Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

• GM U-turn on Opel sparks German road rage. German officials were outraged by GM's surprise decision to keep Opel, its European arm, abandoning a long-expected sale to a Magna- (MGA) led group that the German government had agreed to back with €4.5B of state aid. GM said improving business conditions and the strategic importance of Opel had prompted the move, which came after the EU forced GM's board to revisit the deal over concerns Germany had influenced its decision. GM expects restructuring Opel to cost about €3B; it's unclear whether the German government will help it restructure.
• Buffett joins Goldman in bid for tax credits. Sources say Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) has joined Goldman Sachs (GS) in a bid to buy $3B in tax credits from Fannie Mae (FNM), adding a twist to a politically sensitive deal. The credits are virtually worthless to Fannie Mae, and require it to take losses each quarter as their value declines, while profitable companies could use them to offset taxes. The government, which controls Fannie, is thought to be reluctant to approve a deal that would allow Goldman to save on taxes, given the firm's already tenuous standing with lawmakers and on Main Street; taking widely-respected Buffett as a partner could reduce the tension.
• Berkshire bets big. Warren Buffett says his $100/share bid for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI) was his first and only offer, stressing that the deal is "not a bet on next month or next year. We're going to own it forever." Berkshire (BRK.A) will pay about 60% cash and 40% stock for the railroad, taking on $8B in debt and depleting its cash store to about $20B, leaving it almost fully-invested according to its standards, which analysts say could result in strategic divestments in the future. Berkshire will split its so-called Baby Berkshire shares (BRK.B) by 50 to enable small Burlington stakeholders to participate in the share swap, which will help bring its famously pricey stock within the means of retail investors.
• Obese healthcare premiums. A Senate probe found U.S. health insurers (AET, CI, CVH, HUM, UNH, WLP) are spending considerably less of their premiums on medical care than official industry estimates - an average of $0.70/dollar instead of the $0.87 cited by industry group AHIP. The report also singled out Cigna for mis-categorizing $5B worth of clients. "The American people and I are asking a serious question and one that deserves a straight answer – why are health insurance costs going up each year?" Sen. Jay Rockefeller said. "While health-care costs are spiraling upwards, consumers are paying more and getting less, and the health insurance industry doesn't want anyone to know what they are up to."
• Regulators fret Asia bubble. The World Bank warned Tuesday that the sudden reappearance of billions of dollars in investment capital in East Asia is "raising concerns about asset price bubbles," while the IMF cited "a risk" that surging Hong Kong asset prices are being driven by a flood of capital "divorced from fundamental forces of supply and demand." About $53B has gone into emerging-market stock funds this year.
• China backs Shanghai Disney. Beijing gave Disney (DIS) the go-ahead to build a $4B theme park in Shanghai, allowing the media giant to establish a presence in a massive market that has presented substantial hurdles to foreign entertainment companies. The park has been discussed for close to a decade. Disney already operates a theme park in Hong Kong.
• Oracle awaits EU veto. Oracle (ORCL) is expecting a formal objection to its planned $7.4B acquisition of Sun Microsystems (JAVA) from the EU Commission within days, sources say. Despite concerns over the deal's impact on the database market, Oracle has refused to make any concessions to European regulators.
• Bain in exclusive talks to buy Citi's Bellsystem. Private-equity group Bain Capital is reportedly in exclusive negotiations with Citigroup (C) to buy its Japanese telemarketer Bellsystem24 in a deal that could be worth more than $1B. A team of CVC Capital and Blackstone (BX) also made an offer in the final round of bidding, which closed last Friday. Citigroup put Bellsystem24 up for sale as part of its efforts to raise cash; it has already sold its retail broker Nikko Cordial Securities and asset management firm Nikko Asset Management in Japan.
• Car sales show spark. U.S. vehicle sales declined less than 1% in October, the first signs of a recovery without the aid of government incentives. The drop made October the year's strongest month aside from August, which received a lift from the cash-for-clunkers program. The seasonally adjusted annual sales rate was 11.2M. "Thinking of where we've come from, it's certainly a positive signal," J.D. Power's Jeff Schuster said. GM's sales rose 5% - the first gain since Jan. 2008. Ford's (F) grew 3%.
• Second IPO nixed. Aviv REIT Inc. (AVI) became the second U.S. company in less than a week to pull its IPO after pricing and demand failed to meet investors' expectations, dealers said. September and October's 18 IPOs have collectively beaten the S&P 500 by just 0.3% during their first month of trading - the worst showing on record.
• Mortgage apps rise. Mortgage applications increased 8.2% from a week ago, MBA said, led by a 14.5% jump in refinancing. The average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages declined to 4.97% from 5.04%.
• Oct. Challenger Job-Cut Report: Announced layoffs fell to 55,679 vs. 66,404 in September, the lowest total since March 2008. As recently as October 2008, the number stood at 113K.

