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A.I.G. Apologizes and Agrees to $1.64 Billion Settlement [external]
The American International Group agreed to pay $1.64 billion to settle charges of fraud in the way it attracted business and reported its results.
Up Next for Repair: Renault [external]
Carlos Ghosn became perhaps the auto industry's most celebrated Mr. Fix-It with his turnaround of Nissan Motor. Now he's setting out to revitalize Renault.
A Second Mistrial Is Declared in Fraud Case Against the Former Chairman of Cendant [external]
The fraud trial of Walter A. Forbes ended in a mistrial Thursday after the jury announced that it had failed to reach a unanimous verdict in its 27th day of deliberations.
F.C.C. Sees Cable Savings in à la Carte [external]
Consumers would save as much as 13 percent on their cable bills if they could buy only the channels they want.
Oil Giants Fell Behind on Fees [external]
Dozens of energy companies fell nearly $500 million behind last year on royalty payments the U.S. says they owed for oil and gas extracted from public territory.
Volkswagen Says Up to 20,000 Jobs Could Be Cut [external]
The jobs could be cut by 2009 under a new restructuring plan designed to reduce costs and boost earnings for Europe's biggest automaker.
Biogen Idec CEO Awarded $1.2M Bonus
Biogen Idec Inc.'s top executive was awarded a $1.2 million bonus and a 10 percent salary increase after a year in which the biotechnology company withdrew a promising drug from the market, leading to job cuts and 32 percent drop in its stock price,
Ford Vice Chairman Greg Smith to Retire
Ford Motor Co. Vice Chairman Greg Smith plans to retire after 32 years with the automaker, the company said Friday. Smith, who joined the company in 1973 as an engineer, will remain a consultant. His retirement is effective March 1....
GM, Ford Execs Seek to Reduce Dealerships
Executives from General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said Friday they need to reduce the number of dealerships they have as their U.S. market share shrinks. "Just as we're right-sizing our manufacturing footprint, we have to right-size our
RAM Holdings Plans Initial Public Offering
RAM Holdings Ltd. is planning an initial public offering to sell up to $250 million in common stock, according to a Friday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Details about the number of shares being offered and estimated...
Novacea Files Initial Public Offering
Biopharmaceutical company Novacea Inc. filed an initial public offering Friday to sell up to $75 million in common stock. Details about the number of shares offered and estimated price range for the IPO weren't disclosed in Friday's filing...
Univision Growth Prompts Possible Sale
Conquering the U.S. Spanish-language television, radio and recorded music market has left Univision Communications Inc. with a quandry: Where to look for growth? The answer will likely drive a decision by the Los Angeles-based media...
Compensation Rises in 2005 for AT&T CEO
The chairman and chief executive of AT&T Inc. saw his annual compensation rise to nearly $12 million in 2005, according to the proxy statement that the company filed Friday. Edward Whitacre Jr.'s salary remained the same as a year earlier at
GE's stock glide downward surprises some investors
The recent stock woes of General Electric Co. , a Wall Street darling through much of the 1980s and 1990s, is attracting interest from an unusual group on Wall Street these days: value investors. The company increased earnings at a 10...
US stocks rise on strong earnings, tech rebound
US stocks gained on Friday after strong earnings from companies, including insurance broker Aon Corp. , and a rebound in tech shares helped boost sentiment. For the week, the Dow rose 1.17 percent and the S&P 500 edged up 0.24 percent,
Activists Claim Yahoo Again Helped China
BEIJING (AP) - Yahoo Inc. has provided Chinese authorities with information used to jail one of its users for eight years, an activist group said Thursday - the second time the U.S.-based Internet firm was accused of helping jail a Chinese user. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said Yahoo's...
Cos. Tackle Online Searches at Conference photo
PHOENIX (AP) - Despite powerful search engines, the vast and rising sea of information on the Internet often makes users feel like they're stuck alone in a rowboat when it comes to fishing out exactly what they need. Even after someone finds an answer, the next person with the same question must...
Microsoft Plans to Spend $1B to Expand HQ
REDMOND, Wash. (AP) - Microsoft Corp. plans to spend about $1 billion over the next three years on an expansion that will add enough offices at its headquarters to house about 12,000 workers. The plan, which calls for increasing Microsoft's sprawling suburban campus by about one-third, will...
Microsoft Rebrands MSN to Focus on Content
SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corp.'s plans to rebrand its free e-mail, instant messenger and Web search products under the name "Live" could be interpreted as a sign that MSN - the unit that previously housed those products - is a sinking ship. But John Nicol, the executive recently put in charge of...
FTC to Hold High-Tech Issue Hearings
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Trade Commission will host hearings this fall on emerging technologies being exploited by Internet spies and identity thieves. The FTC last held similar hearings in 1995, when the technology to create now familiar problems such as spyware and spam was still in its...
