Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS ) have jumped today by as much as 13% after the company reported earnings results.
So what: Revenue in the fiscal third quarter totaled $571.9 million, well ahead of the Street consensus of $565 million. Earnings per share were $0.68, similarly topping expectations of just $0.58 per share. CEO Dean Foate said the strong results were driven by the networking and communications as well as the health care and life sciences sectors.
Now what: Guidance for the coming quarter was also strong, with sales forecast to $545 million to $575 million. Adjusted earnings per share should be in the range of $0.60 to $0.66. Investors would have been happy with just $0.57 per share in adjusted profit next quarter. The company also repurchased $14.5 milion worth of shares during the quarter.
Top 5 Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: comScore Inc.(SCOR)
comScore, Inc. provides a range of digital analytics solutions primarily in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company offers its customers with information regarding usage of their online properties and those of their competitors, coupled with information on consumer demographic characteristics, attitudes, lifestyles, and offline behavior solutions through its digital media measurement platforms. Its digital media measurement platforms consist of proprietary databases and a computational infrastructure that measures, analyzes, and reports on digital activity. The company also provides audience analytics tools that measure the size, behavior, and characteristics of Internet users on PCs, mobile devices, and tablets, as well as insight into online advertising; and advertising analytics products, such as AdEffx, Media Planner 2.0, and Campaign Essentials, which provide solutions for developing, executing, and evaluating online advertising campaigns, as well as valida ted campaign essentials that provide intelligence regarding validated impressions. In addition, it offers Web analytics products and solutions, as well as Web analytics platform that integrates data from multiple sources, including Web, mobile, video, and social media interactions; and mobile and network analytics products, such as comprehensive market intelligence and network solutions to mobile carriers with information on network optimization and capacity planning, customer experience, and market intelligence. The company serves Internet service providers, investment banks, media and digital agencies, consumer banks, wireless carriers, pharmaceutical makers, credit card issuers, and consumer packaged goods companies. comScore, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Associated Press]
RESTON, Va. ��Online research firm comScore (NASDAQ: SCOR ) has named Serge Matta president of the company.
Matta has spent 12 years at comScore. He most recently served as president of commercial solutions in which he led the company's sales force. Matta will report to CEO and co-founder Magid Abraham.
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: PulteGroup Inc. (PHA)
PulteGroup, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in homebuilding and financial services businesses primarily in the United States. The company�s homebuilding business includes the acquisition and development of land primarily for residential purposes within the United States; and the construction of housing on such lands. It offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhouses, condominiums, and duplexes under the Pulte Homes, Del Webb, and Centex brand names. As of December 31, 2011, its homebuilding operations offered homes for sale in approximately 700 communities. The company�s financial services business consists of mortgage banking and title operations. It arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans for its homebuyers; sells such loans and related servicing rights; and provides title insurance policies as an agent, and examination and closing services to its home buyers. The company was formerly known as Pulte Homes, Inc. an d changed its name to PulteGroup, Inc. in March 2010. PulteGroup, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By DailyFinance Staff]
LM Otero, AP The housing market has been leading the economic recovery, but have housing stocks hit the ceiling? They're jumping today after a very bullish report on housing starts: New construction projects last month topped the 1 million annual rate for the time since before the financial crisis began in 2008. That's lifted shares of leading homebuilders by two to four percent today, adding to the huge gains over the past year. KB Homes (KBH), Pulte (PHA) and Hovnanian (HOV) have all doubled in price over the past year. Lennar (LEN) is up 44 percent, D.R. Horton (DHI) is up 47 percent and Toll Brothers (TOL) 33 percent. Those gains have prompted several other builders to go public this year. Taylor Morrison Home (TMHC), Tri Pointe, and William Lyon Home have all moved higher since their IPOs. And even though there's plenty of optimism that housing will continue to lead the broader economic recovery, there's some concern that these stocks may slow down. Homebuilder stocks can no longer be considered cheap. So some analysts see alternate routes for investors looking to play the housing boom. One way is through home-improvement retailers, which benefit from sales of both new and existing homes. Other plays include lumber, furniture and appliance companies. It's also worth noting that today's report on home construction showed that starts of single-family homes actually declined in March. It was the more volatile multi-family sector that led the advance. But there may be some stock market opportunities in REITs – real estate investment trusts – which focus on apartments. Among the biggest ones are Post Properties, Essex Property Trust and Associated Estates. They make money from collecting monthly rents. And these stocks generally trade below the value of the properties they own. Even some builders known for single-family homes are moving into the multi-family segment. Lennar announced in January that it plans to enter the apartment rental mar
