Friday, April 29, 2011
XZERES Wind Corp (XWND) Technical Stock Chart Video
The XZERES stock chart took a fall on relatively low volume about one month ago and has formed a solid base since. Volume picked up on Wednesday with some buying pressure coming back into the stock. Technical traders are on alert as this low float/low outstanding play has shown how quickly it can move with the smallest amount of pressure.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Cougar Oil and Gas (OTC:COUGF) Announces Acquisitions
Shawshank, VA 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Cougar Oil and Gas Canada (OTC:COUGF) announced today, in a press release, that it has closed the acquisition of several operated and non-operated oil and natural gas properties in Alberta. Shares of Cougar closed up slightly at $2.80 per share on light volume.Cougar acquired the Properties from a private company. The Properties include the following assets;
-- 4 producing non-operated CBM gas wellsand associated gathering and
production facilities located in Central Alberta with a net production
of approximately 25 BOEPD.
-- 3 suspended Cardium oil wells located in central Alberta with the
potential to reactivate 2 of the wells this summer for an estimated net
production of 25bbl per day. The wells are also located in an area that
has recently proven successful for horizontal Cardium oil development.
-- 5 standing natural gas wells in central and southern Alberta. These
wells require additional workover and/or tie-in work and will be
evaluated for development, farmout or divestiture.
-- 3200 net acres of mineral rights adjacent to Cougar's oil producing
Alexander property. These mineral rights include all P&NG rights and
will be evaluated for oil production potential.
On April 25. 2011 Cougar received notification that the ERCB had approved the transfer of the operated wellbores included in the acquisition of the newly acquired properties. Payment for the properties included Cougar assuming the abandonment liability for the Properties and forgiving an outstanding Accounts Receivable from the private company.
Mr. William Tighe, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Cougar stated, 'We are delighted that this asset acquisition has closed. The acquisition did not have a debt or equity cost to the Corporation and it had an immediate strategic value. It provides access to a defined Cardium horizontal oil prospect, a profitable CBM natural gas production field with a long reserve life and an undeveloped land base close to our Alexander oil prospect."
Additional information is at www.cougarenergyinc.com.
Lots of Funding News for UnionTown Energy (OTC:UTOG)
Lincoln, NE 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- UnionTown Energy Inc. (OTC:UTOG) announced, in a press release, yesterday that it had over subscribed the $2,500,000 private placement announced on March 23, 2011.The placement was increased to $3,000,000 on April 21, 2011. The Company will issue 1,200,000 restricted common shares priced at $2.50 for a financing total of $3,000,000.
The Company will direct $1,000,000 of the proceeds to complete the non-refundable deposit portion of the Darby Property Purchase Agreement that was entered into on April 25, 2011.
Furthermore, the Company reports that negotiations are under way for a non-brokered, private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $5,000,000.
This potential financing is the second in a series the Company is contemplating to support its growth strategy of acquiring oil and gas exploration and development properties for production. Specifically, it is being contemplated that these funds will be allocated to the Darby Miller Mountain prospect drilling program and will be counted towards the Darby block purchase price.
UnionTown Energy is focused on the acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. For more information about the company, please visit www.UnionTownEnergy.com.
Gryphon Gold (OTC:GYPH) Files Pre-Feasibility Study with Sedar
Lincoln, NE 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Gryphon Gold Corporation (TSX:GGN; OTC:GYPH) recently, in a press release, announced that a copy of the NI 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study update of the Mineral Resources of the Borealis Gold Project located in Mineral County, Nevada, USA as at April 25, 2011 (the "2011 Study") has been filed on the SEDAR website, www.sedar.com.According to the press release, the NI 43-101 compliant study, completed by Telesto Nevada Inc., examined the proposed oxide heap leach open pit operation at the Company's wholly owned Borealis Project located in the Walker Lane Gold Belt of western Nevada.
"Gryphon's long-term plan for the Borealis property has always been to advance the oxide heap leach to generate the cash flow required to fully explore one of the premier exploration targets in Nevada. The 2011 Study reflects a more conservative view of the near-term production than the 2009 Pre-Feasibility Study. This Pre-Feasibility Study illustrates that the project has a $99.7 million gross profit over the initial mine life at $1,200 gold. Our intent is to aggressively advance the exploration to achieve additional oxide heap leach reserves while moving to fully explore the potential to increase the sulphide gold resources in the Central Borealis and begin to aggressively explore the geophysical targets in the Western Pediments," said John L. Key, President and CEO of Gryphon Gold.
For more information, please visit: www.gryphongold.com.
Mike the Pike (PINK:MIKP) Announce Potential Funding
Oxford, MS 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- In a press release recently, Mike The Pike Productions (PINK:MIKP) announced that company execs have recently entered detailed discussions with a Film Financing Fund toward agreements to finance a select number of feature films on its motion picture slate. Financing, as discussed, would include up to 5 features on the company’s slate including development monies for its larger projects, including ‘The Skin Trade’ based on the werewolf novella by George R.R. Martin, creator of HBO’s mega-series, ‘Game of Thrones’.MTP CEO/Producer, Mark B. Newbauer comments, “This is a major change in tide for our company and its much thanks to our strict focus on growth of the Feature Film and Graphic Novel divisions. I am confident that shareholders have a lot to be excited about.”
He continues, “We have significant items of note to release over the next 6-8 weeks toward a consistent stream of activity from both divisions, including news on the company’s recently announced sci-fi thriller with Spoke Lane Entertainment, currently in pre-production. Financing for subsequent pictures will be a big part of positioning ourselves in the industry while providing a viable stream of income with impressive potential for profits in multiple forms including theatrical, DVD, VOD and ancillary revenues.”
MTP & Horseplay, LLC present: HORSE - a wild ride through the streets of Ft. Wayne on a night no one will forget...if they live to remember...as they take part against some not-so-friendly parties on the prowl for a missing bag of Heroin. It's a race against time for a club-owner, a drug mule, two college kids and a sadistic Irish kingpin in from Chicago to reclaim his stake.
For more information, please visit: www.mtpprods.com.
Tweet Beat Gaining Traction
Oxford, MS April 28, 2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Tweet beat is a website that uses an advanced technology that categorizes tweets by being able to understand relationships without the use of hash tags and keywords. With this, users can see the tweets that have the most relevance to the subject.You can also see the number of tweets in the elapsed time and the number of papers that have articles online about the subject. This is known to the site as “Twitterati”.
As many now know, Wal-Mart has purchased this company that owns and operates this web page. Kosmix was worth was purchased by Wal-Mart to expand in the world of social media and their business.
With the addition of this company, I expect Wal-Mart to expand further as time passes. The social media has become the source of many of the world’s news and gossip. With sites such as Facebook and Twitter, people are becoming more dependent on knowing the opinions of others. This is obviously seen in the business world as well.
I believe that more and more companies are going to jump on the bandwagon without considering that like all trends, this will fade. What I would like to know is what happens to the advertising world when it does.
However, for right now, Tweet beat is a growing site which will help Wal-Mart succeed in social media standings and yield more business tactics.
Attention to Detail is Key for Signature Devices (PINK:SDVI)
Oxford, MS 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Researching into the newest of first person player games I have discovered Medal of Honor Pacific Assault. After reading many player reviews on Gamespot.com I have come to the conclusion that this game succeeds the past versions and has set a new bar for games of its kind.According to the reviews, this game has four levels after boot camp including Pearl Harbor and Makin Attol. You also experience a life like fight in air as you control a fighter jet in war.
This game provides a great plot since it recreates battles from WW2 in such an “epic” manner. More importantly I have read about the developer Signature Devices (PINK:SDVI).
According to the Signature Devices’ website, this company develops, creates, and manufactures sophisticated information technologies. These technologies include computer systems, software, and electronics products.
By searching this web page, you can see detailed descriptions of functions this company has performed for games such as Samurai Shutdown V, ISO, and Farcry.
You can also research the company and see that it is experiencing growth. To me, seeing growth in a company means more than just money. It shows that the people behind the scene are doing their jobs well and that can’t be done by people who don’t care about their jobs and love what they are doing.
