LargeCap Stocks to Watch Today

Tomahawk, WI 4/16/2012 -- Citigroup (C) reported lower first-quarter profit on Monday as the bank worked to contain expenses in the face of volatile capital markets and the need to finish overhauling its business portfolio after the financial crisis.

Mattel (MAT), the toy company, said Monday that first-quarter net income declined 53%.

Mattel posted profit of $7.8 million, or 2 cents a share, down from year-earlier earnings of $16.6 million, or 5 cents. Adjusted earnings in the latest quarter were 6 cents a share.

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed fining Google (GOOG) $25,000 for obstructing an investigation into the company's collection of data from unencrypted Wi-Fi networks in 2010, according to a published media report.

Meanwhile, Oracle's (ORCL) case against Google over smartphone technology begins Monday in San Francisco with jury selection.

Oracle claims that Google's Android operating system infringes patents and copyrights associated with the Java programming language, which Oracle obtained through its purchase of Sun Microsystems.

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Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) suit vs. Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) over Android hits trial

Palm Beach, FL 4/16/12 (StreetBeat) – Jury selection in a high-stakes dispute over smartphone technology between Oracle Corp (Nasdaq: ORCL) and Google Inc (Nasdaq: GOOG) is set to begin here on Monday morning, kicking off a trial in which both companies' chief executives are set to take the stand.

Oracle sued Google in August 2010 over seven patents and copyright claims for the Java programming language, which Oracle acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems. According to Oracle, Google's Android operating system tramples on its intellectual property rights to Java.

Google says it doesn't violate Oracle's patents, and that Oracle cannot copyright certain parts of Java.

Early on, damages estimates ran as high as $6.1 billion. But Google has narrowed Oracle's claims so that only two patents remain, reducing the possible damages that could be awarded. Oracle is seeking roughly $1 billion in copyright damages.

The trial before U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco is expected to last eight weeks. Alsup had told both companies last month that if they intended to settle the case, they should do it by April 13 at noon, in order to save potential jurors a trip to the courthouse. That deadline passed on Friday without any announcements.

Both Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and Google CEO Larry Page are listed on Oracle's list of potential witnesses. Oracle said in a court filing on Sunday that it anticipated Ellison and Page would be among its first witnesses.

Ellison is no stranger to the courtroom, having testified in a 2010 trial involving copyright claims that Oracle brought against SAP.

Ellison would testify about Oracle's reasons for acquiring Sun Microsystems, the importance of Java to Oracle's business, and the harm Android has caused Oracle, according to the witness list.

Page is a much more reclusive figure than Ellison. His testimony would include details about Google's business plan and marketing strategy for Android, including Google's recent acquisition of Motorola, the witness list shows.

The trial will be divided into three phases: copyright liability, patent claims and damages. Page could also testify about revenue and profit projections for Android, including advertising revenue, the witness list said.

The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Oracle America, Inc v. Google Inc, 10-3561.

Please contact www.thestreetbeat.com for interest in our latest investor relations platform the “CEO Interview Series” with its host Steve Kanaval. The package includes a one-on-one interview with a seasoned industry professional; published segment to our web site with embedded audio/video file; and a compressed file that can be easily e-mailed out to your current and/or potential investors. Please e-mail bflautt@gmail.com or call (662) 392-0740 for pricing and scheduling.

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Oracle bounces back in 3Q on new software sales

Orlando, FL 3/22/12 (StreetBeat) – Sales of new software licenses at Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) accelerated in the latest quarter, easing concerns about customers defecting to less expensive alternatives on the Internet.

The improvement announced Tuesday follows through on the business software maker's promise to rebound from a disappointing performance at the end of last year. Oracle said it expanded its sales staff and did a better job of closing deals.

"All we really needed to do was focus on execution, and that we did," Safra Catz, Oracle's president and chief financial officer, told analysts in a conference call.

The growth is also a reflection of an improving economy. Oracle's fiscal third quarter covers December through February, which coincided with the biggest three-month hiring spurt in the U.S. during the past two years. The trend could signal that companies aren't as worried about the threat of another recession, encouraging them to increase spending in other areas such as new software.

The positive vibes from the latest quarter subsided slightly after Oracle provided a forecast that raised the possibility of a revenue decline in the current quarter, which ends in May, compared with a year ago. The current three-month stretch is typically Oracle's busiest period.