Afternoon Wrap: Volatile week, mixed results : Volatile action over the last several days with today's reversal off the early low leaving the Dow and S&P 500 higher for the week (Nasdaq 100/Comp slightly lower, Russell 2000 and S&P 400 off roughly 1%). Top performing sectors today include: Tobacco +1.5%, Oil Service +1.2%, Chemical +1%, Insurance +1%, Railroad +1%, Defense +0.8% (new 52-wk high). Technically we saw the S&P 500 bounce near its 20 wk ema, the Dow near its 50 day ema and the key Semi Sector (SOX) recover off its 20 day ema again.
Earnings Preview for the week of Feb 13th - 18th: : Companies
reporting earnings the week of Feb 13th - 18th include: Monday: AMRI, ANR, CMED, ENCY, HOC, VLCCF, NTE, ORBK, SVM, SYNT, VAL, BER, KAR, A, BBB, BOBE, BDE, BFAM, CD, CRK, CCRN, CUTR, DTSI, FADV, FWRD, IVIL, LNCR, LNC, NCOF, QGEN, RADN, STP, SNRR, UHCO, VECO, WCN, WCG, and WPTE... Tuesday: LEND, EYE, AEE, RATE, N, JAKK, JAH, MMC, MAS, MNTA, NRP, NSS, OMC, PENN, PLA, Q, SCHS, TRAD, RIG, UAG, UMC, WMG, WMI, WSO, ANF, ACAS, BCSI, CEPH, DADE, FTI, IM, INTL, TRDO, ITRI, LVS, NBP, ORCC, OSI, PEGS, PLAB, STR, RCRC, RNWK, SNDS, SIAL, STAK, and VLCM... Wednesday: ARTC, BXC, CMX, CEN, XECM,DAKT, DVA, DSX, EXA, ENDP, FE, GENZ, HC, JNY, KEA, KVHI, TVL, NT, ODP, ZEUS, PKD, PFCB, PDS, PGN, RRA, SSYS, MDCO, TOO, THS, YCC, AIG, AGP, AMAT, AQNT, BIIB, CECO, CBR, CLF, CCRT, DENN, DGIN, HILL, DTE, ESPD, EXPE, GPRO, GSIC, GTRC, HPQ, LIOX, MVSN, NANO, NTAP, QDEL, RNDX, SONO, SMA, and SNPS... Thursday: ACW, ASF, AAP, ANSS, AVCI, BBW, CE, CRYP, EEEE, ENZN, EVVV, GLBL, GT, GMCR, GES, INCY, ILSE, JCP, LH, LMS, LF, LECO, LTR,MKSI, NCI, NSTC, NTFR, OMG, PCR, PCLN, PLD, RS, RJET, POOL, STRA, TGT, TKLC, VTAL, WTI, WON, OATS, XMSR, ADIC, AEIS, AMMD, ARBX, BIO, BLKB, BRCD, BUCY, COG, CAPA, DELL, DITC, HITT, HUG, INTU, USLE, LEXR, LTXX, NVDA, PEET, PIXR, PGI, PSYS, RRGB, WINS, SAPE, SIMG, TWP, WPI, WTW, and UBET... Friday: APPX, BEC, BRC, CPB, CPB, CHINA, SJM, PQ, PCG, RSH, SIRI, TOPT, and ZLC.
Conference/Events Calendar for the week of Feb 13th-17th: :
Events of interest for the week of Feb 13th-17th include: Monday: CRVL, TRI, QSII at UBS Global Healthcare Services Conf; PRA, AGII, UHCO, RLI at NYSSA 10th Annual Insurance Conf; RSAS 3rd Annual Investor Day; SCUR, ACTI, MFE, CTXS at America's Growth Capital 2nd Annual Info Security & Data Center Conf; SNWL Analyst Day; Fed: Pianalto speaks to economists ... Tuesday: NYSSA 10th Annual Insurance Conf; MOGN, AVGN, CELG, PRDX at Biotech Industry Org CEO & Investor Conf; BER, PHLY, RNR at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; BUCY, LMT, JOYG, RSG at Lehman Brothers 23rd Annual Industrial Select Conf; QGEN Analyst's Meeting; BIOS, UHS, UPSI, PRAI at UBS Global Healthcare Services Conf; Fed: Lacker speaks on transition ... Wednesday: ASM BioDefense Conf; GR, CBE, DOV at Lehman Brothers 23rd Annual Industrial Select Conf; AXL, BWA, GNTX at Prudential Equity Group Automotive Co Mtgs; CRAI, NTIQ, DRIV at JPMorgan Small Cap Conf; HCP, SUNH, PRSC, NOVA at UBS Global Healthcare Services Conf; TNOX, KOOL, TLB at Deutsche Bank Securities Small Cap Growth Conf; NFS, XL, IPCC at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; WMB, DUK, SO, KMP at UBS 2006 Natural Gas & Electric Utilities Conf; Fed: Bernanke delivers semi-annual policy report to congress ... Thursday: AFL, MET at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; MOBE, SYMM, SHFL at Deutsche Bank Securities Small Cap Growth Conf; CNF, XPRSA, UACL at BB&T Capital Markets 21st Annual Transportation Services Conf; STR, PPL, D at UBS 2006 Natural Gas & Electric Utilities Conf; MMM, WMI, BWA at Lehman Brothers 23rd Annual Industrial Select Conf; TSCO, RARE, APPB, PWAV at JPMorgan Small Cap Conf; QLTI,AXCA, FDG, PDG at CIBC World Markets 9th Annual Whistler Institutional Investor Conf ... Friday: EXBD, STMP, KNOT at Deutsche Bank Securities Small Cap Growth Conf; RIMM, SWIR, PDS at CIBC World Markets 9th Annual Whistler Institutional Investor Conf; Fed: pre-President's Day: Financial & Bond markets early close (noon in pit; 13:00 electronic). For a complete list of events for the week, please click here. For a complete list of conference calls, please click here.
