Morning Movers: MLM, HHS, MA, VNO Down; ADM, BZ, OSK Up

Martin Marietta (MLM) Q3 beat earnings estimates with $1.23 per share in profit, but fell short of the sales estimates, and forecast ’09 EPS well below estimates at $2.20 to $2.45 per share, versus the consensus $2.78. The stock is down 5.4% at $82.25.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) missed revenue estimates for Q3 by a cool $3 billion, reporting $14.92 billion, down 30%, while beating EPS estimates by 20 cents with 77 cents per share. The company said it sees demand improving. The stock is up 72 cents or 2.4% at $31.25.
Boise (BZ), maker of paper and packaging products, beat EPS estimates by 2 cents and reported sales down 20%, year over year, to $508 million, missing estimates. The stock is up 19 cents, or 4%, at $4.90.
Direct marketing firm Harte Hanks (HHS) met EPS estimates for 22 cents per share, while reporting a 23% drop in revenue, missing the average $216 million estimate by $7 million. The stock is down 11 cents, or 1%, at $11.31.
Mastercard (MA) beat EPS estimates by a mile with $3.48 per share versus the $2.94 average estimate, as revenue rose 2% to $1.36 billion, beating estimates. Purchases globally were about flat with last year, the company said. The company said it will file a universal shelf registration this month. The stock was down $9.21, or 4.4%, at $213.53.
Rugged vehicle maker OshKosh (OSK) is up $2.25, or 7%, at $34.08, after the company this morning handily beat earnings estimates with 27 cents per share, with sales falling 20% but still beating estimates at $1.49 billion. The company forecast revenue growth in 2010 and expects to be “solidly profitable.”
Hospital owner Tenet Healthcare (THC) beat EPS estimates with a profit of 3 cents versus the average 2-cent loss projected, as revenue rose 6% to $2.26 billion, slightly ahead of estimates. Shares were unchanged at $5.30.
Commercial REIT Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) beat estimates by 8 cents with $1.25 per share a! s revenu e fell about 1% year over year to $671.2 million, ahead of estimates. The stock is down 71 cents, or 1%, at $59.56.

Best Wall St. Stocks Today: BBY,CC

On Wednesday we�ll get to see earnings out of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY). The estimates from First Call are $1.65 EPS on $13.18 billion in revenues.  Next quarter estimates are $0.39 EPS on $8.58 billion in revenues. Estimates for fiscal Feb-2009 are $3.35 EPS on $43.08 billion in revenues.  These numbers may change by Wednesday morning.
Best Buy Co.�s 52-week trading range is $38.75 to $53.90. Analysts have an average price target north of $52.00 and shares closed at $40.56 on Friday.  Year-to-date, its shares are down close to 25%. We recently noted a Banc of America downgrade in the stock.
Normally we’d say to watch Circuit City (NYSE: CC) as well, but that company is so far imploded that a great Best Buy number would be interpreted as at Circuit City’s loss and a bad report from Best Buy would just imply things are bad there too.
One note that we’d like to point out is that while the stock is close to a 52-week low, these prices are close to lows not seen since mid-2005.  If $40.00 doesn’t act as a base for this electronics and appliances retail giant, then seeing this test $35.00 is not out of the realm of possibilities.  Much weak consumer spending should be factored in already, but Wall Street has been very bad in recent months of pricing in good news or bad news ahead of time.
Jon C. Ogg
March 30, 2008
Jon Ogg produces the Special Situation Investing Newsletter and he can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Higher profit seen at Disney in 2012

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) ' Walt Disney Co. is expected to post higher profit for the quarter ended Dec. 31, though difficult comparisons with very strong results at ESPN and in home video in the year-earlier period could have an impact.

Disney DIS 'is expected to post a fiscal first-quarter profit of 75 cents a share, excluding stock-option payments, on revenue of $11.19 billion, according to a consensus poll of analysts by Thomson Reuters.

