Thursday, December 30, 2010

Asthma Med Primatene Mist Being Reformulated

Because its propellant is a chloroflourocarbon,Primatene Mist is being reformulated by Armstrong Pharmaceuticals.As of December 31,2011,the Food and Drug Administration is banning the production and sale of epinephrine metered dose inhalers containing CFCs to protect the atmosphere's ozone layer.
Primatene Mist,introduced in 1964,is the only inhalable over the counter medication for the temporary relief of occasional symptoms of bronchial asthma.Although Primatene Mist will have a new,non-CFC propellant,its active ingredient will remain epinephrine.
Primatene Mist relieves wheezing,tightness of chest and shortness of breath in as little as 15 seconds.It is the number one OTC brand for physician-diagnosed bronchial asthma.
The Primatene brand is also applied to OTC tablets,sold since 1954,which ease breathing for asthma patients by reducing spasms of bronchial muscles,loosening phlegm and thinning bronchial secretions.Highly regarded by patients,Primatene tablets are a product of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and have different active ingredients than Primatene Mist.
Pfizer(PFE)

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Wall Street Partner:Improvement Will Be Muted

Alison Deans,a partner at the newly-formed Varick Asset Management and a CNBC contributor,says corporate America is gonna do very well in 2011,but fears of rising interest rates will hold back multiples expansion-or improvement in measures of a company's financial well being-while that change is happening.We will be beneath 2007's all time highs.
What's coming through from Washington is more important for business confidence.The increase in hiring will take place in the second half of 2011.We're looking at 2.5-3%Gross Domestic Product growth for the new year.There will be a lackluster first half,and a better second half.
Unemployment may possibly dip beneath 9% in 2011,Ms.Deans thinks.A Wall Street veteran,she had previously worked for Lehman Brothers and Neuberger Berman.

Canadian Banks Go Shopping

Canadian banks,which are considered the strongest in the world by the International Monetary Fund,are looking southward to expand their businesses.Last week,Toronto Dominion Bank purchased Chrysler Financial from private equity firm Cerberus Capital for 6.3 billion dollars U.S.,and the Bank of Montreal bought Marshall&Ilsley for 4.1 billion.
Chrysler Financial's loan book is 90% U.S. loans and 10% Canadian.Both the acquired firms are regarded as being relatively weak.
The Royal Bank of Canada thinks SunTrust Banks is a likely takeover target as well.
In response to the news,shares of Toronto Dominion rose 10.83%.Ed Clark is CEO of Toronto Dominion,while William Downe is CEO of Bank of Montreal.
Toronto Dominion Bank(TD),Bank of Montreal(BMO),SunTrust Banks(STI),Marshall&Ilsley(MI),Royal Bank of Canada(RBC)

Food Retailer Hiring Event

Aldi,a major select assortment grocer,is having a hiring event for ALL stores in the MD/DC/VA area on Tuesday,January 4 from 6am-10am and 3pm-6pm at
Marriott Inn&Conference Center UMUC
3501 University Boulevard
Hyattsville,MD
Aldi Foods
13782 Smoketown Road
Woodbridge,VA
Aldi Foods
8256 Richmond Hw
Alexandria,VA
They need Manager Trainees,Shift Managers and Cashiers for their dedicated,supported,team-oriented environment.Generous benefits such as major medical/dental/vision,vacation time,paid holidays and 401(k) are offered.You may visit ALDI.us/storejobs for more information.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

