Archive for the ‘Consumer Staples Stocks’ Category

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CFS, ARTG, CCUR – Buzz Stocks With Unusual Activity

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Comforce Corp. (AMEX: CFS) advanced 53.71% in the opening half-hour of trading to $2.49, on 299,974 shares, compared to a daily average of 9,408 shares. The volume and sharp rise comes amid news that the company agreed to be taken over by an affiliate of ABRY Partners for $2.50 per share of common stock, a premium of approximately 77.4% over Comforce’s 30-day average closing stock price, and a 52-week high for the issue. Comforce Corporation is a leading provider of outsourced staffing management services.

Art Technology Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ARTG) leaped 45.49% to $5.97, on volume of 41,975,948 shares, towering above its three-month daily average of 1,135,700 shares, on the verge of an announcement that Oracle was about to buy ATG for $1 billion, thus adding the maker of e-commerce software to Oracle’s business-software offerings. Oracle will pay $6 a share, a 46% premium to Monday’s closing price and a level last seen in 2001 as the Internet bubble was still deflating.

Concurrent Computer Corporation (Nasdaq: CCUR) took it on the chin 30.43% to $4.80 in the first hour of trading, on early volume of 262,578, compared its daily three-month average of 32,128 shares. The news comes a day after Concurrent declared disappointing third-quarter figures. The company, a worldwide leader in video and media data and advertising solutions, reported revenue for the quarter of $15.5 million, with a loss of 14 cents a share. The stock’s 52-week range bottomed out at 3.38 and peaked at 7.31

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Friday’s Market Movers – (FMR, IIIIU, STMP, CSTR)

Friday, October 29th, 2010

First Mercury Financial Corporation (NYSE: FMR) Surged 43.49% to $16.30 on news that Toronto’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. agreed to buy First Mercury for $294 million cash. First Mercury serves specialized niches of the insurance industry and Fairfax chief executive Prem Watsa says it’s an opportunistic purchase.

Information Services Group, Inc (NasdaqGM: IIIIU) climbed 39.39% to $2.30 this Friday on 644 volume. Information Services Group, Inc. an industry-leading, information-based services company, confirmed Wednesday that it will release its third quarter 2010 financial results on Tuesday, November 9, 2010.

Stamps.com Inc. (NasdaqGS: STMP) shares advanced 10.88% to $16.00 after the online seller of postage stamps announced special dividend of $2.00 per share on Thursday. The Board of Directors approved the special dividend to distribute excess cash from the Company’s capital structure, and to allow shareholders to take advantage of the current low dividend tax rate.

Coinstar, Inc. (NasdaqGS: CSTR) a leading provider of automated retail solutions rose 25.18% to $57.91 on news they beat the 50-cent average of seven analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The owner of Redbox movie-rental kiosks sales climbed 42 percent to $380.2 million. DVD revenue jumped 54 percent.

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MIPS, APPY, RFMD, SHMN – Buzz Stocks With Big Gains This Week

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Several of this week’s Buzz Stocks have had a string of days with solid gains:

MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS) – Shares of MIPS Technologies increased almost 24 percent from Monday’s closing price in morning trading on Tuesday after the chip maker announced first quarter profit of $7.6 million, or 16 cents per share, compared with $595,000, or a penny per share, a year earlier. Shares closed on Tuesday at $14.12, after rallying as high as $14.18. The next day, shares spiked to $14.65, before closing at $14.34. Shares of MIPS Technologies have are up about 40 percent since Monday.

AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPY) – Shares of diagnostic products maker, AspenBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: APPY) were up as much as 71 percent from Monday’s closing price, in morning trading on Tuesday after the company announced that it initiated manufacturing on its AppyScore™ cassette-based test system, and added personnel to handle its clinical, regulatory and commercial planning efforts. Shares traded as high as 98 cents, before closing at 71 cents on Tuesday. Shares traded between 80 cents 61 cents on Wednesday and Thursday, and were trading at 69 cents in mid-day trading on Friday. Shares of AspenBio Pharma, Inc. are up about 86 percent since Monday.

RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD) – Shares of RFMD were up 13 percent in morning trading on Wednesday after the company posted revenue of $285.8 million, and EPS of 19 cents for its fiscal second quarter ended October 2. Analysts on average expected EPS of 16 cents, on revenue of $275.9 million. Since then, shares have continually moved higher, trading as high as $7.45 on Thursday. At mid-day Friday, shares of RFMD were trading at $7.39, up about 11 percent since Monday.

SOHM, Inc. (Pink Sheets: SHMN) – The generic drug maker had several news releases this week announcing its intent to capitalize on the market opportunity in India for the company’s products. On Thursday,SOHM announced the addition of six new generic pharmaceutical products targeting asthma and respiratory disease. Shares of SOHM rallied as high as 9 cents on Thursday, before closing at 6 cents per share. Trading volume on Thursday was 10.5 million shares, a significant increase over SOHM’s average three-month trading volume of 165,398 shares. Shares of SHMN are up approximately 60 percent since Monday.

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Deckers Outdoor Corp. (DECK) – Buzz Stock of the Day

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Shares of shoemaker Deckers Outdoor Corp. (Nasdaq: DECK) soared as much as 9 percent from Thursday’s closing price, in morning trading on Friday after the company reported strong third quarter earnings that beat analysts’ expectations.

“The strong performance of our new fall lines helped fuel sales gains across each of our distribution channels and geographic regions compared to the third quarter of last year,” said Deckers’ Chairman and CEO, Angel Martinez in a statement. “We continue to successfully expand the UGG brand’s market share by developing more compelling products including boots, casuals and sneakers that target a wider consumer audience. The global response to our fall collection has been very encouraging, with sell-through rates accelerating as we’ve moved into the fourth quarter. At the same time, the strong momentum the Teva brand experienced during the first half of the year is carrying over into the second half. This was driven by increased shipments of our fall collection, led by an expanded offering of closed toe products coupled with strong in-season demand for our sandal assortment. We are encouraged by the current trends in our business and believe we are well positioned for a very good holiday selling season.”
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Deckers earned $42.1 million, or $1.07 per share in the third quarter ended September 30, 2010, largely driven by improved sales of its UGG boots and Teva sandals. Analysts were expecting earnings of 93 cents per share. Quarterly revenue increased to $277.9 million, from $228.4 million, a year earlier.

Sales of the company’s UGG boots increased 20.2 percent to $255.8 million, and sales of its Teva sandals increased to $13.7 million, up 51.7 percent from $9 million a year ago.

Deckers also raised its full-year revenue outlook to a 16 percent improvement over 2009 levels, up from previous guidance of 14 percent. The company also expects its full year EPS to increase 22 percent over 2009, compared to previous earnings guidance of 16 percent, over last year.

Shares of Deckers Outdoor Corp. are up approximately 13 percent over the past three months.

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Eastman Kodak, Co. (EK) – Buzz Stock of the Day

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Eastman Kodak Company Common StEastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK), the 130-year-old camera maker, announced Tuesday Antoinette McCorvey will replace Frank S. Sklarsky as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President effective November 5, 2010.

Currently Director of Investor Relations, McCorvey was promoted to CFO following the resignation of Frank Sklarsky, who is moving to Tyco International (NYSE: TYC). News of Kodak’s internal restructuring boosted shares as much as $0.08, or 1.9%, from Monday’s closing price of $4.22. Before Monday, Kodak shares were unchanged this year.

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Eastman Kodak Co. has experienced decreasing sales over the last four years as the company transitions from traditional film business segments to focus on consumer and commercial printing. Sales have slipped from $14.3 billion in 2005 to $7.6 billion in 2009, with Bloomberg data analysis estimating sales will fall an additional 5 percent this fiscal year.

Additionally, Fitch Ratings announced on Tuesday that it had cut Eastman Kodak Co.’s rating outlook to negative from stable and affirmed its issuer default rating at B-. In a statement regarding the move, Fitch said, “The negative outlook reflects Kodak’s continued struggles to gain traction in its digital business segments as secular declines accelerate in the traditional film business.” About $1.6 billion in debt will be affected by the move.

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