In the same period a year earlier, the company earned 68 cents a share on revenue of $10.7 billion.

Click to Play

NFL boasts another super thriller

Ben Cohen talks about the N.Y. Giants' win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jeffrey Thomson of Hilliard Lyons said late last year that Disney's December quarter 'is likely to produce the smallest year-over-year increase' of fiscal 2012, 'due in part to a tough comparison to the year-ago quarter ' a period that included considerable growth at ESPN and benefits of robust DVD sales of 'Toy Story 3.''

Across the media and entertainment industries, there is optimism about the advertising market, especially in television, which has held most of its appeal for advertisers as one of the few remaining ways to reach mass audiences.

Ad sales and rates are expected to once again be strong at ESPN, where! NBA gam es, college basketball and various shows around the NFL have led to solid ratings gains, but Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger warned in November that comparisons with the fiscal fourth quarter of 2010 would be difficult.

At ABC, the network's situation comedies have received solid ratings, though it ranks third among the Big Four networks among adults 18 to 49 years old ' the group most desired by advertisers because of its apparent willingness to switch brands.

Analysts will look forward to getting more insights from Iger on the online-video model and its potential effect on traditional TV. Comcast Corp. CMCSA 'and Disney unveiled a 10-year deal last month that will make Disney shows available on a wide variety of Comcast platforms, including regular TV, video-on-demand, phones and tablets. Under the deal, Comcast customers can watch Disney shows online that can't otherwise be viewed on the Web.

Disney executives will probably also be asked what last month's Italian cruise-ship tragedy could mean for its own cruise ships. The Carnival Cruise-owned Costa Concordia foundered off the coast of Italy, killing at least 16, and observers fear that the incident could be a concern to would-be passengers in the near term.

Disney recently launched its third ship, the Disney Dream, and some analysts speculated that a fourth could be launched in fiscal 2012.

Best Wall St. Stocks Today: AMR,NWA,DAL,UAUA

In all industries staying out of Chapter 11 is a badge of honor. The sole exception to that is the airline business where bankruptcy is embedded in the culture like ticks are on the hide of a deer.
One of the few large US airlines which stayed out of a significant financial mess over the last decade is AMR (NYSE: AMR), the parent of American Airlines. In the most perverse sort of way, a Chapter 11 filing four or five years ago might have spared AMR from its current perilous state.
One advantage that Northwest (NYSE: NWA), Delta (NYSE: DAL), and United (NASDAQ: UAUA) have in the present difficult economic environment is that they used their trips through the Chapter 11 process to tear away debt as well as employees which they deemed to be redundant. By several accounts, NWA has saved over $2 billion a year because it went through bankruptcy.
All of the large US airlines are at great financial risk now. Ditto for many of their overseas brethren like Alitalia. Fuel costs are up sharply and passenger revenue and revenue miles are likely to fall as the economy keeps people off commercial carriers The very rich can continue to operate their own fleets of private jets.
The present financial trouble does not strike each large US airline equally. Largely because of an advantage of Chapter 11, NWA has $6 billion in debt to its $3 billion in cash. At AMR, long-term debt totals $15.6 billion compared to its $4.6 billion in cash. Last year, AMR’s EBITDA was only about two times it interest expenses. By paying all of its bills, AMR has been placed at a great disadvantage.
AMR had very modest operating income of $965 million last year compared to its $22.9 billion in revenue. The market has figured out the problem. While shares in other national carriers are off about 50% in the last six months, AMR is off 60%. That is a significant negative premium, a vote saying AMR is in a different bucket than its competitors are.
Aloha Air, ATA, ! and SkyB us all went out of business in the last two weeks. Several carriers reported falling traffic for March. At AMR, domestic traffic fell 5.9% for the month.
At some point soon, the dropping revenue effect and rising expenses cross where interest payments matter.
That will be soon at AMR and it puts the company at great peril.
Douglas A. McIntyre

