Monday, September 14, 2009

9/14/09 am Mon Dow Jones Industrial Average to Get Competition from Thomson Reuters

The following is not intended as advertising by a broker-dealer and is not a research report.

Post #105 The following is brought to you by Intellivest Securities Research, Inc. The following is not intended as advertising by a broker-dealer and is not a research report. Towards the end of this Blog is an update of the Dow 30's most recent SEC filings as of 9/4/09.

A read of Monday's 9/41/09 print editions of: Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Investors Business Daily, New York Times, Atl Journal Const, & USA Today yielded the following stories about Dow Jones Industrial Average 30 component companies and the Dow with stories about the Dow aggregated first and then items about Dow Jones Industrial Average 30 companies presented alphabetically, followed by symbol and Thursday's closing price and related data:

Dow:
FT fm section p1 "Media group steps into indices market - Thomson Reuters is launching its own family of 800 indices" by Sophia Grene says TR is going to launch a range of branded indices following reports that News Corp.'s Dow Jones Index business is for sale. Thomson Reuters has been mentioned as a possible buyer but now it is bringing its own family of 800 indices covering 44 countries, 18 regions and 10 business sectors. Their indices will focus more on liquidity than on volumes traded. Thomson Reuters will be cmopeting with FTSE, a joint venture between the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor's and MSCI Barra. Index provision is a profitable business.

The current divisor for the Dow found at today's page C4 of The Wall St. Jrnl is .132319125 unchanged.

AT&T T
$26.66 +0.10 0.38% 23,445,722 NYSE: WSJ pC7 "Boom to Bust and Back: Tech ETF" by Nat Worden says investing in exchange trade funds started a decade ago when tech stocks were in a speculative mania and investors wanted an easy way to bet on momentum. Now ETFs offer a more reasoned approach to invest in tech. Story says SPDR Tech Select Fun is up 34% and has invested largely in MSFT, IBM, Apple, AT&T and Google.

AA $12.99 +0.15 1.17% 22,547,935 NYSE: No mentions found.

AXP $34.17 -0.23 0.67% 8,271,404 NYSE: No mentions found.

BofAm BAC
$16.97 -0.25 1.45% 137,701,264 NYSE: Fin Times Com'l & Mkts Sec p29 "Doubts linger over BofA-Merrill deal - Aftershock: one year after the crash - on the anniversary of the takeover, consideration of whether the criticism is valid" by Greg Farrell says that despite the criticism the deal made profound strategic sense and lists 4 significant M&A deals this year in which BAC had an advisory role" Dis/Marvel; Baker Hughes/BJ Svcs; BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors & Pepsi/Pepsi Bottling Group,

WSJ pC8 Lynn Cowann says JPM is set to do an IPO for VS Holdings which operates the Vitamin Shoppe after its original IPO in May '07 was delayed because of a shakeup among its underwriters including Merrill Lynch being acquired by BofAm.

BA $51.35 +0.86 1.7% 5,868,210 NYSE: No mentions found.

CAT $48.53 -0.16 0.33% 9,749,625 NYSE: No mentions found.

Chevron CVX
$70.75 -0.70 0.98% 9,860,983 NYSE: WSJ pB5 "Gorgon Raises Pressure on Australia's Natural Gas Projects" by Patrick Barta & Ross Kelly says some high profile natural gas projects in Australia could fall by the wayside as work gets under way on the massive Gorgon liquefied natural gas field. CVX, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell are expected to approve the Gorgon project with its estimated price of $40 bil today. While this will make Australia an energy superpower, the project will make it harder for some of the dozen or more other major Australian gas projects to get build.

CSCO $23.09 +0.08 0.35% 52,906,165 NASDAQ-GS: No mentions found.

Coke KO
$51.51 +0.93 1.84% 16,966,199 NYSE: WSJ pA1 "What's in a Name? Not Much For These Fans of Imported Cadbury - Some Spurn Version of Chocolate made in US, While Getting All Gooey Over British bars" by Joe Barrett & Timothy W. Martin says just as many Coke lovers say the Mexican version of the soda tastes better there are many in the US who say the Americanized version of the chocolate which is made under license by Hershey of Pa. doesn't taste as good as the real stuff made in UK. Related story at WSJ pB4.

NYT pB3 "In Shanghai, Police Detain Former Worker at Coca-Cola" by David Barboza says they have accused the employee of corruption and bribery.

