*** 美国股市新闻 ***

daniel888

August 12

Thursday, before the market opens, department store chain Kohl's Corp. (KSS) will report second-quarter numbers. Wall Street anticipates profit of $0.78 per share on revenues of $4.09 billion, while the company expects earnings of $0.70 - $0.75 per share The group earned $0.75 per share, on revenues of $3.81 billion, in the previous year.

Personal care products maker Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) is set to report final-quarter results before the market opens, Thursday. Analysts forecast earnings of $0.30 per share on revenues of $1.83 billion. In the previous year, the company earned $0.20 per share on revenues of $1.69 billion.

Estée Lauder sees full-year adjusted earnings between $2.65 and $2.75 per share, on sales growth between 4% and 5% in constant currency terms, while Street consensus is for $2.76 per share on revenues of $7.78 billion.

Downers Grove, Illinois-based processed and packaged foods company Sara Lee Corp. (SLE) is expected to report final-quarter profit of $0.23 per share on revenues of $2.86 billion, according to analysts.

The group, set to report on August 12, earned $0.28 per share, on revenues of $3.16 billion, a year ago.

Thursday, after the market opens, Beijing, China-based American Dairy, Inc. (ADY) is slated to report second-quarter results, with the Wall Street expecting earnings of $0.18 per share on revenues of $60.79 million, while the company expects total revenue to exceed $60 million. A year earlier, the group earned $0.24 per share on revenues of $41.19 million.

Design software maker Autodesk, Inc. (ADSK) would report first-quarter earnings after the market closes on August 12. Analysts forecast earnings of $0.27 per share, on revenues of $457.02 million, while the company foresees adjusted earnings between $0.25 and $0.28 per share, on revenues of $445 million - $460 million. In the prior-year quarter, the company earned $0.24 per share on revenues of $414.90 million.

Private educational services provider DeVry Inc. (DV) is set to report final-quarter numbers after the bell, Thursday, with analysts looking for earnings of $0.82 per share on revenues of $487.18 million. Last year, the company earned $0.56 per share on revenues of $396.24 million.

Fashion specialty retailer Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) will reveal its second-quarter numbers after the bell, Thursday, with Street predicting earnings of $0.66 per share on revenues of $2.40 billion. In the prior-year quarter, the group earned $0.48 per share on revenues of $2.14 billion.

Graphics chip maker Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) is slated to reveal second-quarter numbers after the bell, Thursday. Analysts are anticipating $0.11 per share of earnings, on revenues of $837.26 million, while the company sees revenues of $800 million - $820 million. In the year-ago period, it lost $0.07 per share on revenues of $776.52 million.

Brinker International Inc. (EAT), Geo Group Inc. (GEO), Perrigo Co. (PRGO), ShoreTel, Inc. (SHOR), Tim Hortons Inc. (THI,THI.TO) and few others are slated for Thursday's release.

August 13
Friday, before the bell, department stores operator J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP) will check in first-quarter financials. The company forecasts earnings to be at the lower end of $0.05-$0.08 per share, while analysts look for $0.07 per share, on revenues of $4.04 billion. The Plano, Texas-based group reported break even per share on revenues of $3.94 billion, in the earlier-year quarter.

Stay Tuned.....

daniel888

Google, Verizon Unveil Proposal On Web Traffic
Tue Aug 10 02:15:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Search engine giant Google Inc. (GOOG) and telecommunication service provider Verizon Communications, Inc. (VZ) have unveiled a proposed open Internet framework for the consideration of policymakers and the public which focuses on consumer protection, non-discrimination, transparency and network management.

In a post in Google's official blog Alan Davidson, Google director of public policy, and Tom Tauke and Verizon executive vice president of public affairs, policy, and communications, said " the joint proposal takes the form of a suggested legislative framework for consideration by lawmakers."

The proposal suggests that broadband Internet access service providers should not prevent users from sending and receiving lawful content of their choice, running applications and using services of their choice that are lawful and connecting their choice of legal devices that do not affect the network or service.

The service provider should not discriminate against lawful Internet content, application, or service that may harm competition or users. While prioritization of Internet traffic would be presumed inconsistent with the non-discrimination standard, the presumption could be rebutted.

In order to be transparent, service providers should disclose accurate and relevant information about their offerings, their broadband network management, and other practices necessary for users to make informed choices. Only the transparency principle would apply to wireless broadband at this time. Service providers can engage in reasonable network management, including technically sound practices to reduce network congestion, to ensure network security and to address unwanted traffic.

The proposal also suggests that those service providers complying with these principles could offer other services different in scope and purpose from broadband Internet access service. However, these services could make use of or access Internet content, applications or services and could include traffic prioritization.

The proposal further suggests that the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC,  will publish an annual report on the effect of these additional services and will report if these services threaten the meaningful availability of broadband Internet access services or evade consumer protections. While the FCC would enforce the consumer protection and nondiscrimination requirements through case-by-case adjudication, as per the proposal, it will have no rulemaking authority with respect to those provisions and parties will be encouraged to use non-governmental dispute resolution processes.

The FCC would be directed to give appropriate deference to decisions or advisory opinions of such groups, the joint proposal says, adding that the agency could impose a forfeiture of up to $2,000,000 for knowing violations of the consumer-protection or non-discrimination provisions.

As per the proposal, the FCC would have exclusive authority to oversee broadband Internet access service, but would not have authority over Internet software applications, content or services. Regulatory authorities would not be permitted to regulate broadband Internet access service.

Further, the proposal suggests that broadband Internet access would be eligible for Federal universal service fund support to expand its service to unserved areas and to support programs to encourage broadband adoption by low-income populations. Also, the FCC would be required to complete intercarrier compensation reform within 12 months.

According to the companies, the proposal would not affect rights or obligations under existing Federal or State laws that generally apply to businesses, and would not create any new private right of action. Responding to the proposal, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said, "Some will claim this announcement moves the discussion forward.  That's one of its many problems.  It is time to move a decision forwardâ

daniel888

Asian Markets End In The Red Ahead Of FED Meeting
Tue Aug 10 08:11:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Asian markets ended the trading session Tuesday on a weak note, despite positive cues from Wall Street in the previous session, as traders remained cautious ahead of the FOMC announcement later in the day that might provide more clues about the economic health in the US and the global economy.  Better-than-expected trade surplus data from China following drop in imports, and disappointment from Bank of Japan related to no mention of measures for arresting dollar's weakness against the yen also impacted market sentiment.

Volumes were relatively weaker as most of the traders preferred to stay away in the sidelines. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index fell 21.44 points, or 0.2%, to 9551, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues slid 2.94 points, or 0.3%, to 855.

On the economic front, the policy board of the Bank of Japan unanimously decided to retain the overnight call rate at 0.10%, in line with market expectations.  The BOJ also held off from unveiling further easing measures, despite fears the strong yen could derail the export-driven recovery.  The bank once again repeated its vow to fight deflation and promised to maintain the extremely accommodative financial environment.

A preliminary report released by the Japan Machine Tool Builders Association revealed that machine tool orders surged 144.8% year-on-year in July, following 143.8% rise in June.  The report further noted that domestic orders increased 101.7%, while external orders rose 176.1% during the month.

Real estate stocks ended in negative territory.  Sumitomo Realty & Development declined 2.33%, Mitsui Fudosan lost 1.24%, Mitsubishi Estate fell 1.08%, Tokyu Land Corp. slipped 1.18% and Heiwa Real Estate was down 1.85%.

