Weekly Highlight of top insider buys. Related Companies: NII Holdings Inc (NIHD, Financial), Vulcan Materials Company (VMC, Financial), Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX, Financial), Reynolds American Inc. (RAI, Financial), FirstMerit Corp. (FMER, Financial).
NII Holdings Inc (NIHD): President, Nextel Peru Miguel A. Rivera Bought 29,000 Shares
The Latin America wireless communication provider NII Holdings, Inc. (NIHD) increased their first quarter earnings 35% to $113.6 million or $0.65 per share from $84.2 million or $0.47 per share in 2007 on 39% revenue jump to $993.2 million. Quarterly subscriptions rose 35% with 321,700 new subscribers; however the company expects slower growth rest of year with competitive prices from Mexico’s provider Movil. The share price of NIHD has dropped half in value in the past 12 months.
Before the first quarter of 2008, Arnold Schneider bought 264,715 shares, Ron Baron bought 643,725 shares, and George Soros bought 328,300. Also, Bill Miller kept his 5,561,000 shares unchanged.
President, Nextel PeruMiguel A. Rivera bought 29,000 shares of NIHD stock on 5/8/08 at $47.93; additionally, President Rivera bought another 12,700 shares in March at $29.64. Other buys were made around $40.33 to $46.99 since December: CEO, Director Steven P. Dussek bought 24,800 shares; Presidents Peter A Foyo and Lo Van Gemert each bought 6,000 shares; VP Alan Strauss bought 3,000 shares; Director John Donovan bought 1,155 shares; and Director John W Risner bought 1,000.
Vice President Jose Felipe sold 97,500 shares of NIHD stock on 4/28/08 at $43.90.
NII Holdings Inc has a market cap of $8.17 billion; its shares were traded at around $48.32 with a P/E ratio of 21.34 and P/S ratio of 2.29.
Vulcan Materials Company (VMC): Director John D. Baker II Bought 10,000 Shares
Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) produces construction aggregates and materials. The company announced their quarterly dividend at $0.49 a share. Vulcan Materials’ quarterly profit declined 84% on bad weather, higher energy & material costs, and new-home market slow down, despite 19% revenue increase to $817.3 million. The company earned $13.9 million or $0.13 per share, compared with $88.9 million or $0.91 per share.
Dodge & Cox, Ruane Cunniff, Brian Rogers, Richard Aster Jr., Wallace Weitz, Steve Mandel, and Kenneth Fisher current own shares of Vulcan Materials Company.
Director John D. Baker II bought 10,000 shares on 5/8/08 at $64.96 and Director Donald B. Rice bought 20,000 shares on 2/22/08 at $67.15.
Vulcan Materials Company has a market cap of $7.82 billion; its shares were traded at around $72.15 with a P/E ratio of 15.91 and P/S ratio of 2.30. The dividend yield of Vulcan Materials Company stocks is 3%.
Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX): Chairman, Director James Gero Bought 15,000 Shares
Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX) designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes orthopedic medical products. The company’s first quarter earnings dropped 42% from higher expenses to $3.6 million or $0.21 a share from $6.3 million, or $0.37 a share in 2007.
Arnold Schneider reduced his OFIX holdings down to 30,483 shares, and George Soros sold out his holdings in the quarter that ended on 12/31/07.
Chairman, Director James Gero bought 15,000 shares on 5/8/08 at $36.90. Other buys were made by Director Thomas J. Kester, who bought 2,000 shares at $33.11 and SVP Raymond C. Kolls, who bought 1,980 shares
Orthofix International N.V. has a market cap of $607.10 million; its shares were traded at around $35.53 with a P/E ratio of 73.26 and P/S ratio of 1.19.
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI): Director De Castro Antonio Monteiro Bought 10,000 Shares
Reynolds American, Inc. (RAI) Tabacco Company doubled their profits in the first quarter to $505 million or $1.71 per share from $328 million or $1.11 per share.