USC Fotonovela Highlights Dementia

Latino families are among those who tend to deal with dementia on their own,rather than seek professional assistance.A number of USC staff members have collaborated on a fotonovela,a sort of photographic comic book popular in the Latino community,that helps families understand dementia and presents the possibility of getting help for aged relatives stricken with the brain disorder.
Based on multidisciplinary research,Forgotten Memories tells the story of an elderly mariachi musician,Memo,who is showing signs of memory loss.His pharmacist urges Memo to undergo memory screening at a clinic.A physician at the clinic recommends medication for Memo and a support group for Memo's wife to help her with managing his illness.A lot of time went into ensuring the cultural sensitivity of the fotonovela.
Leading the project is Mel Baron,an associate professor at the USC School of Pharmacy.Academics from USC College and the Keck School of Medicine,as well as the pharmacy school,provided research for the fotonovela.It will be distributed at clinics,pharmacies and community events such as mariachi festivals.
Forgotten Memories was underwritten by Pfizer,Forest Laboratories,Good Neighbor Pharmacies,the National Association of Chain Drugstores and several USC organizations.
More than 30 million people are suffering from the diseases that cause dementia worldwide-a number that grows rapidly by the day.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Richard LeFrak:A Brightening Business Picture

For Richard LeFrak,billionaire head of The LeFrak Organization,it's clear that business conditions are getting better.He sees it in his real estate and hotel businesses.There is also some improvement in his mall sales.
Indeed,they are ready to build a high-rise multifamily project on the New Jersey waterfront in March or April.They have to be a little ahead of demand.It's their first new development in two and a half years.
Mr.Lefrak is starting to see pretty good uptick in certain submarkets,the best of which is Miami.The majority of the buyers are coming from Latin America-all cash buyers looking for income.There's a vigorous demand everywhere in Miami.All those markets are red-hot.
Banks are a little more confident,ready to play with the borrowers.As conditions get better,the problem is shrinking of its own accord,and there's no supply coming on the market.All of these things make it look a little better,Mr.LeFrak observes.
The LeFrak Organization is a multifaceted holding company with extensive properties in New York,Los Angeles and London.

MF Global:2011 Prospects For Investors

John Brady,Senior Vice-President at MF Global,says you're seeing capital go out of bond funds and into stock funds.He really thinks it's been about a repositioning trade,a rotation trade,getting cash off the balance sheet and back into the market.
The refinancing schedule for Spain and Italy really picks up next year.Investors want to be very concerned then about what takes place in the Euro-zone.
Perhaps inflation and monetary policy in China will affect the market in 2011,increasing global market volatility.
Mr.Brady still thinks it's gonna be a slow,long recovery in the employment market.
MF Global is a brokerage offering customized solutions,providing its clients global access to more than 70 securities and futures exchanges,as well as OTC markets.It has offices worldwide,from New York to London and Dubai.
MF Global Holdings Ltd(MF)

DIA Hiring Event

The Defense Intelligence Agency is holding an invitation-only Washington,DC hiring event February 15-16,2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for U.S. citizens.They are looking for a wide range of professionals,including:
Acquisitioning and Contracting
Administrative
Analysis(Intelligence Officers-all disciplines)
Education
Engineering
Facilities and Logistics
Financial Services
Human Capital
Information Technology
Intelligence Collection and Operations
Oversight and Compliance
Science
Security
You must apply online before midnight EST January 7,2011.Visit www.dia.mil and choose Recruiting Events under the Employment menu.
DIA:Committed to Excellence in Defense of the Nation.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Aspirin Versus Cancer:The Latest Research

A team of British researchers has evaluated reams of data from eight studies originally intended to investigate aspirin's effectiveness in preventing cardiovascular events.They wanted to learn whether daily aspirin lowered death risk from cancers other than colorectal,an effect of aspirin which was already established.
Using individual patient data from all randomised trials of daily aspirin versus no aspirin,and using evidence such as death certificates and cancer registries for follow-up,the team indeed found a significant preventive effect of daily aspirin against many different cancers.
Lead by corresponding author Professor Peter M. Rothwell,FMedSci,the researchers concluded that daily aspirin reduced deaths due to several common cancers during and after the trials.The authors went on to say that benefit increased the longer treatment with aspirin continued and was consistent across study populations.
In the authors' view,the findings have implications for aspirin usage guidelines and the understanding of carcinogenesis and its susceptibility to drug interventions.
The benefit of daily aspirin outweighed its risk of causing bleeding ulcers,they believe.Several people who posted comments on the article disagreed with that opinion,however.
Among cancer deaths reduced by daily aspirin were those caused by prostate,lung,pancreatic,colorectal and esophageal/throat cancer.The reduction percentages ranged from 10-60%.
The article was just published in the journal The Lancet.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Leading Analyst Disturbed By D.C.'s Tax Cuts

