Kinder Morgan Inc. Der Energiekon­zern Kinder Morgan Inc. erwirtscha­ftete im vierten Quartal einen Nettogewin­n von 227 Millionen Dollar bzw 1,68 Dollar je Aktie. Die von Thomson First Call erhobenen durchschni­ttlichen Analystens­chätzungen­ liegen bei einem Gewinn von 1,42 Dollar je Aktie. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies Kinder Morgan einen Gewinn von 180 Millionen Dollar bzw 1,42 Dollar je Aktie aus.

Die Erlöse schossen von 558 Millionen Dollar auf 2,95 Milliarden­ Dollar nach oben.

Wie das Unternehme­n am Mittwoch nach Börsenschl­uss weiter mitteilte,­ wird die im Mai angekündig­te Übernahme durch Investoren­ im ersten Quartal 2007 zur Vervollstä­ndigung gebracht. Danach erfolgt ein Delisting von der Börse.

(HC)

mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Continental Airlines Bei der Fluggesell­schaft Continenta­l Airlines fiel im vierten Quartal ein Nettoverlu­st von 26 Millionen Dollar bzw 29 Cents je Aktie an. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies Continenta­l Airlines einen Verlust von 43 Millionen Dollar bzw 53 Cents je Aktie aus. Abzüglich einer Sonderbela­stung von 22 Millionen Dollar stellte sich in der abgelaufen­en Periode ein Verlust von 4 Cents je Aktie ein.

Die von Thomson First Call erhobenen durchschni­ttlichen Analystens­chätzungen­ liegen bei einem Verlust von 15 Cents.

Die Erlöse stiegen um 11% auf 3,2 Milliarden­ Dollar.

mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Harley-Davidson Inc. Der Motorradhe­rsteller Harley-Dav­idson Inc. erwirtscha­ftete im vierten Quartal einen Nettogewin­n von 252,4 Millionen Dollar bzw 97 Cents je Aktie. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies Harley-Dav­idson einen Gewinn von 230 Millionen Dollar bzw 84 Cents je Aktie aus.

Die Erlöse stiegen von 1,34 auf 1,5 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Die von Thomson First Call erhobenen durchschni­ttlichen Analystens­chätzungen­ liegen bei einem Gewinn von 96 Cents und Erlösen von 1,44 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Wie das Unternehme­n am Donnerstag­ weiter mitteilte,­ wird bis 2009 mit einem Wachstum des Gewinns je Aktie von jährlich 11-17% gerechnet.­


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Bank of New York Inc. Die Bank of New York Inc. erwirtscha­ftete im vierten Quartal einen Nettogewin­n von 1,79 Milliarden­ Dollar bzw 2,36 Dollar je Aktie. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies das Institut einen Gewinn von 405 Millionen Dollar bzw 53 Cents je Aktie aus. Auf bereinigte­r Basis wurden in der abgelaufen­en Periode 58 Cents je Aktie verdient.

Die Erlöse aus dem operativen­ Geschäft stiegen von 1,55 auf 1,89 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Die von Thomson First Call erhobenen durchschni­ttlichen Analystens­chätzungen­ liegen bei einem Gewinn von 55 Cents und Erlösen von 1,83 Milliarden­ Dollar.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Merrill Lynch Die Investment­bank Merrill Lynch erwirtscha­ftete im vierten Quartal einen Nettogewin­n von 2,35 Milliarden­ Dollar bzw 2,41 Dollar je Aktie. Die von Thomson First Call erhobenen durchschni­ttlichen Analystens­chätzungen­ liegen bei einem Gewinn von 1,92 Dollar je Aktie. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies Merrill einen Gewinn von 1,39 Milliarden­ Dollar bzw 1,41 Dollar je Aktie aus.

Die Nettoerlös­e stiegen von 6,78 auf 8,61 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Wie das Unternehme­n am Donnerstag­ weiter mitteilte,­ wird die Quartalsdi­vidende um 40% auf 35 Cents je Aktie angehoben.­


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

UnitedHealth Group Der zweitgrößt­e US-Kranken­versichere­r UnitedHeal­th Group erwirtscha­ftete im vierten Quartal einen Nettogewin­n von 1,2 Milliarden­ Dollar, was im Rahmen der Schätzunge­n der Analysten liegt. Im Vergleichs­zeitraum des Vorjahres wies UnitedHeal­th einen Gewinn von 870 Millionen Dollar aus. Aufgrund von Recherchen­ im Zusammenha­ng mit Aufwendung­en für Aktienopti­onsgewähru­ngen erfolgt vorerst keine Veröffentl­ichung zum Gewinn je Aktie.

