Amazon Opens 12% Lower

Elena
26 Oct, 2005
New York City

Asian-Pacific markets closed mixed with the Nikkei rising 0.9% on resource stocks. European markets traded higher at mid-day, led by London's FTSE 100, up 0.8%. Among the oil majors reporting today, Kerr-McGee posted third-quarter profit jump, beating estimates. Amerada Hess Corp released higher quarterly income, but missed estimates. Boeing Co. reported Q3 income growth, despite revenue decline, exceeding expectations.

U.S. MARKET AVERAGES

U.S. stock futures predict a higher opening ahead of oil inventory report and earnings releases from major oil companies, expected to post solid gains on the back of record-high prices. U.S. light sweet crude slightly declined, hovering near $62 a barrel. The report is expected to show distillate stocks fell by 800,000 barrels last week but crude stockpiles are forecast to have risen 1.9 million barrels.

S&P 500 futures were up 3.6 points, above their fair value. Dow Jones industrial average futures were up 26 points, while Nasdaq 100 futures gained 5 points.

Technology and retail stocks are expected to trade down as online retailer Amazon.com Inc. ((AMZN)) posted a lower quarterly profit and forecast sales below some Wall Street expectations.

INTERNATIONAL MARKET NEWS

Asian-Pacific benchmarks ended mixed with the Nikkei rising 0.9% on the back of strong resource-related stocks like JG Corp. and Chyoda Corp. Among the other regional markets, Australia’s All Ordinaries climbed 1.1%, Hong Hong’s Hang Seng closed flat, while South Korea’s Kospi declined 0.2%.

European markets traded higher at mid-day dealings on higher commodity prices, which gave a boost to miners like Rio Tinto and oil company BP, as well as on upbeat forecast from DaimlerCrysler. The German DAX 30 gained 0.6%, the French CAC 40 added 0.6%, and London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.8%.

ENERGY, METALS, CURRENCIES

Crude oil futures slightly declined, though still hovering round $62 a barrel ahead of winter season and oil inventory report. Light sweet crude December contract fell 56 cents to $61.88 a barrel on the Nymex. Heating oil traded at $1.8871 a gallon. Gasoline lost nearly 2 cents to $1.6380. Natural gas fell 14 cents to $14.20 per 1,000 cubic feet. London Brent dropped 54 cents to $59.70.

Gold prices lost ground in European trading. In London gold traded at the recommended price of $471.55 per troy ounce, down from $471.85. In Zurich it fell to $471.35, down from $472.35. In Hong Kong the precious metal rose $5.30 to close at $472.35. Silver opened at $7.80, up from $7.78.

In European trading the U.S. dollar climbed against its major counterparts. The euro was quoted at $1.2065, down from $1.2096. The dollar changed hands at 115.42 yen, up from 114.88. The British pound was trading at $1.7770, down from $1.7844.

EARNINGS NEWS

Boeing Co. ((BA)), plane maker and aerospace company, posted Q3 net income of $1.26 a share, up from 56 cents a share in the same period last year despite revenue decline, beating analysts’ forecasts of 80 cents a share. The company announced the earnings incorporated a 62 cents a share tax benefit and that a strike by its machinists cut down results by 25 cents to 30 cents a share and led to 21 fewer plane deliveries.

Kerr-McGee Corp. ((KMG)), oil and gas company, posted Q3 net income of $3.09 a share, up from 5 cents a share in the year-ago period on higher sales of oil and natural gas, beating analyst estimate of $2.64 a share. Excluding results from discontinued operations in the North Sea and elsewhere, earnings totaled $2.53 a share, up vs. 95 cents. Revenue advanced slightly to $1.208 billion from $1.202 billion.

Amerada Hess Corp. ((AHS)) oil and gas exploration company, reported Q3 net income of $2.60 a share, up vs. $1.74 a share in the year-earlier period on revenue growth, missing analyst estimate of $3.31 a share. The company added that hurricane activity in the Gulf of Mexico reduced Q3 exploration and production earnings by around $25 million, and generated exceptional costs of $14 million, after tax.

WellPoint Inc. ((WLP)), health insurer, announced net income advanced to $1.02 per share, up from 85 cents per share in the same period last year, beating analyst estimate, excluding special items, by a penny.

Sprint Nextel Corp. ((S)), communication products and solutions provider, posted Q3 earnings of 23 cents a share, up from a loss of$1.32 a sharein the year-ago period on 35% revenue growth, on a consolidated basis. On an adjusted basis, if not for certain items, the company gained 29 cents a share, topping its year-ago equivalent profit of 25 cents a share. On a pro forma basis, the company posted adjusted earnings of 25 cents a share.

Cardinal Health Inc. ((CAH)), health care industry company, posted Q3 net income of 53 cents a share, up from 49 cents a share in the same period last year on 9% revenue growth, missing analyst estimate of 72 cents a share. Earnings from continuing operations came in at 54 cents a share, up vs. 51 cents a share.

Air Products((APD)), gases, chemicals and equipment company, reported Q4 net income of 79 cents a share, up from 73 cents a share in the year-ago period on 5% revenue growth and improved pricing and energy costs pass-throughs, topping analysts’ expectations of 77 cents a share. The company added the impact of recent hurricanes cut earnings by 6 cents a share.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide ((HOT)), hotel chain, announced that Q3 net profit dropped 64% compared with the year-ago period to 17 cents a share despite 11.9% revenue growth. Excluding a tax expense on repatriating earnings and a tax expense related to its 1998 sale of ITT World Directories, earnings would have been 58 cents a share, topping analyst estimate of 52 cents a share. Same-store revenue per available room rose 13.2% in North America and 11.9% worldwide, the company stated. Starwood is looking for EPS before items of $2.27 for 2005 and $2.70 in 2006, with $6 billion in 2005 revenue.

Pixar Inc. ((PX)), specialty gases and surface coatings manufacturer, posted Q3 net income of 33 cents a share, down from 53 cents in the same period last year. Earnings for Q3 incorporated a charge of 28 cents a share, largely related to Praxair's plan to repatriate $1.1 billion of foreign profits under the federal Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Adjusted earnings per share of 61 cents a share were in line with analysts’ forecasts of 60 cents. The company announced that hurricanes Katrina and Rita reduced earnings by about 3 cents a share. Sales in Q3 totaled $1.89 billion, up 13% from the prior year's $1.67 billion.

EnCana Corp. ((ECA)), natural gas producer, reported that Q3 net profit dropped 38% to 30 cents a share from the year- ago period. The company announced Q3 results incorporated a $604 million hedging hit and a $166 million gain from foreign exchange rates. Revenue net of royalties rose 33% to $3.09 billion.

Lear Corporation (LEA)), automotive interior systems supplier, reported Q3 a net loss of $11.17 per share, down vs. a net income of $1.26 per share for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding the impairment and restructuring charges, Lear would have reported a net loss of 10 cents per share.

Lear Corporation ((AGR)), automotive interior systems supplier, reported Q3 a net loss of $11.17 per share, down vs. a net income of $1.26 per share for the comparable period in 2004. Excluding the impairment and restructuring charges, Lear would have reported a net loss of 10 cents per share.

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. ((DO)), drilling company, reported Q3 net income of 60 cents per share, up from 2 cents per share in the same period a year ago on revenue growth. Q3 results of current quarter reflect the impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Company recorded a Q3 after-tax gain of 16 cents per share, related to insurance proceeds from the previously reported casualty loss of the 300-ft. jack-up Ocean Warwick.