>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up
In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: NEO +47.5%, INFN +15.3%, ETFC +5.9%, SBUX +4.5%, MXIM +4.5%, UPI +3.2%, RMD +3.1%, FHN +2.3%, FII +2%, (light volume), HON +1.6%, PLCM +1.4%, MCD +1.2%, GE +1.1%

M&A news: APP +25% (attributed to speculation of Lions Capital bid for $1.30/share) PT +7% (Oi SA disclosed that shareholders approved the sale by Oi of all of the shares of PT Portugal SGPS S.A. to Altice Portugal S.A.), PAHC +3.6% (acquired exclusive North American distribution rights for MJ Biologicals vaccine technologies; focused on the swine industry and additional vaccines for future development), TEF +1.1% (Hutchison Whampoa (HUWHY) confirms exclusive negotiations for potential acquisition of TEF's O2 UK for GBP 9.25 bln )

Other news: NBG +10.1% (ahead of Greek elections on Sunday), VTAE +7.1% (announces the pricing of its follow-on public offering of 3 mln shares of its common stock at $11.90 per share), FRO +6.6% (still checking), SMLP +4.3% (increased Q4 distribution 3.7% to $0.56 from $0.54 per share), VSTM +3.4% (prices 7,250,000 shares of its common stock at $6.50 per share), INVN+3.4% (in symp with MXIM earnings), MDCO +2.8% (receives CHMP positive opinions for three hospital acute care products), SNE +2.7% (files for extension n of the deadline for Sony to file its quarterly securities report for Q3 due to cyber attack), MIK +2.5% (prices 18,800,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $23.52 per share by selling shareholders), EMES +1.8% (declared a cash distribution of $1.41 for the fourth quarter of 2014), BUD +1.6% (favorable commentary on Thursday's Mad Money), CELG +1.4% (receives positive chmp opinion for ABRAXANE for first-line treatment of patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer), CPRX +1% (EVP, Chief Commercial Officer disclosed purchase of 21000 shares, worth total of $62.1K ), .

Analyst comments: VVUS +6.6% (initiated with a Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts), LULU +3.5% (upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan), LNKD +2.3% (upgraded to Strong Buy at Raymond James), CRH +2.3% (upgraded to Overweight at HSBC Securities), PTCT +2.2% (initiated with a Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts), CY +2.2% (upgraded to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan), KORS +1.9% (upgraded to Buy at Mizuho), OUBS +1.8% (to Issue additional Tier 1 capital instrument for employee compensation; supplementary capital return of CHF 0.25 per share following completion of squeeze-out), NUE +1.4% (upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman), OREX +1.3% (initiated with a Outperform at RBC Capital Mkts), CRL +1% (upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at William Blair)

>>> US Gapping down

Gapping down
In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance: KLAC -5.6%, KMB -5.4%, AMID -4.2%, (announces prelim 2014 financial results in-line with guidance; expects 2014 ADJ EBITDA to be at the low end of Partnership's guidance range of $46-48 million ), ALTR -4.1%, MSCC -3.4%, EGHT -3.4%, ISRG -2.4%, KSU -1.9%, EDR -0.8%, SWKS -0.7%

M&A news: OIBR -4.8% (Oi SA disclosed that shareholders approved the sale by Oi of all of the shares of PT Portugal SGPS S.A. to Altice Portugal S.A.)

Select Brazil related names showing weakness: ITUB -2.8%, CIG -2.8%, GGB -2.5%, GOL -2.1%

Select metals/mining stocks trading lower: MT -5.4%, GFI -2.7%, RIO -2.6%, RIO -2.6%, BHP -2.2%, AU -1.9%, HMY -1.6%, FCX -1.3%, GOLD -0.8%

Select oil/gas related names showing early weakness:RDS.A -1.9%, BP -1.4%, TOT -1%

Other news: CACH -28.1% (weakness attributed to reports of potential bankruptcy filing in the near-term), MCP -20.5% (follow on weakness to potential debt restructuring advice), DWA -13.9% ( to implement a new strategic plan to restructure its core feature animation business ), FXCM -9.4% (cont vol pre-mkt), CPSS -5.8% (disclosed it received a civil investigative subpoena from the Department of Justice), CNET -4.9% (still checking), MACK -4% (disclosed resignation of Chief Scientific Officer Ulrik B. Nielsen), PLAY -3.8% (filed for 6 mln share common stock offering by selling shareholders), OTIC -2.9% (prices 2,550,000 shares of its common stock at a price to the public of $29.25 per share), DRL -2.4% (disclosed that on January 21, 2015 the Board and David E. Hooston agreed that effective January 22, 2015 Mr. Hooston would resume his responsibilities as CFO), CLF -2.2% (in sympathy with peers X and VALE trading lowered after dg at GS)

Analyst comments: VALE -4.9% (downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman), X -1.6% (downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman), JBHT -1% (downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank), XOM -0.6% (downgraded to Underperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse), CVX -0.5% (downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse)

WSJ : SAP Avoids European Headwinds

SAP Avoids European Headwinds
Europe Is the Fastest-growing Region for the Software Giant, Says Company CEO

DAVOS, Switzerland—The one common denominator among chief executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos has been that their businesses are experiencing headwinds in Europe. But software giant SAP SE says it has managed to buck the trend.