Earnings: Wed. Before Open

• Agrium (AGU): Q3 EPS of $0.16 in-line. Revenue of $1.84B (-40.8%) vs. $2.07B. (PR)
• Ambac (ABK): Q3 EPS of $7.58 vs. consensus of -$4.43. Revenue of $23.6M (-24.6%) vs. $23.4M. Says results "reflect significant unrealized mark-to-market gains in the credit derivatives portfolio and gains resulting from reinsurance cancellations during the quarter." Shares +30% premarket. (PR)
• Automatic Data Processing (ADP): FQ1 EPS of $0.56 beats by $0.06. Revenue of $2.1B (-3.6%) in-line. (PR)
• Aqua America (WTR): Q3 EPS of $0.25 in-line. Revenue of $181M (+2.1%) vs. $189M. Increases quarterly dividend by $0.01 (7.4%) to $0.145. Says results were negatively impacted by eighth wettest summer in 137 years. (PR)
• Baker Hughes (BHI): Q3 EPS of $0.26 misses by $0.10. Revenue of $2.23B (-26%) in-line. Says international results were negatively impacted by price discounting. Expects to complete acquisition of BJ Services (BJS) in Q1 2010. (PR)
• Becton Dickinson (BDX): FQ4 EPS of $1.25 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $1.9B (+5%) in-line. (PR)
• Comcast (CMCSA): Q3 EPS of $0.33 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $8.8B (+3%) in-line. Declares quarterly dividend of $0.0675. (PR I, II)
• Devon Energy (DVN): Q3 EPS of $1.10 beats by $0.20. Revenue of $2.1B (-64.9%) in-line. O&G production is up 8% YTD. Shares +4.3% premarket. (PR)
• Diedrich Coffee (DDRX): FQ1 EPS of $0.07 beats by $0.02. Revenue of $15.8M (+52%) vs. $13.2M. Diedrich is being acquired by Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET). (PR)
• Foster Wheeler (FWLT): Q3 EPS of $0.71 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $1.22B (-29.2%) vs. $1.29B. (PR)
• Garmin (GRMN): Q3 EPS of $1.02 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $781M (-10.2%) vs. $704M. Gross margin 52%. Operating margin 30% from 25% last year. (PR)
• Huntsman (HUN): Q3 EPS of -$0.24 misses by $0.16. Revenue of $2.11B (+13%) vs. $1.95B. Says expansion of Asian ops "has allowed us to take advantage of markets less affected by the ongoing global recession." Anticipates economic recovery will continue. (PR)
• IAMGOLD (IAG): Q3 EPS of $0.18 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $235M (+3.7%) vs. $224M. Shares +3.5% premarket. (PR)
• Liz Claiborne (LIZ): Q3 EPS of $0.43 misses by $0.23. Revenue of $770B (-24.1%) vs. $790B. Says it's seeing "significantly improved comparable store sales results" Q4 to date. (PR)
• Marsh & McLennan (MMC): Q3 EPS of $0.48 beats by $0.22. Revenue of $2.52B (-10.5%) vs. $2.6B. (PR)
• Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO): Q3 EPS of -$0.22 misses by $0.13. Revenue of $49.8M (-25.1%) vs. $51.3M. Shares -8.1% premarket. (PR)
• MFA Finanacial (MFA): Q3 EPS of $0.25 misses by $0.01. Shares +0.3% premarket. (PR)
• Molson Coors (TAP): Q3 EPS of $1.14 beats by $0.16. Revenue of $854M (-7.3%) vs. $834M. (PR)
• Pulte Homes (PHM): Q3 EPS of -$1.15 misses by $0.46. Revenue of $1.09B (-30%) vs. $1.23B. Says results "reflect a homebuilding industry that continues its transition toward more stable market conditions as lower prices and historically low mortgage rates are helping to support homebuyer demand. Challenges remain, however, as economic weakness, foreclosures, rising unemployment and recent uncertainty over the expiration of the federal tax credit continue to influence buyer behavior." (PR)
• Quanta Services (PWR): Q3 EPS of $0.32 beats by $0.11. Revenue of $781M (-25.6%) vs. $858M. (PR)
• R.R. Donnelley & Sons (RRD): Q3 EPS of $0.54 beats by $0.09. Revenue of $2.5B vs. $2.4B. (PR)
• Time Warner (TWX): Q3 EPS of $0.61 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $7.13B (-5.9%) in-line.(PR I, II)
• Transocean (RIG): Q3 EPS of $2.65 misses by $0.02. Revenue of $2.82B (-11.6%) in-line. (PR)
• TRW Automotive (TRW): Q3 EPS of $0.68 beats by $0.52. Revenue of $3.11B (-13.5%) vs. $2.87B. Sees Q4 revenue of $3.2B vs. $3B. "The cautious optimism that has emerged for the industry is supported by the increasing vehicle production forecasts. Although it appears the bottom of the financial crisis has been reached, full recovery will be a long and gradual process." (PR)
• Tyco Electronics (TEL): Q3 EPS of $0.30 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $2.7B (-24.6%) vs. $2.6B. (PR)
• Watson Pharmaceuticals (WPI): Q3 EPS of $0.66 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $662M (+3.3%) vs. $688M. (PR)
• XTO Energy (XTO): Q3 EPS of $0.86 beats by $0.02. Revenue of $2.29B (+7.7%) in-line. (PR)

