This is the weekly highlight of insider buys. Related Companies: H&R Block Inc. (HRB, Financial), Quicksilver Resources Inc. (KWK, Financial), Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA, Financial), General Electric Company (GE, Financial), Washington Federal Inc. (WFSL, Financial).
H&R Block Inc. (HRB): Director Richard C. Breeden Bought 2,000,000 Shares
For the latter half of March, Tax service company H&R Block, Inc. (HRB) ramped up their retail tax clients 4.8% on $251.4 million in tax-prep fees; however, YTD 2007-tax-filers decreased 3.2%, as tax-software competed with the company’s business. Since November, the number of retail clients has increased 1.6%. H&R Block Inc. gained client enrollment from motivated tax-payers who seek eligibility to receive the economic stimulus package.
Jean-Marie Eveillard, Brian Rogers, Chris Davis, Bill Nygren, Bill Nygren, John Rogers, and Charles Brandes currently own shares of H&R Block.
Director Richard C. Breeden bought 2,000,000 shares on 4/9/08 at $21.75, which raises his ownership of HRB to 3.2%. A month earlier, Director Richard C. Breeden also bought 2,435,000 shares on 3/20/08 at $19.64.
Shares of HRB were sold between $19.37 and $21.60 by Presidents Thomas A. Allanson & Marc West, and Director Thomas M. Bloch, who sold 2,500 shares, 20,143 shares, and 2,400 shares, respectively.
H&R Block Inc. has a market cap of $6.69 billion; its shares were traded at around $20.56 with P/S ratio of 1.61. The dividend yield of H&R Block Inc. stocks is 2.7%.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. (KWK): Director W Byron Dunn Bought 25,000 Shares
Quicksilver Resources, Inc. (KWK), an independent natural gas company, magnified their fourth quarter profit on higher production volume. Quarterly profits totaled $396.1 million or $2.35 a share compared to a previous $19.7 million or $0.12 a share. The company recently sold its Northeast operations, which recorded a gain of $628.7 million gain. For the fiscal year, profits totaled $479.4 million compared to $93.7 million a year ago. Quicksilver Resources shares underwent a 2-for-1 split earlier this January.
Ruane Cunniff owns 1,193,000 shares and John Keeley owns 1,512,900 shares of Quicksilver Resources, Inc. as of 12/31/07
Director W. Byron Dunn bought 25,000 shares at around $38.81 on 4/10/08.
VP Robert N. Wagner sold 10,712 shares on 4/10/08 at $38.64 and Director Mark Warner sold 24,252 shares on 12/06/07 at $26.80.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. has a market cap of $6.41 billion; its shares were traded at around $40.45 with a P/E ratio of 14.12 and P/S ratio of 11.32.
Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA): Director Paul A. Gould Bought 54,000 Shares
Internet and cable provider Liberty Global, Inc. (LBTYA) swung into a loss of $197.2 million or $0.54 per share compared to a previous loss of $31.2 million or $0.08 per share. Liberty Global suffered a 32% higher operating cost and $206 million from debt. The full year, the company lost $422.6 million compared to a profit of $706.2 million year ago. Liberty Global will increase its buy back to $1 billion shares of common stock.
Dodge & Cox added more Liberty Global shares to their holdings to 9,616,461 shares as of last year.
SVP & Co-CFO Bernard G. Dvorak sold a total of 12,208 shares since November at around $40. And Director Paul A. Gould bought 68,000 shares since March at $33.06.
Insiders sold between $33.86 and $40.05 as of November: Director David E. Rapley sold 4,313 shares; President Gene Musselman sold 60,606 shares; SVP Amy M. Blair sold 10,000 shares; SVP Elizabeth M. Markowski sold 30,000 shares.
Liberty Global Inc. has a market cap of $11.77 billion; its shares were traded at around $33.32 with P/S ratio of 1.27.
General Electric Company (GE): Vice Chairman Michael A. Neal Bought 31,250 Shares
General Electric Company (GE)’s Capital Corporation took up the opportunity for an $8.5 billion debt sale. On record, this is the fifth-largest corporate bond sale since ’95. The diversified conglomerate plans to expand its business in China for the next few years by investing up to $2 billion. GE’s first quarter earnings dropped 4.6% to $4.4 billion or $0.44 a share from $4.57 billion or $0.48 a share, although revenue rose 10% to $42.24 billion. The company lowered its 2008 earnings outlook to $2.20-$2.30 per share from $2.42 per share.
