Stocks on the move
Real-time equity news
U.S. stock market report
1716 ET 24Feb2010
Economic diary for Feb. 25
Thursday's economic calendar includes durable goods orders and jobless claims data due at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gives semiannual monetary policy testimony to the House Financial Services Committee.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1700 ET 24Feb2010
Earnings diary for Feb. 25
The following are some of the companies scheduled to post quarterly results on Thursday: Goodyear Tire & Rubber, DirecTV Group Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1648 ET 24Feb2010-NYSE says short interest rises 3. 8 pct in mid
Feb
Short interest on the New York Stock Exchange rose 3.8 percent in mid-February, suggesting an increase in bearish sentiment in the stock market. As of Feb. 12, short interest rose to about 14 billion shares, compared with 13.49 billion shares as of Jan. 29.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1641 ET 24Feb2010-US STOCKS
Wall St rises on promise of more cheap money
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reassured lawmakers interest rates will remain low, driving U.S. stocks higher on Wednesday as investors welcomed the promise of more cheap money. Banks, which have benefited from borrowing rates at historic lows, led the market higher. Bank of America was the Dow's biggest percentage gainer, rising 2.45 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 91.75 points, or 0.89 percent, to 10,374.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 10.64 points, or 0.97 percent, to 1,105.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 22.46 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,235.90.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1525 ET 24Feb2010
Options activity on E*Trade suggests stock rebound: analyst
Shares of E*Trade Financial Corp were down more than 1 percent at $1.53 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, but options activity on the stock was initiated by bullish investors positioning for a rebound in share price, according to Interactive Brokers Group analyst Andrew Wilkinson. One optimistic trader established a ratio call spread in the October contract, buying 5,000 call options at the October $2 strike for a premium of $0.18 each and selling 10,000 calls at the higher October $3 strike for about $0.04 apiece. The investor paid a net premium of $0.10 per contract for the transaction, but stands ready to accrue maximum potential profits of $0.90 per contract if the company's share price rallies to $3.00 by expiration day in eight months, Wilkinson said. Shares must increase at least 36 percent from the current price before the ratio-spread trader breaks even at a share price of $2.10, he added.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1405 ET 24Feb2010
Options trader bullish on Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines shares dipped 1.9 percent to $19.52 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, but in the options market, one trader remained staunchly bullish on the underlying stock, said Interactive Brokers Group Caitlin Duffy. The trader looked to have purchased 20,000 calls outright at the March $20 strike back on September 1, 2009, for approximately $1.00 to $1.10 per contract when the airline's shares were trading around $12.50, Duffy said. The stock rebounded in the past six months, and is up about 56 percent since the purchase date. The bullish trader opted to take minor gains by selling the
20,000 out-of-the
money calls in the March contract for a premium of $1.16 each. The trader also initiated a new bullish strategy to position for continued gains in the value of Continental's share price by June expiration, she said. The trader bought 20,000 calls at the June $21 strike for a premium of $2.15 apiece and sold the same number of calls at the higher June $24 strike for an average premium of $1.06 each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to $1.09 per contract. Therefore, the bullish investor stands ready to amass maximum potential profits of $1.91 per contract for total profits of $3.82 million should Continental's shares rally up to $24.00 by expiration day in four months time, Duffy said.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1316 ET 24Feb2010
Toyota's ADRs higher before Toyoda's testimony
U.S.-listed shares of Toyota Motor Corp were up 3.6 percent at $74.15 before testimony of the automaker's president Akio Toyoda before a Congressional panel on vehicle safety.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1210 ET 24Feb2010-PREVIEW
Apple holds annual meeting as stock seeks catalyst
Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs will hold his annual face-to-face meeting with shareholders on Thursday, and there will be no shortage of questions for a company famously stingy with information.
