8:57AM Charles Schwab reports monthly activity highlights; total client assets at end of January 2011 up 9% yoy (SCHW) 12.32 : Co reported net new assets brought to the company by new and existing clients in January 2012 totaled $7.1 bln. Total client assets were a record $1.74 trillion as of month-end January, up 9% from January 2011 and up 4% from December 2011. Client daily average trades were 468.4 thousand in January 2012, down 8% from January 2011 and up 8% from December 2011.

8:55AM Koppers Holdings announced that it plans to close its wood treating facility in Grenada, Mississippi effective on or around July 31, 2012 (KOP) 39.00 : The plant produces primarily utility poles and had net sales of ~ $30 mln in 2011 with 46 employees. The cost to close the Grenada facility is estimated at less than $4 mln, of which $1.4 mln has been previously accrued, and will be incurred over the next two years.

8:54AM CVR Energy: Icahn spoke with mgmt and told them CVI would be better served if it commenced a process to put itself up for sale - amended 13D filing (CVI) 26.96 : On February 13, 2012, Carl C. Icahn and other representatives spoke with Jack Lipinski, the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of CVI, and discussed the initiatives announced on February 13th. Icahn stated that they believed that shareholders would be better served if CVI commenced a process to put itself up for sale, rather than pursue the limited initiatives announced by the co. Icahn believes that CVI's stock price does not reflect current high crack spreads. CVI is a small company with only two refineries. As a result, shareholders face an unfavorable risk reward ratio since they bear not only the risk of a decline in crack spreads, but also the risk of production interruptions which would reduce the upside from high crack spreads. Icahn expressed their belief that there are three or four possible acquirers that could benefit greatly from the synergies that could be realized from a combination with CVI and that are better positioned to hedge currently high crack spreads. Mr. Lipinski stated that he would take the Icahn's suggestions under advisement and discuss them with his board of directors and advisors.

8:48AM Textainer Group beats by $0.07, beats on revs; raises dividend 5.7% (TGH) 31.68 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.06 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.07 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.99; revenues rose 38.6% year/year to $116.4 mln vs the $110.19 mln consensus. Co raises quarterly dividend 5.7% to $0.37. "Demand for new standard dry-freight containers began to slow during the second quarter but demand for depot equipment remained strong. Utilization declined by ~1%, over the last half of the year. "With 2011 as a backdrop, we expect that utilization may continue its slight decline during the first quarter of 2012, but that the overall level will remain attractive. We are optimistic that utilization may level off or start to improve during the second quarter of 2012 and with 78% of our fleet committed to long-term and direct financing and sales-type leases, we have a sizeable contracted revenue stream which we expect will continue to provide our shareholders with attractive returns. We are off to a good start in 2012, with 32,000 TEU of dry freight containers and 5,000 TEU of refrigerated containers already ordered. Furthermore, resale prices have recently declined in some locations but, relative to the last ten years, current resale price levels remain very high."

8:47AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• D. Medical Industries (DMED) announced today that its subsidiaries, Spring Health Solutions and Spring Set Health Solutions, have signed an exclusive three year distribution agreement with NordicInfu Care, a Swedish company, for the distribution of its Spring Universal Infusion Sets in the Nordic countries.
• QKL Stores (QKLS) announced that in order to reduce costs it has dismissed BDO China Shu Lun Pan Certified Public Accountants as its principal accountant and engaged Albert Wong & Co as its new independent registered public accounting firm, effective immediately.
• Perrigo (PRGO) announced that it has begun shipping Loratadine-D 12 hour extended release tablets, the store brand equivalent to Schering-Plough's (MRK) Claritin-D 12 hour extended release tablets.

8:47AM TMS International beats by $0.01, misses on revs (TMS) 12.30 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.16 per share, $0.01 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.15; revenues rose 36.0% year/year to $617.5 mln vs the $645.87 mln consensus. The company expects to achieve full year 2012 Adjusted EBITDA in a range of $142-148 mln, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 6-10%.

8:45AM Valspar beats by $0.14, misses on revs; raises FY12 EPS, in-line (VAL) 44.02 : Reports Q1 (Jan) earnings of $0.62 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.14 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.48; revenues rose 5.1% year/year to $885.6 mln vs the $906.38 mln consensus. Co issues guidance for FY12, raises EPS to $2.92-3.12, excluding non-recurring items, from $2.87-3.07 vs. $3.01 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. "We are pleased to report strong earnings for the quarter, which were the result of excellent execution and generally in line with our expectations. We continue to make progress in restoring our operating margins through pricing, productivity and cost management."