Mixed trading was witnessed among shipping related stocks.  Mitsui OSK Lines managed to end in positive territory with a gain of 0.17%.  However, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha slipped 0.56% and Nippon Yusen declined 1.41%.

Mixed trading was also witnessed among trading stocks.  Sumitomo Corp. advanced 0.79% and Mitsui & Co. Ltd added 0.25%. Sojitz Corp. remained unchanged from previous close.  However, Toyota Tsusho Corp. edged down 0.15%, Mitsubishi Corp. declined 0.87%, Marubeni Corp. shed 0.62% and Itochu Corp. was down 0.41%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 Index declined 54.20 points, or 1.18%, and closed at 4,541
points, while the All-Ordinaries Index ended at 4,563, representing a loss of 52.60 points, or 1.14%. On the economic front, data released by the National Australia Bank revealed that business confidence slipped to its lowest level in more than a year in July.  The confidence level slid to 2 in July from 4 in June  The bank attributed sharp fall in new orders as the primary reason for the decline, albeit partly offset by the boost in mining sector following the compromise agreement struck on the resource super tax.

Banks ended in negative territory after National Australia Bank provided a cautious outlook for the year after reporting first quarter results which were in line with analysts' estimates.

ANZ Bank declined 2.03%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia slipped 0.55%, National Australia Bank lost 2.20% and Westpac Banking was down 2.18%.  Investment banking company Macquarie Group fell 1.81%. Mining and metal stocks also ended weaker.  BHP Billiton slipped 1.97%, Rio Tinto shed 1.89%, Fortescue Metals declined 0.65%, Gindalbie Metals plunged 4.63%, Iluka Resources edged down 0.18%, Macarthur Coal slumped 4.11% and Murchison Metals was down 4.34%.

Oil stocks also ended in negative territory.  Woodside Petroleum fell 2.33%, ROC Oil plunged 6.02%, Oil Search Ltd slipped 1.34% and Origin Energy was down 0.31%.  However, Santos Ltd bucked the trend and ended in positive territory with a gain of 1.04%.

Mixed trading was witnessed among gold stocks.  While Lihir Gold managed to remain unchanged from previous close, Newcrest Mining ended in positive territory with a marginal gain of 0.06%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index ended sharply lower at 21,474, down 327.99 points, or 1.50%, as traders resorted to profit taking at higher levels and moved to the sidelines ahead of the key Federal Reserve meeting in the US.  Economic data from mainland China which revealed that trade surplus surged to a 18-month high in July following moderation in imports raised concerns that the Chinese economy is slowing down its growth.  Almost all the stocks ended in the negative territory, taking cues from other markets in the neighboring region.

Profit taking following recent sharp gains weighed on the Indian market on Tuesday. Subdued global cues ahead of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meet also dampened sentiment.  The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 68 points or 0.37% to finish at 18,220 and the 50-share Nifty closed at 5,461, down 25 points or 0.46%.

Among the other major markets open for trading, China's Shanghai Composite Index plunged 77.26 points, or 2.89% to 2,595, Taiwan's Weighted Index declined 57.75 points, or 0.72%, to close at 7,977, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index slipped by 25.44 points, or 0.83%, to close at 3,057, and Singapore's Strait Times Index ended in negative territory with a loss of 10.77 points, or 0.36%, at 2,984.

daniel888

Saudi Arabia To Allow BlackBerry Services To Continue: Reports
Tue Aug 10 08:42:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Media reports stated that Research In Motion Ltd.'s (RIMM, RIM.TO) BlackBerry messenger services will not be banned by the telecommunications regulator of Saudi Arabia as service providers met certain of its regulatory requirements.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia's Communication and Information Technology Commission, or CITC, decided to allow BlackBerry services to continue  on positive developments in the completion of the regulatory requirement.

Earlier, the Kingdom's telecom regulator has warned of suspension of BlackBerry's services as it did not meet regulatory requirements. Saudi was seeking access to communications to prevent terrorism and illegal activities.

CITC delayed the initiation of a ban on Blackberry's instant-messaging service until the end of Monday, instead of Friday, providing the region's mobile operators and the  BlackBerry maker time to test unspecified proposed solutions. There are around 700,000 Blackberry users in Saudi Arabia.

While allowing RIM to continue BlackBerry services,  Saudi Arabian regulators asked to put in place a system that would let the Kingdom to monitor user data. Further, CITC plans to watch progress in the talks and to decide on the status of services.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM is faced with similar claims that BlackBerry's services, if un-intercepted, could pose serious threat to national security, in India, Indonesia and UAE. RIM has about 1.2 million subscribers in Indonesia, 1.1 million in India and 1.2 million in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia combined. At the end of May, it had 46 million subscribers globally.

Responding to requests for access to the services, RIM said on August 4, that the BlackBerry corporate service was designed in a way that no one, including RIM, can read encrypted information. RIMM finished Monday's regular trade at $55.31, on the Nasdaq..

daniel888

Asian Markets End In The Red Ahead Of FED Meeting
Tue Aug 10 08:11:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Asian markets ended the trading session Tuesday on a weak note, despite positive cues from Wall Street
in the previous session, as traders remained cautious ahead of the FOMC announcement later in the day that might provide more clues about the economic health in the US and the global economy.  

Better-than-expected trade surplus data from China following drop in imports, and disappointment from Bank of Japan related
to no mention of measures for arresting dollar's weakness against the yen also impacted market sentiment.

Volumes were relatively weaker as most of the traders preferred to stay away in the sidelines. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 Index fell 21.44 points, or 0.2%, to 9551, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues slid 2.94 points, or 0.3%, to 855.

On the economic front, the policy board of the Bank of Japan unanimously decided to retain the overnight call rate at 0.10%, in line with market expectations.  The BOJ also held off from unveiling further easing measures, despite fears the strong yen could derail the export-driven recovery.  The bank once again repeated its vow to fight deflation and promised to maintain the extremely accommodative financial environment.

A preliminary report released by the Japan Machine Tool Builders Association revealed that machine tool orders surged 144.8% year-on-year in July, following 143.8% rise in June.  The report further noted that domestic orders increased 101.7%, while external orders rose 176.1% during the month.

Real estate stocks ended in negative territory.  Sumitomo Realty & Development declined 2.33%, Mitsui Fudosan lost 1.24%, Mitsubishi Estate fell 1.08%, Tokyu Land Corp. slipped 1.18% and Heiwa Real Estate was down 1.85%.

Mixed trading was witnessed among shipping related stocks.  Mitsui OSK Lines managed to end in positive territory with a gain of 0.17%.  However, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha slipped 0.56% and Nippon Yusen declined 1.41%.

Mixed trading was also witnessed among trading stocks.  Sumitomo Corp. advanced 0.79% and Mitsui & Co. Ltd added 0.25%. Sojitz Corp. remained unchanged from previous close.  However, Toyota Tsusho Corp. edged down 0.15%, Mitsubishi Corp. declined 0.87%, Marubeni Corp. shed 0.62% and Itochu Corp. was down 0.41%.

In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 Index declined 54.20 points, or 1.18%, and closed at 4,541 points, while the All-Ordinaries Index ended at 4,563, representing a loss of 52.60 points, or 1.14%.

On the economic front, data released by the National Australia Bank revealed that business confidence slipped to its lowest level in more than a year in July.  The confidence level slid to 2 in July from 4 in June  The bank attributed sharp fall in new orders as the primary reason for the decline, albeit partly offset by the boost in mining sector following the compromise agreement struck on the resource super tax.

Banks ended in negative territory after National Australia Bank provided a cautious outlook for the year after reporting first quarter results which were in line with analysts' estimates.