Disney DIS $28.42 +0.06 0.21% 14,178,642 NYSE; NYT pB3 "Disney Plans Interactive Updates in Theme Parks" by Brooks Barnes & Andrew J. martin says Dis announced plans it will modernize its Star Tours rides and expand Fantasyland at Disney Worled in Fla. Dis' theme parks, an $11.5 bil annual business is closely watched as a consumer confidence bellwether have struggled in the recession.

DD $31.81 -0.28 0.87% 6,954,581 NYSE: No mentions found.

XOM $69.98 -0.67 0.95% 17,382,548 NYSE: No mentions found.

GE $14.67 -0.13 0.88% 100,517,452 NYSE: Fin Tim p1 "GE looks to harness offshore wind power to fuel expansion - Group hoping to tap into subsidy offers" by Ed Crooks says GE is making its first large scale move into offshore wind power that could create thousands of new jobs designing and making turbines. GE is going to set up facilities to serve the European markets but hasn't decided where or how much it will invest.

Hewlett-Packard HPQ $46.1 -0.40 0.86% 12,804,229 NYSE: WSJ pR3, Special Tech section says HPQ was a runner up in the '09 Technology Innovation Winners awards in the category of Consumer Electronics because of its affordable, flexible electronic displays that are paperlike and almost entirely made of plastic and consume less power than today's computer displays.

HD $27.34 -0.19 0.69% 14,612,289 NYSE: No mentions found.

Intel INTC
$19.51 -0.25 1.27% 58,525,895 NASDAQ-GS: WSJ pB1 "EMC Nabs Intel Talent: Race Looms For CEO Spot" by William M. Bulkeley says EMC is recruiting Patrick Gelsinger, who heads Intel's core chip buisness to run EMC's storage products operations and some smaller software units and he may succeed EMC's CEO Joseph Tucci.

IBM
$118.05 +0.38 0.32% 5,875,924 NYSE: WSJ pC7 "Boom to Bust and Back: Tech ETF" by Nat Worden says investing in exchange trade funds started a decade ago when tech stocks were in a speculative mania and investors wanted an easy way to bet on momentum. Now ETFs offer a more reasoned approach to invest in tech. Story says SPDR Tech Select Fun is up 34% and has invested largely in MSFT, IBM, Apple, AT&T and Google.

JPMorgan JPM $42.5 -0.52 1.21% 26,632,296 NYSE: WSJ pC8 Lynn Cowann says JPM is set to do an IPO for VS Holdings which operates the Vitamin Shoppe after its original IPO in May '07 was delayed because of a shakeup among its underwriters including Merrill Lynch being acquired by BofAm.

Johnson & Johnson JNJ $60.42 -0.24 0.4% 8,429,891 NYSE: WSJ pB4 "J&J Seeks to Lower Price of Deal With Elan" by Jeanne Whlalen & Jeffrey McCracken says JNJ is trying to reduce the price of its previously announced $1.5 bil deal with Elan after a fed judge ruled that part of the deal breached a partnership between Elan and Biogen Idec Inc. JNJ wants to knock at least $100 mil of the $1 bil in cash it agreed to pay.

Kraft KFT $26.1 -0.09 0.34% 17,331,866 NYSE: WSJ pA1 "What's in a Name? Not Much For These Fans of Imported Cadbury - Some Spurn Version of Chocolate made in US, While Getting All Gooey Over British bars" by Joe Barrett & Timothy W. Martin says just as many Coke lovers say the Mexican version of the soda tastes better there are many in the US who say the Americanized version of the chocolate which is made under license by Hershey of Pa. doesn't taste as good as the real stuff made in UK. Cadbury is being pursued by Kraft in a $16.8 bil takeover bid.

Related story at WSJ pB4 by Dana Cimilluca & Michael Carolan, "Cadbury Lays Out Kraft Rejection: says Cadbury's bid contrasts sharply with its existing strategy and issue a terse statement rejecting the offer.

Fin Tim Companies & Market Sec p16 "Kraft will pay for nibbling at Cadbury" by Lina Saigol says Kraft's low ball offer of only a 30% premium may throw Cadbury into a white knight as happened when Unilever did a low ball offer for Bestfoods in 2000 and ended up losing the deal.

Related story at FT C&M Sec p18 "Cadbury hits at low growth Kraft's strategy" by Jenny Wiggins that says Cadbury has released a letter criticizing Kraft as a low growth conglomerate.

MCD $54.39 -0.46 0.84% 11,899,878 NYSE: No mentions found.

MRK $32.54 +0.58 1.81% 14,383,804 NYSE: No mentions found.