8:39AM Silver Bull Resources intersects 19.9% zinc over 10.85 meters and 144 g/t silver over 31 meters on the 'Shallow Silver Zone' at the Sierra Mojada Project, Coahuila, Mexico (SVBL) 0.50 : Drill results include results from 62 diamond core drill holes into the 'Shallow Silver Zone', equating to 11,024 meters of the 36,800 meter drill campaign completed in 2011. 80% of the drill holes intersected zones of silver oxide mineralization >30g/t Ag, including; 144 g/t Ag over 31 meters, 109.3g/t over 12.55 meters and 89.4g/t Ag over 36.25 meters. Significant zinc intercepts including; 19.9% Zn over 10.85 meters, 4.57% Zn over 15 meters and 3.14% Zn over 57.70 meters.

8:38AM TransCanada misses by CAD0.02, beats on revs; raises quarterly dividend 5% to CAD0.44 (TRP) 41.56 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of CAD$0.52 per share, excluding non-recurring items, CAD$0.02 worse than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of CDN$0.54; revenues rose 14.7% year/year to CAD$2.36 bln vs the CAD$2.3 bln consensus. Announced an increase in the quarterly dividend per common share of 5% to CAD$0.44 for the quarter ending March 31, 2012.

8:35AM Mechel Steel closed books on placement of BO-04 series stock bonds at a sum of 5 bln rubles (MTL) 11.21 : Co announced it has closed the books for the placement of its non-convertible interest-bearing documentary stock bonds of the BO-04 series with an obligatory centralized custody. The bonds mature in 1,092 days, with a put option in two years. The bonds have a total nominal value of 5.0 billion rubles (approximately $167 mln). The first coupon rate is 10.25% per year. The funds procured by the placement will be used to re-finance short-term debt facilities.

8:34AM Martin Marietta enters into timing agreement with Department of Justice on co's proposed combination with Vulcan Materials (VMC) (MLM) 88.00 : Co announced that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice with respect to the timing of steps to be taken in connection with the DOJ's review of Martin Marietta's proposed combination with Vulcan Materials Company (VMC). The Timing Agreement provides that, in the second half of April 2012, Martin Marietta and the DOJ investigating staff will discuss resolution of any antitrust concerns in an effort to reach agreement on a consent order. If agreement with the DOJ on a consent order is not reached on that timeline, the Timing Agreement provides that Martin Marietta will not seek to close the transaction prior to mid-August without the consent of the DOJ.

8:33AM Biogen Idec to acquire Stromedix for $75 mln up front and additional contingent value payments of up to $487.5 mln (BIIB) 120.00 : Co announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Biogen Idec will acquire Stromedix Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on innovative therapies for fibrosis and organ failure. Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen Idec will make an upfront cash payment of $75 million and additional contingent value payments of up to $487.5 million based on the achievement of certain development and approval milestones across multiple indications.

8:32AM Norfolk Southern pens deal with Dynamic Fuels and Mansfield Oil for renewable diesel (NSC) 71.05 : Dynamic Fuels, a 50/50 venture owned by Tyson Foods (TSN) and Syntroleum (SYNM), and Mansfield Oil have signed an agreement to supply renewable diesel to NSC. which has primarily been using a 100% pure Dynamic Fuels renewable diesel at its Meridian, Mississippi rail yard since early January.

8:32AM Spartan Motors misses by $0.02, beats on revs (SPAR) 6.39 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.02 per share, $0.02 worse than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.04; revenues fell 12.4% year/year to $111.2 mln vs the $108.65 mln consensus. Results reflected weaker demand in Spartan's government-related business units. The Emergency Response Chassis unit outperformed the overall industry, posting revenue that declined 4 percent compared to an industry-wide decline of 20 percent or more during the fourth quarter of 2011. The Service and Delivery unit posted revenue gains for the quarter due in part to strong aftermarket sales, partially offset by delays in shipping a number of walk-in vans and the new Reach commercial van. Shipments of the walk-in vans were delayed by the need to fit an additional component required by updated regulatory requirements, while Reach shipments were held until quality compliance was demonstrated. Subsequent to quarter end, both the walk-in and Reach vans were shipped to customers.

