Financial News from Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast from 7/24/2009

“… saw weak sales across all of its units, but struck a bullish tone, noting "there is some sense we have hit bottom." Amazon fails to amaze. Amazon (AMZN) met expectations when it reported quarterly earnings yesterday (see details below), but took a profit hit on a legal settlement and weak sales in high-margin products like videogames. Sales of media, including books and music, were flat in North America. On a more positive note, Amazon’s …” – AMZN on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… Beijing Automotive’s growing success may have been a factor as well, as "GM has no interest in strengthening a rival in China." Tough times for MICROSOFT. MICROSOFT (MSFT) reported quarterly earnings after the market closed (see details below), with a $0.02/share miss that dampened hopes of a tech recovery. The company posted its first ever annual decline in sales of its Windows operating system, and saw weak sales across all of its units, but struck a bullish …” – MSFT on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… he expects the gradual uptrend to continue, but noted again that new appraisal standards are resulting in lost sales. Earnings: Friday Before Open ARCH COAL (ACI): Q2 EPS of -$0.11 misses by $0.05. Revenue of $555M (-29.4%) vs. $634M. Full-year guidance in line. Believes the trough of the current coal market cycle has been reached, and anticipates better industry supply and demand balance in H2. Shares -2.8% premarket. (PR) Ashland (ASH): …” – ACI on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… and demand balance in H2. Shares -2.8% premarket. (PR) Ashland (ASH): FQ3 EPS of $1.01 beats by $0.09. Revenue of $2.04B (-7.5%) in-line. (PR) BLACK & DECKER (BDK): Q2 EPS of $0.63 beats by $0.26. Revenue of $1.19B (-27.4%) in-line. Sees Q3 EPS of $0.35-0.45 vs. $0.52 consensus and full-year EPS of $1.65-2.00 vs. $1.60. (PR) Dover (DOV): Q2 EPS of $0.54 beats by $0.08. Revenue of $1.4B (-30%) in-line. "Though quarterly order rates …” – BDK on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… of the current coal market cycle has been reached, and anticipates better industry supply and demand balance in H2. Shares -2.8% premarket. (PR) ASHLAND (ASH): FQ3 EPS of $1.01 beats by $0.09. Revenue of $2.04B (-7.5%) in-line. (PR) Black & Decker (BDK): Q2 EPS of $0.63 beats by $0.26. Revenue of $1.19B (-27.4%) in-line. Sees Q3 EPS of $0.35-0.45 vs. $0.52 consensus and full-year EPS of $1.65-2.00 vs. $1.60. (PR) Dover (DOV): Q2 EPS of …” – ASH on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… CIT to get much smaller. CIT Group (CIT) reportedly turned down offers from BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY (BRK.A) and Leucadia National Corp. (LUK) last spring to buy parts of the lender because the offer prices were too low. CIT is now being forced to evaluate a similarly structured breakup as it faces potential bankruptcy, with its aviation-finance and rail-finance operations units …” – BRKB on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… CIT to get much smaller. CIT Group (CIT) reportedly turned down offers from Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and Leucadia National Corp. (LUK) last spring to buy parts of the lender because the offer prices were too low. CIT is now being forced to evaluate a similarly structured breakup as it faces potential bankruptcy, with its aviation-finance and rail-finance operations units the most likely to be sold. CIT will likely keep its vendor-financing department, but could shed its vendor-financing business. White House wants to fold OTS. The White House submitted a proposal to Congress to fold the Office of Thrift Supervision into the larger Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which oversees …” – CIT on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… CIT to get much smaller. CIT Group (CIT) reportedly turned down offers from Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) and LEUCADIA NATIONAL Corp. (LUK) last spring to buy parts of the lender because the offer prices were too low. CIT is now being forced to evaluate a similarly structured breakup as it faces potential bankruptcy, with its aviation-finance and rail-finance operations units the most likely to be sold. …” – LUK on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… aggressively buying Harman stock and call options in the four days before the fake tender offer, followed by a liquidation of the entire position. QUALCOMM fined for abusing market power. South Korea’s fair trade regulator is fining QUALCOMM (QCOM) a record $208M, accusing the U.S. chipmaker of abusing its market dominance. QUALCOMM promised to fight the ruling, which it called ‘overly excessive and unwarranted.’ South Korean regulators have been investigating QUALCOMM since 2006. Beijing Auto’s Opel bid fails. Xu Heyi, chairman of Beijing Automotive, said the company’s bid for General Motors’ Opel unit failed because of a disagreement over the intellectual property rights to care designs and technology. Analysts speculate that Beijing Automotive’s …” – QCOM on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast

“… alleging he made millions in suspicious profits after ‘fraudulent’ takeover reports sent shares of U.S. companies Harman International (HAR) and TEXTRON (TXT) soaring. The SEC said the case represents ‘pretty brazen misconduct,’ with Al-Braikan aggressively buying Harman stock and call options in the four days before the fake tender offer, followed by a liquidation of the entire position. Qualcomm fined for abusing market power. South …” – TXT on Seeking Alpha Wall St Breakfast