3D Systems - Red Flags As Operating Performance Continues To Deteriorate

Shares of 3D-Systems (DDD) have witnessed quite some volatilityduring the first days of the new trading week. Shares ended last Friday around $38 per share, or the equivalent of $57 before the 3-for-2 stock split. Shares fell to lows of $31 on Monday on the back of the fourth quarter results, but have recovered to $36 at the moment.

Fourth Quarter Results

3D Systems generated revenues of $101.6 million for its fourth quarter of 2012, up 45.4% on the year. Revenue growth was driven by a 93% increase in printer and other revenues, and 18.8% in organic growth. Revenues fell slightly short of analysts expectations who on average expected that 3D Systems would report revenues of $103.9 million.

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Home Depot - Good News Show Sends Shares To All Time Highs

Shares of Home Depot (HD) trade with gains of up to 6% during Tuesday's trading session. The home improvement retailer reported strong sales for the final quarter of 2012. The company furthermore announced a very favorable capital allocation strategy to its shareholders.

Fourth Quarter Results

Home Depot generated fourth quarter revenues of $18.2 billion, up 13.9% on the year before. The fact that the quarter consisted out of 14 weeks, instead of 13 weeks, added $1.2 billion in sales. Excluding the additional week, revenues were up by 6.3%. Revenues were driven by a very strong 7.0% increase in comparable store sales.

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Chesapeake Energy: Disappointing Price Tag Of Mississippi Divestiture Sends Shares Lower

Shares of Chesapeake Energy (CHK) traded with losses of up to 7% in Monday's trading session. The natural gas exploration and production company announced a joint venture with Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration for its Mississippi Lime play in Oklahoma.

The Joint Venture

Chesapeake announced the "joint venture" on Monday. In reality, the company will sell a 50% stake in 850,000 of net oil and gas acres in the Mississippi Lime play in Northern Oklahoma. Chesapeake will receive $1.02 billion in cash, of which 93% will be achieved upon closing of the deal.

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MSC Industrial - Shareholders Applaud The Addition Of Distribution Activities Of Barnes Group

Shares of MSC Industrial Direct (MSM) rose more than 2.5% during Friday's trading session. The distributor of industrial tools and MRO supplies announced the acquisition of the distribution activities of Barnes Group (B) before the market open.

The Deal

MSC Industrial announced that it has greed to acquire the North American distribution activities of Barnes Group. The unit provides fasteners and other high margin consumable products and services combined with an industry-leading field sales force and vendor managed inventory solution.

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AZZ Incorporated - Shareholders Applaud The Acquisition Of Aquilex Specialty Repair

Shares of AZZ Incorporated (AZZ) rose some 5.5% in Monday's trading session. The electrical equipment and components manufacturer announced the acquisition of Aquilex Specialty Repair and Overall. Monday's price action has boosted the year to date returns to 15%, despite the fact that the company recently lowered its full year guidance.

The Deal

AZZ Incorporated announced that it has agreed Aquilex Specialty Repair, a leader in maintenance, repair and revitalization services to the nuclear and fossil power generation markets. The company furthermore serves refining and industrial markets.

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Praxair - Small Acquisition Does Not Alter Investment Recommendation

Shares of Praxair (PX) are trading roughly unchanged since the start of the year. Shares of the industrial gasses supplier have traded in a tight $110-$115 range in the first seven weeks of the year. Praxair announced the acquisition of NuCO2, a provider of beverage carbonation solutions in the first week of February.

The Deal

Praxair announced that it agreed to acquire NuCO2, a leading provider of beverage carbonation solutions to the restaurant and hospitality industries in the US. The 900 employees of the firm serve its customers in over 162,000 locations.

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Office Depot Deal With OfficeMax Is Not A No-Brainer

Shares of Office Depot (ODP) and OfficeMax (OMX) have witnessed a fair bit of volatility over the past trading week. On Tuesday, reports hit the news wires that a merger agreement between both firms had already been agreed upon. Later Office Depot announced the release was made pre-mature and by accident. The final confirmation of the deal took place on Wednesday.