8:31AM Market View- eMini index futures see some lower price action following Jan. Retail Sales figures: ESh2 -1.75, NQh2 -1.75, YMh2 -7 (TECHX) :  

8:14AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• Jacobs Engineering Group (JEC) announced it has been selected to provide technical and operations support for the Marine Corps Logistics Command Distribution Management Center. The contract has one base year and one option year with a potential value of $20.2 mln through January 2014.
• Jacobs Engineering Group (JEC) announced that it is executing four contracts from Arkema France for basic engineering services to support the provision of Arkema's proprietary suspension and emulsion technology to four of its clients in China. Officials did not disclose the contract value.
• Recognized as a master aggregator of cloud services and worldwide distributor of data center solutions, Ingram Micro (IM) announced it has expanded its relationship with VMware (VMW) and is now authorized as a global VMware Service Provider Program aggregator.
• SinoHub (SIHI) announced  that it has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with Ciao Telecom to manufacture and market mobile communications devices in Brazil.
• BioCorp Ventures, a division of technology incubator US Equity Holdings, and Senesco Technologies (SNT) announced that they have entered into a research and development agreement to use Senesco's proprietary eukaryotic translation initiation Factor 5A technology platform for sustainable energy applications.
• Molina Healthcare (MOH) and Sandata Technologies announced the execution of a national agreement for Sandata to exclusively provide Electronic Visit Verification services for Molina's Home and Community Based programs.

8:04AM Radian Group released delinquency data for December and January (RDN) 3.60 : Beginning primary delinquent inventory (# of loans) for December 2011 was 110,358; for January 2012 110,861.
Ending primary delinquent inventory (# of loans) for December 2011 was 110,861; for January 2012 109,803.

8:04AM Borg Warner beats by $0.03, misses on revs; issues FY12 EPS, revs guidance (BWA) 78.85 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.19 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.03 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $1.16; revenues rose 15.7% year/year to $1.77 bln vs the $1.83 bln consensus. Co issues guidance for FY12, sees EPS of $5.35-5.65 vs. $5.41 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees FY12 revs +10-12% to ~$7.83-7.97 bln vs. $7.99 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. "Excluding the impact of currency and sales related to the acquisition of the Traction Systems division of Haldex, which closed in first quarter 2011, our sales were up 12%. Global vehicle production was up 1% during the same period. New business growth drove our fourth quarter results as it did throughout the year. Adoption rates of our leading-edge powertrain technology continued to outpace vehicle production in every major region of the world. The continued focus on execution at our operations resulted in a very strong operating income margin of 12.0% in the fourth quarter, excluding non-recurring items. This is sharply higher than the 10.3% operating income margin posted in the fourth quarter of 2010."

7:56AM Ryder System promotes Robert Sanchez to President and Chief Operating Officer (R) 54.85 : Co announced Robert E. Sanchez (46) has been promoted to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer of Ryder System. In this role, Mr. Sanchez will continue to report to Ryder Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregory Swienton, and will be responsible for the general management of all business operations of Ryder's two business segments. Mr. Sanchez served most recently as President of Global Fleet Management Solutions, Ryder's largest business segment, and has been a member of the company's Executive Leadership Team since 2003.

7:49AM Knight Capital Group releases January 2012 volume statistics (KCG) 13.19 :

• Average daily U.S. equities dollar volume traded in January 2012 was $24.5 billion, up approximately 11.0% from $22.1 billion in December 2011 and down approximately 16.7% from $29.5 billion in January 2011.
• Average daily U.S. equities trade volume in January 2012 was 3.6 million, up approximately 4.1% from 3.5 million in December 2011, and down approximately 7.8% from 4.0 million in January 2011.
• Average daily U.S. equities share volume in January 2012 was 3.2 billion, up approximately 11.4% from 2.9 billion in December 2011, and down approximately 46.7% from 6.0 billion in January 2011.

7:38AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• Fluor (FLR) announced that it was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management contract by Joule Unlimited to design and build a biofuels demonstration facility in New Mexico. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value in the fourth quarter of 2011.
• Foster Wheeler (FWLT) announced that a subsidiary of its Global Power Group has been awarded a contract by Lunds Energi, a municipality-owned energy supplier in the Southern region of Sweden, for the design, supply and erection of a 35 MWe biomass-fired circulating fluidized-bed boiler island.

