Specialized Finance

According to KBW, Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) PT has been decreased to $137. EPS estimates have been lowered from $6.78 to $6.63 for FY11 and from $7.72 to $7.57 for FY12. Rating of Outperform remains the same. ICE closed yesterday at $117.02.

Kraft Foods Inc (NYSE: KFT) rose 4.99% to $36.01 in the pre-market session. KFT reported a 4.2% rise in its second-quarter profit and raised its projections for the year. It also announced its plans to split the company into two units. NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) added 4.03% to $32.50 in the pre-...

Stocks trading at or near 52-week highs and lows provide excellent trading opportunities, as volatility tends to increase at such levels and exit/entry points become more clearly defined. The following stocks hit new 52-week highs in Monday's trading session (listed from highest total volume to...

Compass Point Research & Trading reiterated its KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE: KFN) Buy rating in a research report published today. Compass Point has previously given KKR Financial Holdings a $14 price target. In the report, Compass Point states, "Overall, it was a good quarter given the...

KBW is out with its report today on Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ: ECPG), maintaining Market Perform. In its report, KBW writes, "Operating EPS were in line with our estimate as higher revenues were offset by higher operating expenses. Maintaining forward EPS estimates and price target." KBW has a...

Archer Daniels Midland Co (NYSE: ADM) reported a decline in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit. Archer Daniels Midland reported its quarterly profit at $381 million, or $0.58 per share, down from $446 million, or $0.69 per share, in the year-earlier period. Analysts were expecting earnings of $0.85...

IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE) reported volume for July 2011. Average daily volume for ICE's futures markets was 1,306,105 contracts, an increase of 14% from July 2010. Year-to-date through July 31, ADV across ICE's futures exchanges was 1,499,450 contracts, an increase of 14% compared to the...

Deutsche Bank is out with a research report on KKR Financial (NYSE: KFN) and is reiterating its Buy rating and $12.75 price target on shares. In a note to clients, Deutsche Bank writes, "KKR Financial reported solid 2Q results, with earnings beating our estimate and book value increasing to $9.91...

This is your Benzinga news summary and traders' outlook for Tuesday, August 2, 2011, covering headlines from overnight and Tuesday's pre-market session. Today in domestic pre-market trading, U.S. equity futures are trading lower even after the House voted to pass a deal to raise the nation's debt...

KBW is out with its report today on KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE: KFN), maintaining Outperform. In its report, KBW writes, "Following 2Q11 results, we are raising our 2011 EPS estimate to $1.86 (from $1.63), mainly to reflect this quarter's beat on a reported basis, but are maintaining our 2012...

NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) reported a 16% drop in its profits for the second quarter. NYSE Euronext reported its quarterly earnings at $154 million, or $0.59 per share, down from $184 million, or $0.70 per share, in the year-ago period. Its revenue rose 1% to $661 million. However, analysts were...

Morgan Stanley assumed its coverage of CIT Group (NYSE: CIT) with an Equal-weight rating and a price target of $45. On Monday, CIT lost 1.08% of its value to finish the day at $39.31.

Morgan Stanley has assumed coverage on CIT Group (NYSE: CIT) with a Equal-weight rating and $45 price target.

NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Metabit, a leading Tokyo-based provider of high performance market access products throughout Japan and Asia. Metabit will operate as a product line within the NYSE Technologies portfolio. The...

Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (NASDAQ: MPEL) shares jumped 6.15% to create a new 52-week high of $16.06. Macau posted a 48.4% surge in July gambling revenue. National American University Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: NAUH) shares gained 2.83% to touch a new 52-week high of $10.54. NAUH is scheduled to...