ANZ Bank declined 2.03%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia slipped 0.55%, National Australia Bank lost 2.20% and Westpac Banking was down 2.18%.  Investment banking company Macquarie Group fell 1.81%. Mining and metal stocks also ended weaker.  BHP Billiton slipped 1.97%, Rio Tinto shed 1.89%, Fortescue Metals declined 0.65%, Gindalbie Metals plunged 4.63%, Iluka Resources edged down 0.18%, Macarthur Coal slumped 4.11% and Murchison Metals was down 4.34%.

Oil stocks also ended in negative territory. Woodside Petroleum fell 2.33%, ROC Oil plunged 6.02%, Oil Search Ltd slipped 1.34% and Origin Energy was down 0.31%. However, Santos Ltd bucked the trend and ended in positive territory with a gain of 1.04%.

Mixed trading was witnessed among gold stocks.  While Lihir Gold managed to remain unchanged from previous close, Newcrest Mining ended in positive territory with a marginal gain of 0.06%.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index ended sharply lower at 21,474, down 327.99 points, or 1.50%, as traders resorted to profit taking at higher levels and moved to the sidelines ahead of the key Federal Reserve meeting in the US.  Economic data from mainland China which revealed that trade surplus surged to a 18-month high in July following moderation in imports raised concerns that the Chinese economy is slowing down its growth.  Almost all the stocks ended in the negative territory, taking cues from other markets in the neighboring region.

Profit taking following recent sharp gains weighed on the Indian market on Tuesday. Subdued global cues ahead of the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meet also dampened sentiment.  The 30-share BSE Sensex fell 68 points or 0.37% to finish at 18,220 and the 50-share Nifty closed at 5,461, down 25 points or 0.46%.

Among the other major markets open for trading, China's Shanghai Composite Index plunged 77.26 points, or 2.89% to 2,595, Taiwan's Weighted Index declined 57.75 points, or 0.72%, to close at 7,977, Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index slipped by 25.44 points, or 0.83%, to close at 3,057, and Singapore's Strait Times Index ended in negative territory with a loss of 10.77 points, or 0.36%, at 2,984.

daniel888

Reports: AIG In Talks To Sell Stakes In AIA
Thu Aug 12 11:33:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Insurer American International Group Inc. (AIG) is in talks with potential investors to sell stakes in its Asian life insurance unit, American International Assurance Co. Ltd. or AIA, according to media reports on Thursday.

AIG is said to have received strong interest from Asian investors, including Government of Singapore Investment Corp. or GIC, Temasek Holdings, China Investment Corp and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Several sovereign wealth funds, including those of Kuwait and Qatar, have also reportedly expressed interest in buying cornerstone stakes in AIA.

A report in the Financial Times said that the strong response has prompted AIG to consider placing as much as 30% with institutional investors and wealthy tycoons, rather than offering them minor stakes in the initial public offering. The sale of large chunks to cornerstone investors ahead of the IPO is expected to create a sense of scarcity value when the public offer opens.

Sovereign wealth funds are seen as the likeliest cornerstone investors for AIA. However, the Financial Times report noted that Chinese insurance companies and some of China's largest banks are looking at  both taking stakes and financing others, although it was not clear whether they would receive approval from the Chinese regulators. China's insurers are not allowed to invest more than 15% of their assets overseas and cannot invest more than 10% in one public company.

Several large Asian funds are also known to be interested in taking stakes in AIA. Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, Temasek, has long coveted AIA, while GIC was signed up for a $5 billion chunk of the $21 billion rights issue that UK-based Prudential plc (PUK, PRU.L) was set to make as part of its aborted $35.5 billion takeover bid for AIA this year.

AIG was forced to look again at the option of the Hong Kong listing for AIA to raise fresh funds after Prudential's takeover bid collapsed in June. The company is said to have chosen Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS) and Deutsche Bank AG (DB) as global coordinators in listing AIA.

The AIA share sale is slated to take place by the fourth quarter of 2010. AIG plans to list the unit in an initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange that is expected to raise about $15 billion.

AIA is also aiming to raise more than $5 billion from strategic investors. This would value AIA at more than $34 billion and make it the only listed pan-Asian insurer. The amount would help AIG pay down money owed to the U.S. government after its bailout.

Media reports in July had also said that AIA is seeking to be independent of the U.S. parent company  after its proposed listing on the Hong Kong exchange. The unit's new CEO Mark Tucker, who was appointed to the post in July, has reportedly gained AIG's assurances for the Asian business to pursue independence from the parent immediately, as a prerequisite for his agreeing to join AIA.

AIG expects Tucker's connections in the Asian region will attract large strategic investors to put in more than $5 billion and help lend a stronger foundation to an AIA flotation.

AIA manages more than $60 billion of assets and serves over 23 million customers in the Asian region.

In Thursday's regular trading, AIG is trading at $37.27, down $0.57 or 1.51% on a volume of 1.15 million shares. The stock is trading in a range of $21.54-$55.90 in the past 52 weeks.

daniel888

BP To Pay Record $50.6 Mln Fine For Texas Refinery Explosion - Update
Fri Aug 13 00:26:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Beleaguered oil giant BP plc (BP, BP.L) has agreed to pay a record $50.6 million fine for failing to correct safety hazards at its Texas City oil refinery after a disastrous explosion in 2005 killed 15 workers and injured 170 others, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Thursday.

The fine imposed by the OSHA, which is part of the Labor Department, is the largest penalty ever issued by the watchdog. BP has also agreed to take immediate steps to protect those now working at the refinery, allocating a minimum of $500 million to that effort.

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said, "The size of the penalty rightly reflects BP's disregard for workplace safety and shows that we will enforce the law so workers can return home safe at the end of their day."

The settlement resolves 270 of 709 citations OSHA issued at the Texas refinery in October 2009, BP said in a statement. The company is already liable for billions in fines and compensation payouts in the wake of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Also under the agreement with OSHA, BP will immediately begin performing safety reviews of the refinery equipment according to set schedules and make permanent corrections. The agreement provides for an "unprecedented level of oversight" of BP's safety program including regular meetings with OSHA, frequent site inspections and the submission of quarterly reports for the agency's review.

BP has also agreed to establish a liaison between its North American and London boards of directors and OSHA, which will allow the agency to raise compliance problems at the highest level.

The explosion at the Texas refinery was found to have resulted due to safety violations by BP. After the disaster, BP paid a $21.3 million fine in 2005, until now the largest payout OSHA had imposed. But OSHA said that in a follow-up investigation in 2009, it found that BP had still not met its commitments.

Last October, OSHA proposed that BP pay $87.4 million in penalties, made up of two parts. The first part cited 270 violations that BP had failed to correct after the explosion, totaling $56.7 million.

This was later corrected to $50.6 million, which BP has now agreed to pay. The company however continues to contest the  remaining part of the fine for 439 violations, of more than $30 million.

BP closed Thursday's regular trading session at $38.38, down $0.41 or 1.06% on a volume of 12.56 million shares. The stock has been trading in a range of $26.75-$62.38 in the past 52 weeks.

daniel888

Blackstone Affiliate Agrees To Acquire Dynegy For $4.7 Bln.
Fri Aug 13 08:59:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - U.S. power producer Dynegy (DYN) has agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of The Blackstone Group for approximately $4.7 billion, including the assumption of existing debt.

In a deal announced Friday morning, Dynegy stockholders will receive $4.50 in cash for each share they own, representing a 62 percent premium to Thursday's closing share price.

