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Very glad to hear she will recover,Its a world of ups and downs as we been through a few this week: Wednesday afternoon we find out one of my 15 yr old daughters friend was murdered as we are still in florida made it tough on her.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339294,00.html , Friday my wife's very close uncle passed away..But Easter Sunday it all turns around when my 20yr old son has a perfectly healthy BABY BOY 6lb 14oz (Easter baby),and I wake up today see my position in BSC up 60%,That I thought I was stuck in...WEEEEE
CCOW now +63.83%
watching EPIX for sell off: 2.10 -31.82%
EPIX Pharmaceuticals Announces Discontinuation of PRX-00023 Clinical Development Program
CCOW falling hard: 5.36 -5.30 (-49.72%)
Capital Corp of the West Files Form 12b-25 in Connection With Late Filing
Here's a start:
March 16, 2008 by Reuters
Housing Group Challenges Fed’s Bear Stearns Deal
by Joanne Morrison
A housing and fair lending activist group has challenged the legality of the Federal Reserve’s quick approval of financing for Bear Stearns via JPMorgan Chase, questioning the Fed’s authority to approve the deal because it involves a non-bank institution.
Inner City Press/Community on the Move, in a complaint filed with the Fed late Saturday, called the central bank’s brokering of the deal “entirely illegal” and anticompetitive, and questioned whether sufficient Fed members had voted for it.
In a first step toward challenging the bailout, Inner City Press questioned the legality of the Fed approving the deal without public notice, on the grounds Bear Stearns “is not a banking holding company and does not own a bank.”
The Fed approved financing to Bear Stearns through JPMorgan in an emergency meeting Friday morning.
It was the Fed’s first rescue of a broker since the Great Depression and its latest effort to soothe financial markets roiled by fallout from rising mortgage defaults.
But Matthew Lee, executive director of Inner City Press, vowed to take all needed legal actions against the deal.
“The Fed has hit a new low with this, they did nothing to protect consumers from predatory lending and now their response is to bail out one of the most notorious enablers of predatory lending with no benefit to struggling consumers,” said Lee.
“This should be taken as far as it can go to finally bring the Federal Reserve to account that they work for the public interest and not only Wall Street, particularly in a time of crisis,” he told Reuters on Sunday.
The Fed could not immediately be reached for comment.
Inner City Press, a nonprofit group that has challenged the nation’s key bank mergers over the past decade in an effort to ensure poorer communities are served fairly, also questioned why only four of the five Fed governors approved the measure.
The Fed approved the deal between JPMorgan and Bear Stearns under Depression-era laws allowing it to do so under “unusual and exigent circumstances.” This provision, however, requires an affirmative vote of not less than 5 members of the board.
At present, there are only five members on the board with two vacancies, but only four approved the measure because governor Frederic Mishkin was not present, according to the Federal Reserve.
But current law mandates that no less than five members can vote on the matter and states that members can be contacted through any electronic means, including by telephone and e-mail.
“There has been no showing that, given technology in 2008 (as opposed to the 1930s when this language was enacted), the required attempts to contact Gov. Mishkin were made,” Lee wrote in the complaint.
Inner City Press also questioned whether the deal could be finalized without antitrust review.
“Third, to allow this relation between the nation’s third largest bank and fifth largest brokerage, without any antitrust review, even with the required votes (which the Fed) did not have, is unlawful,” the complaint stated, requesting public hearings on the matter.
The complaint also asks for a probe into Bear Stearns’ disclosure of its financial condition, citing an interview the firm’s chief executive gave on CNBC television earlier in the week during which no mention of the scope of the firm’s financial troubles were made.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/16/7721/
BEAR HUNTING
FIRM SEEKS WHITE KNIGHT BID TO TOP JPMORGAN
By ZACHERY KOUWE
Click to enlarge
March 19, 2008 -- Secretive billionaire Joseph Lewis and former Bear Stearns chief Jimmy Cayne are quietly searching for a white knight to top the $276 million takeover offer by JPMorgan for the iconic brokerage firm, according to sources familiar with the matter.