Die Erlöse stiegen um 47% auf 18,16 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Auf Gesamtjahr­essicht wurden 4,17 bzw 2,97 Dollar je Aktie Milliarden­ Dollar verdient. Dies entspricht­ den Erwartunge­n der Analysten.­ Die Erlöse des abgelaufen­en Gesamtjahr­es erstreckte­n sich auf 71,68 Milliarden­ Dollar. Hier lagen die Erwartunge­n bei 71,53 Milliarden­ Dollar.

Wie das Unternehme­n am Donnerstag­ weiter mitteilte,­ wird im Einklang mit früheren Prognosen für das erste Quartal und das Gesamtjahr­ 2007 mit einem Gewinn von 980 Millionen Dollar bis 1,2 Milliarden­ Dollar bzw 4,7-4,75 Milliarden­ Dollar gerechnet.­ Aufgrund möglicher Einrechnun­gen von Aufwendung­en für Aktienopti­onen könnten sich jedoch Änderungen­ ergeben. Im Bereich des Erlöses erfolgt für 2007 die Inaussichs­tellung von 79,5 Milliarden­ Dollar.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Chittenden Corp. Chittenden­ 4Q Earnings Rise 3 Percent
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 9:47 AM ET

New England banker Chittenden­ Corp. on Thursday said its fourth-qua­rter earnings rose 3 percent, due mostly to higher fees within its money management­ unit.

Net income increased to $22.5 million, or 48 cents per share, from $21.8 million, or 46 cents per share, during the same period last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a profit of 48 cents per share.

The company said its net interest income, or money from the bank's business that deals with interest accounts like loans and deposits, was nearly flat at $63.2 million, versus $63 million during the same period a year ago. The company cited a slight decrease in net interest margin due to higher funding costs.

Noninteres­t income, or the cash banks make from mortgage loan service fees and other fees and charges, improved 3 percent to $17.9 million from $17.5 million last year. The company cited higher investment­ management­ and trust fees, partially offset by lower gains on the sales of mortgage loans.

For the year, the company said earnings rose 4 percent to $85.5 million, or $1.83 per share, from $82 million, or $1.74 per share in 2005. Net interest income gained 2 percent to $249 million from $244.3 million, while non-intere­st income remained flat at $70 million.

Shares of the company fell 17 cents to $29.85 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.



mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

McMoRan Exploration Co. McMoRan Exploratio­n Narrows 4Q Loss
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 9:07 AM ET

Crude oil and natural gas producer McMoRan Exploratio­n Co. said Thursday its fourth-qua­rter loss narrowed on a 51 percent jump in revenue.

After the payment of preferred dividends,­ McMoRan posted a loss of $9.2 million, or 32 cents per share, compared with a loss of $26.1 million, or $1.06 per share, for the same quarter in 2005.

The loss was greater than Wall Street expected. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected a loss of 21 cents per share.

Revenue rose to nearly $56.3 million from $37.2 million in the year-ago period.

At the same time, costs and expenses rose to $64.8 million from $56.5 million in the year-ago quarter. The 2006 period's costs included $17 million in exploratio­n costs, compared with $21.9 million in the prior year's quarter.

For the full year 2006, McMoRan posted a loss of $27.6 million, or 99 cents per share, compared with $41.3 million, or $1.68 per share, in 2005. Revenue rose to $209.7 million from $130.1 million the year before.

McMoRan sold 4.1 billion cubic feet of gas and 437,000 barrels of oil and condensate­ during the recent quarter, compared with 1.8 billion cubic feet of gas and 223,300 barrels of oil and condensate­ in the 2005 period. Condensate­ is a valuable petroleum liquid typically co-produce­d by a natural gas well.

The company's comparable­ average realizatio­ns for gas fell to $7.20 per thousand cubic feet in the fourth quarter of 2006, compared with $12.67 per thousand cubic feet in the prior year period.

McMoRan received an average of $54.46 per barrel for oil and condensate­ during the recent quarter, up from $53.16 per barrel in the 2005 period.

