 1,904.75, and futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 7.10 to 1,311.20.

On Monday, stocks ended mostly lower after rising oil prices and ongoing worries about the financial sector gave investors little reason to buy a day ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 0.33, or less than 0.01%, to close at 11,842.36, the Nasdaq composite index fell 20.35, or 0.85%, to 2,385.74, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index edged up 0.07, or 0.01%, to 1,318.00. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 4.17%, and light, sweet crude rose $1.38 to settle at $136.74 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

  • Consumer confidence index for June, 10 a.m. ET, 56.5 estimate
  • Two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee begins

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                      Symbol   Period    Estimate 
Darden Restaurants             DRI      4Q      $  .75
Jabil Circuit                  JBL      3Q         .20
Kroger Co.                     KR       1Q         .55
Sonic Corp.                    SONC     3Q         .31

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Monday’s close of trading, United Parcel Service said it expects earnings per share for the second quarter to be within a range of 83 cents to 88 cents, compared with the 97 cents to $1.04 the company originally anticipated. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters forecast second-quarter earnings of 97 cents a share.

In other after-hours action, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. said it lowered second-quarter production at its North American facilities, blaming lower tire demand and expected shortages of certain raw materials.

Monday’s Market Focus

June 23, 2008 By: Staff Category: Morning Market Focus No Comments →

mondays-market-focus

U.S. stocks look to open higher Monday rebounding from steep losses on Friday and news that agriculture company Bunge Ltd. agreed to acquire Corn Products International Inc. in a deal valued at about $4.8 billion.

Futures on the Dow Jones industrial average rose 51 points to 11,895, Nasdaq futures rose 8.50 to 1,950, and Standard & Poor’s 500 futures were up 6.20 to 1,325.20.

Stocks capped a difficult week with steep losses Friday amid escalating worries about the financial and automotive sectors and a rebound in oil prices.

The Dow Jones Industrial average fell 220.40, or 1.83%, to close at 11,842.69, the Nasdaq composite index lost 55.97, or 2.27%, to 2,406.09, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 24.90, or 1.85%, to 1,317.93. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 4.17% from 4.21% late Thursday, and crude oil futures jumped $2.69 to settle at $134.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

ECONOMIC DATA:

- None expected.

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHTS:

Company                      Symbol   Period    Estimate 
Walgreen Co.                   WAG      3Q      $    .59

AFTER-HOURS ACTION:

After Friday’s close of trading, Canada’s Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling on the sale of BCE Inc., allowing the $35 billion leveraged buyout to go ahead. In other after-hours action, MBIA Inc. said it might need to commit more than $6 billion to cover requirements that could arise after Moody’s downgraded the bond insurer’s ratings; and Anheuser-Busch Cos. said its board met to discuss InBev’s $46 billion acquisition offer, but had no response to the proposal.