Month: January 2015

Universal Forest Products, Inc. ( UFPI ) recently announced the addition of another integrated packaging products manufacturer and distributor to its portfolio. […]

TELUS Corporation ’s ( TU ) prospects in the Wireless segment are backed by technology upgrades, extensive rollout of smartphones, attractive postpaid plans and 4G LTE network expansion. Meanwhile, the company’s investments in Optik TV and Internet business are expected to reap favorable results for its Wireline segment. However, these positives might be somewhat mitigated by persistent access lines erosion […]

We expect health insurer major UnitedHealth Group Inc . ( UNH ) to beat expectations when it reports fourth-quarter and full-year 2014 results before the opening bell on Jan 21. The company kicks off the managed care sector earnings season since it is the first to report earnings every quarter. […]

On Jan 16, 2014, we have updated the research report on Xcel Energy Inc. ( XEL ). The company’s disciplined investments in infrastructure projects are expected to boost future performance […]

Distributor of dental, veterinary, and rehabilitation supplies, Patterson Companies, Inc. ( PDCO ) has declared that it is taking necessary initiatives in order to prevent unsafe dental products from entering the market. […]

The Walt Disney Company ( DIS ) has decided to handsomely reward its CEO Bob Iger after a year of robust profits. The company in its regulatory filing has laid down the executive compensation that has to be approved by shareholders at its Annual General Meeting on Mar 12, 2015. As per the filing, Iger’s salary remains unchanged at $2.5 million, but he has received a huge bonus worth $22.8 million. […]

Infosys Ltd. ( INFY ) has been reaping the benefits of holding a premier position in the IT and consulting industry. […]

On Jan 16, 2015, shares of Duke Energy Corporation ( DUK ) soared to a new 52-week high of $87.39. The stock pulled back a bit to end the trading session at $87.35. This utility giant with a market cap of around $61.78 billion has seen its shares rise roughly 29.3% in the past one year, outperforming the 9.8% gain of the S&P 500 over the same period […]

On Jan 17, Zacks Investment Research downgraded Wynn Resorts Ltd. ( WYNN ) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). […]

Celgene Corporation ( CELG ) was up almost 3% after the company announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted approval to Otezla, an oral selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), for two therapeutic indications. Otezla gained approval for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults who failed to respond to or, who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapy including cyclosporine, methotrexate or psoralen, and ultraviolet-A light (PUVA). The EC also approved Otezla for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients who have had an inadequate response or who have been intolerant to a prior disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy – either as a monotherapy or in combination with DMARDs. […]

Target Corp. ( TGT ) has decided to wind up its unprofitable Canadian operations less than 24 months after its foray in the country. […]

A newly published research has confirmed that catheters of Teleflex Inc ( TFX ), which are protected with ARROWg+ard Technology, can significantly reduce bloodstream infections while also lowering the cost of treatments associated with infections. The research entailed studying different kind of Central Venous Catheters (CVCs) inserted into the femoral area. The aim was to evaluate if a chlorhexidine/silver sulfadiazine CVC can effectively reduce bloodstream infection rates as well as the cost of diagnosing and treating an infection. […]

On Jan 16, Zacks Investment Research downgraded KB Home ( KBH ) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) soon after the national homebuilder reported disappointing fourth-quarter 2014 results and provided a bleak outlook for 2015 on Jan 13. Why the Downgrade? Most of the estimates went downhill as the company’s adjusted earnings of 27 cents per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a significant 48% and declined 12.9% year over year […]

PepsiCo, Inc. ( PEP ) recently announced the appointment of activist investor, Nelson Peltz’s nominee, William R. […]

Lifesize, the business video conferencing division of Logitech International ( LOGI ), recently unveiled their latest additions to the proven Lifesize cloud video conferencing service. The company also launched a couple of new products: Lifesize Icon 400 and Lifesize Icon Flex. These innovative products are designed for revolutionizing the video conferencing experience for all enterprises, big and small alike. […]

Home improvement retailer, The Home Depot Inc. ( HD ) has named its existing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President, Craig Menear, the Chairman of the company, following the retirement of Frank Blake. […]

On Jan 15, Canadian energy explorer Encana Corporation ( ECA ) announced that it has concluded the sale of its previously announced Clearwater assets. The company closed the deal with Ember Resources Inc. for a price of C$605 million […]

A.M. Best retained the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of Principal Financial Group, Inc . ( PFG ). […]

Having delivered consistent comparable-store sales (comps) growth, Costco Wholesale Corporation ( COST ) is well positioned in the warehouse club industry. The company has registered comps growth from Jan through Dec 2014. […]