Shares of women’s clothing retailers traded mostly higher on Tuesday, despite more data showing consumers were reluctant to spend this holiday season.
The International Council of Shopping Centers said weekly same-store sales dropped 1.5 percent last week amid continued economic woes and wintry weather.
On a year-over-year basis, same-store sales fell 1.8 percent, according to the association’s weekly index, which tracks sales of about 40 retailers. Read the rest of this entry »
Shares of health insurers were battered throughout 2008, in part because of smaller profit margins bought on by years of price cuts. Analysts on Wednesday offered differing opinions on whether that will continue in 2009 and beyond.
Citi Investment Research analyst Charles Boorady said he thinks managed care providers will be able to post steadier margins in 2009 and 2010 because the recession is reducing their medical costs. However, an analyst Read the rest of this entry »
(RTTNews) – Rumors of a potential merger between drug giant Pfizer Inc. (
) have been doing the rounds since 2007. Now, it’s no more a rumor. It’s real and Pfizer is all set to acquire Wyeth in a $68 billion deal.
Monday, Pfizer announced that it has agreed to acquire Wyeth in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at $50.19 per share, or a total of about $68 billion. The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the combination. Read the rest of this entry »
on Wednesday gave positive outlooks for Mylan Inc. and
Industries Ltd., saying the top generic drug developers will likely benefit from health reforms in the coming years.
In a note to investors, analyst Randall Stanicky, also said buyout activity at the companies has positioned them well for competitiveness.
The new presidential administration and Congress will likely deal with some type of health care reform plan in an effort to reduce costs. Read the rest of this entry »
Associated Press
09.12.08,
1:55 PM ET
Shares of hospital operators received a boost Friday as analysts gave mostly upbeat outlooks for several companies based on a mix of admissions, management and debt improvements.
In notes to investors late Thursday, both Banc of America and Pomeroy Research said companies including Dallas-based
Tenet Healthcare Corp.
) and Naples, Fla.-based
Health Management Associates Inc.
) have positioned Read the rest of this entry »
New Food and Drug Administration guidelines for diabetes drugs could mean higher study costs and delays in reaching the market for several companies, including Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., as the agency focuses on potential heart risks.
On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration updated guidance for new diabetes drugs, calling for more scrutiny on heart condition risks. Two years ago, concern was raised over potential heart risks for patients Read the rest of this entry »
Sherman Middle School teacher Jackie Scramlin of Holly knew she wanted to reclaim her health by getting more physically active and dropping a few pounds.
That’s why she was one of the first people to join Snap Fitness in Holly, following its opening on Friday, Nov. 28. “Another teacher told me about it,” said Scramlin. “So far, it has been great.”
Located in the Holly Foods Plaza at 15213 N. Holly Read the rest of this entry »
CHANHASSEN, MN-A new fitness center concept has sprung up within the past few years, with a small footprint and 24-hour accessibility, to rival other upstarts and big-box gymnasiums. The 4-year-old Snap Fitness company, based here, has 1,690 franchised locations either open or under construction, with a goal of 2,000 locations by 2009. The company is seeing dozens of clubs open each month.
The $16 billion fitness center industry has seen many different Read the rest of this entry »
Profit margins for health insurers may be stabilizing after several years of declines, a Citi Investment Research analyst said Wednesday, seeing a potential positive from the U.S. economic slump.
Based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Charles Boorady said spending on prescription drugs is down, and Medicare is spending less on benefits. But those problems for health insurers are counteracted by steady prices and slower Read the rest of this entry »
Health care information technology stocks slid Tuesday after a Leerink Swann analyst said the electronic medical records portion of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package will not help the sector right away.
“Our best guess as to the time line for federal money to work through state grant and loan programs in any material way is at least 12-18 months,” Bret Jones said in a client note. The climate for health care IT companies is Read the rest of this entry »