Author: FX_Trdr

In trading on Wednesday, general contractors & builders shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 3.9%. Leading the group were shares of Pultegroup (PHM), up about 6.2% and shares of KB Home (KBH) up about 6% on the day.

PepsiCo (PEP) announced quarterly earnings were higher than expected, even though revenue was lower. The company earned $1.9 billion, or $1.21 per share, down from $2 billion, or $1.25 per share, in the same period last year.

Jed Kolko, the chief economist at Trulia says Mitt Romney’s proposal to cap itemized deductions will have an impact on the middle class, many of whom rely on mortgage interest deductions to offset taxes.

An AP fact check found both President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney didn’t paint a complete picture, when discussing taxes and spending.

President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney traded jabs over outsourcing during Tuesday’s presidential debate. Romney said he will label China as a currency manipulator if he is elected, while Obama said Romney’s tax proposals favor outsourcing.

Mitt Romney and Barack Obama both say their tax plans would benefit the middle class and spur job creation, and both are suggesting their opponent’s plan would do the opposite.

Stocks were higher on Thursday, with the market showing its best gain in a month, after Johnson & Johnson, Goldman Sachs, and Mattel all announce results that beat estimates. The Labor Department also announced that consumer prices rose only 0.1 percent last month, excluding food and energy costs, while gasoline prices came down since then.

Bargain hunters are wise to pay careful attention to insider buying, because although there are many various reasons for an insider to sell a stock, presumably the only reason they would use their hard-earned dollars to make a purchase, is that they expect to make money. Today we look at two noteworthy recent insider buys.

PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) announced that third-quarter earnings increased by 6 percent from the same period last year to $876 million, or $1.64 a share from $826 million, $1.55 cents a share. Revenue increased to $4.1 billion from $3.5 billion a year earlier.

Alliance Data (ADS) was upgraded by Wells Fargo (WFC) to out perform due to good earnings visibility. Shares are higher by about two tenths of a percent.