Specialized Finance

Shares of Moody's (NYSE: MCO) are lower on the session by 0.99%, currently trading at $42.18. The stock has been moving largely higher over the past three months and is currently trading above the 50-day moving average. Options traders are focusing on calls today. The strike seeing the heaviest...

Benchmark raises its price target $8 to $45 on Hold-rated Moody's (NYSE: MCO) on improving bond issuance. Benchmark says, " We are raising our 2012 revenue and EPS estimates, mainly reflecting signs of a recovery in bond issuance along with strong growth prospects of Moody's Analytics." MCO...

Shares of Moody's (NYSE: MCO) are lower on the session by 2.18%, currently trading at $37.70. The stock has been moving largely higher over the past three months and is currently trading above the 50-day moving average. Options traders are focusing on calls today. The strike seeing the heaviest...

Benchmark reiterates its Hold rating on Moody's (NYSE: MCO) and raises its price target by $3 to $37 on soft top line and increased expenses for Q4. Benchmark says, "Moody's reported soft top-line results in 4Q11. Expenses increased resulting in an operating income decline of 13% y/y. However,...

There will be plenty more quarterly reports this week for analysts and traders to peruse. On the schedule are Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Visa (NYSE: V), Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS), Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) and Yum! Brands (NYSE:...

Shares of Moody's (NYSE: MCO) are higher on the session by 0.06%, currently trading at $35.34. The stock has been moving largely higher over the past two months and is currently trading above the 50-day moving average. Options traders are focusing on puts today. The strike seeing the heaviest...

Investors across the globe share a single greatest fear: to see their investments turn into nothing. While the phenomenon is not very common, unlucky investors sometimes find a trusted company dissolute or accused of fraud, spiraling the stock price down to pennies. In the case of bankruptcy,...

Life Partners Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LPHI) dipped 31.55% to $4.36 at 10:35 am. LPHI responded to notice that a lawsuit has been filed against it by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Novogen Limited (NASDAQ: NVGND) shares fell 23.27% to $2.11. NVGND's trailing-twelve-month operating...

Life Partners Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LPHI) shares fell 37.83% to $3.96 in the pre-market trading. LPHI responded to notice that a lawsuit has been filed against it by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Acme Packet Inc (NASDAQ: APKT) dipped 21.09% to $25.10 in the pre-market session. Acme...

Life Partners Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPHI) responded today to notice that a lawsuit has been filed against it by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company believes the action is without merit and will vigorously defend itself and its officers. Life Partners' Chairman, Brian Pardo,...

Here are the M&A deals and chatter for Thursday December 29, 2011: Capstone Offers to Acquire Manhattan Bridge Capital The Offer: Manhattan Bridge Capital loan holder, Capstone, offers to buy the company for $1.30 per share. The offer was announced in the Manhattan Bridge Capital's (NASDAQ...

Shares of Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL) gained about 0.4% after the company announced its plans to acquire ForteBio®, Inc. The deal is likely to close by February of 2012. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Shares of Hanmi Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: HAFC) gained about 0.9% after...

Moody's Corp (NYSE: MCO) reported that it acquired British risk management company Barrie & Hibbert Ltd for GBP 50 million ($77.6 million). Moody's shares gained 0.77% to close at $32.60 on Friday.

Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) announced today that it has acquired Barrie & Hibbert Limited, a leading provider of risk management modeling tools for insurance companies worldwide. The acquisition broadens Moody's Analytics suite of software solutions for the insurance and pension sectors....

Finally, it looks like the SEC is going to attempt to act on behalf of investors who were lied to repeatedly in the run-up to the mortgage meltdown. In any event, they are at least attempting to give that impression. On Friday, the SEC announced civil actions against six former top executives at...