Hologic To Buy Gen-Probe For $3.7B, Gen-Probe Shares Soar
Medical device maker Hologic Inc. said Monday it would acquire diagnostic test maker Gen-Probe Inc. for about $3.7 billion in cash to expand its molecular diagnostic business, international presence and cross-selling opportunities.
US March Personal Spending Rise 0.3%, Consumers Save More
Americans spent their hard-earned money a bit more cautiously in March while personal income rose by the most in three months, according to government data released Monday.
Nonfarm Payrolls, ISM, ECB Meeting Eyed: Next Week?s Economic Events
Investors might be in for another week of gloomy economic news. The U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, Institute for Supply Management data, and the European Central Bank's monthly policy meeting are key items on the economic calendar from April 30 to May 4.
33 Key Earnings Reports To Watch This Week, April 30-May 4
The first-quarter earnings season has so far generated big waves of positive surprises, which fueled the upward momentum in the stock market. However, investors should take these earnings beats with a grain of salt.
US 1Q GDP Grew 2.2%, Less Than Expected
The U.S. economy expanded at a slower-than-expected pace in the first quarter, reflecting a deceleration in inventories and nonresidential fixed investment that was partly offset by the biggest gain in consumer spending in more than a year.
Procter & Gamble's Q3 Earnings Slip, Full-Year Outlook Cut
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), the world's largest consumer-goods company, said its fiscal third-quarter profit fell 16 percent, weighed down by higher commodity prices and restructuring-related costs.
US Jobless Claims Fell Last Week, But Again Miss Forecast
More Americans than expected filed for jobless benefits last week, adding to a recent batch of soft economic data, stoking fresh concerns about the recovery's strength.
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) Earnings Preview: Profit Falls In Q3
The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), the world's largest consumer-goods company, is expected to report lower profit when it unveils its fiscal third-quarter earnings before the market opens on Friday, hurt by higher commodities costs and a stronger dollar.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Q1 Profit Rises, Lifts Forecast
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), the largest maker of construction and mining equipment, reported a 29 percent jump in its first-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates and boosted its full-year outlook, as U.S. builders replaced their aging machinery and demand for mining equipment boomed.
US Durable Goods Fall 4.2%, Biggest Decline In 3 Years
Orders for long-lasting goods sank in March by the largest margin in three years, hurt by falling demand for commercial aircraft, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Earnings Preview: Upside Surprise Expected in Q1
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment, is expected to report strong first-quarter profit on mining company demands and consumers' need to replace aging equipment.
Home Prices Hit New Lows in Feb: S&P/Case-Shiller
The American market for single-family homes fell to new lows in February, but prices declined at a slower rate compared to the previous month, a private report showed Tuesday, as the housing market continues to struggle.
FOMC Preview: Policy To Stay Put At April Meeting
Federal Reserve officials are expected to be in wait-and-see mode on extra stimulus at the April Federal Open Market Committee meeting this week, as little has changed since the March meeting to warrant policy changes, economists say.
MetLife To Pay $500M In Death Benefits Probe With States: Reports
MetLife Inc. (NYSE:MET), the largest life insurer in the U.S., will pay $500 million to settle a multi-state investigation after regulators reviewed whether companies were holding funds that should go to beneficiaries, according to media reports.
China Manufacturing Shrinks In April, HSBC PMI Shows
China factory activates slumped for the sixth consecutive month, albeit at a slower pace, data released by HSBC showed.
German Manufacturing In April Shrinks At Fastest Pace In 3 Years
Germany's private sector growth continues to stall in April, weighed down by the steepest contraction in the manufacturing sector since July 2009, according to a preliminary reading released by Markit Economics on Monday.
All Eyes On April FOMC, US 1Q GDP: Next Week’s Economic Events
The Federal Open Market Committee meeting on April 24-25, Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke's comments during the post-meeting press conference, and an advance reading on U.S. gross domestic product in the first quarter will dominate the economic calendar next week.
50 Key Earnings Reports To Watch, April 23-27
Earnings season is in full swing, and about 80 percent of the companies that have already reported topped estimates. We ran a screen and produced a list of 50 key companies set to report their earnings between April 23 and 27.
Ford Plans $760 Million Factory in China
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) said Thursday it will build a $760 million assembly plant in Hangzhou as part of a plan to double its production capacity in China by 2015 and catch up with global rivals.
Haitong To Raise $1.68 Billion In World’s Biggest IPO In 2012: Report
Haitong Securities Co. (SHA: 600837), China's second-largest brokerage by assets, raised HK$13 billion ($1.7 billion) in the largest public offering in the world so far this year, media reports said Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Stocks Slip On Downgrade Rumors, Economic Data: Daily Markets Wrap
Stocks closed firmly lower Thursday following a choppy start, as rumors of a possible French sovereign debt downgrade and a batch of mixed U.S. data overshadowed improving corporate earnings.
March US Leading Economic Index Up 0.3%, Tops Expectations
The index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent in March, extending its upward trend for a sixth month. Thursday's data points to a more positive outlook despite subdued consumer expectations and weakness in manufacturing new orders.
More Americans Than Expected Filed For Unemployment Benefits Last Week
More Americans than expected filed for jobless benefits last week, which also happens to coincide with the April payroll employment survey week, echoing the International Monetary Fund's view that job creation this year and next will be modest at best.
European Banks May Be Forced To Sell $3.8 Trillion In Assets: IMF
European banks could be forced to shrink their balance sheets by as much as $3.8 trillion through 2013, or almost 7 percent of total assets, with a quarter of the deleveraging likely to come from cuts in lending and the remainder from sales of securities and noncore assets, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.
Roche Walks Away From $6.8B Illumina Takeover Bid
Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX) said Wednesday that it decided not to extend beyond Friday a $6.8 billion hostile offer for gene sequencing specialist Illumina Inc. (Nasdaq: ILMN) after forecasting that the incumbents directors of Illumina will be re-elected.
SXC Health, Catalyst Health To Merge In $4.4 Billion Deal
SXC Health Solutions Corp. (Nasdaq: SXCI) agreed on Wednesday to buy fellow pharmacy benefit manager Catalyst Health Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: CHSI) for about $4.4 billion in cash and stock, to expand its presence in the business of paying and processing prescription drug claims.
Coca-Cola (KO) Q1 Earnings Up 8% On Emerging Market Gains
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), the world's largest soft-drink maker, reported first-quarter profits that topped analysts' estimates, helped by price increases and strong demand in emerging markets.
Johnson & Johnson Q1 Profit Rises 12% On Demand For New Drugs
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), the world's second-biggest health care company, reported better-than-expected first quarter profit on cost cutting and strong demand for new drugs, which offsets drags from generic competition and recalls.
March US Housing Starts Fall, Permits Surge
U.S. home construction fell 5.8 percent in March even with the help of warmer-than-normal weather in the month, but new building permits jumped to the highest level since September 2008.
Johnson & Johnson Earnings Preview: Q1 Boosted By New Drugs
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), the world's second-biggest health care company, is expected to report higher first-quarter profit as strong performance of new drugs offsets drags from generic competition and strings of recalls.