You On Demand Holdings (CBBD) Technical Stock Chart Video
The CBBD stock chart is hitting the watchlist as it has been trending sideways now for several months between $0.045 and $0.065. The indicators are looking bullish, but volume is low so it will be watched closely for buying pressure to pick up the pace.
Social Media Marketing: How Many CEO's Will Miss The Boat?
Northern WI 4/28/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- SmallCap stocks have yet to utilize Social Media Tools; it may be too early in the cycle for a distracted CEO to understand how these platforms work, and many view growing Social Media sites like FaceBook and Twitter as a trend. LargeCap Companies are hiring full departments to man these platforms; in fact, it has been one of the few bright spots in a weak employment cycle. I guess the logical question is why? Why would a CEO pass on an inexpensive new marketing tool? Clearly someone is wrong here and I believe the LargeCap CEO, in most cases, has better resources and will make better decisions identifying tools that help his/her company sell products or services. Throughout history other important marketing tools were bypassed by smaller companies, and once a few “old line” CEO's get fired because they refuse to adapt and viewed as - missing the Social Media boat - you will see this New Media Marketing tool part of everyday operations. Managers in general pay attention to the reasons their predecessors were fired.
Most don’t realize the vast difference between a Fortune 500 company and how they operate versus a SamllCap company. SmallCap Stocks are classified by their market capitalization of 1 Billion or less and most market watchers categorize stocks in 5 categories 1) MegaCap, 2) LargeCap, 3) MidCap, 4) SmallCap and 5) MicroCap. There are roughly 15,000 publicly traded companies in the US Markets and 70% of these are in category 4 or 5. This means that only 30% of companies have Market Caps above 1 Billion dollars.
If I were to advise an investor about what to look for in a smaller stock investment, it would be to examine the companies Social Media strategy in 2011 and how it's working ......this will tell you much more about the management of the company than you know.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
StemCells Inc (STEM) Technical Stock Chart Video
The STEM stock chart is hitting the watchlist because it has fallen back on a solid support level. The last time these levels were reached, a climb followed which yielded gains of more than 50 percent, so it is worthy of the look to see if the indicators are going to try and continue to turn. The support at 75 cents must hold.
Monday, April 25, 2011
3 Things to Know For Today's Trading
*Shanghai was down one and a half percent on Monday and the Nikkei fell a slight fraction, but many of the Asian indexes were still closed for the holiday. European markets are also closed for the day after Easter. US stock futures were up about a quarter percent.*The March reading of New Home Sales is due out at 9:00am CDT. Sales are expected to be up 12.0% from the month before to an annualized rate of 280k units.
*The April reading of the Dallas Fed Manufacturing Activity Index is due out at 9:30am CDT, it is forecast to rise a couple of points on the month to 13.4.
*The Fed is scheduled to buy Treasuries today that are due to mature between 10/31/16 and 3/31/18; the results of the operation will be announced just after 10:00am CDT.
Monday, April 18, 2011
3 Things to Know For Today's Trading
Stocks were mixed in Asian trade. The Hang Seng was among the weakest with a decline of 0.75% and the Nikkei lost a third of a percent, but Shanghai and Australia both managed a gain of 0.2%. European indexes are generally weak this morning, with the Dax and Footsie both currently off by about one percent. US stock futures are lower by about a half to three quarters of a percent.*There have been more reports that Greece will default, followed by official denials that such a thing is being planned or would be warranted. The market’s bet is for the former, with Greek two year yields pushing 19% and their 10 Year at about 14%, both up sharply on the day.
*The April reading of the NAHB Housing Market Index is due out at 9:00am CDT, it is expected to be steady at 17.
*The Fed is scheduled to buy Treasuries today that are due to mature between 8/15/28 and 2/15/41; the results of the operation will be announced just after 10:00am CDT.
*There are a few Fed speakers on the calendar today. Dallas boss Fisher and Atlanta’s Lockhart are set to discuss globalization and monetary policy at 9:00am CDT at a conference in Atlanta, at which Fisher will also talk about the economic outlook at 11:30am CDT. St. Louis Fed boss Bullard will talk on banking rules at 11:00am CDT in Kentucky.
Friday, April 15, 2011
3 Things to Know For Today's Trading
Stocks were generally lower in Asian trade, with some exceptions. The Nikkei and Australia both traded down by two thirds of a percent, but the Hang Seng was unchanged Shanghai added a quarter percent. There are mixed results so far in Europe, but the Dax is up about 0.4% and the Footsie has a slight gain as well. US stock futures are down a slight fraction.*China data out over night included the March readings on a year over year basis for: Retail Sales +16.3%, a couple tenths below forecast; Industrial Production +14.8%, eight tenths more than expected; Consumer Price Index +5.4%, up a half percent from the month before and a couple of tenths more than forecast: and the Producer Price Index up one tenth on the month to +7.3%. Also released was the Q1 reading of GDP, it was +9.7% on a year on year basis; that is down one tenth from the previous quarter, but up three tenths from the forecast.
*The final February reading of Japan’s Industrial Production was revised up to +1.8% from a previous report of +0.4%.
*Earlier this morning Moody’s downgraded Ireland’s debt rating to Baa3 from Baa1; outlook remains negative.
*The March reading of the Eurozone Consumer Price Index is +2.7% on a year over year basis, one tenth more forecast and also a tenth up from a month ago.
*The February reading of the Eurozone Trade Balance was a deficit of EU2.4 billion, less of a deficit than the –EU3.6 billion forecast.
*The March reading of the Consumer Price Index is due out at 7:30am CDT. Headline CPI is expected to rise 0.5% on the month and the estimate for the Core rate is +0.2% from the month before. The annualized rates are forecast to be +2.6% and +1.2%, respectively. Also due out at 7:30am is the April reading of the Empire State Manufacturing Index, which is expected to be 17.00, down a half point on the month. The Treasury will at 8:00am CDT announce the net change in foreign holdings of long-term US securities for February, the TIC data; it is forecast to be an increase of $40.0 billion. The March readings of Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization are due to be released at 8:15am CDT. Production is expected to be up 0.6% on the month and the estimate for Cap Ut is 77.4%, up four tenths from the February result. The preliminary April reading of consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan is due out at 8:55am CDT, it is expected to be 69.0, up a bit from 67.5 in March.
*The Fed is scheduled to buy Treasuries today that are due to mature between 4/30/15 and 9/30/16; the results of the operation will be announced just after 10:00am CDT.
*There are two Fed speakers on the calendar today: Chicago Fed’s Evans is set to speak at 10:15am CDT at the Minsky Conference in NYC and Kansas City Fed boss Hoenig will discuss the economy at Purdue University at 12:30pm CDT.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Lithium Stocks Are Recent Big Gainers: (FORC.OB) Force Energy Corp., (LEXG.OB) Lithium Exploration Group, (AMEL.OB) AmeriLithium Corp
What is the first thing you notice about lithium batteries compared to regular batteries in the store? I notice the price and can tell you when I finally had enough in my budget to justify the experiment of seeing if they really do last longer… I was happy with the results to say the least. But that price difference is not justifiable in many families’ budgets at the present time because of current economic conditions.
How do we ratchet down the price of lithium you ask? Simple supply and demand economics… We mine more of it and increase the supply to meet a rapidly expanding demand. One company attempting to contribute to this supply is Force Energy Corp. (FORC) based in Denver, Colorado.
Force Energy (FORC) has interests in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada along with a working interest within the Wind River Basin, Wyoming.
According to Force Energy’s (FORC) Web site, the three main global end-use markets for lithium include ceramics and glass, batteries and lubricating greases (I grew up on a farm and can tell you, first hand, how much the agriculture sector already invests in this necessary expense is quite significant).
Batteries, especially rechargeable batteries, are the market for lithium compounds with the largest growth potential as major automobile companies continue to pursue the development of lithium batteries to power hybrid electric vehicle… It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the potential return on investment from a lithium exploration company like Force Energy (FORC).