7:36AM Zipcar beats by $0.09, reports revs in-line; guides Q1 revs below consensus; guides FY12 revs in-line (ZIP) 16.14 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.09 per share, $0.09 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of ($0.00); revenues rose 20.7% year/year to $62.9 mln vs the $63.14 mln consensus. Co issues downside guidance for Q1, sees Q1 revs of $58-60 mln vs. $60.45 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Co issues in-line guidance for FY12, sees FY12 revs of $290-296 mln vs. $293.20 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to range from $15-19 mln; Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 is expected to range from a loss of $0.5 mln to a loss of $1.5 mln

7:34AM Hospira beats by $0.04, beats on revs; guides FY12 EPS below consensus, revs above consensus (HSP) 34.22 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.51 per share, $0.04 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.47; revenues rose 2.2% year/year to $1.01 bln vs the $0.95 bln consensus. Co issues mixed guidance for FY12, sees EPS of $2.00-2.30, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $2.51 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees FY12 revs of approx $4.016-4.138 bln vs. $3.91 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; The decline relative to the adjusted diluted earnings per share for 2011 is mainly due to the expected full-year impact of the company's quality-improvement actions as well as increased research and development (R&D) spending in support of the company's global portfolio expansion initiatives. The mid to upper end of the 2012 adjusted diluted earnings per share projection assumes a gradual improvement in productivity levels at the company's Rocky Mount facility in the second half of the year, as a result of progress related to the company's quality transformation initiatives.

7:33AM PROLOR Biotech announces 'positive' preclinical results from comparative study of its long-acting clotting factor VIIa (PBTH) 6.65 : Co reported positive results from a comparative study of its biobetter longer-acting version of the hemophilia drug Factor VIIa (Factor VIIa-CTP) in hemophilic mice. The study was designed to measure the potential increase in survival rates, thrombin levels and in vivo recovery of Factor VIIa-CTP when compared with commercially available recombinant Factor VIIa. The new study showed that compared to commercially available Factor VIIa, hemophilic mice receiving PROLOR's Factor VIIa-CTP demonstrated: A superior survival rate over a longer time period following a bleeding challenge; Superior and longer-lasting generation of thrombin, a key pro-clotting enzyme; Significantly higher in vivo recovery.

7:33AM Rite Aid today announced that it has commenced a cash tender offer to purchase any and all of its outstanding $459.0 million aggregate principal amount of 8.625% Senior Notes due 2015 (RAD) 1.46 : As part of the Tender Offer, Rite Aid is soliciting consents from the holders of the Notes for certain proposed amendments that would eliminate or modify certain covenants and events of default and other provisions contained in the indenture governing the Notes.

7:27AM Tegal announces continuing discussions for balance of nanolayer deposition patent portfolio (TGAL) 3.99 : Co announced renewed efforts to make available the balance of its semiconductor process-related intellectual property portfolio. The remaining portfolio consists of thin film structures and process technology pertaining to copper barrier and low-k dielectric technology. On December 30, 2011, Tegal announced that it had sold over thirty patents from Lots 1-3 of its Nano Layer Deposition Patent Portfolio to multiple bidders for an aggregate consideration of approximately $4 million.

7:24AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• Gilat Satellite Networks (GILT) announced that it has signed an agreement with O3b Networks Limited, the developer of a new high-speed, low-latency satellite-based service for telecommunication operators and enterprises in emerging markets, for the development and supply of Ka-band infrastructure for O3b's VSAT services.
• Brasil Foods (BRFS) announced that it has established a joint venture with Dah Chong Hong Limited, aimed at gaining access to the Chinese distribution market, engaging in local processing, developing the Sadia brand in China, and reaching retail and food service channels in continental China, Hong Kong and Macau.

7:21AM Arbitron beats by $0.07, beats on revs; guides FY12 EPS in-line, revs in-line (ARB) 35.39 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.64 per share, excluding $0.07 non-recurring impairment, $0.07 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.57; revenues rose 7.5% year/year to $120.1 mln vs the $118.31 mln consensus. Co issues in-line guidance for FY12, sees EPS of $2.15-2.30 vs. $2.26 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees FY12 revs of +5-7% YoY, calc'ing to $443.4-451.9 vs. $443.12 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.

7:20AM FX Energy reports 2011 year end reserves: proved oil and gas reserves of 53.5 Bcfe, up 22% from 2010 (FXEN) 6.20 : Co reported proved oil and gas reserves for its combined Poland and domestic operations at year-end 2011 of 53.5 billion cubic feet equivalent ("Bcfe"). This represents an increase from the 2010 year-end reserves of approximately 9.7 Bcfe or 22%. The increase was due primarily to the Lisewo-1 discovery well that was completed in early 2011. The Company's independent reservoir engineer assigned the Lisewo-1 well proved reserves of 25 Bcf. FX Energy owns a 49% interest in the Lisewo-1 well which is located in the Fences concession area.