While George Soros, David Tepper, and Jean-Marie Eveillard reduced their shares of GE, Ruane Cunniff, Mark Hillman, NWQ Managers, and Tweedy Browne increased their holdings in GE. Other gurus kept their shares of GE about the same: Bill Miller, Kenneth Fisher, Richard Snow, Tom Gayner, Warren Buffett, Chris Davis, David Dreman, Brian Rogers, Dodge & Cox, John Keeley, and Ronald Muhlenkamp.
Vice Chairman Michael A. Neal bought 31,250 shares on 4/14/08 at $32.16. Other buys were made between $31.90 and $40.50: Chairman and CEO, Director Jeffrey R. Immelt bought a total of 270,000 shares; Director Ralph S. Larsen bought 25,000 shares; Director Ralph S. Larsen bought 15,000 shares; Director Alan G. Lafley bought 12,327 shares; Director Robert J. Swieringa bought 1,000 shares.
Since November, SVPs John F Lynch and Joseph M Hogan sold 3,597 shares at $37.39 and 26,026 shares and $38.38, accordingly.
General Electric Company has a market cap of $320.96 billion; its shares were traded at around $31.98 with a P/E ratio of 14.79 and P/S ratio of 1.88. The dividend yield of General Electric Company stocks is 3.9%.
Washington Federal Inc. (WFSL): Director James J. Doud Jr. Bought 3,000 Shares
Washington Federal, Inc. (WFSL) operated as Washington Federal Savings set their cash dividend at $0.21 a share for the last quarter. CEO Roy M. Whitehead said, "In the midst of the most severe financial crisis in at least a generation, we are very pleased to deliver increased earnings” of $35.452 million or $.40 per diluted share. The company amplified their second quarter earnings nearly 6% from $33.483 million or $.38 per share.
Arnold Schneider kept his Washington Federal holdings at 448,955 shares.
Director James J. Doud Jr. bought a total of 6,000 shares since February at $21.35 to $23.53. Other insider buys were made between $18.26 and $22.79: Director Thomas F. Kenney bought 2,000 shares; Director Anna C. Johnson bought 1,500 shares; and Director Barbara Smith bought 1,000 shares.
Director Derek L Chinn sold 5,000 shares on 3/12/08 at $23.90.
Washington Federal Inc. has a market cap of $2.06 billion; its shares were traded at around $22.4 with a P/E ratio of 15.39 and P/S ratio of 6.96. The dividend yield of Washington Federal Inc. stocks is 4%.
H&R Block Inc. (HRB): Director Richard C. Breeden Bought 2,000,000 Shares
For the latter half of March, Tax service company H&R Block, Inc. (HRB) ramped up their retail tax clients 4.8% on $251.4 million in tax-prep fees; however, YTD 2007-tax-filers decreased 3.2%, as tax-software competed with the company’s business. Since November, the number of retail clients has increased 1.6%. H&R Block Inc. gained client enrollment from motivated tax-payers who seek eligibility to receive the economic stimulus package.
Jean-Marie Eveillard, Brian Rogers, Chris Davis, Bill Nygren, Bill Nygren, John Rogers, and Charles Brandes currently own shares of H&R Block.
Director Richard C. Breeden bought 2,000,000 shares on 4/9/08 at $21.75, which raises his ownership of HRB to 3.2%. A month earlier, Director Richard C. Breeden also bought 2,435,000 shares on 3/20/08 at $19.64.
Shares of HRB were sold between $19.37 and $21.60 by Presidents Thomas A. Allanson & Marc West, and Director Thomas M. Bloch, who sold 2,500 shares, 20,143 shares, and 2,400 shares, respectively.
H&R Block Inc. has a market cap of $6.69 billion; its shares were traded at around $20.56 with P/S ratio of 1.61. The dividend yield of H&R Block Inc. stocks is 2.7%.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. (KWK): Director W Byron Dunn Bought 25,000 Shares
Quicksilver Resources, Inc. (KWK), an independent natural gas company, magnified their fourth quarter profit on higher production volume. Quarterly profits totaled $396.1 million or $2.35 a share compared to a previous $19.7 million or $0.12 a share. The company recently sold its Northeast operations, which recorded a gain of $628.7 million gain. For the fiscal year, profits totaled $479.4 million compared to $93.7 million a year ago. Quicksilver Resources shares underwent a 2-for-1 split earlier this January.
Ruane Cunniff owns 1,193,000 shares and John Keeley owns 1,512,900 shares of Quicksilver Resources, Inc. as of 12/31/07
Director W. Byron Dunn bought 25,000 shares at around $38.81 on 4/10/08.
