Sunday, October 31, 2010

Procter&Gamble Relies On Cutting Edge

Procter&Gamble has reported earnings of 1.02 a share,versus an estimate of 1.00;and revenue of 20.1 billion dollars,versus an estimate of 20.24.Free cash flow was 1.9 billion dollars.The company repurchased 3 billion dollars of its shares to support the stock.
Organic sales were up 4%,while volume rose 8%.Fiscal year 2011 organic sales are projected to rise 4-11%.
Jan Moeller,Chief Financial Officer of the company,says the U.S. economy is choppy,but as long as they continue to innovate,they'll be able to price appropriately.They build their business plans to achieve organically.Acquisitions are on top of that.
A Sunday newspaper circular highlighted a number of new Procter&Gamble products.CNBC's Jim Cramer recently praised the firm and its CEO,Bob MacDonald.
Procter&Gamble(PG)

Hodges Still Likes Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments has reported earnings of 0.71 a share,versus an estimate of 0.69;and revenue of 3.74 billion dollars,versus an estimate of 3.69.Eric Marshall of Hodges Capital Management says they are positive on TXN's core business and valuation.It is a solid,long term investment.Don't be caught up in the cyclical gyrations of the semi-conductor industry.
Hodges likes the stock here.It still trades at only 12 times earnings.In general,they think the stock looks very attractive.TXN's outlook sounds pretty positive.Hodges thinks lead times and inventory levels will revert back to normal levels.
Analog is now over 90% of TXN's business,and will be the growth-driver in 2011-12.
Investors over the next couple of years will do very well with TXN.Hodges would be committing new capital to it at this point.
TXN's business outside the U.S. is more and more important for them.They have new opportunities in industrial applications,such as automotive,medical and all types of different industries through their analog chips.
Texas Instruments(TXN)

University Faculty Needed

The University of Northern Virginia is recruiting for the following faculty positions:Computer Science/Information Technology;Management;Accounting&Finance;Education&Marketing.Candidates must have a terminal degree in the field(ABD will be considered)with some teaching experience in higher education.
There are also executive academic positions for PhDs in IT,Management or a related field with academic management experience in higher education.
To apply,submit resume to employment@unva.edu
Located in Annadale,Virginia,Hong Kong,Prague and London,UNVA is now ten years old.It offers business,computer science and education degrees at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

Friday, October 29, 2010

More IT For Patients:WellSpan Offers New Portal

WellSpan Health,an integrated health care system for the people of south central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland,has established a new patient portal,My eCare.Patients are now able to access lab test results or make an appointment through My eCare.They can also send questions to their doctor's office and receive a response within 48 hours.The service is not for usage in an emergency.
A free service,My eCare is described as the most convenient way to manage your health care.
WellSpan Health,anchored by Gettysburg and York Hospitals,includes 47 primary and specialty physician practices,as well as pharmacies,labs and health centers.It is a private,non-profit community resource with the mission of providing high quality,cost-effective and compassionate health care services to all patients.
In addition to My eCare,WellSpan Health employs an electronic medical records system.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

American Education and Singapore

Many believe the American education system is lagging much of the rest of the world,including Singapore.Singapore is a country built on the concept of human capital,says Michael Milken,head of the Milken Institute think tank.Singapore's three economic pillars are 1.immigration;2.education;and 3.health care.Singapore's gross domestic product is 8-10 times that of Jamaica,which has an economy based on tourism and natural resources.
Singapore spends 10-15% of its GDP on education.
The educational standards in the rest of the world as well are higher than in the U.S.,where teachers tend to come from the bottom of their college classes.
In response to this,the Milken Institute is incentivizing American teachers with awards.There have been 2500 awards so far.It's an Academy Awards for teachers.
In addition,the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching,which was spun off from the Milken Family Foundation,has set up a teacher advancement system.This includes Master Teacher and Mentor Teacher programs.
Michael Milken is a financier best known for helping establish the concept of a high yield bond market.