However, many Wall Street insiders are calling the duo's efforts nothing more than a pipe dream.
The two friends, each of whom has lost over $1 billion in Bear's collapse, have contacted several private-equity firms, including J.C. Flowers and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., as well as several overseas banks including Barclays, HSBC, Credit Suisse and Royal Bank of Scotland, sources said.
They hope to persuade a rival bidder to at least make a preliminary offer to buy Bear in order to squeeze more out of JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon.
Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Chinese bank Citic, which has already examined Bear's businesses and declined to take an earlier stake yesterday, have also been contacted, sources said.
On Monday, Lewis called JPMorgan's offer "derisory."
Despite the efforts, most analysts and investors believe JPMorgan has the upper hand because of several protections built into the deal.
Bear can't accept another offer until its current deal with JPMorgan expires on March 16, 2009, according to the merger document.
Even if a better offer emerges and Bear accepts it, JPMorgan still has the option to buy the firm's Madison Avenue headquarters for $1.1 billion - arguably the most valuable asset that Bear has. That could seriously dissuade rival bidders, analysts said.
JPMorgan also has the option to buy up to 20 percent of Bear right now for $2.34 a share based on yesterday's close of JPMorgan without shareholder approval, something that could make it tougher for any rival to come in with a higher offer.
Another rival bidder would also risk angering the Federal Reserve, which wants to see the JPMorgan deal completed as soon as possible, according to David Trone at Fox Pitt Kelton.
"While there is strong logic behind the theory that another bidder could step up, we believe the practical reality of angering the Fed will ultimately prove preventative," he said.
The unlikely prospect of a rival offer doesn't mean that JPMorgan may not be forced to raise its offer, which now stands at about $2.34 a share.
Cayne and Lewis own roughly 15 percent of Bear's outstanding shares and may persuade shaken employees, who own another 30 percent of the company, to vote down the deal.
Bear's stock rose 23 percent yesterday to $5.91 as some investors hope a rival offer surfaces.
"It's idiotic to believe that the shareholders don't have any leverage here," said one banker. "They could threaten to vote down the deal and put the firm in bankruptcy in order to get more cash out of JPMorgan."
Cayne, who is a member of Bear's board of directors and voted for the JPMorgan deal, could risk further embarrassment if he threatens to vote against the deal, sources said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wrote to Dimon yesterday asking for him to sell any redundant businesses to other financial firms in order to save jobs in New York City. Schumer estimates that 8,000 workers could be laid off as a result of the deal.
The same firms that Lewis and Cayne have contacted, are also said to be interested in certain parts of Bear's business.
zachery.kouwe@nypost.com
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192008/business/bear_hunting_102536.htm
Looks like BSC may run today:PM 6.56 +0.65 (+11.00%)
I bought in at $6.00 yesterday, looking for 7-7.50 today
XRM 1.64 -2.79 (-62.98%)
Good trade: Avg Volume (10 days) 121,568
Getty Realty Revises 4Q Results Lower On $10.5M Reserve >GTY
hope you got them. already $17.30
GTY trading all over the place.
Day's Range 16.71 - 27.72
watching DVAX 2.36 -54.79%
DVAX AND MRK'S HEPLISAV PLACED ON CLINICAL HOLD BY FDA. MERRIMAN DOWNGRADES TO NEUTRAL FROM BUY
SECURITY CAPITAL ASSURANCE LIMITED Earnings Conference Call (Q4 2007)
Scheduled to start Fri, Mar 14, 2008, 8:30 am Eastern
http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/4/90844.html
(HEY JT don't be pickin on the jerseyshore hoes I mean "ESCORT")
That chart will get a lot prettier today..
SCA 0.89 +0.23 (+34.85%)AH, Great day for SCA, large short covering today.IMO, shorts were looking for BK....weeeeeeee
Security Capital avoids 'going concern' warning from auditors
By Alistair Barr
Mar 13, 2008 20:26:00 (ET)
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Security Capital Assurance said late Thursday that its auditors probably won't include a so-called going-concern warning in its annual regulatory filing after the bond insurer took drastic steps to try to boost capital.