Best Wall St. Stocks Today: ARMH,BRCD,CTF,HRBN,HOVNP,JACK,JASO

Active traders and day traders have many stocks to choose from this Tuesday morning.� We are tracking news and moves in shares of Arm Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ: ARMH),�Brocade Communication Systems, inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD),�China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CTF),�Harbin Electric, Inc. (NASDAQ: HRBN),�Hovnanian Enterprises (NASDAQ: HOVNP), Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK), and�JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO).
Arm Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ: ARMH) is down 3% to $18.05. the stock is trading withing a 52-week range of $7.53 to $19.96.
Brocade Communication Systems, inc. (NASDAQ: BRCD) is down more than 7% on heavy volume after worse-than-expected 4Q earnings.
China Techfaith Wireless Communication Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CTF) is up 4.59% to $4.10 after higher 3Q guidance. Shares of CTF are close to the top of their 52-week range of $1.91-$4.22.
Harbin Electric, Inc. (NASDAQ: HRBN) has slid 6.25% premarket after a 5.6% gain yesterday.
Hovnanian Enterprises (NASDAQ: HOVNP) is up 4.4% premarket on light volume to $6.40, relative to a 52-week range of $4.59 to $11.64.
Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ: JACK) Has fallen an additional 6% premarket after a 3.42% loss yesterday, as a result of disappointing earnings.
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is down 3.39% premarket to $7.42, relative to a 52-week range of $3.70 to $10.24.
-Michael B. Sauter

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012

Oil services are the best place to invest in the entire energy sector, because every barrel of oil extracted today was marginally more difficult and expensive to get than it was yesterday. And that trend looks inexorable.
That does not mean that I believe there is necessarily a supply constraint in energy right now, only that the technology of extraction continues to get more complex.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Bemis Company Inc. (BMS)

 Bemis Company, Inc. manufactures and sells flexible packaging products and pressure sensitive materials in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, and Australasia. The company operates in two segments, Flexible Packaging and Pressure Sensitive Materials. The Flexible Packaging segment manufactures multilayer flexible polymer film structures and laminates for food, medical, and personal care products, and non-food applications utilizing vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging. It also offers blown and cast stretch film products; carton sealing tapes and application equipment; custom thermoformed plastic packaging; multiwall paper bags; printed paper roll stock; and bag closing materials. The Pressure Sensitive Materials segment manufactures pressure sensitive adhesive coated paper and film substrates comprising label market products, such as narrow-Web rolls of pressure sensitive paper, film, and metalized film printing stocks used in printing and die-cutting. This segment also provides graphic market products consisting of pressure sensitive films used for decorative signage through computer-aided plotters, digital and screen printers, and photographic over laminate and mounting materials, including optical films with built-in UV inhibitors; and technical market products, such as micro-thin film adhesives used in delicate electronic parts assembly and pressure sensitive applications. Bemis Company, Inc. distributes its products primarily through its direct sales force to food and beverage, chemical, agribusiness, medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, electronics, automotive, construction, graphic industries, and other consumer goods markets. The company was formerly known as Bemis Bro. Bag Company and changed its name to Bemis Company, Inc. in 1965. Bemis Company, Inc. was founded in 1858 and is based in Neenah, Wisconsin.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste S.A. de C.V. (ASR)

 Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V., through its subsidiaries, holds concessions to operate, maintain, and develop airports in the southeast region of Mexico. It operates nine airports located in Cancun, Cozumel, Huatulco, Merida, Minatitlan, Oaxaca, Tapachula, Veracruz, and Villahermosa. The company offers various aeronautical services, including passenger, landing, aircraft parking, usage of passenger walkways, and airport security services. Its non-aeronautical services comprise commercial activities, such as the leasing of space in airports to retailers, restaurants, airlines, and other commercial tenants, as well as advertising; and the provision of complementary services consisting of luggage check-in, sorting and handling, aircraft servicing at gates, aircraft cleaning and maintenance, cargo handling, airport security, aircraft catering, assistance with passenger boarding and deplaning, ground transport, and aircraft fuel supply services to air carriers. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Parke Bancorp Inc. (PKBK)