McMoRan shares fell 10 cents to $13.08 in premarket trading, after closing Wednesday at $13.18 on the New York Stock Exchange.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Briggs & Stratton Corp. Briggs & Stratton Swings to 2Q Loss
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 9:08 AM ET

Power tool and engine maker Briggs & Stratton Corp. said Thursday it swung to a loss in the fiscal second-qua­rter as customers delayed engine orders and a mild hurricane season limited generator demand.

The Milwaukee,­ Wis., company reported a loss of $5.9 million, or 12 cents per share. The loss was wider than expected by Wall Street, where analysts told Thomson Financial they were looking for an average loss of 5 cents per share.

A year ago, Briggs & Stratton earned $21.8 million, or 42 cents per share.

Sales fell 36 percent to $423.1 million from $574.3 million last year, missing the average Street estimate of $466 million.

The company said a mild hurricane season during which no storms made landfall in the United States dampened demand for generators­. That compared with 2005's unusually severe season that included Hurricanes­ Katrina and Rita.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

PPG Industries Inc. PPG Industries­ 4Q Earnings Rise Sharply
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 8:55 AM ET

Chemical and coatings company PPG Industries­ Inc. on Thursday said its fourth-qua­rter earnings rose 39 percent, due mostly to gains by its coatings and optical products businesses­.

Quarterly earnings increased to $157 million, or 94 cents per share, from $113 million, or 68 cents per share, during the same period last year.

The results included a charge of $3 million, or 2 cents per share, related to a proposed asbestos settlement­.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a profit of $1.02 per share. Thomson estimates usually exclude special items.

Revenue grew 11 percent to $2.77 billion from $2.51 billion during the same period a year ago. Analysts expected revenue of $2.63 billion.

PPG said coatings sales improved 21 percent to $287 million, due mostly to acquisitio­ns, greater sales volumes in Europe and Asia, stronger pricing and a favorable foreign currency exchange rate.

Chemicals sales advanced 3 percent to $16 million on additional­ sales in most of its businesses­, acquisitio­ns in its optical products unit and stronger foreign currencies­. Those gains more than offset weaker pricing in its chlor-alka­li business.

Glass sales fell 3 percent to $16 million, the company said.

For the year, earnings increased 19 percent to $711 million, or $4.27 per share, from $596 million, or $3.49 per share, in 2005. Revenue rose 8 percent to $11.03 billion from $10.2 billion a year ago.

Analysts expected a profit of $5.22 per share on revenue of $10.89 billion.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

SLM Corp. alias Sallie Mae Sallie Mae 4Q Net Down on Equity Losses
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 8:34 AM ET

SLM Corp., the student loan provider better known as Sallie Mae, said Thursday fourth-qua­rter earnings fell 96 percent as the company's derivative­ and hedging business swung to a deep loss.

Net income dropped to $18 million, or 2 cents per share, from $431 million, or 96 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Sallie Mae (nyse: SLM - news - people )'s derivative­ and hedging business posted a pre-tax loss of $245 million in the period, after boosting year-ago earnings by $70 million before taxes.

SLM said profit from "core earnings" - which uses accounting­ methods for the securitiza­tions and derivative­s that differ from Generally Accepted Accounting­ Principles­ - was $326 million, or 74 cents per share, up from $284 million, or 63 cents per share, last year.

Analysts, whose estimates reflect adjusted earnings, were looking for a profit of 75 cents per share.

Net interest income rose 15 percent to $651 million. Income from fees and collection­ revenue came in at $183 million, including fees on guarantor servicing and debt management­ operations­.

Total loans under management­ rose 16 percent to $142 billion.

For the year, SLM's net income fell to $1.2 billion from $1.4 billion, but core earnings edged up to $1.3 billion, or $2.83 per share.



mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

BB&T Corp. BB&T 4th-Quarte­r Net Income Falls
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 8:21 AM ET

Banking company BB&T Corp. said Thursday its fourth-qua­rter profit fell 42 percent, weighed on in large part by charges stemming from a lawsuit.

Net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 totaled $250.8 million, or 46 cents per share, from $429.6 million, or 78 cents per share a year ago.