PokerTek new partnership and the PokerPro system are designed to speed up live poker games around the world (PTEK) 10.79 +0.01 : Co announces on Jan 23, 2006, at the International Casino Expo, they announced an international distribution agreement with a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: ALL) that grants Aristocrat the right to distribute the PokerPro table and system across the globe. Under the terms of the agreement, Aristocrat will have exclusive rights to offer the co's PokerPro tables and other PokerPro-branded technology solutions, to gaming venues across the globe with the exception of United States and Canadian gaming jurisdictions, where PokerTek places product directly.
article for smokeless cigs.
February 08, 2006 03:21 PM ETCigarette makers seen adding smokeless tobaccoadvertisementRelated information E-mail this article Print-friendly versionStocks mentioned in this articleALTRIA GROUP(MO) Stock Quote, Chart, News Reynolds American, Inc.(RAI) Stock Quote, Chart, News UST Inc.(UST) Stock Quote, Chart, News
All Reuters NewsCHICAGO (Reuters) - The makers of Marlboro and Camel cigarettes could soon go smokeless, supplementing sagging U.S. cigarette sales volume with smokeless tobacco, analysts say.
Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris USA and Reynolds American Inc. could both enter the smokeless tobacco market soon, either through an acquisition or with their own new product, analysts said in the past week.
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"Our trade contacts indicate Reynolds American has already developed a product and will enter the market with Camel, possibly in conjunction with the Daytona 500 in mid-February," Bonnie Herzog, analyst at Citigroup Investment Research, said last week in a research note. She repeated that idea on Wednesday.
The idea of cigarette makers entering the smokeless market has been long rumored, with UST Inc. , which makes Skoal and Copenhagen, or Conwood Sales Co., which makes Kodiak and Grizzly, seen as possible acquisitions. Conwood is a holding of Chicago's Pritzker family.
The reason is simple -- U.S. consumption of cigarettes has fallen almost every year since hitting a peak of 640 billion cigarettes in 1981, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consumption fell 2.6 percent in 2005, to 378 billion cigarettes, the USDA said.
Cigarette demand has been hit by restrictions on smoking in public places, increased consumer awareness of the dangers of smoking and higher prices. Prices have risen because of taxes and increases taken by cigarette makers to help pay billions of dollars to U.S. states as part of a 1998 legal settlement.
"If you're not able to cover the (settlement) payments with price increases, it's going to start dipping into profitability," said Gregg Warren, food and tobacco analyst at Morningstar Inc.
LESS OF A CLOUD
Meanwhile, smokeless tobacco consumption is growing. Volume for the sector rose 4.5 percent in 2005, though much of that growth was driven by lower-priced products, Warren said.
The smokeless tobacco sector "doesn't have the same dangerous legal and health cloud hanging over it" as cigarettes, said one investment banker who specializes in the consumer products sector. "It may not be viewed as a 'healthy' product, but it's not viewed as a deadly product like cigarettes."
The chief executives of Altria and Reynolds American were both asked about entering the smokeless tobacco market during calls to field questions about their fourth-quarter earnings. Both declined to answer specifically, but their answers left open a move into that market.
"It is clear that smokeless is a growing category," Susan Ivey, chairman and chief executive of Reynolds American, which makes brands including Camel and Kool, said Wednesday. "I would not want to comment on how we would or would not get engaged in that until we have something concrete."
Meanwhile Altria Chairman and CEO Louis Camilleri said last week that the company's Philip Morris USA unit, which makes the top-selling Marlboro brands, is interested in "adjacent" tobacco businesses.
"You can clearly expect a lot of activity in the coming months," he said, but did not provide more detail.
