Stocks on the move
Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1728 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS
Economic indicators for Feb. 23
Economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include ICSC-Goldman Store Sales, S&P's Case-Shiller home price index and Consumer Confidence.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1714 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS
Earnings diary for Feb. 23
Companies scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday include Home Depot Inc, Macy's Inc, Medtronic Inc, Medco Health , Sears Holdings Corp, Target Corp and Watson Pharmaceuticals
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1644 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS-UPDATE 1
Nordstrom profit up but misses Street view
Upscale retailer Nordstrom Inc reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit despite strong holiday and online sales, and higher margins. Its shares were down 5 percent in after-hours trading.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1638 ET 22Feb2010
Wall St ends flat as Bernanke eyed, but banks rise
U.S. stocks finished flat on Monday as investors held back before congressional testimony by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, while scattered buying lifted shares of health insurers and banks.
President Barack Obama revised plans for an overhaul of U.S. healthcare. . The Morgan Stanley healthcare payor index rose 1.7 percent, but investors said financial shares benefited from the focus shifting away from reform in that sector.
The KBW bank index rose 1.9 percent, but energy shares weighed on the broader market.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1305 ET 22Feb2010 Hologic call options heat up
analyst
Shares of medical diagnostics company Hologic Inc were steady at $16.13 in afternoon trade. The company last week settled a patent infringement dispute with a unit of Johnson & Johnson. For details, see. Traders on Monday focused on the stock's call options as 3,851 contracts traded against only 179 puts, according to Trade Alert. Overall option volume was double the norm and directional sentiment based on order flow was 71 percent bullish, Trade Alert data show.
During the session, some 2,700 April $17.50 calls changed hands for 35 and 40 cents per contract against zero existing open interest, said David Russell, optionMonster analyst in comments on the Web site. But he noted the trades were not huge and seem to represent purchases by one or two institutional players. The stock gapped higher on strong earnings on Feb. 1, but has been trapped below $17 since September, Russell said.
The next scheduled event that could serve as a potential catalyst is Hologic's presentation at the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference on March 9, he said.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1149 EST 22Feb2010
Airgas urges holders to reject Air Products bid
Airgas Inc urged its shareholders on Monday to reject a $5.1 billion tender offer from larger rival Air Products & Chemicals Inc, arguing the offer substantially undervalues the industrial gas supplier.
The move was widely expected, and Airgas investors now have until April 9 to formally consider Air Products's $60-per-share cash offer.
Even if a majority of Airgas shareholders sell their shares, the Airgas board still has a 'poison pill' in place to keep any one party from acquiring too large a stake.
For details, see
Airgas shares were up less than 0.1 percent at $63.58 while Air Products was down 0.2 percent at $69.53.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1145 EST 22Feb2010
Geithner pushes for independent consumer agency
The Obama administration is still fighting for a single, independent consumer financial protection agency, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday as lawmakers haggled over a financial reform bill.
Geithner seized upon the implementation of new rules under a credit card reform bill signed into law last year to argue that more such protections were needed for consumers.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1728 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS
Economic indicators for Feb. 23
Economic indicators on tap for Tuesday include ICSC-Goldman Store Sales, S&P's Case-Shiller home price index and Consumer Confidence.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1714 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS
Earnings diary for Feb. 23
Companies scheduled to report quarterly results on Tuesday include Home Depot Inc, Macy's Inc, Medtronic Inc, Medco Health , Sears Holdings Corp, Target Corp and Watson Pharmaceuticals
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1644 ET 22Feb2010 RTRS-UPDATE 1
Nordstrom profit up but misses Street view
Upscale retailer Nordstrom Inc reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit despite strong holiday and online sales, and higher margins. Its shares were down 5 percent in after-hours trading.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1638 ET 22Feb2010
Wall St ends flat as Bernanke eyed, but banks rise
U.S. stocks finished flat on Monday as investors held back before congressional testimony by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, while scattered buying lifted shares of health insurers and banks.
President Barack Obama revised plans for an overhaul of U.S. healthcare. . The Morgan Stanley healthcare payor index rose 1.7 percent, but investors said financial shares benefited from the focus shifting away from reform in that sector.
The KBW bank index rose 1.9 percent, but energy shares weighed on the broader market.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1305 ET 22Feb2010 Hologic call options heat up
analyst
Shares of medical diagnostics company Hologic Inc were steady at $16.13 in afternoon trade. The company last week settled a patent infringement dispute with a unit of Johnson & Johnson. For details, see. Traders on Monday focused on the stock's call options as 3,851 contracts traded against only 179 puts, according to Trade Alert. Overall option volume was double the norm and directional sentiment based on order flow was 71 percent bullish, Trade Alert data show.
During the session, some 2,700 April $17.50 calls changed hands for 35 and 40 cents per contract against zero existing open interest, said David Russell, optionMonster analyst in comments on the Web site. But he noted the trades were not huge and seem to represent purchases by one or two institutional players. The stock gapped higher on strong earnings on Feb. 1, but has been trapped below $17 since September, Russell said.
The next scheduled event that could serve as a potential catalyst is Hologic's presentation at the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference on March 9, he said.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1149 EST 22Feb2010
Airgas urges holders to reject Air Products bid
Airgas Inc urged its shareholders on Monday to reject a $5.1 billion tender offer from larger rival Air Products & Chemicals Inc, arguing the offer substantially undervalues the industrial gas supplier.
The move was widely expected, and Airgas investors now have until April 9 to formally consider Air Products's $60-per-share cash offer.
Even if a majority of Airgas shareholders sell their shares, the Airgas board still has a 'poison pill' in place to keep any one party from acquiring too large a stake.
For details, see
Airgas shares were up less than 0.1 percent at $63.58 while Air Products was down 0.2 percent at $69.53.
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1145 EST 22Feb2010
Geithner pushes for independent consumer agency
The Obama administration is still fighting for a single, independent consumer financial protection agency, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday as lawmakers haggled over a financial reform bill.
Geithner seized upon the implementation of new rules under a credit card reform bill signed into law last year to argue that more such protections were needed for consumers.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net Keywords: MARKETS STOCKSNEWS
COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.