 Parke Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Parke Bank that provides personal and business financial services to individuals and small to mid-sized businesses in Gloucester, Atlantic, and Cape May counties in New Jersey and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company offers various deposit products comprising checking, savings, money market, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises residential and commercial real estate construction loans, working capital loans and lines of credit, demand, term, and time loans; equipment, inventory, and accounts receivable financing; and residential mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, fixed rate second mortgages, new and used auto loans, and overdraft protection products. In addition, the company offers overnight depository, ACH, wire transfer services, and merchant capture electronic check processing services; and contemporary products and services, such as debit cards, Internet banking, and online bill payment. Parke Bancorp was founded in 1999 and is based in Washington Township, New Jersey.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Full House Resorts Inc. (FLL)

 Full House Resorts, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manages, invests in, and owns gaming-related enterprises. The company holds interest in Gaming Entertainment (Delaware), LLC, a joint venture with Harrington Raceway, Inc., which has a management contract with Harrington Raceway and Casino that has approximately 1,800 slot machines and 40 table games, a 450-seat buffet, a dining restaurant, a 50-seat diner, and an entertainment lounge area located in Harrington, Delaware. It also owns and operates Stockman?s Casino, which has approximately 264 slot machines, 4 table games, and keno, as well as a bar, a dining restaurant, and a coffee shop situated in Fallon, Nevada. In addition, the company holds interests in Gaming Entertainment Michigan, LLC that has a joint venture with RAM Entertainment, LLC, which has a management agreement with the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians for the development and management of the FireKeepers Casino in Battle Creek, Michigan. Full House Resorts, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:IRIDEX Corporation (IRIX)

 IRIDEX Corporation provides therapeutic based laser systems, delivery devices, and consumable instrumentation to treat eye diseases in ophthalmology, and skin conditions in dermatology in the United States and internationally. It offers various ophthalmic products, such as infrared photocoagulator consoles, visible (green) and visible (yellow) photocoagulator consoles, and multi-wavelength laser system configurations; and ophthalmic delivery devices comprising TruFocus laser indirect ophthalmoscopes, slit lamp adapters, operating microscope adapters, EndoProbes, G-Probes, and DioPexy Probes. The company offers its ophthalmic products to treat age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinal tears and detachments, retinopathy of prematurity, ocular tumors, and macular holes. It also offers aesthetics products, which include combination infrared/visible wavelength laser, visible (green), and infrared consoles. In addition, the company offers aesthetics delivery devices, such as Dermastat Handpieces that are used as tracing instruments for the treatment of small cutaneous surface lesions; DioLite Handpieces, which are handheld instruments used in the treatment of vascular and pigmented skin lesions; VariLite Handpiece, a handheld instrument used in the treatment of vascular and pigmented cutaneous skin lesions, and small area hair reduction; and ScanLite scanner, a computer pattern generator for the treatment of larger-area vascular and pigmented skin lesions. IRIDEX Corporation sells its products to ophthalmologists specializing in retina, glaucoma, and pediatrics; dermatologists; plastic surgeons; research and teaching hospitals; government installations; surgical centers; and hospitals through direct sales force and distributors. The company was formerly known as IRIS Medical Instruments, Inc. and changed its name to IRIDEX Corporation in November 1995. IRIDEX Corporation was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Lorillard Inc (LO)

 Lorillard, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. The company offers 43 different product offerings under the Newport, Kent, True, Maverick, and Old Gold brand names. Lorillard, Inc. sells its products primarily to wholesale distributors, who in turn service retail outlets, chain store organizations, and government agencies, including the United States? Armed Forces. The company was founded in 1760 and is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Advisors' Opinion:

• By Glenn At 2011-10-6
  Lorillard (LO), through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. The company has paid a rising dividend since becoming a separately traded company in 2008. It yields 5.40% and has a high dividend payout ratio as well.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Dynasil Corporation of America (DYSL)