VP Robert N. Wagner sold 10,712 shares on 4/10/08 at $38.64 and Director Mark Warner sold 24,252 shares on 12/06/07 at $26.80.
Quicksilver Resources Inc. has a market cap of $6.41 billion; its shares were traded at around $40.45 with a P/E ratio of 14.12 and P/S ratio of 11.32.
Liberty Global Inc. (LBTYA): Director Paul A. Gould Bought 54,000 Shares
Internet and cable provider Liberty Global, Inc. (LBTYA) swung into a loss of $197.2 million or $0.54 per share compared to a previous loss of $31.2 million or $0.08 per share. Liberty Global suffered a 32% higher operating cost and $206 million from debt. The full year, the company lost $422.6 million compared to a profit of $706.2 million year ago. Liberty Global will increase its buy back to $1 billion shares of common stock.
Dodge & Cox added more Liberty Global shares to their holdings to 9,616,461 shares as of last year.
SVP & Co-CFO Bernard G. Dvorak sold a total of 12,208 shares since November at around $40. And Director Paul A. Gould bought 68,000 shares since March at $33.06.
Insiders sold between $33.86 and $40.05 as of November: Director David E. Rapley sold 4,313 shares; President Gene Musselman sold 60,606 shares; SVP Amy M. Blair sold 10,000 shares; SVP Elizabeth M. Markowski sold 30,000 shares.
Liberty Global Inc. has a market cap of $11.77 billion; its shares were traded at around $33.32 with P/S ratio of 1.27.
General Electric Company (GE): Vice Chairman Michael A. Neal Bought 31,250 Shares
General Electric Company (GE)’s Capital Corporation took up the opportunity for an $8.5 billion debt sale. On record, this is the fifth-largest corporate bond sale since ’95. The diversified conglomerate plans to expand its business in China for the next few years by investing up to $2 billion. GE’s first quarter earnings dropped 4.6% to $4.4 billion or $0.44 a share from $4.57 billion or $0.48 a share, although revenue rose 10% to $42.24 billion. The company lowered its 2008 earnings outlook to $2.20-$2.30 per share from $2.42 per share.
While George Soros, David Tepper, and Jean-Marie Eveillard reduced their shares of GE, Ruane Cunniff, Mark Hillman, NWQ Managers, and Tweedy Browne increased their holdings in GE. Other gurus kept their shares of GE about the same: Bill Miller, Kenneth Fisher, Richard Snow, Tom Gayner, Warren Buffett, Chris Davis, David Dreman, Brian Rogers, Dodge & Cox, John Keeley, and Ronald Muhlenkamp.
Vice Chairman Michael A. Neal bought 31,250 shares on 4/14/08 at $32.16. Other buys were made between $31.90 and $40.50: Chairman and CEO, Director Jeffrey R. Immelt bought a total of 270,000 shares; Director Ralph S. Larsen bought 25,000 shares; Director Ralph S. Larsen bought 15,000 shares; Director Alan G. Lafley bought 12,327 shares; Director Robert J. Swieringa bought 1,000 shares.
Since November, SVPs John F Lynch and Joseph M Hogan sold 3,597 shares at $37.39 and 26,026 shares and $38.38, accordingly.
General Electric Company has a market cap of $320.96 billion; its shares were traded at around $31.98 with a P/E ratio of 14.79 and P/S ratio of 1.88. The dividend yield of General Electric Company stocks is 3.9%.
Washington Federal Inc. (WFSL): Director James J. Doud Jr. Bought 3,000 Shares
Washington Federal, Inc. (WFSL) operated as Washington Federal Savings set their cash dividend at $0.21 a share for the last quarter. CEO Roy M. Whitehead said, "In the midst of the most severe financial crisis in at least a generation, we are very pleased to deliver increased earnings” of $35.452 million or $.40 per diluted share. The company amplified their second quarter earnings nearly 6% from $33.483 million or $.38 per share.
Arnold Schneider kept his Washington Federal holdings at 448,955 shares.
Director James J. Doud Jr. bought a total of 6,000 shares since February at $21.35 to $23.53. Other insider buys were made between $18.26 and $22.79: Director Thomas F. Kenney bought 2,000 shares; Director Anna C. Johnson bought 1,500 shares; and Director Barbara Smith bought 1,000 shares.
Director Derek L Chinn sold 5,000 shares on 3/12/08 at $23.90.
Washington Federal Inc. has a market cap of $2.06 billion; its shares were traded at around $22.4 with a P/E ratio of 15.39 and P/S ratio of 6.96. The dividend yield of Washington Federal Inc. stocks is 4%.