"Dynegy's Board of Directors believes the proposed transaction with Blackstone provides our stockholders with a significant premium over the current stock price and removes the risks to the existing stockholders associated with volatile commodity prices, challenging capital markets and environmental and regulatory uncertainties," said Bruce A. Williamson, chairman, president and CEO of Dynegy Inc.

Blackstone's offer has been approved by Dynegy's board of directors.  Dynegy will have forty days to solicit competing bids, but the company indicted that seeking alternative offers may not result in Dynegy receiving a superior proposal.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2010.

"We share Dynegy's commitment to safety, operational reliability and environmental responsibility," said David Foley, Senior Managing Director of Blackstone. "We look forward to working together with Dynegy's employees to realize the full potential of the company's attractive portfolio of power generation assets."

The merger is contingent on Blackstone finalizing an agreement to sell four of Dynegy's natural gas-fired assets in California to NRG Energy (NRG) for approximately $1.36 billion in cash.

A week ago, Dynegy reported a narrower loss for the second quarter, even as revenues for the quarter dropped on planned and unplanned outages.

Second-quarter net loss attributable to the company was $191 million or $1.59 per share. This compares to a net loss of $345 million or $2.05 per share for the prior-year quarter that was impacted by asset impairment charges of $405 million.

Shares of Dynegy reached as high as $13.35 last October, and were at levels above $50 as recently as 2007.  But the stock has steadily declined throughout 2010, setting its 52-week low on Thursday.

Dynegy shares finished Thursday just off their lows, ending the day down 14 cents at $2.78.

daniel888

IBM To Buy Unica For $480 Mln - Update
Fri Aug 13 09:27:00 2010

(RTTNews) - International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced Friday a definitive agreement to acquire marketing software company Unica Corp. (UNCA) for $21 per share in cash, or at a net price of about $480 million, after adjusting for cash. Following the news, UNCA shares are currently trading around 118% higher in pre-market activity on Nasdaq.

The Armonk, New York-based technology giant projects that the acquisition would expand its ability to help organizations analyze and predict customer preferences and develop more targeted marketing campaigns. The combination of IBM and Unica, with sophisticated analytics and marketing process improvement, is expected to help clients streamline and integrate key marketing processes.

IBM said that the Unica purchase, together with its recent acquisitions of Sterling Commerce and Coremetrics, will enhance the company's ability to support customers' increasing demands in the growing market of industry software solutions. These help companies automate, manage, and accelerate core business processes across marketing, demand generation, sales, order processing and fulfillment.

The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010, subject to Unica shareholder approval, applicable regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions.

Following the transaction, Unica's 500 employees will be integrated into IBM's Software Solutions Group. Unica software will complement the capabilities of IBM's Business Analytics and Optimization Consulting organization, a team of 5,000 consultants and a network of analytics solution centers. In the last five years, the organization is backed by an overall investment of more than $11 billion in acquisitions.

Unica has more than 1,500 global customers across financial services, insurance, retail telecommunications, travel and hospitality areas, including Best Buy, eBay, ING, Monster, Starwood and US Cellular.  

Commenting on the transaction, Craig Hayman, general manager, IBM Industry Solutions said, "IBM understands the demands on today's organizations to transform core business processes in functions such as marketing with intelligence and automation. Unica was a clear choice for IBM based on its power to automate a broad set of marketing capabilities and its established reputation for delivering customer success in marketing to organizations around the world."  

IBM, which is on a buying spree, acquired privately-held Datacap Inc. and web analytics software company Coremetrics in August. In the Month of July, IBM reached a definitive agreement to buy privately held Storwize, while completed the acquisition of privately-held BigFix, Inc.

In February this year, Unica acquired the paid search bid management business, MakeMeTop, from Microchannel Ltd., a privately-held UK-based company, and the new product was branded Unica Search OnDemand. IBM is currently trading at $128.27 in pre-market activity, down $0.03 or 0.02%.

On the news, UNCA shares surged $11.23 or 117.59% in pre-market activity, and is currently at $20.78.

daniel888

Mixed Data Drives Stocks To Moderate Losses Ahead Of Weekend
Fri Aug 13 16:37:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Stocks ended a choppy trading session moderately lower Friday, as mixed readings from the economic front led to some late day selling in the equity markets. The move came on relatively low volume amid the summer trading season, although it was still representative of a recent downturn in sentiment that left traders little willing to dabble in risky assets ahead of the weekend.

The Dow fell by 16.80 points or 0.2 percent to 10,303.15, the Nasdaq declined by 16.79 points or 0.8 percent to 2,173.48 and the S&P 500 slid by 4.36 points or 0.4 percent to 1,079.25.

On the week, the Dow and the S&P 500 fell by 3.3 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, while the Nasdaq declined by 5 percent.

In economic news, the day's reports were varied. Reuters and the University of Michigan reported that their consumer sentiment index rose to a reading of 69.6 in August from the final July reading of 67.8. Despite the increase, the reading fell short of the expected mark of 70.0 .

Further, the Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased by 0.4 percent in July , but the growth fell short of forecasts . Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased by a more modest margin but in line with projections.

Some concern regarding consumer spending also came as retailer J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (JCP) reported second quarter net sales that were short of estimates while projecting third quarter and full-year earnings below analyst expectations.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department said that consumer prices rose by slightly more than expected in July, while core prices, which exclude food and energy prices, inched up along with forecasts.

In economic news overseas, Germany, the Eurozone's largest economy, reported that its gross domestic product rose by a much sharper margin than expected by economists.

Trucking stocks were some of the day's steepest percentage decliners, culminating in a 1.3 percent drop by the Dow Jones Trucking Index. With the slide, the index finished the day at a three-week closing low.

Gold stocks also moved sharply lower on the day, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index posting a loss of 1.3 percent, extending a recent zigzag movement. The weakness in the gold sector came while the price of the precious metal inched down by $0.10 to $1,216.60 an ounce.

Brokerage, semiconductor, healthcare provider and internet stocks also fell on the day, while airline stocks surged higher over the course of the trading session, boosting the NYSE Arca Airline Index up by 1.7 percent.

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher to close out the week. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 ended the day up by 0.4 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index surged up by 1.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the major European markets ended the day on a mixed note. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index gained 0.2 percent while the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index fell by 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

In the bond markets, treasuries saw moderate gains to close out the week. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, closed at 2.688 percent, posting a loss of 4.7 basis points.

Next week, market focus will likely be on reports on manufacturing, housing starts, producer prices, and industrial production as well as the weekly jobless claims report.

daniel888

Mixed Data Drives Stocks To Moderate Losses Ahead Of Weekend
Fri Aug 13 16:37:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - Stocks ended a choppy trading session moderately lower Friday, as mixed readings from the economic front led to some late day selling in the equity markets. The move came on relatively low volume amid the summer trading season, although it was still representative of a recent downturn in sentiment that left traders little willing to dabble in risky assets ahead of the weekend.

The Dow fell by 16.80 points or 0.2 percent to 10,303.15, the Nasdaq declined by 16.79 points or 0.8 percent to 2,173.48 and the S&P 500 slid by 4.36 points or 0.4 percent to 1,079.25.

On the week, the Dow and the S&P 500 fell by 3.3 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, while the Nasdaq declined by 5 percent.

In economic news, the day's reports were varied. Reuters and the University of Michigan reported that their consumer sentiment index rose to a reading of 69.6 in August from the final July reading of 67.8. Despite the increase, the reading fell short of the expected mark of 70.0 .

