FeedPosted Jan 25th 2010 8:20AM by Melly Alazraki (RSS feed)
Filed under: International Markets, Bad News, Apple Inc (AAPL), Market Matters, Halliburton (HAL), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Texas Instruments (TXN), Economic Data, Eaton Corp (ETN), DJIA

U.S. stock futures moved firmly higher Monday morning, pointing to a rebound after a sharp three-day selloff last week. This morning, it seems, bargain hunters moved. Meanwhile, as earnings season kicks into high gear, investors also await housing data due out after the market open.
U.S. stocks skidded on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average pulling back 2.1%. For the week, the Dow lost 4.1% -- the worst week on a percentage basis since March. Fears that the White House plan to curb bank risk-taking would cut profits helped sour sentiment, as did several earnings report that didn't live up to expectations. The situation in China, with its bank tightening policy, didn't help either.
Continue reading Before the Bell: Stocks Set to Rebound as Earnings Season Heats Up
Posted Dec 3rd 2009 11:00AM by Steven Halpern (RSS feed)
Filed under: Newsletters, Amgen Inc (AMGN), ETF Investing, Commodities, Oil, Agriculture, Stocks to Buy
"Nothing has changed to unseat this liquidity-driven rally," says options expert Larry McMillan. In his trading service, The Daily Strategist, he eyes the technical side of the market and some new trading ideas.
McMillan explains, "Following a test of the uptrend line around 1080-1085, the S&P Index has continued to move higher. Sentiment levels have improved back above the 75th percentile. And the technical measures we follow have started to move in a more positive direction once again.
"Breadth measures moving back into overbought territory combined with weakness in risk-averse asset classes such as T-Bonds and the Yen would be a further bullish sign.
Continue reading McMillan: Tech talk, trades and an agriculture ETF
Posted Oct 19th 2009 4:00PM by Jon Ogg (RSS feed)
Filed under: Sprint Nextel Corp (S), CIT Group (CIT), Federal Natl Mtge (FNM), Amgen Inc (AMGN)

Despite a
cautious report from home builders and despite a low volume day, today marked a clear win for the S&P 5000 and for the DJIA. The S&P broke through 1,100 and the DJIA broke through 11,000. We also had two mergers this morning, and while small they are signs that companies are willing to merge once more.
Here were today's closing bell levels:
Dow 10,090.76 +94.85 (0.95%)
S&P 500 1,097.52 +9.84 (0.90%)
Nasdaq 2,175.83 +19.03 (0.88%)
Top 10 Analyst CallsTop Day Trader AlertsTop Stock Rumors Continue reading Closing Bell: Deals drive home (AMGN, S, IPCS, CIT, FNM, FRE)
Posted Oct 14th 2009 8:00AM by Paul Foster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Amgen Inc (AMGN)
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) closed at $59.27. AMGN is scheduled to report Q3 EPS on October 21. AMGN's Dmab PDUFA is expected on October 19th. AMGN November option implied volatility is at 35, January is at 34; verses its six-month average of 37, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.
CBOE streetTracks Gold Shares (NYYSE: GLD) is recently down 13c to $104.13 in pre-open trading. Gold is recently up 0.84% to $1063 according to Bloomberg. GLD option implied volatility is at 23, below a level of 59 from October 2008 and above a level of 17 from July and near a level of 22 from a month ago, according to IVolatility.
Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.
Posted Aug 15th 2009 10:30AM by Ted Allrich (RSS feed)
Filed under: Amgen Inc (AMGN), Comfort Zone Investing
Biotechs are fascinating. They have such great promise, yet very few of them actually turn those promises into money. Cures for all types of cancers always seem imminent with promising (there's that word again) results from mice or small control groups. Phase I testing is completed and all kinds of good stuff seems possible. Then something usually happens. Usually not very good things.
Most of the time, it's discovered that what works in mice doesn't work in men (or women). Or that the group was too small for meaningful data and when a larger group is studied, the efficacy isn't there. Or as soon as there's a bounce in the stock price, much more stock is issued and dilution occurs.
Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Beware pretty promises when buying biotechs
Posted Jul 28th 2009 10:20AM by Mark Fightmaster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Earnings Reports, Amgen Inc (AMGN)

