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Monthly Archives: March 2012

Saints coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year

The NFL came down hard on the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday.

Saints coach Sean Payton has been suspended for one year, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely, general manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight regular-season games, the team was fined $500,000 and lost two second-round draft picks (one in 2012 and ’13) as a result of a bounty program conducted by the team during the 2009-11 seasons.

Details of an NFL investigation released at the beginning on March reported that the Saints’ bounty program gave thousands of dollars in payoffs to players for hits that knocked targeted opponents out of games. The NFL said the amounts reached their height in 2009, the season the Saints won the Super Bowl.

Williams, now defensive coordinator of the Rams, has admitted to and apologized for running the program.

Payton and Loomis apologized and took the blame for violations that “happened under our watch,” but not until almost a week after the NFL pointed to them for failing to stop the program.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ESPN

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Tebow To The New York Jets

Tim Tebow has been traded from the Denver Broncos to the New York Jets … this according to FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer.

According to Jay … the Jets only had to give up a 4th round draft pick in exchange for the former Heisman Trophy winner.

The Jets already have a starting quarterback in Mark Sanchez … but if Sanchez chokes again … like he did last season … Tebow could be in a good position to take over the #1 spot.

Story developing …

TMZ

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JOBS Act Brings a New Level of Shade to Wall Street

Source

“Rather than focus on helping smaller businesses, Republicans and Democrats in Washington have come together on legislation that would assist large corporations and allow them to skirt financial disclosure rules.

The Jump-Start Our Business Start-Ups Act (or JOBS Act) started out as a plan to make it easier for start-up companies to raise capital. Now, though, the JOBS Act will benefit “emerging growth” companies that earn up to $1 billion a year.
Kathleen Smith, chairwoman of Renaissance Capital, which deals with initial public offerings, told the Senate Banking Committee: “By this definition, we would be giving relief to over 90 percent of the companies going public,” including “companies with very large market capitalizations.”
The bill also would permit companies to hide certain information that investors seek in a prospectus, such as audited financial data going back more than two years.
In an editorial, Bloomberg wrote that “the JOBS Act goes too far. It would gut many of the investor protections established just a decade ago in the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley law,” which was created in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom accounting scandals.
The bill swept through the House of Representatives 390-23 and is now being debated in the Senate.”

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Chevron Executives Face Criminal Charges in Brazil Over Oil Spill

“SAO PAULO (AP) — Seventeen oil company executives face probable criminal charges Wednesday for an oil leak in the Atlantic, a legal action that has prompted debate about whether it could slow Brazil’s effort to develop its massive offshore finds.

At least 110,000 gallons (416,000 liters) of oil seeped through cracks on the ocean floor near a Chevron Corp. appraisal well off the Rio de Janeiro coast in November. The well drilled byTransocean Ltd. has since been sealed, but a small amount of seepage reappeared in recent days, raising concern the damage is not yet over.

Paulo Alexandre Ferreira, a spokesman for the federal prosecutors’ office in Rio de Janeiro state, said the charges “most likely” will be put before courts on Wednesday. A judge will then decide if the executives will face trial, which would be a lengthy process given the number of defendants, the complexity of the case and the Brazilian legal system’s room for numerous appeals….”

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Today’s Money Flows

ISSUE GAINERS                 SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
Apple                          AAPL    NASD      605.85       +75.7       1.10 
AboveNet                       ABVT    NYSE       83.95       +29.3      23.09 
Oracle                         ORCL    NASD       30.38       +27.3       1.40 
Bank Of America                BAC     NYSE        9.91       +22.9       1.22 
JPMorgan Chase                 JPM     NYSE       45.32       +18.1       1.76 
Wells Fargo                    WFC     NYSE       34.40       +15.1       2.55 
Google                         GOOG    NASD      636.41       +14.6       1.27 
IBM                            IBM     NYSE      205.23       +13.1       1.61 
Halliburton                    HAL     NYSE       34.17       +12.2       1.54 
Amgen                          AMGN    NASD       67.40        +9.4       4.95 
Abbott Labs                    ABT     NYSE       60.19        +9.3       2.45 
Intel                          INTC    NASD       27.86        +8.9       2.32 
Baidu                          BIDU    NASD      139.69        +8.6       1.15 
Netflix                        NFLX    NASD      118.03        +8.3       1.23 
Genl Dynamics                  GD      NYSE       72.30        +8.2      14.98 
Freeport McMoran               FCX     NYSE       39.39        +8.1       1.41 
Post Holdings                  POST    NYSE       30.09        +8.0       8.22 
General Electric               GE      NYSE       20.15        +7.3       1.46 
Procter & Gamble               PG      NYSE       67.00        +7.3       2.23 
Perrigo Co                     PRGO    NASD      102.67        +7.1       4.19 