Initially shares of both firms rallied up sharply on the news, but they have given up ground on Wednesday and Thursday. Shares of Office Depot trade with losses of 11% for the week, while shares of OfficeMax are still up some 9%.

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Hewlett-Packard - Turnaround Gains Traction

Shares of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) rose up to 7% in after-hours trading on Thursday. The technology company reported a decent set of first quarter results for 2013 after the market close.

First Quarter Results

Hewlett-Packard reported first quarter revenues of $28.4 billion, down 6% on the year. In constant currencies revenues would have fallen by 4%. Revenues comfortably beat analysts consensus estimates of $27.8 billion.

The company's operating margins compressed by 60 basis points to 6.2%, resulting in GAAP earnings of $1.2 billion, or $0.63 per share. While GAAP earnings fell by 14%, they comfortably beat HP's own guidance of $0.34-$0.37 per share.

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LinnCo And LINN Energy Make An Excellent Deal Acquiring Berry Petroleum

Shares of LinnCo (LNCO) and LINN Energy (LINE) rose 5.4% and 2.8% in Thursday's trading session, respectively. LinnCo, which indirectly focuses on the development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties and LINN Energy announced the acquisition of Berry Petroleum Company (BRY).

The Deal

LinnCo announced that it has agreed to acquire Berry Petroleum, an independent energy company focused on the development and exploration of oil and natural gas. Shareholders in Berry Petroleum will receive 1.25 shares of LinnCo shares for each share of Berry Petroleum they currently own.

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The ExOne Company - 3D Market Remains Red Hot

The ExOne Company (XONE) made its public debut on Thursday, February 7. Shares of the manufacturer of 3D printing machines and printing products ended its first day with gains of 47.3% at $26.52 per share. Shares peaked at levels a little over $33 per share in the days following the offering, before falling back to levels around $27 at the moment.

The Public Offering

The ExOne is a global provider of 3D printing machines and related products to industrial customers. The company offers pre-production collaboration for its customers through the Production Service Centers located in the U.S., Germany and Japan.

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KaloBios Pharmaceuticals - A Failed Public Offering Waiting For Good News

KaloBios Pharmaceuticals (KBIO) made its public debut on Thursday, January 31th. Shares of the biopharmaceutical company ended their first day unchanged at $8.00 per share. From that point in time, shares have gradually lost ground, closing at $7.20 per share on Friday.

The Public Offering

KaloBios Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company which is focused on the development of monoclonal antibody therapeutics. The company has developed a proprietary Humaneered antibody technology focused on respiratory diseases and cancer.

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Xoom Corporation - Successful Offering Of This Online Money Transfer Company

Last Friday, Xoom Corporation (XOOM) made its public debut. Shares of the online international money transfer service company rose 59.3% on their first trading day, ending at $25.49 per share.

The Public Offering

Xoom Corporation is a pioneer and leader in the online consumer-to-consumer international money transfer industry. Customers use Xoom to send money to friends and family in over 30 countries. Since January 2008, customers have used Xoom to send $6.6 billion to their friends and relatives.

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Boise Cascade: Construction Sector Jumps On The IPO Bandwagon Amidst Housing Recovery

Two weeks ago, Boise Cascade Company (BCC) made its public market debut, on February 6th. Shares of the vertically integrated wood products manufacturer and building materials distributor ended their first day with gains of 24.5% at $26.15 per share. Shares have continued to gain ground, currently exchanging hands at $27.94.

The Public Offering

Boise Cascade is a vertically-integrated wood manufacturer and building material distributor with operations spread out through the United States and Canada. The company is the second largest manufacturer of laminated veneer lumber and plywood in North America, according to the Resource Information System.

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Jabil Circuit Is Still Vulnerable To Setbacks

Shares of Jabil Circuit (JBL) have traded in a tight trading range between $19-$20 since the start of 2013. In the first week of February, the provider of worldwide electronic manufacturing services and solutions announced the acquisition of Nypro.

