Thrifts & Mortgage Finance

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced that the company has signed a definitive agreement under which Gilead will purchase a clinical biologics manufacturing facility and certain process development assets located in Oceanside, California from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (...

Compass Point Research & Trading provided color on MGIC Investment (NYSE: MTG) and lowered its MGIC Investment price target to $9 in a research report published today. Compass Point has previously given MGIC Investment a Buy rating. In the report, Compass Point states, "We still believe there...

KBW is out with its report today on PMI (NYSE: PMI), downgrading PMI from Outperform to Market Perform. In its report, KBW writes, "We are downgrading the shares of PMI to Market Perform from Outperform this morning following the company's 2Q11 earnings release. We are also lowering our full-year...

Two services-related companies and a little-known Chinese coal miner were among the best-performing small-cap stocks on Tuesday. The day marked by President Barack Obama signing off on a bill resolving the federal government's debt ceiling crisis. Wall Street's response was negative, indicating...

Two services-related companies and a little-known Chinese coal miner were among the best-performing small-cap stocks on Tuesday. The day marked by President Barack Obama signing off on a bill resolving the federal government's debt ceiling crisis. Wall Street's response was negative, indicating...

According to KBW, Radian Group (NYSE: RDN), EPS estimates have been decreased. KBW announced a decrease in EPS estimates from ($2.07) to ($2.37) for FY11 and from $0.68 to $0.11 for FY12. Rating is set to Outperform and PT is reiterated at $9. RDN closed yesterday at $3.55.

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...

KBW is out with its report today on First Niagara Financial (NASDAQ: FNFG), lowering its PT to $14. In its report, KBW writes, "FNFG emerged as the winning bidder for HSBC's branches, paying $1b for 195 branches and $15b in deposits. Long term, this deal should prove beneficial to earnings and...

KBW is out with its report today on First Financial Holdings (NASDAQ: FFCH), reiterating Market Perform. In its report, KBW writes, "FFCH had a busy third quarter in which it completed the sale of its insurance subsidiary, acquired 5 branches in Hilton Head and moved $155M loans to held for sale....

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...

Wunderlich Securities reiterated its Buy rating on First PacTrust Bancorp (NASDAQ: FPTB). At the same time, the rating agency left its price target on the company's stock unchanged at $20. On Monday, FPTB lost 6.35% of its value to end the day at $13.86.

Oritani Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: ORIT), the holding company for Oritani Bank, reported that the June 30, 2011 problem asset totals contained in its press release of July 25, 2011 will be adjusted upward. Subsequent to the issuance of the July 25, 2011 press release, Oritani was informed by the lead...

MGIC Investment Corporation's (NYSE: MTG) principal subsidiary Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation will be filing a comment letter today with the six federal financial regulatory agencies responsible for defining "Qualified Residential Mortgage," as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform...

Two China PMI surveys released today confirm that Chinese manufacturing is at stall speed. The official CFLP survey: July 2011, China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing released by China's manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) was 50.7%, the chain is only down 0.2 [...]

According to KBW, First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG) has acquired branches of HSBC. KBW reported that FNFG has acquired even more branches of HSBC, resulting in a total of 195 branches thus far and $15-billion in deposits. FNFG closed on Friday at $12.25.