Company News for December 04, 2009

• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC - Analyst Report) said it raised $19.3 billion through the sale of 1.286 billion common-equivalent shares at $15 each, as it plans to repay government TARP borrowings of $45 billion

• Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ:HGSI - Analyst Report) announced it priced a planned offering of 15.5 million common shares at $26.75 a share, expected to close on December 8

• Ford (NYSE:F - Analyst Report) announced plans to launch its new subcompact, the Fiesta, at a starting price of $13,995. The new model is due out next year

• Take-Two (NASDAQ:TTWO - Snapshot Report) said its fiscal fourth quarter results are likely to fall short of its prior outlook.  The company now sees adjusted earnings of 5-10 cents.  For 2010, the firm expects a loss of 40-60 cents on revenues of $1-1.2 billion, versus estimates of $0.64-$1.24 billion

• Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ:SWHC - Snapshot Report) reported fiscal second quarter earnings of 10 cents a share, one cent above estimates, on revenues of $108.8 million, a 49% increase from last year and ahead of analyst estimates of $104.9 million

• Big Lots (NYSE:BIG - Analyst Report) reported adjusted fiscal third quarter earnings of 27 cents a share, 9 cents above analyst estimates, on revenues of $1.04 billion, which topped estimates of $1.02 billion. The firm lifted its fourth quarter guidance to $1.09-$1.14, and fiscal 2009 to $2.15-$2.20, ahead of estimates of $1.04 and $2.10, respectively. The company's board also authorized a $150 million share repurchase program

• Oppenheimer initiated coverage of Visa (NYSE:V - Analyst Report) and MasterCard (NYSE:MA - Analyst Report) with "outperform," with price targets of $95 and $290, respectively

• Bank of America (NYSE:BAC - Analyst Report) initiated coverage of ratings firms: Moody's (NYSE:MCO - Analyst Report) and McGraw-Hill (NYSE:MHP - Analyst Report), both at "buy" ratings. Price targets were set for Moody's at $28 and McGraw-Hill at $38

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Read the full analyst report on MA

Read the full analyst report on MCO