ISSUE DECLINERS               SYMBOL   EXCH   LAST PRICE   MONEY FLOW    RATIO 
                                                          (in millions) 
Paychex                        PAYX    NASD       31.90       -47.1       0.17 
Citigroup                      C       NYSE       37.83       -20.2       0.73 
Baker Hughes                   BHI     NYSE       45.76       -18.7       0.65 
Amazoncom                      AMZN    NASD      192.11       -18.5       0.75 
ExxonMobil                     XOM     NYSE       86.13       -15.7       0.53 
InterXion Holding              INXN    NYSE       16.45       -13.8       0.04 
AT&T                           T       NYSE       31.89       -13.4       0.32 
Wal-Mart Stores                WMT     NYSE       60.54       -13.0       0.26 
LinkedIn Cl A                  LNKD    NYSE       99.69       -12.3       0.84 
iShrs Russell 2000             IWM     ARCA       83.06       -10.3       0.77 
Nielsen Holdings               NLSN    NYSE       30.61        -9.7       0.66 
Schlumberger                   SLB     NYSE       74.15        -9.6       0.65 
Green Mountain Coffee          GMCR    NASD       53.41        -9.5       0.87 
Chevron                        CVX     NYSE      108.16        -9.4       0.62 
SPDR S&P 500                   SPY     ARCA      140.35        -9.2       0.94 
First Commonwealth Fincl       FCF     NYSE        6.53        -9.2       0.00 
Juniper Networks               JNPR    NYSE       21.19        -8.7       0.24 
Pfizer                         PFE     NYSE       21.87        -8.6       0.28 
Caterpillar                    CAT     NYSE      110.72        -8.2       0.80 
Dollar General                 DG      NYSE       45.17        -8.0       0.15

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52 Week Highs and Lows

NYSE

New Highs 38 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      HIGH                VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
Accenture PLC A               ACN         64.00              324,996 
Actuant                       ATU         29.97              169,395 
Advance Auto Parts            AAP         89.65               54,152 
Airgas Inc                    ARG         85.87               35,376 
Amer Campus Communities       ACC         44.25               60,382 
Anheuser Busch                BUD         72.64               54,976 
Brinker Intl                  EAT         29.24              120,859 
Cantel Med                    CMN         24.74                8,189 
Chipotle Mexican Grill        CMG         415.42              37,630 
CinemarkHldgs                 CNK         22.23               40,340 
Con Ed $5.00 Cum. pfd.        EDpA        106.03                 106 
Dollar General                DG          45.78              285,145 
Eagle Materials               EXP         37.18              464,429 
First Pfd Cap Tr IV Secs      FBSpA       16.50                  200 
Foot Locker                   FL          30.73              107,891 
Gap Inc                       GPS         26.34              513,546 
Hels Advantage Inco Fd        HAV         9.09                 6,360 
LeapFrog Cl A                 LF          7.98               122,819 
6.125% CorTS Am Gen Cap A     XFP         22.08                1,000 
Lennar Corp B                 LEN/B       22.16                8,400 
Limited Brands                LTD         48.14              490,485 
Lions Gate Entertainment      LGF         16.19            4,545,597 
Lowe's Cos                    LOW         30.84            1,350,579 
Macy's Inc                    M           40.19              766,705 
Nuveen GA Munifund pf         NPGpC       10.24               24,030 
Philip Morris Intl            PM          86.70              435,937 
Rackspce Host                 RAX         58.38              196,159 
Roper Indus                   ROP         99.99               52,022 
STAG Industrial               STAG        14.07               12,600 
Salient MLP & Engy Infr       SMF         25.99               10,498 
Simon Property Group          SPG         144.75             227,066 
SolarWinds                    SWI         39.97              291,608 
TJX Cos                       TJX         38.75              258,852 
TNS Inc                       TNS         22.37                3,515 
Taiwan Semi Mfg               TSM         15.43            1,157,601 
Thai Fund Inc                 TTF         15.47                6,195 
USG                           USG         19.44            1,880,486 
Wright Express                WXS         65.64               73,158 

