Investors.com

GM Hopes Aggressive Ad Push Will Win Over Skeptical Drivers

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:25:00 GMT

General Motors has emerged from bankruptcy. Now it must step out of the long dark shadow of its own reputation. For years, GM churned out sub-par vehicles that badly lagged Japanese rivals in reliability. Now, there is substantial evidence that GM is pulling abreast of Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC). But nobody seems to know it. Or believe it. "The perception gap is a very real problem," said Jack Nerad, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

Medical Products Maker Has High Hopes For New Bone Treatment

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:07:00 GMT

What looked like an investment gone sour for Orthofix International now appears to have big potential. And it's helped shares recover from a steep slide that bottomed out a year ago. This year, shares more than tripled, reaching 33.50 on Oct. 29. Since then, they've settled back. The company's third-quarter sales of $135 million outpaced analysts' predictions of $133 million. "The quarterly results show the turnaround is well underway," said

E-Com Set To Ring Up Sales

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:25:00 GMT

Nov. 30 is the ceremonial kickoff to the online holiday shopping season this year. That's Cyber Monday. The term was coined by Shop.org in 2005 after the retail group noticed a spike in online retail purchases on the Monday after Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving, long considered the holiday kickoff for brick-and-mortar retailers. Cyber Monday isn't the busiest online shopping day of the year (Tuesday, Dec. 9, and Monday, Dec. 15, were the

Big Pharma Mergers: Good News Or Bad?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Whoever says you can't throw money at problems hasn't spent much time following the Big Pharma sector this year. More than $160 billion worth of buyouts involving top drugmakers has already been inked in 2009. The list of blockbuster deals includes Pfizer's (PFE) buy of Wyeth, Merck's (MRK) buy of Schering-Plough, Roche Holdings' (RHHBY) buy of Genentech and Abbott Labs' (ABT) buy of Solvay. The buy-big strategy is the best way for pharma to

ImmunoGen Stock Rises On Amgen Deal

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10:00 GMT

Shares of ImmunoGen moved higher in midday trading Friday, a day after the small biotech licensed its cancer treatment technology to Amgen for $1 million upfront. ImmunoGen (IMGN), based in Wal-tham, Mass., develops cancer treatments using its Tumor-Activated Prodrug, or TAP, technology. The technology uses antibodies to deliver a killer agent to a cell. It's part of a larger movement to develop more accurate cancer therapies that can target and

REIT IPOs Circling Commercial Failures

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:51:00 GMT

The vultures are circling commercial real estate. But are they too numerous and too early? These are the questions troubling a new generation of commercial real estate investment trusts as they try to benefit from the problems in retail and office property. Later to develop than the residential mortgage crisis, commercial real estate is in turmoil. Defaults have been rising as vacancies soar and rents tumble on both retail and office leases.

Late Mortgages Hit All-Time High In Q3; New Fears For FHA

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:45:00 GMT

Will borrowers and banks have to pitch in to lift the Federal Housing Administration's dangerously dwindling reserves? The FHA could raise minimum down payments and borrower fees or make banks assume more loan risk. But those proposals aren't politically popular. A third option, a taxpayer bailout, isn't on the table yet but could wind up there if the issue isn't solved, government officials say. Meantime, mortgage delinquencies continue to soar.

Credit Seen Key To Commercial Property Revival

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:01:00 GMT

A commercial property recovery won't start till the latter half of 2010, analysts at real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle said this week. And for any hope of a meaningful boost, the National Association of Realtors said in a forecast Thursday, credit availability must significantly rebound. Both see vacancy rates rising and rents falling, with property financing still facing difficulties. Lending markets are starting to loosen but "cash will still

Transparency Helps Benefits Manager Gain Clients

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:28:00 GMT

Pharmacy benefit management is a controversial industry. Yes, the industry saves health insurers on drug costs. But the giant pharmacy benefit managers, called PBMs, have also been the targets of multiple lawsuits claiming these middlemen earn outsize profits through opaque business practices. That's why it's paid off for SXC Health Solutions (SXCI) of Lisle, Ill., to be relatively small and transparent. PBMs aim to reduce costs for employers,

Strong Global Demand For Coal Fuels Mining Gear Giant Bucyrus

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:44:00 GMT

In the U.S., coal production has slowed in part because of environmental concerns. Proposals for new coal-burning electric plants have run into regulatory roadblocks. Others have been shelved because of fears of new cap-and-trade rules. But in China and India, such concerns haven't slowed the headlong rush to coal to fuel industry and generate electricity. That's one big reason Bucyrus International (BUCY), a south Milwaukee-based maker of mining

Drugmaker Reinvents Itself And Expands Footprint Internationally

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:25:00 GMT

Winston Churchill once said, "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction." ICN Pharmaceuticals lacked focus and direction following the resignation of its founder Milan Panic in 2002. The company was a mess with sinking sales, the loss of two key patents and a bunch of divisions with little in common and no clear strategy. It was time to change. In November 2003, the drugmaker renamed itself Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX)

Cold-Weather Clothing Maker Morphs Into All-Season Competitor

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:41:00 GMT

For decades, G-III Apparel had no trouble heating up sales of coats and jackets shipped during the chilly months. Problem was, as a maker of outdoor clothing, its business cooled during the warmer seasons. So, a few years ago, G-III (GIII) began diversifying its lineup beyond its roots in outerwear and create a more balanced, all-season clothing company. Since 2005, it's made five acquisitions that have broadened its product line, expanded its

Will Investors Find Safe Haven With Network Security Company?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:34:00 GMT

Security software has definitely been a bright spot in the market. Such old standbys as McAfee (MFE) and Bluecoat Systems (BCSI) have hit 52-week highs lately, while more recent entrants such as Sourcefire (FIRE) and ArcSight (ARST) have improved drastically on their IPO prices. Fortinet would be the first IPO in this space