Further, the Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased by 0.4 percent in July , but the growth fell short of forecasts . Excluding sales by motor vehicle and parts dealers, retail sales increased by a more modest margin but in line with projections.

Some concern regarding consumer spending also came as retailer J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (JCP) reported second quarter net sales that were short of estimates while projecting third quarter and full-year earnings below analyst expectations.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department said that consumer prices rose by slightly more than expected in July, while core prices, which exclude food and energy prices, inched up along with forecasts.

In economic news overseas, Germany, the Eurozone's largest economy, reported that its gross domestic product rose by a much sharper margin than expected by economists.

Trucking stocks were some of the day's steepest percentage decliners, culminating in a 1.3 percent drop by the Dow Jones Trucking Index. With the slide, the index finished the day at a three-week closing low.

Gold stocks also moved sharply lower on the day, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index posting a loss of 1.3 percent, extending a recent zigzag movement. The weakness in the gold sector came while the price of the precious metal inched down by $0.10 to $1,216.60 an ounce.

Brokerage, semiconductor, healthcare provider and internet stocks also fell on the day, while airline stocks surged higher over the course of the trading session, boosting the NYSE Arca Airline Index up by 1.7 percent.

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region moved mostly higher to close out the week. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 ended the day up by 0.4 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index surged up by 1.2 percent.

Meanwhile, the major European markets ended the day on a mixed note. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index gained 0.2 percent while the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index fell by 0.3 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively.

In the bond markets, treasuries saw moderate gains to close out the week. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, closed at 2.688 percent, posting a loss of 4.7 basis points.

Next week, market focus will likely be on reports on manufacturing, housing starts, producer prices, and industrial production as well as the weekly jobless claims report.

daniel888

Obama Signs Visa Fee Hike Bill Into Law
Sat Aug 14 04:40:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a legislation to secure the country's border with Mexico by steeply hiking work H-1B and L-1 visa fees, ignoring India's and corporate America's concerns.

The measure's $600 million tag would be raised by hiking visa fees dealing a blow to business process outsourcing firms, whom the backers call a handful of foreign firms that "exploit" US visa program to improperly import workers to the United States.

The legislation raises the fees on H-1B visas for companies who have more than 50% of their employees on such visas for highly skilled professionals from $320 to $2,320. Similarly the fee on L-1 visas given to multi-national transferees is hiked from $320 to $2,570.

The Senate briefly suspended its six-week summer break to give final approval Thursday night to the House version of the border security bill in response to Obama's request for reinforcements on the Southwest border with just two lawmakers-- Democrats Ben Cardin and Charles Schumer--attended the short session. Schumer, a lead sponsor of the measure who had branded Indian IT major Infosys as a "chop shop" during the senate debate, offered up the bill, and Cardin gavelled it approved.

The measure is intended to tighten security along the US-Mexico border by adding another 1,500 agents, deploying more unmanned vehicles to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drug mafia.

A summary of the bill named Indian information technology firms Wipro, Tata, Infosys and Satyam, which send thousands of employees each year to the United States to work at their clients' locations as technicians and engineers.

Obama, in a statement, welcomed the passage of the bill, saying the resources made available through this legislation will build upon U.S.' successful efforts to protect communities along the Southwest border and across the country.

"Today's action by Congress answers my call to bolster the essential work of federal law enforcement officials and improve their ability to partner with state, local and tribal law enforcement" to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants, Obama said after the final passage of the bill.

The bill, he said, also "will make an important difference as my administration continues to work with Congress toward bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform to secure our borders and restore responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system."

Later Senate Democrats and labor unions also welcomed the passage and  released statements claiming the measure nullifies Republican arguments that they can't consider a comprehensive immigration reform bill until Congress addresses security along the US-Mexico border.

The Indian IT industry, which is severely affected by this measure, will soon take up with the U.S. Administration and the Congress the impact of the imminent hike in visa fee on its on-site engineers deployed in American firms.

Nasscom president Som Mittal expressed frustration over the profound lack of understanding in the U.S. Congress of the contribution by the Indian IT firms--which accounts for a fraction of the U.S. technology business--to the American economy through innovation and job creation.

Accepting the fact that the U.S. government has a legitimate right to protect its borders, he, however, said foreign firms should not be asked to bear the cost of this.

Mittal said the revised fee may discourage some firms from hiring talent needed to expand and create more jobs, and also hinted that the law would impact the pace and level of cooperation between India and the US at the government and business levels.

The Nasscom president also expressed shock that Schumer chose to blame the Indian firms for all generic issues plaguing the U.S. such as growing unemployment, lower wages and students not taking up technology education.

However, Schumer said the purpose of the visa-fee increase is not to target Indian companies."We are simply raising fees for businesses that use the H-1B visa to do things that are contrary to the program's original intent, and that will be on any company from any country that does it," he clarified.

"I do want to clarify a previous remark which mischaracterized these firms where I labeled them as  'chop shops'. That statement was incorrect, and I wish to acknowledge that. In the tech industry, these firms are known as 'body shops'. That is what I should have said, and that is what they are," Schumer said in his remarks on the Senate floor.

The Democratic Senator noted that raising the fees for companies hiring more than 50 per cent of their workforce through foreign visas accomplishes two important goals:

First, it will provide the necessary funds to secure U.S. borders without raising taxes or adding  to the deficit. And secondly, it will also level the playing field for American workers so they do not lose out on good jobs  because it is cheaper to bring in a foreign worker than hire an American worker, the Senator added.

daniel888

What happens if Fannie and Freddie disappear?
Changes coming for agencies that stand behind most U.S. home loans

By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch
Last Update: 6:37 PM ET Aug 13, 2010

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may be effectively insolvent, but they're backing over half of all U.S. mortgages. That has some people worried.

The two government-owned enterprises stood behind 62% of new home loans this year, compared to 27% of new loans in all of 2006, when the private mortgage market still thrived, according to Inside Mortgage Finance. Add in Ginnie Mae and nine out of every 10 mortgages are supported by the government.

"Right now, the market is almost entirely dependent on Fannie and Freddie and also Ginnie," said Michael Lea, head of San Diego State University's Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate.

Why should you care? Since the government seized Fannie (FNMA) and Freddie (FMCC) in 2008, it essentially owns the two GSEs. If the economy deteriorates further and mortgage defaults rise again, taxpayers will be on the hook for the losses. At a time when government debt is rising, that worries a lot of people.

"Clearly, it doesn't benefit the housing system overall -- or the government -- to have a mortgage market that is almost exclusively government-backed. We have to talk about a way to bring the private sector back into the mortgage market," Cecala said.

Delicate balance

But if the government pulls back too quickly, it could trigger another housing crash -- just when this fragile market seems to be getting back on its feet.

The Obama administration plans to hold a conference Tuesday on how to reform the U.S. housing finance system, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac center stage. Legislators, academics and community activists will be looking to strike a delicate balance between reducing government involvement and preventing another market swoon. See related story on political wrangling over future of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

Many scenarios are in play. The agencies could be disbanded in favor of new entities, or be split into two pieces -- a "public" securitization function and a "private" mortgage investment portfolio, said Keith Gumbinger, vice president for HSH Associates, a publisher of consumer loan information.

In the public-private scenario, the private component would become fully private over time, with the government slowly removing its support for that private portion, he said.

While many industry watchers believe changing the housing finance giants is necessary -- and that the federal government shouldn't play so large a role in the mortgage market -- they also agree that, given how shaky the housing market is, any major changes won't come immediately.

"We need to give some consideration before we pick up and disturb what has been crucial support of the mortgage market," Gumbinger said.

