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Cramer on BloggingStocks: Pelosi can't kill the health care sector

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the Senate is filled with more-savvy politicians, and the upside for beaten-down names is huge.

Nancy Pelosi has now said her piece. The most unpopular Speaker of the House in the history of Wall Street has gotten her precious health care legislation through the House after ramming through a stimulus package that had far too little infrastructure and far too much pay raise for municipal and state workers, the most powerful interest group in the country.

But this time the Senate sees through it, and the politicians -- despite Pelosi's insistence that Tuesday's election went her way -- know better. There are pages after pages after pages in this bill that look threatening. But here's the rub: This bill's public option, the one that is supposed to be a killer to everything health care, should affect no more than 6 million people over a 10-year period, according to the Congressional Budget Office. In order to get 60 votes in the Senate, even that may prove to be too powerful an option.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Pelosi can't kill the health care sector

Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ...

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ...

Aetna, Aflac, WellPoint rise following earnings releases

Even as the battle over health care reform rages on Capitol Hill, we are seeing a flurry of third quarter reports from insurers.

Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) reported Thursday that its third-quarter profit rose 18% from a year ago to $308.2 million, or $0.69 per share, topping Wall Street's expectations. Revenue came in at $8.72 billion, versus the consensus of $8.68 billion. Aetna also said share repurchases totaled 3.9 million at a cost of $114 million in the third quarter of 2009.

Continue reading Aetna, Aflac, WellPoint rise following earnings releases

Can you cut your health care costs 90% and get a free vacation?

President Obama started an intense debate in recent months about national health care. People are concerned about how to pay for the high cost of health care in America and feel it is just too expensive. There has to be a better way!

I like oranges and I grew up in Wisconsin, but in January oranges do not grow very well in Wisconsin. I don't know why -- I am not a horticulturalist -- but maybe it's the lack of sunlight, hard frozen tundra, blowing snow or temperatures of 25 below zero. We could spend a long time pointlessly debating the actual reason.

Continue reading Can you cut your health care costs 90% and get a free vacation?

Dropping the 'public option' could insure some stocks' health

Regardless of how you feel about a public health insurance option offered by the government, interest at the policy level seems to be waning recently. If Democrats drop the idea of a public option as a component of health care reform, health insurance companies could benefit.

The way I see it, if the government starts offering health insurance as a public provider then new supply will have entered the market. According to my college Econ 101 text book, that new supply would have shifted the supply and demand curves towards lower prices and maybe lower profits.

Continue reading Dropping the 'public option' could insure some stocks' health

Closing Bell: Bears win decisive victory, sort of (AET, AFL, AEZS, FSLR, LOW)

Today's weakness was due to two issues. First was a much needed pullback after a monster run-up in the markets. Second was a weak Asian market turnout that spilled over to the west on concerns that maybe the recent gains did not add up to as high as share prices had gone. The stronger NY Fed District manufacturing data was merely a footnote. The bears might claim a decisive victory because there were no major rallies, but keep in mind that this is a summer Monday with light trading desks.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 9,135.34 -186.06 (-2.00%)
S&P 500 979.72 -24.37 (-2.43%)
Nasdaq 1,930.84 -54.68 (-2.75%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bears win decisive victory, sort of (AET, AFL, AEZS, FSLR, LOW)

Earnings highlights: Viacom, Sprint, Revlon, DreamWorks, Conoco, Avon ...

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Viacom, Sprint, Revlon, DreamWorks, Conoco, Avon ...

Closing Bell: A directionless day (AET, C, GLW, ERIC, SLB, VZ)

Everything was looking up this morning, up until the reaction to companies and their earnings reports. The market felt directionless all day after losing its initial gains despite a new home sales data release that was well above expectations. Ben Bernanke defended his stance on avoiding the next depression. The SEC also issued new short sale abuse guidelines.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 9,108.59 +15.35 (0.17%)
S&P 500 982.19 +2.93 (0.30%)
Nasdaq 1,967.89 +1.93 (0.10%)

Top 10 Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Continue reading Closing Bell: A directionless day (AET, C, GLW, ERIC, SLB, VZ)

Before the bell: Futures lower as earnings season conitnues

U.S. stock futures advanced Monday morning, ahead of yet another week full of corporate reports, with some heavyweights already reporting this morning. Investors will be looking to see if results continue to top projections on average. Meanwhile, investors will digest some of Bernanke's remarks as they await more housing data due out after the market opens.

[Update 9:00 a.m.: Futures turned direction following several disappointing earnings reports this morning.]