Signature Devices (PINK:SDVI): CEO Completes Audio Interview
Signature Devices (Pinksheets:SDVI) Signature Devices creates and develops social networking systems include social networking server software, social networking games and console games. The company also publishes software including video games, and commercial products through its sister company Graffiti Entertainment, Inc.In the interview, the CEO gives a status update:"I'm updating shareholders on the status of the company and the status of audits and S1 registration in this interview."
To listen to the entire interview visit: http://ChartPoppers.com/iReports
ChartPoppers.com is a small-cap research and investment commentary provider. ChartPoppers.com strives to provide a balanced view of many promising small-cap companies that would otherwise fall under the radar of the typical Wall Street investor. We provide investors with an excellent first step in their research and due diligence by providing daily trading ideas, and consolidating the public information available on them
3 Things to Know For Today's Trading
Stocks were generally lower in Asian trade. The Nikkei fell a half percent, the Hang Seng lost more than a third of a percent and Shanghai was down a quarter percent. Australia was an exception with a gain of 0.6%. European indexes are currently mixed, with the Footsie up a slight fraction and the Dax essentially unchanged. US stock futures are up a slight fraction.*The February reading of Japan’s Machine Orders was down 2.3% on the month, a decline that was more than twice the predicted drop.
*The US government is open after a last minute deal on the budget was struck Friday night. Now we can start worrying about their ability to come to an agreement on the debt ceiling and the next budget.
*New York Fed boss Dudley is speaking in Tokyo. He says the economy is in better shape than it was last summer, but has lost some momentum in the last couple of months, which he attributes to rising oil prices. But he says it is important not to overreact to the increase in headline inflation, calling that a policy mistake. The big focus for the Fed, he says, is inflation expectations; he also mentioned wages, calling them benign.
*Chicago Fed boss Evans is scheduled to talk at a conference on risk at 9:00am CDT and Vice Chairperson Yellen will speak on “Commodity Prices, the Economic Outlook and Monetary Policy” at 11:15am CDT.
*The Fed is scheduled to buy Treasuries today that are due to mature between 10/31/16 and 3/31/18; the results of the operation will be announced just after 10:00am CDT.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Far East Energy (OTC:FEEC) CEO to Present at Upcoming Conference
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Far East Energy Corporation (OTC:FEEC) today announced, in a press release, that Michael R. McElwrath, CEO and President of the Company will present at the IPAA Oil & Gas Investment Symposium on Monday, April 11, 2011 at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time, which event will be held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. As I write, shares of Far East Energy were down 5 percent at $0.45 per share on volume of just over 1.4 million shares compared to its average daily volume of 1 million shares. The company has a market cap of $131 million and a 52-week range between $0.29 and $0.83 per share.The presentation will be webcast live via a link posted on the Company's website at www.fareastenergy.com, and will be archived for ten (10) days on the Company's website following the presentation.
Based in Houston, Texas, with offices in Beijing, Kunming, and Taiyuan City, China, Far East Energy Corporation is focused on CBM exploration and development in China.
Revenue and Profit for Sancon Resources (OTC:SRRY)
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Sancon Resources Recovery, Inc. (OTC:SRRY), an environmental services and waste recycling company with its main operations located in China, today announced, in a press release, results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. As I write, shares of Sancon Resources were up 6 percent at $0.20 per share on light volume of 10,800 shares. The company has a market cap of $4.6 million.-- Revenue in 2010 fourth quarter was $3.55 million, an increase of 25%
compared to $2.85 million for the fourth quarter of 2009.
-- EBITDA in 2010 fourth quarter was $0.37 million, a decreased of 30%
compared to $0.53 million in 2009 fourth quarter.
-- Net income was $0.25 million for the fourth quarter 2010, or $0.01 per
share, compared to $0.48 million, or $0.02 per share for the fourth
quarter 2009. The decrease mainly due to the losses incurred by our
Australia subsidiary.
-- Revenue in 2010 grew 19% to $13 million from $11 million in 2009 due to
the growth in our China operation. Revenue in 2008 was $10.57 million.
-- EBITDA decreased from $2.32 Million in 2009 to $2.22 million in 2010.
-- Net income in 2010 was $1.9 million, or $0.08 per share, compared to
$2.09 million, or $0.09 per share in the year ago period. Our Australia
subsidiary had net loss of $0.17 million in 2010 compare to net income
of $15,000 in 2009, which contributed the decrease in overall net
income for the year 2010.
Cash and cash equivalents totaled to $6 million as of December 31, 2010, primarily due to the increased revenue and cash flow.
"We are very pleased to see the continued increase in revenue and gross profit in 2010. Our net income has been affected by the poor performance in our Australia operation. Our management is considering various options for the Australian operation including closure of the Australia subsidiary or a complete divestment. In 2011 we would like to concentrate our resources in growing the Chinese Market," said Jack Chen, Sancon's Chief Executive Officer. "In 2011, through acquisitions, we will corporate with Chinese Government and expand waste recycling business around China. We also will pay more attention on electronic waste recycling area which we believe will be one of the most promising industries in China going forward."
For more information please go to www.sanconinc.com.
IceWeb (OTC:IWEB) Receives VMware Ready Certification
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- IceWEB, Inc. (OTC:IWEB) announced today, in a press release, that its NAS (Network Attached Storage) systems are now officially certified VMware Ready. To receive this accreditation, IceWEB Unified Storage NAS Systems passed all laboratory tests and met all the integration and interoperability criteria required by VMware. As I write, shares of IceWEB were up 9 percent at $0.25 per share on volume of 278,000 shares compared to its average daily volume of 420,000 shares. The company has as market cap of $35 million and a 52-week range between $0.11 and $0.47 per share."VMware certification is yet another way for IceWEB to help our customers simplify their system maintenance and support issues," said Lee Trinidad, IceWEB's Lead Systems Development Engineer. "VMware certification means that any business contemplating or already using VMware can confidently deploy an IceWEB Storage System to carry out its mission-critical business applications. Should an application on its VMware platform have problems, it'll be able to eliminate the inevitable finger pointing since its IceWEB system is formally certified and fully compatible with VMware."
According to the press release, Every IceWEB Unified Data Storage System supports both file and block data, structured or unstructured, in both the cloud and data center environments. A complete array of storage management features is available including in-line de-duplication, compression and thin provisioning for unparalleled storage efficiency rates. In some cases, efficiency rates can approach 90 percent; i.e., with the purchase of only 10TBs of storage, IceWEB customers can have access to 100TBs of capacity, resulting in outstanding value in terms of dollar per usable terabyte, and a dramatic reduction in power consumption and footprint.
Headquartered just outside of Washington, D.C., IceWEB manufactures and markets data storage products.
For more information, please visit www.IceWEB.com.
VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW), headquartered in Silicon Valley, is a provider of virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes.
For more information please visit www.vmware.com.
Juhl Wind (OTC:JUHL) Highlights Recent Conference Call
"Its very significant for our investors to note that we believe our company has completed more work on wind farms over the past year and a half than any other independent, publicly traded wind development company in the United States," stated John Mitola. "When you consider the fact that we have built or are in the process of completing six wind farms over this past year or so, totaling approximately $150 million in value, we think that level of activity is unmatched in the market."
"In the management discussion and analysis section of our 10K, we highlighted our subsequent events and reported that we received cash deposits in March of approximately $2.5 million," added John Brand. "These deposits exclude the receipt of $1 million we received in March from an advance of the sale of our development rights to a 40MW project, and we expect to receive an additional $1.8 million in April 2011 as a last installment on the Adams and Danielson projects. A substantial portion of our development fee revenues are going to be recognized in first and second quarters of 2011 since our revenue recognition accounting policy on this fee revenue essentially has us recording these fees upon the financial closing of a project. Thus, we expect approximately $5 million of development fee revenue will be recorded in the first and second quarters."
To date, the Company has completed 18 wind farm projects and provides operations management and oversight across the portfolio. Juhl Wind services every aspect of wind farm development from full development and ownership, general consultation, construction and system operations and maintenance. With its acquisition of Next Generation Power Systems, Juhl Wind now provides full sales and service to smaller, on-site wind and solar projects in addition to our larger Community Wind Farms. Juhl Wind is based in Woodstock, Minnesota.
