# Tuesday, January 16, 2007
TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (NDAQ:AMTD) moved up $0.85, or 4.9%, to $18.21 today after releasing its operating results and financial condition in an 8K filing with the SEC. The company reported its best quarter ever, as growing fees and increased retail trading helped lift the company's net income by 60% year over year. Ameritrade also experienced success in many other measures, including:
  • Record net income of $146 million, or $0.24 per diluted share
  • Record non-GAAP net income of $173 million, or $0.28 per diluted share
  • Record pre-tax income of $239 million, or 45 percent of net revenues
  • Operating margin of $278 million, or 52 percent
  • Record EBITDA of $291 million, or 54 percent
  • Net revenues of $535 million
  • Average client trades per day of approximately 238,000
  • Annualized return on equity of 34 percent for the quarter
  • Client assets of approximately $278.2 billion, including $39.8 billion of client cash and money market funds
  • Liquid assets of $499 million; cash and cash equivalents of $441 million
  • 109,000 new accounts at an average cost per account of $360; 40,000 closed accounts; 6,260,000 Total Accounts; 3,255,000 Qualified Accounts
  • Average client margin balances of approximately $7.3 billion. On Dec. 31, 2006, client margin balances were approximately $7.6 billion
The company also said that, like its competitors, it will be attempting to lean itself off of mostly commission-based income to more of an "asset gatherer". CEO Joe Moglia said, "By the end of this year, we talk about being able to move from a firm that was almost totally based on transactions to one that's becoming more and more of an 'asset gatherer' ... By the end of 2007, we will be generating more revenues based on our assets alone than 100% of all of our expenses. And that includes our advertising numbers." Moglia also told CNBC that he believes there may be consolidation within the sector, but maintained that he didn't want to insinuate that the Ameritrade was currently involved in any such transaction. Regardless, AMTD is definitely a stock worth watching over the next few months.

Related Companies
optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. (OXPS)
E*TRADE Financial Corporation (ETFC)
The Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:36:36 PM UTC  #     |  Trackback
Lawson Software Inc. (NDAQ:LWSN) CEO Harry Debes disclosed an 80,000 share purchase at prices ranging from $6.64 to $6.90 in a transaction valued at more than $530,000, bringing his his overall stake to 128,674 shares. The transaction, disclosed in a Form 4 filing with the SEC, helped move LWSN up $0.11, or 1.63%, to $6.87 so far in today's session.

The company provides business application software, services and maintenance to customers primarily in the services sector, trade industries and manufacturing/distribution sectors specializing in specific markets, including health care, public services, retail, financial services, food and beverage, and wholesale distribution. While the company is currently trading above enterprise value with a high PEG of 2.59, it does have $1.41/share in cash and very little debt. This makes the company a potential acquisition target in an increasingly active M&A market, and new contracts should help the company prop up its falling earnings in future quarters. Combined, these factors make LWSN a stock worth watching over the next few months.

Related Companies
Oracle Corporation (ORCL)
SAP AG (SAP)
JDA Software Group, Inc. (JDAS)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 7:52:00 PM UTC  #     |  Trackback
SulphCo, Inc. (AMEX:SUF) Chairman and CEO Dr. Rudolph Gunnerman was dismissed from the company's board today after a misunderstanding that stemmed from questionable amendments he requested be made to the company's bylaws. These proposed changes would have restricted the board's ability to act on shareholders' behalf while further entrenching management. Dr. Gunnerman currently holds approximately 39% of the company's stock and revealed his proposals in a Schedule 13D filing with the SEC.

According to the filing:
"On January 12, 2007, Dr. Gunnerman delivered to the Company a written consent purporting to be executed by the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of Common Stock (the Written Consent), which was signed by, among others, the Reporting Persons ... The Bylaw Amendments include, among others, (a) the requirement that an Annual Meeting of the stockholders be held on the first Tuesday in April at 850 Spice Islands Drive, Sparks, Nevada; (b) modifications to the procedures for stockholder nominations of directors to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors; (c) the fixing of the number of Board members at six; (d) the elimination of "cause" as a requirement for the removal of directors; (e) the inability of the Board to remove any officer of the Company until the first annual Board meeting to be held following the next annual meeting of stockholders following January 11, 2007; (f) the inability of the Board of Directors to issue, prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders (i) any shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to more than one vote per share, and (ii) in the aggregate, in excess of 10% of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company; and (g) that the Amended and Restated Bylaws may be amended only by stockholders holding a majority of the Company’s voting stock.

Subsequent to their delivery of the Written Consent, the Reporting Persons became aware of a miscalculation in the number of shares of Common Stock held by the persons that had executed the Written Consent, including the Reporting Persons. The miscalculation resulted from the reliance by the Reporting Persons on information included in a Share Holder Report issued by the Company’s transfer agent with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock held by the Company’s stockholders. The Share Holder Report purported to be current, but was in fact outdated. Based on the correct number of shares of Common Stock actually held by the stockholders executing the Written Consent, including the Reporting Persons, the Written Consent was not executed by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.

Prior to the date hereof, in accordance with the federal securities laws, the Reporting Persons have contacted a limited number of stockholders of the Company believed by the Reporting Persons to hold, together with the Reporting Persons, a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. The Reporting Persons are continuing their efforts to obtain the consent of the stockholders previously contacted by them, but no other stockholders, to the Bylaw Amendments. If the Reporting Persons are not successful in these efforts, the Reporting Persons will continue to explore their legal options as stockholders of the Company, and may as stockholders of the Company call a special meeting of the Company’s stockholders to consider amendments to the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws similar to the Bylaw Amendments.

The Reporting Persons may in addition (whether or not the Bylaw Amendments are adopted) propose their own slate of nominees for election at the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders."
Shortly after this Schedule 13D was released this morning, the company's board of directors dismissed Dr. Gunnerman from his post as Chairman and CEO of the company. While he will continue to serve as a director of the company, Larry Ryan has been named the new Chief Executive Officer and Robert H. C. van Maasdijk has been appointed chairman of the board. These actions may prompt him to explore other legal options or even propose his own slate of nominees to the company's board of directors. Shares of SUF are trading even on the day; however, if Gunnerman is successful in instituting the changes, the stock could see some downside.

Related Companies
Gerber Scientific, Inc. (GRB)
Sono-Tek Corporation (SOTK)

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 7:24:39 PM UTC  #     |  Trackback