Given that there isn't much of a private mortgage securitization market, "the only thing you can do now is small, incremental changes that will get you where you want to be in five or 10 years," Cecala said.

For borrowers, that means any changes to Fannie and Freddie that would affect their pocketbooks likely would materialize slowly.

"We don't want to do anything that makes things worse," Cecala said.

Small steps

Although Freddie and Fannie are almost single-handily propping up the market, such government involvement in the securitization of mortgages isn't sustainable, Lea said. But right now, there's also not much choice, with investors still too jittery to trust paper that isn't backed by the federal government.

"There's not a lot of alternative credit out there," Lea said. "We're stuck with probably 90% [of mortgages] backstopped by the government for the next few years."

Many components of the new Dodd-Frank financial-reform law are aimed at restoring investor confidence in the mortgage market, particularly the non-agency market, Cecala said. Still, it's going to take some time before Fannie and Freddie can scale back from their current roles.

"At this point, no matter what we do to create a non-agency market, it's not going to get legs until investors are going to support it and believe the risks are gone," he said.

One small step that could reduce Fannie and Freddie's share soon: The government could reconsider current conforming loan limits -- still temporarily elevated due to the credit crisis -- and decide to dial those back, Cecala said. The loan limit is now up to $729,750 in certain high-cost areas.

Loan limits were temporarily raised to improve consumers' access to credit -- and lower the cost of credit -- in areas with higher home prices. A loan larger than the conforming limit is considered a jumbo mortgage, and not eligible for securitization by Fannie and Freddie. So jumbo loans cost more.

"Clearly, a first step would be to dial that high-cost loan level back, to allow it to expire at the end of this year," Cecala said. "It should be part and parcel of the housing finance debate -- what should the loan limits be. Those loan limits have defined how much a market share and how big a presence Fannie and Freddie are."

Higher mortgage rates

Mortgage rates overall may rise if Fannie and Freddie's role in the market declines, according to Radhakrishnan Gopalan, assistant professor of finance at Washington University in St. Louis.

That's because right now there's "almost full government support for all things mortgage and housing," Gumbinger said in an email. "When those supports diminish or disappear, private market entities will most certainly want to be compensated better for accepting the risks of investing in the housing market. Backed by taxpayers, the federal government may be able to run markets at a perpetual loss, but that's not how it works in the real world."

Tight underwriting?

Tighter mortgage underwriting currently espoused by Fannie and Freddie -- from credit score requirements to conditions for certain types of properties, especially condos -- might not budge much in the near term, many agree. Most mortgage money likely would remain reserved for borrowers with substantial down payments and sparkling credit histories.

"The irony is that if you're really concerned about the health of the housing market and want to see it recover for the broader economy to recover, you should be making it easier to obtain credit. We're doing the opposite," Lea said. "We're actually, in some respects, slowing or stifling the housing recovery by restricting the flow of credit. It's the classic closing the barn door after the horses are gone."

Still, from a historical perspective, current underwriting standards aren't that restrictive, Gumbinger said.

"You could call them overly restrictive, but they're probably only somewhat restrictive when you look over time," he said. "Go back to the '80s, the '90s, they're not that far off normal. If you're comparing to '06, when you could walk in and breathe on an application to get a loan, they're strict."

'White, rich people'

One other potential question in the remaking of Fannie and Freddie: Whether they should have a public purpose to reach out to lower-income and minority borrowers, those underserved by today's broader mortgage market, Cecala said.

"If the government is going to support housing and mortgage finance, shouldn't the government be targeting the efforts to the people who wouldn't normally get it?" he asked. "Are we happy with a mortgage finance system that favors white, rich people?"

daniel888

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE) Stock Consolidates In New Range

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE) stock begins a new week of trading, consolidating in a new range.  Watching Citigroup shares being traded is almost as entertaining as watching paint dry, but at least then you get to see some sort of result in a reasonable amount of time.  Traders of “C” stock know what I mean as of late.  After exiting pre-market this morning, Citi began low entering normal market NYSE hours at $3.87 per share, .01 lower compared to Friday’s close.

Ever since falling out of favor with four dollars a share, Citigroup’s stock has been unable to regain its stature.  Now, it resides within a temporary range of 18 cents.  The good news is that bearish momentum has been halted, and trending in a consolidated channel is not necessarily a bad thing to see happening.  Large moves can result after exiting a consolidated channel,  and there is a gap defined by $3.98 to $3.99 that has yet to be refilled acting as a natural zone of attraction.

Further optimism for Citi’s stock can be found in stochastic gradually rising out of oversold.  Additionally, if shares can remain at or above $3.87, MACD’s histogram can start retreating to bullish momentum instead of currently indicating a bearish nature.  

The southern dive being halted is good in general (supposing a trader is not short), with three of the most basic market behaviors being positive or negative trending, and sideways movement.  Almost always required to switch between positive and negative is sideways movement.

Citigroup has yet to be dislodged from being predominately traded within a range of $3.86 up to $3.88 per share just shortly after noon, Eastern.  There will be additional support found for Tuesday if current share price can be sustained and not drop further, OBV will have a higher level of support again, higher than seen previously on Friday.

http://newsfuzion.com/2010/08/16/citigroup-inc-nysec-stock-consolidates-in-new-range/

daniel888

Biden, Boehner Trade Shots On Economy
Tue Aug 24 16:00:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, Tuesday took aim at President Barack Obama's economic policies in remarks that drew a stern rebuke from Vice President Joe Biden.

Boehner, speaking at an event in Cleveland, claimed that the administration's policies are scaring American employers out of investing and hiring due to the prospect of higher taxes and more regulation.

Taking particular aim at the recently-passed $26 billion package of aid to states, which proponents have called essential to preventing layoffs of teachers, firefighters and police officers, Boehner accused the administration of simply trying to protect big government and paying for it with a job-killing tax increase.

"I have had enough - and the American people have had enough - of Washington politicians talking about wanting to create jobs as a ploy to get themselves re-elected while doing everything possible to prevent jobs from being created," he said.

Boehner also decried the administration's efforts to allow tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans to expire, noting that some small businesses whose owners file their work income personally would be hit by the rate increase.

"The same Washington politicians who have spent the last 18 months borrowing and spending our economy into the ground are now fretting over whether we can afford the 'cost' of stopping job-killing tax hikes," he said. "Only in Washington would it be acceptable to think that taxpayers should have to pay for the privilege of keeping more of their own hard-earned money."

He added, "Let me be clear: raising taxes on families and small businesses during a recession is a recipe for disaster - both for our economy and for the deficit. Period. End of story."

Boehner also called for the resignation of several of Obama's key economic advisors in favor of others who have experience in the private sector.

"The American people are asking 'where are the jobs' and all the president's economic team has to offer are promises of 'green shoots' that never seem to grow," he said. "The worse things get, the more they circle the wagons and defend the indefensible."

He added, "President Obama should ask for - and accept - the resignations of the remaining members of his economic team, starting with [Treasury] Secretary [Timothy] Geithner and Larry Summers, the head of the National Economic Council."

That point in particular came under withering ridicule from Biden, who spoke in Washington at an event aimed at promoting how the administration's investments are helping to spur innovation in the private sector.

"After months of promising a look at his party's agenda and their plans for America, he made what was billed as a major economic address," Biden said of Boehner. "And his chief proposal apparently was that the President should fire his economic team."

He sarcastically added, "Very constructive advice, thanks."