New Lows 2 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      LOW                 VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
Ferrellgas                    FGP         15.00              105,164 
Pretium Resources             PVG         14.36               37,835

NASDAQ

New Highs 51 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      HIGH                VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
ASML Hldg NV                  ASML        49.09              219,497 
Affymax                       AFFY        13.14              489,901 
Alexion Pharm                 ALXN        91.25              141,270 
Allot Comm                    ALLT        21.72               69,425 
Anika Therapeutics            ANIK        12.76               23,758 
Banner                        BANR        22.97               14,867 
Builders FirstSource          BLDR        4.35                56,111 
CVB Fincl                     CVBF        11.87              405,020 
Clean Energy Fuels            CLNE        23.75              972,567 
ClickSoftware                 CKSW        12.92               22,420 
CoBiz Fincl                   COBZ        7.10                 8,485 
Conn's                        CONN        15.52               20,878 
Dollar Tree                   DLTR        94.80               85,460 
Endologix                     ELGX        14.50              101,361 
Equinix                       EQIX        146.79             248,150 
EZchip                        EZCH        45.75               13,724 
FSI Intl                      FSII        5.44             2,364,055 
1st Century Bcshs Inc         FCTY        4.55                 7,009 
First Fincl Northwest         FFNW        7.63                   200 
First Tr ISE Cloud Comp       SKYY        21.20                8,553 
Fossil                        FOSL        134.99             230,928 
Galena Biopharma              GALE        2.30             3,722,143 
Harris Interactive            HPOL        1.35                19,296 
Heelys                        HLYS        2.55                85,281 
Heritage Oaks Bancorp         HEOP        4.87                   570 
Hibbett Sports                HIBB        53.38               17,597 
inContact                     SAAS        5.83                32,820 
Intuitive Surgical            ISRG        535.85              22,312 
LPL Investment Holdings       LPLA        37.85                9,881 
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals       LXRX        2.01               702,326 
Mellanox Techs                MLNX        41.50               98,940 
MetroCorp Bancshares          MCBI        9.46                   750 
Monster Beverage              MNST        61.17               87,721 
Napco Security Systems        NSSC        3.06                 6,772 
Neteasecom                    NTES        58.57              163,098 
On Assignment                 ASGN        18.25              719,325 
Penn National Gaming          PENN        44.60               52,131 
PwrShrs QQQ Tr Series 1       QQQ         67.32            5,925,518 
Preferred Bank                PFBC        12.49                4,130 
pricelinecom                  PCLN        706.89             175,848 
ProShares UltraPro QQQ        TQQQ        118.61             152,529 
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals     REGN        119.36              90,198 
Resource America  (Cl A)      REXI        6.64                 2,326 
Ross Stores                   ROST        57.31              130,703 
Saba Software                 SABA        12.64              184,774 
Snyders-Lance                 LNCE        24.64                9,717 
Starbucks                     SBUX        53.94              698,188 
Synacor                       SYNC        6.83               230,073 
21st Century Hldg             TCHC        3.75                 5,102 
Verisk Analytics Inc          VRSK        45.76               41,196 
Westport Innovations          WPRT        50.19              653,111 

New Lows 5 

COMPANY                       SYMBOL      LOW                 VOLUME 
-------                       ------      ----                ------ 
B Communications              BCOM        9.52                 1,150 
LookSmart                     LOOK        1.10               141,212 
ProShr Ul Sh QQQ              SQQQ        10.92              548,172 
Pure Bioscience               PURE        0.30                18,989 
Shengkai Innovations          VALV        1.08               281,748

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Mizuho Securities: Cheap Money Begets Buybacks Which Begets the Current Stock Market Rally

Source

“NEW YORK – Corporate narcissism could be the key to keeping the stock bull market alive.

Three years after the worst stock swoon since the Great DepressionMain Street investors still don’t view U.S.stocks as must-own assets, draining the market of the cash injection it needs to prosper. In contrast, corporations have been fawning over their own stocks and buying back shares in such ample amounts that the market has been able to power higher to new bull market highs.