“Europe is our fastest-growing region,” said Bill McDermott, SAP’s chief executive, during an interview in Davos during the World Economic Forum. In 2014, for instance, SAP’s cloud computing business grew more than 55% in Europe.

The Walldorf, Germany-based company has been on an acquisition spree over the last few years, as it shifts its focus from on-premise license software to Internet cloud-based offerings. But Mr. McDermott said that M&A will be less of a focus going forward, now that he has filled out the business. In September, SAP bought expense-management cloud software company Concur Technologies Inc. for $8.3 billion, its largest acquisition ever.

Since 2010, SAP has done $25 billion in acquisitions, Mr. McDermott said. Any subsequent acquisitions are likely to be so-called “tuck-in” acquisitions that are small in size, he said. SAP has a market capitalization of $78 billion.

As for the trend in tech as of late to split into two, Mr. McDermott isn’t entertaining the option even though the cloud business is growing at a much higher rate than the rest of SAP’s business. In October, Hewlett-Packard Co. , which helped invent the computer business, said it would separate its PC and printer business from its corporate hardware and services business. Antivirus maker Symantec Corp. and eBay Inc. are also engineering splits.

“The customer wants us to offer all of these products,” Mr. McDermott said.

Still, Mr. McDermott has acknowledged in the past that the transition to the cloud will squeeze profit margins over the midterm. On Tuesday, SAP dropped a previously deferred operating profit margin target of 35% for 2017, while reporting a slight decline in net profit for the fourth quarter.

>>> Monitise confirms it has received merger and sale interest

Monitise confirms it has received merger and sale interest
Monitise plc (LSE: MONI.L) ("Monitise", the "Company" or "Group") notes the media speculation in connection with the initiation of its Strategic Review on 22 January 2015 and confirms that it has received a number of expressions of interest in a range of potential corporate transactions including a merger with a third party or a sale of the Company.

Discussions are at a highly preliminary stage and there can be no certainty that any transaction will result.

As stated on 22 January 2015, the Strategic Review will be all encompassing and include consideration of a range of corporate transactions and stock market listing options.

Monitise remains well funded and debt free with GBP 129m of gross cash, as at 31 December 2014. The Board believes that the Company has a unique set of global partners and customers, and reiterates its expectation to be EBITDA profitable in FY 2016 (the "FY 2016 Profit Forecast"). The Board also reiterates guidance of 200 million users and GBP 2.50 ARPU by end FY 2018, based on the scale of the market opportunity and partnerships in place.

Background:

Reports in the second half of last year referred to speculation that a resourcing agreement with IBM could lead to a takeover bid for the UK company by the US giant.

>>> Gartner announces semiconductor consumption data; Apple, Samsung and HP take

Gartner announces semiconductor consumption data; Apple, Samsung and HP take top spots

According to Gartner (IT), total semiconductor consumption in 2014 was ~$57.9 bln, an increase of over 7% from 2013, in which consumption was ~$54 bln.
  • Samsung (SSNLF) remained top consumer, despite lower than global growth, due to smartphone market struggles and PC market withdrawal.
  • Apple (AAPL) and HP (HPQ) were the second and third largest consumers respectively.
  • Industry trends showed larger consumption of semi-conductors by top-10 companies.

Fwd:>>> Accor - Quick Chart - Testing Historical Highs - strong Resistance

Accor has broken few resistance, RSI look stretch here now I will lock some profit and wait a pull back to come back on the stock

From: LAURENT CHEKROUN (MAKOR SECURITIES LLP) At: Jan 21 2015 09:05:06
Subject: Fwd:>>> Accor - Quick Chart - Testing Historical Highs - strong Resistance
Accor trading higher on numbers, watch level mentionned below, price action today will be important for further development, stock need to close above resistance.

From: LAURENT CHEKROUN (MAKOR SECURITIES LLP) At: Jan 20 2015 09:18:54
Subject: Fwd:>>> Accor - Quick Chart - Testing Historical Highs - strong Resistance
Watch Accor again today, stock is testing levels, after closing below yesterday

From: LAURENT CHEKROUN (MAKOR SECURITIES LLP) At: Jan 19 2015 16:30:02
To: LAURENT CHEKROUN (MAKOR SECURITIES LLP)
Subject: Fwd:>>> Accor - Quick Chart - Testing Historical Highs - strong Resistance
Accor is testing important levels...next level to watch if we break 40.31 & 41.8/42.10, still room to trade higher whe you look the RSI...
Accor is reporting in a month (18/02), Starwwod on the 10th of Feb, Marriot on the 18th

on the 9th of Jan, Wansquare was talking of BAzin who invested a lot in Accor he bought 1.4mil of opetions witha €42 strike...
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