Biden sought to point out that under Republican-controlled government, Boehner's party had squandered a $237 billion budget surplus in favor of a $1.3 trillion deficit, quadrupling the national debt and spurring the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression.

"Let me tell you, there are millions and millions of Americans who saw their paychecks shrink or their jobs, houses, and savings vanish" under GOP leadership, Biden said. "Mr. Boehner is nostalgic for those good old days."  

He added, "The American people are not. They don't want to go back. They want to move forward." Biden also accused Boehner of calling for the continuation of tax cuts that benefit only the richest 2 percent of the country at a cost of borrowing another $700 billion while also saying Boehner was decrying the closing of a tax loophole on companies that ship jobs overseas.

"We've seen this movie before, Mr. Boehner. We know how it turns out. And the American people deserve something different and something better," Biden said. "The rest of his so-called plan doesn't offer any real economic agenda, it merely is a list of things he thinks the President shouldn't do."

He added, "After all of this buildup and hype, all we know is what John Boehner and his Republican colleagues are against. We still haven't heard what they're for."

daniel888

BHP Billiton FY10 Profit Surges - Update
Wed Aug 25 05:54:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - BHP Billiton plc (BBL, BLT.L, BHP, BHP.AX) Wednesday reported a more than two-fold rise  in fiscal 2010 profit, driven by strong commodity demand and higher prices. However, the mining giant stated that it remains cautious on the short-term global economy outlook.

The company reported fiscal 2010 profit after tax of US$13.01 billion, compared with US$6.34 billion in the previous year.

Profit attributable to members of BHP Billiton Group rose to US$12.72 billion from US$5.88 billion last year. Earnings per ordinary share were 227.8 US cents, up from 105.4 US cents in fiscal 2009. Excluding exceptional items, the company's attributable profit rose 16.3% to US$12.47 billion from US$10.72 billion last year, despite significant volatility in the macro economic environment.

Revenue increased 5.2% to US$52.80 billion from US$50.21 billion a year ago. Group production was  US$48.19 billion, compared with US$44.11 billion last year. Revenue from third party products declined to US$4.61 billion from US$6.1 billion in fiscal 2009.

The company said it achieved record sales volumes in three of its major commodities: iron ore, metallurgical coal and petroleum, reflecting the recovery in demand and prices. Strong performance from steelmaking raw materials was a major contributor to the volume growth.

Petroleum revenues were US$8.78 billion, compared with US$7.21 billion last year. Total petroleum production rose 15% to 159 million barrels of oil equivalent, helped by strong performance from BHP Billiton operated Shenzi and Pyrenees and improved reservoir performance from Atlantis (USA). Absence of weather related interruptions also supported the production, the company noted. Aluminium revenue rose 5% to US$4.35 billion from US$4.15 billion in the previous year.

Base Metals generated revenues of US$10.41 billion, a 47% rise from US$7.11 billion a year ago. Average realized prices for all of the key commodities in base metals, except uranium, were higher than fiscal 2009.

Diamonds and Specialty Products generated full-year revenues of US$1.27 billion, a 42% upside from US$896 million a year earlier.

Stainless Steel Materials' revenue soared 54% to US$3.62 billion from US$2.36 billion in fiscal 2009. Iron ore revenues were US$11.14 billion, compared with US$10.05 billion a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the company's Manganese revenues declined 15% from last year to US$2.15 billion, Metallurgical Coal revenues dropped 25% to US$6.06 billion, and Energy Coal revenues declined 35% to US$4.27 billion in fiscal 2010.

BHP Billiton said its board declared a final dividend of 45 US cents per share. Together with the company's interim dividend of 42 US cents per share, paid on March 23, the final dividend brings the total dividend for the year to 87 US cents per share.

The company last week announced its intention to make an all-cash offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (POT, POT.TO), at a price of US$130 per PotashCorp common share in cash. PotashCorp has rejected the bid.

Looking ahead, BHP Billiton said it remains cautious on the short term outlook for the global economy. However, the company continues to be positive on the global economy's longer term prospects, driven by the continuing urbanization and industrialization of emerging economies.

Further, the company sees a mixed short term outlook for commodities. Fundamentals remain strong for steel making raw materials, particularly iron ore, where there is a lack of low cost supply response expected over the next one to two years, it noted.

The miner also expects medium-term commodity demand to remain heavily dependent on emerging market demand.

On the NYSE, BHP closed Tuesday's trading at US$65.42, down US$1.71, on a volume of 4.98 million shares. BBL ended trading at US$55.34, down US$1.01, on a volume of 2.15 million shares.

On the LSE, BLT.L is trading at 1,802 pence, down 1 pence or 0.06%, on over 1.9 million shares. BHP.AX is trading at A$37.44 on the ASX, down A$0.10 or 0.27%, on a volume of 17.31 million shares.

巨大的西瓜

亚洲市场结束在美联储会议之前，红
星期二美国东部时间2010年8月10日八时11分00秒

（综合讯） - 亚洲股市周二的交易时段的疲软走势，尽管华尔街的积极暗示
在上届会议上，投资者仍保持谨慎前公布的联邦公开市场委员会在当天晚些时候可能提供有关美国经济健康和全球经济的更多线索。
      好于预期的贸易盈余数据，从中国进口的下降之后，从日本央行与失望
没有提及的措施，以逮捕美元兑日元亦影响市场气氛疲弱。

成交量相对作为首选留在场边离开业界最弱。在日本，基准的日经225指数下跌21.44点，或0.2％，至9551，而更广泛的东证第一部指数下跌2.94点问题，或0.3％，至855。

在经济方面，对日本央行政策委员会一致决定维持在0.10％的隔夜拆借利率，符合市场预期。日本央行还举行了进一步的缓和措施的出台，尽管担心强势日元可能会破坏了出口导向型复苏。该行再次重申其打击通货紧缩的誓言，并承诺保持非常宽松的金融环境。

初步报告，日本机床制造商协会公布显示，机床订单飙升144.8％的按年7月，继6月份上升143.8％。报告进一步指出，国内订单增长 101.7％，而外部订单按月升176.1％。

地产股结束了负数。住友不动产发展下跌2.33％，三井不动产损失1.24％，三菱地产下跌1.08％，东急公司下跌1.18％，土地和房地产平和下跌1.85％。

混合交易中见证航运股。商船三井线管理，以积极的领土在结束了0.17％的涨幅。不过，川崎汽船下跌0.56％和 1.41％，日本邮船下跌。

混合交易中也出现了交易的股票。住友公司先进的0.79％和三井物产有限公司将0.25％。双日公司仍没有改变以往密切。不过，丰田通商公司下跌0.15％，三菱公司下跌0.87％，下跌0.62％，丸红公司和伊藤忠公司下跌 0.41％。

在经济方面，由澳大利亚国民银行公布的数据显示，商业信心降至一年多来的最低水平，7月。信心水平下滑至6月7月2归因于该银行作为下降的主要原因，新订单大幅下降，虽然部分在矿业部门增加抵消妥协后达成的协议对资源税超4。

截至负境内银行后，澳大利亚国民银行提供的第一季度业绩报告之后，这与分析师预期一致，为今年谨慎前景。

澳新银行下跌2.03％，澳洲联邦银行跌0.55％，澳大利亚国民银行失去了2.20％和西太平洋银行下跌了2.18％。公司投资银行麦格理集团下跌1.81％。矿业和金属类股也收低。必和必拓跌1.97％，力拓跌1.89％，下降 0.65％FORTESCUE金属，Gindalbie金属下跌4.63％，伊鲁卡资源微跌0.18％，下跌4.11％麦克阿瑟煤炭和默奇森金属下跌 4.34％。