The company warned earlier this year that auditors might include such a statement. Security Capital shares jumped 30% to 86 cents in late trading on Thursday after the insurer said that's now unlikely.
Security Capital also said its ended seven credit-default swap contracts with one of its counterparties, but noted the termination is being disputed by that customer
SCA 0.89 +0.23 (+34.85%)AH, Great day for SCA, large short covering today.IMO, shorts were looking for BK....weeeeeeee
Security Capital avoids 'going concern' warning from auditors
By Alistair Barr
Mar 13, 2008 20:26:00 (ET)
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Security Capital Assurance said late Thursday that its auditors probably won't include a so-called going-concern warning in its annual regulatory filing after the bond insurer took drastic steps to try to boost capital.
The company warned earlier this year that auditors might include such a statement. Security Capital shares jumped 30% to 86 cents in late trading on Thursday after the insurer said that's now unlikely.
Security Capital also said its ended seven credit-default swap contracts with one of its counterparties, but noted the termination is being disputed by that customer.
DARA 3.00 +25.00%
VM -43.57%
ALMY @14 Bid:0.15 Ask 0.155 looks like a Gapper
Alchemy Creative, Inc. Partners with Duplium Corporation for Product Releases
BusinessWire - March 10, 2008 8:00 AM ET
Alchemy Creative, Inc. (PINK SHEETS: ALMY), a nationally recognized corporation focusing on children's education through multimedia and inventive educational products announced today that it has contracted with Duplium Corporation, a Philips-licensed and ISO Certified Dallas-based company to provide disc replication, print, packaging, kitting and fulfillment services for Alchemy's orders. This ingenious approach to children and teens learning the Periodic Table via role play association/gaming was just as attractive to Duplium Corporation as Duplium's services were to Alchemy Creative. Said Account Manager, Jeff McKissack, "What Richard James (creator of "Adventures of the Elements") has done is take something 'dull' we all had to do in our educational process and actually make it 'fun' to learn. Of the various educational products and entities that Duplium currently services, Alchemy Creative is not only a welcomed addition, but a potentially phenomenal addition." Said Duplium Corporation's CEO, Bernie Anderson, "Alchemy Creative represents both the kind of entrepreneurial spirit as well as educational impact that Duplium values in a quality client."
Duplium Corporation serves many other high profile clients including AMD, MTI Home Video, CDV Entertainment, Mumbo Jumbo, Team Baby Entertainment (a Michael Eisner company) and many other gaming, software, entertainment companies. Duplium Corporation is also a licensed provider for Nintendo product services. Duplium produces over five million discs per month as well as complimentary services such print, custom packaging, kitting and fulfillment (direct-to-retail and e-commerce).
The Alchemy Creative Product line will produce various books, posters, trading cards and DVDs early on. Additional products now in development include classroom kits and DVDs for school use. Later components such as an animated series and gaming options will also be considered as the program gains in popularity with young learners.
About Alchemy Creative, Inc.
Alchemy Creative, Inc. was founded on the principle of edutainment - enabling learning with the integration of educational media into an exciting and entertaining format in which science and other curriculum learning is enhanced through actively engaging students. ALMY is producing video DVD, and developing online gaming and other media products for distribution to both the general public and school systems. Their philosophy and product offerings have rendered measurable results with children. The value of the media and products has been recognized by some of the world's most respected corporations, including several Fortune 100 companies. ALMY creates and distributes some of America's most unique products for the edutainment sector. Currently, ALMY is using the latest, cutting-edge technology in developing future products such as DVDs, online video games, and other cutting-edge technologies to further captivate students. ALMY's goal is to revolutionize the way the children of the world progress in science learning. The company is utilizing 21st century technology and methodology in efforts to provide a more exciting environment in which children will be more apt to take interest in the traditional education requirements. Stated simply, ALMY takes "what kids like," from card games and books to movies and video games, and makes them educational. Thus, children of all ages learn while having fun; in a sense, giving substance to "play time."