Analysts and bankers said it makes more sense for the companies to buy smokeless tobacco companies rather than start their own businesses since the tobacco used is a different strain and processed differently from cigarette tobacco.
"It's a different tobacco, a different manufacturing process, a different audience. Just buy it -- and get a built-in, loyal customer base -- rather than trying to reinvent the wheel," said a second investment banker who declined to be named.
A spokesman for UST declined comment on the possibility of the company being acquired. H Group Holding Inc., the holding company for Conwood, could not be reached for comment.
Bankers have said that any Pritzker holding could be available after the family settled a lawsuit brought by two young heirs to the family fortune who had charged the family had emptied their billion-dollar trust funds.
(Additional reporting by Jessica Hall in Philadelphia and James Kelleher in Chicago)
Copyright 2006 Reuters
Market Reports
The Market Story
Cisco Gives Stocks a Lift
by TheStreet.com Feb 8 2006 11:01AM EST
TechStocks
TechStocks
by Briefing.com Feb 8 2006 10:20AM EST
Stocks lollygagged without a clear direction despite concerns regarding energy prices thanks to Iran saying they would continue their nuclear program. Outside of the energy world, the Dow saw a m[More...]
Story Stocks by Briefing.com Feb 8 2006 11:06AM
Pepsico 57.47 +0.61: Pepsico on Wednesday reported higher fourth quarter profits that matched Wall Street's estimates, driven by strong top-line growth across all of its businesses
Hot Industries (5-day % change)
Construction - Raw Materials 3.33%
Motion Pictures 3.01%
Aerospace & Defense 2.81%
Restaurants 2.77%
Footwear 1.78%
Hot Sectors (5-day % change)
Capital Goods -0.11%
Services -0.76%
Consumer / Non-Cyclical -1.06%
Dow Jones 30 Industrials (_INDU)
Market Energy
by techtrader
Feb 7 2006 10:44PM EST
Well it continues, with the Dow on 10,700 watch and the Nasdaq on 2200 watch.The daily energy for the Dow keeps falling with today's -11 daily energy,...
Intel Corp (INTC)
long term winner (Long Recommendation)
by garp4u
Feb 8 2006 2:42AM EST
This may be a bit early, especially since the NASDAQ looks like it will be headed south for the time being, but INTC is so low it's ridiculous.
Symbol Last Change Volume Event
MIR 26.28 -0.41 1,184,100 Record Price Low
TX 22.03 -0.70 514,000 Record Price Low
ETE 22.00 -0.44 322,000 Record Price Low
PIR 10.77 -0.89 1,398,800 Record Price Low
PIR 10.77 -0.89 1,398,800 Percent Loser
USU 12.19 -1.41 2,726,200 Percent Loser
CYBX 25.40 -2.83 2,229,082 Percent Loser
DVN 61.20 -0.89 1,911,700 Trending Down
ISRG 95.62 -4.88 1,305,350 Trending Down
PLAY 25.59 -0.06 712,541 Trending Down
RCL 43.02 -0.47 775,100 OverBought
GM 21.78 -1.03 4,451,700 Analyst Downgrade
GPS 18.24 -0.11 1,334,200 Analyst Downgrade
GOOG 356.85 -11.06 8,297,453 Analyst Downgrade
COHU 21.85 -0.63 104,113 Top ClearHead Short!
AMZN 37.25 -0.26 2,003,928 Community Favorite Short!
BKHM 7.54 -0.06 354,402 Community Favorite Short!
Symbol Last Change Volume Event
LNT 31.19 0.98 474,000 Record Price Break Out
PDX 90.33 5.07 526,000 Record Price Break Out
ABCO 55.18 5.08 294,224 Record Price Break Out
EXBD 99.18 11.26 656,199 Record Price Break Out
AGR 13.99 0.63 692,800 Trending Up
FLIR 26.13 1.16 660,350 Trending Up
TWTC 12.11 0.25 405,827 Trending Up
JBL 39.18 0.68 554,300 OverSold
LXK 46.54 0.14 300,300 OverSold
CSCO 19.19 1.10 70,310,423 OverSold
MXIM 40.66 0.49 893,192 OverSold
DIS 26.84 0.14 8,971,000 Analyst Upgrade
MOT 21.41 0.41 6,429,100 Analyst Upgrade
CSCO 19.19 1.10 70,310,423 Analyst Upgrade
DOW 40.59 -0.15 1,327,000 Member Recommendation!
GOOG 356.85 -11.06 8,297,453 Community Favorite!
IPSU 21.71 -0.68 32,675 Community Favorite!
CLZR 18.62 -0.04 91,682 Top Community Pick!
TSCO 60.99 -1.02 115,196 Top Community Pick!
