Chevron Profit up 24%, Tops Estimate

Elena
27 Jul, 2007
New York City

Stocks opened in the negative Friday, continuing the downward trend set yesterday when U.S. equities saw the second-biggest decline this year. Concerns about the worsening climate for financing corporate takeovers and about subprime mortgage markets continued to weigh. In positive earnings news, oil company Chevron posted better-than-expected 24% earnings increase in Q2 on higher gasoline prices.

[R]09:45AM Wall Street opened lower, weighed down by credit markets concerns.[/R]

Stocks opened in the negative Friday, continuing the downward trend set yesterday when U.S. equities saw the second-biggest decline this year. Concerns about the worsening climate for financing corporate takeovers and about subprime mortgage markets continued to weigh. Economic news of robust economic growth in Q2 failed to offset the decline and the enthus iasm over it was only shortly lived. The Commerce Department said GDP rose 3.4%.

In positive earnings news, oil company Chevron ((CVX)) posted better-than-expected 24% earnings increase in Q2 on higher gasoline prices. The stock gained 0.4%. Fortune Brands ((FO)) posted 6% decline in Q2 profit, but the results beat expectations. The stock rose 2.8%. ITT Corp. ((ITT))posted Q2 profit jump of 52% to $1.16 a share, from 75 cents a share a year ago, beating expectations. The stock was down 0.5%.

Energy companies posted the most notable declines, with shares of ExxonMobil ((XOM)) falling 1.5%. One of the biggest drags on the Dow was Caterpillar ((CAT)), down nearly 1%. In corporate news, Medtronic ((MDT)) lost 0.6% afterr it agreed to buy Kyphon ((KYPH)) for $3.9 billion.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 55.35 points, or 0.41%, at 13,418.22. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 7.45 points, or 0.50%, at 1,475.21. The Nasdaq Composite fell 15.32 points, or 0.59%, at 2,584.02.


[R]9:00AM U.S. stock futures pointed lower, despite strong economic growth in Q2.[/R]

U.S. stock futures were pointing lower Friday, despite data showing better-than-expected gross domestic product and a drop in core inflation in Q2. The Commerce Department said that the U.S. economy was strong in Q2 as the drag from the housing sector lessened. GDP advanced 3.4%, slightly higher than the 3.3% growth expected by economists. However, although the GDP indicates a healthy economic growth, it also reduces the possibility of interest-rate cuts before the end of the year.

Among the few major companies posting quarterly results Friday, U.S. oil company Chevron ((CVX)) posted better-than-expected 24% earnings increase in Q2 on higher gasoline prices. Pharmaceutical company Amgen ((AMGN)) also reported a stronger-than-forecast profit rise. Medco Health Solutions ((MHS)) lifted its 2007 profit outlook after reporting a 26% profit increase.

In merger-and-acquisition news, Medtronic ((MDT)) agreed to buy Kypkon ((KYPH)) for $3.9 billion, or $71 a share, a 32% premium to Kyphon''s close on Thursday. Kyphon surged 27% in pre-market trading.

S&P 500 futures fell 8 points at 1,479.90 and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 7 points at 1,994.00. Dow industrial futures dropped 69 points, retreating from the second-biggest drop this year. On Thursday, Dow Jones industrials dropped as much as 450 points before closing with a deficit of 311 points.


[R]8:30AM New York – Asia and emerging markets suffer the heaviest loss since late February.[/R]

Asian markets declined following decline of 2.3% in the U.S. and 3% decline in the European markets. Japan, the largest market in the region, fell 2.3% mirroring losses on Wall Street.

Taiwan led the region with a loss of 4.22% followed by 4.09% decline in Korea. Philippines dropped 3.9%, India declined 3.4%. Hong Kong, Australia, and Indonesia fell 2.8%. Singapore and Thailand dropped 2.4%.