Canadian Economist Named Most Accurate

Sherry Cooper,an economist with BMO Financial Group,has been named the most accurate economist by Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business.Dr.Cooper has also been recognized as one of Canada's most influential women.Educated by the University of Pittsburgh,she was selected as most accurate from a panel of 50 economists by Arizona State.
Dr.Cooper and her team were credited with pinpointing key indicators of both the beginning and end of the recent severe recession.
There's still a big unemployment overhang,Dr.Cooper observed.It wasn't caused by high interest rates as in previous recessions.Businesses laid off massively,so they're reluctant to hire back until the orders really start to come in.Employment contracted by 6%,which is totally unprecedented.
Until we start to see expansion in new businesses as well as old,it's hard to get everyone back to work.We could see unemployment at 9% by the end of 2011.The wave of inventory restocking is over,so the purchasing of equipment and machinery won't be as strong,either.
On the plus side,Dr.Cooper noted that consumption is growing a little bit more.The consumer is starting to come back.The effect of quantitative easing 2,the Federal Reserve's purchasing of more assets,will be pretty modest,but it is stimulative.
We're in a disappointingly slow recovery,but there won't be a double dip recession.
Bank of Montreal(BMO)

Kaiser Permanente Hiring Event

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente will soon be hiring for its Capitol Hill Medical Office,which will open in January 2011.The office,located next to Union Station in Washington,will have 200,000 square feet and offer a full range of outpatient services,from primary and specialty care to surgery and nuclear medicine.A hiring event will be held in mid-November at an offsite location yet to be determined.There are openings for management,nursing,technicians,support services,imaging/radiology,laboratory,pharmacy,and rehab/therapists.
To register for the event or learn about qualifications and job submission details if you cannot attend,please visit www.kpcareerevents.com

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Frontiers In Medicine:Genentech's Cancer Treatment Approved

The FDA has approved Genentech's biotech medicine Herceptin,in combination with chemotherapy,as a treatment for certain stomach cancers-metastatic ones with the protein HER2 on tumor cells.
Early studies suggest Herceptin may block signals that cause tumor cells to grow and divide,and also signals the immune system to destroy the cancer cells.
About 21,000 Americans will be diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2010,and more than 10,500 will die of it.Often,symptoms of the disease do not appear until the late stages,when it has become metastatic,or spreading,or cannot be surgically removed.
The latest analysis shows that median overall survival with the Herceptin/chemotherapy regimen was 13.1 months,versus 11.7 months with chemotherapy alone.Herceptin is also used to treat HER2+ metastatic breast cancer.
Hal Barron,M.D.,executive vice president of Product Development and chief medical officer,said the FDA approval provides an important new personalized medicine for people with the life-threatening disease who have few treatment options.
Formerly an independent firm,Genentech became a member of Switzerland's Roche Group in March 2009.Considered the original biotech company,Genentech uses human genetic information to discover,develop,manufacture and commercialize medicines for gravely ill patients.
The Roche Group is traded on the over the counter pink sheets in the U.S.,under the ticker symbol RHHBY.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Investment Strategy Suggestions

What's behind the run-up in the stock market recently is the prospect of more quantitative easing,or asset purchases by the Federal Reserve,Russ Koesterich agrees with many other analysts.Mr.Koesterich,head of Investment Strategy for Scientific Active Equities at BlackRock,the world's largest money manager,thinks we're running up against a wall here-the upper end of the trading range.We're likely to see sluggish growth,which is not gonna support earnings growth.Expect 1.5-2% growth in 2011,which is way off 2009 levels.
The market's 2011 earnings expectations may be too high based on the predicted sluggish growth.The key thing for investors in handling slow growth is a barbell portfolio.This might consist of consumer staples and health care on one end,and industrials and tech on the other for global exposure.
Mr.Koesterich recommends avoiding stocks that are too closely linked to U.S. growth,given how slow that is likely to be.For example,several retailers are heavily exposed to the U.S. economy,as are many banks and utilities.

Professor Doubts Fed Strategy

Raghuram G. Rajan,a finance professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a former IMF Economic Counselor,is raising doubts about the Federal Reserve's plan for dealing with the lagging economy.The Fed wants to keep interest rates at zero for an extended period.We have very high levels of debt.It's not the rate that matters;it's the access.We've had negative real rates,penalizing savers.We need labor-intensive stuff,not capital-intensive.
The costs of such a policy start mounting-without sustained benefits.There's only so much you can do with interest rates.We have to start talking about structural changes such as retraining.Demand is part of the problem,but we also have supply problems.Let's move away from doing more to doing what actually works.
Buying more assets without a clear exit plan is dangerous.We've got to start somewhere.We need to experiment.The big issue with stimulus is,we often overplay the situation,because everyone loves to spend money,Dr.Rajan observed.
Dr.Rajan is the author of "Fault Lines:How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy," published by Princeton University Press.

