The 3G iPhone is launching this morning and there seem to be a lot of genuinely excited people waiting to get one. Upwards earnings revisions driven by new product cycles are the best kind.
GE's quarter wasn't a disaster and the infrastructure business was strong. Absent a global recession, they look fine.
Citigroup is dumping its German retail operations in exchange for some much-needed capital.
BUD may agree to be taken over after all - after all of this hand wringing.
The futures are getting hammered, though. Oil is up again and nobody knows what to do about FNE/FNM.
long BUD
Showing posts with label BUD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BUD. Show all posts
Friday, July 11, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Monday - Still Not My Favorite Day
Futures are down as little as is oil - nothing big is going on.
InBev is talking about turning hostile in its bid for Bud.
GM is desperately seeking a solution to the hole it's in.
NBC and some friends are buying the weather channel for around $3.5 Billion. Doesn't (almost) everyone have a computer?
CNBC/Gasparino thinks that Merrill will sell some or all of both their Bloomberg and Blackrock stakes. The more I think about it, the more I think that Google should buy the Bloomberg stake, and that Merrill should not sell the Blackrock stake. I guess I'm backing into the conclusion that if they do sell the BLK stake, their balance sheet is worse than consensus.
long MER, BUD
InBev is talking about turning hostile in its bid for Bud.
GM is desperately seeking a solution to the hole it's in.
NBC and some friends are buying the weather channel for around $3.5 Billion. Doesn't (almost) everyone have a computer?
CNBC/Gasparino thinks that Merrill will sell some or all of both their Bloomberg and Blackrock stakes. The more I think about it, the more I think that Google should buy the Bloomberg stake, and that Merrill should not sell the Blackrock stake. I guess I'm backing into the conclusion that if they do sell the BLK stake, their balance sheet is worse than consensus.
long MER, BUD
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Kind of Ugly
It's looking like the market open will be pretty ugly today.
My call yesterday for the market to sell off after the Fed non-action was off the mark, although a large part of the day's gains were gone by the close.
RIMM and ORCL both reported last night, and both are getting hit as guidance wasn't quite good enough for either. Not that either was bad, just that the stocks have outperformed and expectations were high, especially for RIMM.
BUD's non-statement yesterday is leading the Wall Street Journal and others to speculate that they are going to fight the InBev deal. The following headline: "Anheuser May Reject InBev, Unveil Plan to Spur Profit" seems more than a little perverse to me.
Board Member, "So, should we agree to get acquired?"
Exec at BUD, "No, if the deal goes through they are just going to cut costs and try to increase profits."
Board Member, "Well, the media is all over this. We have to do something."
Exec at BUD, "Let's cut costs and increase profits."
Board Member, "Good idea. Why didn't we do that already?"
Exec, "Shhhhhhhhh."
long BUD
My call yesterday for the market to sell off after the Fed non-action was off the mark, although a large part of the day's gains were gone by the close.
RIMM and ORCL both reported last night, and both are getting hit as guidance wasn't quite good enough for either. Not that either was bad, just that the stocks have outperformed and expectations were high, especially for RIMM.
BUD's non-statement yesterday is leading the Wall Street Journal and others to speculate that they are going to fight the InBev deal. The following headline: "Anheuser May Reject InBev, Unveil Plan to Spur Profit" seems more than a little perverse to me.
Board Member, "So, should we agree to get acquired?"
Exec at BUD, "No, if the deal goes through they are just going to cut costs and try to increase profits."
Board Member, "Well, the media is all over this. We have to do something."
Exec at BUD, "Let's cut costs and increase profits."
Board Member, "Good idea. Why didn't we do that already?"
Exec, "Shhhhhhhhh."
long BUD
Monday, June 23, 2008
InBev/BUD
Does this deal make too much sense?
There is considerable dissonance in the press this month as writers strain for an angle and find none.
Forbes online this weekend wrote a non-story about how difficult it would be for SABMiller to upset this apple cart, either by launching a counter offer for Bud or itself becoming the target for InBev. Barron’s opines that while said combo may be good for SABMiller due to potential confusion created, worldwide #4 Heineken may be the loser if they can’t find a partner.
Alrighty then. Maybe the angle is this: aside from the recent spike around the merger talks, BUD’s stock has been about flat (not counting dividends) over the last 5 years. InBev has done a better job increasing shareholder value. The offer is a god one. BUD should sell.
There is considerable dissonance in the press this month as writers strain for an angle and find none.
Forbes online this weekend wrote a non-story about how difficult it would be for SABMiller to upset this apple cart, either by launching a counter offer for Bud or itself becoming the target for InBev. Barron’s opines that while said combo may be good for SABMiller due to potential confusion created, worldwide #4 Heineken may be the loser if they can’t find a partner.
Alrighty then. Maybe the angle is this: aside from the recent spike around the merger talks, BUD’s stock has been about flat (not counting dividends) over the last 5 years. InBev has done a better job increasing shareholder value. The offer is a god one. BUD should sell.
long BUD
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)