Oracle Corp. earned $2.5 billion, or 49 cents per share, during the most recent quarter, an 18 percent increase from net income of $2.1 billion, or 41 cents per share, at the same time last year.

If not for acquisition expenses and other costs, Oracle said it would have earned 62 cents per share. That figure soundly exceeded the average estimate of 56 cents per share among analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Oracle thrived, despite meager growth in its total revenue, which grew just 3 percent from last year to $9 billion. The total mirrored analyst forecasts.

The key to the quarter was a 7 percent increase in revenue from new software licenses. Investors focus on this category because the new licenses unleash a steady stream of future revenue from maintenance and software upgrades. The new business also helps offset defections to Oracle rivals that specialize in Internet-based software known as cloud computing.

Although they still much smaller, cloud-computing specialists such as Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) and Workday Inc. have been luring away Oracle customers by selling applications over the Internet as a subscription service. That approach is a departure from the industry's long-established practice of licensing and installing applications on employees' individual machines.

After once dismissing cloud computing as a kooky concept, Oracle is expanding into the field as part of its effort to create a one-stop technology shop for big companies and government agencies. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison boasted to analysts Tuesday that his company is in a far better position to succeed in cloud computing than its longtime foil, SAP. Both Oracle and SAP have been spending billions to buy smaller companies that specialize in cloud-computing services.

The recent quarter's increase in new software licenses indicated that Oracle bounced back from the problems that turned its previous quarter into a huge letdown. Oracle's year-over-year sales of new software increased by just 2 percent in its fiscal second quarter, well below management and investor expectations. After those numbers were released, Oracle's plummeted nearly 12 percent, its biggest one-day drop in nine years.

Oracle also has been trying to expand into computer hardware with its $7.3 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems Inc. in 2010. That hasn't worked out so well.

In the latest quarter, Oracle's revenue from hardware fell 11 percent from the same time last year. The company predicted another decline in the current quarter, but Ellison assured analysts Tuesday that hardware revenue will begin to climb in the company's next fiscal year, which begins in June.

Software still accounts for about 70 percent of Oracle's revenue.

Oracle's stock increased 39 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $30.49 in extended trading. The stock had risen to as much as $31.54, or nearly 5 percent, until Oracle released its projections for the current quarter during its conference call.

The forecast calls for revenue from new software licenses to decline up to 2 percent or grow up to 8 percent, weighed down partly by changes in currency-exchange rates. Oracle said total revenue for the quarter could decline as much as 2 percent or grow as much as 2 percent — well below the 4 percent increase expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

The company expects its adjusted earnings for the quarter to range from 76 cents to 81 cents per share. Analysts had expected 76 cents.

Please contact www.thestreetbeat.com for interest in our latest investor relations platform the “CEO Interview Series” with its host Steve Kanaval. The package includes a one-on-one interview with a seasoned industry professional; published segment to our web site with embedded audio/video file; and a compressed file that can be easily e-mailed out to your current and/or potential investors. Please e-mail bflautt@gmail.com or call (662) 392-0740 for pricing and scheduling.

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Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) to pay $1.9B for personnel software co.

Tallahassee, FL 2/9/12 (StreetBeat) – Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) is paying $1.9 billion for Taleo Corp. (Nasdaq: TLEO), a company that helps businesses manage their employees.

The planned purchase of Taleo extends Oracle's offerings in the growing arena of cloud-based computing. With such an approach, businesses don't run software and services in-house, but rather send those tasks to remote locations operated by companies such as Oracle and IBM Corp (NYSE: IBM).

Taleo, based in California, makes human-resources software that runs on the cloud.

Oracle is paying $46 a share for Taleo stock. That is 18 percent above Wednesday's closing price of $38.94.

Taleo's stock rose 18 percent to $45.85 in pre-marking trading. Oracle's gained 9 cents to $28.82.

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SuccessFactors Stock Soars On Heels of $3.4 Billion Deal to Be Sold to SAP

Palm Beach, FL 12/5/11 (StreetBeat)--Shares of SuccessFactors Inc. (NYSE:SFSF) soared more than 50 percent in premarket trading Monday after the company agreed to be sold to German software company SAP AG (NYSE:SAP) for $3.4 billion.

SuccessFactors makes software specializing in human resources tasks. The proposed acquisition is part of SAP's plan to compete with software rival Oracle Corp (Nasdaq:ORCL). It also underscores the growing interest in companies that deliver software over the Internet.