Additional information is available at the Company's website at www.juhlwind.com.
American Lithium (OTC:AMLM) Raises $500K from PIPE
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- American Lithium Minerals Inc. (OTC:AMLM) announced today, in a press release, that it has agreed to a private placement investment in the amount of up to $500,000. The investment comes in the form of a secured promissory note that is convertible into 1,851,851 common shares and bears interest at a rate of 4% annually. As I write, shares of American Lithium were down 7 percent at $0.28 per share on volume of 58,230 shares compared to its average daily volume of 99,110 shares. The company has a market cap of $15 million and a 52-week range between $0.25 and $1.05 per share.The investor also received a one year warrant to purchase up to 1,851,851 additional common shares at $0.27 per share.
Stated Mr. Hugh Aird, CEO of American Lithium: "We plan to use the proceeds from this private placement to expedite the development of our existing properties and to continue with our acquisition strategy of potential world class lithium projects."
American Lithium is a U.S.-based mineral exploration company focused on the development of lithium and boron resources in Nevada.
For more information, please visit www.americanlithium.com.
Protesters Killed in Syrian Town of Daraa
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Syrian security forces have killed at least 10 demonstrators in the southern city of Daraa, amid fresh protests against the rule of Bashar al-Assad.The deaths occurred after Friday prayers when security forces opened fire with rubber-coated bullets and live rounds to disperse stone-throwing protesters, a witness told Al Jazeera.
In the east, thousands of ethnic Kurds also demonstrated for reform despite the Syrian president's offer this week to ease rules which bar many Kurds from citizenship, activists said.
Similar protests erupted in the western port city of Latakia and in Homs, near the Lebanese border. Gunfire was also heard in Harasta, a suburb of the capital, Damascus.
Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting on Friday from Douma, another Damascus suburb, said there were no security forces visible in the area.
"It's a new situation in Syria," she said. "We saw thousands of people taking to the streets after Friday prayers, from all walks of life: young and old, professionals and not professionals, educated, not educated, there were some Islamists, some nationalists.
At least 10 people were killed last Friday in Douma, seen as another focal point of protests where demonstrators have set up a vigil outside the mosque.
Popular demonstrations calling for greater freedoms have shaken Syria for the last three weeks.
Al-Assad has responded with a blend of force against protesters, and reform gestures, most recently aimed at ethnic Kurds.
In the northeastern city of Qamishli, Kurdish youths chanted: "No Kurd, no Arab, Syrian people are one. We salute the martyrs of Daraa."
Demonstrations have raised concerns that unrest could fuel ethnic and sectarian tensions in the country.
Friday demonstrations, which online activists have this week dubbed the "Friday of Steadfastness", have tended to be marked by the largest protests against al-Assad's 11 years in power.
In previous weeks security forces have opened fire, killing dozens.
In Daraa, people first demonstrated last month against the arrest of children who had scrawled pro-democracy graffiti inspired by the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings on school walls.
Sunni Muslim tribes there resent the wealth and power amassed by the minority Alawites, the offshoot sect of Shia Islam to which Assad belongs.
Mobile phone lines had been cut or were restricted over the last two days, the residents said.
Protesters chanted: "The people want the overthrow of the regime", an echo of slogans elsewhere in the Arab world.
Why Use Blockbuster
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Growing up, everybody was familiar with family movie night. For me it was piling in the car, having to strap siblings into car seats, driving fifteen miles just to go inside the Blockbuster in town to find that the new releases had already been checked out. With the world we live in today, just about everyone I know has a gaming system with Netflix or has a local Redbox. These systems are easy to use and are over all cheaper to use. According to an article I read on Yahoo Finance, Blockbuster has been foreseen to be a company that will not make it too 2012. If you look up the stock price for this company I’m positive you will agree. As of right now the last close was $0.06 and the one year estimate is $0.15. The 52-week range is $0.04-$0.60.
Netflix has a day range of $231.03-$236.47.It also has a 52-week range of $79.20-$248.88. With this comparison it is easy for anyone to see that Blockbuster is indeed losing the battle of movie rentals, in my humble opinion.
Redbox allows users to use a credit card to rent movies for $1 each for a night. For college students, this is the best answer. Not to mention that with the rise in gaming systems you can now watch movies online through your TV. With all of the new developments in technology, why use blockbuster?
Kroger v Wal-Mart
Oxford, MS 4/8/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Everyone has to go grocery shopping, and the dread of having to walk inside a Wal-Mart is unbearable (especially if they are remodeling). Having to ask employees to locate things is like asking a blind man to point you in the right direction and the hassle of standing in line at one of the three open registers is stupid. If you’re not going to use all 25 check-out lines then why have them. On countless occasions I have seen 10-15 people in line at three registers while the other 22 are closed. So why not use Kroger?Many would argue that their prices are higher but maybe that’s because they are a grocery store, not a grocery plus any other item you might need store. I bet if you went to Kroger and bought groceries it would cost less because you were not tempted to buy six candles that are on “sale”, and ten of the $5 compact disc that you don’t need.
Not to mention the fact that for every $100 you spend at Kroger you get a $0.30 discount per gallon by using the Kroger Plus Card that is free and gives you savings in the store as well.
Wal-Mart may have Kroger beaten in the stock market with their 52 week range of $47.77-$57.90 and a day range of $52.75-$53.24 versus Kroger’s 52 week range of $19.08-$24.35 and day range of $23.91-$24.24, but Kroger definitely has my vote for customer service and their overall grocery choices.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Google and Government Close on Travel Deal
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Google Inc. could receive government clearance as early as Friday to purchase airline fare tracker ITA Software in a $700 million deal that could make the search leader the hub of online travel, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.Although talks are ongoing and could still fall apart, Google appears close to a deal with the Justice Department on an agreement that would let it buy ITA. Google must accept government conditions to protect other companies in the travel industry, the person said. The person was not authorized to discuss the review and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The government review of the deal has been seen as a test of how aggressively U.S. antitrust regulators intend to police Google as the company uses the wealth and influence gained from its dominance in Internet search to expand into other markets.
The acquisition would give Google control over software that powers the reservation systems of most major U.S. airlines and many popular online fare-comparison services, including Kayak, TripAdvisor and Hotwire.
Google has said it wants to use ITA to improve its search results for travel -- giving consumers more choices and better ways to search for plane tickets. That would enable the company to command higher ad rates from airlines, hotels, rental car agencies and other leisure services.
Rivals fear that Google could use ITA to build its own online travel service and then use its control over Internet search to steer consumers to that service while burying competing sites further down in its search rankings. The person said Justice Department officials might subject Google to government oversight to ensure that the company does not favor its own travel products and services in its search results.
Such a condition would go to the heart of broader antitrust concerns surrounding Google as it enters new markets. The company's Internet search results already highlight some of its own services, including mapping, video and finance. The European Commission and the Texas attorney general are currently looking into whether Google manipulates search results to extend its monopoly into other online businesses.
Companies that rely on ITA also fear that Google could deny them access to the software, particularly as it introduces upgrades. Google so far has only promised to honor all of ITA's current contracts, which expire over the next few years. They also worry that Google could use its control over ITA to get access to their proprietary technology.
Justice Department officials are therefore considering conditions that would require Google to license ITA software to rivals and prohibit it from gaining access to other companies' technology, the person said.
News that an agreement was close was reported earlier by The Washington Post.
In an unrelated case, Google last week agreed to adopt a comprehensive privacy program to settle federal charges that it deceived users and violated its own privacy policy when it launched a social networking service called Buzz last year. The settlement mandates independent audits to oversee and verify Google's privacy program every other year for the next 20 years.
Progress Claimed in Budget Talks
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- The US president and senior legislators have said progress was made in urgent budget talks late on Wednesday and that negotiators will work through the night to try to avert a government shutdown.Barack Obama met John Boehner, the Republican House of Representatives speaker, and Harry Reid, the Democratic senate majority leader, on Wednesday to try to reach a deal by Friday midnight, when a temporary government funding bill is set to expire.
