Earning Release Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited’s (NYSE:AHL) 4Q 08 adjusted1 total revenues were above our expectations. However, the company’s adjusted net income was below our and market expectations. Going forward, we believe that hardening rates and increasing demand for reinsurance services will provide support to the company’s top-line. Moreover, given the company’s guidance, we are [...]

On 05 February 2009, NDS Group Plc’s (NDS) NASDAQ common stock achieved our target price of US$62.16. The recent increase in common stock price primarily reflects renewed investors’ optimism as News Corporation and Permira Advisers LLP (Permira) cleared the final regulatory hurdle to take the company private. News Corp and Permira had proposed to take [...]

There are actually some stocks which are hitting 52-week highs despite the fact that January was the worst annual start on record and despite the fact that the markets are barely off of fresh lows. Most of these are around education as the unemployed are going back to school, but there are other winners. Here are today's stocks which put in new 52-week highs: STOCK (TICKER) TODAY PRIOR Career Education (CECO) $23.51 $22.79 Corinthian Colleges (COCO) $21.73 $19.50 Dollar Tree (DLTR) $44.32 $44.10 ITT Educational Services (ESI) $133.49 $131.49 Lincoln Educational (LINC) $17.29 $16.76 Myriad Genetics (MYGN) $85.00 $75.43 NDS...

The bigger they are, the harder they (might) fall.

FCC allows MSO to use SmartCard-based boxes through 2010, giving Cablevision enough time to develop a downloadable security system

Special Situations Real Money Portfolio regained some ground in February. The ending balance on February 27, 2009 was $17,984.99. This is up 5.26% since January. Nevertheless, the portfolio was still down 3.08% since the beginning of the year. You would think I would be happy with the performance in February, but I am not. The month of February started [...]

The third special situation opportunity that came to completion last week was NDS Group PLC (NNDS). This was probably a much simpler and less stressful play than Puget Energy and Meadow Valley. Let me provide you with some of the background. NDS Group PLC announced back in September of 2008 that it was going to be taken private [...]

The Special Situations Real Money Portfolio kicked off 2009 with a slow start. The ending balance on January 30, 2009 was $17,085.50. This is down 7.93% from where it was at the end of December. You would think that I would be concerned with that poor performance, but I am not. I have several great special [...]

In a near unanimous vote, shareholders approves the acquisition of NDS by News Corp, paving the way for the company to go private. Company officials still believe that the agreed upon $63/share price will hold up even though the company has struggled somewhat with the global economic downturn. According to a Globes report: “News Corporation and [...]

NDS Group plc (NNDS) - News Corporation (NWS) : The European Commission officially started its review of this transaction yesterday, November 20. The EC has established a provisional review deadline of January 6, 2009 for this case (M.5274).[More...]