SAP is offering $40 per share for SuccessFactors. That's a 52 percent premium over SuccessFactors' closing stock price of $26.25 on Friday. SuccessFactors' stock rose $13.61, or 52 percent, to $39.86 in premarket trading Monday. U.S.-traded shares of SAP fell 94 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $58.60.

Morgan Keegan analyst Michael Nemeroff downgraded SuccessFactors to "Market Perform" from "Outperform" based on the deal. He said he does not believe that a higher bid will emerge for the company before SAP closes the acquisition in the next few months. Nemeroff also raised his target price to $40 from $33 and called the offer price "fair."

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Mid-Day Market Update

Northern, WI 9/21/2011 (PennyPayDay) – Stocks are turning in a relatively lackluster performance in early trading on Wednesday, as traders look ahead to the Federal Reserve's policy statement. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq has moved firmly into positive territory, the Dow and the S&P 500 are lingering near the unchanged line.

Currently, the major averages are all positive, although the Nasdaq is outperforming its counterparts by a notable margin. The Nasdaq is up 16.37 points 0.6 percent at 2,606.61, while the Dow is up 6.81 points or 0.1 percent at 11,415.47 and the S&P 500 is up 1.00 point or 0.1 percent at 1,203.09.

The choppy trading comes as investors seem reluctant to make any significant moves ahead of the Fed's announcement at about 2:15 pm ET, with the central bank widely expected to announce further measures to stimulate the economy.

The Fed is reportedly considering reinstituting a policy known as Operation Twist, which involves replacing short-term securities in its bond portfolio with longer-term securities in an effort to push already low long-term interest rates even lower.

Despite the lack of direction being shown by the broader markets, substantial weakness has emerged among railroad stocks. The Dow Jones Railroads Index has plunged by 4.9 percent amid steep losses by CSX Corp. (CSX) and Norfolk Southern (NSC).

While trucking and steel stocks are also seeing early weakness, considerable strength is visible among software and biotechnology stocks.

Oracle (ORCL) is leading the software sector higher after reporting first quarter results that exceeded analyst estimates. The business software giant also forecast second quarter earnings in line with analyst estimates. Shares of Oracle are up by 6.8 percent after reaching a nearly-two month intraday high.

Adobe Systems (ADBE) is also trading higher after the publishing and design software maker reported better than expected third quarter earnings and forecast fourth quarter results towards the high end of analyst estimates.

On the other hand, Microsoft (MSFT) is moving to the downside after the software giant announced a 25 percent increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.20 per share. The company also said it is continuing its $40 billion share repurchase program.

In overseas trading, stock markets across the Asia-Pacific region closed mostly higher on Wednesday, although Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index bucked the uptrend. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index edged up by 0.2 percent, while China's Shanghai Composite Index surged up by 2.7 percent.

Meanwhile, the major European markets are moving to the downside on the day. While U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index has fallen by 0.5 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index are down by 0.9 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively.

In the bond market, treasuries are seeing modest strength ahead of the announcement from the Fed. As a result, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, is down by 1.2 basis points at 1.935 percent.

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Wall St. Flat Ahead of Fed Statement

Oxford, MS 9/21/2011 (PennyPayDay) – Stocks were little changed on Wednesday as cautious investors awaited the Federal Reserve's statement on monetary policy that is expected to include measures to support the economy.

Technology stocks were top gainers early in the session, boosted by Oracle Corp (NasdaqGS:ORCL - News), which jumped 6.4 percent to $30.15. The software maker forecast higher-than-expected current-quarter earnings as well as robust sales.

The Fed, ending a two-day policy meeting later Wednesday, is expected to announce a rebalancing of its bond portfolio weighted more heavily to longer-term securities, pushing already-low long-term interest rates even lower in a move dubbed Operation Twist.

The Fed will issue a statement at about 2:15 p.m.

"With the S&P at 1,200, the market has priced in some sort of positive support from the Fed, whether that be Operation Twist or more," said Joseph Greco, managing director at Meridian Equity Partners in New York. "There is really no playbook here, but the market is anticipating and hoping for that support."

The Dow Jones industrial average (DJI:^DJI - News) fell 30.43 points, or 0.27 percent, at 11,378.23. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (^SPX - News) was down 5.38 points, or 0.45 percent, at 1,196.71. The Nasdaq Composite Index (Nasdaq:^IXIC - News) added 1.12 points, or 0.04 percent, at 2,591.36.

