Wall Street Addict

Stocks erased heavy early losses to close mixed on Tuesday. The Dow lost -45.10, the S&P 500 -4.59, while the Nasdaq Composite gained +1.68.
Here are 7 stocks to watch...
Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) lost more than 4% after analysts at Merrill Lynch lowered their earnings forecast for the company. C's Short Term PowerRating is 7.
Intel (NasdaqGS:INTC - News) worried investors after the company lowered its outlook for the current quarter. INTC's Short Term PowerRating is 5.
Staples (NYSE:SPLS - News) reported earnings of $0.47 per share, in-line with estimates. SPLS' Short Term PowerRating is 5.
Clearwire (NasdaqGS:CLWR - News) reported much worse than expected results. The company's earnings were -$4.58 per share, versus expectations of -$1.01. CLWR's Short Term PowerRating is 6.
Chico's FAS HS is scheduled to report before the market open tomorrow. Analysts are expecting a Q4 2007 loss of -$0.15 per share. CHS' Short Term PowerRating is 4.
Also before the open, BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - News) is expected to report earnings of $0.74 per share. BJ's Short Term PowerRating is 4.
Do you think Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX - News) will close up or down on Thursday? ABX's Short Term PowerRating is 6. Play TradingMarkets Up or Down Daily Stock Contest for the chance to win $1000 every month by predicting the direction of a stock.

Labels: ABX, BJ, C, CLWR, INTC, SPLS, Stocks to Watch

Citigroup Inc. lost almost $10 billion in last year's final three months, the largest quarterly deficit in the bank's 196-year history, and slashed its dividend as it recorded a mammoth write-down for bad bets on the mortgage industry.
The nation's largest bank wrote down the value of its portfolio by $18.1 billion. It also boosted loan-loss reserves by $4.1 billion, signaling further problems in its consumer businesses as deflated home prices, high energy and food costs, and rising unemployment weigh on people's ability to make their loan payments.
To cut expenses, it slashed 4,200 jobs in the fourth quarter in addition to the 17,000 layoffs announced in the spring, and chief financial officer Gary Crittenden said during a conference call that more job cuts would be on the way.

Labels: C, Citigroup Inc.

Erin Burnett hosted. Recession was the first topic of the show. Tobias Levkovich, a CITI equity strategist, says Tech sector is not headed toward a bubble. Also, when equipment orders are down, and companies are cutting capitol spending, it's a good time to buy chip stocks. Next, Steve Liesman speaks with President Bush. The President is urging business owners to offer free trade to their workers. Next, Google sees growth of 1000% since last year. Jeffery Lindsay of Bernstein Research says; he sees greater growth in Google’s overseas operation. The popularity of Google in Europe, as well as the hiring of European software engineers is the foundation for his prediction. Light bulbs were next. Chuck Swoboda of CREE says high performance light emitting LED's will make regular bulbs obsolete. A long lifetime and an eco-friendly light-emitting substance are the perks that they're aiming to appeal with. Cree’s LED's will be used in the swimming pool at the 2008 Olympics. Next, housing stocks still taking hits today. A homebuilding company; Beazer says that orders are down 58%, and that cancellations are up 68%. Next, after Gisele's story yesterday, the depreciation of the dollar has more people speculating on other currencies. Next, Under Armour (UA) CEO; Kevin Plank sells 1.5 million shares on Nov 1. Some are speculating that he has some doubts in his company. Despite a tough week [this week] and other CEO’s of other companies selling stock in possible preparation of problems to come, Kevin Plank assures everyone that selling shares is the main way that CEO’s make money. Stop trading with Jim Cramer was next. He says get out of Under Armour. Next, Pink slip software; Verve Optimize is a program that executives can use to fire employees. The software scans for possible lawsuit bi-products and tells you who you can fire within the company, without being sued. You can purchase this program for $100,000.