Federal agencies' day-to-day operations through the end of the budget year are at stake and a government shutdown - the first in 15 years - would devastate an economy still recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s.
Obama urged both parties to compromise and said failure to reach agreement would hurt the economy just as it was gaining momentum.
He said differences remained despite the progress in Wednesday's meeting.
"It's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown," Obama said.
He said the meeting with the legislators helped narrow outstanding issues.
"I thought the meetings were frank, they were constructive and what they did was narrow the issues and clarify the issues that are still outstanding," Obama.
After huge wins in last year's House elections gave them control of the lower chamber, Republicans have vowed to cut spending and bring the US deficit under control.
Emerging from the 90-minute Oval Office meeting, Boehner and Reid appeared jointly before reporters and vowed to keep working towards a deal, although they made clear that there were still deep divisions.
Republicans and Democrats have struggled to break a deadlock over measures to continue funding for government operations and keep more than 800,000 workers in their jobs past Friday's deadline.
Reid said the White House meeting was "very honest".
"I have confidence we can get this done. We're not there yet, but hope lies eternal," he said.
Progress Claimed in Budget Talks
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- The US president and senior legislators have said progress was made in urgent budget talks late on Wednesday and that negotiators will work through the night to try to avert a government shutdown.Barack Obama met John Boehner, the Republican House of Representatives speaker, and Harry Reid, the Democratic senate majority leader, on Wednesday to try to reach a deal by Friday midnight, when a temporary government funding bill is set to expire.
Federal agencies' day-to-day operations through the end of the budget year are at stake and a government shutdown - the first in 15 years - would devastate an economy still recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s.
Obama urged both parties to compromise and said failure to reach agreement would hurt the economy just as it was gaining momentum.
He said differences remained despite the progress in Wednesday's meeting.
"It's going to require a sufficient sense of urgency to complete a deal and get it passed and avert a shutdown," Obama said.
He said the meeting with the legislators helped narrow outstanding issues.
"I thought the meetings were frank, they were constructive and what they did was narrow the issues and clarify the issues that are still outstanding," Obama.
After huge wins in last year's House elections gave them control of the lower chamber, Republicans have vowed to cut spending and bring the US deficit under control.
Emerging from the 90-minute Oval Office meeting, Boehner and Reid appeared jointly before reporters and vowed to keep working towards a deal, although they made clear that there were still deep divisions.
Republicans and Democrats have struggled to break a deadlock over measures to continue funding for government operations and keep more than 800,000 workers in their jobs past Friday's deadline.
Reid said the White House meeting was "very honest".
"I have confidence we can get this done. We're not there yet, but hope lies eternal," he said.
Repaired Southwest Jets to Fly on Saturday
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Southwest Airlines Co. says four planes being repaired for cracks in their aluminum skin will likely return to service by Saturday. Southwest said Thursday that a fifth plane with cracks in the skin will be held back for additional, previously scheduled maintenance.
The airline grounded 79 of its older Boeing 737 aircraft for inspections after a hole opened in the roof of a similar plane over Arizona last week, forcing an emergency landing.
Southwest, which has more than 540 planes, said it was operating a normal schedule of about 3,400 flights on Thursday.
Boeing Co. gave Southwest instructions for repairing the cracked planes. The airline's mechanics were replacing an 18-inch section of the roof on each, a job that takes one to two days.
The 15-year-old 737-300 plane with a hole in the roof was outfitted with a large green aluminum patch in the roof while it sat on the tarmac at a military base in Yuma, Ariz., where it landed last Friday. Southwest said the plane will be flown to a maintenance center for permanent repairs once Boeing determines how to do the job.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators took a chunk of roof around the 5-foot-long hole to Washington this week to analyze why it came apart along a joint formed by two overlapping aluminum panels.
After last week's mishap, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to conduct detailed inspections of the same area on certain models of older 737s that have made at least 30,000 flights, and to inspect them again every 500 flights. Southwest has nearly 80 planes covered by the order.
Cisco CEO Warns Tough Decisions Ahead
Chambers told analysts and investors at a Wells Fargo technology conference on Thursday that Cisco is a "company that has many strengths, and a company that has some weaknesses," pointing to slow decision-making and weak execution.
As expected, the CEO -- one of the industry's longest-serving -- promised to invest heavily in video products, such as the corporate videoconferencing Telepresence service, but otherwise kept his cards close to the vest.
His comments reflected those he made to employees earlier this week. In a remarkably candid memo, he admitted the one-time technology bellwether and Wall Street darling would need to take bold steps to restore its tarnished credibility.
In his presentation on Thursday, he told investors to prepare for crucial changes in the weeks and months ahead, but provided little detail.
"Are we going to make some tough decision and bold decisions about where we don't spend? Absolutely," said Chambers, among the tech world's most respected corporate chieftains.
One area where Chambers made clear he wants to press ahead is video, a business where he said the company would "double down." Chambers also said the routing business is "in very good shape" but said the company faces intense competition and hurdles in the other pillar of its core business, switching.
"Switching is our challenge," he said. "It's going to be a tough market for us" given the intensity of competition from the likes of Juniper Networks Inc, Hewlett Packard Co
PROGNOSTICATIONS
He also noted that public sector spending remains depressed in the United States and elsewhere and has been further thrown into question by political unrest in the Middle East and by the natural catastrophe in Japan.
Considered one of Silicon Valley's top prognosticators, Chambers was among the first to warn of the impact of the financial crisis on the sector in late 2007.
Cisco's status has been somewhat diminished lately, after its last two quarterly results disappointed the market. Cisco said in November that sales growth would be lower than analysts had expected. In February, it warned of dwindling public spending and weaker margins from tough competition.
Cisco shares have dropped a third of their value over the past 52 weeks and the company has been criticized for losing touch with its customers and expanding too broadly into consumer products, such as set-top boxes.
Indeed, analysts speculate that Cisco may be forced to whittle down a largely unspectacular consumer-oriented business -- from Flip cameras to its Umi home conferencing product -- while refocusing on its core Internet routing and switching business.
Shares of Cisco fell 22 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $17.85 in afternoon trading.
(Editing by Tim Dobbyn and Gerald E. McCormick)
Earthquake Hits Japan Again: 7.4 Magnitude on Coast
Japan was rattled by a strong aftershock and tsunami warning Thursday night nearly a month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami flattened the northeastern coast. The Japan meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for a wave of up to one meter. The warning was issued for a coastal area already torn apart by last month's tsunami.Officials say Thursday's quake was a 7.4-magnitude and hit 25 miles (40 kilometers) under the water and off the coast of Miyagi prefecture. The quake that preceded last month's tsunami was a 9.0-magnitude.
Buildings as far away as Tokyo shook for about a minute.
U.S. Geological Survey gave the preliminary magnitude as 7.4 and it struck off the eastern coast 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Sendai and 90 miles (140 kilometers) from Fukushima. It was about 215 miles (345 kilometers) from Tokyo.
The depth was 25 miles (40 kilometers). Shallower quakes tend to be more destructive.
netTALK (OTC:NTLK) Raises $2.5M from PIPE
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- netTALK.COM, INC. (OTC:NTLK), a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) engaged in the sales of products and connectivity network phone service for using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), today announced, in a press release, that it has obtained additional funding up to $2,500,000 in borrowings pursuant to a promissory note agreement. As I write, shares of netTALK.com were down 6 percent at $0.99 per share on light volume of 3,100 shares compared to its average daily volume of 6,317 shares. The company has a market cap of $12.3 million and a 52-week range between $0.10 and $2.50 per share.“We are most appreciative of the continuing confidence placed in us by our core investor, who continues to support the implementation of our business," said Anastasios "Takis" Kyriakides, Chairman of netTALK. "The new funding will be used to further grow the company, focusing on sales and marketing, expansion of the DUO telecommunications network, and supporting services and products.”
netTALK.com is engaged in the distribution and sale of products supported by its digital voice service. The netTALK DUO is a versatile communications device, with the ability to connect directly to a router or modem (no computer needed) or the computer's USB port, offering consumers free local and long distance calls to any landline or mobile phone in the U.S. and Canada from anywhere in the world.