Earnings: Tue. After Close

• Anworth Mortgage Asset (ANH): Q3 EPS of $0.27 misses by $0.04. Interest income of $63M (-14%). Shares +2% AH. (PR)
• CBL & Associates Properties (CBL): Q3 FFO of $0.50 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $263M (-8%) vs. $255M. Shares -0.8% AH. (PR)
• Con-Way (CNW): Q3 EPS of $0.39 misses by $0.20. Revenue of $1.1B (-18%) in-line. Shares +0.1% AH. (PR)
• Crown Castle International (CCI): Q3 EPS of -$0.13 misses by $0.09. Revenue of $429M (+12%) vs. $419M. Sees full-year EPS of -$0.58 to -$0.49 vs. -$0.45, on revenue of $1.54B vs. $1.66B. Shares -6.3% AH. (PR)
• Digital River (DRIV): Q3 EPS of $0.42 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $99.4M (+3%) vs. $98.3M. Sees Q4 EPS of $0.30-0.34 vs. $0.42. Shares -1.3% AH. (PR)
• Discovery (DISCA): Q3 EPS of $0.22 misses by $0.05. Revenue of $854M (+1%) vs. $850M. Shares -0.1% AH. (PR)
• Excel Maritime (EXM): Q3 EPS of $0.81 beats by $0.68. Revenue of $174M (-25%) vs. $101M. Shares +6% AH. (PR)
• Exco Resources (XCO): Q3 EPS of $0.20 misses by $0.02. Revenue of $131M (-70%) vs. $229M. Shares -0.5% AH. (PR)
• Hartford Financial (HIG): Q3 core EPS of $1.56 beats by $0.45. Results exclude highly variable realized gains/losses. Raises full-year EPS guidance to $0.85-1.05 from $0.00-0.20, vs. $0.50. Shares +4.8% AH. (PR)
• Kraft (KFT): Q3 EPS of $0.55 beats by $0.07. Revenue of $9.8B (-6%) vs. $10.3B. "Our volume/mix, profit margin and cash flow trends are strengthening as we successfully execute our growth plan." Shares -2.9% AH. (PR)
• Onyx Pharmaceuticals (ONXX): Q3 EPS of $0.35 beats by $0.13. Revenue of $69M (+36%) vs. $65M. Shares -0.7% AH. (PR)
• Pioneer Natural Resources Company (PXD): Q3 EPS of -$0.06 misses by $0.13. Revenue of $410M (-32%) vs. $400M. Shares -0.2% AH. (PR)
• STEC (STEC): Q3 EPS of $0.50 beats by $0.03. Revenue of $98M (+54%) vs. $97M. Shares -31.9% AH. (PR)
• Unum Group (UNM): Q3 EPS of $0.64 in-line. Revenue of $2.52B (+3%) vs. $2.56B. (PR)
• Vivus (VVUS): Q3 EPS of -$0.30 beats by $0.01. Revenue of $4.3M (-2%) vs. $5.3M. Shares -3.7% AH. (PR
• Yamana Gold (AUY): Q3 EPS of $0.12 misses by $0.01. Revenue of $333M (+50%) vs. $358M. Shares -2% AH. (PR)

Today's Markets

Overseas markets posted solid gains Wednesday after U.S. markets rebounded from early weakness to finish off Tuesday flat. Futures are higher in moderate overnight trading.

