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Top 10 News Items 12/12-12/16: Intel Cuts Q4 Guidance; Zynga IPO Hits the Market, Sinks; Best Buy Shares Plunge 15% on Q3 Results
Here is a recap of top news items from this week on Wall Street:
1. Shares of Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) fell more than 6 percent this week as the company lowered its fourth-quarter outlook amid hard disk drive supply shortages. Intel now sees sales of $13.4-$14 billion, down from prior guidance of $14.2-$15.2 billion. While Needham was the only firm to downgrade the stock, a number of analysts lowered estimates. Still, most analysts remain bullish on the stock.
2. Zynga (Nasdaq: ZNGA), the maker of Facebook's extremely popular FarmVille and CityVille social games, opened for public trading Friday. After pricing 100 million
Trading Radar for 12/19: Red Hat (RHT), Shiloh (SHLO), Northwest Pipe (NWPX) Report
The Trading Radar highlights key earnings and economic announcements for tomorrow's trading session:
Before The Market Opens
Earnings:
Northwest Pipe Co (Nasdaq: NWPX) - consensus EPS $0.44
Shiloh Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: SHLO) - no Street consensus
Intraday or Not Specified
Economic
10:00am EST
- NAHB Housing Market Index - Street sees 19.0
Notable 52-Week Highs and Lows of the Day 12/16: (CHRS) (CRYP) High; (RIMM) (CVC) (SINA) Low
This report is an intraday check of some of the more notable stocks that have hit a 52-week high or low so far today.
52-Week High:
- Charming Shoppes (Nasdaq: CHRS) high of $5.00. Charming evidently got a bid from Ascena Retail Group (Nasdaq: ASNA), though details were not disclosed.
- CryptoLogic Ltd. (Nasdaq: CRYP) high of $2.30. Issued an outline terms of a possible recommended all cash offer from Amaya for the acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of CryptoLogic at $2.50 in cash per common share.
- Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM) low of
Notable ETF Movers of the Day 12/16: (GLD) (FXI) (OIH) Higher; (VXX) (USO) (XLU) Lower
Gainers
- SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) up 1.48 percent to $154.59. Is gold back? With February contracts dipping to around $1,560 recently, maybe not. But with complacency returning to the market, investors might still be bullish on the metal and looking to get back in as other equities flatten. Today, those February contracts are $14.2 better to $1,591.4 per ounce on the Comex.
- iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund (NYSE: FXI) up 1.67 percent to $34.66. China socks making a move higher Friday on speculation that the government could lower banks' reserve-requirement ratios and ease
Unusual 11 Mid-Day Movers 12/16: (ISTA) (RRR) (MRT) (GRO) Higher; (INHX) (KNSY) (CVC) (MELA) Lower
ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA) 74.6% HIGHER; Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) today announced that it had made a proposal to the Board of Directors of ISTA to acquire ISTA for $6.50 per share in cash.
RSC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RRR) 55.5% HIGHER; United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI) and RSC have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which United Rentals will acquire RSC in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $18.00 per share.
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) 32.6% HIGHER; Tilman J. Fertitta announced today that his wholly-owned company, Fertitta's Morton's Restaurants, Inc. and is wholly owned
Streetinsider.com's Hot Lunchtime Reads 12/16: (ZNGA) (RIMM) (AAPL) (IMAX) (INHX) (ZQK)
The following is a list of notable articles to help get you through the lunch hour:
- Zynga (ZNGA) IPO Opens Higher -> Read this!
- RIM (RIMM) Catches Fury From Analysts; May Be Too Late for Turnaround -> Read this!
- Is Apple (AAPL) Past its Prime? -> Read this!
- IMAX (IMAX) Shares Up 4+% as MKM Issues New Buy Rating, $26 Price Target -> Read this!
- Deutsche Bank Defends Inhibitex (INHX) After Massive Sell-Off -> Read this!
- DA Davidson Upgrades Quiksilver (ZQK) to Buy While Noting Strong Top-Line Growth Potential ->
Notable Analyst Rating Changes 12/16: (BAS) (DFS) (AKS) Upgraded; (CVC) (RIMM) (YHOO) Downgraded
UPGRADES
Dahlman Rose upgrades Basic Energy Services (NYSE: BAS) from Hold to Buy with a price target of $25. Click Here for more color.
Discover Financial (NYSEL DFS) raised at two firms Friday:
- Guggenheim from Neutral to Buy, price target raised $1 to $27; and
- Stifel Nicolaus from Hold to Buy with a new price target of $29.
