Specialized Finance

Below are the top 5 financial stocks in the NASDAQ in terms of return on equity. The return on equity for Life Partners Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: LPHI) is 54.89%. The trailing-twelve-month operating margins for LPHI are 39.82%. The return on equity for First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC) is 48.18...

Below are the top 5 financial stocks in the NASDAQ in terms of cash. Northern Trust Corporation (NASDAQ: NTRS) had $30.63 billion in cash in the latest quarter. NTRS’ shares have risen by only 0.38% over the past 52 weeks, as compared to a 43.87% increase in the S&P 500. Interactive Brokers...

Shares of rating agency Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) are falling today on heavy volume in the wake of the SEC fraud complaint against Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) on Friday. The stock has lost 2.55% to $26.70 as traders speculate that litigation relating to the mortgage crisis will continue to weigh...

Moody’s Corp (NYSE: MCO) moved sharply lower on Friday on the news of Goldman Sachs’ potential fraud and continues to move lower this morning. The stock is currently trading $26.96, lower by 1.64%. Puts are once again being purchased as investors fear that the company, which has continued to miss...

Ahead of bellwether Intel’s results U.S. stocks recorded slim gains Tuesday as optimism about corporate earnings was offset by Alcoa’s disappointing quarterly profit.  Stocks traded in the red in early going, hurt by Alcoa’s poor kickoff to earnings season, but expectations that Intel’s numbers...

Below are the top five large-cap stocks in the NASDAQ in terms of earnings. Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) earned $6.15 per share in the latest quarter. GOOG’s quarterly earnings growth is 416.20%. Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) earned $3.74 per share in the latest quarter. SHLD’s quarterly...

Despite investor apathy in the market yesterday as they awaited the release of the minutes of the Fed’s April 14 meeting, the S&P 500 Index moved up, driven by the US financial sector. The sector received a boost after regional banks got a lift from a positive comment made by Credit Suisse. The...

Below are the top 5 financial stocks in terms of return on equity. The return on equity for ASA Limited (NYSE: ASA) is 65.85%. ASA’s forward annual dividend yield is 3.40%. The return on equity for Life Partners Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: LPHI) is 54.89%. LPHI’s trailing-twelve-month operating margins...

Citigroup released a research note today updating the situation at MF Global (NYSE: MF). After the closing bell yesterday, the company announced that Jon Corzine will take over as Chairman and CEO. Corzine is the former co-Chairman of Golman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and was also a U.S. senator from 2001-...

Analysts at Susquehanna Financial maintain their "positive" rating on NASDAQ OMX Group (NASDAQ: NDAQ). The target price for NDAQ has been raised from $22 to $23. According to Susquehanna Financial, current cash equity trading at NDAQ stands at 8.6 billion shares per day for 1Q, which is short of...

Analysts at FBR Capital Markets reiterate their "outperform" rating on KKR Financial Holdings (NYSE: KFN). The target price for KFN has been raised from $8 to $10. According to FBR Capital Markets, KFN may retain its focus on returning CLO 2007-1 to compliance by late-spring/early-summer. With an...

Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD), the fifth largest US steel producer, has raised $350 million by issuing 8% senior notes due 2020 through a private offering. The company intends to use the proceeds from the notes to finance capital expenditure and acquisitions as well as debt repayment. As of December...

Bloomberg reports that CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) CEO, John Thain, plans to retain the company’s aircraft finance unit during the next round of asset sales. Earlier, C. Jeffrey Knittel, President of CIT’s transportation finance business, said, “CIT Aerospace is going to be a core piece of CIT for...

Analysts Chris Brendler and Matthew Heinz at Stifel Nicolaus have released an update on CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT). The company released its 10k after market close on Tuesday. According to analysts, there is a lot of new information in the company’s 10K and the financials are greatly complicated...

The financial sector stood out in the Standard & Poor's 500 as it led the gains today. The sector was propelled by upgrades in rating for some insurers and the repayment of government bailouts. Some of the financial stocks that outshone today are: Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE: HIG)...