News and Events

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) shares moved up today after Carl Icahn disclosed a small stake in the company and said that he wanted a seat on the company's board of directors. Mr. Icahn is well known for his shareholder activism in company's as large as Time Warner. Many expect him to institute a share buyback or special dividend if he attains a seat.

NYSE Group, Inc. (NYSE:NYX) is set to announce a strategic alliance with the Tokyo Stock Exchange tomorrow morning. NYSE Group Chief Executive John Thain and Tokyo Stock Exchange Chief Executive Taizo Nishimuro will attend a briefing to discuss the alliance; however, the company offered no additional comments on any specifics.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) is expected to report higher fourth-quarter results, but news of its plans to spin off its majority stake in Kraft Foods, Inc. (NYSE:KFT) is expected to overshadow these announcements. Some are concerned that Kraft's shares could experience some downside pressure as uninterested MO shareholders immediately sell off their stakes. Meanwhile, even though investors are widely expecting the Kraft news, it is likely to provide a further boost to Altria's share price.

Man Group plc (LON:EMG) said that it would be spinning off its brokerage arm through an initial public offering that could be one of the largest in Wall Street history. According to CNBC, the company has been interviewing investment banking firms to serve as underwriter for an IPO that could take place by the middle of this year, possibly as early as late spring.

US Airways Group Inc. (NYSE:LCC) said that it would stand by its Delta Airlines (OTC:DARLQ) deadline for its $9.87 billion takeover bid. Meanwhile, an unofficial group of Delta Air Lines creditors wants to postpone a February 7th bankruptcy hearing so that creditors can take a closer look at the offer.

Earnings Announcements
69 Positive, 0 Neutral, 40 Negative Expected

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NDAQ:ACLS) is expected to report earnings of $0.12 up 1,100% from last quarter's $0.01. The company's stock is up over 2% after-hours today prior to the announcement.

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:ALL) said that its fourth quarter earnings rose 16.5%, but missed analyst estimates. The insurance company reported earnings of $1.78 per share, slightly less than the analyst consensus of $1.84 per share. The stock fell 2% after-hours.

SanDisk Corporation (NYSE:SNDK) reported higher than expected earnings of 87 cents per share, beating analyst estimates of 72 cents per share. The stock closed up 1.4% on the news today.