Month: May 2014

The outlook on BB&T Corporation ( BBT ) and its subsidiaries was upgraded from ‘Negative’ to ‘Stable’ by Moody’s Investors Service, the credit rating wing of Moody's Corporation ( MCO ) on Friday. The ratings on the company and its arms were affirmed. While the parent company’s senior debt was maintained at A2, the non-cumulative preferred stock was affirmed as Baa2 (hyb). […]

Reportedly, Apple ( AAPL ) is expected to launch a new software platform at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) scheduled to be held from Jun 2 to 6, 2014. Apple showcases its new software and technologies for developers in the annual Conference held in California. The new platform will transform devices running on iOS mobile operating system into remote control for lights, security systems and other household appliances. […]

On May 23, 2014, we issued updated research report on Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd . ( MRH ). With net income of $1.48 per share in the first quarter of 2014, Montpelier outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 48% and improved 25% year over year riding on the strength of solid underwriting results […]

U.S. chemical production ticked up on a monthly basis in April with gains recorded across all seven regions, according to the latest monthly report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The Washington, DC-based chemical industry trade group noted that the U.S. […]

Going ahead with its store expansion plans, Lane Bryant, a brand of Ascena Retail Group Inc. ( ASNA ) , last week announced the opening of two new stores, one each at Livingston Mall in Livingston, NJ and Willow Grove, PA. […]

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) provided a positive opinion on the marketing authorization of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. ’s ( PTCT ) Translarna. Shares of PTC Therapeutics shot up around 30.7% following the news. […]

Canadian telecom major Telus Corp. ( TU ) has abandoned its latest effort to acquire struggling rival Mobilicity, owing to regulatory hurdles. Notably, this was the third time that Telus had bid for the smaller domestic wireless carrier, following back-to-back government opposition related to the transfer of Mobilicity’s spectrum license […]

In its weekly release, Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. ( BHI ) reported a fall in the U.S. rig count (number of rigs searching for oil and gas in the country) […]

Shares of United Rentals, Inc. ( URI ) reached a new 52-week high of $99.95 on May 23, surpassing its previous high of $99.25 on May 13, driven by expected benefits from the implementation of growth strategies, higher rental rates, free cash flow generation and acquisitions. The stock closed at $99.89 at the end of last Friday’s trading session, with a solid one-year return of about 78.2% and year-to-date return of around 28.2%, outperforming the S&P 500 […]

Nokia Corporation ’s ( NOK ) network unit, Nokia Solutions and Networks (“NSN”), has recently sealed a five-year deal with Telenor – a multinational telecommunications company – to provide the latter with radio access equipment and accomplished services. The financial terms of the contract have, however, been kept under wraps. Per the deal, NSN will help Telenor in upgrading its 2G, 3G and 4G networks across Europe and Asia. […]

Wells Fargo & Company ( WFC ) is set to end the legal tussle it has been encountering since 2011 for a settlement of around a minimum of $67 million in connection with the ‘robo-signing’ fiasco. It was alleged that the company officials have conducted improper verification of documents in the home-foreclosure process. The Background In a judicial foreclosure state, the foreclosure process requires that the lending institution must authorize the fact that the homeowner has defaulted on a mortgage which the lender owns […]

Shares of Monsanto Company ( MON ), an agricultural chemicals manufacturer, reached a new 52-week high of $120.25 during its trading session on May 23. This marks a nominal increase from the previous high of $119.53 hit a day ago. […]