• Asia: Nikkei +0.4% to 9844. Hang Seng +1.8% to 21615. Shanghai +0.5% to 3129. BSE +3.3% to 15912.
• Europe at midday: FTSE +0.8% to 5080. CAC +1.6% to 3643. DAX +1.4% to 5429.
• Futures at 7:00: Dow +0.6% to 9780. S&P +0.6% to 1048. Nasdaq +0.3%. Dec. crude +0.5% to $80.04. Gold +0.4% to $1,089.50. 30-year Tsy -0.16% to 118-28. 10-year -0.11%. Euro +0.4% vs. dollar. Yen -0.5%. Pound +0.7%.

Wednesday's Calendar

• 7:00 MBA Mortgage Applications
  7:30 Challenger Job-Cut Report
  8:15 ADP Jobs Report
  9:00 Treasury Quarterly Refunding
  10:00 ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI
  10:30 EIA Petroleum Inventories
  2:15 PM FOMC statement
• Notable premarket earnings: ABK, ADP, AGU, BDX, BHI, CMCSA, DVN, FWLT, GRMN, HUN, IAG, LIZ, MFA, MMC, PHM, PWR, RDN, RIG, RRD, TAP, TEL, TOT, TRW, TWX, WTR, XTO
• Notable postmarket earnings: ALL, CSCO, CXW, DOX, EGLE, ESLR, GDP, GG, HCN, IO, MCHP, MUR, NWS, ONNN, PRU, QCOM, SHO, SVNT, THQI, WFMI

Get Wall Street Breakfast by email -- it's free and takes only seconds to sign up.

After you finish reading Wall Street BreakfastSeeking Alpha's Market Currentswill keep you current all day long.

Comments

[doubleguns:]

Why would the govt sell tax credits that they should just let expire. The tax payers OWN fannie so selling 3B of tax credits for anything less than 3b is just shooting our selves in the foot.

The hell with the bidding. They cost 3 billion, bottom line you thieves.

Nov 04 08:25 AM

[robert.b.fe...:]

J.R. says that the insurance industry doesn't want us to know what they are up too. This while making back door deals to screw all of us behind closed doors. Quick get this bill passed before some one figures out what's in it.

Nov 04 08:45 AM

[David Van K...:]

Where can I go to buy me some of them tax credits? Are they available down at my Post Office, or do I have to go downtown to the Federal Building? Do they have "Forever" tax credits, like stamps, or do I have to use 'em up all this year? Sounds like they'd make nice Christmas gifts, better than a necktie.

Nov 04 08:50 AM

[AndrewBaker:]

I agree, with one slight alteration: it's like handing the gun to GS and inviting them to shoot us in the foot. Times like these shine a light on the great and greedy, and this one is flashing red!


On Nov 04 08:25 AM doubleguns wrote:

> Why would the govt sell tax credits that they should just let expire.
> The tax payers OWN fannie so selling 3B of tax credits for anything
> less than 3b is just shooting our selves in the foot.
>
> The hell with the bidding. They cost 3 billion, bottom line you thieves.

Nov 04 08:50 AM

[AndrewBaker:]

Buffett buying a railroad is good sense for anyone with a long term investment horizon such as his. Infrastructure is needed even in the deepest recession: roads, railroads, ports and airports, ships, hospitals, schools, bridges and similar constructions must be built and maintained in order for any economy to sustain yet alone thrive. Some of my own investment is in global infrastructure, and what is not dollar denominated has a good chance to add value through the exchange rate.

Nov 04 08:58 AM

[Old Trader:]

I wonder if Buffet is aware of the potential effect on his reputation by "getting into bed" with GS?

Nov 04 09:06 AM

[Dave M.:]

Clueless politican says..""The American people and I are asking a serious question and one that deserves a straight answer – why are health insurance costs going up each year?"" Sen. Jay Rockefeller said.

Dear idiot Senator, the reason is that government is already too involved in healthcare. If you would GET OUT, then the situation would be much more affordable.