To Ed Yardeni,the analyst who coined the term "bond vigilantes,"there seems to be a coincidence between today's rising bond yields and D.C.'s tax cut plans.D.C. is making it all too easy to increase the deficit by readily cutting taxes and hence decreasing revenue.As the deficit balloons,the government must pay more and more interest to skeptical investors who buy government bonds,which ultimately stresses the budget even more.
There's also a fear Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may overshoot in his QE2 policy of buying Treasury bonds:another reason to lighten up on the bond holdings.The bond vigilantes have woken up in Europe,and are now waking up in the U.S.,Mr.Yardeni thinks.They're in the position to shut the bond market down unless the U.S. changes its policy.
Rising bond yields means retirement portfolios stuffed with bond funds will lose value,since bond prices fall as yields rise.
The U.K.'s making tremendous progress in cutting the deficit,and Europe's moving in the right direction,Mr.Yardeni said.He certainly doesn't like what he's been seeing in the U.S. recently,however,and neither do the bond vigilantes.
Bond vigilantes are big traders who insist on ever-higher interest rates to cover their risk as governments sink deeper into debt,making the cost of money increase even more.
Other observers disagree with Mr.Yardeni's assessment,saying the increase in bond yields is simply the bond market adjusting to better economic data and growing national debt,rather than the bond vigilantes waking up,and will not be disastrous.
Nonetheless,most financial advisors are urging their clients to move away from a bond market that is seen as being toppy now,and toward an improving stock market.

Citi Restores The Equilibrium

Things are getting better slowly,in the view of Citigroup Chairman Dick Parsons.Some people would call it anemic,but it's growth nonetheless.
It's not surprising to Mr.Parsons.What we're seeing is what you could have expected.People have to delever,and that's gonna impress some slowness on the economy.
Loan demand is down.Businesses as well as consumers are tightening their belts,while underwriting standards have gone up.Citi loaned as much in Q1-Q3 to small business as they did in all of last year,but the underwriting standards mean some people who used to get loans can't get them now.
It's axiomatic that economies crash from the bottom up,and heal from the top down.The market is coming back down to those who can't get credit,however.There's a restoraion of equilibrium going on.
Businesses are asking how do I adjust my own sales to catch the wind rather than be buffeted by the wind?We need a comprehensive economic plan,Mr.Parsons believes.
While Dick Parsons is Chairman,Vikram Pandit is CEO of Citigroup.The U.S. government has now fully exited its bailout of Citi,making 12 billion dollars in profit for the taxpayers.
Citigroup(C)

Bank Teller Job Fair

Capital One Bank is holding a bank teller job fair on Tuesday,December 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at
Capital One Headquarters
Dining Room A,3rd Floor
1680 Capital One Drive
McClean,VA 22102
You are invited to join them to learn more about Teller opportunities in Maryland,DC and Virginia and what to expect during their online application process.For more information,please visit www.capitalone.com/careers
Capital One:Better.Together.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Newsletter Publisher:Don't Give Up On Big Pharma

Big pharmaceutical companies are often plagued by patent expirations on major products.That doesn't mean you should stop investing in them,prominent money manager and commentator Alan Lancz(pronounced Lance)points out.A frequent guest on business television,Mr.Lancz likes drugmakers Pfizer and Merck at this time.
Pfizer and Merck offer good dividend yields.As well,while stock analysts focus on their patent expirations,you don't often hear about their acquisitions or drug pipelines,such as Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth and King Pharmaceuticals.
In the case of medical device maker Hologic,Mr.Lancz feels it's a bit toppy right now,but should be purchased at the buy limit of 17.00 or below.It closed at 17.55 on Thursday.
Hologic develops,manufactures and supplies diagnostics,medical imaging systems and surgical products for women's health needs,such as breast health products and GYN surgical products.
Alan B. Lancz is publisher of The Lancz Letter,a subscription-only newsletter that gives current recommendations and analysis on stocks,bonds,real estate,currencies and other related investment vehicles.
Pfizer(PFE),Merck(MRK),Hologic(HOLX)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Wal-Mart Tussles With Safeway

