Month: February 2014

We have downgraded our recommendation on Entergy Corp. ( ETR ) to Neutral from Outperform on Jan 28, 2014. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) […]

JDS Uniphase Corporation ( JDSU ) recently announced the acquisition of Trendium, a real-time intelligence software solutions supplier for customer experience assurance (CEA), asset expansion and generation of substantial income from mobile operators of 4G/LTE networks. However, financial details of the deal have not been revealed by the company. The takeover of Trendium will assist JDS Uniphase in gathering and studying information about its networks in a much faster and simpler manner […]

In tune with the efforts to restructure its portfolio, Taubman Centers Inc. ( TCO ) recently disclosed two sale transactions. First of all, the company announced the sale of a land parcel as well as stake in a retail property and secondly the offloading of stake in a Florida-based shopping mall […]

Rexnord Corporation ( RXN ) recently priced its common shares offered for sale to the public at $25.75. The offering, declared along with the fiscal third quarter 2014 results, is expected to close on Feb 5, 2014, subject to customary closing conditions. The company has offered up to 3 million of common stock for sale to the public […]

Norwegian oil giant Statoil ASA ’s ( STO ) stock price surprised with a 2% drop in the trading session that followed the announcement of its deal with the Thai exploration and production company PTTEP. The agreement relates to the division of their interests in the Kai Kos Dehseh (KKD) oil sands project in Alberta, Canada. […]

On Jan 27, 2014, we downgraded Tulsa, Oklahoma-based publicly traded energy pipeline partnership Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. ( MMP ) to Neutral from Outperform. Our revised investment thesis is supported by a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) […]

The board of directors of Rowan Companies plc ( RDC ), a provider of offshore contract drilling services, initiated a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per outstanding share of common stock. The first dividend is expected to be paid in the second quarter of 2014. […]

As apart of its previously announced transaction comprising the sale of 97 properties, Liberty Property Trust ( LRY ) completed the divestiture of remaining 48 properties spanning about 2.6 million square feet of space and 19 acres of land. The company reaped proceeds of $329.6 million from the transaction. Libert Property had already sold 49 properties in December 2013 and garnered $367.7 million from those divestitures that time […]

Brazil’s largest integrated energy firm, Petroleo Brasileiro SA or Petrobras ( PBR ) provided its full-year 2013 production update. The company also reported its Dec 2013 production results. […]

In a bid to increase its customers’ access to U.S. IPO and follow-on equity offerings, E*TRADE Financial Corporation ( ETFC ) entered into a retail alliance with investment bank Jefferies LLC – a fully-owned subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation ( LUK ). Through this agreement, E*TRADE customers will gain access to Jefferies’ underwritings of IPO and follow-on equity offerings […]

In tune with its efforts to enhance stockholders’ return, mid-west bank Commerce Bancshares, Inc. ( CBSH ) declared a 5% hike in its quarterly dividend to 22.5 cents per share. […]

Upon the earnings release for Yum! Brands' ( YUM ) fiscal 4th quarter 2013, after-market traders have been buying up shares of the stock. The global fast-food giant has gained 4% after the bell on Monday after posting earnings of 86 cents per share on revenues of $4.18 billion for the quarter. […]

Through its new ventures business, 3M Company ( MMM ) recently invested in Chilean company Lixivia to increase recuperation of copper sulfurate above standard levels through an innovative engineering process. This new technology is likely to be implemented in mining sites and exported to copper mines in the U.S., Australia, Mexico, Peru and some countries in Africa. 3M aims to increase miners’ productivity and recover more copper sulfurate which proves beneficial for the miners. […]

A team sent by Tesla Motors, Inc. ( TSLA ) has completed the journey from Los Angeles to New York, setting a record for the lowest charge time for an electric vehicle traveling across the country. The team traveled in two Tesla Model S cars and relied solely on Tesla’s Supercharger network during the cross-country drive. […]

We expect cosmetics maker Estee Lauder Inc ( EL ) to beat expectations when it reports second-quarter fiscal 2014 results on Feb 5, 2014. Positive Zacks ESP: Expected Surprise Prediction or Earnings ESP , which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +0.94%. This is very meaningful and a leading indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise for shares. […]

We suggest investors stay invested in security and protection services provider The ADT Corporation ( ADT ) based on a relatively balanced view. The stock at present neither calls for a bullish take nor a hurried sell-off. […]

Actavis ( ACT ) recently provided encouraging outlook for 2013 and 2014 at its annual investor meeting. Actavis reiterated its guidance for 2013. The company expects earnings to come in modestly above the higher end of its previous guided range of $9.26 –$9.39 per share in 2013. […]

The largest global retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc ( WMT ) has not had the best of times of late. It has been facing severe challenges since the last few quarters and showing signs of acute weakness. […]