Its Thursday April 13, 2006, and the NAMC Newswire is making a few changes, beginning next week the Wall Street to Main Street daily segment and the Investors Corner segment in their entirety will only be available to subscribers. Keep in mind that all subscriptions are free and will remain that way. All that you need to do is go to www.namcnewswire.com and add your email address to receive the full segments.
Remember that you can always listen to the NAMC Radio on Streetiq.com, the leader in financial podcast. www.streetiq.com
We also want to announce that beginning on April 17, 2006 Wall Street to Main Street will be adding a new weekly segment called Wall Street Corner. This will feature the views from the Elder Statesman of Emerging Growth Investment Writers Larry Oakley. He will grace Wall Street to Main Street every Monday with his views on various companies that he sees value in and long term growth. So you are going to want to tune in to that.
Political Front
In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was time for the Security Council to take "strong steps" to bring Iran into compliance with United Nations demands that the Islamic Republic rein in its nuclear program. While Russia and China are reluctant to back economic sanctions, they have asked for all parties to exercise restraint to avoid increasing the level of tension that is currently at a peak.
In Italy when you lose an election you dont have to leave peacefully, case in point the defeat of Minister Silvio Berlusconi, he clearly lost Italy's general election to Romano Prodi, but he refuses to admit defeat. He is clinging onto his position and working hard to de-legitimize Romano Prodi in hopes of a miracle. If this should happen it would be a major blow to Italys center-right's legitimacy.
On the topic of Italy, Italys SANPAOLO IMI Group has gained control of the operations of the Central Bank of Albania by acquiring 80 percent of the shares of the Italian-Albanian Bank.
Movers and Shakers
Some major movers in yesterdays trading session include Mills Corp (NYSE: MLS) they traded up $3.98 to close at $30.33, Sybron Dental Specialties (NYSE: SYD) traded up $5.07 to close at $46.81, John Harland Co. (NYSE: JH) traded up $4.74 to close at $44.00, Datalink (NASDAQ: DTLK) traded up $1.19 to close at $5.46, BTU International (NASDAQ: BTUI) traded up $2.53 to close at $20.02, Pokertek Inc (NASDAQ: PTEK) traded up $1.70 to close at $13.49, Circuit City Stores (NYSE: CC) traded up $2.04 to close at $26.65 and Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) traded up $2.88 to close at $62.76.
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) reported great growth for their first quarter on Wednesday after the close. The company posted net income of $185 million, or 38 cents a share for the quarter ended March 26, 2006, they beat the analyst estimate by 8 cents. This is compared to a net loss of $17.4 million, or 4 cents a share a year earlier.
AMD has been making their mark on the chip-making world over the past year as they have been taking chunks of market share away from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC). This was evident during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as they aligned themselves with various companies. But even though the company showed great profits and growth, they gave guidance that their current quarter would be "flat to slightly down" compared to the first quarter. So based on that the stock fell in after hours trading, going from the closing price of $35.42 to $34.69, a 2% drop after trading up 2%.
This sounds like the other company that we mentioned in yesterdays segment by the name of Genentech (NYSE: DNA), they posted great numbers and still were punished by traders.
Over the past year AMDs stock has risen from a price of $17.06, which it was trading at on April 13, 2005 to $35.42 where it closed during regular trading hours on Wednesday, April 12, 2006. That is over a 100% gain in a 12-month time frame. Now the company still has some room to grow as technology continues to advance, we see Advanced Micro Devices trading in the $40 to $45 range in 2006. So this may present a buying opportunity for investors that were looking to invest in AMD.
General Motors
General Motors (NYSE: GM) has been seeing the dark side of the moon as of late, with rumors of bankruptcy, strikes, lawsuits and the instability of the company, this is all on the minds of the investment community. But according to Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of Global Product Development and acting Chief of GM Europe, the powers that be at General Motors do not see a strike happening, as a strike does not benefit any of the three parties.
So whats next for General Motors, the company has been trying to trim the fat, tighten their belts and bring the company back from the abyss. One area of growth is China, as weve been speaking about all week China has been making major deals here in the United States prior to Chinese President Hu Jintaos U.S. visit. They recently signed a deal with Boeing (NYSE: BA) that essentially doubled what Boeing projected in sales for the year.
At this point General Motors has been increasingly popular in China as they accounted for over 18% of the 3.9 million plus cars sold in China last year. The company plans on investing over $3 billion to expand in the region. Here in New York at the New York Auto Show they unveiled the new 2007 Saturn models, which included the Aura midsize sedan, Sky Red Line performance roadster and Outlook crossover vehicle. They recently ditched the Isuzu stake, which eliminated their gateway in Japan but the fat had to be trimmed.
Now taking into account that a few months ago President Bush had adamantly stated that the General Motors should not expect a government bail out. This put GM in a position that forced them to stand on their own two feet, they have no choice in the matter. But looking at their recent changes from adding Jerry York to the board and eliminating divisions, shutting down plants and trying to expand overseas, the company has a long road but long-term investors may want to take a closer look at General Motors. If things settle down with strike talks, then you just may witness the rebirth of an American Icon, just keep in mind that this is a long-term turnaround situation but the rewards may just be worth the wait.
Stocks to Watch
The following are companies that you should know about, we are just making mention of them on Wall Street to Main Street and will have a more in depth profile on these companies, along with our outlook. Remember that only subscribers to the NAMC Newswire will be able to read the Investors Corner segment in its entirety, so go to www.namcnewswire.com to subscribe, its fast and free.
Bausch & Lomb (NYSE: BOL) the stock was punished in regards to the Renu product line. We mentioned that they may base out in the mid to high $40 range, I think that we are at that point. The stock closed yesterday at $45.61 and it may build a base there, so its worth taking a look at. Remember its always a good idea to buy on weakness and sell into strength.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc (NYSE: GWR) the stock closed at $32.61 on Wednesday.
Informatica, Corp (NASDAQ: INFA) the stock closed at $15,67 on Wednesday.
Stocks to Watch Featured on Wednesday April 12, 2006:
Abercrombie & Fitch Co (NYSE: ANF) mentioned at $56.55 on Tuesday.
American Eagle Outfitters (NASDAQ: AEOS) mentioned at $29.38 on Tuesday.
Las Vegas Sands Corp (NYSE: LVS) mentioned at $59.88 on Tuesday.
China Medical Technologies (NASDAQ: CMED) mentioned at $25.66 on Tuesday.
Investors Bancorp (NASDAQ: ISBC) mentioned at $13.03 on Tuesday.
Readers Speak
We received an email from one of our readers/listeners John from Los Angeles, he wanted to know what we thought about Shuffle Master (NASDAQ: SHFL).
John: Shuffle Master is in a great position for growth, with companies like the Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) looking to expand in Singapore and other regions, there will be no shortage of growth for the company. Actually we see Shuffle Master making new highs in 2006, possibly moving into the $40 to $45 range.
We cannot stress enough that investors need to do their due diligence, call the companies, get the information, consult with your investment advisor and if you do not have one consider getting one. Put the same time into investigating these companies as you do when you go to purchase a new television, its only for your protection. When it comes to thinly traded securities stagger your orders or put a limit order in to avoid a run up.
NAMC Newswire Note
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Louis Victor
NAMC Newswire
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Louis Victor is the host of the syndicated podcast show and financial newsletter "Wall Street to Main Street" which is featured on the NAMC Newswire Radio. He has been involved in the financial industry for over two decades, on the retail and investment banking ends. He is also well versed in the advertising and marketing industries, which has given him insight into market trends and unqiue companies that may be under the radar.