Tag Archives: stocks

After Hours Most Active for May 17, 2016 : TWC, DLR, FCX, QQQ, BAC, AAPL, MSFT, KMI, GE, CHTR, INTC, CSCO

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is down .45 to 4,322.11. The total After hours volume is currently 43,935,407 shares traded. The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session Time Warner Cable Inc ( TWC

Akorn Rebounds Further As Q1 Meets Views, Big Investor Ups Stake

Specialty drugmaker Akorn ( AKRX ) was up in early trading Tuesday after its belated Q1 earning report met Wall Street’s expectations and a major investor tripled its stake in the firm. Late Monday, Akorn reported its first-quarter results just a week after it announcing Q4 and 2015 results , along with restated 2014 earnings, after a year-long repair of its accounting system. It also affirmed the 2016 guidance it issued last month, calling for at least 80% earnings growth over the previous year, with revenue up 8% to 10%. “Akorn’s guidance continues to exclude new approvals, and to us the growth outlook here is going to be about two things: (i) converting the current pipeline of 86 ANDAs (generic-drug applications) in an environment where we are seeing accelerating FDA approval activity, and (ii) pursuing a strategy of targeting bolt-on deal opportunities,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Randall Stanicky wrote in a research note. Akorn said that adjusted net income rose 20% over the year-earlier quarter to 54 cents a share, in line with analysts’ consensus. Revenue rose 18% to $268 million, also in line. The financial uncertainty cut Akorn’s stock price by two-thirds between its April 2015 high and its March 18 low, but since then it’s climbed nearly 70%. In the stock market today , Akorn stock rose 7.6% in heavy volume, to 29.91, and hit a four-month high. Bloomberg also reported that investment management firm Paulson & Co. has become Akorn’s second-largest shareholder , with $219 million in holdings. The report said Paulson also bought into Endo International ( ENDP ), another specialty pharma that fell out of favor with Wall Street after issuing guidance this month that disastrously missed estimates, with a Paulson spokeswoman saying many specialty pharma stocks have been oversold.

ServiceNow Growth Roadmap On Collision Course With Salesforce.com?

ServiceNow ( NOW ), at its analyst day Monday, touted its plan to reach $4 billion in revenue by 2020 by expanding into management software for human resources, customer service and security. The company posted sales of $1 billion last year. The push into customer service software likely means more competition with Salesforce.com ( CRM ), analysts say. Cloud software leader Salesforce.com is scheduled to report earnings after the market close Wednesday. At its analysts day, ServiceNow forecast expanding profit margins. “New this year, management now assumes FCF (free cash flow) margins of 30%-32% by 2020, which is a nice positive in our opinion. Overall we believe ServiceNow has the opportunity to become a multi-product platform, with 30%-plus revenue growth and expanding margins through 2020,” Matthew Hedberg, an RBC Capital analyst, said in a research report Tuesday. The cloud-based software provider’s core business has been information technology service management (ITSM). ServiceNow’s 2015 revenue jumped 47% to reach the $1 billion mark. Its Q1 2016 revenue rose 44% to $306 million. “Management reiterated its goal to reach $4 billion in revenue in 2020, with free cash flow of at least $1.2 billion as FCF margin expands 1% to 3% annually,” Rob Owens, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, said in a report. “While not giving specific free cash flow guidance for 2017, the company did release a guideline for understanding how the growth and profitability trade-off could play out. ITSM was 70% of bookings in 2015, and management believes it should decrease further toward 50% as we head toward 2020 and new solutions ramp.” ServiceNow stock is down 20% in 2016 despite rising more than 4% on Monday, but shares soared 14% on April 21 after its Q1 earnings and revenue beat expectations . Shares are forming a cup-with-handle base with a buy point of 76.94. Shares fell 1.2% Tuesday, to 69.50. ServiceNow has an IBD Composite Rating of 85 out of a possible 99, putting it among the top 15% of all stocks in key metrics such as sales and earnings growth. “Management reiterated 2020 revenue goal of $4 billion, with ITOM (IT operations management) software driving 15% of revenue and solid contributions from security, customer service, HR, facilities and other non-IT apps,” wrote Citigroup analyst Walter Pritchard in a research report. ServiceNow will continue investing in building up its salesforce, he said. Pritchard estimates ServiceNow will generates near $1 billion in FCF in 2016.