Big pharmas Merck and Pfizer modestly beat Q2 estimates early Tuesday, and both guided the full year cautiously as they prepare for new drug launches. Merck stock rose 1.1%, but Pfizer stock fell 1.2%. Merck’s (MRK) earnings totaled 85 cents a share, up a penny from the year-earlier quarter and beating analysts’ consensus by 4 cents. Sales shrank 1% to $10.9 billion due to patent losses but still beat the Street’s expectations by about $300
Internet service providers need some techie help dealing with the crushing weight of Big Data, and it increasingly looks like they might have an answer: NFV. Little-known Network Functions Virtualization is a software-based system that can help speed the flow of increasing amounts of data through networks at reduced costs. The biggest networking vendors are vying to be top NFV suppliers, including Cisco Systems (CSCO), VMware (VMW), Juniper
First Solar (FSLR) on Monday announced a new deal to supply solar modules to a Japanese solar distributor, which coupled with news Friday about new tariffs to be imposed on Chinese solar markers helped boost First Solar stock. Japan is “one of the highest-priced (solar) markets globally,” so the deal is a “positive,” Sven Eenmaa, an analyst with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., told IBD. First Solar stock was up more than 3% in afternoon trading in the