STOCKS NEWS US-U.S. earnings diary for June 19

Stocks on the move [HOT-RTRS]

Real-time Equity news [U][E] [RESF/US]

For U.S. stock market report double-click [.N]
1746 ET 18June2009- U.S. earnings diary for June 19
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The day's earnings calendar includes quarterly results from CarMax Inc
(KMX.N)

For more please double click [RESF/US]

Reuters Messaging rm://caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1745 ET 18June2009- U.S. economic diary for June 19
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No major economic indicators are scheduled for release.

For more please double click [ECI/US]

Reuters Messaging rm://caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1622 ET 18June2009 Costco out-of-money puts gain traction
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The July $45 puts options in Costco Wholesale Corp (COST.O) are attracting
traders where earlier 17,700 contracts traded with premiums reaching $1.30 by
this afternoon, said Andrew Wilkinson, market analyst at Interactive Brokers
Group in a note. Shares in the No. 1 U.S. warehouse club were lower but not by
much at $46.24, down 35 cents but that is enough to boost put premiums by 30
percent, he said. "Notable is the fact that this bearish strike is home to
around 20,000 established bear plays," he said. "Not quite sure why the bearish
tack for the retailer today, but options activity is certainly active." The
January 2010 $40 puts were also busy, said WhatsTrading.com option strategist
Frederic Ruffy. Its earnings are not due until late August, he said. The
stock's option implied volatility is 34 percent, up from about 30.5 percent the
previous session. Trade Alert data showed about 25,000 puts traded vs. 4,830
calls traded, double the norm and sentiment based on order flow was 73 percent
bearish.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net

1552 ET 18June2009 Coach put options draw investor interest
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Put options have grabbed investors' interest in Coach Inc (COH.N) as shares
of the U.S. leather goods retailer fell 2.89 percent to $25.49 near the close.
In all, about 12,000 puts traded compared with 2,489 calls, double the normal
combined daily volume, according to Trade Alert. Sentiment based on order flow
was 78 percent bearish, its data showed. "A lot of the action is in the
June/July $25 put spread and appears to be some expiration-related rolling of
bearish positions from June to July," said WhatsTrading.com option strategist
Frederic Ruffy. June options go off the board on Friday during this expiration
week. The stock's option implied voaltility stood at 56 percent from about 53
percent the previous session.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1540 ET 18June2009-S&P 500 buybacks fall fifth straight quarter in Q1
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Stock buybacks by S&P 500 companies fell for a fifth straight quarter in
the first quarter of the year as companies protect their cash flow in uncertain
times, said ratings agency Standard & Poor's on Thursday.

Buybacks are now at their lowest levels since 2003.

Standard & Poor's data show that stock buybacks fell 73 percent in the
first quarter compared with a year earlier, and amounted to just $30.8 billion
compared with $113.9 billion in the first quarter of 2008. Buybacks are off 82
percent from their peak in the third quarter of 2007 when S&P 500 companies
spent $172 billion on buying their own shares. For more details see
[ID:nN18398892]
Reuters Messaging:rm://Edward.Krudy.reuters.com@reuters.net
1439 ET 18June2009-Citi sees start to steel demand recovery
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Citi on Thursday wrote that it believed the U.S. steel market was in "the
early stages of an apparent demand recovery."

In an investment note, Citi said that AK Steel's (AKS.N) Butler facility
was rolling 65,000 tons per month, compared with recent levels of 60,000 tons,
while U.S. Steel (X.N) was in the process of restarting one of two blast
furnaces in Granite City.

"We believe more restarts are likely in the third quarter as apparent
demand improves," it wrote, recommending that investors buy steel companies.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1432 ET 18June2009-Cowen starts coverage on IBM at "outperform"
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Cowen & Co on Thursday started coverage on International Business Machine
Corp (IBM.N) with an "outperform" rating, "considering the resilience of the
company's business model and earnings base."

The brokerage firm said the market underappreciated IBM's growth and
profitability potential "as most sell-side and buy-side analysts continue to
over-emphasize the company's legacy hardware operations. Accordingly, we expect
20 percent upside relative to the market during the next 6-12 months."
[ID:nBNG425937]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1419 ET 18June2009-Stocks rise on positive data, financials
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U.S. stocks rose on Thursday as data about the job market and regional
manufacturing revived hopes that the recession-hit economy is stabilizing.

For details, see [ID:nN18532563]

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI rose 0.8 percent to 8,564.22, while
the S&P 500 .SPX gained 0.9 percent to 918.79 and the Nasdaq .IXIC edged up
0.2 percent to 1,811.29.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net;