Markets have rallied the past two weeks alongside earnings season. This week, over 140 companies of the S&P 500 are due to report. This morning it is Aetna (NYSE: AET), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), Honeywell International (NYSE: HON) and Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ). Analysts are raising U.S. profit estimates for the first time since credit markets froze two years ago, with the S&P 500 earnings estimates now at $74.55 a share next year, up from $72.54 in May, indicating a potential 26 percent increase in the S&P 500.

Continue reading Before the bell: Futures lower as earnings season conitnues

Earnings highlights: Google, KKR, Krispy Kreme, Williams-Sonoma, Guess? and more

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Google, KKR, Krispy Kreme, Williams-Sonoma, Guess? and more

Closing Bell: When complacency becomes concerning (AET, AIG, JBLU, TIVO, VLO)

Today was one of those days where stocks looked lower early in the morning, traded lower, and stayed there. Despite recovering from triple-digit losses in the DJIA earlier on, we still closed down 65.63 at 8.675.24 on the DJIA.

The S&P took a bigger hit by almost 13.00 at a lower level of 931.76. Bond prices rallied and we saw a 9 basis point drop in the 10-Year Treasury to 3.55%.

Here were today's top analyst upgrades, and there were several key downgrades as well.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When complacency becomes concerning (AET, AIG, JBLU, TIVO, VLO)

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: TEL, ABX, AET, WMT, VMW ...

Analyst upgrades:
  • Keefe Bruyette upgraded BB&T (NYSE: BBT) to Market Perform from Underperform as it believes downside risk has been reduced following the company's capital raise. The firm raised its target price to $23 from $15.
  • Janney Montgomery upgraded FEI Company (NASDAQ: FEIC) to Buy from Neutral on expectations margins will improve and various country stimulus packages will provide benefits in 2010. The firm has a $31 target on the stock.
  • Citigroup upgraded Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) to Buy from Hold as it believes automotive headwinds are priced in and the company's long-term fundamentals are intact. The firm raised its target price to $25 from $19.
  • Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.
  • J.B. Hunt (NYSE: JBHT) was raised to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
  • Roper Industries (NYSE: ROP) was upgraded at Oppenheimer to Outperform from Perform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: TEL, ABX, AET, WMT, VMW ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, AA, FCX, SJM, TWC ...

Analyst upgrades:
  • Merriman upgraded shares of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) to Buy from Neutral after its channel checks indicated a modest increase in ad spend per client in March. The upgrade is based on early indications that search pricing and ad spend are stabilizing, search volume continuing to grow at a double-digit rate, and Merriman's belief that consensus estimates are now at reasonable levels.
  • Deutsche Bank upgraded shares of Alcoa (NYSE: AA) to Hold from Sell and raised its price target to $8 from $7.30 following the company's asset sales in March as it believes the financial overhang on the stock has been removed.
  • Suntrust said Providence Service (NASDAQ: PRSC) has returned to profitability through demand stabilization for social services and cost controls. Shares were upgraded to Buy from Neutral.
  • Telmex (NYSE: TMX) was upgraded to Neutral from Undeperform at Credit Suisse.
  • Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) was raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Bernstein.
  • Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) was lifted to Neutral from Sell at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, AA, FCX, SJM, TWC ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GLW, A, BHP, MJN, AET ...

Analyst upgrades:
  • Citigroup upgraded shares of Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Buy from Hold as it believes LCD glass production and sales have bottomed and will pick-up in Q2. The firm raised its target price to $16 from $11.25.
  • Thomas Weisel upgraded Celera (NASDAQ: CRA) to Overweight from Market Weight based on valuation and its strong business model.
  • ThinkEquity upgraded Varian Semi (NASDAQ: VARI) to Buy from Accumulate and raised its target to $32 from $20 based on valuation and weakness at its sole competitor.
  • Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies.
  • Agilent (NYSE: A) was raised to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  • Liberty Interactive (NASDAQ: LINTA) was upgraded at JP Morgan to Neutral from Underweight.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GLW, A, BHP, MJN, AET ...

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Don't need stocks? Don't own 'em

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says if you need money for anything important in the near future, get it out of the stock market.

Fall back. Fall back to basic principles. What do people have to do whether they want to do it or not? What do governments have to pay for whether they want something or not? What must be used whether you like it or not?

That's where we are right now in the helter-skelter pell-mell race to take all stocks to single digits as the notion of a worldwide global depression sinks in.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Don't need stocks? Don't own 'em

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Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-73.1112,369.38
NASDAQ-34.902,778.79
S&P 500-9.641,295.22

Last updated: May 20, 2012: 11:43 PM

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