Flush with cash and in search of good investments in a world of 0% interest rates, more companies have been slapping buy ratings on their own stocks — which they view as undervalued — at a time when individual investors have been content to play it safe and park their cash in bonds and money market funds.

Last year, companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index spent $404.2 billion to buy their own company’s stock, nearly double the amount back in 2009, says Thomson Reuters Eikon.

Carmine Grigoli, chief investment strategist at Mizuho Securities, attributes the market’s 100%-plus gain since the March 2009 bear market bottom to the stock buyback binge. He says buybacks could total $550 billion this year, creating a positive supply-and-demand dynamic that could catapult the S&P 500 up nearly 11% to 1550 and near its all-time high in the next 12 months.

“It is, has been, and will continue to be the biggest driver of the stock market,” Grigoli says.

Fueling the buyback trend is an “extraordinarily cheap” stock market in relation to Treasury bonds and a corporate sector sitting on more than $1 trillion in free cash, Grigoli says….”

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Bernanke Says Europe Needs to do More Since U.S. Money Markets are Still Exposed to the EU Debt Crisis

Source

“WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the threats from Europe’s debt crisis have eased, but U.S. money market funds remain exposed to risky European assets.

In testimony prepared for a congressional hearing Wednesday, Bernanke noted developments that have minimized the danger. He pointed to bailout support that European leaders provided in exchange for deep budget cuts by the Greek government and he highlighted the agreement by private creditors to reduce Greece’s debt.

But he said Europe must take further steps, including strengthening its banking system even more and making “a significant expansion of financial backstops” to guard against troubles in one country spilling over to other nations.

“Europe’s financial and economic situation remains difficult, and it is critical that the European leaders follow through on their policy commitments to ensure a lasting stabilization,” Bernanke said in remarks prepared for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

While U.S. financial institutions have reduced their exposure to Europe, Bernanke said roughly 35% of assets in U.S. prime money market funds are in European holdings.

“U.S. financial firms and money market funds have had time to adjust their exposures and hedge their risks to some degree … but the risks of contagion remain a concern both for these institutions and their supervisors and regulators,” Bernanke said.

Bernanke said if Europe took a severe turn for the worse, the U.S. financial sector would have to contend not only with problems stemming from its direct exposure to European loans and investments but also with broader market movements, including declines in global stock prices, increased credit costs and reduced availability of funding….”

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The Associated Press shows no statistical correlation between how much oil comes out of U.S. wells and the price at the pump

Source

“(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON – It’s the political cure-all for high gas prices: Drill here, drill now. But more U.S. drilling has not changed how deeply the gas pump drills into your wallet, math and history show.

A statistical analysis of 36 years of monthly, inflation-adjusted gasoline prices and U.S. domestic oil production by The Associated Press shows no statistical correlation between how much oil comes out of U.S. wells and the price at the pump.

If more domestic oil drilling worked as politicians say, you’d now be paying about $2 a gallon for gasoline. Instead, you’re paying the highest prices ever for March.

Political rhetoric about the blame over gas prices and the power to change them — whether Republican claims now or Democrats’ charges four years ago — is not supported by cold, hard figures. And that’s especially true about oil drilling in the U.S. More oil production in the United States does not mean consistently lower prices at the pump….”

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The Dallas Fed Officially Calls For The Immediate Breakup Of Large Banks

“It’s hard not to think it’s a big deal when a branch of the Federal Reserve system calls for the breakup of major American banks.

The bank has just released its annual report, and the title of the letter is: Choosing the Road to Prosperity Why We Must End Too Big to Fail—Now.

Here’s the full letter from Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher, generally known as one of the most hawkish and conservative Fed Presidents.

Letter from the
President
If you are running one of the “too-big- to-fail” (TBTF) banks—alternatively known as “systemically important financial institutions,” or SIFIs—I doubt you are going to like what you read in this annual report essay written by Harvey Rosenblum, the head of the Dallas Fed’s Research Department, a highly regarded Federal Reserve veteran of 40 years and the former president of the National Association for Business Economics.