The Christmas shopping season isn't just significant for gift sellers;but for grocers as well.Wal-Mart,for instance,thinks it is so important that it took on Safeway in a newspaper circular.Wal-Mart claims that a comparable basket of non-meat/non-produce frequently purchased items is 25% less expensive at their stores than at Safeway's.
Wal-Mart says it compared the average national prices for 244 items at their respective stores every week beginning September 25.Besides this aggressive tactic,Wal-Mart is making a pledge to match any local competitor's price in a printed ad for an identical product.
On the other hand,Safeway offers considerable discounts to holders of its Club Card,which were probably not taken into account by Wal-Mart.The Safeway Club Card is free and is issued upon the filling out of a brief application.
In China,Wal-Mart is opening smaller stores to serve lower income small town and rural residents.
Wal-Mart(WMT),Safeway(SWY)

A Brandeis Perspective:Black Swan of a Jobs Report

The duration of unemployment today and the slowness of the labor market's recovery are unprecedented.This observation was reinforced by Friday's bleak Labor Department unemployment report,which revealed a jobs gain of only 39,000,and an increase in the unemployment rate from 9.6-9.8%.Lisa Lynch,Dean of The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University in Waltham,Massachusetts,described the report as a huge surprise.Even the most pessimistic economists were not coming in with so low a number.We should be adding 120,000 jobs just to keep pace with population growth.
Dean Lynch pointed out there was much lower growth in the manufacturing sector,in spite of the demand for autos.There was also contraction in the construction and retail sectors.We did see growth in health care and restaurants and bars.
Those who are working are putting in more hours.Seeing their friends and family members out of work,they are hesitant to shop.
At this rate,it will take the labor market about 12.5 years to recover,Bloomberg Television calculated.
Lisa Lynch received her BA from Wellesley College and a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science.She has been in her position since 2008,and is also a Professor of Economics at Brandeis.

Inside Sales Open House

SenecaOne,a provider of financial services for lottery winners,prize winners and structured settlement recipients,is holding an open house for inside sales professionals.It will be held on Tuesday,December 7th from 4-8 pm at
Marriott Hotel(Bethesda)
5151 Pooks Hill Road
Bethesda,MD 20814
Free hotel parking will be provided.
2-5 years of cold calling and inside sales experience are a plus.Please bring your resume,dress professionally and be prepared for on the spot interviews.Those who can't attend should send their resumes to careers@senecaone.com
The 1st year income potential is 55-75K,and 2nd year potential is 100K+.
SenecaOne-your trusted source

Thursday, December 2, 2010

MedImmune's Oncology Portfolio Advances

MedImmune,the biologics business of British pharma titan AstraZeneca,is perhaps best known for its FluMist product,but it is also quite active in oncology innovation.They are using insights and understanding of cancer to discover breakthrough biologic therapies that can be used to treat specific cancers for the individual patient,according to Jerry McMahon,PhD,Senior Vice President and Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit Leader.
MedImmune's pipeline is focused on eliminating cancer cells in more effective and targeted ways.They are currently researching their products MEDI-575,an antibody with promise in treatment of solid tumors;and the immunotoxin moxetamomab pasudotox(CAT 8015),which is being evaluated for therapeutic potential against certain leukemias.
These are early phase studies,but MedImmune is excited about the oncology portfolio's progress and looks forward to advancing oncology products into expanded clinical studies in the near future,Dr.McMahon indicated.
MedImmune,based in Gaithersburg,Maryland,employs about 3500 people worldwide.Jerry McMahon,who assumed his position in October,received a doctorate in Biochemistry and Genetics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy,New York.
AstraZeneca(AZN)