 Dynasil Corporation of America engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of specialized sensors, precision instruments, and optical products in the United States and internationally. Its products include optical instruments, as well as components that are used for optical instruments, lasers, analytical instruments, semiconductor/electronic devices, automotive components, spacecraft/aircraft components, advertising displays, baggage scanners, and in devices for the solar energy industry. The company also produces analytical instruments, including instruments designed to measure the ?Sun Protection Factor? of sunscreens; handheld instruments to determine whether there is lead in the paint of buildings and whether electronics are in compliance with the reduction of hazardous substances regulations; and medical probes, which reduce the scope of cancer surgery. Dynasil Corporation distributes its products through direct sales force, as well as through manufacturer?s representatives and distributors. Its products and services are used in a range of application markets, including the medical, industrial, and homeland security/defense sectors. The company also involves in contract research activities. Dynasil Corporation was founded in 1960 and is based in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)

 Lockheed Martin Corporation engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, operation, and sustainment of advanced technology systems and products in the areas of defense, space, intelligence, homeland security, and government information technology in the United States and internationally. It also provides management, engineering, technical, scientific, logistic, and information services. The company operates in four segments: Aeronautics, Electronic Systems, Information Systems & Global Services (IS&GS), and Space Systems. The Aeronautics segment offers military aircraft, including combat and air mobility aircraft, unmanned air vehicles, and related technologies. Its products and programs comprise the F-35 multi-role, stealth fighter; the F-22 air dominance and multi-mission stealth fighter; the F-16 multi-role fighter; the C-130J tactical transport aircraft; and the C-5M strategic airlifter modernization program; and support for the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, and the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. The Electronic Systems segment provides air and missile defense; tactical missiles; weapon fire control systems; surface ship and submarine combat systems; anti-submarine and undersea warfare systems; land, sea-based, and airborne radars; surveillance and reconnaissance systems; simulation and training systems; and integrated logistics and sustainment services. The IS&GS segment offers information technology solutions and advanced technology primarily in the areas of software and systems integration for space, air, and ground systems to various defense and civil government agencies. The Space Systems segment provides government and commercial satellites; strategic and defensive missile systems, including missile defense technologies and systems, and fleet ballistic missiles; and space transportation systems. Lockheed Martin Corporation was founded in 1909 and is based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Advisors' Opinion:

• By Jeff Reeves At 2011-10-21!
  Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) is America’s premiere aerospace and defense company, and consistently ranks at or near No. 1 in the list of U.S. federal contractors.
  Current Yield: 3.9% ($3 a share annually)
  Dividend History: In June 2010, Lockheed Martin paid a quarterly dividend of 63 cents a share. This July, it will pay 75 cents, or a 19% increase.
  Dividend Outlook: According to Bloomberg, the three-year expected dividend growth rate of Lockheed is a stunning is 15%.
  Recent Performance: Though flat over the past 12 months, as the crisis in Libya has brought defense spending into focus, LMT shares have rallied 14% in 2011, despite talk of federal spending cuts.
  Outlook for Shares: Lockheed has proven it is a necessary player in the U.S. defense budget, and even if that budget sees some reductions, you can bet that Lockheed will still benefit. For instance, it is currently working on the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars, which will be delivered at the latter part of this decade. Lockheed has the reputation and resources to thrive even if leaner spending lies ahead.
• By Dave Friedman At 2011-9-22
  The shares closed at $70.26, up $1.14, or 1.65%, on the day. They have traded in a 52-week range of $66.36 to $82.43. Volume today was 3,030,515 shares, against a 3-month average volume of 2,513,850 shares. Its market capitalization is $23.41billion, its trailing P/E is 8.80, its trailing earnings are $7.99 per share, and it pays a dividend of $3.00 per share, for a dividend yield of 4.30%. About the company: Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security company that primarily researches, designs, develops, manufactures, and integrates advanced technology products and services. The Company’s businesses span space, telecommunications, electronics, information and services, aeronautics, energy, and systems integration. Lockheed Martin operates worldwide.