Time Warner Earnings Up on Cable, Movies
Wednesday February 1, 1:09 pm ET
By Seth Sutel, AP Business Writer
Time Warner 4Q Earnings Rise on Cable TV, Movie Studios and Cable Networks Businesses
NEW YORK (AP) -- Time Warner Inc.'s profits rose 21.2 percent in the fourth quarter on strong results from the company's cable TV, movie studios and cable networks businesses.
The results, which beat analysts' expectations, come as the giant media company is rebuffing calls from financier Carl Icahn to break up the company or take other radical steps to boost its lagging share price.
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Time Warner's CEO Dick Parsons delivered a rebuke to Icahn in a conference call with investors Wednesday morning, saying the company "will not experiment with flavor-of-the-day" strategies of boosting shareholder value. Earlier this year media conglomerate Viacom Inc. split itself in two in a bid to regain favor on Wall Street.
Icahn is leading a group of investors who want a shake-up at Time Warner, but on the whole they only own about 3 percent of the company's stock. Icahn's demands include larger share buybacks and a complete spinoff of Time Warner's cable TV division.
The New York-based media conglomerate, whose huge array of media properties includes HBO, CNN, Warner Bros. and Time magazine, earned $1.37 billion in the last three months of 2005, up from $1.13 billion in the same period a year ago.
On a per-share basis, earnings rose to 29 cents from 24 cents.
Excluding one-time gains of 4 cents per share in both the current quarter and the year-ago period, the earnings came in ahead of the 22 cents per share that analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected.
However, Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Michael Nathanson told investors in a note that the profit lift came entirely from an unexpectedly low tax rate, and the company's forecast for profit growth in 2006 was lower than he had expected.
Nonetheless, Time Warner's shares rose 53 cents, or 3 percent, to $18.06 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where they have traded in a 52-week range of $16.10 to $19.
Like other media companies, Time Warner's shares have suffered over the past year due to concerns that rapid technological changes such as music and video downloading and the growth of the Internet will harm traditional media businesses.
But Parsons called those concerns "overblown," and said that he was pleased with the company's performance over the past year, with one "glaring and frustrating exception -- our current stock price."
In a rebuff to Icahn's call to replace Time Warner's managers and break up the company, Parsons said the company would still consider strategies for lifting the share price but cautioned against impatience.
"No one can run these businesses better than the current management is running them," Parsons said.
Time Warner's revenues rose 7 percent to $11.9 billion from $11.1 billion a year ago on gains in cable TV, movie and TV production, cable networks and magazine publishing.
Time Warner also said it had repurchased $3 billion of its own stock to date under a $12.5 billion share buyback program that its board authorized last year. It has proposed a partial spinoff of the cable TV unit.
Profits at Time Warner's cable TV unit rose 11 percent on a 13 percent increase in revenues as the division continued to sign up more customers for premium services like high-speed Internet and digital video. It also added 34,000 basic video subscribers, for a total of almost 11 million. Time Warner's cable business is No. 2 to Comcast Corp.
AOL turned in a 5 percent rise in profits despite an 8 percent decrease in revenues, while the company's Warner Bros. and other Hollywood studios saw a jump of 42 percent in fourth-quarter profits on an 11 percent gain in revenues.
Publishing results rose 11 percent on a 5 percent rise in revenues despite restructuring charges of $28 million. Time Warner's Time Inc. magazine division laid off a number of senior executives in December, including a former chief financial officer, its top two ad sales executives, and the president of Time magazine.
For the full year, Time Warner earned $2.91 billion, or 62 cents per share, versus $3.36 billion or 72 cents per share in 2004. Revenues rose 3.7 percent to $43.7 billion from $42.1 billion.
http://www.timewarner.com
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Martha's Daughter Accused of Stealing Idea - AP - 26 minutes ago
Whatever! Martha Stewart's company and daughter infringed upon the trademark of a California cable television program, "Whatever," with their own show of the same name on satellite radio, a lawsuit alleged Wednesday.
Burger King Parent Plans to File for IPO
Wednesday February 1, 5:02 pm ET
By John Pain, AP Business Writer
Burger King Parent Company Plans to File for Initial Public Offering
MIAMI (AP) -- Burger King's parent company said Wednesday it plans to sell shares to the public for the first time in the fast-food chain's 52-year history, as it tries to more effectively compete with McDonald's and Wendy's.
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"We believe the transparency and stability in ownership offered by being a public company will benefit our employees and franchisees for years to come," Chairman and CEO Greg Brenneman said in a statement.
Because the Securities and Exchange Commission bars companies from touting their prospects before initial public offerings, Miami-based Burger King Holdings Inc. declined further comment beyond saying its IPO filing will be made in late February or early March. Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for the three private equity firms that own the chain, also declined comment.
Restaurant industry consultant Allan Hickok said customers could notice changes at Burger King restaurants if some of the proceeds of the IPO are used to buy and improve restaurants now owned by franchisees or to create new menu items. The funds could also be used to pay down debt or they could go straight to the pockets of the owners, but the company will likely use a combination of all these strategies, he said.
