Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
[S1E4 - 'Monkey Business' - Afternoon Coffee]
Hello, and welcome to 'Monkey Business.' This is 'Monkey Business' for January 4, 2013. And in today’s Afternoon Coffee newser...
Private-sector employment in the U.S. was up 215,000 from November to December 2012, according to payroll processor ADP.
Economists surveyed by news organization Reuters had forecast only a gain of 133,000 jobs - although, of course
it should be expected that some of the figures represented seasonal holiday employment.
On the other hand, construction jobs put in a solid showing, with a bloc of 39,000 employed during the same time period.
For more details, just browse the links in the infobox.
In pharma news, biopharmaceutical company Zalicus, Inc. (ZLCS) saw its stock rise 7.58% by market close, on news
that the company will begin the second of two Phase II studies with Z160.
Z160's intended use would be for the potential treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.
Also in pharma news, Eli Lilly (LLY) also closed slightly up. Lilly Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Derica Rice took part in a morning conference call (Jan. 4, 2013), saying, 'From now through 2014
on an annual basis we still expect revenue to be at least $20 billion [U.S. dollars], net income to be at least $3 billion [U.S. dollars], and operating cash flow to be at least $4 billion [U.S. dollars].'
The figures are, of course, based on current expectations but actual results could differ materially.
Lilly is scheduled for a Q4 2012 [fourth quarter 2012] earnings call on Jan 29, 2013 at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), with webcast access available at their site for registered users.
The company's late-stage pipeline includes 13 potential new medicines in Phase III development. More details from the conference call, and Lilly webcast information, in the infobox.
And let’s just have a quick look at some of the biggest percentage gainers on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by market close (Jan. 4, 2013).
Financial services firm MBIA (MBI) rose 11.67 percent to close at USD 9.09, amid chatter that it might be closer to reaching a settlement in its lawsuit with Bank of America (BAC).
Shares of Harvest Natural Resources (HNR) drew interest after the company announced that it had struck oil in the offshore
waters of Gabon, West Africa. Harvest rose 11.29 percent to close at USD 10.25.
And Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. (KKD) rose 10.51 percent to close at USD 11.15 - a nearly six-year high - after it was reported
by various media outlets that Longbow Research analysts had initiated coverage of the doughnut manufacturer, rating the stock a 'buy,' and setting a target price of USD 15 per share.
Krispy Kreme's been on a bit of a roller coaster ride - at least, share price-wise - over the past decade, heading from 2002-2004 highs in the USD 30-40 range, to sinking to barely
a [U.S.] dollar and a quarter in 2009 (week of Feb. 23, 2009), before making slow gains through 2010 and into 2013.
Browse the links in the infobox for more details on any of these stories.
Lastly, a quick tidbit out of Hollywood - more coverage on this in 'The Hollywood Reporter' - on entertainment giant Walt Disney Company's (DIS) 3-D dilemma.
The gist of it is this. Visual effects studio Digital Domain declared bankruptcy in September 2012. Most of the company's assets were sold.
But parent company DDMG still has significant debts and wanted to auction off patents relating to the 2-D to 3-D conversion process.
DDMG acquired those patents when it purchased 3-D stereo studio In-Three, in late 2010.
What it boils down to is that the auction sale of the patents might affect Disney's ability to create 3-D movies without fear of being sued for patent infringement.
A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of three Digital Domain Media Group patents to 3-D technology licensing company
RealD (RealD) for USD 5.45 million in December 2012, according to a summary post at Nasdaq and StudioDaily.com.
Judge Brendan Shannon of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. (U.S.) gave the okay to production company
Lucasfilm - which Disney acquired in December 2012 - to use the technology to convert Halloween flick 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' into 3-D.
And Disney had previously had an agreement with DDMG in place to use the tech to create a 3-D version of their 'Alice in Wonderland' (2010) movie.
However, Judge Shannon ruled that past agreements to use this technology do not authorize Disney to continue to use it
in the future, putting [Disney] plans to convert future movies in development into 3-D at risk.
Disney's latest move was to file an emergency motion in federal court to stay Judge Shannon's ruling on the sale. The plot thickens.
[To crew member offscreen] What?
[Jack's co-anchor, Marcel, the Mouth of the South (of France) interrupts the segment with a few thoughts on Disney's (DIS) patents melodrama.]
Ah, well, 3-D, pffft. I don't care.
Although one does have to wonder what Disney was doing with itself in December 2012, when a bidder came along to scoop up crucial patents, right under their noses, for just over five million.
Five million - it's like, how do you say...little clams.
Especially for a behemoth like Disney. Who doesn’t know Disney products - movies, licensed characters on bath
towels and sippy cups? Ask any small child, if you know any. I don’t wish to comment on Disneyland Paris. But it is there.
So, if it was so crucial, then what were they doing in December, looking out a window?
And then, oh-la-la, to belatedly jump up with an emergency filing, suddenly, in January.
The horses, you know, they are out of the barn. Or the cows. Whatever they are. They are gone.
Ah. Lunchtime.
[To crew member offscreen] Maybe we could do my segment after a delicious lunch?
No? What sort of place is this, it's the end of civilization. I'm moving to Moscow. [onscreen clip]
Er, thanks, Marcel. More details and background on the story can be found in the link(s) in the infobox.
And now, over to Marcel- hey, where's he going? Tape him to the chair!
And now, over to Marcel, for Nearly News.
Take it away, Marcel.
French actor Gérard Depardieu is off to Russia after losing his patience with the prospect of the ‘supertax’ proposed by
French president François Hollande, and you can find that whole story in yesterday’s episode, right here [clip onscreen], if you are not as lazy as me.
And now he’s [Gérard Depardieu] going to have company, as fellow French actor Brigitte Bardot threatens to pick up stakes and move to Russia as well.
If this keeps up, visitors might not even have to decrypt the enigmatic Russian language at all.
They can just arrive in Moscow and say to anyone they like, ‘Bonjour!’ ('Hello!' - lit. 'Good day')
And so many native Russians, meanwhile - where are they? In Paris, France. Pfffft. No one can make up their minds.
Also providing free entertainment, two Australian jewel thieves - or would-be jewel thieves - helpfully show us that to be a lifter
of shiny things, it's necessary sometimes to have at least a sense of direction.
Two men in Australia tried to dig through a wall into a jewelry store, but miscalculated and instead broke through to a local
fast food eatery, Kentucky Fried Chicken (a.k.a. KFC). [KFC is a Yum! Brands, Inc. (a.k.a. Yum!) (YUM) brand.]
Bon appé***.
And that’s ‘Monkey Business’ for January 4, 2013. Take care folks, it’s a jungle out there!
Eh, you know, for the buffet today, is there any crème fraîche? No?
Any foie gras? No?
Any caviar?
Any Roquefort?
Any champagn- anything? What are we doing here, camping?