Good Stocks To Invest In 2012:Principal Financial Group Inc (PFG)

 Principal Financial Group, Inc. provides retirement savings, investment, and insurance products and services worldwide. The company?s Retirement and Investor Services segment provides retirement savings and related investment products and services, including a portfolio of asset accumulation products and services primarily to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals in the United States. This segment offers products and services to businesses for defined contribution pension plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, defined benefit pension plans, nonqualified executive benefit plans, and employee stock ownership plan consulting services; and annuities, mutual funds, and bank products and services to the employees of its business customers and other individuals. Principal Financial Group?s Principal Global Investors segment offers a range of equity, fixed income, and real estate investments, as well as specialized overlay and advisory services to institutional investors. The company?s Principal International segment offers retirement products and services, annuities, mutual funds, institutional asset management, and life insurance accumulation products in Brazil, Chile, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, and Thailand. Principal Financial Group?s U.S. Insurance Solutions segment offers individual life insurance, as well as specialty benefits in the United States. Its individual life insurance products include universal and variable universal life insurance and traditional life insurance; and specialty benefit products comprise group dental and vision insurance, individual and group disability insurance, and group life insurance, as well as fee-for-service claims administration and wellness services. The company was founded in 1879 and is based in Des Moines, Iowa.
Advisors' Opinion:

• By Goldman At 2011-8-28
  Principal Financial(PFG) is an insurance and investment man! agement company.
  Principal is due to release fourth-quarter results today. It has an average earnings surprise average of 4.8% and moves 4%, both up and down, in reaction to earnings announcements. Principal's stock has soared 50% in the past 12 months, easily outpacing indices, and 13% in the past three months. Consequently, it has passed many of analysts' price targets. Goldman is still bullish, but predicts just 7% of remaining upside in the next 12 months.
  Principal receives "buy" ratings from just 26% of researchers evaluating its stock. But, it is still notably undervalued relative to its peer group. The stock trades at a forward earnings multiple of less than 12, a book value multiple of 1.2 and a cash flow multiple of 4.5, 21%, 70% and 71% industry discounts. The stock pays an annual dividend, which fluctuates depending upon operating results. This year's 55 cent annual payout translated to a 2% yield on payment.

Apple: UBS Ups Target to $675, Oppenheimer to $700, Raise Estimates

Shares of Apple (AAPL) are down $5.39, or 1%, at $580.18 this morning as the company’s newest iPad goes on sale, and as two upbeat analyst notes surfaced.
UBS’s Maynard Um this morning reiterated a Buy rating and raised his price target to $675 from $550, writing that Apple may “accelerate the number of initial carriers” to whom it offers its iPhone when it introduces an “iPhone 5″ later this year, which he expects to be “still the Big Catalyst Ahead,” and in fact, “the biggest catalyst and launch in Apple’s history.”
Um also thinks something called “account-based billing” could be a plus for Apple. Under that scheme, multiple Apple devices could share a single high-speed 4G bill, rather than each device spawning a new monthly commitment.
Um raised his estimates for fiscal 2013 (ending September of that year) to $180 billion in revenue and $50.43 per share in profit, up from a prior $175 .8 billion and $48.83 per share.
And Oppenheimer & Co.’s Ittai Kidron this morning raised his price target on the shares to $700 from $570, writing that the introduction of the new iPad “looks to be very strong,” and that his “checks” of sales of the iPhone 4S in the U.S. and overseas are “consistently positive.”
Kidron sees “ample reach” to extend the iPhone’s sales, in particular within China, he writes. He expects demand for the iPad to outstrip supply through Q3 of this fiscal year, which ends in June.
“And the iPad is also levered to a still developing market with Apple’s dominance yet to weaken even with many value options available.”
Kidron now models $171 billion in revenue and $46.70 per share this fiscal year, up from $168 billion and $45.78. For next year, he models $200.4 billion and $54.40 per share, up from a prior $193.7 billion and $52.3! 8.
Fin

Stocks: Ready to hold steady

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks were expected to open little changed Tuesday, while world markets responded positively to indications that the Federal Reserve is prepared to keep interest rates at very low levels.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were slightly negative. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Investors head into Tuesday's session mulling the latest data on the troubled housing market, and awaiting a new reading on consumer confidence that's on tap.

