Stocks to Watch Monday: Micron, Sysco

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) � Micron Technology Inc. and Sysco Corp. are among the stocks that could see active trading on Monday.

Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton

Micron Technology MU � on Friday said Steve Appleton, the company�s chief executive and chairman, died Friday morning in a small-plane crash in Boise, Idaho. Appleton was 51. Trading in the chipmaker�s shares was halted Friday afternoon.

Food-services giant Sysco SYY �is expected to post a fiscal second-quarter profit of 44 cents a share on sales of $10.07 billion, according to a consensus poll of analysts by FactSet Research.

Professional services provider Towers Watson & Co. TW �is expected to report second-quarter revenue of $845.3 million. The FactSet poll gave no consensus earnings estimate.

Financial firm Lazard Ltd. LAZ �is seen reporting fourth-quarter earnings of 38 cents a share on revenue of $456.5 million.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP BWP �is s! een post ing fourth-quarter earnings of 40 cents a share on revenue of $314.2 million.

What Does Bernanke Know? - SmartMoney.com

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke surprised the markets yesterday when he hinted that his policy of easy money would continue.
"Further significant improvements in the unemployment rate," he said, "will likely require a more rapid expansion of production and demand from consumers and businesses, a process that can be supported by continued accommodative policies."

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Translation? Roughly: "The unemployment picture is worse than a lot of people think. To bring it down, the economy has to grow faster than it is right now. And to make sure that happens, I need to keep my foot on the gas."
So we may yet see another round of "quantitative easing," where the Federal Reserve uses bond purchases, and other maneuvers, to inject liquidity in the economy.
Judging by the reaction, this was a surprise to markets. But should it have been?
For the last two months, investors have been growing increasingly complacent about the economic recovery. After all, the official unemployment rate has come down from a peak of 10%, in 2009, to 8.3% now -- the lowest rate since early '09. Payroll data has been pretty good.
The consensus on Wall Street was that the economy had finally turned the corner, jobs were growing, and we were back on the path to normality. This is why stocks are up.
The jobs picture is certainly brighter than it was. But the headline numbers may flatter to deceive.
There are many reasons to distrust the unemployment figures. The most obvious is that those who give up looking for work no longer count among the official "unemploy! ment." ( Extraordinary, but true.)
But we know Ben Bernanke looks at the raw data.
What is he seeing?

Take a look at a chart I produce from time to time. It is drawn directly from the government's own reports. But instead of relying on their headline numbers, or various other bits of spin or presentation, I go to the raw data itself.
The chart focuses on just one simple number: The percentage of adult men, age between 25 and 54, who are in full-time work.
Let's call it "the Guy Rate."
It's not a perfect measure of the jobs market, but it's a key one and it cuts out a lot of noise. It ignores most kids in grad school, early retirees, and new mothers who choose to stay at home. It counts as unemployed a former $80,000 a year machinist who has given up looking for work. It also counts the one who is still stuck working one night shift a week at his local Shell station.
It focuses only on men of prime working age, it counts all of them, and then deducts only those who are in full-time work.

As you can see -- and as Ben Bernanke surely sees -- the picture remains grim. Just 75% of these guys are in full-time work -- or, to put it another way, one in four men of prime working age in America lacks a full-time job.
It's been down there since the financial crisis really hit the real economy, in January 2009. But what's really ominous is that it doesn't seem to have improved very much. The low was 73% in January 2010. Today it's barely two percentage points higher.
Worse: the Guy Rate today is lower than it has been for ! most of the economic crisis. It was 76% in August 2010. It is down a percentage point since November.
Certainly there are caveats. The figure may be a lagging one. The Guy Rate may be the last jobs indicator to pick up when the jobs market does. Part-time workers, young people, and women may see improvements sooner. And there's a touch of seasonality to the number -- it has tended in recent years to be slightly lower in the winter than the summer, though not by much.
Nonetheless the Guy Rate tells a gloomier story about jobs than you hear from the Vicodin brigade on Wall Street.

And this is, of course, despite the tsunami of money that has been thrown at the economy, which raised total non-financial debt to $38 trillion. Household debts remain sky high. At $13.2 trillion, they are still higher than they were as recently as early 2007, and four times what they were twenty years ago. Household debts actually rose again in the fourth quarter of last year.
Where does this leave investors?
It's hard to look closely at the data and be quite as cheerful as the Vicodin crowd. And yesterday's market reaction was hardly cause for cheer. We'd like to see the stock market powered higher by rising earnings, not by the hope of further liquidity. Wall Street rose about 1%. So did gold. So did the euro. In other words, the stock market in these circumstances is just the inverse of the currency.
Maybe we need QE III. Maybe it will work. I've met enough economists to know you can find one to support any policy or position. But if you can print your way to prosperity, why isn't Zimbabwe the richest country in the world?

