STOCKS NEWS US-Option traders seek put options in Expedia

Stocks on the move [HOT-RTRS]

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

For U.S. stock market report double-click [.N]
1730 ET 23June2009 Option traders circle Expedia put options
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Online travel agency Expedia Inc (EXPE.O) shares fell 2.65
percent to $15.06 for the day. But in the options market,
investors appeared to anticipate more losses as about 25,000
puts and 2,862 calls traded, 28 times the norm, according to
Trade Alert. "Option bears were prodded into action by a widely
read newsletter and took heed of the recommendation to buy the
July $15 strike price where nearly 12,000 puts changed hands
for 93 cents apiece," said Andrew Wilkinson, market analyst at
Interactive Brokers Group. He said it appeared that put-buying
investors braced for continued downward movement in the stock
over the next month. Profits begin to amass for the traders if
shares sink 8 percent from a share reference price of $15.27 to
the break even point on the transaction at $14.07, he said.
Sentiment based on order flow was 63 percent bearish, Trade
Alert data show.

Reuters Messaging: doris.frankel.reuters.com@reuters.net
1705 ET 23June2009- U.S. earnings diary for June 24
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The day's earnings calendar includes quarterly results from
Monsanto Co
(MON.N) and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.O).

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Reuters Messaging
rm://caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1724 ET 23June2009- U.S. economic diary for June 24
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The day's economic agenda includes the Commerce
Department's May durable
goods orders at 8:30 a.m. (1230 GMT) and new home sales for May
at 10 a.m.
(1400 GMT).

For more please double click [ECI/US]

Reuters Messaging
rm://caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1644 ET 23Jun2009-US STOCKS-S&P gains on bargain hunting, but
Boeing hits Dow
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The S&P 500 rose on Tuesday as investors hunted for
bargains a day after a
steep sell-off, but another delay for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
kept the Dow in
the red.

For more please double click [.N]

Reuters Messaging
rm://caroline.valetkevitch.reuters.com@reuters.net
1430 ET 23June2009-Barclays upgrades Estee Lauder to 'equal
weight'
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Shares of Estee Lauder (EL.N) rose on Tuesday, after the
cosmetics company
was upgraded to "equal weight" from "underweight" at Barclays
Capital. The firm
forecast consistent organic sales trends, margin expansion and
a more efficient
supply chain at the company over time.

"For the next several quarters, we think valuation will be
driven not by
the company's current financial performance, but rather by
expectations for a
gradual but meaningful operating improvement further out," it
wrote.

For details, see [ID:nBNG496266]

The stock rose 3.1 percent to $31.55 while Avon Products
Inc (AVP.N) slid
1.3 percent to $25.15 and Chattem Inc (CHTT.O) was off 1.7
percent to $64.66.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1425 ET 23June2009-Lab Corp to buy Monogram for $106.7 million
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Laboratory Corporation of America (LH.N) on Tuesday said it
would buy
Monogram Biosciences Inc (MGRM.O) for about $106.7 million, or
$4.55 per share
of Monogram.

The per-share offer price represents a premium of about 170
per cent over
the company's Monday closing price.

For details, see [ID:nN2319381]

Shares of Laboratory fell 1.1 percent to $64.97 while
Monograms shares
soared 169 percent to $4.52.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net;
Editing by
Kenneth Barry
1420 ET 23June2009-Justice Department not planning to drop UBS
case
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The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday said it wasn't
planning to drop its
lawsuit seeking to force UBS AG (UBSN.VX) (UBS.N) to disclose
thousands of the
Swiss bank's U.S. customers with secret accounts. The comment
followed a report
in the New York Times that said the lawsuit might be dropped.

A department spokesman said there was "no basis" for the
Times report.

"While the department is always willing to consider
settlement in any case,
the suggestion that the department is planning to drop this
suit is simply
untrue. The department is continuing with the case against UBS
and will file
its brief asking the court to enforce the summons on June 30,"
spokesman
Charles Miller said. [ID:nWEN0881]

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net
1416 ET 23June2009-AT&T extends Alcatel deal, to sell Motorola
phone
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AT&T Inc (T.N) on Tuesday said it extended a network
equipment supply
agreement with Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA) and that it would soon
start selling a
cell phone from Motorola Inc (MOT.N).

The communications giant will start selling Motorola's
Karma phone on June
28 for $79.99. The device is based on a proprietary operating
system from
Motorola, which is struggling to regain share in the cellphone
market after
years of criticism of its phone line-up.

For details, see [ID:nN23469928]

Shares of AT&T, a Dow component, rose nearly 2 percent to
$24.62 on Tuesday
while U.S.-listed shares of Motorola gained 3.5 percent to
$6.24.

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