Also supporting the Nasdaq, design software maker Adobe Systems Inc (NasdaqGS:ADBE - News) rose 3.1 percent to $25.40. Adobe said its fourth-quarter sales outlook was buoyed by more new customers.

In the latest economic data, existing home sales rose more than expected in August to the fastest annual pace since March, helped by falling prices and low interest rates, the National Association of Realtors said.

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LargeCap Stocks to Keep an Eye on Today

Tomahawk, WI 9/21/2011 (PennyPayDay) – Orexigen Therapeutics is restarting development of its rejected obesity drug Contrave after U.S. regulators agreed to allow the company to conduct a potentially shorter follow-up clinical trial.

Shares were soaring 72.1% to $2.53.

Shares of Walter Energy were plunging 11.5% to $66.40 after the metallurgical coal producer said a slower-than-expected recovery from the 100-year record rainfall experienced in Northeast British Columbia during the second quarter and slower-than-expected recovery from the difficult geology experienced at Mine No. 7 in Alabama will cause a delay in the company's anticipated production growth and associated improvement in savings.

Shares of Alpha Natural Resources were tumbling 7.5% to $24.90 after the coal producer lowered its full-year shipment guidance to a range of 102.5 million tons to 109.5 million tons compared with the previous range of 104 million tons to 112 million tons.

Software make Adobe edged Wall Street's profit expectations for its third quarter. The company reported earnings of $273 million, or 55 cents a share, with revenue coming in at $1.01 billion, up from $990.3 million in the same period a year earlier.

Shares were jumping 6.4% to $26.22.

Oracle deftly sidestepped weakness in the global economy to post solid first-quarter revenue and earnings after markets closed on Tuesday.

The database software maker brought in revenue of $8.43 billion and earnings of 48 cents a share, up from $7.5 billion and 42 cents a share in the prior year's quarter. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were looking for sales of $8.35 billion and earnings of 46 cents a share.

Shares were adding 4.1% to $29.50.

Equity real estate investment trust Realty Income has begun an underwritten public offering of 6 million common shares.

Shares were down 2.4% to $33.61.

Independent energy company Apache said its subsidiary Apache North Sea Ltd. agreed to buy Exxon Mobil's Mobil North Sea assets, including the Beryl field and related properties, for $1.75 billion.

Apache shares were down 0.3% to $94.25, and Exxon shares were down 0.3% to $73.80.

Microsoft hiked its dividend, citing the company's recent strong performance.

The software maker's board declared a quarterly dividend of 20 cents a share, an increase of 4 cents, or 25%, on the prior quarter's dividend.

Shares were trading sideways at $26.99.

Boeing is in "very advanced discussions" with Chinese airlines to revitalize sales of its 787 Dreamliner, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

PharMerica, a national provider of pharmacy and hospital pharmacy management services, said its board voted unanimously to reject the unsolicited offer made by Omnicare to buy the company for $15 a share in cash.

Food giant General Mills said first-quarter earnings declined but adjusted profit of 64 cents a share matched year-earlier results. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting General Mills to earn 62 cents a share.

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Google Lashes Out at Apple, Microsoft and Oracle

Shawshank, VA 8/3/2011 (PennyPayDay) -- Google’s Chief Legal Officer David Drummond has lashed out at rivals Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and unnamed others for waging what he says is “a hostile, organized campaign against Android,” using “bogus patents.”

Drummond asserts that Google’s rivals have joined together in an “anti-competitive” cabal of sorts that uses patent law almost as a pretext to attempt to “strangle” Android. (The phrase “anti-competitive” is self-consciously used four times in his post.) Drummond contends that Google’s rivals are threatened by or unable to compete with Android’s momentum (citing Android’s 550,000 daily activations) and have resorted to this nefarious strategy to make Android more expensive for hardware makers and consumers.

Raising the cost hardware manufacturers must pay for Android is explicitly what Microsoft is trying to do with its patent-licensing demands (vs. HTC and Samsung). Steve Ballmer has said so very directly. Microsoft is also seeking to generate revenue from Android, which it is starting to do.

Oracle is certainly seeking licensing revenue but probably not trying to inflate the cost of Android. And Apple is probably trying to do neither. It’s more likely that Apple genuinely believes its IP has been infringed.

Apple has repeatedly said that Android handset makers have ripped-off the iPhone’s design and other key features. Apple’s lawsuit against Samsung, the top Android OEM, argues that the Korean company “slavishly copied” the iPhone and iPad’s designs.

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