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: Vail Resorts Inc. (MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates resorts in the United States. The company operates in three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates eight ski resort properties, including the Vail Mountain, Breckenridge Ski, Keystone, Beaver Creek, Heavenly Mountain, Northstar, Kirkwood Mountain, and Canyons resorts; and two urban ski areas, such as Afton Alps and Mount Brighton Ski areas, as well as provides ancillary services, primarily ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations. Its resorts offer various recreational activities comprising skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowtubing, sightseeing, mountain biking, guided hiking, children's activities, and other recreational activities, as well as ski and snowboard lessons, equipment rental and retail merchandise services, dining venues, and private club services. This segment also leases its owned and leased commercial space; and provides real estate brokerage services. Th e Lodging segment owns and/or manages a collection of luxury hotels under the RockResorts brand, and other lodging properties; various condominiums located in and around the company�s ski resorts; destination resorts; and golf courses, as well as offers resort ground transportation services. This segment operates approximately 5,100 owned and managed hotel and condominium rooms. The Real Estate segment owns, develops, markets, and sells real estate properties in and around the company�s resort communities. Vail Resorts, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is based in Broomfield, Colorado.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By GURUFOCUS]
Shares of Vail Resorts, Inc. (MTN), an operator of ski resorts, increased 12.8% in the third quarter as investors became excited about the installation of the company's summer activities. Summer activities, including the zip line installed in August, could cut the company's seasonal losses in half. We continue to believe the acquisition of the Canyons ski resort in Utah should further help increase season pass sales and earnings. (David Baron)
- [By Seth Jayson]
Calling all cash flows
When you are trying to buy the market's best stocks, it's worth checking up on your companies' free cash flow once a quarter or so, to see whether it bears any relationship to the net income in the headlines. That's what we do with this series. Today, we're checking in on Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN ) , whose recent revenue and earnings are plotted below. - [By Laura Brodbeck]
Notable earnings released on Wednesday included:
Williams-Sonoma, Inc (NYSE: WSM) reported fourth quarter EPS of $1.38 on revenue of $1.47 billion, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.34 on revenue of $1.41 billion. Express, Inc (NYSE: EXPR) �reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.57 on revenue of $715.90 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.75 on revenue of $728.71 million. Vail Resorts, Inc.�(NYSE: MTN) reported second quarter EPS of $1.60 on revenue of $452.70 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $1.65 on revenue of $422.45 million. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.�(NYSE: KKD) reported fourth quarter EPS of $0.12 on revenue of $112.70 million, compared to last year�� EPS of $0.09 on revenue of $118.14 million.Pre-Market Movers
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: AmerisourceBergen Corp (ABC)
AmerisourceBergen Corporation (AmerisourceBergen), incorporated on March 16, 2001, is a pharmaceutical services companies serving the United States, Canada, and selected global markets. Servicing both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Company provides drug distribution and related services. The Company distributes a range of pharmaceuticals (including specialty pharmaceutical products), generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a range of healthcare providers located in the United States, Canada and selected global markets, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical and dialysis clinics, physicians and physician group practices, long-term care and other alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. The Company also provides pharmacy services to certain specialty drug patients. In addition, the Company furnishes healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers with an assortment of related services, including pharmacy automation, inventories management, reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services, logistics services, and pharmacy management. The Company serves its customers (healthcare providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and specialty drug patients) through a network of distribution service centers and other operations in the United States, Canada, and global markets. In the Company's pharmaceutical distribution business, the Company is a source of supply of pharmaceutical and related products to its healthcare provider customers.
As of September 30, 2012, the Company's operations were comprised of the Pharmaceutical Distribution reportable segment and Other. Other consists of the AmerisourceBergen Consulting Services (ABCS) and World Courier operating segments. In September 2011, the Company acquired IntrinsiQ, LLC (IntrinsiQ) and Premier Source! . IntrinsiQ is a provider of informatics solutions, which help community oncologists make treatment decisions for their patients. Premier Source is a provider of consulting and reimbursement services to medical device, pharmaceutical, molecular diagnostic, and biotechnology manufacturers, as well as other health services companies. On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired TheraCom, LLC (TheraCom). TheraCom is a provider of commercialization support services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, including reimbursement and patient access support services. On April 30, 2012, the Company acquired World Courier Group, Inc. (World Courier), which is a global specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry.