The ratings agency Standard & Poor's placed Burger King's B-plus credit rating under review for a possible upgrade after the announcement, based on its estimated the IPO would raise at least $600 million.
The "company has the opportunity to further improve operating performance over the next few years through menu changes, further strengthening of store execution and advertising, and expanding store hours," credit analyst Diane Shand said.
But she added that progress could be "slow and uneven" because of intense competition.
Hickok said Burger King's timing was right, considering the success last week of McDonald's spin-off of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. Its shares doubled on their first day of trading. "You have to hit the public markets when they're receptive. Right now, I think you have a very favorable market environment," he said.
Burger King was long the second-largest hamburger chain behind No. 1 McDonald's, but it fell into a tie for No. 2 with Wendy's in 2004, according to research firm Technomic Inc.
Burger King doesn't report exact sales figures, but Technomic estimated its U.S. sales were $7.7 billion in 2004, down more than 2 percent from $7.9 billion in 2003. Figures for 2005 won't be available until the end of March.
Officials at McDonald's Corp. and Wendy's International Inc. didn't return messages seeking comment.
Burger King was started in 1954 with one restaurant in Miami. Co-founders James McLamore and David Edgerton opened several more in the Miami area, but they struggled until the launch of the Whopper sandwich, McLamore wrote in a book about the chain.
Pillsbury Co. bought it in 1967 and Burger King has been owned by other companies since then.
The current owners -- Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners -- bought Burger King from British liquor conglomerate Diageo PLC in 2002 for $1.5 billion. The price was reduced from the initially agreed $2.26 billion because of Burger King's troubles.
Brenneman was brought in to revitalize the chain in August 2004, the company's 10th CEO in 15 years. The turnaround specialist helped lead Continental Airlines Inc. out of bankruptcy and into profitability.
Under Brenneman, Burger King launched several new products and an aggressive advertising campaign that includes superimposed images of the chain's smiling pitchman, the "King," on the body of football players, lumberjacks and other people. Burger King will advertise on the Super Bowl broadcast for the first time in a decade on Sunday, with a one-minute spot that will also be sent to owners of Sprint cell phones that show video.
The company said last month that it has registered seven consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases, considered a key measure of retail health.
The sales growth was welcome news for independent franchisees, who own about 90 percent of Burger King's more than 11,000 restaurants. Several large franchisees filed for bankruptcy over the past decade.
An IPO should help Burger King continue the growth, said Alan Vituli, chief executive of Carrols Corp. of Syracuse, N.Y., the chain's biggest franchisee with 340 restaurants.
http://www.burgerking.com
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Burger King Parent Plans to File for IPO - AP - 1 hour, 53 minutes ago
Burger King's parent company said Wednesday it plans to sell shares to the public for the first time in the fast-food chain's 52-year history, as it tries to more effectively compete with McDonald's and Wendy's.
Conference/Events Calendar for the week of Jan 30th-Feb 3rd: :
Events of interest for the week of Jan 30th-Feb 3rd include: Monday: Barclays Annual Global Inflation-Linked Bond Conf; Credit Suisse Energy Summit; JML at CFO Magazine's Excellence in Finance Conf; SNY Sales Conf Call ... Tuesday: T Analyst Meeting; ARMHY Q4 Analyst Meeting; AMTD, TSFG, GNW, ET, JPM, PMI at Citigroup Financial Services Conf; Barclays Annual Global Inflation-Linked Bond Conf; CRDN, FLIR, KFY, RUTH, EAC, CTSH, CVU at Forbes Dynamic Growth Forum; CTC, NTE at NYSE Virtual Investor Forum: Emerging Markets/Telecommunications; EZPW, TRLG, PENN, ADBE, ARRO, KSWS, MNRO, SEED, STGS, VAS, VDSI, WRLD, WLSN at Brean Murray, Carret Small Cap Institutional Investor Conference '06; IBF 5th Annual Nanotech Investing Forum; IHOP Guidance Announcement; Molina Healthcare 2006 Guidance Announcement; PEP at CFO Magazine's Excellence in Finance Conf; PNM Reousrce Guidance Announcement; QMAR, DRYS, FREE, EXM at Capital Link Dry Bulk Sector CEO Virtual Forum; SO, DYN, HC, WLL at Credit Suisse Energy Summit; FOMC policy announcement ... Wednesday: ASO, BAC, BEN, SLM, FRE, PNC, BK, CFC, TROW at Citigroup Financial Services Conf; CA, OPSW, PBI at Conference Board's 2006 Growth and Innovation Conf; COGN, DGIN , SNPS, HYSL, MENT, MSFT, ADSK, ISSX at Merrill Lynch IT Services & Software Conf; DSCO, TYL, WSTL, ANGO, SPNC, MOBI, BITI, AIX, FVRL at Brean Murray, Carret Small Cap Institutional Investor Conf '06; F, GM ,DCX Jan Sales Release; FRT at World Money Show; HW, SHFL, TRDO at Forbes Dynamic Growth Forum; WMB, NBL, WHQ, PGN at Credit Suisse Energy Summit ...Thursday: Global Pharma R&D Summit; HAL, GSF, CAM, MRO at Credit Suisse Energy Summit; NTRI at Emerald 13th Annual Groundhog Day Investment Forum; RHAT, RSAS, CEN, JCOM, ALDN, SAP, WBSN at Merrill Lynch IT Services & Software Conf; TEC, AMND, BOKC, CMA, STL at AAPL's NAPE Expo 2006 ...Friday: GLW Analyst Meeting; AAPL's NAPE Expo 2006; ADBE, VRSN, ADS, CDNS, CTXS, INFA, LAVA, SFNT, WEBX at Merrill Lynch IT Services & Software Conf; AVRX at Global Pharma R&D Summit; DVN, RIG, KMG, THE, VLO at Credit Suisse Energy Summit.