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) in Talks to Acquire Australias Second Largest Hospital System

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) in Talks to Acquire Australia�s Second Largest Hospital System

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), a Dallas, Texas-based healthcare services company, confirmed on Tuesday that it is in talks regarding a potential acquisition of Healthscope, Australia�s second largest hospital corporation. In a statement released by Tenet, the company said that it has a long standing policy of not giving any comments on market rumors; however, it made an exception in the case of Healthscope in response to the recent volatility seen in its shares.

Healthscope owns and operates 43 hospitals in Australia. It also operates Australia�s third biggest pathology business. In 2009, the company had an EBITDA margin of 13.8% and its revenue grew by 11.1%. Australia has a strong and growing economy. And with a growing population and with more and more people opting for private health insurance coverage, the country provides a great opportunity for private health care service providers.

Tenet says that if the deal goes through, it will be at a price which creates value for its shareholders. The company said it believes that the acquisition will enhance its payer mix, margins and growth rates. The transaction will also enable the two companies to share knowledge and capabilities. Tenet has said that the transaction is at a preliminary stage, at the moment and that it will provide further details at the Goldman Sachs Investor Conference, which will be held on June 15, 2010.

Shares of Tenet were up more than 8% in today�s trading. The stock reached a high of $5.16 in trading and at last check was up 7.84% to $5.09. Volume was up from daily average of 11.62 million to 21.74 million.

Tenet stock has a 52-week range of $2.46-$6.46. Currently, the stock! is trad ing below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. It has seen support at around $4.09 and resistance at around $5.32.

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Great Stocks 2012

If you’re like best stock traders or investors, you’re more than likely always on the lookout for best stocks to watch and potentially buy should the stock reach your target entry price. Best stock opportunities come and go each day however, so instead of just providing you a list of penny stocks to look out for tomorrow (which will be pretty much useless to you the day after), I want to help educate you in the types of attributes to look for in a stock so that you are able to form your own best stock list at any time.
The example I’ll be using to illustrate my points at the present time is Great Western Minerals Group (GWG.V). Disclaimer – I own shares of GWG and will be merely using this stock as an example. What is right for me may not be right for you so always consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. Now let’s get started.

Great Stocks 2012:SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries Inc (SCOK)

 SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chemical Industries, Inc. operates as a coal and coke producer in the People?s Republic of China. The company offers metallurgical coke primarily for use in steel manufacturing; and chemical coke primarily for use in the production of synthesis gas, as well as a fuel source or as an intermediate for the production of other chemicals, such as methanol, formaldehyde, and ammonia. It also provides medium coal for electricity generation, and domestic and industrial heating applications; and coal slurries for use as a fuel. The company mines and sells washed coal, as well as engages in the trading of coal. In addition, it produces electricity from its by product, coal tar and sells to the state-owned electricity grid. The company is based in Pingdingshan, the People's Republic of China.

Great Stocks 2012:KKR Financial Holdings LLC (KFN)

 KKR Financial Holdings LLC, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company with expertise in a range of asset classes. It primarily invests in financial assets consisting primarily of below investment grade corporate debt, including senior secured and unsecured loans, mezzanine loans, high yield corporate bonds, and distressed and stressed debt securities; marketable equity securities; and private equity. The company also invests in other asset classes, including natural resources and real estate. Its corporate debt investments are held in collateralized loan obligation (CLO) transactions that the company uses as long term financing for these investments. The senior secured notes issued by the CLO transactions are owned by third party investors, who are unaffiliated with the company and it owns the majority of the mezzanine and subordinated notes in the CLO transactions. KKR Financial Advisors LLC serves as the manager of the company. KKR Financial Holdings LLC was founded in 2004 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Great Stocks 2012:Leggett & Platt Incorporated (LEG)