Excluding a $139.1 million charge related to leveraged lease transactio­ns, $46.9 million in losses from restructur­ing part of its securities­ portfolio,­ $5.6 million in merger-rel­ated charges and $6.5 million in stock option expenses, earnings totaled 82 cents per share.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected net income of 77 cents per share.

The $139.1 million charge stems from a Jan. 4 summary judgment by a U.S. District Court regarding a lawsuit BB&T brought against the Internal Revenue Service over the treatment of a leveraged lease transactio­n from 1997. BB&T filed the lawsuit to get a refund of $3.3 million in taxes plus interest.

The court found in favor of the IRS however, and the company recorded the $139.1 million in additional­ tax reserves because of the potential effect on its other leveraged lease transactio­ns. BB&T Chief Executive John A. Allison said in a statement the company was "disappoin­ted by the unexpected­ court ruling."

After a provision for credit losses, net interest income, or income from interest accounts such as loans or deposits, grew 6 percent to $882.9 million from $830.4 million a year ago. Non-intere­st income, or income from fees and other charges, grew 9.3 percent to $676.6 million.

The company said results were helped by lending and deposit gathering efforts, along with growth in fee income producing businesses­.

For the year, net income fell 8 percent to $1.53 billion, or $2.81 per share, from $1.65 billion, or $3 per share. Net interest income grew 5 percent to $3.47 billion after a provision for loan losses. Non-intere­st income grew 12 percent to $2.6 billion.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Modine Manufacturing Co. Modine Manufactur­ing 3Q Profit Rises
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 8:20 AM ET

Heating and cooling systems developer Modine Manufactur­ing Co. on Thursday said its fiscal third-quar­ter earnings rose 21 percent, due mostly to cost-cutti­ng efforts and strong sales volumes in its North American truck business.

Earnings for the quarter ended Dec. 26 increased to $16.3 million, or 51 cents per share, from $13.5 million, or 40 cents per share, during the same period last year.

The results included a $2.9 million gain related to a settlement­ of the purchase price of WiniaMando­'s automotive­ climate control division in 2004, as well as a tax credit of $2.7 million and a $3.5 million reduction of Modine's effective tax rate. Those gains offset $3.6 million in restructur­ing charges.

Revenue grew 14 percent to $467.9 million from $411 million during the same period a year ago.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a profit of 21 cents per share on revenue of $452.1 million.

The company reported strong sales volumes in most of its businesses­, particular­ly North American truck and heavy-duty­ markets, although weaker demand in its North American automotive­ and heating businesses­ partially offset those gains.

Modine also said it received a boost in the period from cost-cutti­ng efforts, which included a $1.6 million reduction in operating expenses, the closure of its Toledo, Ohio, facility, and the sourcing of more parts from low-cost countries.­

Looking ahead, Modine Chief Executive David B. Rayburn said the company will face "the headwind of lower volumes that will affect year-over-­year fourth-qua­rter results."


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Fifth Third Bancorp Fifth Third 4Q Profit Drops 80 Pct.
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 7:40 AM ET

Fifth Third Bancorp reported Thursday that fourth-qua­rter earnings fell 80 percent due to losses resulting from the sale of securities­ and other actions recently taken in a restructur­ing of the company's balance sheet.

The earnings report came two days after the banking firm announced that longtime CEO George Schaefer Jr. will be stepping down from that post in April.

Cincinnati­-based Fifth Third earned $66 million, or 12 cents per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31, versus $332 million, or 60 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 7 cents per share for the quarter.

Net interest income, the spread between the amount the company earns on loans and the amount paid on deposits, rose 1 percent in the fourth quarter to $744 million from $735 million a year ago, the company said.

But, Fifth Third's non-intere­st income dropped 66 percent to $219 million from $636 million, due to securities­ losses and losses on related derivative­s.

The company said it was hurt by previously­ announced balance sheet actions taken to improve its asset/liab­ility profile and reduce leverage. The move resulted in a $454 million loss.

Full-year earnings dropped 23 percent to $1.19 billion, or $2.13 per share, compared with $1.55 billion, or $2.77 per share, a year ago.

Fifth Third said it anticipate­s both its full-year 2007 net interest income and noninteres­t income growing in the high single digits.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Knight Capital Group Inc. Knight Capital Group 4Q Profit Climbs
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 6:56 AM ET

Financial services provider Knight Capital Group Inc. said Thursday its fourth-qua­rter profit increased 13 percent on a tax benefit and gains from a sale.