Grant Thornton Openings

Grant Thornton has opportunities for team players who can handle deadlines and understand government consulting environments.They require a Bachelor's degree with at least three years of experience,including some experience in at least one of the following areas:activity based costing/cost analysis;it/financial audit;information security;qa tester;organizational assessment;state and local contract administration;junior military officers/transitioning military professionals.
Send your resume and salary requirements to gpscareers@gt.com.They will contact you to arrange interviews.
Veterans and transitioning military members are encouraged to apply.
Grant Thornton:It's time your experience met our opportunity.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Pfizer Loads Its Shopping Cart

Pharma titan Pfizer's purchase of King Pharmaceuticals,which was announced October 12,will augment its existing product lines in Primary Care,Established Products and Animal Health.The 3.6 billion dollar cash transaction brings new formulations of pain treatments that discourage misuse and abuse;the EpiPen auto-injection device;and a number of animal feed additives,into Pfizer's diversified businesses.
Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler said they are highly impressed by King's innovative products and technology in the pain relief area.U.S. physicians wrote about 320 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2009.
Pfizer will also acquire King's promising new compounds in various stages of development.Pfizer already markets its own Celebrex and Lyrica painkilllers,and King will add Avinza,the Flector Patch and Embeda to the painkiller portfolio.
The deal is expected to close in late 2010 or early 2011,pending regulatory approval.
At the end of 2011,Pfizer's blockbuster drug Lipitor will go off-patent,resulting in a big loss of revenue.Pfizer is shopping for new income streams to help offset the loss of most of the billions Lipitor earns annually.In September,Pfizer announced its purchase of FoldRx Pharmaceuticals,a biotech firm specializing in neurodegenerative diseases.Last year,Pfizer bought Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for 68 billion dollars.
Pfizer(PFE)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Bryn Mawr Trust:Momentum Takes Hold

Since September,equities have been steadily regaining strength.Bryn Mawr Trust thinks the market is the ultimate leading indicator.It's gonna be tough to break this momentum for a while.Earnings will surprise on the upside.Positive growth in economically sensitive companies,as well as profit,will occur.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average has crossed the 11,000 mark for the first time since May.If we continue to look at an up market 12-18 months from now,the financials are gonna participate in that.
For sure,there's gonna be a reversion to the mean.As inflation picks up,stocks will outperform bonds again.
Eric Thorne is Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Bryn Mawr Trust.The full service bank with a specialty in affluent clients was founded in 1889,and has branches in the Philadelphia area.
Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation(BMTC)

Mohamed El-Erian:Assumptions And Actuality

Mohamed El-Erian,CEO of Pimco,has had many subtle thoughts regarding the present situation.For instance,he feels that the market has priced in an assumption that Quantitative Easing 2,or the Federal Reserve's adding assets to its balance sheet,will impact the real economy.In fact,every policy action carries a number of risks,such as:1.debasing the dollar;2.raising commodity prices;3.continuing the trend of outcomes falling short of expectations.There are not just benefits for investors to consider;but also costs and risks of Quantitative Easing 2.
The stimulus achieved a lot,but did not reach the unemployment target.People's expectations of stimulus were disappointed.The expectations were for a quick exit from government involvement.Now we have the prospect of more government involvement in the form of Quantitative Easing 2.Consistently,the policy expectations have not been matched.
We need fundamental structural reform to get this economy going again,to deal with supply and demand.You've got to get the housing market functioning again.It's a long list.
Our job is to navigate what's likely to be.There is no perfect solution in a world of second,third and fourth best.The political world is unwilling to decide what we're willing to give up.
The rocket has to go up sharply to reach escape velocity.There's a lot at stake,but you have to recognize the private sector is hoarding cash and continues de-risking.We went through a great age of leverage;now we're adjusting.The government has stepped in,but the private sector still wants to delever.It's the fundamental issue.It's all about balance sheets,Mr.El-Erian believes.
Pimco has more than a trillion dollars under management.The firm is best known for its bond funds,but has recently been developing its equity side.Mr.El-Erian shares the Chief Investment Officer role with Bill Gross,"the bond king."