Barr Pharma says court denies preliminary injunction to halt generic Allegra sales (BRL) 63.89 0.29 : Co confirms that the US District Court for the District of New Jersey has denied a motion filed by Aventis Pharma (SNY) and Albany Molecular Research (AMRI) that would have forced BRL and Teva Pharma (TEVA) to cease marketing Fexofenadine Hydrochloride 30 mg, 60 mg and 180 mg Tablets, the generic versions of Aventis' Allegra Tablets. On Sept 6, 2005 BRL and TEVA announced that they had entered into an agreement and launched the Fexofenadine Hydrochloride Tablet products
Allion Healthcare Receives NASDAQ Letter on Director Resignation (ALLI) 15.19 -0.20 : The Co announces that in connection with the previously announced resignation of James Hoover as a director, ALLI has received a NASDAQ Staff Deficiency letter dated January 19, 2006 from the NASDAQ confirming that the Co is not in compliance with the continued listing requirements for the NASDAQ National Market System set forth in Marketplace Rule 4350(d)(2). As the Co has previously reported, that rule requires the Co's Audit Committee to consist of three independent members, and as a result of Mr. Hoover's resignation, the Co's Audit Committee consists of two independent members. Consistent with Marketplace Rule 4350(d)(4), and as confirmed by the NASDAQ letter, the Co has until the earlier of its annual shareholders' meeting or January 18, 2007 to name a third independent director as a member of the Audit Committee so that the Co regains compliance with the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(2).
Exelon: Pennsylvania P.U.C. approves merger between PECO Parent Exelon and N.J.'s PSEG (EXC) 57.71 +0.44 : Co announces that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted unanimously today to approve the merger between PECO Energy's parent Exelon Corporation and New Jersey's Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., finding that the combination "is in the public interest and provides substantial affirmative benefits." PECO had already secured support last September from many of the consumer, business, environmental and low-income advocates who had intervened in the case.
LSI Industries announces that it and 3M Digital Signage enter into a 2006 business development initiative (LYTS) 14.77 +0.67 : Co announced that that its LSI Graphic Solutions Plus unit recently co-announced with 3M Digital Signage a 2006 business development initiative to provide customers with distinctive digital signage solutions.
Merrill Lynch added to Focus List
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Merrill Lynch is best known for its brokerage operations, but money management now providesn early half of total revenue. Because of its diversified business. . .
Friday, January 20, 2006
Stocks have weakened, reflecting some disappointing December-quarter results from such bellwether companies as Citigroup ($46; NYSE: C) and General Electric ($33; NYSE: GE) . .
Monday, January 23, 2006
2005 was a subpar year for stocks. Most market indexes posted gains, and most U.S. stocks posted positive total returns. But without the effect of dividends, the story would have . .
