Systems Software

Here are today's mid-day options volume leaders… 1. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) 152,196 contracts, 62.5% calls, 37.5% puts 2. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) 143,891 contracts, 47.4% calls, 52.6% puts 3. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) 108,266 contracts, 59.2% calls, 40.8% puts 4. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE...

Credit Suisse is out with a research report on Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) after it reported earnings last night. It has an Outperform rating and a $36 price target on shares. In a note to clients, Credit Suisse writes, "Even when fully-taxing the company's international cash balance and forward...

CR Bard Inc (NYSE: BCR) dipped 6.08% to $105.86 in the pre-market session. BCR reported its Q2 net sales at $725.0 million. News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWSA) dropped 1.82% to $16.18 in the pre-market trading. NWSA's trailing-twelve-month ROA is 5.47%. Reynolds American Inc (NYSE: RAI) moved down 0...

This is your Benzinga news summary and traders' outlook for Friday, July 22, 2011, covering headlines from overnight and Friday's pre-market session. Today in domestic pre-market trading, U.S. equity futures are trading higher following the approval of a deeper Greek rescue plan. The U.S. dollar...

According to Bank of America, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) stock is indicated down ~1% in after market given a modest beat. Bank of America said that revs/EPS, while not exceptional, were reasonable at $17.4b/$0.57 (ex ~12c tax gain) vs. our est of $17.2b/$0.56 (cons at $17.3b/$0.57). “We reit Buy, $...

JP Morgan reiterated its Neutral rating on Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). At the same time, the rating agency left its price target on the company's stock unchanged at $61.62. On Thursday, MSFT added 0.13% to its value to end the day at $27.09. Its shares lost 0.79% of their value in today's pre-market...

With blockbuster earnings results from technology companies around the industry, including rivals Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), investors in Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) renewed their concern Thursday after the company posted lackluster Windows sales. Sales of Windows fell for the...

US stock futures are higher this morning, as investors are awaiting quarterly earnings from General Electric Co (NYSE: GE). The Eurozone leaders agreed on the form of the second Greek bailout. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 48 points to 12,738.00 and futures on the S&P 500...

Below are the top security software & services stocks on the NYSE and the NASDAQ in terms of earnings per share. The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at ManTech International Corporation (NASDAQ: MANT) is $3.54. MANT's PEG ratio is 1.48. The trailing-twelve-month earnings per share at...

Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are: Wall Street expects Caterpillar Inc (NYSE: CAT) to report its Q2 earnings at $1.79 per share on revenue of $13.52 billion. Caterpillar shares gained 1.57% to $113.35 in after-hours trading. Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) reported its FQ4...

Doug Kass tweeted that the reason that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) beat earnings is because of a lower than expected tax rate. Kass tweeted, "Microsoft's six cents beat entirely due to tax rate moving from 25% to 7% - other metrics in line."

Shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are moving higher in the after-hours following the release of the company's Q4 earnings results. Currently, shares are higher by 1.72%, trading at $27.56; they ended the regular session higher by 013%, at $27.09. Microsoft said that Q4 EPS came in at $0.69 on...

This afternoon, the major stock indexes are surging higher on heavier volume. Earnings reports for the most part have been good for the large mega cap stocks such as Apple Inc.(NASDAQ: AAPL), International Business Machines(NYSE: IBM), and Google Inc.(NASDAQ:). It is important to note that there...

Here are today's mid-day options volume leaders… 1. Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) 354,821 contracts, 82.2% calls, 17.8% puts 2. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) 188,164 contracts, 63.0% calls, 37.0% puts 3. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) 147,503 contracts, 67.3% calls, 32.7% puts 4. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:...

Doug Kass tweeted that he is pressing his shorts, as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has turned red. Kass is a notorious bear and is a contributor to CNBC and TheStreet.com.