Pharmaceutical Distribution Segment
The Pharmaceutical Distribution reportable segment is consisted of two operating segments, which include the operations of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation (ABDC) and AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group (ABSG). Servicing healthcare providers in the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Pharmaceutical Distribution segment's operations provide drug distribution and related services. ABDC distributes a offering of brand-name pharmaceuticals (including specialty pharmaceutical products) and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to a range of healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, long-term care and other alternate site pharmacies, and other customers. ABDC also provides pharmacy management, staffing and other consulting services; scalable automated pharmacy dispensing equipment; medication and supply dispensing cabinets, and supply management software to a range of retail and institutional healthcare providers. In addition, ABDC delivers packaging solutions to institutional and retail healthcare providers.!
ABSG, through a range of operating businesses, provides pharmaceutical distribution and other services to physicians who specialize in a range of disease states, especially oncology, and to other healthcare providers, including dialysis clinics. ABSG also distributes plasma and other blood products, injectible pharmaceuticals and vaccines. In addition, ABSG provides third party logistics and other services for biotechnology and other pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Company's use of the term specialty and specialty pharmaceutical products refers to drugs used to treat complex diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Specialty pharmaceutical products are part of complex treatment regimens for serious conditions and diseases, which require ongoing clinical monitoring.
Other
ABCS, through a number of operating businesses, provides commercialization support services, including reimbursement support programs, outcomes research, contract field staffing, patient assistance and copay assistance programs, adherence programs, risk mitigation services, and other market access programs to pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers. World Courier, which operates in over 50 countries, is a specialty transportation and logistics provider for the biopharmaceutical industry. As of September 30, 2012, the Company committed to a plan to divest AndersonBrecon.
The Company competes with Cardinal Health, Inc., McKesson Corporation, FFF Enterprises, Henry Schein, Inc. and UPS Logistics.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Dividends4Life]
Memberships and Peers: CAH is a member of the S&P 500, a Dividend Aristocrat and a member of the Broad Dividend Achievers��Index. The company's peer group includes: AmerisourceBergen Corporation (ABC) with a 1.3% yield, McKesson Corporation (MCK) with a 0.6% yield and Owens & Minor Inc. (OMI) with a 2.5% yield.
- [By Rich Duprey]
The world's largest pharmaceuticals distributor, AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC ) , has completed the divestiture of its Canadian�distribution business to�Kohl & Frisch Limited, the country's only Canadian-owned national full-line pharmaceutical distributor, AmerisourceBergen announced yesterday.
- [By Marc Bastow]
Pharmaceuticals company AmerisourceBergen (ABC) raised its dividend 12% to 23.5 cents per share, payable on Dec. 2 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 18.
ABC Dividend Yield:
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: MicroStrategy Incorporated(MSTR)
MicroStrategy Incorporated provides enterprise software platforms for business intelligence (BI), and mobile and social intelligence applications worldwide. The company offers MicroStrategy 9, an integrated BI platform that enables businesses to make business decisions. The MicroStrategy 9 platform?s product components comprise Intelligence Server, a foundation for the BI platform; Report Services, a reporting engine delivering production and operational reports, managed metrics reports, and interactive dashboards; OLAP Services that allows Web and desktop users to manipulate Intelligent Cubes databases; Web, a Web interface providing query, reporting, and analysis; Distribution Services that offers automated report and dashboard distribution; Office, which enables Microsoft Office users to create, run, edit, and format MicroStrategy report; and Desktop that provide users access to data through analytical applications. The MicroStrategy 9 platform?s product components al so include Architect, whose data sources are modeled through an intuitive graphical user interface; SDK to integrate MicroStrategy 9 features and functionality into any application on multiple platforms; Integrity Manager to compare and verify reports? consistency; Command Manager that automates MicroStrategy administrative tasks; Enterprise Manager to provide prebuilt reports and dashboards; Object Manager that allows administrators to manage disparate and distributed environments; MultiSource Option allowing users to report, analyze, and monitor data; Transaction Services that provides write-back capabilities; and Clustering Option, a plug-and-play add-on to Intelligence Server. The company also offers technical support, consulting, education, and cloud-based solutions. It serves retail, communications, financial services, insurance, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, consumer goods, and public services industries. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Victor Selva]
The second place was occupied by MicroStrategy Incorporated (MSTR), a provider of business intelligence and mobile software with 5.5% of the total portfolio and worth $52.6 million. It reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago, and the stock price outperformed the rise in the S&P 500.