Apple's shares have been treading water around the $200 mark since last October, despite a strong December-quarter earnings report and massive hype around the iPad tablet, Apple's newest consumer device to be launched in late March.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://caroline.valetkevitch.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
1716 ET 24Feb2010
Economic diary for Feb. 25
Thursday's economic calendar includes durable goods orders and jobless claims data due at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gives semiannual monetary policy testimony to the House Financial Services Committee.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1700 ET 24Feb2010
Earnings diary for Feb. 25
The following are some of the companies scheduled to post quarterly results on Thursday: Goodyear Tire & Rubber, DirecTV Group Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1648 ET 24Feb2010-NYSE says short interest rises 3. 8 pct in mid
Feb
Short interest on the New York Stock Exchange rose 3.8 percent in mid-February, suggesting an increase in bearish sentiment in the stock market. As of Feb. 12, short interest rose to about 14 billion shares, compared with 13.49 billion shares as of Jan. 29.
For details, see
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1641 ET 24Feb2010-US STOCKS
Wall St rises on promise of more cheap money
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reassured lawmakers interest rates will remain low, driving U.S. stocks higher on Wednesday as investors welcomed the promise of more cheap money. Banks, which have benefited from borrowing rates at historic lows, led the market higher. Bank of America was the Dow's biggest percentage gainer, rising 2.45 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 91.75 points, or 0.89 percent, to 10,374.16. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 10.64 points, or 0.97 percent, to 1,105.24. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 22.46 points, or 1.01 percent, to 2,235.90.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1525 ET 24Feb2010
Options activity on E*Trade suggests stock rebound: analyst
Shares of E*Trade Financial Corp were down more than 1 percent at $1.53 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, but options activity on the stock was initiated by bullish investors positioning for a rebound in share price, according to Interactive Brokers Group analyst Andrew Wilkinson. One optimistic trader established a ratio call spread in the October contract, buying 5,000 call options at the October $2 strike for a premium of $0.18 each and selling 10,000 calls at the higher October $3 strike for about $0.04 apiece. The investor paid a net premium of $0.10 per contract for the transaction, but stands ready to accrue maximum potential profits of $0.90 per contract if the company's share price rallies to $3.00 by expiration day in eight months, Wilkinson said. Shares must increase at least 36 percent from the current price before the ratio-spread trader breaks even at a share price of $2.10, he added.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1405 ET 24Feb2010
Options trader bullish on Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines shares dipped 1.9 percent to $19.52 in afternoon trading on Wednesday, but in the options market, one trader remained staunchly bullish on the underlying stock, said Interactive Brokers Group Caitlin Duffy. The trader looked to have purchased 20,000 calls outright at the March $20 strike back on September 1, 2009, for approximately $1.00 to $1.10 per contract when the airline's shares were trading around $12.50, Duffy said. The stock rebounded in the past six months, and is up about 56 percent since the purchase date. The bullish trader opted to take minor gains by selling the
20,000 out-of-the
money calls in the March contract for a premium of $1.16 each. The trader also initiated a new bullish strategy to position for continued gains in the value of Continental's share price by June expiration, she said. The trader bought 20,000 calls at the June $21 strike for a premium of $2.15 apiece and sold the same number of calls at the higher June $24 strike for an average premium of $1.06 each. The net cost of the transaction amounts to $1.09 per contract. Therefore, the bullish investor stands ready to amass maximum potential profits of $1.91 per contract for total profits of $3.82 million should Continental's shares rally up to $24.00 by expiration day in four months time, Duffy said.
Reuters Messaging: angela.moon.reuters.com@reuters.net
1316 ET 24Feb2010
Toyota's ADRs higher before Toyoda's testimony
U.S.-listed shares of Toyota Motor Corp were up 3.6 percent at $74.15 before testimony of the automaker's president Akio Toyoda before a Congressional panel on vehicle safety.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://ellis.mnyandu.reuters.com@reuters.net
1210 ET 24Feb2010-PREVIEW
Apple holds annual meeting as stock seeks catalyst
Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs will hold his annual face-to-face meeting with shareholders on Thursday, and there will be no shortage of questions for a company famously stingy with information.
Apple's shares have been treading water around the $200 mark since last October, despite a strong December-quarter earnings report and massive hype around the iPad tablet, Apple's newest consumer device to be launched in late March.
For more please double click
Reuters Messaging rm://caroline.valetkevitch.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.