 Leggett & Platt, Incorporated designs and produces various engineered components and products worldwide. Its Residential Furnishings segment offers bedding components, such as innersprings and wire forms; furniture components, including steel mechanisms, springs, seat suspensions, steel tubular seat frames, bed frames, ornamental beds, and power foundations; and structural fabrics, carpet underlay materials, and geo components. This segment serves manufacturers of finished bedding products or upholstered furniture. The company?s Commercial Fixturing & Components segment provides shelving, counters, showcases, and garment racks; standardized shelvings; point-of-purchase displays; and bases, columns, back rests, casters, and frames. This segment offers its products to retail chains and specialty shops; brand name marketers; distributors of consumer products; and office, institutional, and commercial furniture manufacturers. Its Industrial Materials segment provides steel rods, drawn wires, steel billets, fabricated wire products, welded steel tubing, and fabricated tube components to bedding and furniture, and mechanical spring makers; automotive seating, and lawn and garden equipment manufacturers; and waste recyclers, waste removal businesses, and medical supply businesses. The company?s Specialized Products segment offers manual and power lumbar support and massage systems; seat suspension systems; automotive control cables; low voltage motors; actuation assemblies; formed metal and wire components; quilting machines; machines for shaping wire into springs; industrial sewing/finishing machines; van interiors; and docking stations, as well as specialty trailers for telephone, cable, and utility companies. It serves bedding and automobile seating manufacturers. The company sells its products through its sales representatives and distributors. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated was founded in 1883 and is based in Carthage, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:

• By Jeff Reeves At 2011-10-2! 1
  Founded in 1883, Leggett & Platt Inc. (NYSE: LEG) designs and manufactures a wide range of products used in items from home furnishings to automobile interiors to wires and tubing for industrial use.
  Current Yield: 4.1% ($1.08 a share annually)
  Dividend History: In July 2010, Leggett & Platt paid a quarterly dividend of 26 cents a share. This July, LEG it will pay 27 cents, or a nearly 4% increase. LEG has paid dividends since 1939.
  Dividend Outlook: According to Bloomberg data, LEG’s three-year dividend growth rate is expected to be 3.6%.
  Recent Performance: Leggett & Platt has underperformed across the last year, but has really taken off in 2011. The manufacturer has doubled the market with a nearly 15% gain since Jan. 1, and is up against a new 52-week high.
  Strong Outlook for Shares: Part of the reason Leggett & Platt has performed so well is because of strong earnings at the end of April, which showed a 10% jump in sales, beating expectations, and higher guidance for fiscal 2011. Big growth of 28% in the specialized products segment gives investors reason to be optimistic about LEG stock for the rest of the year.

Great Stocks 2012:Toro Company (The) (TTC)

 The Toro Company designs, manufactures, and markets professional turf maintenance equipment and services worldwide. It operates in two segments, Professional and Residential. The Professional segment designs professional turf and agricultural products. It offers landscape contractor market products, including radius riding mowers, heavy-duty walk behind mowers, mid-size walk behind mowers, stand-on mowers, compact utility loaders, walk-behind trenchers, and stump grinders; sports fields and grounds market products, such as riding rotary mowers and attachments, aerators, debris management products, and multipurpose vehicles; and golf course market products comprising reel and rotary riding products, riding and walking mowers, turf sprayer equipment, utility vehicles, aeration equipment, and bunker maintenance equipment. This segment also provides residential/commercial irrigation market products consisting of rotors, sprinkler bodies and nozzles, plastic and brass valves, drip tubing and subsurface irrigation, and electric and hydraulic control devices; and micro-irrigation market products that regulate the flow of water for drip irrigation. It offers its products through distributors and dealers, as well as directly to government customers, rental companies, and professional users. The Residential segment offers walk power mowers; riding mowers; snow throwers; replacement parts; gas snow removal products; and home solutions products, such as trimmers, blowers, blower-vacuums, and underground and hose-end retail irrigation products. It markets its products to homeowners through outdoor power equipment dealers, hardware retailers, home centers, and mass retailers, as well as through the Internet. The Toro Company provides its products under the brand names of Toro, Exmark, Irritrol, Hayter, Pope, Lawn-Boy, and Lawn Genie. The company was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Great Stocks 2012:Deluxe Corporation (DLX)

 Deluxe Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides personalized printed products, promotional products, and merchandising materials in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Its Small Business Services segment offers printed products, including business checks, promotional products, marketing materials, and related services, as well as retail packaging supplies and a suite of business services comprising Web design and hosting, fraud protection, payroll, logo design, search engine marketing, business networking, and other Web-based services to small businesses. This segment also offers printed forms, such as billing forms, work orders, job proposals, purchase orders, invoices, and personnel forms; computer forms; and stationery, letterhead, envelopes, greeting cards and labels, and business cards in various formats and ink colors. It sells its products through mail and the Internet, referrals from financial institutions and telecommunications clients, independent distributors and dealers, and sales representatives. The company?s Financial Services segment provides check programs for personal and business checks, fraud prevention and monitoring services, customer acquisition campaigns, marketing communications, regulatory program services, and customer loyalty programs to banks, credit unions, and financial services companies primarily through direct sales force. Its Direct Checks segment sells personal and business checks, and related products and services directly to consumers through direct response marketing and the Internet. Deluxe also offers online financial management tools that provide banks with daily access to their financial position and general ledger information. The company was formerly known as Deluxe Check Printers, Incorporated and changed its name to Deluxe Corporation in 1988. Deluxe Corporation was founded in 1915 and is headquartered in Shoreview, Minnesota.