石油类股也结束了负数。伍德赛德石油下跌2.33％，我国石油暴跌 6.02％，石油跌1.34％，搜索公司和Origin能源跌0.31％。然而，桑托斯公司逆势积极的趋势和领土结束时的 1.04％的涨幅。

混合交易中见证黄金股。虽然Lihir黄金设法保持不变，从以前的接近，纽克雷斯特矿业截至领域内进行了积极的0.06％的边际收益。

在香港，恒生指数收于21474大幅下跌，下跌327.99点，或1.50％，因交易商采取获利更高层次上参与并移至场外未来的关键在美国联邦储备会议。中国大陆的经济数据显示，贸易盈余升至18个月高继7月份进口放缓表示担心我国经济增长正在放缓。几乎所有的股票的负结束，同时从邻近地区其他市场的线索。

获利回吐近期大幅上涨之后，印度市场拖累周二。制服之前，美国联邦公开市场委员会（FOMC）也符合全球打击情绪线索。这位30股疯牛病Sensex指数下跌68点或0.37％，收于18220和50股收于5,461可爱，下跌25点或 0.46％。

在其他交易开市的主要市场，中国的上海综合指数下跌77.26点，或2.89％至2595，台湾加权指数下跌57.75点，或 0.72％，收于7977，印尼的雅加达综合指数下跌了25.44点，或0.83 ％，收于3057，新加坡海峡时报指数的负结束了10.77点，或0.36％，报2,984损失。

巨大的西瓜

必和必拓FY10盈利潮 - 更新
周三美国东部时间2010年8月25日五点54分零零秒

（综合讯） - 必和必拓公司（底边界层，BLT.L，必和必拓，BHP.AX）周三公布，超过2倍的利润增长在2010年，受强劲的商品需求和价格上涨所带动。然而，矿业巨头表示，它仍保留在短期全球经济前景持谨慎态度。

该公司公布后，美国的税收2010年度利润一百三十〇亿千万美元，而美元，比去年63.4亿美元。

应占溢利必和必拓集团成员增长到了美国一二七二 ○○○○○○○美元588000万美元去年。每股盈利为227.8美分，105.4美分从2009 财年。不计特殊项目，该公司的应占溢利上升16.3％，美国从美国一二四七零零零零零零零美元一〇七二〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元去年，尽管在宏观经济环境发生较大波动。

收入增长了5.2％，美国从美国52.80美元亿五百〇二亿千万美元一年前。集团生产的是美国四八一九〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元，与美国相比，去年四百四十一亿千万美元。由第三方产品收入下降到美国从4.61美元亿美元 2009财年的61亿。

该公司表示，其取得的主要商品三创记录的销量：铁矿石，冶金煤和石油，反映了需求和价格回升。从炼钢原料的强劲表现是一个重大贡献的量的增长。

石油收入是美国八十七亿八千万美元，与美国相比，去年七二一〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元。共有石油产量增长15％至1.59亿石油当量桶，由必和必拓的强劲表现帮助经营深紫和比利牛斯山脉和亚特兰蒂斯（美国）改善储集性能。无相关的天气还支持中断生产，该公司表示。铝收入增长5％，美国从美国四十三亿五千万美元四一五〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元在过去的一年。

基本金属产生一年前的总收入一零四一零零零零零零零美元，来自美国47％的增长七十一亿千万美元。平均实现对基本金属的主要商品除铀，所有的价格，均高于2009财年。

钻石和特殊产品创造了美国全年收入12.7亿美元，从美国42％的上升空间八亿九千六百万美元去年同期。

不锈钢材料的收入飙升54％，美国从36.2亿美元 23.6亿美元的2009财年。铁矿石的收入是美国一一一四〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元，比美国一零零五零零零零零零零美元去年同期。

同时，公司的锰从去年的收入下降15％至21.5亿美元，冶金煤的收入下降了25％，美国六○六○○○○○○○美元，煤炭和能源收入下降35％，美国在2010年四二七〇〇〇〇〇〇〇美元。

必和必拓宣布，公司董事会宣布了每股45美元末期股息。加上该公司的中期股息每股42美分，美国于3月23 日，末期股息支付，使该年度的总股息为每股87美元。

该公司上周宣布，它打算作出全现金要约收购了美国物价的萨斯喀彻温钾肥公司（锅，POT.TO），公司发行在外的普通股每股PotashCorp所有普通股130现金。 PotashCorp拒绝了出价。

展望未来，必和必拓表示，它仍保留在短期内对全球经济前景持谨慎态度。然而，该公司仍然是全球经济的长期前景，受持续的城市化和工业化的新兴经济体的积极推动。

此外，该公司看到了混合商品短期内前景。基本面仍然是炼钢原料，特别是铁矿石，那里是一个低成本的供应反应缺乏在未来一到两年预期的强，它指出。

该矿工还预计中期商品的需求仍然严重依赖于新兴市场的需求。

在纽约证券交易所，美国必周二收盘时的交易65.42 美元，低于美国的1.71美元，在4.98亿股数量。结束在美国的贸易边界层55.34美元，低于美国的 1.01美元，在一个容积为2.15亿股。

在伦敦经济学院，BLT.L是在1802便士交易，下跌了1便士或0.06％，对超过190万股。 BHP.AX是澳元的澳大利亚37.44贸易，下降了 0.10美元或0.27％的股份为17310000数量。

葉芬

回复 38# 巨大的西瓜



西瓜小弟，謝謝分享。

daniel888

New Home Sales Plunge 12.4% To Record Low In July

Wed Aug 25 10:47:00 2010 EDT

(RTTNews) - New home sales showed a substantial decrease in the month of July, according to a report
released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, with the steep drop coming as a surprise to economists
and dragging new home sales down to a new record low.

The report showed that new home sales plunged by 12.4 percent to an annual rate of 276,000 in July
from the revised June rate of 315,000. The decrease came as a surprise to economists, who had expected
sales to edge up to 334,000 from the 330,000 originally reported for the previous month.

With the unexpected decrease, new home sales fell to their lowest level on records dating back to
1963 and are down 32.4 percent compared to the same month a year ago.

New home sales fell in all four regions of the country, with sales in the West showing a particularly
steep 25.4 percent drop. While new home sales in the Northeast fell by 13.9 percent, sales in the South
and the Midwest slipped by 8.7 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively.

The Commerce Department also said that the median sales price of new houses sold in July was $204,000,
down 6 percent from $217,000 in June and down 4.8 percent from $214,200 in July of 2009.

While the report also showed that the estimate of new houses for sale at the end of July was unchanged
from the previous month at 210,000, the months of supply at the current sales rate jumped to 9.1 months
from 8.0 months due to the slowdown in the pace of sales.

Commenting on the data, Paul Dales, U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said, "Admittedly, sales
are unlikely to remain quite this low for long."

"Nonetheless, high unemployment, weak income growth, falling confidence and tight credit will mean
that any rebound will be modest," he added.

The National Association of Realtors released a separate report on Tuesday showing that existing
home sales in the month of July fell by even more than economists had been anticipating, with the steep
drop reflecting the expiration of the home buyer tax credit.

NAR said existing home sales fell by 27.2 percent to an annual rate of 3.83 million units in July from a downwardly revised 5.26 million unit rate in June. Economists had expected existing home sales to fall by about 12.1 percent to 4.72 million from the 5.37 million originally reported for the previous month.

With the bigger than expected decrease, existing home sales fell to their lowest level since the total existing-home sales series launched in 1999.