Nov 04 09:09 AM

[Joseph L. S...:]

"The government, which controls Fannie, is thought to be reluctant to approve a deal that would allow Goldman to save on taxes, given the firm's already tenuous standing with lawmakers and on Main Street; taking widely-respected Buffett as a partner could reduce the tension."

It could. Or when combined with TARP money and sweetheart deals with GE and GS, it could tarnish Warren Buffett's reputation. Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas...

Nov 04 09:48 AM

[ebworthen:]

GM U-turn on Opel - let's see...Government Motors, lower dollar, "let's do a head fake". Maybe the FED wants to give GM some tax credits too? We are starting to compete with socialist Europe, so why would we sell any part of Government Motors?

Tax Credits, GS, Warren Buffet, Shanghai Disney, Healthcare = privatized gains socialized losses and loss of liberty for the individual.

Nov 04 10:26 AM

[Annualgain:]

With BRK.B getting split, could Berkshire finally be added to the S&P 500?

Nov 04 10:57 AM

[Old Trader:]

"GM U-turn on Opel sparks German road rage."

Opel is a fairly well regarded brand in Europe, and if GM is to maintain ANY credibility as a global player, they need to hang on to it. Whether they'll ultimately be able to do so is another matter.

Nov 04 11:51 AM

[sdfsdf:]

Warren Buffet will do every thing and any thing to avoid taxes he says it himself. He knows how to play the system. I never understood what people see in him. He has been stealing from us every day folks for many years why would he stop now. If he was honest like he pretends to be he would pay all the taxes that he should and not try to avoid them. Perfect example of aristocracy.

Nov 04 03:53 PM

[David Van K...:]

Buffett is the great capitalist that many on this site aspire to be. It is everyone's right, as a citizen or corporation, to "avoid" taxes. The word is a term of art, and it means not paying any taxes you are not legally obligated to pay. Do you itemize your deductions? You are avoiding taxes, and rightfully so.

Tax "evasion" is the term of art for someone who does not pay the taxes that are lawfully owed, be it through fraud, lying, or whatever. To my knowledge, Buffett has never been accused of tax evasion. Tax evasion is criminal, tax avoidance is not.

One of Buffett's creeds we've all heard is to buy when others are fearful. He has just lived up to the letter and spirit of that with his acquisition of Burlington Northern. He called it a vote of confidence in the U.S. economic future, and that's exactly what it looks like to me. By voting with his dollars like that, he makes a much stronger statement to us all than those who are predicting doomsday just around the corner. He may not be right, but I cannot imagine a stronger stance on the U.S.'s economic future than buying a railroad.

Nov 04 09:54 PM

[bottoms-up:]

Well, I am not a fan of Bufffett for the very reason he is now hopping into bed with GS. I have always felt that he is a little too cozy with the U.S. Government and he's their pony that they prance out when they need to pump a sector like transportation or financials (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You have him sitting with Obama, Bush etc. setting government policy on the economy...

No matter what you think of my opinion of WB, here is what the SEC says about insider trading, and I say if the shoe fits, wear it:

www.sec.gov/answers/in...


Insider Trading

"Insider trading" is a term that most investors have heard and usually associate with illegal conduct. But the term actually includes both legal and illegal conduct. The legal version is when corporate insiders—officers, directors, and employees—buy and sell stock in their own companies. When corporate insiders trade in their own securities, they must report their trades to the SEC. For more information about this type of insider trading and the reports insiders must file, please read "Forms 3, 4, 5" in our Fast Answers databank.

Illegal insider trading refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. Insider trading violations may also include "tipping" such information, securities trading by the person "tipped," and securities trading by those who misappropriate such information.

Examples of insider trading cases that have been brought by the SEC are cases against:

* Corporate officers, directors, and employees who traded the corporation's securities after learning of significant, confidential corporate developments;

* Friends, business associates, family members, and other "tippees" of such officers, directors, and employees, who traded the securities after receiving such information;

* Employees of law, banking, brokerage and printing firms who were given such information to provide services to the corporation whose securities they traded;

* Government employees who learned of such information because of their employment by the government; and

* Other persons who misappropriated, and took advantage of, confidential information from their employers.

Because insider trading undermines investor confidence in the fairness and integrity of the securities markets, the SEC has treated the detection and prosecution of insider trading violations as one of its enforcement priorities.

Nov 05 10:38 AM