Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) earnings prospects may suffer if holiday sales are poor.
• Circuit City Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: CC) disappointing results were followed by a restructuring announcement.
• Conexant Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CNXT) raised its guidance, send shares up sharply.
• Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) posted a Q2 loss due in part to restructuring Australian operations.
• Con-Way Inc. (NYSE: CNW) reduced Q3 guidance resulted in an analyst downgrade.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings, sending shares higher.
• Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) Q3 earnings prospects led to an analyst's upgrade.
• International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) fell on rumors it would miss earnings estimates.
• Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) Q3 profits fell and it warned of challenges through 2009.
• Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS) fell short of expectations and warned of a production slowdown.
• Nabors Industrial Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) warning about earnings led shares near a new low.
• Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. (NYSE: PBG) beat Q3 expectations despite struggling with economic woes.
• Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG) earnings prospects led to an analyst's downgrade.
• UBS (NYSE: UBS) said it expects to return to profitability after four straight quarterly losses.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) Q4 earnings fell short of expectations, though sales increased.

Also, Jim Cramer reminds us that earnings still matter. Changing accounting rules may affect the earnings of big banks.

Upcoming quarterly reports include Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA), Safeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY), Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM), Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST), Monsanto Co. (NASDAQ: MON), General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Circuit City, Marriott, Walgreen, Pepsi Bottling, UBS and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Thursday, Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) said its third-quarter earnings fell 28% and warned of deteriorating conditions for 2009, and Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE: STZ) posted a loss of nearly $23 million in its fiscal second quarter due to charges to reduce operations in Australia.

For the quarter ended Sept. 5, Marriott's net income slipped to $94 million, or 26 cents per share. Excluding a $29 million tax planning charge, adjusted income from continuing operations totaled $123 million, or 34 cents per share. Revenue rose 1% to $2.96 billion.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected earnings of 32 cents per share on revenue of $2.95 billion.

Marriott said its revenue per available room declined in North America, and timeshare sales evaporated due to the tight credit market and cutbacks in business and consumer spending.

The Bethesda, Md.-based hotel company lowered its full-year 2008 earnings guidance to $1.62 to $1.68 per share, from its previous guidance of $1.77 to $1.88 per share. Analysts had forecast 2008 profit of $1.78 per share. For 2009, Marriott said the outlook is uncertain, but it expects the environment to remain challenging. Marriott said it will focus on cash flow by trimming investments and share repurchases.

Marriott shares fell $1.34, or 5.3%, to $23.74 Thursday. The stock price is down 30.5% year to date.

Continue reading Marriott Q3 profit declines, Constellation Brands posts a Q2 loss

Marriott Q3 profit declines, Constellation Brands posts a Q2 loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

5 Ways to Play the Stock Market's Wild Ride
Wall Street is in perpetual turmoil. Investors don't have to be.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26973429

Credit Card Debt Could Be Next Shot to Rip Through Economy
Credit-card debt is on the brink of imploding and will be the next storm to hit the fragile finance industry, an investment research firm predicted this week.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/bad-credit-card-debt-could-next/story.aspx?guid=%7BDE0C0B15%2D4760%2D491C%2DA0F4%2DD34CBD96F7B7%7D

Continue reading 5 ways to play the market's wild ride; credit card debt next crisis? & retirement strategies - Today in Money 10/2

5 ways to play the market's wild ride; credit card debt next crisis? & retirement strategies - Today in Money 10/2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Senate approves bill, futures down; UBS, MOS, MAR, IMCL, GE, EBAY ...

Before the bell: Senate approves bill, futures down; UBS, MOS, MAR, IMCL, GE, EBAY ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• JMP Securities upgraded Vertex Pharma (NASDAQ: VRTX) to Outperform from Market Perform following better-than-expected interim data for telaprevir.
  
• Lazard Capital upgraded shares of Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Buy from Hold on valuation after their physician survey indicated solid sales growth in the company's MS franchise.
  
• Calyon upgraded Data Domain (NASDAQ: DDUP) to Add from Neutral based on positive channel checks and valuation.
• Goldman added Buckeye GP (NYSE: BGH) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded to Hold from Sell and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was raised to Hold from Reduce at WestLB.
  
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Cowen Group (NASDAQ: COWN) to OUtperform from Market Perform.

• Deutsche Bank downgraded shares of Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) to Sell from Hold as they believe loan loss risk will outweigh synergies from the acquisition of HBOS (HBOOY).
  
• Citigroup downgraded shares of National Financial Partners (NYSE: NFP) to Hold from Buy and removed the stock from the Top Picks Live List after the company announced July and August revenues and said pressure continues. The firm lowered their target to $20 from $28.

Continue reading Analyst calls: BIIB, ALU, LYG, MAR, HOT, JCP, MYL, CBS ...