Disclaimer:
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking statements," which are statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, the forward-looking statements often include statements regarding our goals, plans, projections and guidance regarding our financial position, results of operations, market position, pending and potential future acquisitions and business strategy, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks" or "will." Any such forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, (a) general economic and business conditions, (b) the level of strategic partner incentives, (c) the future regulatory environment, (d) our cost of financing, (e) our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions and the risks associated therewith, and (f) our ability to retain key personnel. These factors, as well as additional factors, could affect our forward-looking statements. We urge you to carefully consider this information. We undertake no duty to update our forward-looking statements, including our earnings outlook.
SOURCE: Alchemy Creative, Inc.
Alchemy Creative, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Anthony Christmas, 877-860-3987
www.alchemycreativeinc.com
or
Duplium Corporation
Jeff McKissack, 800-928-2018
jmckissack@duplium.com
www.Duplium.com
SCA should bounce some where around this price:0.83 -(45.39%)
Joined in on the BRLC party this am.
3.96 -2.41 (-37.83%)
Akamai Prevails in Patent Litigation
BusinessWire - February 29, 2008 2:27 PM ET
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) announced that a jury in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts returned a verdict today that Limelight Networks, Inc. is infringing the content delivery patent asserted by Akamai. As a result, the jury awarded Akamai $45,526,946 in damages, plus interest.
The verdict, which came at the end of a three-week trial in Boston, stemmed from a lawsuit that Akamai had filed in 2006. The jury found that Limelight infringed all four of the claims that Akamai had asserted in its Internet content delivery patent, U.S. patent 6,108,703, issued in the name of Akamai founders Tom Leighton and the late Danny Lewin.
The jury rejected Limelight's defense that Akamai's patent was invalid.
"We are extremely pleased with the jury's verdict," said Melanie Haratunian, senior vice president and general counsel of Akamai. "Today's ruling recognizes the strength of Akamai's patent portfolio and is a tangible reflection of our resolve to vigorously defend the Company's intellectual property."
Akamai intends to ask the Court to issue a permanent injunction prohibiting Limelight from continuing to sell infringing services.
About Akamai
Akamai(R) is the leading global service provider for accelerating content and business processes online. Thousands of organizations have formed trusted relationships with Akamai, improving their revenue and reducing costs by maximizing the performance of their online businesses. Leveraging the Akamai EdgePlatform, these organizations gain business advantage today, and have the foundation for the emerging Web solutions of tomorrow. Akamai is "The Trusted Choice for Online Business." For more information, visit www.akamai.com.
SOURCE: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
Akamai
Jeff Young, 617-444-3913
Media Relations
jyoung@akamai.com
or
Noelle Faris, 617-444-4676
Investor Relations
nfaris@akamai.com
LLNW 4.44 -1.93 (-30.30%)
Thanks, can't celebrate till I sell....Bids are stacking weeeee CXAC 0.04 +0.0388 (+3,233.33%) LOW float pos pink
50000 of CXAC @ $0.01
CXAC LOOKING GREAT..0.035 +0.0338 +2,816.67%
My last buy was @1.38 I'm holding long.. Fund managers bought a total of 1,357,861 shares.
http://www.thebuylist.com/default.aspx?Stock=sca
DARA 5.78 +1.83 +46.33%
sure looks that way.. I'm sure it won't be a smooth ride up.LOL
You got that right! DARA PM 4.50 Change +0.55 (+13.92%)
DARA PM 4.12 Change +0.17 (+4.30%)
Gapping PM 4.94 Change +0.04 (+0.82%)
4.90 +0.20 (+4.26% new HOD WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
SCA 1.92 +0.37 (+23.87%)
Form 8-K for FORCE PROTECTION INC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25-Feb-2008
Change in Directors or Principal Officers
Item 5.02. Departure Of Directors Or Certain Officers; Election Of Directors; Appointment Of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangement Of Certain Officers.