Memory fades with the passage of time. Yet it is important to recall that it was in recog- nition of the precarious position in which the TBTF banks and SIFIs placed our economy in 2008 that the U.S. Congress passed into law the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd–Frank). While the act established a number of new macroprudential features to help promote financial stability, its overarching purpose, as stated unambiguously in its preamble, is ending TBTF.”

Read more: 

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CITI: The US Energy Industry Is Going To Grow So Fast, It Will Spark A New ‘Industrial Revolution’

Source

“Oil and gas production in the United States and North America is going to skyrocket in the next 8 years due to strides in natural resource extraction, write Citi analysts in a report published yesterday. In fact, they went so far as to call North America “the new Middle East,” at least in terms of oil production.

This—as well as a trend towards declining U.S. energy consumption—will completely transform both the domestic economy and the threats the U.S. will face in the future,

Indeed, Citi economists expect total liquids production to as much as double for the continent in the next decade, and predict that the U.S. could overtake both Russia and Saudi Arabia in oil production by 2020:

U.S. will overtake Russian and Saudi Arabian oil production, U.S. oil consumption

That’s because there is incredible potential to extract and refine energy products on domestic soil:

 

North American shale plays oil extraction

Citi Investment Research and Analysis

 

This energy boom would have a transformative effect on the domestic economy. Here are just a few of the most astonishing consequences in a “good-case” scenario:

  • Citi analysts expect real GDP to increase by 2.0 to 3.3 percent—$370 to $624 billion—as a consequence of new production, a decline in energy consumption, and the economic activity generated along with this.
  • 3.6 million new jobs could be created by 2020 as a consequence of increased energy production. Of those new jobs, some 600,000 would probably be devoted to oil and gas extraction while 1.1 million would be generated to meet demand in related industrial and manufacturing sectors. National unemployment could subsequently decline by up to 1.1 percent.
  • The current account deficit could shrink by 80 to 90 percent due to energy exports at an already low level of production. Citi analysts predict that the current account balance could move from -3.0 percent of GDP to -0.6 percent of GDP by 2020.
  • The value of the dollar could jump by 1.6 to 5.4 percent, primarily based on changes in the current account balance.
  • What’s more, risks to the U.S.—in particular, geopolitical risks—would dramatically decrease. A domestic or continental energy boom would diminish the importance of conflict within and tensions involving the Middle East, as the U.S. would become significantly more energy independent.
  • Finally, Citi analysts note that this could lead to a considerable decline in oil prices.

oil prices with U.S. oil boom

While they qualify that this growth depends the realization of their “good-case” assumptions, Citi economists emphasize that the energy sector provides an almost inconceivable opportunity for economic growth:

It is difficult to square these rosy visions with the current reality of a nation still struggling to shake off the aftermath of the 2008 Great Recession, with millions still unemployed, economic recovery still uncertain, worries over ballooning fiscal debts, a hollowing out and loss of manufacturing competitiveness, tremendous angst and hand-wringing over volatile oil prices and dependence on oil imports, deep social divisions, and political paralysis. But if our analysis is accurate, then in only eight short years, this situation may be turned upside-down and economists, policymakers and the nation as a whole may confront new “problems” around managing a vast hydrocarbon windfall and preventing “Dutch Disease.”

The coming generation of Americans and its leaders may be privileged to witness a remarkable resurgence of the American economy and industry, led by its energy sector, but spreading to the rest of the manufacturing sector and beyond, a potential minor Industrial Revolution.”

 

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-spike-in-us-oil-production-is-about-to-make-it-the-new-middle-east-2012-3#ixzz1plEXoCQf

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The EU Tries a Tit for Tat Economic Reform Policy

Source

“BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is seeking powers to block foreign companies from winninglucrative government contracts unless their home countries open their own public-sector deals toEuropean firms.

The proposals unveiled Wednesday appear to be targeted mostly at China, whose companies have obtained public projects in Europe.

The EU says China’s massive government contracts remain mostly reserved for local companies — a claim that Beijing rejects.

But the EU also hopes to gain concessions from the U.S. and Japan, which it says are more restrictive to foreign bidders than the 27-country bloc.

The EU’s Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, said “This proposal will increase the leverage of the European Union in international negotiations.”

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Shareholders Try to Launch a New Direction for Yahoo

Source 

“NEW YORK (AP) — One of Yahoo’s major investors is urging shareholders to vote its four nominees on to the Internet company’s board, launching a potentially nasty fight to transform its direction.