Analyst calls: BIIB, ALU, LYG, MAR, HOT, JCP, MYL, CBS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 4 stocks set to rebound, financials to fear & 8 great retirement towns - Today in Money 9/9

4 stocks set to rebound, financials to fear & 8 great retirement towns - Today in Money 9/9 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) Q2 earnings decline on materials costs but beat analysts estimates (see transcript).
• Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) solid Q3 results were accompanied by a share buyback program.
• Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) warned that Q2 results will include a delay-related charge of 22 cents per share.
• Cash America International Inc. (NYSE: CSH) predicted Q2 earnings above previous guidance.
• EZcorp Inc. (NASDAQ: EZPW) predicted better-than-expected Q3 results due to strong sales.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) beat Q3 expectations and raised its Q4 guidance.
• Flow International Corp. (NASDAQ: FLOW) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit on strong demand.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) reported mixed Q2 results and offered an uninspiring Q3 outlook (transcript).
• Helen of Troy Ltd. (NASDAQ: HELE) Q1 results were colored by write-downs and other charges.
• International Speedway Corp. (NASDAQ: ISCA) Q2 earnings soared while revenue slipped.
• Levis Strauss Q2 profitability plunged due to declining sales and higher administrative costs.
• Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) topped Q2 estimates but lowered its guidance (see transcript).

Continue reading Earnings highlights: GE, Alcoa, Marriott, Pepsi Bottling, Wal-Mart, Boeing and others

Earnings highlights: GE, Alcoa, Marriott, Pepsi Bottling, Wal-Mart, Boeing and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR)
F2Q08 Earnings Conference Call
July 10, 2008 10:00 AM ET

Management Summary

Operator

(Operator Instructions) Good day and welcome to this Marriott International second quarter 2008 earnings conference call. Today's call is being recorded. At this time for opening remarks and introductions, I would like to turn the call over to Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and President of the Continental European Lodging, Mr. Arne Sorenson. Please go ahead, sir.

Arne M. Sorenson, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, President - Continental European Lodging

Thank you, Kat. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to our second quarter 2008 earnings conference call. Joining me today are Laura Paugh, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations; Carl Berquist, Executive Vice President, Financial Information and Enterprise Risk Management; and Betsy Daum, Senior Director, Investor Relations.

Before I get into the discussion of our results, let me first remind everyone that many of our comments today are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking statements under federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties as described in our SEC filings which could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by our comments.

Continue reading Marriott International F2Q08 earnings transcript

Marriott International F2Q08 earnings transcript originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Starwood Hotels (HOT) drops on Marriott (MAR) earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oil at $200 and a Two-Year Recession
The predictions of $200 oil have made it to the front page of The Wall S Journal. They have been hanging around in less prominent places, but now they gain some further legitimacy. The Journal predicts this would push gas prices to $6 a gallon. Oil at $200 would seize up the economy to the extent that virtually no industry would me immune. Fixing the problem could take a year, and, perhaps, much longer.
24/7 Wall St.: Oil At $200 And A Two-Year Recession

Sales Tax Holidays
The sales-tax holiday season is upon us. Here's where to shop to land the best deals.
Some States Extend Sales-Tax Holidays This Summer - SmartMoney

One Grandmother's Mortgage Nightmare
The nation's housing meltdown is disrupting lives and devastating families. One New York grandmother is trying to put the pieces back together.
Life after losing your home - CNNmoney

Continue reading Oil at $200 & 2-year recession, sales tax holidays & first billionaire athlete - Today in Money 7/10

Oil at $200 & 2-year recession, sales tax holidays & first billionaire athlete - Today in Money 7/10 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Before the bell: Futures higher after Dow deal, ahead of retail sales

Boeing (NYSE: BA) shares lost more than 2.2% in premarket trading after saying its second-quarter results will include a charge of about 22 cents a share. Boeing still expects per-share profit of $5.70 to $5.85 in 2008 and $6.80 to $7 in 2009.

Continue reading Before the bell: WB, BA, YHOO, AAPL, MAR, WMT, RT, BAC

Before the bell: WB, BA, YHOO, AAPL, MAR, WMT, RT, BAC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings season was officially launched last night with Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) reporting better than expected numbers, and tomorrow we are going to see another big name, Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) report its second quarter numbers.

The company is due to report its current earnings prior to the market open, and going into tomorrow's report analysts are looking to see the company show 49 cents per share on $3.15 billion in revenues. The housing slump over the past year has definitely been hurting hotel operators, so it will be interesting to see what kind of quarter Marriott is able to show to its investors.

The last time the hotel chain released its quarterly numbers was back on April 17, when it matched analyst estimates for its first quarter with 33 cents per share. The stock made a brief rally following the release, but over the past month has been in a solid downward trend.

Continue reading Marriot (MAR) second quarter earnings preview

Marriot (MAR) second quarter earnings preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The new quarter brings with it a new earnings season. While the earnings crunch doesn't begin in earnest until the following week, Alcoa as usual helps kick things off this coming week.

One of the world's leading producers of aluminum, Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is scheduled to report second-quarter results Tuesday after market close. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial on average expect the company to report net income of 68 cents per share on revenue of $7.4 billion. That's down 16% from EPS a year ago. Alcoa has missed estimates in two of the past five quarters -- by four cents in the previous quarter. Analysts have recommend buying AA for more than 90 days. Shares have fallen 10.3% year to date, but the long-term EPS growth forecast is 21.6%.