The netTALK DUO and other innovative netTALK communications products are available at www.nettalk.com.
LargeCap Stocks to Watch Today
Oxford, MS 4/7/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Union, N.J.-based specialty retailer Bed Bath & Beyond was surging 10.8% to $54.70 in premarket trading Thursday after posting earnings that came in much better than anticipated.Drugstore chain Rite Aid was rising 2.8% to $1.09 after reporting a fourth-quarter loss of 24 cents a share, in line with expectations.
Specialty retailer Pier 1 Imports was rising 2.5% to $10.80 after reporting fourth-quarter earnings of 48 cents a share, beating the Wall Street consensus estimate of 47 cents a share.
Costco, the warehouse retailer, was up 1.4% to $76 after reporting that comparable-store sales rose 13% in March, beating analysts' forecasts.
Internet search giant Google was rising 0.5% to $576.88 after its new cloud music application was leaked. The application seems to indicate that Google will be providing an online music storage service that will compete against Amazon's Cloud Drive. Reports also say that Google will invest $100 million into improving its YouTube service.
Global diversified firm Ingersoll-Rand was rising 0.4% to $48.01 after increasing its quarterly dividend by 71% to 12 cents a share and announcing a $2 billion share repurchase program.
General Electric was unchanged at $20.55 ahead of an expected announcement Thursday that it will build the biggest solar panel plant in the U.S.
PC maker Dell was unchanged at $14.77 after saying it will invest $1 billion this year to build new data centers and products around the world, according to a Dow Jones report.
Maryville, Tenn.-based casual restaurant operator Ruby Tuesday missed Wall Street's profit expectations for its fiscal third quarter.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Genoil (OTC:GNOLF) Raises $315K from PIPE
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Genoil (OTC:GNOLF) announced today, in a press release, that it has closed a non-brokered private placement, pursuant to which it has issued an aggregate of 1,575,000 units at a price of $0.20 per unit to raise aggregate gross proceeds of $315,000. Shares of Genoil closed up 2.5% at $0.21 per share on volume of 276,700 shares compared to its average daily volume of 230,467 shares. The company has a market cap of $60 million and a 52-week range between $0.10 and $0.36 per share.Each unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of Genoil, and one Share purchase warrant exercisable for two years following the date of issue at an exercise price of $0.20.
The common shares and warrants issued in connection with the private placement are subject to a statutory four month hold period.
The private placement has received the conditional approval of the TSX.V. The securities to be issued by the Corporation have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption therefrom under the 1933 Act and the securities laws of all applicable states.
For more information on Genoil Inc. visit www.Genoil.ca.
PolyMedix Announces Pricing for $18.6M PIPE
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- PolyMedix, Inc. (OTC:PYMX) announced today, in a press release, the pricing of an underwritten offering of 25 million units, each unit consisting of one share of its common stock and a warrant to purchase one-half of a share of its common stock at an offering price of $0.80 per unit. Shares of PolyMedix closed down 15 percent today at $0.68 per share on heavy volume of nearly 2 million shares compared to its average daily volume of 163,000 shares. The company has a market cap of $55 million and a 52-week range between $0.60 and $1.19 per share.PolyMedix expects to receive net proceeds, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, of approximately $18.6 million. The warrants will have a five-year term and an exercise price equal to $0.80 per share.
In addition, PolyMedix has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3.75 million units at the offering price. The offering is expected to close on April 11, 2011, subject to customary closing conditions. Cowen and Company, LLC is serving as sole book-running manager for the offering. Rodman & Renshaw, LLC, a subsidiary of Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:RODM), Roth Capital Partners, LLC, and Noble Financial Capital Markets are serving as co-managers.
According to the press release, the proceeds of this offering will primarily be used to continue the clinical development of PolyMedix’s two lead drugs, PMX-30063, a first-in-class antibiotic that mimics the activity of host defense proteins, and PMX-60056 a synthetic small-molecule anticoagulant reversing agent active against both heparin and low molecule weight heparin. PolyMedix’s products have been developed using the Company’s computational drug design technology that it licensed exclusively from the University of Pennsylvania.
For more information, please visit our website at www.polymedix.com.
Bids and Buyouts
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq:MSCC) announced today, in a press release, that it has submitted a proposal to acquire AML Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:AMLJ) for $2.50 per share in an all-cash transaction. The total transaction value would be approximately $28 million, net of AML Communications' projected cash balance at closing.According to the press release, AML Communications had previously entered into a definitive merger agreement with Anaren, Inc. on February 14, 2011 whereby Anaren would acquire all of AML's outstanding shares of common stock for $2.15 per share in an all-cash transaction. Microsemi's acquisition proposal represents a 16% premium to the offer made by Anaren and has been deemed a superior offer by AML Communications' Board of Directors. As a result, AML Communications' Board of Directors has delivered a notice to Anaren of its intent to withdraw its recommendation of the current Anaren transaction to the AML Communications stockholders.
Headquartered in Camarillo, CA, AML Communications is a provider of microwave amplifiers and subsystems for defense electronics applications. The Company has a broad product portfolio and is a key supplier to major defense programs with Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, BAE, and others, according to the press release.
James J. Peterson, Microsemi President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "RF components are increasingly important in today's defense programs and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems. The acquisition of AML Communications would add scale and complementary technology to Microsemi's fast-growing RF component and subsystems product offering, enabling us to deliver ever more advanced RF solutions to our customers. Additionally, we expect this transaction would be immediately accretive to Microsemi earnings."
Twitter Disables New Version of its Website
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Twitter experienced service disruptions on Tuesday, displaying an older version of the social networking website to some users and becoming completely inaccessible to others.A message on Twitter's Web page that provides updates on the service's status said: "We've temporarily disabled #NewTwitter. Our engineers are working on re-enabling it and we'll update you shortly."
Twitter, which allows users to send short, 140-character messages to groups of "followers," has more than 200 million registered accounts and has become a popular communications service with businesses, celebrities and protesters in the Middle East.
Last month Twitter announced that it had moved its infrastructure to a new home at an undisclosed location, which the company said would allow it to constantly "stay abreast" of its capacity needs and provide greater reliability.
But a custom-built datacenter in Utah that was meant to house Twitter's gear has been plagued with problems, according to people familiar with the matter, forcing Twitter to move most of the site's operations to a facility in Sacramento, California instead.
Tuesday's disruptions meant that some people were using the version of the Twitter site that preceded a redesign unveiled in September. Other Twitter users were unable to log on at all, and were greeted with a page informing them that "something is technically wrong" and promising to have things "back to normal soon."
A Twitter spokeswoman said the company had no details to provide beyond the statements on its special technical status Web page.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Richard Chang)
3 Things to Know Before Trading
Tomahawk, WI 4/6/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Stocks were mixed in Asia. Shanghai gained more than one percent, the Hang Seng was up better than a half a percent and Australia added a quarter percent, but the Nikkei fell a third of a percent on the session. European indexes are generally higher on the day, with the Footsie and Dax both currently up more than a half percent. US stock futures are up by a half to three quarters of a percent.*The March reading of China’s service sector Purchasing Managers Index was down two tenths on the month to 51.7, according to HSBC.
*The preliminary February reading of Japan’s Leading Index rose almost three points to 104.2; matching the forecast.
*The final Q4 reading of Eurozone GDP was unrevised at +0.3% quarter on quarter and +2.0% year on year.
*The February reading of German Factory Orders were much stronger than expected with a monthly gain of 2.4%.
*The March reading of Switzerland’s Consumer Price Index was +0.6% on a month on month basis and +1.0% annualized; both results were at least double the forecast.
*In March UK House Prices were up 0.1% on the month, but down 2.9% versus a year ago, according to Halifax.
*The February reading of UK Industrial Production was down 1.2% on the month, much worse than the expected monthly gain of 0.4%.