Sunday, October 10, 2010

NSA Holds Career Invitational

The National Security Agency is holding a career invitational.Based at Fort Meade,Maryland,the NSA gathers and analyzes foreign signals intelligence and secures government information systems.It needs Computer Scientists;Computer/Electrical Engineers;Language Analysts(linguists);and Intelligence Analysts.U.S. citizenship is required.
The largest of the intelligence agencies,the NSA is headed by a high-ranking military officer.
You may apply online to www.NSA.gov/Careers by October 17.Qualified applicants will be invited to the December 1 event.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Frontiers in Medicine:USC's Stem Cell Center Opens Soon

On October 29,the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC will open in Los Angeles.The 80 million dollar center,much of which was funded by the Broads' generous gift,will house up to 18 principal investigators and their research teams.
Consisting of 87,500 square feet on five stories,the center is characterized as an integral hub for stem cell research in Southern California by businessman and philanthropist Eli Broad(rhymes with "road").It is built to silver LEED standards-a mark of high environmental integrity-and will take its place alongside several other institutes on the USC Health Sciences Campus.
The center is led by Keck School of Medicine Professor Martin Pera,PhD,who describes its purpose as research aimed at the treatment of a vast spectrum of diseases.It will enable USC researchers and their colleagues to convert exciting fundamental discoveries into new therapies.The center focuses on liver disease;diabetes;heart,eye and blood diseases;as well as cancer.
Dr.Pera,a pharmacologist,is a graduate of George Washington University and Oxford University.Principal donor The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation supports progress in education,science and the arts.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Stock Market Ways:What Light Trading Volume Means

The stock market's behavior has been marked by a light trading volume recovery.Light trading volume often means high volatility,says Chris Johnson of the Johnson Research Group.It indicates low confidence in the market.
Strong trading volume is necessary for a long term rally.Such volume will help portfolio performance,and can be found in certain sectors even today.
The regional banking,real estate and industrial sectors have seen low trading volume.Margins are very tight in regional banking.
It is time to get into high trading volume stocks.Institutional money managers are doing this.
Mr.Johnson,who has worked at Schaeffer's Investment Research,highlights the exchange traded funds IYZ,telecom;EWM,Malaysia;DVY,select dividend;and the retail sector as higher trading volume prospects for investors to consider at this time.

JNJ's Crisis Management

Johnson and Johnson has responded to a series of recalls it made across different product lines.Involved were children's versions of Tylenol and Motrin,as well as Rolaids,Benadryl and St.Joseph's aspirin.CEO William Weldon pointed out that they took everything out of the market.They looked at every facility worldwide.
They brought in outside experts to look at problem facilities.They put an individual in to look at the supply chain and report directly to Mr.Weldon to ensure consistency.
JNJ will invest 100 million dollars to improve quality and operations.The recalls were voluntary,and no one got sick.
According to a survey,the company's response has been effective.The brands have been protected.Closing the plant and removing all the product from the shelf,as well as the other measures,have reassured consumers that this was a brief lapse of competence.
A company of JNJ's size will inevitably be dealing with product recalls.It needs an impressive skill set to handle these crises satisfactorily.
Johnson and Johnson(JNJ)

A.M. Asia

Tokyo woke to a sunny morning with a light breeze.The Bank of Japan will begin a two day meeting there.It is expected to expand a low interest loan facility.There are 30 trillion yen available for the economy-boosting attempt.
The 19th Commonwealth Games have been opened in Delhi by Prince Charles.The eleven-day event will feature athletes from 71 countries and territories with a British inheritance.A big fireworks display capped off the showcase of Indian history and culture that initiated the games.India was sharply criticized for not preparing for the games adequately.Poor accommodations,infrastructure and security were cited by the critics.
Chinese initial public offerings have been doing well on the U.S. market.Shares of Chinacache International,an Internet content firm;as well as SouFun Holdings,a property website;and restaurant chain Country Style Cooking have appreciated significantly.
The week began with stocks gaining about 0.40 on the New Zealand market.