Asian markets have been in the upswing the last five weeks with several markets trading at record levels. India and Philippines have traded at elevated levels on domestic economic strength; South Korea on rising exports and strong commodities prices have lifted Indonesia to a new highs.

Markets in Shanghai had run up 11% in the last five trading sessions and failed to participate in the current sell-off. Chinese government has raised interest rates on bank deposits, tightened the lending rules for real estate but investors continue to pour money into local stocks markets. In the month June, China reported daily new stock trading accounts opening near record level.

Australia fell 2.76% on weak metal prices and worries that strength is currency may affect commodity exports. New Zealand lost 1.8% after its strong currency came under heavy pressure faced by unwinding of yen carry trades.

Emerging markets in Asian reflected similar losses in South America and Europe. Brazil lost nearly 4% and Mexico dropped 3.6% on a day when stock markets around the world got clobbered. Turkey dropped 4.2% leading the global markets rout on Thursday and dropped another 1.35% at the end of the mid-day session today.


[R]8:15AM Medtronic agreed to buy Kyphon for $3.9 billion.[/R]

Medical technology group Medtronic Inc. ((MDT)) announced on Friday an agreement to buy Kyphon Inc. ((KYPH)) for $3.9 billion, or $71 a share. The transaction represents a 32% premium to Kyphon''s closing price of $53.68 on Thursday. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. It is not expected to contribute to earnings in the first full year after the deal and provide a boost to the bottom line after that.

The acquisition is expected to boost the growth of Medtronic''s existing spinal business and enable it to provide physicians with a broader range of therapies, the company said. Separately Kyphon, a developer of medical devices to restore and preserve spinal function, said it earned 23 cents-a-share in Q2, up from 21 cents-a-share a year earlier.


[R]7:00AM New York, 8:00PM Tokyo – Tokyo declines mirroring losses in Europe and the U.S.[/R]

Nikkei 225 Index in Tokyo dropped 2.36% or 418.28 to 17,283.81 and Topix fell 37.47 or 2.33% to close at 1,699.71. For the week Nikkei lost 4.8% and curtailed its gain for the year to 0.3% and Topix dropped 4.3% and limiting its rise for the year to 1.1%.

The unwinding of carry trade in the region and a decline in the U.S. and European markets dominated the trading sentiment in Tokyo. The stocks fell at the opening and continued to trade lower in the session.

Decliners

Fujitsu plunged 6% to 789 yen after reporting a net loss of 14.8 billion yen. The company reported its first loss after nine quarterly profits in a row.

Canon plunged 5.5% to 6,510 yen, Nintendo lost 6.2% to 58,000 yen, and automakers fell as well in the sell-off. Toyota Motor dropped 1.8% and Honda Motor lost 2.5%. Daihatsu, Nissan and other makers fell as well.

Trading companies, oil refiners, and mining companies fell for the second day in a row after surging year to date. The largest oil refiner Nippon Oil lost 6.4% to 1,047 yen and largest oil explorer Inpex declined 3.2% to 1.2 million yen.

Retailers fell after reporting a surprise sales decline in June. Seven & I Holdings dropped 1.2% to 3,390 yen, supermarket operator Aeon Co. lost 4.6% to 1,917 yen, and Seiyu Limited declined 1.5% to 129 yen.

Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry reported that retail sales in June fell 0.4% from a year ago. Sales at large retailers were up 0.9% and wholesales sales were up 5.3%

Metals and oil trading companies dropped for the second day in a row. Sumitomo Mining, Marubeni, Mitsui Mining declined more than 2%. Nippon Steel was dragged in the sell off as well. Shipping companies repeated the losses of more than 2.2% for the second day in a row.

Gainers

Toyota group of companies saw their stocks rise on a day of sell-off. Hino Motors gained 1.3% to 791 yen after reporting a sharp rise in earnings on overseas sales. Toyota Tsusho, trading company in the group rose 4% to 3,130 yen after reporting earnings gain.