Stocks on the move [HOT-RTRS] Real-time Equity news [U E]
[RESF/US]
U.S. stock market report [.N]
1430 ET 13May2009 American Express put buyer likely betting on
losses
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A big put option buyer in American Express Co (AXP.N) may
be looking for a pullback in the credit card company's shares
that have more than doubled since touching a 52-week low of
$9.71 on March 6, said Trade Alert president Henry Schwartz.
He said that in the morning session a buyer paid a premium
of $2.70 a contract for 15,000 June $25 put options on the old
Philadelphia Stock Exchange. The trade was executed along with
a hedge of 750,000 shares bought at $24.50 to open a new
position, he said. American Express shares fell 4.28 percent to
$24.36 in late afternoon trade.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1406 ET 13May2009-Protective Life plunges after stock offer
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Protective Life Corp (PL.N) shares plunged on Wednesday
after the company announced plans to offer 12.5 million shares
of common stock, with proceeds to be used for general corporate
purposes.
Shares of the insurer fell 22 percent to $9.09. The SPDR
KBW Insurance ETF (KIE.P) dropped 4.6 percent.
Reuters
Messaging:rm://Charles.mikolajczak.reuters.com@reuters.net)
1334 ET 13May2009-Earnings continue to surprise to the upside
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With 90 percent of the companies in the S&P 500 having
reported first-quarter earnings, the majority have posted
results that topped Wall Street expectations, according to the
Thomson Reuters Director's Report.
Of the 447 companies that have posted results, 65 percent
have beat analysts' expectations, 8 percent matched estimates
and 27 percent fell shy of analysts' forecasts.
The best-performing sectors were healthcare stocks, with 79
percent of companies topping expectations, and materials, with
75 percent of companies reporting better-than-expected
results.
Among the worst-performing groups were financial stocks,
with only 47 percent of companies topping estimates, and
industrials, with 59 percent reporting earnings that were above
Wall Street estimates.
Reuters
Messaging:rm://Charles.mikolajczak.reuters.com@reuters.net
1316 ET 13May2009 UnitedHealth draws bullish option players
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Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N) rose 20 cents to
$27.52 in afternoon trade. But in the options market, players
appear to be showing a high degree of optimism on the largest
U.S. health insurer.
"Options traders are taking bullish positions, especially
in the June contracts where there were large blocks of June $28
and $29 calls purchased and 20,000 June $24 puts sold," said
WhatsTrading.com option strategist Frederic Ruffy. There was no
apparent catalyst for the unusual activity. In all, about
42,000 calls and 29,000 puts traded in UNH, five times the
typical combined volume, according to Trade Alert.
Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1151 ET 13May2009-Wall Street slides further on retail data
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U.S. stocks slid further on Wednesday, with major indexes
dropping 2 percent as retail sales data came in worse than
expected, blurring the economic outlook.
The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dropped 164.87
points, or 1.95 percent, to 8,304.24. The Standard & Poor's 500
Index .SPX fell 18.77 points, or 2.07 percent, to 889.58. The
Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC shed 37.99 points, or 2.21
percent, to 1,677.93.
Reuters
Messaging:rm://Charles.mikolajczak.reuters.com@reuters.net
1134 ET 13May2009-Dr Pepper Snapple climbs on earnings,
outlook
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Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (DPS.N) shares rose on
Wednesday after the soft-drink maker reported a
higher-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its 2009
profit forecast.
Shares rose 3.1 percent to $21.92. Rivals Coca-Cola Co
(KO.N) slid 1.3 percent to $43.84 while PepsiCo Inc (PEP.N)
added 0.4 percent to $49.44.
Reuters
Messaging:rm://Charles.mikolajczak.reuters.com@reuters.net
1052 ET 13May2009-Medicines Co cancels trial, shares plunge
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Medicines Co (MDCO.O) shares plunged on Wednesday after the
company said it is discontinuing late-stage trials of its
antiplatelet agent cangrelor in patients undergoing a procedure
to widen narrow arteries, as it does not expect the drug to
meet its goal. [IDnBNG412444]
The drug was licensed exclusively in December 2003 from
AstraZeneca (AZN.L)
Medicines Co shares plummeted 37 percent to $7.00 while
U.S.-traded shares of AstraZeneca (AZN.N) gained 1.1 percent to
$39.83.
Reuters
Messaging:rm://Charles.mikolajczak.reuters.com@reuters.net
1020 ET 13May2009-Retail shares fall after data
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Shares of retailers fell on Wednesday after government data
showed retail sales fell for a second straight month in April
as cash-strapped consumers curbed their spending.
The S&P retail index .RLX slipped 2.2 percent, while Dow
component Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) was down 1.4 percent at
$49.93. For details, see [ID:nN13384420].
Macy's Inc (M.N) fell 5.5 percent to $11.67 after the
department store chain reported a smaller-than-expected
quarterly loss as cost cuts offset declining sales.
[ID:nN13384420].
Reuters Messaging: leah.schnurr.reuters.com@reuters.net
