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Morning GA! What's the word?
Flying by the seat of their pants it seems! lol.
Analysts do not have a clue about the quarter
Posted Jan 14th 2009 12:46PM by Jonathan Berr
Filed under: Google (GOOG), General Electric (GE), Time Warner (TWX), Pfizer (PFE), Wal-Mart (WMT), JPMorgan Chase (JPM)
Wall Street analysts seemed to have thrown up their hands when it comes to fourth quarter earnings. Given the current economic environment, who can blame them?
Earnings estimates are almost useless. They have ranges big enough to drive a truck through. No, make that a train. I mean a tank. Imagine a large mode of transportation and you get the idea. My colleague Douglas McIyntyre recently argued "that has changed so much in the last two quarters that predictions have become hard to make and going into this earnings season the job may become impossible."
Take General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE). The conglomerate, which has been in Wall Street's dog house forever, is expected to post earnings of 52 cents for the fourth quarter. Or, the parent company of NBC might earn 36 cents. Everyone is sure that Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is a basket case but exactly how screwed up the company is a matter of debate. Analysts are forecasting a losses of 47 cents to $1.14 per share.
Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) could earn anywhere from 18 cents and 33 cents. Analysts' estimates for JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) range from a profit of 25 cent to a loss of 20 cents. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), which recently announced it would fire 800 scientists, may earn anywhere between 55 cents and 63 cents.
WWAT 0.399. Heating up...
GSPG ask real thin.
WWAT lookin to break 0.40.
OCBM coming alive 0.52 + 62%!!
GM BWNR!
WWAT. We break 0.40 it should run. JMO>
GSPG running tight. 0.0167 x 0.017.
WWAT 0.38 x 0.39.
Gm p_f!
GSPG cheap entry at 0.02.
Just trying to make a buck my friend. lol.
Looking good. up 20% in p/m already!
GM m2f! How goes the trading week?
What's the SSB special today bro?
Before the bell: Stock futures lower ahead of retail sales
Posted Jan 14th 2009 7:40AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Earnings reports, Deals, Market matters, Economic data, Oil, Federal Reserve
U.S. stock futures were lower this morning as investors awaited December retail sales figures -- the bulk of the holiday season. The turmoil in, and hence the growing concern about, the financial sector continued as a day after Citigroup's sale of a majority stake in Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank issued a profit -- or rather a loss -- warning.
Overseas, Asian markets gained Wednesday on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks Tuesday that a fiscal package could help revitalize the ailing U.S. economy and the U.S. government may have to pump more money into the banks. European stock markets, however, fell sharply Wednesday on renewed concerns about the banking system and ahead of U.S. retail sales figures.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose to near $39 a barrel Wednesday on Bernanke's comments and as projections of lower output by Saudi Arabia - OPEC's main producer - also lifted prices.
In economic news, December retail sales are due at 8:30 a.m. EST and are expected to have dropped 1.2-1.7%
in December (according to different sources), following a decline of 1.8% in November.
Also at that time, December import and exported prices will be released.
At 10:00 a.m. EST, November business inventory data is due out and shortly after, weekly crude inventories.
Finally, at 2:00 p.m. EST, the Fed will released its Beige Book of economic anecdotes.
GM Dave and CC!
Morning E EXPRE$$! U.S. now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy
Posted Jan 13th 2009 7:00PM by Joseph Lazzaro
Filed under: Forecasts, Bad news, Employees, Economic data, Recession
Yet another ignominious statistic to close out the nation's decade of descent. The United States now has 3.8 job seekers for every job vacancy, the U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Tuesday.
What's more, the 3.8 job seeker stat in November 2008 is more than double the 1.8 job seekers per job vacancy stat recorded a year ago, in November 2007. The nation had 3.4 job seekers per vacancy in the previous month, October 2008.
Stat echos 1981-82 Reagan recession
Economist David H. Wang said the large increase in the job seeker to vacancy ratio is bad news for the U.S. economy.
"These ratios are reminiscent of the Reagan recession [1981-1082], which was a bad recession, with unemployment rising above 10%," Wang said. "The large and increasing number of unemployed adults unable to find employment will substantially increase social service costs in the states, and lead to a host of other economic problems, including a continuance of a high number of home foreclosures."
On tap today: WWAT. BWNR. GSPG.
GM $OLDIER and FORUM! Before the bell: Stock futures lower ahead of retail sales
Posted Jan 14th 2009 7:40AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Earnings reports, Deals, Market matters, Economic data, Oil, Federal Reserve
U.S. stock futures were lower this morning as investors awaited December retail sales figures -- the bulk of the holiday season. The turmoil in, and hence the growing concern about, the financial sector continued as a day after Citigroup's sale of a majority stake in Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank issued a profit -- or rather a loss -- warning.
Overseas, Asian markets gained Wednesday on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks Tuesday that a fiscal package could help revitalize the ailing U.S. economy and the U.S. government may have to pump more money into the banks. European stock markets, however, fell sharply Wednesday on renewed concerns about the banking system and ahead of U.S. retail sales figures.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose to near $39 a barrel Wednesday on Bernanke's comments and as projections of lower output by Saudi Arabia - OPEC's main producer - also lifted prices.
In economic news, December retail sales are due at 8:30 a.m. EST and are expected to have dropped 1.2-1.7%
in December (according to different sources), following a decline of 1.8% in November.
Also at that time, December import and exported prices will be released.
At 10:00 a.m. EST, November business inventory data is due out and shortly after, weekly crude inventories.
Finally, at 2:00 p.m. EST, the Fed will released its Beige Book of economic anecdotes.
Gm Traders! WWAT/GSPG. Watch em!