Earnings Preview for the week of Jan 23rd - Jan 28th : Companies reporting earnings the week of Jan 23rd - Jan 28th include: Monday: ALDN, BAC, CRS, ETN, F, PETS, AXP, CBST, ET, JDAS, LSS, NBIX, TXN, VTSS, WEBM... Tuesday: MMM, ADTN, AAI, AKS, ACAT, BJS, EAT, BNI, CDWC, COH, CVG, CBE, DD, EMC, HW, HMA, HOLX, IMCL, JNJ, MCD, NOC, STLD, TDW, UTX, CKFR, CVTI, DST, CSGS, NFLX, RFMD, RYL, SCST, SUNW, and TRMB... Wednesday: ABT, ALGN, ATI, ABC, AHC, BLS, BMS, BMY, CNH, COP, GD, KMG, NSC, SAP, SSCC, STJ, WLP, AMCC, CAI, CBNX, CVD, INSP, JNPR, KOMG, NVLS, QCOM, SIMO, TRID, and VARI... Thursday: AMGN, ANDW, T, BAX, BC, CAH, CAT, CELG, DOW, LLY, GM, HON, LMT, MRO, LYO, NOK, OXPS, BTU, PLNR, UPS, UST, VRSN, ZOLL, ABAX, BRCM, CLS, INFA, IDTI, MEE, MSFT, SNDK, PLAY, SWIR, SYK, WDC, YRCW... Friday: BDK, CVX, CCUR, FRNT, IDXX, MAN, NUE, PGL, PG, SUP, and TGI
SuperGen announces withdrawal of Orathecin marketing authorization application from the European Medicines Agency (SUPG) 5.05 : SUPG withdraws its marketing authorization application for Orathecin capsules, its investigational drug being developed for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in patients who have failed at least one prior chemotherapy regimen, from the European Medicines Agency (E.M.E.A). Co says its decision is based on extensive discussions with the E.M.E.A. SUPG has a Phase II clinical trial ongoing in the U.S. studying Orathecin and gemcitabine as a first-line combination therapy for advanced pancreatic cancer patients who have not undergone chemotherapy. Co plans to make a decision on future development or the alternative disposition of Orathecin based on a review of the interim results of this trial, expected to occur during 1H '06.
hi dubi, how about this one?
Beam weapons almost ready for battle
Directed energy could revolutionize warfare, expert says
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10805240/
PARENTS ARE FROM BBCMF ,,,#Board-3665
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=high+technology&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_technology
High tech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. High tech refers to "high technology," technology that is at the cutting-edge and the most advanced currently available. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_technology
High tech refers to "high technology," technology that is at the cutting-edge and the most advanced currently available. The adjective form is hyphenated: high-tech. There is also a style of architecture known as High tech.
There is no specific class of technology which is high-tech - the definition shifts over time, so products hyped as high-tech in the 1960s would now be considered, if not exactly low tech, then at least somewhat primitive. This fuzzy definition has led to marketing departments describing nearly all new products as high-tech.
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below is link for i.p.o. dates.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/market/ipomain.asp
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Moderator Or An Assistant To These Forums In This Click...#msg-10253185
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#msg-10541509...parent message #msg-10541645...BOTTOM PLAYS...#board-4929
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See This For List Of Nano Co's. ,,,#msg-10614797
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OTC/Pink Oil and Gas stocks (OIL&GAS)...#board-5598
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this is concern for all , market maker signal for shares.
100--I need shares
200-I need shares badly,but do not take it down
300-take the price down to get shares
400-trade it sideways based on supply and demand
500-gap one way or another,to the direction of the 500 trade.
ADDING THIS 4/22/06: In my experiences I Noticed When In Sub Penny Add a Zero!!
http://www.nytimes.com
http://www.forbes.com
http://insidercow.com
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/home.asp
Future With Technology
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/cnn.25/interactive/gallery.top25/content.1.html
http://www.fluwikie.com
http://www.promedmail.org - disease monitoring site...
Spider/Centipede Look Chart: Fibs, % Levels...
http://charts3.barchart.com/procal.asp?sym=FMNJ
[*chart]charts3.barchart.com/custom/tc/LBWR.GIF[*/chart]
chart ... p and f #1[3-BOX REVERSAL
[*chart]stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SharpChartv05.ServletDriver?chart=slre,pltad[pa][da][f!3!!]&pnf=y[*/chart]
chart ... p and f #2[2 BOX REVERSAL]
[*chart]stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SharpChartv05.ServletDriver?chart=vrdm,pluadanrbo[pa][d][f1!2!0.01!!2!20]&pnf=y[*/chart]
PINKSHEET UPDATES...
If You Need a Chart From The Pinks , Just Change The Symbol For The New Chart.
http://charts.edgar-online.com/ext/charts.dll?2-6-8-0-0-53-03NA000000dis
[*chart]charts.edgar-online.com/ext/charts.dll?2-6-8-0-0-53-03NA000000SVMI[*/chart]
100 Most Asked For At Pinkies.
http://www.pinksheets.com/marketactivity/topquotes.jsp
http://www.pinksheets.com/index.jsp
A Wealth Of Information Here. Many Links. #msg-9341363
GOOG,AOL[TWX} a possible I.P.O. in 2008.
see...#msg-9002774
I.P.O. CENTER ... http://biz.yahoo.com/ipo/
http://www.ipopros.com
chart ... p and f
[*chart]stockcharts.com/def/servlet/SharpChartv05.ServletDriver?chart=slre,pltad[pa][da][f!3!!]&pnf=y[*/chart]
The long awaited removal of the "Grandfather Clause" has today been officially posted in the Federal Register for removal.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/E7-15708.htm
On October 15th, all 'Naked Short' positions in public companies must be covered.
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