A slew of reports released last week suggest that the housing market remains a drag on an economy that otherwise shows signs of improving.
On top of home price data from the Case-Shiller 20-City Index, investors will also look at corporate results from homebuilder Lennar for a reading on the sector.
In the afternoon, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver a lecture at George Washington University, and a House Financial Services subcommittee will hold a hearing on aid to the eurozone.

Regional banks ready to rally

U.S. stocks rallied Monday, after Bernanke's comments on the job market gave investors reason to believe the central bank will keep interest rates low.
World markets: European stocks were mixed in afternoon trading. Britain's FTSE 100 (UKX) was unchanged, the DAX (DAX) in Germany rose 0.6% and France's CAC 40 (CAC40) dropped 0.2%.
Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) shed 0.2%, the Hang Seng (HSI) in Hong Kong gained 1.8% and Japan's Nikkei (N225) jumped 2.4%.
Economy: Home prices in 20 major cities fell to the lowest level since 2002, according to S&P/Case-Shiller.
The index for January dropped 3.8%, after a 4.1% drop in the month prior.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for March is expected to come in at 70.1, according to a survey of analysts by Briefing.com, down from 70.8 in February.
Companies: Lennar (LEN) posted earnings of 8 cents per share on revenue of $725 million, figures that topped analysts' estimates. The homebuilder said it has seen an uptick in sales and new orders in the first quarter. Shares were up 4% on the news.
Drug-store chain Walgreen (WAG, Fortune 500) reported earnings of 78 cents a share on $18.7 billion in revenue, slightly better than analyst estimates. Shares were up by 0.4% in premarket trading.

Why Netflix's Facebook app would be illegal

Shares of private education provider Apollo Group (APOL, Fortune 500) dropped 6% in premarket trading, despite reporting earnings late Monday that beat Wall Street estimates.
Currencies and commodities: The dollar strengthened against the euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen.
Oil for May delivery rose 16 cents to $107.19 a barrel.
Gold futures for April delivery increased $7.40 to $1,693 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury increased, pushing the yield down to 2.23% from 2.25% late Monday.

A Closer Look at the World of Insider Trading

Recently, insider trading is becoming a very common term, because it’s been in the news lately for all the improper motives. The quick explosion of negative media reports, have nonetheless bewildered many. Many investors, in particular those that happen to be not into stocks full-time, still find it something against the law. Are you one of them?
What’s The Real truth about Insider Trading?
The reality is, it can be both legal and illegal. Most of the controversies around it concern the illegal activities obviously.
In insider trading, the “insider” is a person in the management of the organization. Occasionally people in the panel or the management, and even employees purchase the stocks of the company where they work for. This is called insider trading. When this occurs, the industry perceives this as a “buy” signal just like an insider has the confidence in the stock, then the management must be certain concerning the way forward for the business – this is how the thinking runs.
Legal and Illegal Insider Trading

Legally, corporate insiders are permitted to buy the stocks and shares of the organizations wherever they are employed. There is no rule saying it’s wrong. However it is vital that the SEC or Securities and Exchange Commission comes to know about this trade. So it is completely authorized when the SEC is up to date.
However, it will become illegitimate if there’s a breach in the fiduciary duty or another relationship of confidence and trust. The reasoning here is – insiders may frequently have in possession, some good info or material about the industry or perhaps the business that is not on the market to people away from company, and will also give them an unfair edge. Telling this information secretly to an outsider is undoubtedly an act of tipping, and this can also be illegal insider trading.
Watching out for the hidden signals of insider trading i! s a bril liant method to stay ahead of the market.