Labels: C, street signs recap, UA

Stocks saw a late afternoon rally fall short, as concerns from the financial sector and mortgage-related losses continue to weigh heavily on the markets. The Dow ended off -52 points to finish at 13,543 on the day after recovering from triple-digit lows. The Nasdaq and S&P both finished lower for the session ending at 2,795 and 1,502, respectively. Light sweet crude declined in trading to close at $94.40 for December delivery. Meanwhile, Treasury and gold each inched higher. The dollar gained against the euro, but fell against the yen.
In economic news, a reading of the service sector beat analyst forecasts as an increase in new orders helped drive the U.S report. The Institute for Supply Management's index, which measures the strength of non-manufacturing markets, rose to 55.8, up from 54.8 in September. Analysts had predicted a reading of 54.0. A reading above 50 signals growth in the sector.
Shares of Citigroup (NYSE: C - News) tumbled -4.8% after reporting it would write-down up to an additional $11 billion in subprime related securities. The company also announced the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Charles Prince. In light of the added charges, Citigroup revised its third-quarter earnings lower to report net income of $2.2 billion, or 44 cents per share, compared to the $2.4 billion, or 47 cents per share, the company initially reported on October 15th. Subscribers can read our take on Citigroup in today's edition.
Time Warner (NYSE: TWX - News) reported a change in leadership at the company today announcing that its current CEO, Dick Parsons, will step down at the end of this year. As expected, Jeff Bewkes, who had been groomed as Parsons' successor, will take the helm of the world's largest media conglomerate. Bewkes is the former head of HBO and currently serves as Time Warner's chief operating officer. Parsons will remain with the company as chairman. Shares of Time Warner were down fractionally on the day, as Wall Street awaits the company's earnings release on Wednesday.
IAC/InterActive (Nasdaq: IACI - News) saw its shares spike up sharply after the Barry Diller-run Internet conglomerate said it would split into five separate publicly traded businesses. According to details, Internet properties like Ask.com will remain under IAC's umbrella, while its Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster, and LendingTree units will be spin off as separate entities. Another company will be created from the firm's Interval time-share business. IAC shares closed up 7.5% for the day.
M&A action saw real estate investment trust Gramercy Capital (NYSE: GKK - News) announce the acquisition of American Financial Realty (NYSE: AFR - News) for approximately $3.4 billion in stock and cash. Following the deal, shares of Gramercy Capital traded up fractionally on the day, while American Financial saw its shares soar 24.2%.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: AFR, C, GKK, IACI, TWX

It was a roller-coaster ride for stocks to end the trading week, as Wall Street weighed a solid jobs report with soaring oil prices and a troubled financial sector that continues to battle credit concerns. The Dow bounced off its lows to close higher for the day finishing at 13,595. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq and S&P each rebounded from earlier lows to close at 2,810 and 1,510, respectively. Oil prices rose on the session to close the week at $95.58 a barrel for December delivery. Treasury prices and gold both gained in trading, with gold ending at $808.50 on the day. The dollar fell against the euro, but rose against the yen.
On the economic front, a report from the U.S. labor department showed that employers increased payrolls by a surprisingly strong 166,000 jobs in October, the biggest jump in five months, and nearly double what analysts were expecting. The improved labor report did little to boost Wall Street confidence, however, as investors continued to struggle with rising commodity costs, a weak financial sector, and news that the Fed may pause its rate cutting trend on inflation concerns.
In earnings news, Chevron (NYSE: CVX - News) reported a drop in third-quarter profit as tighter U.S. refining margins took a toll. The nation's second-largest oil company said net income fell in the quarter to $3.72 billion, or $1.75 per share, versus $5.02 billion, or $2.29 per share, last year. Quarterly revenue also declined to $55.17 billion from $54.21 billion a year ago. On average, analysts were expecting earnings of $2.07 per share on revenue of $58.29 billion. Chevron's stock was down -0.6% in trading.
Health insurer Cigna (NYSE: CI - News) said third-quarter net income increased to $365 million, or $1.28 per share, up 22% from $298 million, or 92 cents per share, a year ago. Adjusted income excluding special items was $323 million, or $1.14 per share, versus $268 million, or 83 cents per share, last year. Total revenue in the quarter was $4.41 billion, up from $4.14 billion in the 2006 period. Analysts were looking for EPS of 94 cents on revenue of $4.41 billion. Shares of Cigna were down -3.5% for the day, however, as the company predicted full-year 2008 earnings per share of $4.00-$4.20, missing analyst expectations of $4.23 per share.
NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX - News) reported a 279% increase in profit for the third quarter. The company announced Q3 net income of $258 million, or 97 cents per share, up from $68 million, or 43 cents per share, last year. Excluding one-time costs, the company said it earned $202 million, or 76 cents per share. Revenue in the quarter jumped to $1.2 billion from $602 million in the prior year. Analysts had predicted a profit of 73 cents per share on revenue of $823.5 million. The stock fell -0.5% on the day.
In other corporate news, several media sources reported that Citigroup's (NYSE: C - News) board of directors has called an emergency meeting for this weekend. Although the meeting's agenda was not immediately clear, it is widely speculated that the topic of future write-downs may be discussed as well as the future of CEO Chuck Prince.
By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: C, CI, CVX, NYX