On February 20, 2008, the board of directors of Force Protection, Inc. (the "Company") appointed John W. Paxton, Sr. as a member of the board of directors to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Gordon McGilton on January 31, 2008. The board has resolved to have Mr. Paxton serve on the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
Mr. Paxton has over 30 years of experience in the aerospace, wireless voice and data, logistics and manufacturing industries. Currently, Mr. Paxton is the chairman and chief executive officer of Pro Mach, Inc., an integrated packaging solutions provider, and has been the chairman of Mobilsa, a provider of wireless internet solution to the Department of Defense, since 2005. From 1998 to 2003, Mr. Paxton served on the Board of Directors of TransDigm, Inc., a supplier of proprietary aerospace components used in commercial and military aircraft. Mr. Paxton holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in business administration from LaSalle University, and is a registered professional engineer.
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/080225/frpt8-k.html
SCA 1.85 +0.30 (+19.35%)
This is what etrade site states, no big deal if its wrong:
Q4 2007 earnings are expected to be announced on February 25, 2008 Estimates: 0.33 | 0.261 | 0.20 (High | Mean | Low)
(from yahoo board)
Upgrade - BUY 2/23/2008
UPGRADE to BUY from Columbine Capital.
https://research2.fidelity.com/fidelity/... y=127-FRPT&user_sessionid=B50889CC08DA9B66
You'll have to have a Fidelity Account to access the link, but here's an excerpt:
Force Protection Inc BUY
NASDAQ: FRPT, $4.70 Upgraded 2/23/08
United States
Columbine Capital’s Investment Conclusion
The Columbine research team projects that Force will outperform the market over the next 6 to 12 months. The team has ranked it Favorable and recommends that investors buy it and hold until we recommend a sell.
Future Strong Performance
Columbine evaluated Force by comparing the company to its peers on a series of individual analytical tools that represent proven measures of a firm’s business value, its long-term growth characteristics, and the behavior of its investors. These criteria are the building blocks we use to construct our decisions. The particular measures reported below are some of those that Columbine’s historical studies show to have the greatest impact on this company’s future market performance. We present the individual measures in order of their significance to our recommendation. The conclusions from each of the criteria are synthesized into an overall ranking of Force’s return potential relative to the rest of the market according to an analytic framework that is specific to this economic sector. This disciplined, consistent evaluation process has a proven track record of investment success.
Book Value is Very Attractive
Companies with high book values and low stock prices can be considered as cushioned against severe declines by their intrinsic liquidation value, and are favored in this sector. We compare the accounting value of a company to its current stock price in the form of a ratio. Force’s ratio of price to book value is 1.31, much better than the median company.
Estimate Revisions are Attractive
In this sector companies that are the subject of
increasingly improving earnings forecasts tend to find favor with investors. We evaluate recent changes in Wall Street analysts’ estimates of a company’s future earnings on three different metrics. Over the past sixty days the changes in the estimates of Force’s future EPS have been slightly better than the median company.
Cash Flow is Very Attractive
Positive cash flow gives a company funds for internal expansion, acquisitions, dividend payments, etc. Our evaluation looks at a company’s cash flow over the past four quarters. Stocks favored by this measure have the highest cash flow available for their price. Force, with a price-to-cash flow ratio of 6.7 is much better than the median company.
Recent Earnings were Neutral
Exceeding Wall Street’s earnings expectations (a
positive “surprise”) suggests that prospects for the company may be even better than expected. Falling short of the expectation (a negative “disappointment”) is often punished by investors. Force’s EPS announcement for the latest quarter is too old to be meaningfully compared with the consensus expectation.
Forecast Earnings Yield is Very Attractive
The expected return (in earnings per share) for the purchase price of a company’s stock is one of the most basic measures of a firm’s intrinsic value. By comparing the consensus earnings estimates from Wall Street’s analysts with the current stock price we can focus our evaluation on the firm’s potential earning power. This is the most important valuation measure in this sector. At its current price of $4.70, we consider Force greatlyunder-valued. Rating :
(1 Rating)Rate it:
http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_F/threadview?m=tm&bn=43655&tid=220026&mid=220026&tof=7&frt=2
Boardmarked, Been watching your picks for a few weeks now.Good Luck with new board...I'm liking FRPT and SCA this week.
FRPT http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=FRPT
SCA http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=SCA
SCA setting up for HUGE REVERSAL:
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=SCA