Diversified Chemicals

FMC Corp.’s (FMC) MACD indicator has moved into bullish territory with a reading of 0.0055. The Zacks #2 Rank (“Buy”) stock gained more than 1.5% to $62.32 in morning trade. The Zacks Consensus Estimate on the company’s earnings for 2010 moved up 3 cents over the past month to $4.73 per share. FMC...

In a research report released by Citigroup today, the firm's analysts said that they see a buying opportunity in Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW) after weak 2Q results triggered a sell off in the name. The stock has fallen more than 10% in the last month. The company reported weaker than expected earnings...

According to a company note released by Goldman Sachs today, the Huntsman Cancer Foundation completed the purchase this week of 1.55 million shares of Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) at an average price of $8.68. According to the report, this transaction follows on the heels of a similar share...

In an uncertain environment, investors would do well to place their trust in bonds. However, selecting and purchasing bonds individually entails significant costs and effort on the part of the investor and this is where mutual funds come in. Funds investing in corporate bonds can offer high returns...

J.P.Morgan Chase & Co. sees strong upside in shares of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH). It has a $65 price target and Overweight rating on the shares. In the research note sent to clients, J.P. Morgan writes, "Ashland’s sales and margin data for the first month of 4Q:F10 (ends September) brought no...

J.P. Morgan is lifting its earnings estimates on Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) after the company reported earnings on August 6. It rates shares at Neutral and has an $11 price target. In the research report to investors, J.P. Morgan writes, "We lifted our 2010 EPS adjusted estimate for Huntsman...

SAP AG (SAP) and Sybase announced that they will collaborate to develop a mobile platform based on open architecture that supports different operating systems and devices. Further, the two companies will develop a solution for corporate information management to provide customers with a broader...

Power technology company American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) acquired a 25% stake in Blade Dynamics Ltd. for $8 million in cash, and will have one seat on the Blade Dynamics Board of Directors. Blade Dynamics Ltd. is a designer and manufacturer of advanced wind turbine blades based on...

A slew of better-than-expected economic data and activity on the mergers and acquisitions front boosted investors’ confidence yesterday, sending the Dow industrials into the positive territory for the year, even as Wal-Mart Stores and Home Depot reported upbeat earnings numbers. Material stocks...

In a Form 4 filed earlier today, Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) Vice-President, Paul C. Raymond, reported that he sold 7,000 shares of ASH on August 16th for an average price of $50.01. The transaction totaled $350,036. Mr. Raymond owns 6,049 direct and 1,009 indirect shares of ASH. Source: The...

Paints and coatings maker Valspar Corp. (VAL) recorded net income of $75.1 million or 74 cents per share in the third quarter of fiscal 2010, up 15.5% from last year’s $65 million or 61 cents per share. Earnings were helped by a stronger catings business that negated subdued performance in the...

In July, the Producer Price Index (PPI) increased by 0.2% from June and was up 4.2% from a year ago. That increase was in line with consensus expectations. The increase comes on the heels of three straight declines and declines in four of the last five months. In June, the headline PPI fell by 0.5...

Eastman Chemical's (EMN) diversified chemical portfolio is driving earnings. The company benefits from business restructuring and cost-cutting measures. The Performance Chemicals business continues to outperform with an enhanced product mix achieved from the Genovique Specialty acquisition. Strong...

In July, Housing Starts rose to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 546,000, an increase of 1.7% over the 537,000 rate in June. However, the June rate was revised down from 549,000 so, relative to where we thought we were yesterday, it is a decline of 0.5%. Relative to the 587,000 pace of a year...

Celanese Corporation (CE), a leading global specialty materials company, is ramping up production at its Wilmington, N.C. plant operated under its Fortron Industries LLC affiliate to match the rising global demand for Fortron® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). The plant is the largest in the world with...