Thursday, September 19, 2013

Market Wrap-Up for Sept. 17 (MSFT, SWY, MO, HUN, more)

Following yesterday’s “end-of-Summers” rally, the U.S. indices are rose once again today. Even though economic data came in mixed this morning–the home builder confidence index met expectations, while the consumer price index missed estimates–it did not stop the rise in stocks.

Stocks on the Rise

Altria (MO) shares edged higher today after the company boosted its fiscal 2013 outlook. Also in positive territory today wer eshares of Huntsman Corp. (HUN) and Rockwood Holdings (ROC), after the two companies announced that Huntsman would acquire some assets from Rockwood Holdings.

Seeing significant action today were shares of Safeway (SWY), after the company announced a poison pill plan to circumvent a possible takeover.

10 Best Blue Chip Stocks To Buy Right Now

Moreover, shares of Chico’s FAS (CHS), Broadcom (BRCM), Church & Dwight Company (CHD), Comerica (CMA), Apache Corp (APA), American States Water Company (AWR), Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN), and Intel Corp (INTC) all rallied following Wall Street analysts’ upgrades.

Stocks on the Decline

FactSet (FDS) shares took a hit today after its fourth quarter earnings disappointed investors. Mosaic (MOS) and Werner (WERN) shares are also in the red after both companies lowered their third quarter outlooks.

Furthermore, Wall Street analysts’ downgrades of National Bank Holdings (NBHC), BRE Properties (BRE), Extra Space Storage (EXR), ConAgra Foods (CAG), and Kellogg Company (K) dragged the stocks lower throughout the day’s trading.

Be sure to check the Dividend Daily for all the latest earnings reports, analyst moves, and much more.

Microsoft Announces New Capital Return Plans: Now What?

One of today’s winners was Microsoft (MSFT), after the software giant announced a 22% dividend increase and a new $40 billion share buyback plan. Now, shares of Microsoft offer an attractive 3.4% dividend yield. However, by the close, the stock was up just 0.6%% on the day. After a capital return plan of this magnitude, one would assume that investors and

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