>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up
In reaction to strong earnings/guidance:
  • CLWT +40%, EXAS +17.4%, SSKN +15.3%, (guidance), UCTT +12.2%, SHOR +11.6%, (also expanded partnership with ScanSource Communications),TER +11%, MKSI +7.5%, GOV +7.2%, CRY +6.9%, ALSN +6.8%, NOK +6.7%,UAA +6.3%, PYPL +5.8%, GGG +5.7%, BBW +5.6%, NOW +5.4%, YNDX +5.2%, TAL +4.9%, IVTY +4.7%, INTU +4.7%, AUO +4.4%, SSW +4.3%,ASPS +4.1%, ALXN +4%, CSTM +4%, CRHM +3.8%, CBG +3.8%, CRHM +3.8%, POT +3.8%, CAVM +3.6%, BMY +3.5%, XLNX +3.4%, (also raises dividend), AXTI +3.3%, DPZ +3.2%, LKQ +2.7%, STM +2.6%, LYG +2.5%,BWA +2.5%, KKR +2.5%, DVD +2.4%, MMLP +2.3%, TSCO +2.3%, COR +2.3%, F +2.3%, STNG +2.2%, ROG +2.2%, PRLB +2.2%, AOS +1.9%, FSS +1.9%, CMCSA +1.8%, NTRI +1.3%, GG +1.2%, ABBV +1.2%, WLL +1%, CDE +1%, CRR +1%, RTN +1%, TREE +1%, HAWK +0.8%, CME +0.8%, DOW +0.8%
Other news:
  • MDGS +24.6% (announces that the first ten procedures have been performed as the initial phase of the Chinese FDA multi-center MUSE Clinical Study in China)
  • EXAS +17.2% (signs five-year agreement with MDxHealth SA for a collaboration in the growing field of epigenetics and molecular diagnostics)
  • PIP +15.9% (PharmAthene and Altimmune merger was approved for listing on the Nasdaq pending stockholders vote on May 4; expected to commence trading on May 5)
  • WTW +7.5% (Weight Watchers appoints former HSNI CEO Mindy Grossman as its President and CEO effective July 2017)
  • HRB +2.5% (H & R Block filed 19.4 mln returns in the U.S. for fiscal year 2017 through April 19, with Assisted returns -2.5% to 11.8 million, and DIY online returns +6.8% to 5.0 million)
  • RBS +2% (in sympathy with LYG)
  • TRUE +1.5% (prices offering of 9 mln shares of common stock at $16.50 per share)
  • GM +1.2% (in sympathy with F)
  • TRU +0.8% (to offer for sale in an underwritten secondary offering 15,000,000 shares of common stock and purchase of 1,500,000 shares of common stock)
Analyst comments:
  • ALIM +6.8% (initiated with a Buy at Rodman & Renshaw; tgt $4)
  • ONTX +4.8% (initiated with a Buy at Laidlaw; tgt $10),
  • CSCO +2.4% (upgraded to Outperform from Underperform at Credit Suisse)
  • FSLR +1.3% (upgraded to Mkt Perform from Mkt Underperform at JMP Securities)

>>> US Gapping down

Gapping down
In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance:
  • AMSC -36.4%, PACB -15.1%, MLNX -13.8%, SPNS -9.5%, (announces receipt of letter from customer alleging material breach of agreement; lowers guidance), FFIV -9.1%, JMP -8.4%, OPGN -8.3%, CMPR -7.2%, (also Board authorizes the repurchase of up to 6.3 mln issued and outstanding ordinary shares on the open market through May 15, 2018), BMS -7%, CTB -6.6%, FTI -6.2%, BRKL -5.6%, (also commences common stock offering; size not disclosed), NTGR -5.6%, (also authorizes 3 mln share repurchase program ), CLF -5.3%, AAL -4.7%, CTXS -4.5%, MVIS -4.4%, EFX -4.1%,ETH -4%, ETH -4%, DDE -3.8%, I -3.5%, BWLD -3.3%, TDC -3.1%, KN -3%,ORLY -3%, LUV -2.9%, AMGN -2.6%, ALKS -2.6%, DB -2.5%, SIRI -2.2%, TS -2.2%, CNHI -2.1%, KS -2%, CELG -1.8%, LVS -1.7%, SERV -1.7%, STAY -1.5%, NVCR -1.4%, AWH -1.2%, BBVA -1.2%, ZBH -1.1%, MEOH -1%, (also approves dividend increase), ORAN -1%, USG -1%, NAP -0.8%, TYL -0.7%,BSX -0.7%, FCFS -0.7%, FBHS -0.6%, DLB -0.5%, MPWR -0.5%, TOWN -0.5%
Other news:
  • OPTT -33% (prices public offering of 5.385mln shares of its common stock at a price of $1.30/share)
  • SFST -5% (commences public offering of 700k shares of its common stock)
  • ICHR -2.6% (prices offering of 5,136,923 of ordinary shares by selling shareholders at $19.50 per share)
  • AA -1.5% (Arconic to exchange 12,958,767 shares of common stock of Alcoa for indebtedness of Arconic currently held by selling stockholders)
  • CS -1.5% (in sympathy with DB)
Analyst comments:
  • X -1.1% (downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank)

>>> UPS beats by $0.03, reports revs in-line; reaffirms FY17 EPS guidance (107.

