ORB Jumps Before Rocket Launch; MSFT Announces Share Buybacks

        Orbital Sciences(ORB), a company specializing in the development of rockets, gained nearly 5% during trading hours on a volume of 1 million shares. This precedes the company's plan to launch its first spacecraft to the International Space Station on Wednesday of this week. Named Antares, the rocket will launch from NASA's Virginia facility and will carry limited items as this is considered a test flight. Though ORB has had a bumpy road, gaining only 20% since its IPO 11 years ago,  it still managed to post a 30% rise in the last year. Rocket research is a long and expensive process, so the results of this test run could be a make-or-break for the stock.
        Aeropostale(ARO) made gains of 18% today after Sycamore Partners, a company well-known for its investments in clothing companies, disclosed an 8% stake in the company. This led to speculations that the company might soon be taken private. ARO has not fared well this year, dropping from $15 to $9 in just two weeks after a disappointing second quarter earnings result. Its efforts to revamp itself as a leading brand of teen fashion wasn't as well as hoped. Similarly, rivals American Eagle Outfitters(AEO) and Abercrombie and Fitch(ANF) both reported poor outlooks and have declined in the past few weeks.
        Microsoft(MSFT) announced today that its board approved a $40 billion share repurchase program as it hiked its dividend up by 22%. This follows its acquisition of Nokia's mobile hardware unit and CEO Steve Ballmer's retirement announcement. The stock has made impressive gains, rising 30% over the past few years and 5% in the past year. It recently broke through multi-year highs by hitting an impressive $36 in July. Its shares made modest gains in early trading hours but flatlined over the course of the day.

Sources:
Associated Press

Disclaimer: Trading stocks has extremely high risks, and should not be taken to lightly without a thorough understanding. This is written from a purely commentary point of view and is not meant to suggest buying, selling, or holding a stock. All traders must do their own research prior to investing. We (StockQuests) are unaffiliated with all of the companies that are mentioned on this blog, and can't be held responsible for any losses that may occur. Invest at your own risk.

August Jobs Report Misses Expectations; Fed Might Still Taper Stimulus

The August jobs report was released last Friday, indicating a sluggish recovery of the economy that was below estimates. 169,000 jobs were added - a far cry from the median estimate of 180,000. In addition, June and July's job estimates were revised to indicate that less jobs were added than previously thought. One of the most dramatic figures of the report was the sharp decrease of people working or looking for work. With most of the jobs added being low-wage positions, economists consider this job report to be a a stark reminder of the economy's weak state. However, the job report had some bright spots - namely, an increase in hourly wages and hours worked. Analysts believe that the Federal Reserve could use these bright spots to justify a tapering of the stimulus. The markets responded to this uncertainty, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Average both suffering losses on Friday. If the stimulus is tapered, it could lead to increased stress on the economy and a fall in stock prices.

Sources
New York Times

Disclaimer: Trading stocks has extremely high risks, and should not be taken to lightly without a thorough understanding. This is written from a purely commentary point of view and is not meant to suggest buying, selling, or holding a stock. All traders must do their own research prior to investing. We (StockQuests) are unaffiliated with all of the companies that are mentioned on this blog, and can't be held responsible for any losses that may occur. Invest at your own risk.

Microsoft Acquires Nokia Mobile Phones Unit for $7.2 Billion: Nokia Surges, Microsoft Drops

All numbers accurate as of 9/3/13 1:12 PM EST. However, they may change as the trading session progresses.

Microsoft announced that it was planning to pay the equivalent of $7.2 billion USD for Nokia's (NASDAQ: NOK) mobile devices unit, as well as its patent portfolio (all the patents owned by a company.) While Nokia phones already utilize Microsoft's mobile operating system, Microsoft's failure to gain a foothold in the mobile phone market has hurt the company. The company's acquisition of Nokia presents an opportunity to gain a share of this market. About 32,000 Nokia employees, including CEO Stephen Elop, are to be transferred to Microsoft. Mr. Elop is seen as a viable successor to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who is retiring later this year. After the transaction is completed in early 2014, Nokia will retain its networking and location services sectors. The sale will allow Nokia to ditch its declining smartphone sector, and instead focus on new technologies. Revenue from the sale will augment the company as it evolves into new markets and fields. Investors responded favorably to the sale in Nokia's favor, with the stock surging by $1.18/30.26%. However, Microsoft stocks did not react favorably to the sale. MSFT is currently down by $2.05/6.09 as a result of the sale. Even with Nokia's mobile unit and patents, Microsoft could still have trouble gaining a foothold in the mobile market, and some investors see the sale as a waste of money for Microsoft.

Sources
Yahoo Finance

Disclaimer: Trading stocks has extremely high risks, and should not be taken to lightly without a thorough understanding. This is written from a purely commentary point of view and is not meant to suggest buying, selling, or holding a stock. All traders must do their own research prior to investing. We (StockQuests) are unaffiliated with all of the companies that are mentioned on this blog, and can't be held responsible for any losses that may occur. Invest at your own risk.