Stock Analysts

Brown Shoe Tops Estimates (BOOT) (BWS)

St. Louis, Missouri-based Brown Shoe Company, Inc ( BWS ) recently posted first quarter 2011 adjusted earnings of 16 cents per share, which were above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 13 cents but missed the year-ago quarter earnings of 26 cents. […]

Stock Analysts

Teradata to Support Blue Cross (IBM) (MSFT) (ORCL) (SAP) (TDC)

Teradata Corporation ( TDC ) recently announced that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, will be supported by Teradata’s data warehouse appliance and professional services. Blue Cross expects that the Teradata platform will enable it to improve customer satisfaction, as the quality of information will improve, which in turn will enable it to improve the quality of its services and also introduce new services where relevant. Additionally, it expects improvements in insurance claim processing costs and time, which could help generate additional business for the company […]

Stock Analysts

Busy Economic Calendar

This week’s busy economic calendar should help resolve the ongoing debate about the U.S. economy’s near-term growth outlook. While the emphasis in this week’s reports will be on the labor market, we will also get a read on the nation’s manufacturing sector. […]

Stock Analysts

Stryker Launches Tender Offer (SYK) (VITA)

Orthopedic devices giant Stryker Corp ( SYK ) has commenced its $3.85 per share tender offer for its previously announced acquisition of orthobiologic and biosurgery products maker Orthovita Inc ( VITA ). The Michigan-based devices maker struck a deal on May 16 to buy Pennsylvania-based Orthovita for $316 million in cash. […]

Stock Analysts

First Athena Client Gets Funds (ATHN) (MDRX) (QSII)

Athenahealth ( ATHN ), a vendor of cloud-based services for physician practices, recently announced that Medicare meaningful use incentive payments have been released to its first physician customer utilizing athenaClinicals, the company’s Electronic Health Record (“EHR”) service. This marks the culmination of the initial step in the company’s Federal Stimulus Bonus Payment Guarantee Program. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), of 2009, set aside $19.2 billion in federal incentives to promote physician adoption of EHR […]

Mergers & Acquisitions

Ticonderoga Securities Completes Acquisition of Soleil Securities

Ticonderoga Securities Completes Acquisition of Soleil Securities PR Newswire NEW YORK, May 31, 2011 NEW YORK , May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Ticonderoga Securities LLC announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Soleil Securities Corporation. The combined firms have a research-based securities business covering both equity and fixed income products, with 21 analysts covering 17 sectors. […]

Mergers & Acquisitions

JC Mier Joins Leading National Lender Fairway Independent Mortgage

JC Mier Joins Leading National Lender Fairway Independent Mortgage PR Newswire PLANO, Texas, May 31, 2011 PLANO, Texas , May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is pleased to announce the opening of its latest branch, d/b/a Seagate Financial, in Plano, Texas . Fairway is a leading mortgage banker, with 106 locations nationwide. Fairway was recently ranked fourth in the nation in terms of volume by Broker Magazine […]

Mergers & Acquisitions

1-800 We Answer, Inc. Purchases Ameritel

1-800 We Answer, Inc. Purchases Ameritel PR Newswire NEW YORK, May 31, 2011 NEW YORK , May 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — 1-800 We Answer, Inc., a nationwide answering service provider based in New York City , has finalized its purchase of Ameritel, Inc. of Montgomery, Alabama . […]

Stock Analysts

Neutral on Dean Foods (DF) (KFT)

We maintain a long-term ‘Neutral’ recommendation on Dean Foods Co ( DF ). The company is a leading processor and distributor of milk and other dairy products in the U.S. as well as a leading manufacturer of various specialty food products […]

Stock Analysts

Constellation Buying StarTex (AEP) (CEG) (DUK)

Constellation Energy ( CEG ) has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire StarTex Power in an all-cash transaction for $142.5 million. StarTex Power, a Texas-based retail electric provider, serves 170,000 residential and commercial customers across the state. […]