*US mortgage applications were down 2.0% for the week ended April 1, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association and are down 11.3% on a year over year basis.
*In comments to reporters Atlanta Fed boss Lockhart said he was not “leaning in direction” of tightening by year end, though he does not rule out anything.
*The weekly report on energy inventories is due out at 9:30am CDT. Stocks of Crude Oil are forecast to rise 2.0 million barrels, Gasoline inventories are expected to decline 1.9 million and the estimate for Distillates is unchanged on the week.
*The Fed is scheduled to buy Treasuries today that are due to mature between 8/15/28 and 2/15/41; the results of the operation will be announced just after 10:00am CDT.
*Atlanta Fed boss Lockhart is scheduled to give closing remarks at his bank’s conference at 11:00am CDT; not likely of interest to the markets.
Credit Agency Raises Pressure on Portugal
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Portugal has had its debt grading cut for the second time in weeks as the country struggles with severe economic and political problems.Moody's Investors Service downgraded its rating on Portugal's bonds by one notch on Tuesday to Baa1 from A3 and warned it could suffer another cut soon because of political and economic uncertainties.
Cutting Portugal's debt rating by another three notches would see its bonds considered as junk.
The agency said it was "driven primarily by increased political, budgetary and economic uncertainty, which increase the risk that the government will be unable to achieve [its] ambitious deficit reduction targets" in the period 2011-2014.
It comes after other cuts by Moody's and other ratings agencies after the previous government resigned when Portugal's parliament rejected an austerity package aimed at curbing the country's spiralling debt. A general election is due on June 5.
Investors appear to believe that Portugal will not be able to deal with its record borrowing costs on its own, and that it will seek outside help in a similar manner to Greece and Ireland.
Portugal's 10-year bonds were up a further 0.04 per cent on Tuesday morning in a sign that markets are demanding higher rates of return.
On Monday, the rate of return on Portugal's benchmark 10-year bonds rose for a 10th straight session to record highs near 8.5 per cent, an unsustainable level to have to pay for long-term funding.
Moody's said it believes that the government's current cost of funding is "nearing a level that is unsustainable, even in the short-term".
The government had aimed for a public deficit of 7.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2010 but this was revised up to 8.6 per cent, even further away from the EU limit of 3.0 per cent. The target for this year is 4.6 per cent.
Moody's warned that the terms of the recently agreed European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which replaces the current bailout fund, "contemplates debt restructuring as a distinct possibility," meaning that investors could lose money by investing in Portuguese bonds.
The ESM is to replace in 2013 the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) set up last year after the EU and International Monetary Fund bailed out Greece in May to prevent a debt default.
Sysco Starts Each Day by Being on Time
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- After working in the food industry for years, I have come to know the way that Sysco works. This company has grown tremendously over the years and now provides food services throughout the United States. According to their website they provide services to over 400,000 businesses and provide jobs for about 45,000 employees. This is a huge feat for many companies. Their representatives are great salesmen and are some of the few that believe the truth is the best policy.One of the most recent reps I have encountered is a man by the name of Tom. Tom told me the ends and outs to his job and what exactly he wanted to accomplish by working with Sysco. After owning his own restaurant, Tom looked to Sysco for job stability and retirement since things had not been looking so good in the restaurant industry. Sysco not only provided Tom with these things; they provided him with a job that he absolutely loves. He learned that Sysco is not just about making money, but helping the community businesses make money and succeed.
They are a very reliable source for the restaurants by having set schedules and deliveries. The representative that your business uses is always on hand whether it is by just coming by to check in or by just picking up the phone. They also provide more services than just food services. Sysco’s representatives are ready and willing to help with menu choices, consultation, and even safety training.
With all of that said, Sysco’s stock has risen over the past two years. From their lowest point of $20.23 in March of 2009, Sysco is now at $28.51. They have a 52 week range between $27.13 and $31.99, giving them a tight spread. With all of their new developments, I hope that there will be more to come. Their friendly staff and timely manner make them the first choice for many businesses and for some, the only choice.
Google Plus Charity Equals GoodSearch
Oxford, MS 4/6/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- With every person comes a good intention; however GoodSearch comes with a cause. GoodSearch is a search engine that was created by a Ken and JJ Ramberg in 2005. This brother sister duo has taken the search engine market to new highs by enabling the users to pick charities and causes which receive donations from the cooperation. Powered by Yahoo, users are able to search just like they would using any other search engine, however this time, they are also using their participation to help benefits and non-profit organizations around the world.To begin helping all you have to do is open GoodSearch, pick a charity, and start using the search engine. For every search you do, GoodSearch donates to your cause. On the web page it states that GoodSearch donates fifty percent of the revenue made from sponsored search revenue to the causes chosen by its users. This is just part of the neat things that the search engine has to offer. Instead of choosing a charity or cause such as American Cancer Society or AIDS awareness, you can pick a school. Parents, this means that while doing your job you can help out your child’s school. For students, this means immediate fundraising while doing school work that requires any research.
If you thought that GoodSearch stopped there, then you were very wrong. GoodSearch also provides GoodShop. This is an extension to the site that provides coupons and deals to your favorite stores and more. You can click on GoodShop and look up your favorite store. After that a list of coupons appears that you can use in the store, it gets better though. By printing and using these coupons, thirty percent of the sale is donated to the cause, charity, or school you chose.
After all of the wonderful things that GoodSearch can offer, why would you use anything else? The founders of this site have the best intentions, and this time that does not include them.
YouTube: look up GoodSearchVideos
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
TechPrecision Receives $650K in New Orders
"These new orders reflect two important elements of our growth strategy: continued enhancement of a key supply chain relationship we have with a large aerospace contractor, and a greater role in the fabrication of complex, critical defense components that few other sources can provide," commented James Molinaro, CEO of TechPrecision Corporation. "We remain focused on the growth and diversification of our business, and these orders accomplish that, as well as bolstering our defense-oriented work."
According to the press release, TechPrecision, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Ranor, Inc., and Wuxi Critical Mechanical Components Co., Ltd., globally manufactures large-scale, metal fabricated and machined precision components and equipment. These products are used in a variety of markets including: alternative energy (Solar and Wind), medical, nuclear, defense, industrial and aerospace to name a few.
TechPrecision's goal is to be an end-to-end global service provider to its customers by furnishing customized and integrated "turn-key" solutions for completed products requiring custom fabrication and machining, assembly, inspection and testing.
To learn more about the Company, please visit the corporate website at http://www.techprecision.com.
Medisafe 1 Announces Interest from Becton, Dickenson and Company
Oxford, MS 4/5/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Medisafe 1 Technologies (OTC:MFTH), a developer of patented technologies that physically prevent unauthorized administration of prescription medications, announced today, in a press release, that the multinational medical supplier, Becton, Dickenson and Company (“BD”) has expressed interest in learning more about Medisafe 1 Technologies' patented products and solutions for possible business collaboration. As I write, shares of Medisafe 1were flat at $0.189 per share on volume of 184,831 shares compared to its average daily volume of 203,873 shares. The company has a market cap of $10 million and a 52-week range between $0.11 and $0.45 per share.BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. BD is headquartered in the United States and has offices in more than 50 countries worldwide.
"Medisafe 1 continues to garner interest from leading firms in the healthcare industry," said Jacob Elhadad, CEO of Medisafe 1 Technologies. "We are pleased by the inquiries we have received, particularly from multinational corporations that are interested in potentially marketing and distributing our preventative solutions."
Medisafe 1 Technologies seeks to effectively prevent unauthorized administration of a drug or medicinal substance by hypodermic needle. Medisafe's patented technology is a medical assembly with a locking mechanism that is intended to ensure the substance cannot be released from the hypodermic needle without positive pre-matching between the substance and its intended patient.
DISCLAIMER: PennyPayDay.com has been compensated three thousand five hundred dollars for profile coverage of Medisafe 1 Technologies (MFTH) by a third party.