Proved plus probable (P50) reserves 94.5 Bcfe, up 8% yoy. Pre-tax net present value of P50 reserves was $289 mln, up 18% yoy. Daily production from the Company's wells in Poland has grown from an average of 10 Mmcfe a day in 2010 to 12 Mmcfe per day in 2011.

7:18AM Avon Products misses by $0.12, misses on revs; company plans to maintain its annual $0.92 dividend in 2012 (AVP) 17.53 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.39 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.12 worse than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.51; revenues fell 4.2% year/year to $3.04 bln vs the $3.11 bln consensus. "While 2012 is a year of transition and we are not planning for margin recovery, our priorities are to improve top-line performance, cost management, and cash generation. Additionally, the company plans to maintain its annual $0.92 dividend in 2012. As previously announced, the company is conducting an operational and financial assessment of the business. We will update investors at the appropriate time after a new CEO is on board."

7:15AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• Cubic Defense Applications, a defense systems business of Cubic (CUB), has received a new contract valued at more than $11 mln to provide the P5 Tactical Combat Training System to the Royal Australian Air Force for use in training F/A-18F Super Hornet crews.
• Large Animal Games, in collaboration with WMS Gaming, a subsidiary of WMS Industries (WMS), announced the successful release of Lucky Cruise, a new social casino that incorporates content from WMS' popular casino games. The Lucky Cruise social casino is being distributed on Facebook by 6Waves/LOLApps.
• Microsemi (MSCC) announced its participation in a multi-disciplinary consortium funded by the European Union (Seventh Framework Programme, FP7) tasked with developing standardized Electro Mechanical Actuators for aerospace applications to eliminate hydraulic circuits, pumps and reservoirs.
• Galena Biopharma (GALE) announced it has initiated its Phase 1/2 study of its Folate Binding Protein (E39) vaccine in two gynecological cancers: ovarian and endometrial adenocarcinomas. The Phase 1/2 study will test whether the FBP vaccine is safe and effective at inducing an anti-tumor immune response.

7:14AM LCA Vision beats by $0.12, beats on revs (LCAV) 5.90 : Reports Q4 (Dec) loss of $0.09 per share, $0.12 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of ($0.21); revenues rose 26.9% year/year to $24.5 mln vs the $22.49 mln consensus. Total procedure volume increased 30% to 14,205 procedures from 10,891 procedures, and increased 33% from 10,671 same-store procedures; this marks the second consecutive quarter of growth in total procedures and the fifth consecutive quarter of growth in same-store procedures... The company does not plan to open any new vision centers in the near term. LCA-Vision will consider restarting its de novo vision center opening program when market conditions improve and the company moves closer to profitability in its core laser vision correction services business. The company anticipates a modest improvement in price per procedure from the 2011 average of $1,655. The company expects marketing and advertising expenses for the 2012 first quarter to be between $6.5 million and $7.0 million. The company expects capital expenditures in 2012 to be between $2.0 million and $2.5 million for cataract-related equipment and other capital needs.

7:14AM Watson Pharm beats by $0.02, misses on revs; raises FY12 guidance (WPI) 57.71 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.77 per share, $0.02 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $1.75; revenues rose 81.5% year/year to $1.17 bln vs the $1.54 bln consensus. Co sees FY12 EPS of $5.50-5.80, prior $5.25-5.55 vs. $5.59 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees FY12 revs of ~$5.4 bln, prior $5.3 bln, vs. $5.38 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Co sees 2012 Total Global Generics segment revenue of between $3.9 and $4.1 billion, total Global Brands segment revenue of between $500 and $525 million and total Anda Distribution segment revenue of between $850 and $900 million.

7:12AM Omnicom beats by $0.01, beats on revs (OMC) 48.02 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.96 per share, $0.01 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.95; revenues rose 7.4% year/year to $3.85 bln vs the $3.8 bln consensus. Domestic revenue for the fourth quarter of 2011 increased 5.0% to $1,928.7 million compared to $1,836.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2010. International revenue increased 9.9% to $1,924.2 million compared to $1,750.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2010.

7:10AM Fossil beats by $0.10, misses on revs; guides Q1 EPS below consensus, revs in-line; guides FY12 EPS in-line, revs slightly below (FOSL) 104.50 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $1.87 per share, $0.10 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $1.77; revenues rose 18.5% year/year to $830.8 mln vs the $841.46 mln consensus. Co issues guidance for Q1, sees EPS of $0.90-0.92 vs. $0.98 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees Q1 revs up ~15% to ~$617.6 mln vs. $617.59 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Co issues guidance for FY12, sees EPS of $5.40-5.50 vs. $5.45 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate; sees FY12 revs up ~15% to ~$2.95 bln vs. $2.99 bln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.

7:09AM Marsh McLennan beats by $0.01, misses on revs (MMC) 32.25 : Reports Q4 (Dec) adj earnings of $0.46 per share, $0.01 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.45; revenues rose 4.4% year/year to $2.91 bln vs the $2.96 bln consensus.

7:07AM Avon Products announced it will maintain regular quarterly dividend of $0.23/share (AVP) 17.53 :  

7:05AM Capella Education misses by $0.06, reports revs in-line; guides Q1 revs above consensus (CPLA) 45.35 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.85 per share, $0.06 worse than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.91; revenues fell 4.1% year/year to $110 mln vs the $110.25 mln consensus. Co issues upside guidance for Q1, sees Q1 revs of down 1-2% YoY, calc'ing to $109.2-110.3 mln vs. $108.80 mln Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Capella University total active enrollment decreased 4.5% to 37,704 and new enrollment decreased by 9.4% from fourth quarter 2010.Capella University total enrollment is expected to decline by about 5 to 6 percent compared to first quarter 2011. New enrollment growth for Capella University is expected to be slightly down for the first quarter of 2012, compared to a new enrollment decline of 36% in the first quarter of 2011. The consolidated operating margin is anticipated to be ~15-16% of total revenue for the first quarter of 2012 compared to 20.2 percent during the first quarter of 2011.  In the fourth quarter 2011, the co repurchased ~775,000 shares of Capella stock for total consideration of $25.2 million. The remaining authorization as of the end of the fourth quarter was $59.6 million.

7:03AM Garmin announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Interphase Technologies Inc., a privately-held creator and manufacturer of phased array scanning sonar technology; financial terms not disclosed (GRMN) 49.95 : This transaction is expected to be finalized within the next 30 days, and will allow Garmin to expand its overall marine product portfolio, particularly in the area of sonar technology.

7:03AM Sunesis Pharma announces notice of allowance for U.S. patent application covering vosaroxin compositions (SNSS) 1.73 : Co announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance for U.S. Patent Application No. 12/982,785 claiming certain compositions related to Sunesis' lead drug candidate, vosaroxin. The patent will grant Sunesis exclusive rights to certain Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient compositions of vosaroxin, as well as the final product related to such compositions, and provides patent exclusivity to mid 2030 in the United States. A family of corresponding patent applications are pending in the U.S. and internationally.

7:02AM Coronado Biosciences announces IND submission for CNDO-109 for the treatment of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (CNDO) 6.29 : Co announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA for CNDO-109, a novel biologic that primes natural killer cells without the need for cytokines (IL-2), and is being studied for the treatment of patients with high risk acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission. Results from a Phase I investigator-initiated clinical trial of CNDO-109 were presented at the 53rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition on December 13, 2011. Although the primary endpoint of the Phase I clinical trial was safety, the results demonstrated that the majority of AML patients experienced a longer complete remission (CR) after receiving CNDO-109 activated NK cells than their previous complete remission.

7:01AM Arbitron announces $100 mln stock repurchase program (ARB) 35.39 :  

6:47AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• IRIS International (IRIS) announced that its Sample Processing division has signed an agreement with Fisher HealthCare, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), as its first commercial distribution partner for the new ThermoBrite Elite instrument for automated FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) sample preparation.
• Mattson Technology (MTSN) announced that a leading semiconductor manufacturer has accepted its paradigmE etch system for the production of advanced logic chips.
• China BAK Battery (CBAK) announced that on February 10, 2012 its Tianjin facility received a new contract to supply high-power batteries used in electric cars, Ruilin M1, to Chery Automobile, one of the Company's long-term partners in China.
• According to the Cisco (CSCO) Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast for 2011 to 2016, worldwide mobile data traffic will increase 18-fold over the next five years, reaching 10.8 exabytes per month -- or an annual run rate of 130 exabytes -- by 2016.

6:46AM Alexco Resources: Alexco drills 8.9 meters of 20.2 ounces per ton silver at flame & moth, continues to confirm and expand mineralization (AXU) 7.07 : Co announced final results from the 2011 drilling program at its recently discovered Flame & Moth prospect, located immediately adjacent to Alexco's milling complex within the Keno Hill Silver District in Canada's Yukon Territory. Overall, the drilling has increased confidence in the continuity and thickness of silver mineralization at Flame & Moth, with results to date returning average grades from 16 to 21 ounces per ton silver over true widths averaging 5.5 meters within the mineralized Flame Vein structure.

6:37AM Asbury Automotive beats by $0.11, reports revs in-line (ABG) 24.66 : Reports Q4 (Dec) earnings of $0.54 per share, excluding non-recurring items, $0.11 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $0.43; revenues rose 7.7% year/year to $1.09 bln vs the $1.09 bln consensus. "We believe the challenges that our Japanese branded dealerships experienced over the last two quarters are largely behind us. Considering the increasing number of consumers looking for more fuel efficient vehicles, the improving availability of consumer credit, and the strong pipeline of new products coming from all of our manufacturing partners, we believe we are well positioned as we enter 2012."

6:36AM AVEO Pharma beats by $0.06, misses on revs (AVEO) 13.76 : Reports Q4 (Dec) loss of $0.58 per share, $0.06 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of ($0.64); revenues fell 90.8% year/year to $1.1 mln vs the $5.07 mln consensus. Co expects year-end 2012 cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of at least $120 mln, with R&D spending, net of cost sharing with Astellas, of ~$130 mln. Co anticipates that this capital is sufficient to fund its operations into the second half of 2013 based on its current operating plans.

6:33AM RailAmerica reports total freight carloads in January 2012 were 71,737, up 4.0% from 68,963 in January 2011 (RA) 19.00 : The co increased shipments in January 2012 in seven out of twelve commodity groups compared to January 2011. The largest increases were in Other, Forest Products and Motor Vehicles. Other was up primarily due to a non-recurring move in the Central region driven by a Class I partner diverting traffic to one of our roads. Forest Products increased primarily due to higher shipments in the West and Northeast regions. Motor Vehicles were higher primarily due to increased shipments in the West and Midwest regions. The largest declines were in Coal and Petroleum. Coal carloads were lower primarily due to fewer shipments in the Central region largely due to mild weather. Petroleum carloads decreased primarily due to lower shipments in the West region.

6:31AM AngioDynamics receives FDA clearance for NeverTouch Direct Procedure Kit to be used with VenaCure EVLT System (ANGO) 12.94 : Co announced the FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for its NeverTouch Direct Procedure Kit for use with the Company's VenaCure EVLT Laser Vein Ablation System. The NeverTouch Direct kit offers physicians the ability to treat varicose veins with fewer procedure steps -- by eliminating the need for a long guide wire or guiding sheath -- while continuing to deliver to patients less pain and bruising compared to bare-tip fibers.

6:30AM AT&T: Wireless data volume on AT&T's network continues to double annually (T) 30.04 : Co stated "At AT&T, we're addressing the challenge by investing to drive service improvements. AT&T has invested more than $95 billion in its wireless and wireline networks over the past five years. In 2011, we invested $20 billion in our networks, and completed more than 150,000 wireless network improvements. And we expect to invest about $20 billion again in 2012 with a focus on wireless, including more 4G LTE deployment, the roll-out of distributed antenna systems in key venues across the U.S. and adding even more AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network."

6:23AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• JinkoSolar (JKS) announced the addition of an Australian subsidiary, JinkoSolar Australia, based in Queensland, Australia. The newly opened office will serve as a sales and delivery hub and will house approximately 4-5 MW of modules for the region, supporting the company's growth in the photovoltaic industry.
• China Sunergy (CSUN) announced the execution of a 50 MW sales contract with Bull PowerTech GmbH. The contract is for projects in Europe, and the shipment is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2012.

6:16AM Gilead Sciences granted priority review by the FDA for Truvada (GILD) 54.90 : Co announced last night that the FDA has accepted the supplemental New Drug Application and granted a six-month Priority Review for once-daily Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of HIV-1 infection among uninfected adults. Truvada was approved by the FDA in 2004 for the treatment of HIV-1 infection and is currently the most-prescribed antiretroviral treatment in the United States. The FDA has set a target review date for Truvada for PrEP under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) of June 15, 2012. The agency has also indicated that Truvada for PrEP will be discussed at the FDA Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee meeting scheduled in May.

