Specialized Finance

NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) and Deutsche Boerse AG of Germany recently announced a merger that will create the world's largest financial exchange. NYSE is the world's largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization of its listed companies and Deutsche Boerse AG is the largest stock...

Piper Jaffray provided color regarding Moody's (NYSE: MCO) in a research report published today. In the report, Piper Jaffray states, "Improving fundamentals, manageable regulatory challenges, fading litigation risk and a below historical average valuation combine to make Moody's our favorite...

NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) today announced the completion of its transaction with APX, Inc. to create NYSE BlueSM, a new global company with an exclusive focus on environmental and sustainable energy markets. NYSE Euronext contributes its ownership in BlueNext in return for a majority interest in...

Sugar production actually started in India in ancient times, where sugarcane juice was turned into granulated crystals. Honey was obviously used as a sweetener in other areas of the world back then. Did you know that Christopher Columbus brought the first sugarcane cuttings to the New World? Now...

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt met with President Obama to discuss innovation and hiring in the U.S. economy. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook was also there. He actually wore a suit. I guess his hoodies were in the wash. Nasdaq OMX Group (NASDAQ: NDAQ...

It's not the bid you're thinking about though. The Nasdaq (NASDAQ: NDAQ) and the Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) are in negotiations about a potential joint bid for the NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX), writes New York Times Deal Book. Talks are ongoing, and a big may not come out for quite awhile...

Keefe Bruyette & Woods maintained its KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE: KFN) Outperform rating and raised KKR Financial Holdings' price target from $11.50 to $12 in a research report published today. In the report, Keefe Bruyette & Woods states, "Following KKR Financial Holdings' 4Q10 results,...

Below are the top small-cap financial stocks on the NYSE and the NASDAQ in terms of cash. Interactive Brokers Group Inc (NASDAQ: IBKR) had $20.29 billion in total cash for the latest quarter. IBKR's total debt for the same period amounted to $2.14 billion. Penson Worldwide Inc (NASDAQ: PNSN) had $6...

Below are the top investment brokerage-national stocks on the NYSE and the NASDAQ in terms of dividend yield. BGC Partners Inc (NASDAQ: BGCP) has a dividend yield of 6.40%. BGCP's shares closed at $8.96 yesterday. Sanders Morris Harris Group Inc (NASDAQ: SMHG) has a dividend yield of 2.90%. SMHG's...

Stocks were rallying today after news broke of new pharmaceutical mergers and better than expected earnings. Investors were happy to hear before the opening bell that Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) agreed to purchase biotech company Genzyme (NASDAQ: GENZ) in a cash deal worth $20.1 billion. Any time...

(TheStreet) --David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital bought new stakes in wireless provider Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S) and oil firm BP (NYSE: BP) during the fourth quarter, picking up two companies shunned by most investors. New York-based Greenlight Capital took seven new equity positions and closed out...

By 10:45 am, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 73.41 points, or 0.60%, to 12,300.05, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index had gained 8.56 points, or 0.64%. The NASDAQ composite index rose 20.84 points, or 0.74%. Some of the narrow based indexes that are driving the markets are...

Portfolio Recovery (NASDAQ: PRAA) reported EPS of $1.20 vs. PJC of $1.15 and consensus of $1.12. The beat vs. Piper Jaffray's model was driven by higher cash collections. Purchases were also stronger than anticipated. A $3m investment in the legal collection business reduced earnings by $0.11 and...

Piper Jaffray has raised the price target on Portfolio Recovery (NASDAQ: PRAA) from $86 to $103 and maintains its Overweight rating.

Last week, I wrote an article about how the London Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange were merging and that there may be more stock exchange mergers on the horizon. Now the news is out. The NYSE Euronext (NYX), which runs the New York Stock Exchange, and Deutsche Börse (DBOEY.PK), which...