Cash for Keys: Avoid Foreclosure, Pay the Bank Less Than What You Owe… and Get $30,000

U.S. banks have a deal for underwater homeowners: Avoid foreclosure by selling your house for less than what you owe... and they'll pay you $30,000 or more to close the deal.

It's called Cash for Keys, and it's working.

Banks typically hate short sales because they lose money. The alternative, however, is even more costly and time-consuming. It can take thousands of dollars to evict homeowners and years to get through the backlog of paperwork.

Now regulatory investigations could lengthen the foreclosure process even more. Banks have been blamed for robo-signing - approving foreclosure papers without reviewing them - and using faulty documents to seize homes.

So instead of blocking short sales, like they have done in the past, lenders are now encouraging them. Banks don't want to keep these assets on the books, and they're willing to pay to speed up the process.

"You could sell your home, owe nothing more on your mortgage and get $30,000," JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) wrote in a letter to an underwater homeowner obtained by Bloomberg News.

Banks Prefer Cash for Keys to Costly Foreclosures

Bloomberg said California homeowner Karen Farley struck a deal with JPMorgan in which she received $30,000 for selling her home for $200,000 less than what she owed.

"I wondered, why would they offer me something, and why wouldn't they just give me the boot?" Farley, 65, told Bloomberg. "Instead, I'm getting money."

U.S. government regulators encouraged the Cash for Keys program in a private meeting with banks in March 2011 to speed up the U.S. housing market recovery.

Banks now encourage short sales by pre-approving deals, simplifying the closing process, and forfeiting their right to purse unpaid debt - in addition ! to payi ng the seller thousands of dollars.

"My guess is they want to get rid of bad loans," Trent Chapman, a realtor who trains brokers and attorneys to negotiate short sales with banks, told Bloomberg. "If they short sale these types of loans, they have less of a headache and have some goodwill with the homeowner."

Lenders ultimately lose about 15% less in short sales than they do on foreclosures, which incur years of taxes and legal costs. Short sales in the United States average about four months to close, according to Bloomberg.

Incentives Boost Short Sales

The incentives are working. Short sale deals accounted for 33% of related transactions in November 2011, up from 24% a year before, according to CoreLogic Inc. (NYSE: CLGX).

JPMorgan is known for the biggest short-sale incentive payout, but according to real estate agents other banks have followed suit.

Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC) offers as much as $20,000 in relocation expenses for short sellers. Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) tried a short sale pilot program with 20,000 Florida homeowners, offering up to $20,000 or 5% of the unpaid loan balance.

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) offers about $3,000, but the amount varies depending on each case.

Banks also fork over thousands of dollars to second-lien owners, who can block short sales because the deal wipes out their loans.

A continued increase in short sale transactions could help the U.S. housing market rebound faster than if all those homes went into foreclosure. There are currently more than 14 million U.S. homeowners with homes in foreclosure, who are behind on mortgages, or who owe more than what their properties are worth, according to RealtyTrac.

Those homes will continue to weigh on home prices and keep them low for years. U.S. home prices showed another decline for November 2011, its third straight mon! thly los s, as the U.S. housing market trends toward a bottom this year.

In addition to banks' Cash for Keys incentives, homeowners also can benefit from the U.S. government's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program. Started in 2010, it offers up to $3,000 for homeowners who choose short sales.

News and Related Story Links:

• Money Morning: Case-Shiller Home Price Index: U.S. Housing Market Nearing Bottom in 2012
• Money Morning: Romney Avoids Nevada's Housing Market Problems with a Tactic That Could Work – for Now
• Bloomberg News: Banks Paying Cash to Homeowners to Avoid Foreclosures
• The Financial Times:
  US banks in ‘cash for keys’ foreclosure talks