Great Stocks 2012:Micron Technology Inc. (MU)

 Micron Technology, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and marketing of semiconductor devices worldwide. Its products include dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products that provide data storage and retrieval, which include DDR2 and DDR3; and other specialty DRAM memory products, including DDR, SDRAM, DDR and DDR2 mobile low power DRAM, pseudo-static RAM, and reduced latency DRAM. The company also offers NAND flash memory products, which are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor devices that retain content when power is turned off. In addition, it provides NOR flash memory products that are electrically re-writeable and non-volatile semiconductor memory devices; phase change memory products; and image sensor products. Micron Technology?s products are used in a range of electronic applications, including personal computers, workstations, network servers, mobile phones, flash memory cards, USB storage devices, digital still cameras, MP3/4 players, and in automotive applications. It sells its products to original equipment manufacturers and retailers through internal sales force, independent sales representatives, and distributors, as well as through a Web-based customer direct sales channel. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Advisors' Opinion:

• By Fitz Gerald At 2011-8-26
   The company's management has indicated a positive and more-balanced DRAM and NAND flash demand/supply outlook for 2011. The company also indicated a more-resilient near-term business model with low exposure to the weak PC DRAM segment (25 percent of revenues).
  Micron also indicated strong demand for NAND flash and price reductions consistent with learning curve cost reductions. With many smartphone and iPad/new Web tablets ramping, Micron management expects the benign pricing environment for NAND flash to continue in 2012.

Great Stocks 2012:People's United Financial Inc. (PBCT)

 People?s United Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for People?s United Bank that provides commercial banking, retail and business banking, and wealth management services to individual, corporate, and municipal customers. Its Commercial Banking segment provides commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, and commercial deposit gathering services, as well as equipment financing, cash management, correspondent banking, and municipal banking services. The company?s Retail and Business Banking segment offers consumer and business deposit gathering services; consumer lending products, including residential mortgage, home equity, and indirect auto lending; business lending; and merchant services. Its Wealth Management segment provides trust services, corporate trust, brokerage, financial advisory services, investment management services, and life insurance and other insurance services, as well as private banking services. The company also offers online and telephone banking, and investment trading services, and automated teller machine (ATM) services. As of March 31, 2011, it operated a network of approximately 341 branches, including full-service supermarket branches, investment and brokerage offices, and commercial banking offices, as well as approximately 518 automated teller machines in Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1842 and is headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Great Stocks 2012:TECO Energy Inc. (TE)

 TECO Energy, Inc., an electric and gas utility company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy. It provides retail electric service to approximately 672,000 customers in West Central Florida with a net winter system generating capability of 4,684 megawatts. The company also engages in the purchase, distribution, and marketing of natural gas. It serves approximately 336,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and electric power generation customers in Florida. In addition, the company owns mineral rights, owns or operates surface and underground mines, and owns interests in coal processing and loading facilities. TECO Energy, Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Fulsome Volume Stock at NYSE - CVS

CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS) witnessed volume of 23.92 million shares during last trade however it holds an average trading capacity of 7.58 million shares. CVS last trade opened at $38.84 reached intraday low of $38.73 and went +1.70% up to close at $38.80.
CVS has a market capitalization $52.54 billion and an enterprise value at $60.34 billion. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 0.52 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 1.36. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 3.42% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 6.16%.
The company made a return on asset of 6.11% in past twelve months and return on equity of 9.18% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $98.53 billion gaining $72.40 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 8.90% holding -7.50% quarterly earnings growth.
According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $2.17 billion cash in hand making cash per share at 1.60. The total of $9.78 billion debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 25.76. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 1.60 and book value per share was 28.00.
Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 22.19% where the stock price exhibited up beat from its 50 day moving average with $36.96 and remained above from its 200 Day Moving Average with $34.36.
CVS holds 1.35 billion outstanding shares with 1.35 billion floating shares where insider possessed 0.26% and institutions kept 85.10%.