Gulf Spill Company Hands Out Safety Bonuses
Oxford, MS 4/5/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded off the Gulf of Mexico last year, has given its top executives bonuses for achieving the "best year in safety performance in our company's history'', despite the blast that killed 11 people and spilled 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean.Transocean noted "the tragic loss of life'' in the Gulf when the rig operated by BP PLC exploded last April. But it said the company still had an "exemplary'' safety record because it met or exceeded certain internal safety targets concerning the frequency and severity of its accidents, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Safety accounts for a quarter of the executives' total cash bonuses. The total bonus for CEO Steve Newman last year was $374,062.
The company said in a regulatory filing that its most senior managers were given two thirds of their total possible safety bonus.
The company said its bonuses were appropriate as a way to recognise its executives' efforts in "significantly improving the company's safety record'' and implementing a new internal planning system.
Those efforts have "enabled the company to maintain its financial flexibility during a challenging period, while, at the same time, positioning the company for sustained growth in the future.''
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera has learned that a recent survey carried out in southern Louisiana, one of the worst affected areas, found a high number of people who say they are getting ill more often and their sickness is consistent with chemical exposure.
The massive oil spill sent dangerous compounds into the ocean; one of them was benzene which can cause cancer, as well as a chemical dispersant that was added to the oil to break it up.
Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and set off the largest offshore oil spill in US history.
A commission appointed by Barack Obama, the US president, earlier this year said the explosion was caused by a series of time and money-saving decisions by Transocean, BP and oil services company Halliburton Inc. that created an unacceptable amount of risk.
LargeCap Stocks to Watch Today
Oxford, MS 4/5/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- National Semiconductor was surging 72.8% to $24.17 in premarket trading Tuesday after it agreed to be acquired by Texas Instruments in an all-cash deal worth $6.5 billion, or $25 a share. Texas Instruments was falling 2.9% to $33.11.Following the announcement of the Texas Instruments and National Semiconductor deal, chipmaker Linear Technology was rising 1.3% to $33.52 in premarket trading, while peer Maxim Integrated Products was up 2.5% to $25.98.
Questcor Pharmaceuticals was popping 18% to $17.60 after it forecasted strong first-quarter results with sales projected at $48.6 million.
Cubist Pharmaceuticals was surging 15.4% to $29.13 in premarket trading after the company settled a patent lawsuit related to its Cubicin drug for blood infections with Teva Pharmaceuticals and hammered out a licensing agreement.
The Nasdaq-100 Index plans to undergo a rebalancing prior to the market open on May 2, which includes reducing the weighting of Apple. Shares of Apple were falling 1.5% to $336.08.
Carrier Southwest Airlines was falling 0.5% to $12.40 as experts say they suspect that short-haul flights led to the damage of its Boeing 737-300 aircraft.
Google was flat at $587.24 as the Internet search giant faces a possible antitrust investigation by the Federal Trade Commission on top of the ones it already faces in Texas and the European Union. The company may also be investigated in Ohio.
Specialty apparel maker Express said some of its shareholders plan to sell 16.5 million shares of its common stock. Express won't receive any proceeds from the offering.
Monday, April 4, 2011
PNI Digital Extends Costco Agreement Through 2016
Oxford, MS 4/4/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- PNI Digital Media (OTC:PNDMF),a provider of online and in-store digital media solutions for retailers, today announced, in a press release, that it has entered into an agreement to extend the term of its Internet Services Agreement with Costco Wholesale (Nasdaq:COST) to provide and operate the Costco online photo service which is connected to 413 Costco locations across the US for an additional five year period up to June, 2016. Shares of PNI Digital closed flat at $1.60 per share today on light volume of nearly 12,000 shares. The company has a market cap of $54 million. The service will continue to allow Costco Members to easily upload and place orders for photo prints, greeting cards, calendars, photo books, posters, canvas prints and other photo gift items on the Costco Photo Center website, with options to pick up their photo prints within an hour and/or have their order shipped to their home.
PNI Digital Media also provides online photo services for Costco in Canada and Australia.
According to the press release, PNI Digital was founded in 1995 and operates the PNI Digital Media Platform, which provides transaction processing and order routing services for major retailers. The PNI Digital Media Platform connects consumer-ordered digital content, whether from online, in-store kiosks, desktop software or mobile phones, with retailers that have on-demand manufacturing capabilities for the production of personalized products such as photos, photo books and calendars, business cards and stationery. PNI Digital Media successfully generates millions of transactions each year for retailers and their thousands of locations worldwide.
Further information on our company can be found at http://www.PNIMEDIA.com.
View the Future Today
Oxford, MS 4/4/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Vuzix Corporation (OTC:VUZI) today reported, in a press release, its fourth quarter and year-end results for the period ending December 31, 2010. As I write, shares of Vuzix were up 5 percent at $0.088 per share on light volume of 37,000 shares compared to its average daily volume of just over 57,000 shares. The company has a market cap of $23 million and a 52-week range between $0.05 and $0.30 per share.Fourth quarter revenues of $5,552,356 compared to revenues of $3,965,550 for the same period last year, an increase of 40%. The net loss for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $(476,085) or $(0.0018) per share versus a net loss of $(894,413) or $(0.0035) per share for the same quarterly period in 2009.
For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2010 revenues were $12,255,414 versus $11,886,098 in 2009, a rise of 3.1%. The net loss for the twelve-month period was ($4,572,072) or ($0.0173) per share versus a net loss of ($3,250,424) or ($0.0151) per share for 2009.
Paul Travers, President, commented, "Certainly, the fourth quarter is our strongest quarter seasonally and our company achieved revenue growth for the fourth quarter while operating under considerable working capital constraints. Our recent capital raising activities, including $4 million raised just prior to the close of the 2010 fiscal year and our recently announced $2 million revolving credit facility, position the company on a firmer basis for the 2011 year."
According to the press release,the Company ended the 2010 year with an order backlog of primarily Defense related products and expects revenues for Q1 to be up approximately 90% over the same period of 2010. However the Company is not offering any outlook for the rest of the year.
Vuzix is a supplier of Video Eyewear products in the defense, consumer and media & entertainment markets. The Company's products, personal display devices that offer users a portable high quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, thermal sighting systems, tactical wearable displays and virtual and augmented reality. With its origins in defense research and development for next generation display solutions, Vuzix holds over 51 patents in the Video Eyewear field. The company has won 9 Consumer Electronics Show Innovations Awards, the Retail Vision Best New Product and several wireless technology innovation awards, among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzi is has offices in Rochester, NY, Oxford, UK and Tokyo, Japan.
For more information visit www.vuzix.com.
Gaddafi Envoy in Europe Seeking Deal
Oxford, MS 4/4/2011 (Penny PayDay) -- Abdel Ati al-Obeidi, Libya's acting foreign minister, has told the Greek prime minister in Athens that embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is seeking an end to fighting in the country."It seems that the Libyan authorities are seeking a solution," Dimitris Droutsas, the Greek foreign minister, said. He added that Obeidi planned to travel on to Malta and Turkey.
Obeidi crossed into neighbouring Tunisia and travelled from Djerba airport to the Greek capital on Sunday and met George Papandreou, the Greek prime minister, later in the day.
"They [Libyan government] requested to send an envoy with a message for prime minister George Papandreou and that is why he is in Athens," a senior Greek government official said.
In a statement, the Greek foreign ministry said it was committed to seeking a "political, diplomatic solution" to the crisis in Libya, where government forces are battling rebels seeking to end Gaddafi's decades-old rule.
"We reiterated the clear message from the international community: respect for and full implementation of UN resolutions, an immediate ceasefire to stop the violence, particularly against the civilian population of Libya."
In Tripoli, the Libyan capital, government officials were not immediately available to comment on Obeidi's movements. The New York Times has reported that Seif al-Islam and Saadi Gaddafi, two of the leader's sons, have created their own plan to remove their father from power amicably and negotiate an end to the conflict.
Papandreou's office said Baghdadi al-Mahmudi, the Libyan prime minister, requested Obeidi's visit during a phone conversation on Saturday. Papandreou also discussed the Libyan crisis with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, on Sunday.
Papandreou has been talking by phone with the leaders of Qatar, Turkey and Britain over the last two days.
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