It was a roller-coaster ride for stocks to end the trading week, as Wall Street weighed a solid jobs report with soaring oil prices and a troubled financial sector that continues to battle credit concerns. The Dow bounced off its lows to close higher for the day finishing at 13,595. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq and S&P each rebounded from earlier lows to close at 2,810 and 1,510, respectively. Oil prices rose on the session to close the week at $95.58 a barrel for December delivery. Treasury prices and gold both gained in trading, with gold ending at $808.50 on the day. The dollar fell against the euro, but rose against the yen.On the economic front, a report from the U.S. labor department showed that employers increased payrolls by a surprisingly strong 166,000 jobs in October, the biggest jump in five months, and nearly double what analysts were expecting. The improved labor report did little to boost Wall Street confidence, however, as investors continued to struggle with rising commodity costs, a weak financial sector, and news that the Fed may pause its rate cutting trend on inflation concerns.In earnings news, Chevron (NYSE: CVX - News) reported a drop in third-quarter profit as tighter U.S. refining margins took a toll. The nation's second-largest oil company said net income fell in the quarter to $3.72 billion, or $1.75 per share, versus $5.02 billion, or $2.29 per share, last year. Quarterly revenue also declined to $55.17 billion from $54.21 billion a year ago. On average, analysts were expecting earnings of $2.07 per share on revenue of $58.29 billion. Chevron's stock was down -0.6% in trading.Health insurer Cigna (NYSE: CI - News) said third-quarter net income increased to $365 million, or $1.28 per share, up 22% from $298 million, or 92 cents per share, a year ago. Adjusted income excluding special items was $323 million, or $1.14 per share, versus $268 million, or 83 cents per share, last year. Total revenue in the quarter was $4.41 billion, up from $4.14 billion in the 2006 period. Analysts were looking for EPS of 94 cents on revenue of $4.41 billion. Shares of Cigna were down -3.5% for the day, however, as the company predicted full-year 2008 earnings per share of $4.00-$4.20, missing analyst expectations of $4.23 per share.NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX - News) reported a 279% increase in profit for the third quarter. The company announced Q3 net income of $258 million, or 97 cents per share, up from $68 million, or 43 cents per share, last year. Excluding one-time costs, the company said it earned $202 million, or 76 cents per share. Revenue in the quarter jumped to $1.2 billion from $602 million in the prior year. Analysts had predicted a profit of 73 cents per share on revenue of $823.5 million. The stock fell -0.5% on the day.In other corporate news, several media sources reported that Citigroup's (NYSE: C - News) board of directors has called an emergency meeting for this weekend. Although the meeting's agenda was not immediately clear, it is widely speculated that the topic of future write-downs may be discussed as well as the future of CEO Chuck Prince.By the BullMarket.com Staff

Labels: C, CI, CVX, NYX

Wall Street pared its losses to trade flat Thursday, but remained uneasy as disappointing results from Bank of America Corp. provided further evidence that the credit crisis is hurting the economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average, down as much as 60 points earlier in the session, rebounded in afternoon trading to nearly positive territory as bargain hunters entered the market, betting Thursday's dismal data could convince the Federal Reserve to lower rates again.
Still, investors remained spooked after BofA -- considered a bellwether for the banking industry because it has branches across the country -- said "significant dislocations" in the capital markets sent third-quarter profits down 32 percent. Citigroup Inc. and Washington Mutual Inc. reported similar results in recent days.
Banks and brokerages have been hurt during the third quarter in the fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis. As people with weak credit defaulted on loans at an alarming rate, it triggered a global aversion for risk that led the credit markets to freeze up.
Treasurys rallied and the dollar fell to a new low against the euro after the Labor Department said the number of newly laid off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits shot up last week by the largest amount since February. The report was far worse than economists expected, and signaled that the labor market could be starting to weaken from a downturn in housing and the global credit turmoil.
Source: Joe Bel Bruno, AP Business Writer