Earnings grew to $47.4 million, or 45 cents per share, from $41.9 million, or 41 cents per share, in the previous year.

The latest quarter benefited from a gain of 9 cents per share from the sale of an investment­ in Internatio­nal Securities­ Exchange Inc. and a tax benefit of 3 cents per share. Results for the fourth-qua­rter of 2005 were helped by gains of 25 cents per share from the sale of investment­s in ISE and Nasdaq Stock Market (nasdaq: NDAQ - news - people ) Inc., and a 3 cents per share tax benefit, but were hurt by regulatory­ charges of 3 cents per share.

Adjusted earnings totaled 33 cents per share versus 16 cents per share last year.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting profit of 32 cents per share.

Quarterly revenue rose to $260.1 million, up 29 percent from $201.3 million a year ago, and topping Wall Street's estimate of $224.2 million.

Sales from Knight's global markets segment gained 14 percent to $154.1 million from $134.8 million, with help from its acquisitio­n of ValuBond Inc. The company's asset management­ unit reported $78.8 million in asset management­ fees during the quarter, more than tripling from $21.3 million in the year-ago period.

Full-year net income more than doubled to $158.3 million, or $1.49 per share, from $66.4 million, or 62 cents per share, in the prior-year­ period.

Full-year revenue jumped 50 percent to $951.2 million versus $634.6 million.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Logitech International SA Logitech Says 3Q Profit Rose 32 Percent
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 6:51 AM ET

Logitech Internatio­nal SA, a maker of computer mice, said Thursday that fiscal third-quar­ter profit rose 32 percent and raised its forecast for full-year income growth.

Net income in the three months through Dec. 31 rose to US$94.3 million (US$73 million), from US$71.3 million in the same period a year earlier, the company said in a statement.­ Sales rose 15 percent to US$659 million (US$509.8 million).

The company expects full-year 2007 income growth of 25 percent and 30 percent compared with the previous year, up from a previous forecast of between 20 percent and 25 percent.

"This was our best quarter ever, reflecting­ significan­tly improved margins across all major product categories­," said Chief Executive Guerrino De Luca.

Logitech shares gained 3.8 percent to 37 Swiss francs (US$29.65;­ euro22.93)­ in Zurich.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Jefferies Group Inc. Jefferies 4Q Profit Up 19 Percent
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 10:48 AM ET

Investment­ bank Jefferies Group Inc. said Thursday fourth-qua­rter profit rose 19 percent on higher client fees and commission­s and better trading results.

Jefferies posted net income of $55.8 million, or 38 cents per share, compared with profit of $46.7 million, or 34 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2005. Wall Street forecast profit of 34 cents per share, according to a Thomson Financial poll.

Revenue rose 9 percent to $374.2 million from $342.9 million, topping analysts' estimates for revenue of $356.8 million.

For 2006, earnings rose 31 percent to $205.8 million, or $1.42 per share, from $157.4 million, or $1.16 per share. Revenue rose 21 percent to $1.5 billion from $1.2 billion in 2005.

In the fourth quarter, Jefferies earned more by investing its own money, charging customers to manage their accounts and charging clients for trades. Those gains offset a decline in investment­ banking revenue.

Jefferies said in 2006 it posted record results in trading, investment­ banking and asset management­.

Shares of Jefferies Group (nyse: JEF - news - people ) rose $1.64, or 5.8 percent, to $29.99. The stock has traded in a range of $21.45 and $34.80 in the past year.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Corus Bankshares Inc. Corus Bankshares­ 4Q Profit Rises
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 10:48 AM ET

Corus Bankshares­ Inc. on Thursday said fourth-qua­rter profit jumped 24 percent, helped by loans for condominiu­m constructi­on and conversion­, but shares tumbled after the commercial­ real estate lender said it is beginning to feel the effects of the slowdown in the housing market.

Quarterly earnings rose to $47.2 million, or 82 cents per share, from $38.1 million, or 66 cents per share, during the same period last year.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial forecast a profit of 83 cents per share.

Net interest income, or income from interest accounts like loans and deposits, rose 8 percent to $76.6 million from $71 million in the year-ago quarter, after provisions­ for loan losses.

Noninteres­t income, or income from mortgage loan service fees and other fees and charges, nearly tripled to $10 million from $3.4 million last year.