Hedge fund Third Point LLC, which has a 5.8 percent stake in Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo Inc., said it thinks the struggling company would fare better if its representatives were in the boardroom helping overhaul Yahoo.

Third Point’s letter, released in a regulatory filing Wednesday, comes a week after the hedge fundsaid it would launch a campaign to get its four nominees on the board if the Yahoo’s management didn’t accept them.

The proposed directors are Daniel Loeb, the hedge fund’s manager; former NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker; former MTV Networks executive Michael Wolf and turnaround specialist Harry Wilson.

The company’s board is in the midst of changes. Of the 11 directors, four, including Chairman Roy Bostock, have said they will step down at Yahoo’s annual meeting, which is usually held in late June. The departures are part of an attempt to placate shareholders frustrated with a long-running financial funk that has depressed the company’s stock price.

The company also appointed two new directors to its board last month.

But Third Point’s letter said that the appointed directors were not in the best interests of Yahoo, and the board still lacked expertise in the media and entertainment industries, as well as in corporate restructurings.

Yahoo shares added 8 cents to $15.49 in premarket trading Wednesday. Shares have ranged from $11.09 to $18.84 in the past 12 months.”

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Energy Secretary Chu gives himself high marks for controlling gas prices

Read here:

The Obama administration’s energy policy chief on Tuesday gave himself an A for controlling gas prices that have reached a record high at pumps across the country, drawing criticism and even chortles from Washington Republicans.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu made the comment during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in which he was asked whether he was still doing A-minus work.

“Well, the tools we have at our disposal are limited, but I would say I would give myself a little higher,” he told committee Chairman Darrell Issa. “Since I became secretary of energy, I’ve been doing everything I can to get long-term solutions.”

Issa, a California Republican, said later that the administration’s “DOE is DOA.”

The average price of regular gas is now $3.87 a gallon, a record high for March and more than double the $1.85 a gallon price when Obama took office in January 2009, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

The price for a gallon of regular gas has reached $4.35 a gallon in California.

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U.S. Equity Preview: SAIC, ORCL, ASGN, LNKD, KKD, JBL, HERO, HIG, FSII, & BHI

Source

Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI) fell 4.3 percent to $45.75. The oilfield contractor said operating profit before tax for the first quarter is expected to be lower than the fourth quarter of 2011 because of “rapidly changing” market conditions.

FSI International Inc. (FSII) : The maker of equipment for chip factories reported second-quarter earnings of 9 cents a share, exceeding the average analyst estimate by 4 cents.

Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) rose 6.6 percent to $23.15. The insurer being pressed to break up by its biggest shareholder said it will wind down its individual annuities business and seek a buyer for part of its life unit.

Hercules Offshore Inc. (HERO) : The Houston-based offshore drilling company will sell as many as 20 million shares in a secondary offering. Half of the proceeds will be used to repay debt and another portion will be used to buy a rig. The company was also raised to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital Markets, meaning that its stock will neither beat nor trail its peers over the next 12 months.

Jabil Circuit Inc. (JBL) : The U.S. contract electronics manufacturer reported second-quarter earnings of 58 cents a share, matching the average analyst estimate.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. (KKD) : The doughnut chain reported fourth-quarter revenue of $102 million, beating the $101.4 million projected by analysts on average. Same-store sales climbed 8.3 percent during the period, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based company said.

LinkedIn Corp. (LNKD) (LNKD US) gained 5.5 percent to $96.87. The biggest professional-networking website was raised to buy from neutral at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

On Assignment Inc. (ASGN) : The provider of temporary workers to technology and health-care companies agreed to purchase information technology staffing firm Apex Systems Inc. for $600 million. The deal is expected to “significantly” add to earnings this year, the Calabasas, California-based company said.

Oracle Corp. (ORCL) increased 2.6 percent to $30.88. The largest maker of database software reported fiscal third-quarter profit and new license sales that topped analysts’ estimates as the company sold more databases and business applications.

SAIC Inc. (SAI) : The defense contractor forecast earnings from continuing operations in 2013 will be no more than $1.36 a share, falling short of the average analyst estimate of $1.38. The McLean, Virginia-based company initiated a quarterly dividend of 12 cents a share and said it may buy back 40 million shares.

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