Westinghouse Files for Chapter 11, Vertex Surge on Positive Phase 3 Trial

Mukesh Buch
29 Mar, 2017
New York City

Paychex profit surged after improved segment revenues. Secureworks net loss narrowed after 26% jump in revenues. Westinghouse owned by Toshiba filed for bankruptcy protection. UniFirst revenues jumped. Verint net plunged. Vertex Pharma surged after positive phase 3 trial.

[R]5:45 PM New York – Paychex profit surged after improved segment revenues. Secureworks net loss narrowed after 26% jump in revenues. Westinghouse owned by Toshiba filed for bankruptcy protection. UniFirst revenues jumped. Verint net plunged. Vertex Pharma surged after positive phase 3 trial.[/R]

Tollbooth Index increased 14.84 to 11,583.24.

Earnings Review

OMNOVA Solutions Inc ((OMN)) gained 1.6% or 15 cents to $9.35 after the emulsion polymers provider stated revenues in the first-quarter ending in February slid 0.4% from a year ago to $174.6 million.

Net in the quarter swung to profit $3.6 million or 8 cents per diluted share from a loss of $1.1 million or 3 cents in the same quarter last year.

Paychex, Inc ((PAYX)) slipped 1.4% or 86 cents to $59.72 after the outsourcing services provider reported revenues in the third-quarter ending in February jumped 6% from a year ago to $795.8 million.

Net income in the quarter surged 12% to $202.5 million or 56 cents per diluted share from $180.4 million or 50 cents in the same quarter last year.

Paychex estimated revenues in the payroll service business to increase in the range of 3% to 4% and revenues in the HRS segment to soar in the range of 12% to 14% and total service revenue in the fiscal year ending in May 2017 to jump between 7% and 8%.

Secureworks Corp ((SCWX)) declined 4.1% or 47 cents to $10.91 after the cyber security provider said net revenues in the fourth-quarter ending on February 3 soared 26.4% from a year ago to $118.9 million.

Net loss in the quarter narrowed to $6.8 million or 9 cents per diluted share from $14.9 million or 21 cents in the same quarter last year.

In the fiscal 2017, Secureworks estimated revenues in the range of $457 million to $463 million and net loss in the range of $42 million to $45 million and diluted loss per share between 52 cents and 56 cents.

Toshiba Corp, today the Japanese conglomerate said its U.S. nuclear unit Westinghouse Electric Co filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York, as it seek to limit the losses.

As of December, Toshiba estimated loss of $6.2 billion or 712.5 billion yen from its embattled nuclear business as U.S. nuclear plant had hit the debt of $9.8 billion that it acquired in 2006 for $5.4 billion.

UniFirst Corporation ((UNF)) jumped 2.4% or $3.30 to $139.30 after the uniforms provider reported revenues in the second-quarter ending on February 25 advanced 7.8% from a year ago to $391.4 million.

Net income in the quarter dropped 4.2% to $22.5 million or $1.10 per diluted share from $23.5 million or $1.16 in the same quarter last year.

UniFirst forecasted revenues in fiscal 2017 to range between $1.55 billion and $1.57 billion and diluted earnings per share in the range of $4.85 to $5.

Verint Systems Inc ((VRNT)) soared 9.2% or $3.62 to $43.17 after the actionable intelligence solution provider said revenues in the fourth-quarter ending in January jumped 5.4% from a year ago to $295.9 million.

Net income in the quarter plunged 54.3% to $8 million or 13 cents per diluted share from $17.5 million or 28 cents in the same quarter last year.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc ((VRTX)) surged 22.8% or $20.47 to $110.10 after the serious diseases drugs maker said positive Phase 3 results from two highly anticipated studies for its cystic fibrosis treatment showed positive results.

The drugs-maker plans for approvals in the U.S. and Europe for combination of tezacaftor and ivacaftor.