Labels: BAC, C, ETFC, GOOG, WM

Wall Street sank for a second straight session Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the slumping housing market remains a "significant drag" on the economy.
Bernanke's speech Monday night in New York elevated concerns that the summer's credit tightness might persist into the winter -- a sobering thought for investors, who are sifting through mixed third-quarter earnings and watching energy costs rise.
"First of all, the worry is we're getting more bad news on housing. No. 2 is higher oil prices. That's a pretty bad combination," said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Johnson Illington Advisors.
Crude oil prices spiked to another record above $88, and a National Association of Home Builders' index that tracks developers' expectations of future home sales fell for the eighth consecutive month to the lowest point since January 1985. Also Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson echoed Bernanke's concerns, saying housing is a significant risk to the economy.
The uncertainty on Wall Street about the economic outlook "comes at a time when earnings results are not particularly exciting -- in fact, are dismal," Johnson said.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 71.86, or 0.51 percent, to 13,912.94, after falling more than 100 points earlier in the session.
Broader indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 10.18, or 0.66 percent, to 1,538.53, and the Nasdaq composite index dipped 16.14, or 0.58 percent, to 2,763.91. The Russell 2000 Index of smaller companies fell 6.01, or 0.72 percent, to 823.35.
Source: Madlen Read, AP Business Writer

Labels: Ben Bernanke, BSC, C, Crude Oil, INTC, Oil Futures, STT, USB, WFC, YHOO

Stocks pared most of their early losses Wednesday as investors juggled uncertainty about the health of the economy with a renewed sense that Wall Street has skirted the worst of a widespread credit squeeze.
A reading on the nation's service economy, whose industries range from banking to retail and travel and account for 80 percent of U.S. economic activity, came in as expected and gave investors little reason to rally on hopes of an interest rate cut. But it also appeared to quiet some concerns about a sharp economic slowdown.
The Institute for Supply Management report showed the service sector expanded at a slower pace in September than in August. The trade group's non-manufacturing index fell to 54.8 from 55.8 in August as expected; the index is now at its lowest point since March. A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion, while a figure below 50 signals contraction.
Comments from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan that the "worst is over" in the credit turmoil that swept global markets in recent months appeared to give a lift to investor sentiment. His comments followed a similar assesment from Citigroup Inc. on Monday.
Wall Street appears to be taking many economic readings in stride, perhaps expecting some slowdown before the Fed's rate cut is reflected in economic data. Often, such cuts can take more than a year to fully work themselves into the economy.
Source: Tim Paradis, AP Business Writer

Labels: Alan Greenspan, C, DB, Federal Reserve, UBS

On Monday, the first day of the fourth quarter, the Dow gained nearly 192 points to close at 14,087.55 -- a new high and its first foray above the 14,000 level since mid-July, right before a credit market squeeze triggered a stock selloff. Traders believe investors, wary of big stock fluctuations before, took some cash off the table.
"The economy is soft, you have this big run up, and the fact is people are just taking some profit," said Scott Fullman, director of investment strategy for I. A. Englander & Co. "There's not a ton of news to trade on, and investors are also looking ahead to the unemployment report on Friday."
Energy and commodities companies were among the biggest drags on the Dow Jones industrial average as prices for oil and gold continued to weaken in the futures markets. This dimmed the outlook for third-quarter earnings for the likes of Exxon Mobil Corp. and others, Fullman said.
In mid afternoon trading, the Dow fell 42.60, or 0.30 percent, to 14,044.95.
Broader stock indicators also declined. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.58, or 0.17 percent, to 1,544.46, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 2.27, or 0.08 percent, to 2,743.26.
Bond prices rose as stocks pulled back, pushing down the 10-year Treasury note to 4.51 percent from 4.56 percent late Monday.
The dollar rebounded from record lows versus the euro, and also recovered some ground against the pound and the Canadian dollar. Gold, which has recently hit multi-decade highs, tumbled under pressure from the rising greenback; an ounce of gold fell $17.80 to $736.30 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Meanwhile, light, sweet crude for November delivery fell 20 cents to $80.04 a barrel in on the Nymex. Many analysts say oil's September rally to record levels above $83 a barrel was due to speculative buying by investors taking advantage of the weak dollar.
A stronger dollar makes commodities more costly to foreign buyers, dampening demand.
Exxon Mobil fell $2.18, or 2.3 percent, to $91.77. It was the biggest decline of the 30 Dow components.
Both Citigroup Inc. and Toronto Dominion Bank announced acquisitions Tuesday, indicating that dealmaking is still happening despite a tighter-than-normal credit market.
Canada-based TD Bank Financial Group agreed to buy Commerce Bancorp Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $8.5 billion. But the acquisition news got a lukewarm reception from investors. Commerce fell 38 cents to $39.23, and Toronto Dominion fell $4.71, or 6.1 percent, to $72.23.
Citigroup said it is buying the rest of Nikko Cordial Corp. for shares valued at about $4.6 billion. Citigroup already owns a 68 percent stake in Nikko, Japan's third-largest brokerage. Citigroup, which estimated Monday that third-quarter profit will drop 60 percent, rose 6 cents to $47.78.
In other corporate news, Palm Inc., the maker of the Treo smart phone, reported late Monday it swung to a loss in the fiscal first quarter and predicted weaker-than-expected results for the current quarter. Palm fell 49 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $15.51.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 4.85, or 0.59 percent, to 829.59.
Advancing issues slightly outnumbered decliners on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 800.7 million shares.
Overseas, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.09 percent, Germany's DAX index rose 0.31 percent, and France's CAC-40 rose 0.45 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock average closed up 1.19 percent.
Source: Madlen Read, AP Business Writer

Labels: C, CBH, Commodities, Energy, NMX, NYX, PALM, TD, XOM

The Dow Jones Industrial hit new highs on Monday as the market shook off a warning from Citigroup (C), which reported a 60% drop in earnings for the current quarter. The S&P 500 is within 9 points of a record and the NASDAQ hit a 6 year high. Finerman: surprised with the market strength on Monday. Najarian suggested that these are investors who sat on the sidelines during the summer. They are now putting money back into the markets in sectors like technology, commodities and financials. Gasparino: the worst is over for the financials.WirelessNokia (NOK) bought NAVTEQ (NVT) for $8 billion.
Najarian: this takeover suggests to him that M&A is not done. Research In Motion (RIMM) is set to report earnings on Thursday. Adami: if you're not already in Research In Motion don't buy it now. Palm (PALM) reported earnings after the bell Monday and traded lower after-hours. Najarian likes the new Centro smart phone that Palm is introducing and thinks the future is bright for PALM. Finerman: the valuation on NAVTEQ is over done and thinks the deal makes Garmin (GRMN) over valued and recommends buying puts on the GPS maker. Macke agrees with Finerman that Garmin is topped.GlobalBig runs in ETF names like Materials EFT (XLB), Tech ETF (XLK) and Energy ETF (XLF).
Adami: companies like Fluor Corp (FLR) are up 87% in 9 months, McDermott (MDR) up 120% since January and Jacobs Engineering (JEC) is up 100% since January. He suspects these stocks are due for a pullback and taking profits in these names isn't a bad idea.
Macke: Investors have to chase these stocks. Finerman prefers Flowserve (FLS).Micron (MU): set to report earnings on Tuesday.
Najarian: last week someone bought 27,000 call options on Micron, so keep an eye on it. He also wants investors to put ScanDisk (SNDK) on their watch list after the firm just opened up a plant in China.
Adami: Micron is a buy.ConferencesInvestment conferences at Deutsche Bank, Jefferies and William Blair will catch investor's attention this week. Najarian: stocks to watch off these conferences are OSI Systems (OSIS), Cepheid (CPHD) and Manitowoc (MTW).Earnings WarningsMacke devised a three point checklist to watch as a warning sign from a firm's earnings reports. Any company that points the finger outside of things they can't control, doesn't have a solution, or has a warning that is 10% below estimates should be avoided. Walgreen's (WAG) gave all three of these today and that's why the stock fell apart.
Macke: Don't buy the dip on Walgreen's.Pops & DropsPops- Time Warner (TWX) traded up 2%. Adami could see the stock moving from $18 to $28, if the CEO is ousted.BorgWarner (BWA): popped 4% off a bullish Barron's article.
Adami: still likes BWA.Electronic Arts (ERTS): popped 4%. Macke: entire video game sector is going higher into the holidays.AMR Corp (AMR): traded up 12% off a positive Barron's article. Adami says sell. First Solar (FSLR): traded up 8%. Najarian continues to point investors to Cypress Semiconductor (CY) as the safest play in the solar space.Drops- SuperValu (SVU): fell 6% after Bank of America downgraded the stock to a sell. Macke likes SVU right here and right now.Acxiom (ACXM): plunged 20% after a $2.25 billion takeover offer fell through. Finerman wonders if something could be wrong at the company.Final TradeMacke advises buying Caterpillar (CAT). Adami prefers Tesoro (TSO). Finerman recommends YUM! Brands (YUM). Najarian would go long Terra Industries (TRA).

