Month: February 2014

Continuing with the strategy to enhance its Collaborative Accountable Care (CAC) initiative, health insurer Cigna Corp. ( CI ) has tied up with PremierCare Northwest in Arkansas. The Accountable Care initiative formed with PremierCare Northwest is the first in Arkansas and is already in effect from Jan 1, 2014 […]

On Feb 25, 2014, we issued an updated research report on Viacom Inc. ( VIAB ). The company reported better performance based on strong contributions from solid advertisement and affiliate fee revenues […]

Hewlett-Packard ’s ( HPQ ) HP Autonomy unit, in collaboration with Stanford Children's Health and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, has developed HP Healthcare Analytics — an analytical platform. HP Healthcare Analytics uses HP Autonomy's technology that enables pattern-matching, HP IDOL (Intelligent Data Operating Layer), and allows users, predominantly hospitals, to efficiently extract structured and unstructured clinical data. […]

Flash memory storage provider SanDisk Corp. ( SNDK ) recently unveiled the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I memory card, thereby enhancing its solid state drive (SSD) portfolio. The newly-launched card that will be available worldwide is expected to improve the computing experience (especially on mobile devices). […]

Being an aggregator of user reviews and opinions related to travel, TripAdvisor Inc. ’s ( TRIP ) database has hit a new high of 150 million travel reviews and related opinions. TripAdvisor is the largest online travel research company in the world. […]

PayPal, the digital payment arm of eBay Inc. ( EBAY ) announced a partnership with Deutsche Telekom related to direct carrier billing. This association will allow Deutsche Telekom customers to make payments for online digital goods by using their mobile phone numbers. […]

In order to improve brand recognition and cater to changing consumer demand, restaurateurs are upgrading their offerings to provide differentiated value propositions. Following the trend, Jack in the Box Inc. ( JACK ) has come up with new Monster Taco flavors, Bacon Ranch and Nacho for $1.69 plus taxes […]

On Feb 25, Zacks Investment Research upgraded Strayer Education, Inc. ( STRA ) to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). […]

Apple ( AAPL ) failed to reach a settlement with Samsung regarding patent disputes in the recently held off the court meeting. The meeting was arranged following the orders of the San Jose District Court judge Lucy Koh. However, the failure makes the March 31 patent-infringement trial inevitable now. […]

Following the footsteps of other major global banks, Barclays PLC ( BCS ) is moving away from commodities market. As per a report first published in The Financial Times , the company has closed its power trading desks in London and New York. Amid tightened regulations and lower profits, Barclays continues to restructure its commodities business. […]

Mack-Cali Realty Corp. ( CLI ) and Keystone Property Group have penned a deal to form joint ventures whereby Keystone would acquire 12 office properties across Northern New Jersey, New York and Connecticut from Mack-Cali for around $230.8 million. The move comes as part of Mack-Cali’s efforts to shed its office portfolio and diversify into the more promising multi-family residential sector […]

AstraZeneca ’s ( AZN ) Myalept has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as replacement therapy to treat the complications of leptin deficiency, in addition to diet, in patients with congenital generalized or acquired generalized lipodystrophy. The approval was in line with our expectations […]

CACI International Inc . ( CACI ) recently announced its selection as one of the primary contractors for providing communications and network services to the Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate (S&TCD) division of the U.S. Army’s Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) […]

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( GS ) is contemplating to penetrate Japan’s infrastructure market through an investment in one of the largest airports in Japan, according to a Reuters report. […]

On Feb 26, Zacks Investment Research downgraded management services provider FTI Consulting, Inc. ( FCN ) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) from a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) primarily due to downward estimate revisions and a fall in the share price following its fourth quarter earnings release. FTI Consulting’s share prices have gone downhill since Feb 18. […]

InterMune, Inc. ’s ( ITMN ) shares escalated a massive 170.8% and also touched a 52-week high after the company announced encouraging top-line results from the phase III ASCEND study on Esbriet (pirfenidone). The ASCEND study is evaluating Esbriet in patients suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the U.S. […]

As per media reports, The Walt Disney Co ( DIS ) has increased ticket prices of its Orlando-based Walt Disney World Park for the second time in last eight months. The company had last hiked prices in Jun 2013. […]

In the recent annual regulatory filing, Bank of America Corporation ( BAC ) revealed that it is faced with fresh investigation related to its faulty mortgage lending practices in the pre-crisis period. The civil division of the U.S. […]