Latest News In Stock Market Investment Research – Sept 25, 2009

Please note it is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, opinion or advice contained in the content below.


Twitter confirms new funding round

25 Sep 2009 at 9:33am

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Twitter Inc. on Friday confirmed that the closely-held microblogging service has secured a new round of funding from investors including mutual fund giant T. Rowe Price. However, Twitter, in a posting on a company Web site, did not comment on the size of the funding round, which was reportedly $100 million. Reports also said the round valued Twitter, which has yet to solidify a revenue model, at $1 billion — though the company offered no comment on that.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Goldman lifts view on refining, upgrades oil firms

25 Sep 2009 at 9:12am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Goldman Sachs research analysts on Friday raised their oil refining coverage view to neutral from cautious on a better demand outlook, including an upgrade of Holly Corp. to buy from neutral and Sunoco to neutral from sell. Goldman also added Occidental Petroleum to its conviction buy list, joining Suncor and Petrobras . “We increasingly believe we are moving through the trough of the refining cycle,” Goldman analysts said in a note to clients. “We now see oil demand growth equal to or slightly in excess of refining capacity growth over the next few years. Unlike crude oil, we believe a refining recovery will be more gradual as we think a relatively high level of excess capacity will persist.”

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Tesoro says no injuries in Calif. plant fire

25 Sep 2009 at 7:32am

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Tesoro Corp. said Friday an early morning fire at facility outside of Los Angeles has resulted in no reported injuries. The fire, which has been contained, occured at a coker unit at the company’s Wilmington, Calif., refinery and affected units are being shut down, Tesoro said. Shares of Tesoro rose 5.2% to $15.20 in recent trading.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


U.S. stocks flucuate amid mixed economic data

25 Sep 2009 at 7:16am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks on Friday wavered between gains and losses as investors sorted through a mix of data on consumer confidence, home sales and orders for durable goods. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18.82 points to 9,726.26. The S&P 500 Index dipped 1.48 points to 1,052.26. The Nasdaq Composite fell 4.74 points to 2,102.85.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Dollar weakens after sentiment, home sales data

25 Sep 2009 at 7:14am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The dollar weakened in morning trade Friday, as stocks came off earlier lows after U.S. economic reports that showed consumer sentiment rose more than expected, while new-home sales rose 0.7% to a 429,000 pace in August, slower than predicted. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. unit against a basket of six major currencies, stood at 76.839, down from 76.901 late Thursday. The Reuters-University of Michigan consumer sentiment index was revised to 73.5 in September, compared to a previous estimate of 70.2 and 65.7 in August. Analysts anticipated new-homes would reach a 440,000 pace and the consumer sentiment index would improve slightly to 70.5.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Clearwire, Sprint, Motorola fall; AT&T advances

25 Sep 2009 at 7:08am

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – Decliners outnumbered advancers in early action in the telecommunications sector, though prices bounced up and down after a weak opening. Wireless-Internet company Clearwire Corp. [: clwr] fell 3% and one of its larger partners, Sprint Nextel Corp. [: s], slid 1% in value. AT&T Inc. [: t] rose a few cents, however. In the equipment group, Motorola Inc. and Ciena dropped 2.5% apiece, but most vendors edged higher. Ericsson was up 0.7%, as was Qualcomm Inc. .

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Crude erases losses as U.S. stocks turn higher

25 Sep 2009 at 7:06am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Crude-oil futures turned higher Friday, rising as U.S. stocks largely erased their earlier losses, boosting sentiment in energy trading. Stocks and crude futures moved in the same direction in 13 out of the past 17 sessions since the beginning of the month, according to data compiled by MarketWatch. Crude for November delivery rose 63 cents, or 1%, to $66.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after dropping as low as $65.05 earlier, the lowest level for a front-month contract since July 30. Despite the gain, oil prices, as gauged by front-month contracts, are set to end the week down about 8%, the biggest weekly loss since the five sessions ended on July 10.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Consumer sentiment soars in late Sept.