Labels: C, CNBC, fast money, Fast Money Recap, GRMN, MDR, NOK, NVT, PALM, RIMM, SNDK, XLB, XLK

Here are 7 stocks for traders for Tuesday from TradingMarkets.com:
Palm (NasdaqGS:PALM - News) beat earnings estimates on Monday afternoon, announcing $0.09 EPS over an expected $0.08 EPS. PALM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Pepsi Bottling (NYSE:PBG - News) should report $0.89 EPS on Tuesday before the market opens. PBG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) and UBS (NYSE:UBS - News) both announced major profit warnings for Q3 of this year, as the subprime mortgage effects continue to reverberate in the margin. C speculated that profit would fall 60% from last year, while UBS said it would probably lose about $3.4 billion. Despite the news, both companies were up on the day. C's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4, and UBS's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Nokia (NYSE:NOK - News) announced plans to buy digital-map provider Navteq for $8.1 billion. NOK's PowerRating (for Traders) is 4.
Walgreen (NYSE:WAG - News) lost 15% on Monday, after missing analyst earnings estimates by a long-shot before the market opened. WAG's PowerRating (for Traders) is 5.
Acxiom (NasdaqGS:ACXM - News) announced that its $2.2 billion buyout by private firms has cancelled. ACXM will be awarded a $65 million termination fee, but the stock fell about 20% on the news. ACXM's PowerRating (for Traders) is 7.
Published by TradingMarkets.com

Labels: ACXM, C, Hot Stocks, NOK, PALM, PBG, UBS, WAG

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Underpriced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Bear Stearns Companies Inc. Sep 140.0 Calls (NYSE:BSC - News). BSC's PowerRating is 5.
Most Underpriced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Citigroup Inc. Sep 47.5 Puts (NYSE:C - News). C's PowerRating is 5.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Priceline.com Inc. Aug 65.0 Calls (NasdaqGS:PCLN - News). PCLN's PowerRating is 6.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Countrywide Financial Corp. Oct 20.0 Puts FC. CFC's PowerRating is .
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Patterson-UTI Energy Inc. (NasdaqGS:PTEN - News). PTEN's PowerRating is 5.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggests an extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
National Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:NSM - News). NSM's PowerRating is 7.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
CBS Corp. BS. CBS' PowerRating is 6.
PowerRatings are courtesy of TradingMarkets.com

