Reports indicate that a bomb exploded outside the JP Morgan (NYSE:JPM) Athens offices, however, there have been no reports of injuries. Apparently, an unidentified caller had warned an Athens daily that a bomb was going to explode in half an hour, which was in fact the case. More details to come.
Shares of Phillip Morris International (NYSE:PM) are trading 1.9% higher to $47.69 Thursday after the company reported Q4 EPS of $0.80, topping consensus estimates of $0.79. Revenues for the quarter rose 9.7% to $6.7 billion, besting consensus estimates of $6.5 billion. For 2010, the company expects EPS in the range of $3.75 to $3.85, versus consensus estimates of $3.82. Louis C. Camilleri, Chairman and CEO, commented, “Our robust fourth-quarter and annual results bear striking witness to the resiliency of our strong, broad and evolving brand portfolio and the diverse geographic scope of our business. Our judicious pricing actions, widespread market share growth and productivity initiatives, largely offset the significant market contractions and consumer down-trading that we witnessed in those countries that suffered the most from the global economic downturn. “The fragility of the economic recovery, particularly with regard to employment levels and currency volatility, naturally warrants a cautious outlook for 2010. However, we enjoy solid momentum and remain confident that we will again post strong financial results this year. Our new $12 billion, three-year share repurchase program underscores our optimism going forward.”
The major US equity indices closed lower Monday on concerns about debt loads in Europe. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed below 10000 for the first time in three months. Greece’s finance minister said that the government is preparing to boost some taxes in order to shore up its finances.
The major US equity indices closed higher Friday despite troubling signals over the global economy. The Labor Department said the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in January to 9.7% from 10%. However, employers cut 20000 jobs, which is more than the 5000 that economists had expected. The Federal Reserve said that consumers borrowed less for an 11th straight month in December and said that total borrowing fell far less than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) closed 0.10% higher at 10012.23, the S&P500 (INX) was up 0.29% at 1066.18, and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) was up 0.74% at 2141.12.
Last updated January 26, 2010: 4:45 PM ET — The major US equity indices closed lower as investors suffered from more anxiety over President Obama’s plan to regulate big banks. The drop in the market was the fifth in seven days. The Conference Board said its index of consumer confidence rose to 55.9 in January, up from 53.6 in December, which is the third straight increase and the highest level in over a year.
biomed Realty Trust (NYSE:BMR) upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital. Thestock closed yesterday at $14.73 on volume of 881677 shares, below average daily volume of 1252223. biomed Realty Trust is currently above its 50-day moving average of $13.70 and above its 200-day moving average of $11.30. smartrend is bullish on shares of BMR and our subscribers received an Uptrend alert on August 04, 2009 at $12.36, which has returned 19.2% to date.