- [By Seth Jayson]
MicroStrategy (Nasdaq: MSTR ) is expected to report Q2 earnings around July 29. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict MicroStrategy's revenues will wither -1.9% and EPS will wither -40.0%. - [By Evan Niu, CFA]
What: Shares of MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR ) have plunged today by as much as 13% after the company reported first-quarter earnings.
So what: Revenue in the first quarter added up to $130.2 million, a 6% decline from a year ago. That translated into a loss from continuing operations of $5.2 million, or $0.46 per share. Those figures looked poor relative to consensus estimates, which were calling for $152.4 million in sales and $0.35 per share in profit.
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: Comcast Corporation(CMCSK)
Comcast Corporation provides entertainment, information, and communications products and services in the United States and internationally. The company?s Cable Communications segment provides video, high-speed Internet, and voice services to residential and business customers. As of December 31, 2011, its cable systems served 22.3 million video, 18.1 million high-speed Internet, and 9.3 million voice customers. Its Cable Networks segment operates cable entertainment networks, such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Bravo, Oxygen, Style, G4, Chiller, Cloo, and Universal HD; cable news and information networks, including CNBC, MSNBC, and CNBC World; cable sports networks comprising Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network; regional sports and news networks; international cable networks, such as CNBC Europe, CNBC Asia, and its Universal Networks International networks; cable television production studio; and digital media properties primarily comprising brand-aligned and other Websites, s uch as DailyCandy, Fandango, and iVillage. The company?s Broadcast Television segment primarily operates NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; NBC and Telemundo owned local television stations; broadcast television production operations; and related digital media properties, which primarily include brand-aligned Websites. Its Filmed Entertainment segment operates Universal Pictures, which produces, acquires, markets, and distributes filmed entertainment and stage plays worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television, and other distribution platforms. The company?s Theme Parks segment operates Universal theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood. Comcast Corporation also operates the Philadelphia Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center, a multipurpose arena in Philadelphia; provides facilities management services; and offers food services for sporting events, concerts, and other events. The company was founded in 1969 and is based in Philadelphia, Penn sylvania.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Reuters]
cinz/Flickr Apple (AAPL) is in talks with Comcast to enter into a deal for a streaming-television service that would allow Apple set-top boxes to bypass congestion on the Web, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The discussions are in early stages and there are a lot of hurdles to be crossed before a definitive agreement could be reached, the Journal said. Apple, which wants its TV service's traffic to be separated from public internet traffic over the "last mile" for faster transmission, is looking for special treatment from Comcast's (CMCSA) (CMCSK) cables to bypass congestion, the report said. Comcast and Apple declined to comment on the report. Apple has been in talks for a faster TV set-top box with Time Warner Cable (TWC), which recently agreed to be bought by Comcast. Apple's $99 TV box competes with similar streaming devices from Roku and Google (GOOG). Netflix agreed last month to pay Comcast for faster speeds, throwing open the possibility that more content companies will have to shell out for better service.
Top Life Sciences Stocks To Watch Right Now: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA)
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Aerospace & Defense Index Fund (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the aerospace and defense sector of the United States equity market. Aerospace companies include manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts. Defense companies include producers of components and equipment for the defense industry, such as military aircraft, radar equipment and weapons.
The Fund will concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent as the Index is so concentrated. Since all of the securities included in the Index are issued by companies in the aerospace and defense sector, the Fund will be concentrated in the aerospace and defense industry. The Fund�� investment advisor is Barclays Global Fund Advisors.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Mark Salzinger]
This industry's two largest ETFs��Shares Aerospace and Defense (ITA) and PowerShares Aerospace and Defense (PPA)��ained more than 50% last year.
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