Notable Stocks Trading Ex-Dividend Monday 12/19: (AEO) (CINF) (UVE)
The following is a list of companies trading ex-dividend December 19th, which produce some of the best yields on the Street:
- American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO), paying 11 cents with a current yield of 3.0%;
- Cincinnati Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: CINF), paying 40.25 cents with a current yield of 5.3%; and
- Universal Insurance Holdings Inc. (AMEX: UVE), paying 8 cents with a current yield of 8.7%.
Morning Movers 12/16: (ISTA) (RRR) (MRT) (GRO) Higher; (INHX) (CVC) (MELA) Lower
ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA) 57.3% HIGHER; Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) today announced that it had made a proposal to the Board of Directors of ISTA to acquire ISTA for $6.50 per share in cash.
RSC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RRR) 53.9% HIGHER; United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI) and RSC have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which United Rentals will acquire RSC in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $18.00 per share
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) 32.8% HIGHER; Tilman J. Fertitta announced today that his wholly-owned company, Fertitta's Morton's Restaurants, Inc. and is wholly owned
Notable Mergers and Acquisitions of the Day 12/16 [(URI)/(RRR) (CCI) (VRX/ISTA)]
- United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI) and RSC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RRR) have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which United Rentals will acquire RSC in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $18.00 per share, or a total enterprise value of $4.2 billion, including $2.3 billion of net debt. The Boards of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved the proposed transaction and recommended that their respective stockholders approve the proposed transaction. Upon the closing of the transaction, each outstanding share of RSC common stock will be converted into the right to receive $10.80 in cash and 0.2783 of a share of United
Pre-Open Movers 12/16: (RRR) (ISTA) (ADBE) Higher; (STEM) (VRUS) (RIMM) Lower (more...)
Below are stocks making major moves in pre-open trading Friday:
HIGHER:
RSC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: RRR) 56% HIGHER; takeover by United Rentals (NYSE: URI)
ISTA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ISTA) 52% HIGHER; takeover offer
CryptoLogic Limited (Nasdaq: CRYP) 33% HIGHER; takeover offer by Amaya
Morton's Restaurant Group, Inc. (NYSE: MRT) 32% HIGHER; takeover offer
Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) 11% HIGHER; tops Q4 views
Charming Shoppes Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRS) 7% HIGHER; takeover specualtion
Adobe Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: ADBE) 4% HIGHER; strong results
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VRTX) 4% HIGHER; Pharmasset trial issues
Netspend Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTSP) 2% HIGHER; upgraded
athenahealth, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATHN) 1% HIGHER; upgraded
Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) 1% HIGHER; upgraded
LOWER:
StemCells, Inc.
After-Hours Movers 12/15: (CRYP) (ZQK) (ADBE) (ACN) Higher; (STEM) (RIMM) Lower
Cryptologic (Nasdaq: CRYP) 25.7% HIGHER; shares halted to announce: possible offer by Amaya at $2.50/share.
Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE: ZQK) 11% HIGHER; reported Q4 EPS of $0.06, $0.01 worse than the analyst estimate of $0.07. Revenue for the quarter came in at $545.2 million versus the consensus estimate of $528.47 million.
StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq: STEM) 10% LOWER; intends to offer and sell common stock and warrants, subject to market and other conditions, in an underwritten public offering. The shares and warrants are being offered under the Company's effective shelf registration statement previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
Trading Radar for 12/16: Darden (DRI), Angeion (ANGN) Report
The Trading Radar highlights key earnings and economic announcements for tomorrow's trading session:
Before The Market Opens
Economic:
8:30am EST
- CPI - Street sees 0.1%
- Core CPI - Street sees 0.1%
Notable 52-Week Highs and Lows of the Day 12/15: (PFE) (LLY) High; (RIMM) (BPAX) (ITMN) Low
This report is an intraday check of some of the more notable stocks that have hit a 52-week high or low so far today.
52-Week High:
- Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) high of $21.26. Pfizer is simply continuing higher on positive sentiment for its pipeline, amid expiration of some patents.
- Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) high of $41.37. Lilly is another pharma reaching new heights today. Volume is also right in line with the three-month average. Other pharmas at or near 52-week highs include Merck & Company (NYSE: MRK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSEL BMY).
- Research In Motion
Unusual 11 Mid-Day Movers 12/15: (SPMD) (OKSB) (ZOLL) Higher; (BPAX) (AIS) (ATHN) Lower
BioSante (Nasdaq: BPAX) 76.9% LOWER; says Libegel did not meet primary, secondary endpoints. Click here for the full report. The stock was downgraded at JMP, Jefferies, Leerink Swann, Rodman & Renshaw and Roth Capital.