GM LOUNGERS! Before the bell: Stock futures lower ahead of retail sales
Posted Jan 14th 2009 7:40AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Earnings reports, Deals, Market matters, Economic data, Oil, Federal Reserve
U.S. stock futures were lower this morning as investors awaited December retail sales figures -- the bulk of the holiday season. The turmoil in, and hence the growing concern about, the financial sector continued as a day after Citigroup's sale of a majority stake in Smith Barney to Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank issued a profit -- or rather a loss -- warning.
Overseas, Asian markets gained Wednesday on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks Tuesday that a fiscal package could help revitalize the ailing U.S. economy and the U.S. government may have to pump more money into the banks. European stock markets, however, fell sharply Wednesday on renewed concerns about the banking system and ahead of U.S. retail sales figures.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose to near $39 a barrel Wednesday on Bernanke's comments and as projections of lower output by Saudi Arabia - OPEC's main producer - also lifted prices.
In economic news, December retail sales are due at 8:30 a.m. EST and are expected to have dropped 1.2-1.7%
in December (according to different sources), following a decline of 1.8% in November.
Also at that time, December import and exported prices will be released.
At 10:00 a.m. EST, November business inventory data is due out and shortly after, weekly crude inventories.
Finally, at 2:00 p.m. EST, the Fed will released its Beige Book of economic anecdotes.
GM GA! WWAT and GSPG. Capone's Slugger Plays of the day!
Still holding 0.012. Even.
Trip ZZZ. Whadya know whadya say playa?
Too funny here: Traders with higher in-womb testosterone make six times more money
Posted Jan 13th 2009 11:35AM by Peter Cohan
Filed under: Competitive strategy, Define investing
Is this science or science fiction? That thought came to mind when I read that traders who were exposed to more testosterone in the womb made six times more money than their low-testosterone-level peers on very volatile trading days. So if you want to breed a trader, expose him to lots of testosterone in the womb. How do you do that? Beats me.
To determine the traders' prenatal testosterone exposure, University of Minnesota researchers measured their "2D:4D ratio" which is the relative lengths of the index and ring fingers on the right hand. Those exposed to higher levels of testosterone in the womb tend to have relatively longer ring fingers.
Based on the 2D:4D measure, researchers who studied the traders' profits over a 20-month period between 2004 and 2007, found that those with the highest in-womb testosterone exposure in the womb earned six times more than those exposed to the least. They also tended to have the longest careers, surviving about three years longer on average.
CBAI(+13.46%). KLYG(0.80). Pack em and stack em baby!
KLYG 0.80. Still going!
KYLG 0.85 play that dip! CBAI off an running at 0.0057 X 0.0058.
CBAI. 0.0059 +13.46. Poppin now!
KYLG. BWNR. ADAN. CBAI.
Sweet. Best of luck today $oldier!
Stocks in the news: AA, SNE, C, MS, CSX, ELN, JPM, KMB, NWL, DE ...
Posted Jan 13th 2009 8:21AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Earnings reports, Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Deals, Citigroup Inc. (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Sony Corp ADR (SNE), Adobe Systems (ADBE), Alcoa Inc (AA), Newell Rubbermaid (NWL), Morgan Stanley (MS), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Palm Inc (PALM), Deere and Co (DE)
Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), the first Dow component to report earnings and thus kick off the earnings season, posted a bigger-than-expected loss of $1.19 billion Monday after the close. This disappointing start to the earnings season came less than a week after the aluminum giant said it is cutting jobs and production. The causes are the general economic downturn, and specifically the lower demand from the automotive, commercial transportation and building and construction sectors, which caused a 35% slump in aluminum prices. AA shares traded 1% lower in premarket action, but that's after closing down nearly 7% Monday.
Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE), the Japanese consumer electronics giant, will likely have an annual operating loss of about $1.1 billion, its first loss in 14 years, as sales fizzle for digital cameras, flat-panel TVs and other gadgets. Sony's shares plunged Tuesday and the stock fell more than 4.8% in pre-market trading.
Citigroup, Inc. (NYSE: C) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) will no doubt still be in focus after news broke they are in negotiations for City to sell to Morgan Stanley a majority stake in its Smith Barney brokerage unit as a means of raising cash. Citi shares fell sharply Monday -- more than 17% -- as investors wonder how much more cash the troubled bank will need. Shares declined another 2% in premarket trading this morning.
Bring on those greenbacks!!
Gm $oldier! Anything of interest today?
Eagerly awaiting the deuce bro!
Before the bell: Another day of losses seen after Alcoa's earnings worry investors
Posted Jan 13th 2009 7:44AM by Melly Alazraki
Filed under: Before the bell, International markets, Earnings reports, Market matters, Alcoa Inc (AA), Economic data, Oil
Another day, another lower start seen. U.S. stock futures indicated a possible fifth straight day of losses on Wall Street after Alcoa's large loss reported Monday were seen by many as signaling a bleak earnings season ahead. Indeed, with the global economic slowdown, a massive U.S. job losses and a plunge in commodity prices many more profit warnings than usual have been issued. Taken all that into account, investors just can't seem to find a reason to buy.
Overseas, most leading Asian markets retreated and European shares sank by midday trading as they all expect an abysmal earnings season. As gas started flowing again to Europe, albeit not without any hitches, oil prices fell below $37 a barrel Tuesday as expectations that crude demand will weaken amid a severe global economic slowdown overshadowed any geo-political concerns.
Economic readings today include November trade balance to be released at 8:30 a.m. EST, and the Treasury's December budget at 2 p.m. EST. At the same time Congress will hold a meeting on allocation of TARP funds after on Monday President-elect Barack Obama asked Congress to release the remaining $350 billion in TARP funds.
Its just how I roll. lol.