Beverage distributor Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. (NYSE: PBG) is scheduled to report its second-quarter results Tuesday morning. Analysts are looking for earnings of 75 cents per share, up 6.6% from the same period of the previous year, on revenue of $3.6 billion. PBG has offered up positive surprises recently, by a penny in the previous quarter. However, analysts recommend holding PBG, and have for more than 90 days. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 9.1%, which is better than the industry average. Shares have fallen 27.6% year to date.

Continue reading The week in preview: New quarter earnings kick-off

The week in preview: New quarter earnings kick-off originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• San Francisco Fed Reserve Bank President Yellen to speak about the U.S. economic outlook at the University of California/San Diego with a Q&A session.
• Aracruz Cellulose (NYSE: ARA) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 11:00am.

• Richmond Fed Reserve Bank President Lacker to speak about U.S. economic outlook to the National Economists Club in Washington with a Q&A session expected.
• Gulfmark Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: GLF) to discuss the acquisition of Ridgon Marine at 9:00am.
• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.
• Hansen Natural Corporation (NASDAQ: HANS) to give Business News update at 5:00pm.

Continue reading Market highlights for next week: Alcoa to report earnings

Market highlights for next week: Alcoa to report earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Merrill Lynch has reiterated its "underperform" rating on Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and dropped its price target to $28 from $29, according to MarketWatch.

Wachovia has upgraded Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) to "outperform" from "market perform", according to Briefing.com. The news service also reports that Oppenheimer downgraded Marriott (NYSE: MAR) to "perform" from "market perform."

Morgan Stanley has upgraded Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS) to "overweight" from "underweight," according to StreetInsider.com.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Early analyst calls (BAC) (MS) (MAR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup downgraded shares of Shanda Interactive (NASDAQ:SNDA) to Hold from Buy following the company's lower-than-expected guidance as they see a lack of positive catalysts.
  
• Merrill downgraded Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ:ESLR) and SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) to Sell from Neutral citing a potential reduction in German tariffs.
  
• Morgan Stanley downgraded Marriott (NYSE:MAR) to Equal Weight from Overweight citing economic pressures on business travel.

• Vivus (NASDAQ:VVUS) was downgraded at Wachovia to Market Perform from Outperform.
  
• UBS lowered Juniper(NASDAQ:JNPR) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Cemex (NYSE:CX) was downgraded to Neutral from Overweight at JP Morgan.

Analyst downgrades: SNDA, ESLR, SPWR and MAR originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 May 2008 11:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Perini Corporation (NYSE: PCR) is a leading construction services company offering diversified general contracting, construction management and design/build services to private clients and public agencies in the U.S. and selected overseas locations. The firm is well know for its casino and hotel projects, but is also active in the design and construction of schools, health care facilities, entertainment facilities and sports complexes. Its civil division builds and maintains highways, subways, and airports. Clients include Marriott International (NYSE: MAR), Honeywell International (NYSE: HON) and American Express (NYSE: AXP).

The company surprised the Street earlier in the month, when it reported Q1 EPS of 91 cents and revenues of $1.26 billion. Analysts had been expecting 87 cents and $1.27 billion. The COO cited strong contributions from the building and management services segments. Management also guided FY08 EPS to $3.50-$3.75 ($3.73 consensus), FY08 revenues to $5.5-$5.9 million ($5.16B consensus), FY09 EPS to $4.00-$4.20 ($3.85 consensus) and FY09 revenues to $7.3-$7.8 billion ($5.46B consensus).

Continue reading Perini Corporation (PCR): Shares cycle in a bullish 'flag' pattern

Perini Corporation (PCR): Shares cycle in a bullish 'flag' pattern originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 May 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Most innovative companies, airline secrets & billion dollar sport of ultimate fighting - Today in Money 4/18 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are you wondering what the hotel industry is like during this economic slowdown? Here are a few phrases that may provide a clue:

• It doesn't get worse than this!
• Nightmare on Hotel Street
• Hotel4Sale
• Bait's Motel Reopens (ugh!)
• Hotels Offer Fuel Subsidies to Lure Guests - WSJ.com

In a short article tucked away The Wall Street Journal today, there is an interesting marketing idea being presented: using vouchers to bring in paying guests. But to me, the new plan to give away vouchers for free gasoline as a means to bring in guests is not a very exciting idea. In fact, how many ways and in how many languages can you say stupid?

If lower costs do not drive hotel bookings, does the brilliant marketing team at Sleepin' Now & Sellin' Later think that there is any possible way to bring up occupancy with a $50 carrot? I don't think so.

Continue reading Hotels getting desperate

Hotels getting desperate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading All-around value stocks, best brands & values at supermarkets & 9 billionaire comebacks - Today in Money 4/8

All-around value stocks, best brands & values at supermarkets & 9 billionaire comebacks - Today in Money 4/8 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.