UPS beats by $0.03, reports revs in-line; reaffirms FY17 EPS guidance
  • Reports Q1 (Mar) earnings of $1.32 per share, $0.03 better than the Capital IQ Consensus of $1.29; revenues rose 6.2% year/year to $15.31 bln vs the $15.19 bln Capital IQ Consensus.
    • The improved per-share result was due to a 22% increase in Supply Chain and Freight segment operating profit, strong underlying performance in the International segment and solid results in the Domestic segment, plus the favorable tax impact of adopting the new stock compensation accounting standard.
  • Co reaffirms guidance for FY17, sees EPS of $5.80-6.10, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $5.94 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate

NYT : Why Instagram Is Becoming Facebook’s Next Facebook

Why Instagram Is Becoming Facebook’s Next Facebook

At a recent all-hands meeting with employees, Kevin Systrom, a founder and chief executive of Instagram, showed off one of his favorite charts: Days to Reach the Next 100 Million Users.

“It’s the only graph in the company that we celebrate when it declines,” Mr. Systrom said in an interview last week at Instagram’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.

Not long ago, the Facebook-owned photo-based social network grew at a steady clip. Every nine months, without fail, Instagram added another 100 million users somewhere in the world. Then, last year, it began racking up more new users every day. It grew to 600 million users from 500 million in only six months.

On Wednesday, just four months after reaching that milestone, the company announced it had reached another: About 700 million people now use Instagram every month, with about 400 million of them checking in daily.

I had come to visit Mr. Systrom because I’m one of the new 100 million. I technically joined Instagram years ago but used it only occasionally. In the past few months, however, I began diving in more often, and now I check it several times a day. As I used Instagram more, I realized something about the photo-sharing app: It’s becoming Facebook’s next Facebook.

Part of what got me interested in using Instagram more was the war between Facebook and Snapchat, the picture-messaging app that has created genuinely new ways of communicating online — and whose features Instagram and Facebook’s other subsidiaries recently copied.

>>> AbbVie beats by $0.02, reports revs in-line; reaffirms FY17 EPS guidance (6

AbbVie beats by $0.02, reports revs in-line; reaffirms FY17 EPS guidance (65.04)
  • Reports Q1 (Mar) earnings of $1.28 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.02 better than the Capital IQ Consensus of $1.26; revenues rose 9.7% year/year to $6.54 bln vs the $6.49 bln Capital IQ Consensus. Global HUMIRA sales increased 15.1 percent on a reported basis, or 15.8 percent operationally, excluding a 0.7 percent unfavorable impact from foreign exchange. In the U.S., HUMIRA sales grew 22.8 percent in the quarter. Internationally, HUMIRA sales grew 4.6 percent, excluding a 1.7 percent unfavorable impact from foreign exchange. First-quarter global IMBRUVICA net revenues were $551 million, with U.S. sales of $457 million and international profit sharing of $94 million for the quarter, reflecting growth of 44.7 percent.
  • Co reaffirms guidance for FY17, sees EPS of $5.44-5.54, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $5.49 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.

>>> Caperio receives recommended SEK 34 per share cash offer from Advania

Caperio receives recommended SEK 34 per share cash offer from Advania
27 APR 2017
Caperio [CAPE:SS] a Swedish IT infrastructure solutions provider, has received an offer from Nordic IT company Advania Holding, according to a company press release.
Advania, a company indirectly owned by Advania Invest AB, together with its fully consolidated subsidiaries, announced a recommended cash offer to the shareholders of Caperio Holding AB (publ) (“Caperio”) (the “Offer”). Caperio’s shares are admitted to trading on Nasdaq First North.
  • Advania offers SEK 34.00 (EUR 3.5) in cash per share in Caperio (the “Offer Price”), except with regard to shares owned by certain main shareholders who have accepted to tender their shares at SEK 31.50 (EUR 3.3) in cash per share in Caperio (the “Main Shareholders Price”). The total offer value for all outstanding shares in Caperio amounts to SEK 158m (EUR 16.4m).
  • The Offer Price represents a premium of:
    • 2.4% to the closing price of SEK 33.2 (EUR 3.46) of the Caperio shares on Nasdaq First North on 26 April 2017, the last trading day before the announcement of the Offer;
    • 24.4% to the volume-weighted average share price of the Caperio shares on Nasdaq First North during the last 90 trading days prior to 27 April 2017; and
    • 36.9% to the volume-weighted average share price of the Caperio shares on Nasdaq First North during the last 180 trading days prior to 27 April 2017.
  • The independent board members of Caperio unanimously recommend Caperio’s shareholders to accept the Offer. The recommendation is supported by a fairness opinion provided by Deloitte AB (“Deloitte”).
  • Christer Haglund (including his wholly owned company), David Pohanka and Mikael Zetterberg (including his wholly owned company) (the “Main Shareholders”), representing in aggregate approximately 43% of the shares and votes in Caperio, have irrevocably undertaken to accept the Offer at the Main Shareholders Price.
  • The acceptance period is expected to commence around 5 May 2017 and end around 29 May 2017. Settlement is expected to begin around 2 June 2017.
Advisors
Advania has retained Beringer Finance as financial adviser and Vinge as legal adviser.