Category: Stock Market News

AMC Networks Inc. shares are up 1% in premarket trading after the company announced revenue that beat expectations, driven by advertising on the AMC channel. AMC said it had net income of $90 million, or $1.23 per share, in the fourth quarter, up from $78 million, or $1.06 per share, for the same period last year. The FactSet consensus was $1.23. Revenue for the quarter was $679 million, up from $609 million last year and exceeding the FactSet consensus of $675 million. AMC’s networks include AMC, WE tv, BBC America, IFC and SundanceTV. Revenue growth was led by a 13.4% increase in advertising revenue to $289 million, the company said in a Thursday release, largely from AMC, which airs programs including “The Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul.” AMC Networks shares are down 5.2% for the year so far, but up 2.4% for the past year. The S&P 500 is is down 5.6% for the year-to-date.

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McKesson Corp. said Thursday it has agreed to acquire Vantage Oncology LLC and Biologics Inc. in two transactions valued at $1.2 billion. McKesson said it will fund the deals with a mix of cash and debt and expects it to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The deals will boost McKesson’s specialty pharmaceuticals distribution and oncology-based offerings.” We will also be able to offer additional value-added services to our manufacturer partners, expand our reach and pharmaceutical distribution scale, and provide care management and care coordination for payers as the industry moves towards value-based reimbursement models,” Chief Executive John Hammergren said in a statement. The company is expecting the deal to add 11 cents to fiscal 2017 adjusted per-share earnings. McKesson shares rose 3.5% in premarket trade, but are down 33% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has fallen 9%.

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Team Health Holding Inc.’s stock surged 6.9% in premarket trade Thursday, after the healthcare staffing company disclosed that private-equity firm Jana Partners acquired an 8% stake in the company. That would make Jana the second-largest shareholder, according to FactSet. Regulatory filings showed that Jana bought 5.9 million shares of Team Health in a series of transactions from Jan. 6 through Feb. 24, at prices ranging from a low of $33.92 to a high $44.91. Jana said in the filing that it believes Team Health shares are “undervalued,” after the company made “missteps in critical areas” including capital allocation, strategy and governance. Team Health’s stock has tumbled 33% over the past three months through Wednesday, while the S&P 500 has lost 7.6%.

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Kohl’s Corp. said it had net income of $296 million, or $1.58 per share, for the the fourth quarter, down from $369 million, or $1.83 for the same period last year. The FactSet consensus was $1.55. Revenue for the quarter totaled $6.4 billion, up from $6.3 billion in 2014, and meeting the FactSet consensus. Comparable-store sales were up 0.4%, also meeting the FactSet estimate. The company said in the Thursday release that it plans to open seven smaller format pilot stores across the country, as well as two added Off-Aisle pilot stores in Wisconsin. And the retailer is entering the outlet space with 12 Fila brand stores. The company will close 18 underperforming stores, representing less than 1% of total sales and incur between $150 million and $170 million in charges. Between $55 million and $65 million of that charge will be reported in the first quarter. Kohl’s expects fiscal 2016 earnings between $4.05 and $4.25, above the $3.99 FactSet estimate. Comparable sales are expected to be flat to 1%. The company plans $600 million in share repurchases at an average price of $50 per share. Kohl’s stock is inactive in premarket trading, but is down 35.9% for the past year. The S&P 500 is down 8.7% for the past 12 months.

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Best Buy Co. Inc.’s stock slumped 3.3% in premarket trade Thursday, after the consumer electronics retailer provided a downbeat profit outlook, offsetting better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results and new capital return measures. For the quarter ended Jan. 30, earnings declined to $479 million, or $1.40 a share, from $519 million, or $1.46 a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share came to $1.53, above the FactSet consensus of $1.39. Revenue fell to $13.62 billion from $14.21 billion, but beat the FactSet consensus of $13.61 billion. Domestic same-store sales declined 1.8%, missing the FactSet consensus of a 1.1% decline. For its fiscal first quarter, adjusted EPS is expected to be 31 cents to 35 cents, below the FactSet consensus of 39 cents. Domestic same-store sales are seen falling 1% to 2% compared with the FactSet consensus of a 0.1% drop. Separately, Best Buy announced a 22% increase in its quarterly dividend to 28 cents a share, a new $1 billion stock repurchase program and a special dividend of 45 cents a share related to legal settlements and asset disposals. The stock has lost 1.5% over the past three months through Wednesday, while the S&P 500 has slipped 7.6%.

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PowerSecure International Inc. shares skyrocketed in the extended session Wednesday after Southern Co. announced it was acquiring the power-grid technology company for $431 million, or $18.75 a share. Shares of PowerSecure jumped 73% to $17.06 after hours. Southern Co. said it expects to close the deal by the end of the second quarter.

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Sturm Ruger & Co. shares rose in the extended session Wednesday after the gun maker topped Wall Street estimates for the quarter. Sturm Ruger shares advanced 5.9% to $68 after hours. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings of 88 cents a share on revenue of $152.4 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast earnings of 75 cents a share on revenue of $137.1 million.

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Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. shares dropped 15.8% in after-hours trading after the company said it would miss fourth-quarter estimates when it reports on March 24. The home design retailer expects net income of $33.8 million, or 80 cents per share, down from $42.5 million, or $1.02 per share, for the same period last year. Expected adjusted earnings are 99 cents, below the FactSet consensus of $1.39. The company expects revenue of $647.2 million, up from $583 million last year, but well below the $711 million FactSet consensus. Restoration Hardware says three factors impacted the quarterly results: shipping delays as some vendors struggle to produce items from the new RH Modern line; underperformance in markets like Canada, Texas and Miami that are impacted by energy, oil, or currency fluctuations; and additional promotional activity that didn’t drive the anticipated level of revenue, which the company said is “signaling further pullback by the high-end consumer.” Restoration Hardware shares are down 39.1% for the past 12 months while the S&P is down 8.8%.

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Imax Corp. shares dropped in the extended session after the large-screen theater company fell short of Wall Street earnings estimates for the quarter. Imax shares fell 10% to $29.05 after hours. The company reported adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of 39 cents a share on revenue of $119.3 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast earnings of 43 cents a share on revenue of $115.8 million.

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