Category: Stock Market News

Apple Inc.’s stock surged 1.1% into record territory in morning trade Monday, after an upbeat note from Goldman Sachs pushed the stock toward a 22-month high. The stock was changing hands at $133.55 in recent trade, which is above the Feb. 23, 2015 record close of $133.00. The all-time intraday high of $134.54 was reached on April 28, 2015. The stock’s rally comes after Goldman Sachs raised its stock price target to $150 from $133, citing optimism over major features to be introduced in the new iPhones. The stock’s point gain of $1.44 was adding about 10 points to the Dow Jones Industrial Average , which was up 100 points. The stock has now run up 10% since reporting fiscal first-quarter results after the Jan. 31 close. It has soared 23% over the past three months, while the Dow has gained 8.1%.

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Shares of J.C. Penney Co. Inc. climbed 1.1% in morning trade Monday, after Morgan Stanley backed off from the bearish stance it had on the discount department store chain for the past several years. Analyst Kimberly Greenberger upgraded J.C. Penney to equal weight from underweight, saying the risk-vs.-reward scenario has become more balanced, given several potential catalysts that could boost the stock. Among those catalysts are the eroding financial position of rival Sears Holdings Corp. [: shld], accelerated store closures, continuing debt paydowns and an expected lowered guidance on the fourth-quarter call next week and the analysts meeting in March. The reason lowered guidance is good for the stock: “All in, the investment community should welcome a lowered bar vs. prior out-year financial targets that may limit future financial forecast misses and hence provide a potential positive catalyst for the stock,” Greenberger wrote in a note to clients. The stock has tumbled 21% over the past three months, while Sears’ stock has plunged 46%, the SPDR S&P Retail ETF has slipped 1.3% and the S&P 500 has gained 7.4%.

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Shares of Zosana Pharma Corp. rocketed 69% toward a 9-month high in very active morning trade Monday, after the company presented positive trial results of its migraine treatment. Volume spiked to 12.4 million shares, compared with the full-day average of about 268,000 shares. Zosana said a trial of its lead candidate, M207, which is a patch used to treatment migraine pain, achieved both co-primary endpoints of pain freedom and most-bothersome-symptom freedom in a phase 3 trial. The company said there were no serious adverse events in the trial. The stock has has lost 4% over the past 12 months, while iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF has climbed 14% and the S&P 500 has run up 25%.

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U.S. stock-market indexes opened higher on Monday, setting intraday all-time highs shortly after market open. The S&P 500 opened up 6 points, or 0.2%, at 2,322. The Nasdaq Composite began the session up 18 points, or 0.3% higher at 5,752. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 64 points or 0.3%, to 20,340 at the open.

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Apple Inc.’s stock rallied 0.7% in premarket trade Monday, after Goldman Sachs raised its price target, to put it on track to open at a record high. The stock was trading at $133.09 ahead of the open, above Thursday’s record close of $132.42 and above Friday’s all-time intraday high of $132.94. The 97-cent premarket gain in the stock would add about 7 points to the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s price. Goldman raised Apple’s stock price target to $150, which is was 14% above Friday’s closing price of $132.12, from $133, citing increased confidence regarding major new features in the next iPhone. The stock has run up 41% over the past 12 months, while the Dow has rallied 27%.

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Apple Inc.’s 12-month stock price target was increased to $150 from $133 at Goldman Sachs on Monday, reflecting “increased confidence” that “major new features” in the next iPhone will trigger a strong upgrade cycle. The brokerage also raised fiscal 2018 estimates on Apple. Analysts at Goldman Sachs said they expect the company’s 10th anniversary iPhone, due in September, to have software enhancements such as 3D sensing technology that are crucial to augmented reality. They believe augmented-reality features will be a “significant step-up in innovation” compared with the prior two product cycles. Shares of Apple increased 0.4% to $132.65 in premarket trade. They’ve climbed nearly 22% in the past three months, compared with a 7.5% increase for the Dow Jones Industrial Average , a 30-member index of large-cap companies of which Apple is a member.

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Allergan said early Monday it will acquire body-contouring company Zeltiq Aesthetics for $2.475 billion, with the deal expected to close in the second half of this year. Zeltiq Aesthetics has a cooling technology that has been approved for fat reduction, which Allergan said was a $4 billion market opportunity worldwide and growing. Allergan announced in December it would acquire Acelity’s LifeCell, which produces various products used for breast reconstruction and soft tissue repair, and its aesthetics business — including Botox, line fillers, implants and eye care — is expected to drive much of the company’s growth in the coming years. Allergan is creating a “world-class aesthetics business,” Chief Executive Brent Saunders said. “With CoolSculpting, our offerings to plastic surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners will now extend to three of the largest and fastest-growing segments of their practices,” he said.
Zeltiq Aesthetics shares, which were halted before the announcement, have surged 25.4% over the last three months. Allergan shares have surged 18.7% over the last three months, compared with a 7.0% rise in the S&P 500 .

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Sonoco Products Co. said Monday it will raise prices on expanded polystyrene (EPS) parts and components by 10%, and on all Sonopost products by 7%, effective March 1. The move is in response to rapid price increases since October 2016 for styrene monomer, the key raw material in all EPS products. “Styrene production outages continue to impact prices,” said Russell Grissett, general manager of Sonoco ThermoSafe. “This is an unprecedented situation, and it is creating a high level of uncertainty as to where pricing could be headed in the coming weeks.” The stock, which was still inactive in premarket trade, has gained 1.9% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has climbed 7%.

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Lear Corp. boosted Monday its quarterly cash dividend by 67% to 50 cents a share from 30 cents a share. The new dividend is payable March 23 to shareholders of record on March 3. Based on Friday’s stock closing price of $141.35, the new annual dividend rate implies a dividend yield of 1.41%, compared with the aggregate S&P 500 yield of 2.04%, according to FactSet. The automotive seating supplier said it increased its share buyback program to $1 billion, from the $341 million it had remaining at the end of 2016. “The company’s strong operating performance, record financial results and record sales backlog are allowing us to significantly increase our quarterly cash dividend and continue our proven track record of returning capital to our shareholders,” said Chief Executive Matt Simoncini. The stock, which was still inactive in premarket trade, has run up 40% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 24%.

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Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported fourth-quarter earnings that rose to $118.4 million, or 50 cents a share, from $51.7 million, or 25 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, adjusted earnings per share were 44 cents, beating the FactSet consensus of 42 cents. Revenue rose to $1.11 billion from $1.06 billion, just above the FactSet consensus of $1.10 billion. Same-store sales for the Tim Horton restaurants grew 0.2%, compared with 6.3% growth in the same period last year, while Burger King same-store sales increased 2.8% vs. a 3.9% increase last year. Restaurant growth was 4.5% for Tim Hortons and 4.9% for Burger King. The stock, which was still inactive in premarket trade, has soared 61% over the past 12 months, while the S&P 500 rose 24%.

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