25 Sep 2009 at 7:06am

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Consumer sentiment improved in late September, according to media reports on Friday of the Reuters/University of Michigan index. The consumer sentiment index jumped to 73.5 in late September from 70.2 earlier in the month. The increase was well above expectations. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists had expected sentiment to rise to 70.5. The gain is much higher than the recent high in sentiment of 70.8 in June. Sentiment is now at the highest level since early 2008.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Treasurys stay up after home sales, confidence

25 Sep 2009 at 7:04am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Treasury prices remained higher on Friday, pushing yields down, after a pair of reports said consumer sentiment rose more than expected and new-home sales rose 0.7% to a 429,000 pace in August, slower than predicted. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index was revised to 73.5 in September, compared to a previous estimate of 70.2 and 65.7 in August. Ten-year note yields remained down by 2 basis points to 3.36%. Analysts anticipated new-homes would reach a 440,000 pace and the consumer sentiment index would improve slightly to 70.5. Long-term notes gained earlier following a report that said orders for durable goods unexpectedly fell 2.4% in August.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


U.S. new-home sales flatten out in August

25 Sep 2009 at 7:00am

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) – Despite a record drop in prices, sales of new homes flattened out in August after four months of strong increases, the Commerce Department estimated Friday. Sales of new homes rose a statistically insignificant 0.7% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 429,000 from a downwardly revised 426,000 in July. Sales were down 3.4% from a year earlier, and are up 30% from the low in January. Sales were weaker than the 440,000 annual pace expected by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. The median sales price fell a record 9.5% from July to August. Inventories of unsold homes continued to fall in August, dropping 3% to 262,000, the fewest in 17 years.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Cadbury hasn’t softened view on Kraft deal

25 Sep 2009 at 6:59am

LONDON (MarketWatch) — U.K. chocolate maker Cadbury said Friday that the takeover approach from Kraft Foods Inc. doesn’t make strategic or financial sense and that comments from CEO Todd Stitzer at a recent investor seminar have been misconstrued as a softening of his view. “For the avoidance of doubt, Mr. Stitzer does not believe that Kraft’s proposal makes strategic of financial sense for Cadbury and his comments should not be interpreted in any other way,” Cadbury said.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Airline stocks rise after UBS upgrades

25 Sep 2009 at 6:47am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Airline stocks soared Friday morning after the investment firm UBS raised its ratings for several major carriers, including US Airways , Continental and United parent UAL Corp. . At last check, the NYSE Arca Airline Index climbed more than 3% to 29.42 points with all of its 13 components in the green. US Airways rose 2.6% to $5.03, Continental added 4.6% to $16.77 and UAL jumped nearly 7% to $9.44. UBS upgraded the three carriers to buy from neutral, as airlines tap new sources of capital. It also upgraded Alaska Air and American parent AMR Corp. to buy from neutral.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Energy stocks fall in early action

25 Sep 2009 at 6:41am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Energy stocks fell in early action on Friday. The NYSE Arca Oil Index dipped fractionally to 1,016. The NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index dropped 0.6% to 493. The Philadealphia Oil Service Index dipped 0.4% to 187.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


Retail stocks fall after durable good orders drop

25 Sep 2009 at 6:41am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) – Retail stocks opened lower Friday after U.S. durable goods orders unexpectedly declined in August. The S&P Retail Index fell 0.6% to 375.59. Finish Line Inc. shares rose 3.2% after the athletic-shoe retailer’s second-quarter gross margin exceeded Wall Street expectations, helped by inventory control.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.


UBS upgrades some airlines on new capital

25 Sep 2009 at 6:39am

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Investment firm UBS upgraded its ratings Friday for Alaska Air , AMR Corp. , Continental , US Airways , and UAL Corp. to buy from neutral. “Thanks to the recent flurry of capital raises, the balance sheets of several U.S. airlines will be flush with new cash,” said analyst Kevin Crissey in a note to investors. A slew of airlines, including AMR and US Airways, have announced it would sell new shares to raise cash. “Our top pick is [United parent UAL], which we believe has the best leverage to an economic and corporate travel recovery,” Crissey said. “The company is very likely to issue equity soon and we’d be a buyer.”

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Related Articles on Stock Market Investments.com

Latest News (external links)

Recent Articles on this site

Free Newsletter

Sign up for the free Daily newsletter, filled with tips and advice on Stock Market Investing, Stock Market Fundamentals, Day Trading, Online Trading, Commodities, Mutual Funds, Foreign Exchange and Options. Your email address will be kept confidential and won't be shared. Easily unsubscribe at any time.

If you enjoy the free information available on this site, you're sure to enjoy the free newsletter as well:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Site Search Tags:

Share and Enjoy:

September 25 2009 09:19 am | Stock Market News

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply

Related Posts from the Past: