The largest U.S. domestic carrier had steadily booked rising traffic for much of last year with help from its acquisition of low-cost rival AirTran. However, the airline industry has been challenged by higher fuel costs and has been cutting capacity to retain pricing power.

The dividend was raised for the first time since early 2001, with the company boosting the payout to 1 cent a share, up from .45 cent. The increase should cost Southwest an extra $4.2 million a quarter.

The stock buyback program, which still included $175 million from a previous authorization, was boosted to a total of $675 million.

Southwest last month reported stronger first-quarter income amid positive hedging impacts and strong revenue growth.

Shares are up 1.4% at $8.18. The stock is down 4.4% so far this year.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/southwest-air-lifts-dividend-and-buyback-program-2012-05-16

Under the deal, Boyd will take over privately held Peninsula’s Kansas Star, Diamond Jo, Diamond Jo Worth, Evangeline Downs and Amelia Belle casinos, which are located in Kansas, Iowa and Louisiana. The deal includes $200 million of cash consideration plus about $1.2 billion of assumed debt. Peninsula also will include a roughly $144 million note as part of the deal.

Boyd President and Chief Executive Keith Smith called the deal a “transformative transaction that fits perfectly into our growth strategy” by broadening the regional operator’s scale and bolstering its financial profile.

Boyd, one of Las Vegas’s oldest gambling companies, had posted mostly weaker results in recent quarters as revenue from its other casinos in the South and Midwest–once a source of solid revenue growth–failed to keep up with growing costs.

Its first-quarter results still improved over last year’s pressured bottom line, delivering a stronger-than-expected core profit.

Boyd expects its latest purchase, which is slated to close by the end of this year, to add immediately to its earnings.

Boyd is required to make additional payments in 2016 if a measure of Kansas Star’s earnings tops $105 million in 2015.

Boyd shares closed Wednesday down one cent at $6.98 and were inactive after hours. The stock is off 28% over the past year.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boyd-gaming-to-buy-peninsula-gaming-in-145b-deal-2012-05-16

Based on discussions between the parties over the past week, Talbots said the exclusivity agreement now will terminate on May 22. The parties had signed an exclusivity agreement last week that was originally set to terminate on Tuesday.

Shares jumped by 8.8% to $2.59 in recent after-hours trading Tuesday. Through the close, the stock was off 23% over the past three months.

Talbots said it doesn’t intend to comment further on its negotiation with Sycamore or the company’s evaluation of strategic alternatives, unless a specific transaction is recommended by its board.

Last week, Talbots received an increased takeover offer from Sycamore Partners, the private-equity firm run by retail veteran Stefan Kaluzny. The latest offer values the company around $215 million.

The bid, worth $3.05 a share, is a 5-cent per-share increase from Sycamore’s December offer. Talbots had rejected the unsolicited bid, saying it was inadequate and substantially undervalued the company. Kaluzny and the Sycamore firm took a 9.9% stake in Talbots last year to become its No. 2 shareholder after OppenheimerFunds. They received access to the company’s books earlier this year.

Efforts by Talbots to stage a turnaround from fashion mistakes and the recession have produced uneven results as the retailer has aimed to freshen its range of merchandise, reduce its store count and broaden its appeal beyond the older women who had been its core customers.

Last month, Talbots reported its fiscal fourth-quarter loss widened, as restructuring, executive retirement costs and promotions pressured results, and sales declined 1.1%.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/talbots-exclusivity-deal-with-sycamore-extended-2012-05-15

The supermarket operator raised the dividend to 17.5 cents a share from 14.5 cents, which should cost the company an additional $8.2 million a quarter.

Safeway–which operates regional grocery chains such as Vons and Randalls–has warned that a slower-than-expected economic recovery and high gasoline prices will continue to pressure consumer spending and hurt sales across the supermarket industry. The company has tried to manage margins by selling more private-label products, controlling expenses and improving marketing.

Last month, the company said its first-quarter profit nearly tripled as a hefty tax charge weighed on the company’s year-ago results.

Shares closed Tuesday at $18.78 and were up 12 cents after hours. The stock is down 11% so far this year.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/safeway-boosts-dividend-by-21-2012-05-15-178390

AXION INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Axion International Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures industrial grade, eco-friendly building materials.

Using patented technologies, Axion transforms everyday consumer and industrial plastic waste into standard structural products strong enough to support trains and tanks. Compared to traditional materials like wood, steel or concrete, Axion?s American-made products are more durable, significantly longer lasting and comprised of 100% recycled plastic.

Perhaps the World’s Best Building Material

• Axion? Recycled Structural Composite installs much quicker than concrete. It„ lighter than steel, and is virtually impervious to the elements.

• Much of Axion? technology is both lab and field tested by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Military purchasing departments, Rutgers, the University of Illinois, and the American Association of Railroading Test Track.

• Recycled structural composite is designed not to rust, splinter, crumble, rot, absorb moisture or leach toxic chemicals into the environment.

• Axion? intellectual property portfolio currently contains multiple patents and patents pending for not only polymer blends but also fields of use. This technology concentrates on structural building products and fire retardants.

Corporate Fact Sheet 2011

Axion International, Inc
180 South Street, Suite 104
New Providence, NJ 07974
Phone: 908.542.0888
www. axionintl.com

Selected Financials (AXIH.OB)

Sector: Basic Materials
Fiscal Year End: Dec 31
Recent Price (as of 2.21.2012) $0.80
52-week range: $0.63 – $1.50
Shares Outstanding: 25.20M
Float: 21.49M
Market Cap: 20.16M
Total Debt: (mrq) 514.57K
Avg. Volume (3 month): 44,668

Leadership Team

President & CEO
Steve Silverman
Co-founder & CTO
James Kerstein

Investor Relations

Jim Blackman – President
PR Financial Marketing LLC
Tel: 713.256.0369
Fax: 713.481.0200
jim@prfmonline.com

The struggling Finnish handset maker hired Goldman Sachs GS -2.31% to run an auction process several months ago and is looking to raise as much as EUR200 million on a sale.

Vertu is the biggest player in the luxury handset market with its $300,000 diamond-clad phones one of the much sought-after status symbols in places like Russia and China. Permira would hope to capitalize on the potential for growth in emerging markets, where it has driven value from its other luxury good companies such as fashion retailer Hugo Boss.

Reports suggest that Nordic buyout firm EQT that had expressed earlier interest in Vertu is no longer in the process.

Nokia doesn’t break out earnings for its Vertu brand, but the company has continued to struggle over the past few years as it lost market share to rival global giants. Earlier this year, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. overtook Nokia as the world’s largest handset maker in unit terms following Nokia’s decision to replace its Symbian software with Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT -1.54% Windows operating system in new smartphones.

Nokia’s latest devices have so far failed to gain traction among consumers despite heavy discounting.

Just last month, the company also saw its credit downgraded by all the three major credit rating institutions, with both Fitch and Standard & Poor’s now having junk ratings for Nokia’s credit.

(Sven Grundberg in Stockholm contributed to this article.)

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nokia-permira-still-in-talks-on-vertu-salesource-2012-05-14

Shares rose 2.8%, to $40 after hours, as the company raised its full-year earnings forecast and beat its quarterly guidance. As of Monday’s close, the stock was up 11% so far in 2012.

Agilent raised its adjusted earnings guidance for the year, now forecasting $3.18 to $3.24 a share and narrowed its revenue guidance to $6.94 billion to $7 billion in revenue. In February, Agilent’s view was $3.13 to $3.23 and $6.92 billion to $7.02 billion, respectively.

For the current quarter, the company expects earnings between 82 cents to 84 cents a share on $1.77 billion to $1.79 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters most recently projected 83 cents in earnings and $1.76 billion in revenue.

Agilent’s core results have improved over the past year as newly introduced products and an expanding geographic reach drive its revenue growth. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services in December raised its rating on Agilent by two notches, citing the company’s stronger-than-expected revenue and margin growth.

Signifying its stronger finances, the company in January declared its first ever quarterly dividend.

For the quarter ended April 30, Agilent reported a profit of $255 million, or 72 cents a share, up from $200 million, or 56 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding amortization costs, acquisition-related adjustments and other items, per-share earnings rose to 78 cents from 74 cents. Net revenue improved 3.3% to $1.73 billion.

In February, the company predicted adjusted earnings of 71 cents to 73 cents a share on $1.7 billion to $1.72 billion in revenue.

Operating margin widened to 17.3% from 15.9%.

Agilent’s electronic-measurement segment, its largest top-line contributor, reported 5% higher revenue on strength in wireless manufacturing.

Revenue from the chemical-analysis unit rose 1.8%, while the life-sciences segment reported 1.1% higher revenue.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/agilent-posts-28-higher-profit-2012-05-14

What is the essence of the OxySure® technology?

The OxySure products consist of thermoplastic devices, each of which stores two proprietary compounds in a cartridge. The powders are dry and inert until activated with a single step, instantly creating medically pure (USP) oxygen. The cartridges are disposable, while the main unit is reusable. OxySure has developed numerous worldwide patents for this breakthrough technology, providing the company with first-to-market protection on a safe way for individuals to store, carry and administer a source of on-demand, medically pure (USP) oxygen without the hazards associated with oxygen storage. OxySure’s consumer emergency product, Model 615 was cleared by the FDA for over-the-counter sale (without the need for a prescription) in the United States in December 2005.

Bridging the Gap…

OxySure bridges the gap between the onset of a medical emergency and the arrival of the first responders on the scene. Just like a fire extinguisher, OxySure products can be safely pre-positioned to provide immediate access to medical oxygen during a medical emergency between the onset of the emergency and the arrival of fire/rescue personnel. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) the average response time in the United States for fire/rescue is up to six minutes from the time of dispatch. This response can be higher, depending on traffic conditions or rural situations. OxySure® provides immediate application of oxygen to a patient by the patient, family member or by-stander during the first critical minutes between the onset of the medical emergency and the arrival of the fire/rescue personnel.

SOURCE: http://www.oxysure.com/

In a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Oklahoma City, Okla.-based oil and gas producer said that while asset sales generate cash, they decrease the cash flow generated by the company, and “reduce the amount and value of collateral available to secure our obligations, both of which are exacerbated by low natural gas prices.” In order to comply with the requirements of its $4 billion corporate credit facility, the company “may delay one or more of our currently planned asset monetizations, or select other assets for monetization.” As of March 31, the company had $2.5 billion outstanding in its corporate credit facility.

The language, which Argus Research analyst Phil Weiss says is new, puts a damper on Chesapeake’s unrelenting strategy of raising money from asset sales to keep drilling in new areas and bring down its high levels of debt. At times when natural gas prices were high, the company was able to keep aggressively growing while selling stakes in its fields. But with prices near decade-low levels, “at least there may have to be a change in the asset monetization strategy,” Weiss said.

The company says it expects to obtain $11.5 billion to $14 billion from asset transactions in 2012, which will be enough to fund its capital expenditures and reduce debt.

Chesapeake shares tumbled Friday after the company filed a notice that it would not be able to produce an annual report on time with the SEC, followed shortly by the quarterly report, which had been expected Thursday. In 46 minutes, Chesapeake’s market capitalization lost $1.05 billion, as shares fell from $16.39 to their $14.81 closing price. Total market capitalization now sits at $9.8 billion, falling below $10 billion for the first time since the financial crisis. In July 2008, Chesapeake was worth about $49 billion.

Chesapeake has recently come under scrutiny due to the extraordinary complexity of its financial operations, which concerns many analysts. In addition, Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon has borrowed personally up to $1.4 billion to finance his participation in a controversial Chesapeake program that gives him a small stake in every well drilled by the company; he borrowed money from financial institutions that had done business with Chesapeake, prompting investors and analysts to decry a lack of oversight at the top echelons of the company. The program has since been scrapped, and McClendon was removed from his chairman role on Chesapeake’s board, although he remains CEO.

Ben Casselman of The Wall Street Journal contributed to this article.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chesapeake-says-may-delay-asset-sales-2012-05-11

Google’s U.S. market share rose 0.1 percentage point to 66.5% in April from the prior month. Microsoft’s share also edged up 0.1 percentage point to 15.4% last month. Yahoo Inc.’s YHOO -1.62% sites remained in the No. 3 spot, slipping 0.2 percentage points to 13.5%. IAC/InterActiveCorp.’s IACI -0.23% Ask.com’s share and AOL Inc.’s AOL -0.84% shares were unchanged at 3% and 1.6%, respectively.

Americans conducted 17.1 billion core search queries last month, down from 18.36 billion in March. Google again ranked first, with 11.4 billion searchers, followed by Microsoft, with 2.6 billion, and Yahoo with 2.3 billion.

ComScore has shifted how it reports its data after Yahoo’s “contextual searches” skewed earlier results. The group measures U.S. explicit core searches, which exclude contextual searches that don’t reflect any intent by users.

SOURCE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/googles-web-search-market-share-rises-in-april-2012-05-11