Market to Open Modestly Higher

Elena
22 Jan, 2007
New York City

U.S. stock market futures predicted a slightly higher opening on Monday ahead of a busy week of earnings reports. The technology sector was again in focus on speculations that a deal could help chip maker Intel Corp. gain a market share. In earnings news, drug maker Pfizer topped analyst estimates on earnings by a penny a share. The Dow component inched up 8 cents in pre-open trading. Another blue-chip stock, Boeing Co. fell 1.4% after the aerospace giant was downgraded by Wachovia.

[R]9:00AM Market futures moved modestly higher ahead of earnings.[/R]
U.S. stock market futures predicted a slightly higher opening on Monday ahead of a busy week of earnings reports. The technology sector was again in focus on speculations that a deal could help chip maker Intel Corp. ((INTC)) gain a market share. According to a report, Sun Microsystems ((SUNW)) is close to an agreement to buy Intel chips. In earnings news, drug maker Pfizer ((PFE)) topped analyst estimates on earnings by a penny a share. The Dow component inched up 8 cents in pre-open trading. Other companies scheduled to report results on Monday include American Express Co. ((AXP)) and Texas Instruments Inc. ((TXN)).

Another blue-chip stock, Boeing Co. ((BA)) fell 1.4% after the aerospace giant was downgraded by Wachovia. In other corporate news, Citigroup ((C)) agreed to buy ABN AMRO Mortgage Group, an originator and servicer of U.S. prime residential mortgage loans that is a unit of LaSalle Bank Corp and ABN AMRO Bank NV.S&P 500 futures rose 1.50 points to 1,438.20 and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 6.00 points to 1,812.50. Dow industrial futures added 4 points to 12,614. Data on leading indicators for December is due, and Fed member Janet Yellen is due to speak on the economy.


[R]8:00AM Pfizer reported surging Q4 earnings, helped by the sale of its consumer health care unit.[/R]
Pfizer Inc. ((PFE)), the world''s biggest drug maker, reported surging Q4 profit to $9.45 billion, or $1.32 per share, higher than $2.73 billion, or 37 cents per share a year ago. The considerable increase was largely contributed to the hefty gain from the sale of its consumer health care unit. The company sold its consumer health care business for $16.6 billion to health care products maker Johnson & Johnson in December 2006. The sale resulted in a gain of $7.9 billion after taxes.

Excluding the gain, earnings totaled 43 cents per share, beating the average estimates by a penny but falling 12% from the adjusted figure for a year ago. Revenue moved slightly higher to $12.60 billion from $12.55 billion a year ago, missing expectations of $12.62 billion.

For 2006, Pfizer reported earnings of $19.34 billion, or $2.66 a share, up from $8.09 billion, or $1.09 a share, in 2005. Company’s revenue climbed to $48.37 billion from $47.41 billion a year earlier, driven by strong U.S. sales of Lipitor, Celebrex and Norvasc.


[R]7:30 AM Asian markets advance Monday with HK, Shanghai and Japan leading.[/R]
Asian markets finished higher on Monday. Japan''s Nikkei Index ended 0.7% higher at 17,424. Mitsubishi Estate gained 2.4% and Mitsui Fudosan ended 2% higher. Nippon Steel advanced 2.5% and JFE Holdings added 3.7%. Among bank stocks, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group was 2.6% higher, Mizuho Financial Group closed 2.1% higher and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group advanced 1.6%.

The Hong Kong Hang Seng Index soared 2.2% to 20,772. HSBC gained 1.7% and was the most heavily traded stock, while China Mobile finished 4.3% higher on its report last Friday that it had its strongest-ever monthly subscriber additions in December. The Shanghai Composite Index surged 3.6% to 2,933. The top biggest gainers included, bus and taxi operator Beijing Bashi which surged 10%, the daily limit, and Daqin Railway which also rose 10%, while Shanghai Airlines gained 9.9%. Among retailers, Chengdu People Department Store, Beijing Wangfujing Department Store and Yinchuan Xinhua Department Store all closed 10% higher.

South Korean Kospi Index advanced 0.2% to 1,363. Shares gained on large-caps including Hynix and LG Electronics. Hynix Semiconductor advanced 2.2% on a technical rebound after a loss of 4.9% Friday. LG Electronics gained 1.7%. Australian S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.9% to close at 5,727. Strength in commodity prices powered broad-based gains in the stock market, with resources leading the charge. BHP Billiton was the biggest points contributor to the index, advancing 2.1%. Woodside Petroleum rose 2.5%.


[R]6:30 AM European shares gain Monday with auto, oil and resource stocks higher.[/R]
European markets were higher on Monday. By late morning, FTSE 100 in London climbed 0.5% to 6,266.9, Frankfurt Xetra Dax added 0.2 % to 6,758.26, and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.4 % to 5,639.17.

Advancers

Swatch, the world largest watchmaker, reported a 12.3% rise in 2006 sales, adding that it expected full-year operating profit to above average

Austrian bank Raiffeisen International gained 2.8% after Morgan Stanley raised its price target, saying it had underestimated the bank asset growth potential.

DaimlerChrysler led the auto sector higher after JPMorgan raised its price target keeping its overweight rating.

German car parts maker Continental gained 2.1% after Merrill Lynch lifted its target price in expectation of capital restructuring in the coming months.

Philips shares rose 1.6% in Amsterdam after the company said its fourth quarter net profit more than doubled on comparable sales growth of 2%.

Credit Suisse rose 0.4% after it said that it intends to return up to 8 billion Swiss francs to its shareholders over three years.

Oil stocks were higher too. Norway Statoil gained 1.7%, while Austrian OMV added 1.6% and Royal Dutch Shell climbed 0.8%.

Decliners

British Airways were trading down 1.7% after it said it was notified by the Transport and General Workers Union that British Airways employees who are members of the TGWU cabin crew branch will be called upon to take part in a series of strikes.

Oil and gold

Crude oil advanced for a second day in New York on speculation that cold weather in the northeastern U.S. will increase consumption. Crude oil for February delivery rose $1.06, or 2%, to $53.05 a barrel, in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March settlement gained 69 cents, or 1.3%, to $54.13 a barrel in electronic trading on the ICE Futures exchange and was at $53.97 in London. Gold traded in London at $635.10 per troy ounce, up from $632.00 late Friday.

Currencies

The dollar rose against other major currencies in European trading Monday morning. The euro traded at $1.2949, down from $1.2965 late Friday. The British pound traded at $1.9730, down from $1.9737. The dollar bought 121.60 Japanese yen, up from 121.29.