SEC rejects sale of Chicago Stock Exchange: report

The Securities and Exchanges Commission rejected the sale of the Chicago Stock Exchange to a group that includes Chinese investors, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday. In August, the SEC said it was reconsidering the sale after staff recommended the $20 million deal. Critics, both Democrats and Republicans, worried the deal could allow the Chinese owners to acquire secrets about U.S. trading strategies.

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From:: Stock Market News

Mortgage Rates Jump to Nearly 4-Year High

Interest rates on residential loans continued to rise, this time to the highest level in nearly four years. The outlook is for continued escalation over the next week.

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the seven days that finished on Feb. 15 had thirty-year fixed rates averaging 4.38 percent.

That was the highest fixed interest rate for 30-year mortgages
since the week ended April 3, 2014, when long-term mortgage rates averaged 4.41 percent.


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From:: Financing

Allscripts fourth-quarter bookings fall short of Street estimates

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc. shares fell in the extended session Thursday after the healthcare-related software company’s bookings for the fourth quarter fell short of Wall Street estimates. Allscripts shares traded down as much as 9% after hours. Allscripts reported fourth-quarter bookings of $314 million, while analysts surveyed by FactSet had estimated $408.3 million. The company reported fourth-quarter net income of $5.8 million, or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of $7.4 million, or 4 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were 18 cents a share. Adjusted revenue rose to $546.8 million from $429.4 million in the year-ago period. Analysts had estimated 18 cents a share on revenue of $523.7 million. For the year, Allscripts estimates earnings of 72 cents to 82 cents a share on revenue of $2.15 billion to $2.25 billion. Analysts expect earnings of 79 cents a share on revenue of $2.15 billion. Separately, Allscripts said it sold its OneContent business to Hyland Software Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

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From:: Stock Market News

LogMeIn shares fall after revenue miss

LogMeIn Inc. shares fell more than 5% in the extended session Thursday after the company missed revenue expectations and issued weaker-than-expected first-quarter guidance. The company reported fourth-quarter net income of $93.3 million, or $1.74 a share, compared with $1.9 million, or 7 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were $1.20 a share. Revenue rose to $279.9 million from $88 million in the year-ago period. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had estimated adjusted earnings of $1.17 a share on revenue of $277.6 million. For the first quarter, analysts model adjusted earnings of $1.10 a share on sales of $279 million. The company said it expects earnings of $1.17 to $1.18 a share on revenue of $276 million to $277 million. LogMeIn stock has gained 40% in the past year, with the S&P 500 index rising 15%.

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From:: Stock Market News

Shares of Wendy’s rise as company hikes dividend and approves stock buyback

Shares of Wendy’s Co. rose in Thursday’s extended session after the fast-food company said it will raise its quarterly dividend by 21% to 8.5 cents. The dividend will be paid on March 15 to shareholders of record as of March 1. The board also approved a stock buyback plan of up to $175 million that will expire in March 2019. Wendy’s shares gained 1.8% after hours.

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From:: Stock Market News

China’s Treasury holdings in 2017 climbed by the most in seven years

China’s holdings of U.S. government paper rose the most in seven years last year, according to recently published data from the widely-watched Treasury International Capitol Report. The second-largest economy’s stockpile of Treasurys climbed more than $120 billion in 2017 to $1.185 trillion as of December. As pressure on the yuan abated last year, it began to accumulate U.S. government paper. The People’s Bank of China buys Treasurys, a mainstay of its foreign-exchange reserves, to stabilize the currency . Earlier in January, reports suggested the Chinese government would diversify away from U.S. bonds amid a flare-up in its trade relations. The reports were later refuted, but underlined bond investors’ concerns the U.S. was ramping up issuance of debt at a time when its largest foreign holder appeared unwilling to absorb this increase in supply.

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From:: Stock Market News

Shake Shack shares volatile as earnings beat Street, outlook doesn’t

Shake Shack Inc. shares were volatile in the extended session Thursday after the fast-food chain topped Wall Street estimates on earnings but offered a weak-than-expected outlook. Shake Shack shares, which had risen by as much as 5%, traded between gains and losses and were last up 2.4% after hours. The company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $14.4 million, or 55 cents a share, compared with net income of $3.9 million, or 15 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings, excluding charges from the U.S. tax overhaul, were 10 cents a share. Revenue rose to $96.1 million from $73.3 million in the year-ago period. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had estimated 6 cents a share on revenue of $92.8 million. For the year, Shake Shack sees revenue of $444 million to $448 million. Analysts expect revenue of $459 million.

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From:: Stock Market News

Jeffrey Tambor won’t return to Amazon’s ‘Transparent’ following sexual harassment allegations: report

Following an investigation into claims of sexual harassment, Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon Studios has decided that Jeffrey Tambor will not return to the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show “Transparent,” according to media reports. Amazon representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In the wake of sexual harassment allegations against Tambor in November the 73-year-old actor said, “I don’t see how I can return to ‘Transparent’.” The future of the show is unclear, but Amazon renewed “Transparent” for a fifth season back in August. Shares of Amazon are up 97% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 index is up more than 16% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up nearly 21%.

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From:: Stock Market News

CBS shares rise on earnings beat

CBS Corp. class B stock rose 2.1% in the extended session Thursday after the company beat earnings expectations. The company reported fourth-quarter net losses of $42 million, or 10 cents a share, compared with losses of $113 million, or 27 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Adjusted earnings were $1.20 cents a share. Revenue rose to $3.92 billion from $3.52 billion in the year-ago period. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had estimated adjusted earnings of $1.14 a share on revenue of $3.71 billion. For the first quarter, analysts model adjusted earnings of $1.30 on sales of $3.54 billion. CBS class B stock has fallen 13% in the past year, as the S&P 500 index rose 15%.

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From:: Stock Market News

Roche to acquire cancer software company Flatiron for $1.9 billion

Roche Holding AG said Thursday it agreed to acquire all the shares of Flatiron Health Inc. for $1.9 billion. New York City-based Flatiron has raised $313 million in funding from such investors as Alphabet Inc.’s Google Ventures and Roche, according to Crunchbase. Flatiron specializes in electronic health record software for cancer patients and research. Roche already owns 12.6% of Flatiron. Roche expects to close the transaction in the first half of 2018. Roche U.S. shares rose 1.2% in recent activity.

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From:: Stock Market News