The Deal

Jabil Circuit announced that it has agreed to acquire Nypro, a provider of manufactured precision plastic products in the Healthcare, Packaging and Consumer Electronics industries. The deal values Nypro at approximately $665 million. Nypro currently employs some 12,000 workers in over 10 countries.

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Reliance Steel - Acquisition Of Metals USA Is Excellent

Shares of Reliance Steel & Aluminum (RS) have been off to a greatstart of 2013. Shares of the metal service center have already returned 16% so far this year on the back of the acquisition of Metals USA Holdings (MUSA).

The Deal

Reliance Steel announced that it has agreed to acquire Metals USA Holdings, a leading metals service center provider of a wide range of products in heavy carbon steel, flat-rolled steel, non-ferrous metals and building products markets.

The company operates 48 service centers for a total of 5.9 million square feet of industrial space. As a result of the deal, Reliance Steel will operate 268 centers.

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Scientific Games Corp - Acquisition Of WMS Industries Offers Potential

Shares of Scientific Games Corp (SGMS) are trading with modest gains of 6.2% so far in 2013, after having witnessed quite some volatility. The global supplier of solutions to lottery and gaming organizations announced the acquisition of WMS Industries (WMS) on the last day of January.

The Deal

Scientific Games Corporation announced that it has agreed to acquire WMS Industries, the second largest machine supplier of the country according to its acquisition presentation.

Scientific Games will pay $26.00 per share in cash for each outstanding share of WMS, valuing the equity of the firm at $1.55 billion. WMS operates with $85 million in debt and $55 million in cash, for a net debt position of $30 million, for a total enterprise value of $1.58 billion.

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Oracle - Sound Acquisition Strategy Continues To Pay Off

Shares of Oracle (ORCL) have risen some 4.5% so far in 2013. The provider of enterprise software services and computer hardware devices benefited of a strong general market sentiment. On top of that, Oracle recently announced the acquisition of Acme Packet (APKT), a leader in session delivery network solutions.

The Deal

Oracle announced that is has agreed to acquire Acme Packet, a leader in session delivery network solutions for the delivery of next-generation voice, video, data and unified communication services across IP networks. Oracle will pay $29.25 per share in cash for every share of Acme, thereby offering a 22.2% premium to Acme's shareholders. While Oracle pays a substantial premium, shares of Acme are still trading 65% below the high of $83 set as recent as April of 2011.

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LipoScience - Disappointing Offering In A Strong Public Offering Season

LipoScience (LPDX) made its public debut on Friday, January 25th. Shares of the diagnostic company based on nuclear magnetic resonance technology ended their first day with gains of 16.1% at $10.45 per share. Shares extended their gains in the first three weeks after the offering, closing at $11.00 per share on the past Friday.

The Public Offering

LipoScience has developed the NMR LipoProfile test which directly measures the number of low density lipoprotein particles in the blood, which provides good information about the risk for heart diseases. So far, some 8 million tests have been ordered and the automatic analyzer system "Vantera" has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. LipoScience sold 5.0 million shares for $9 a piece. LipoScience raised $45 million in gross proceeds in the offering process. Based on the offer price of $9.00, the company is valued at approximately $125 million.

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Buffett Strikes Again - How Heinz Deal Terms Are Superior For Berkshire Hathaway

Shares of H.J. Heinz (HNZ) spiked on Thursday after the diversified food manufacturing company agreed to sell itself to 3G Capital and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A). Shares of Heinz rose 20% to $72.50 per share, while shares of Berkshire rose by 1.0%.

The Deal

3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway announced that they have agreed to acquire H.J. Heinz, the food manufacturer known from the famous Ketchup brand, for $72.50 per share.

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Cardinal Health - Still Some Questions About The Strategic Acquisition Of AssuraMed

Shares of Cardinal Health (CAH) rose 1.2% in Thursday's trading session. The healthcare company announced the acquisition of privately-held medical supplier AssuraMed.

The Deal

Cardinal Health announced that it has agreed to acquire AssuraMed, a leading provider of medical supplies to patients at home, in a deal valuing the company at $2.07 billion, or $1.94 billion excluding the present value of tax benefits.