6:12AM Host Hotels reports FFO in-line, revs in-line; guides FY12 FFO below consensus (HST) 17.01 : Reports Q4 (Dec) adj funds from operations of $0.31 per share, in-line with the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate consensus of $0.31; revenues rose 11.0% year/year to $1.66 bln vs the $1.67 bln consensus. Co issues downside guidance for FY12, sees adj FFO of $0.97-1.04 vs. $1.08 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate. Additionally, co sees: Comparable hotel RevPAR will increase 4-6%; Operating profit margins under GAAP would increase ~140 basis points to 230 basis points; and Comparable hotel adjusted operating profit margins will increase ~25 basis points to 75 basis points.

6:05AM HeartWare , announced that a FDA Circulatory System Devices Panel will review the Premarket Approval application for the HeartWare Ventricular Assist System on April 25, 2012 (HTWR) 69.78 : HeartWare's PMA submission encompasses data from HeartWare's pivotal ADVANCE clinical trial, an FDA approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study designed to evaluate the HVAD System as a bridge to heart transplantation for patients with end-stage heart failure. 

6:04AM Acacia Research subsidary acquires over 300 patents for automotive safety, navigation, and diagnostic technologies (ACTG) 41.82 :  

6:04AM Shanda Interactive Limited announces shareholders' approval of the merger agreement (SNDA) 41.00 : Co announced at an extraordinary general meeting held today, the Company's shareholders voted in favor of the proposal to approve the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger dated November 22, 2011 among the Company, Premium Lead Company Limited, a British Virgin Islands business company jointly owned by Tianqiao Chen.

4:08AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) announced its LPC1100LV series, the world's first ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller with dual supply voltage of 1.65V to 1.95V VDD and 1.65V to 3.6V VIO.
• Santarus (SNTS) today announced that it has increased its revolving line of credit with Comerica Bank from $25 million to $35 million and extended the maturity from July 11, 2013 to February 13, 2015.
• Sybase 365, a subsidiary of SAP (SAP) announced a global, strategic partnership with Telefonica Digital to provide mobile wallet services.

1:37AM Boeing and Lion Air finalize historic order for up to 380 737s; largest ever commercial airplane order for Boeing (BA) 74.85 : Co and Jakarta-based Lion Air today finalized a firm order for 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900ERs. The agreement, first announced last November in Indonesia, also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes. With orders for 230 airplanes valued at $22.4 bln at list prices, this deal is the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing's history by both dollar value and total number of airplanes. Lion Air will also acquire purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.

1:33AM United Tech unit wins $200 mln PW4000 Advantage70 engine order from Korean Air (UTX) 84.88 : Korean Air selected co's unit, Pratt & Whitney's PW4170 Advantage70 engine to power five new Airbus A330 aircraft. The agreement, valued at ~$200 mln, represents 10 firm PW4170 engines. Pratt & Whitney also received a $19.2 mln Material Management Program (MMP) contract with three, one-year options from the United States Air Force in support of F100-PW-220E engines powering the Royal Jordanian Air Force fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.

1:30AM On The Wires (WIRES) :

• Lockheed Martin (LMT) announced it is broadening its Dragon series of ISR configurations introduced last year, by expanding Net Dragon, which offers any Dragon ISR option to customers as a contracted service.
• Fluidigm (FLDM) will unveil a new custom assay design service for high-sample throughput amplicon resequencing on Illumina platforms. The Access Array Target-Specific Primers, when used with the Fluidigm Access Array System, allow for fast, simple, and inexpensive preparation of up to 480 amplicons per sample at a time.
• Sikorsky Aircraft , a subsidiary of United Technologies (UTX), has announced a contract with the Korea Coast Guard for one S-92 helicopter for operation with their Multi-Purpose Helicopter Program. The aircraft will become the newest addition to the growing worldwide fleet of S-92 search and rescue and multi-mission helicopters.

1:27AM San Juan Basin Royalty announces 2012 capital plan; cap-ex expected to be $20.8 mln (SJT) 18.07 : Co announces the capital project plan for 2012 as delivered to it by Burlington Resources Oil & Gas. Capital expenditures for 2012 for properties subject to the Trust's royalty interest are estimated to be $20.8 mln. Of the $20.8 million, ~$5 million will be attributable to the capital budgets for 2011 and prior years.

1:22AM Cabot Micro declares special cash dividend of $15 per share, or ~$345 mln in total, after closing on secured credit facility (CCMP) 50.92 :  

1:21AM Chesapeake Energy prices $1.3 bln of 6.775% Senior notes due 2019 (CHK) 22.66 :