SuperMedia (Nasdaq: SPMD) 32.5% HIGHER; shares breaking above resistance around $2.50 and $3. Volume is very heavy and spiked notably after crossing the $3.50 level. Read about John Paulson's investment in the company here.
Antares Pharma (AMEX: AIS) 33.57% LOWER; in a partnership with BioSante for LibiGel. Roth Capital also downgraded the stock this morning.
Southwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: OKSB) 29.1% HIGHER; company entered
Streetinsider.com's Hot Lunchtime Reads 12/15: (GMCR) (NVDA) (GLD) (MS) (AAPL) (FSLR)
The following is a list of some brief articles to get you through the lunch hour:
- Green Mountain Lambasted Again (Nasdaq: GMCR) -> Read this!
- Steve Jobs May Have Been Wrong on E-Books... (Nasdaq: AMZN) (NYSE: BKS) -> Read this!
- Gold's Biggest Bull Gets Taken to Cleaners in December (NYSE: GLD) -> Read this!
- Morgan Stanley to Eliminate 1,600 Jobs Around the World (NYSE: MS) -> Read this!
- NVIDIA CEO Fires Shot Across Apple's Bow on Tablet Sales (Nasdaq: NVDA)(Nasdaq: AAPL) -> Read this!
- UBS Lowers Numbers on First Solar; Implementing
Notable ETF Movers of the Day 12/15: (SPY) (SMH) (XHB) Higher; (VXX) (USO) (TAN) Lower
Gainers
- SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE: SPY) up 0.54 percent to $122.39. Along with a general bounce today, markets are loving economic data. Initial claims fell 19,000 to 366,000, which was far below the rise to 390,000 expected on the Street. The Empire Manufacturing index also came in at 9.53, better than the 3.0 expected.
- Semiconductor HOLDRS (NYSE: SMH) up 1.11 percent to $29.18. The ETF is being led higher by Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN)(Nasdaq: TXN) which announced it would shift from the NYSE to Nasdaq Stock Exchange. TI shares are up about 1 percent on
Notable Analyst Rating Changes 12/15: (PCS) (SWKS) (TE) Upgraded; (T) (FSLR) (DECK) Downgraded
UPGRADES
Mizuho Securities upgrades MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) from Neutral to Buy, price target raised from $8.50 to $10.50.
Deutsche Bank lifts Skyworks Solutions (Nasdaq: SWKS) from Hold to Buy, raising its price target to $23. Click Here for more color.
Deutsche Bank boosts TECO Energy (NYSE: TE) from Sell to Hold, price target raised from $16 to $17. Click Here for more color.
Wells Fargo raises Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM) from Market Perform to Outperform, price target range of $32 to 38 from $34 to 40. Click Here for more color.
For
Morning Movers 12/15: (SPMD) (SONO) (NVLS) (CEDC) Higher; (BPAX) (AIS) (ITMN) Lower
BioSante (Nasdaq: BPAX) 66.5% LOWER; says Libegel did not meet primary, secondary endpoints. Click here to see the full report. The stock was downgraded at JMP, Jefferies, Leerink Swann, Rodman & Renshaw and Roth Capital.
SuperMedia (Nasdaq: SPMD) 50.8% HIGHER; shares breaking above resistance around $2.50 and $3. Volume is very heavy and spiked notably after crossing the $3.50 level.
Zoll Medical (Nasdaq: ZOLL) 30.3% HIGHER; announces the CMS Durable Medical Equipment Medical Administrative Contractors reaffirmed the current coverage policy across all indications for the LifeVest(R) Wearable Defibrillator.
Antares Pharma (AMEX: AIS) 29.5% LOWER; in a partnership
Notable Mergers and Acquisitions of the Day 12/15: [(LRCX)/(NVLS) (SONO) (COV)]
- Lam Research Corp. (Nasdaq: LRCX) has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Novellus Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVLS) in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $3.3 billion. The combined enterprise, which will retain the name of Lam Research Corp., will be a semiconductor equipment company with a broad portfolio of market-leading products and multiple opportunities to drive value creation through significant revenue and cost synergies. Total cost synergies are expected to be approximately $100 million on an annualized basis by the fourth quarter of 2013. In addition, Lam announced a $1.6 billion common stock repurchase program. This new program,