Labels: BSC, C, Hot Stock Options, NSM, PCLN, PTEN

Stocks rose on Wednesday, bouncing back from the prior session's tumble, as solid profits and outlooks from Boeing Co (NYSE:BA - News) and Amazon.com Inc. (NasdaqGS:AMZN - News) quashed concerns about the housing slump.
Financial company shares, which declined sharply on Tuesday, also underpinned the market's rebound, with Citigroup (NYSE:C - News) rising 1.1 percent to $49.87.
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing's shares jumped more than 3 percent to a record $107.80 as it led advances on the Dow, while Internet retailer Amazon.com shares gained more than 21 percent to lead gainers on both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500.
Investors will seek direction from data on existing-home sales in June due at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT). Sales are forecast to have fallen to 5.87 million units at an annual rate from 5.99 million in May, according to a Reuters poll of economists. The Dow Jones industrial average (DJI:^DJI - News) was up 69.42 points, or 0.51 percent, at 13,786.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (^SPX - News) was up 10.16 points, or 0.67 percent, at 1,521.20. The Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq:^IXIC - News) was up 19.36 points, or 0.73 percent, at 2,659.22.
The rebound follows stocks' worst one-day performance in four months on Tuesday, fueled by disappointing earnings and fear about spreading losses in the mortgage market.
Shares of Amazon.com climbed to $84.20 on the Nasdaq. Several brokerages raised their ratings on the stock.
In other earnings news, manufacturer Rockwell Automation Inc (NYSE:ROK - News) also reported a profit above Wall Street's expectations on strong foreign demand for its industrial control systems. Its stock rose 2.9 percent to $72.77.
Shares of iPod and iPhone maker Apple Inc. (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News), among Tuesday's biggest losers, were up 1.1 percent at $136.37 ahead of the company's quarterly results due after the close.
Source: Reuters

Labels: AAPL, AMZN, BA, C, ROK

Stocks seesawed Wednesday as a mixed reading on the housing sector appeared to unnerve investors.
Commerce Department data that showed housing starts fell to their lowest level in 17 years during April punctured an early rally, though stocks later regained some of their lost ground. The market drew some support from a Federal Reserve report that showed industrial output rose by more than expected last month.
The housing start news came a day after a lackluster read on the housing sector upended a big rally in stocks that sent the Dow Jones industrials briefly above 13,400 for the first time. In midday trading, the Dow rose 25.84, or 0.19 percent, to 13,409.68 after falling earlier.
Broader stock indicators also rose. The Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced 3.75, or 0.25 percent, to 1,504.94 and the Nasdaq composite index fell 1.56, or 0.06 percent, to 2,526.85.
Bonds showed little change despite the economic readings. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note remained flat at 4.71 percent from late Tuesday. The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.
Light, sweet crude fell 91 cents to $62.26 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude prices have risen in recent sessions amid concerns about supply disruptions, particularly in Nigeria where production has been buffeted by protests. Weekly U.S. inventory data showed domestic gasoline and crude inventories rose more than expected last week.
Wall Street continues to have an appetite for a steady stream of economic data as it tries to determine where the economy is headed. Good or bad economic news in recent months has often dictated the direction of stocks as investors struggled to determine whether a recent rally will continue or whether the market is due for a pullback.
On Wednesday, investors appeared pleased by word that construction of homes and apartments increased 2.5 percent in April from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.528 million units. In a potentially worrisome sign, however, requests for new construction permits -- or housing starts -- fell 8.9 percent in April, the biggest drop since a 24 percent plunge in February 1990.
Investors embraced the Fed's report that industrial output rose by 0.7 percent in April. The gain was more than double the 0.3 percent gain that had been expected and in part reflected a rebound in manufacturing and an increase in output from utilities. In March, output fell 0.3 percent.
In corporate news, Federated Department Stores Inc. said it swung to a profit from a loss, although earnings excluding costs of the company's integration of May Department Stores Co., which it acquired in 2005, fell short of Wall Street's expectations. Federated fell 29 cents to $39.65.
Citigroup Inc., one of the 30 stocks in the Dow industrials, rose $1.92, or 3.6 percent, to $54.71 after billionaire hedge fund manager Edward S. Lampert said he acquired more than 15 million shares of the financial services conglomerate.
Johnson & Johnson, also a Dow component, rose after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported in a regulatory filing that it doubled its stake in the company.
Dell Inc. rose 77 cents, or 3.1 percent, to $25.44 as investors appeared relieved that a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo accusing the computer maker of deceiving consumers isn't tied to a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry into Dell's accounting practices.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 1.37, or 0.17 percent, to 812.81.
Declining issues barely outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 634.1 million shares.
The dollar was mixed against other major currencies, while gold prices fell. Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average closed up 0.09 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.14 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.32 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.53 percent.
Source: AP

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