With the acquisition, Cardinal expects to better serve the growing population of aging and chronically ill people who increasingly stay at home. The addition furthermore broadens the product portfolio and allows for better and more cost-effective solutions.

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Zoetis - Successful Offering Fails To Lift Pfizer's Shares

It has been two weeks since Zoetis (ZTS) made its public debut on the first day of the month. Shares of the animal health business, which is a spin-off of Pfizer (PFE), ended their first day with gains of 19.3% at $31.01 per share. Shares have continued to gain ground from that point in time, currently exchanging hands at $33.55.

The Public Offering

Zoetis is a leader in the discovery, development and manufacturing of animal health medicines and vaccines. The company has been an important business unit of Pfizer for the past 60 years, which has recently decided to divest the business.

Zoetis sold 86.1 million shares for $26 apiece. The company raised $2.24 billion in gross proceeds in the offering process, valuing the company at $13.0 billion.

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Bright Horizons Family Solutions - Child Care Remains A Hot Business

Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM) made its public debut on Friday, January 25th. Shares of the provider of child care and early education services ended their first day with gains of 28.7% at $28.32 per share. From that point in time, shares moved between $27-$31 per share, closing at $28.70 per share on Thursday.

The Public Offering

Bright Horizons is a leading provider of child care services which are designed to help employers and families to better address challenges they meet. The company has multi-year contracts with employers who offer child care as part of their employee benefits packages.

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TRI Pointe - Strong Public Offering Amidst Housing Recovery

TRI Pointe Homes LLC (TPH) made its public debut on Thursday, January 31st. Shares of the construction company ended their first day with gains of 11.7% at $19.00 per share. From that point in time, shares kept hovering around the $19 mark, closing at $19.03 on Wednesday.

The Public Offering

TRI Pointe Homes is a newly formed homebuilding company. The company will focus on the design, construction and sale of innovative single-family homes in key metropolitan areas in California. TRI Pointe was founded as recent as April 2009, amidst the downturn in the construction industry.

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CyrusOne: Successful Public Offering Of This Data Storage REIT

CyrusOne (CONE) made its public debut on Friday, January 18th. Shares of the owner and operator of enterprise, carrier-neutral data center properties ended their first trading day with gains of 11.6% at $21.20 per share. After the first day spike, shares moved in a $21-$23 trading range, currently exchanging hands at $21.58 per share.

The Public Offering

CyrusOne owns 24 data centers, mostly in the Southern States of the US, but it also owns a centre in both the United Kingdom and Singapore. These enterprise facilities have redundant power and communications which are not network specific, allowing customers to establish communication with multiple carriers at once. In total the facilities are comprised out of 1.63 million net rentable square feet footage, powered by 125 megawatts of power. CyrusOne owns 9 buildings and leases the remainder of the buildings.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill - New Restaurant Openings Are A Cause For Optimism

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) have seen a bit of volatility since the start of the year. Shares started the year around the $300 mark and fell to lows of $275 later in January. From that point in time, shares have regained ground, currently exchanging hands at $317 per share after the company published its fourth-quarter results.

Fourth-Quarter Results

Chipotle reported its fourth-quarter results on the 5th of February. The company reported revenues of $699.2 million, up 17.2% on the year before. Revenue growth is driven by a 3.8% increase in comparable sales as well as 60 new store openings during the quarter.

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Cisco Systems Continues To Create Value

Shares of Cisco Systems (CSCO) fell 2% in after hours trading on Wednesday after the technology infrastructure giant reported its results for the second quarter of its fiscal 2013 after the market close.

Second Quarter Results

Cisco reported second quarter revenues of $12.10 billion, up 5% compared to the year before, beating analysts consensus of $12.06 billion. Net income on a GAAP-basis rose 44% to $3.14 billion, driven by a tax benefit of $926 million after the company reached a settlement with the Internal Revenue Service. Cisco benefited from the reinstatement of the federal R&D tax credit as well.

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