After the closing bell rang yesterday,
Amgen (NASDAQ:
AMGN) announced a second-quarter profit that
increased 40% compared to a year ago. The company earned $1.29 per share compared to 84 cents per share a year ago. Not only did the pharmaceutical firm top its previous-year results, but it also outpaced the Street's estimated earnings of $1.16 per share.
Quarterly revenue dropped to $3.71 billion from $3.76 billion a year ago, but AMGN still topped the consensus revenue estimate of $3.58 billion. Total product sales for AMGN increased 1% when taking the impact of foreign exchange out of the equation. Looking ahead, AMGN forecast full-year adjusted earnings between $4.80 and $4.95 per share, far better than its earlier forecast of $4.55 to $4.75 per share and the Street's expected $4.57 per share.
Continue reading Amgen's second-quarter earnings increase 40%
Posted Jul 27th 2009 7:40AM by Melly Alazraki (RSS feed)
Filed under: Before the Bell, International Markets, Earnings Reports, Market Matters, Aetna Inc (AET), Verizon Communications (VZ), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Economic Data, Honeywell Intl (HON), Oil, Housing, Federal Reserve

U.S. stock futures advanced Monday morning, ahead of yet another week full of corporate reports, with some heavyweights already reporting this morning. Investors will be looking to see if results continue to top projections on average. Meanwhile, investors will digest some of Bernanke's remarks as they await more housing data due out after the market opens.
[Update 9:00 a.m.: Futures turned direction following several disappointing earnings reports this morning.]Markets have rallied the past two weeks alongside earnings season. This week, over 140 companies of the S&P 500 are due to report. This morning it is Aetna (NYSE:
AET), Amgen (NASDAQ:
AMGN), Honeywell International (NYSE:
HON) and Verizon Communications (NYSE:
VZ). Analysts are
raising U.S. profit estimates for the first time since credit markets froze two years ago, with the S&P 500 earnings estimates now at $74.55 a share next year, up from $72.54 in May, indicating a potential 26 percent increase in the S&P 500.
Continue reading Before the bell: Futures lower as earnings season conitnues
Posted Jul 9th 2009 8:30AM by Paul Foster (RSS feed)
Filed under: Amgen Inc (AMGN), Options
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) closed Wednesday at $59.50. AMGN shares rallied 13% on July 8 after announcing that a pivotal, Phase 3, head-to-head trial evaluating denosumab versus Zometa in the treatment of bone metastases in 2,049 patients with advanced breast cancer met its primary and secondary endpoints and demonstrated superior efficacy compared to Zometa. AMGN is scheduled to report Q2 EPS on July 27. AMGN July option implied volatility is at 32, August is at 36, below its 26-week average of 42, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.
ISE Sentiment Index (ISEE) closed at 109 on 7/8/09. ISEE 10-day moving average is 119.
Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.
Posted Jun 25th 2009 3:10PM by Tom Taulli (RSS feed)
Filed under: Pfizer (PFE), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), Amgen Inc (AMGN)
Bit by bit, the IPO market is picking up steam. And, the latest deal hit the markets today: Medidata (NASDAQ: MDSO).
So far, the shares are up 19% $16.70 (the IPO priced at $14, which was above its $11-$13 price range).
Founded about ten years ago, Medidata develops web-based software for clinical trials management. Obviously, it's a big market opportunity.
Keep in mind that a drug costs more than $1 billion to develop. Oh, and the process can easily go beyond a decade. In other words, it's important to streamline the process.
Continue reading Medidata ... an Obama IPO?
Posted Jun 15th 2009 4:00PM by Jon Ogg (RSS feed)
Filed under: Yahoo! (YHOO), Wal-Mart (WMT), Bank of America (BAC), Amgen Inc (AMGN)

Today was a negative market from the start of trading, and the economic data just confirmed the selling, as hunting for green shoots looked more like hunting for four-leaf clovers. It seems that those analysts and economists saying that the market has risen too far and too fast are getting some more ears than in recent weeks.
The
housing data showed a dip after two months of rising data, and the New York Empire Manufacturing data
came in weaker than expected. Even the
Iran turmoil after the election failed to rally oil. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:
Dow 8,613.04 -186.22 (-2.12%)
S&P 500 923.81 -22.40 (-2.37%)
Nasdaq 1,816.38 -42.42 (-2.28%)
Top 10 Analyst CallsContinue reading Closing Bell: Rally reality check (AMGN, BAC, SVNT, WMT, YHOO)
Posted Apr 22nd 2009 8:50AM by Paul Foster (RSS feed)
Filed under: eBay (EBAY), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Options
eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) closed at $14.29. EBAY is scheduled to report Q1 EPS after the market close today. EBAY May option implied volatility of 56 is below its 26-week average of 61, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) closed at $46.09. AMGN Q1 EPS are expected on April 24. AMGN's Denosumab for treatment/prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis and for bone loss in prostrate or breast cancer patients on hormone ablation therapy has a FDA action date of October 19. AMGN May and July option implied volatility of 44 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.
Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com
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