Microsoft MSFT
$24.86 -0.14 0.56% 53,603,459 NASDAQ-GS: WSJ pB5 "Court Affirms Jury Verdit, But Award to Be Reviewed" says the jury verdict that MSFT's Outlook and 2 other products infringed an Alcatel-Lucent patent was affirmed by a fed appeals court but it ruled the $358 mil damages award wasn't correct (earlier reported on this Blog.)

WSJ pA10 "Web Censoring Widens Across Southeast Asia - Governments Try to Curb Criticism by Arresting Bloggers" by James Hookway says Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam are trying to intimidate online criticism by arresting bloggers because they lack the kind of technology China and other large countries use to police the Internet. Malaysia doesn't want to be seen as directly censoring the Internet because it doesn't want to scare off foreign tech companies such as MSFT that operates there.

WSJ pC7 "Boom to Bust and Back: Tech ETF" by Nat Worden says investing in exchange trade funds started a decade ago when tech stocks were in a speculative mania and investors wanted an easy way to bet on momentum. Now ETFs offer a more reasoned approach to invest in tech. Story says SPDR Tech Select Fun is up 34% and has invested largely in MSFT, IBM, Apple, AT&T and Google

PFE $16.25 -0.09 0.55% 30,865,027 NYSE: No mentions found.

PG $55.64 -0.40 0.71% 12,303,922 NYSE: No mentions found.

MMM $74 -0.39 0.52% 3,299,453 NYSE: No mentions found.

TRV $48.41 -0.11 0.23% 4,089,954 NYSE: No mentions found.

UTX $61.99 +0.04 0.06% 4,754,235 NYSE: No mentions found.

VZ $31.26 -0.09 0.29% 20,561,699 NYSE: No mentions found.

WMT $50.72 -0.31 0.61% 16,025,660 NYSE: No mentions found.


Here are the latest SEC filings as of 9/4/09 other than ownership filings and, except for certain cases, I do not include third party shareholder proposals:

Symbol & Co. Name/Date of Filing/Form Filed/ Comments

T AT&T: 8/28/09 two 8K's, one: annoucning it had reached agreement with the Communications Workers of America (on a new, three-year contract covering approximately 7,000 wireline employees (located across the U.S.) under the CWA Communications and Technologies contract, subject to approval by these employees. The second 8K said two subsidiaries of Tprovided redeemed certain long-term debt issues as of September 28, 2009.

Alcoa AA: 8/29/09 8K announcing that Alain J. P. Belda, executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of AA retired as an executive officer but is staying on as a director until April 23, 2010.

American Express AXP: 9/2/09 10Q

Bank of Am BAC: a free writing prospectus regarding issuance of $74 million in debt securities.

Boeing BA: 8/31 8K announcing the retirement of Scott E. Carson, Executive Vice President, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, effective January 1, 2010. Effective September 1, 2009, Mr. Carson will leave his current position and assume the role of Executive Vice President. Carson will be replaced by James F. Albaugh.

8/27 8K announcing a revised schedule for the 787 Dreamliner and a charge to third quarter earnings related to flight test aircraft.

Caterpiller CAT: 8/20/09 8K CAT filed Reg FD information concerning deliveries to users for its Machinery and Engines lines of business.

Chevron CVX: 8/6/09 10Q

Cisco CSCO: 8/5/09 8K CSCO reported its results of operations for its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year 2009 ended July 25, 2009.

Coke KO: 7/30/09 10Q

Disney DIS: 8/31/09 8K announcing a merger between its subsidiary, Maverick Acquisition Sub, Inc., and its subsidiary, Maverick Merger Sub, LLC, a single member Delaware limited liability company and Marvel Entertainment, Inc.. As a result of the Merger, Marvel will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney. Each share of Marvel common stock will be converted into $30 in cash and 0.7452 shares of Disney common stock.

DuPont DD: 8/13/09 8K announcing Nicholas C. Fanandakis, age 53, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer & Chief Executive effective September 1, 2009 with an increase in annual salary from $387,708 to $500,000 and target short-term incentive award for 2009 will increase from $328,500 to $464,100. Mr. Fanandakis was named to his current position, Group Vice President- Applied BioSciences, in January 2008. Prior to that, he was vice president and general manager- DuPont Chemical Solutions Enterprise from September 2003 through September 2006 and vice president- Corporate Plans from October 2006 through December 2007. Jeffrey L. Keefer, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, will remain EVP and transition from the position of Chief Financial Officer to assume leadership responsibility for the DD's Performance Coatings business, corporate strategy development, Information Technology and overall cost and working capital productivity efforts effective November 1, 2009. Richard R. Goodmanson, EVP and Chief Operating Officer will retire effective September 30, 2009.