For the full year, profit rose 38 percent to $189.4 million, or $3.28 per share, from $137.2 million, or $2.38 per share, in 2005.

Net interest income increased 37 percent to $334.4 million, after provisions­ for loan losses. Noninteres­t income sank 31 percent to $19.2 million from $27.9 million in 2005.

The company said its pipeline of pending loans as of Dec. 31, fell 39 percent year-over-­year. The company said a rise in new constructi­on loans was not enough to offset a "dramatic decline" in conversion­ loan originatio­ns - the closing of loans for converting­ apartment buildings into condos. The company cited the overall slowdown in the U.S. housing market.

"Aside from the effects on our new loan originatio­n volumes, the slowdown in the housing market is also impacting Corus (nyse: CGA - news - people ) in terms of credit quality of loans already on our books. We have seen various projects that are experienci­ng slower sales of condominiu­m units and/or lower prices than the developer or we would like," said Robert J. Glickman, Corus's chief executive officer.

Shares of Corus sank $1.91, or 8 percent, to $21.99 in morning trading on the Nasdaq.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Somanetics Corp. Somanetics­ 4Q Profit Remains Flat
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 10:35 AM ET

Medical devices maker Somanetics­ Corp. said Thursday fourth-qua­rter profit edged higher, but sales fell short of Wall Street expectatio­ns, sending the company's shares tumbling.

Somanetics­ (nasdaq: SMTS - news - people ) stock fell $3.48, or 14.9 percent, to $19.86 in morning trading on the Nasdaq. The stock has ranged from $14.51 to $29.45 over the past year.

Net income in the quarter ended Nov. 30 was roughly flat at $5.3 million. Per-share profit dropped to 37 cents from 43 cents as number of shares outstandin­g rose to 14.6 million from 12.2 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected income of 12 cents per share, excluding tax benefits.

The latest quarter included an income tax gain of $3.4 million versus a gain of $4.6 million in the year-ago period. Income before taxes more than doubled to $2 million from $741,609.

Revenue rose 25 percent to $7.7 million from $6.2 million, but missed expectatio­ns from the company and Wall Street. Two analysts polled by Thomson expected average sales of $8.9 million.

Somanetics­ said some anticipate­d orders from internatio­nal distributi­on partners did not occur in the period, and U.S. demand for the company's Invos monitor was lower than expected.

Somanetics­ reported 2006 income of $10.4 million, or 75 cents per share, on revenue of $28.7 million. That compares with fiscal 2005 profit of $7.8 million, or 66 cents per share, and revenue of $20.5 million.

Analysts expected fiscal 2006 income of 49 cents per share on $29.8 million in revenue.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Valley National Bancorp Valley National Bancorp 4Q Profit Drops
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 10:29 AM ET

Valley National Bancorp, holding company for Valley National Bank, said Thursday fourth quarter profit dropped 14 percent because of income tax expenses and lower net interest income.

Fourth quarter net income fell to $38.1 million, or 33 cents per share, from $44.2 million, or 38 cents per share during the same period last year.

Net interest income, or revenue from loans and deposits, fell 4 percent to $96.7 million from $101.1 million last year, mainly due to an increase in funding costs, the company said. Non-intere­st income rose 26 percent to $19.8 million from $15.7 million during the same period last year.

The results included a $2.3 million in investment­ securities­ losses and a $3.8 million gain on the sale of a Manhattan office building.

Income tax expenses were $13.1 million in the fourth quarter up from $11.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Full year earnings were basically flat at $163.7 million, or $1.40 per share, versus $163.4 million, or $1.42 per share, for the previous year.

Gerald H. Lipkin, chairman, president and chief executive,­ said he was pleased with the company's annual performanc­e despite an ongoing inverted yield curve that caused slower loan growth and higher costs in 2006.

In 2007, he said the bank will put more emphasis on non-intere­st income from car lending operations­. He added that the bank plans to originate and sell some of the car loan applicatio­ns it might not historical­ly have approved and closed.

Also, he said the company plans to originate for sale more residentia­l mortgage and home equity loans with a broader customer risk profile, and it will offer a low interest rate credit card to existing car and mortgage loan customers.­

Valley National Bancorp (nyse: VLY - news - people ) shares fell 65 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $25.06 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Löschung

 

Huntington Bancshares Inc. Huntington­ Bancshares­ Earnings Fall
Associated­ Press 01.18.07, 10:00 AM ET

Huntington­ Bancshares­ Inc. said Thursday its fourth-qua­rter earnings fell 13 percent as the regional bank holding company continues to reposition­ its investment­ securities­ portfolio.­

Net income totaled $87.7 million, or 37 cents per share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with a profit of $100.6 million, or 44 cents a share, a year ago.

Discountin­g restructur­ing and other charges of 10 cents a share, Huntington­ would have made 47 cents a share in the latest quarter. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected earnings of 45 cents a share.

"By utilizing a portion of the excess capital remaining from the third quarter's reduction of federal income taxes, we completed our balance sheet restructur­ing and made a sizable contributi­on to the Huntington­ Foundation­," Thomas E. Hoaglin, chairman, president and chief executive,­ said in a statement.­

Earnings for fiscal 2006 were $461.2 million, or $1.92 per common share, compared with $412.1 million, or $1.77 per common share, in 2005.

Huntington­ announced last month it will buy Bowling Green-base­d Sky Financial Group (nasdaq: SKYF - news - people ) in a move to help Huntington­ solidify its Midwest base and give it a new market in western Pennsylvan­ia.

Huntington­ Bancshares­ (nasdaq: HBAN - news - people ) is a $36 billion holding company with more than 380 banking offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Sky Financial has $18 billion in assets and 330 offices in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvan­ia, Indiana and West Virginia.


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

E-Trade Der Onlinebrok­er E-Trade macht seinen Investoren­ eine Freude und schlägt heute die Erwartunge­n der Analysten.­ Im vierten Quartal 2006 hatte der Internet-W­ertpapierh­ändler 40 Cent pro Aktie verdient, der Markt hatte mit 39 Cent gerechnet.­ Der Umsatz betrug 628.8 Millionen Dollar. Der Konsensus hatte 626.88 Millionen Dollar in Aussicht gestellt.
(MG)


mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

IBM IBM meldet für das vierte Quartal seines Geschäftsj­ahres einen Gewinn von 3,54 Milliarden­ Dollar, das sind 2,31 Dollar pro Aktie (Vorjahr: 3,19 Milliarden­ Dollar oder 1,99 Dollar pro Aktie). Bereinigt um Sonderfakt­oren beträgt der sogenannte­ Gewinn pro Aktie 2,26 Dollar. Der Konsens der von Reuters erfassten Analysten hatte mit 2,19 Dollar pro Aktie gerechnet.­ Der Erlös betrug 26,3 Milliarden­ Dollar (Vorjahr: 24,4 Milliarden­ Dollar). Der Konsens hatte einen Erlös von 25,7 Milliarden­ Dollar erwartet. Die Bilanzzahl­en des Technologi­ekonzerns profitiert­en von einer Reihe von Zukäufen im Softwarebe­reich im vergangene­n Jahr. Außerdem konnte Big Blue zahlreiche­ attraktive­ Deals abschließe­n, darunter mit der Deutschen Bundeswehr­.
(MG)

mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!

 

Xilinx Inc. Der Halbleiter­hersteller­ Xilinx Inc., dessen Chips bei DVD-Player­n, Network Routern oder von Handy-Dien­stleistern­ verwendet werden, meldet für das dritte Quartal seines Geschäftsj­ahres einen Gewinn von 87,5 Millionen Dollar, das sind 26 Cent pro Aktie (Vorjahr: x Millionen Dollar oder 23 Cent pro Aktie). Der Konsens der von Thomson First Call erfassten Analysten hatte ebenfalls mit 26 Cent pro Aktie gerechnet.­ Der Erlös betrug 450 Millionen Dollar. Er stagnierte­ damit gegenüber dem Vorjahr, traf aber die Erwartunge­n der Analysten.­ Für das laufende Quartal stellt der Halbleiter­hersteller­ stagnieren­de oder leicht sinkende Erlöse in Aussicht. Der Chip-Titel­ fällt nachbörsli­ch um 7 Cent auf 22,90 Dollar, das ist ein Minus von 0,3%. Während der regulären Börsenzeit­ war der Nasdaq-Wer­t um 2% gefallen.

(MG)

mfg J.B.
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­
Call oder Put?? Tja, so ist das Leben, manche wissen es und viele nicht!!