ExxonMobil XOM: 8/5/09 10Q

GE: 8/4/09 8K GE reached a settlement with the SEC & consented to a judgment of a fine of $50 million relating to four accounting matters arising in 2002 - 2003: the application of SFAS 133 to GE’s since-discontinued commercial paper hedging program and, separately, to certain swap derivatives where fees were paid or received at inception; a change in accounting for profits on spare parts in the commercial aviation engine business; and certain year-end transactions in the Rail business.

Hewlett-Packard HPQ: 8/18/09 8K re: release of 731/09 3Q results

Home Depot HD: 8/26 8K announcing amendments to their By-Laws dealing with resignations of directors.

Intel INTC: 9/2/09 8K announcing that as a result of stronger than expected demand for microprocessors and chipsets, Intel now expects revenue for the third quarter to be $9.0 billion, plus or minus $200 million, as compared to the previous range of $8.5 billion, plus or minus $400 million. The gross margin percentage for the third quarter is expected to be in the upper half of the previous range of 53 percent, plus or minus two percentage points. The company is scheduled to report its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 13.

IBM: 7/28/09 10Q

JPMorganChase JPM: 9/2/09 Free Writing Prospectus relating to Core commodity C-IGAR Sigma Long-Short Index

Johnson & Johnson JNJ: 8/4/09 10Q

Kraft KFT: 8/5/09 10Q

McDonalds MCD: 8/11/09 re: press release "McDonald’s Reports Global Comparable Sales Up 4.3% in July"

Merck MRK: 8/3/09 Sched 14A proxy material re: updated of acquisition of Schering-Plough

Microsoft MSFT: 8/24/09 S-8 Securities to be offered to employees in employee benefit plans

Pfizer PFE: 9/2/09 8K announcing an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle an investigation regarding off-label promotional practices related to Bextra, which Pfizer withdrew from the market in 2005 and other DOJ investigations involving off-label promotional practices concerning Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica, and allegations related to payments to healthcare professionals involving these and nine other Pfizer medicines. Pfizer previously disclosed a related $2.3 billion charge to its fourth-quarter and full-year 2008 earnings in connection with the DOJ agreement in principle on January 26, 2009. PFE has reached agreements with attorneys general in 432 states to settle state civil consumer protection allegations regarding promotional practices concerning Geodon. PFE will pay a total of $33 million to the settling states.

Procter & Gamble PG: 8/28/09 S-8 Securities to employees and 8/28 8K annoucning public offering of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.150% Notes due 2015.
Also a PG subsidiary, Procter & Gamble International Funding SCA issued $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 1.350% Notes due 2011.

3M MMM: 8/5/09 3M contributed 8,329,862 shares of its common stock with a corresponding dollar value of approximately $600 million to its defined benefit pension plan, the 3M Employee Retirement Income Plan, made from treasury stock.

Travelers TRV: 8/5/09 10Q/A Amended 10Q

United Technologies UTX: 7/24/09 10Q

Verizon Communications Inc. VZ: 9/2/09: 8K annoucning retirement of Dennis F. Strigl, President and Chief Operating Officer of Verizon Communications Inc. (at end of '09 and also VZ raised its quarterly dividend 3.3% to 47.5 Cents per share. This is the third consecutive year that VZ has approved a quarterly dividend increase in September.

Wal-Mart WMT: 8/13/09 8K re 7/31/09 2Q report of earnings

Here are the CEOs of the Dow 30 Companies:

T Randall L. Stephenson
AA Klaus Kleinfeld
AXP Kenneth I. Chenault
BAC Kenneth D. Lewis
BA W. James McNerney, Jr.
CAT James W. Owens
CVX David O'Reilly
CSCO John Chambers
KO Muhtar Kent
DIS Rogert Iger
DD Nicholas C. Fanandakis replaces Ellen Kullman 9/1/09
XOM Rex W. Tillerson
GE Jeffrey R. Immelt
HPQ Mark Hurd
HD Frank Blake
INTC Paul S. Otellini
IBM Samuel J. Palmisano
JPM Jamie Dimon
JNJ William C. Weldon
KFT Irene Rosenfeld
MCD Jim Skinner
MRK Robert Clark
MSFT Steve Ballmer
PFE Jeffrey Kindler
PG Bob McDonald
MMM George W. Buckley
TRV Jay S. Fishman
UTX Louis Chenevert
VZ Ivan Seidenberg
WMT Mike Duke