The company is branded under Camel and Kool. Reynolds’ share price is near its 52-week low. The company posted their first quarter dividend at $0.85 a share.
David Winters, Kenneth Fisher, and Richard Aster Jr. kept their shares nearly unchanged.
Director De Castro Antonio Monteiro bought 10,000 shares of RAI stock on 5/5/08 at $54.16. Following, other officers bought around $54.31 to $62.44: President & CEO, Director Susan M. Ivey bought 7,500 shares; President and CEO Daniel M. Delen bought 5,000 shares; and SVP & Treasurer Daniel A. Fawley bought 1,000 shares.
Reynolds American Inc. has a market cap of $16.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $55 with a P/E ratio of 10.92 and P/S ratio of 1.80. The dividend yield of Reynolds American Inc. stocks is 6.2%.
FirstMerit Corp. (FMER): Director Terry L. Haines Bought 24,000 Shares
The holding company FirstMerit Corporation (FMER) announced even quarterly profits as gains from new loans balanced out losses from bad loan. The company earned $31.4 million or $0.39 in the past two first-quarters. In the first quarter, the bank set aside $11.3 million for write-downs, compared to $3.5 million in the previous year. The Feds recently cut the rate down another quarter to 5% to boost the economy.
David Dreman now owns 253,675 shares as of 12/31/07.
As Director Terry L. Haines bought 24,000 shares on 5/6/08 at $20.74, Chairman, President, and CEO, Director Paul G. Greig sold 10,597 shares on 4/29/08 at $20.76.
FirstMerit Corp. has a market cap of $1.71 billion; its shares were traded at around $21.16 with a P/E ratio of 13.86 and P/S ratio of 3.41. The dividend yield of FirstMerit Corp. stocks is 5.6%.
NII Holdings Inc (NIHD): President, Nextel Peru Miguel A. Rivera Bought 29,000 Shares
The Latin America wireless communication provider NII Holdings, Inc. (NIHD) increased their first quarter earnings 35% to $113.6 million or $0.65 per share from $84.2 million or $0.47 per share in 2007 on 39% revenue jump to $993.2 million. Quarterly subscriptions rose 35% with 321,700 new subscribers; however the company expects slower growth rest of year with competitive prices from Mexico’s provider Movil. The share price of NIHD has dropped half in value in the past 12 months.
Before the first quarter of 2008, Arnold Schneider bought 264,715 shares, Ron Baron bought 643,725 shares, and George Soros bought 328,300. Also, Bill Miller kept his 5,561,000 shares unchanged.
President, Nextel PeruMiguel A. Rivera bought 29,000 shares of NIHD stock on 5/8/08 at $47.93; additionally, President Rivera bought another 12,700 shares in March at $29.64. Other buys were made around $40.33 to $46.99 since December: CEO, Director Steven P. Dussek bought 24,800 shares; Presidents Peter A Foyo and Lo Van Gemert each bought 6,000 shares; VP Alan Strauss bought 3,000 shares; Director John Donovan bought 1,155 shares; and Director John W Risner bought 1,000.
Vice President Jose Felipe sold 97,500 shares of NIHD stock on 4/28/08 at $43.90.
NII Holdings Inc has a market cap of $8.17 billion; its shares were traded at around $48.32 with a P/E ratio of 21.34 and P/S ratio of 2.29.
Vulcan Materials Company (VMC): Director John D. Baker II Bought 10,000 Shares
Vulcan Materials Company (VMC) produces construction aggregates and materials. The company announced their quarterly dividend at $0.49 a share. Vulcan Materials’ quarterly profit declined 84% on bad weather, higher energy & material costs, and new-home market slow down, despite 19% revenue increase to $817.3 million. The company earned $13.9 million or $0.13 per share, compared with $88.9 million or $0.91 per share.
Dodge & Cox, Ruane Cunniff, Brian Rogers, Richard Aster Jr., Wallace Weitz, Steve Mandel, and Kenneth Fisher current own shares of Vulcan Materials Company.
Director John D. Baker II bought 10,000 shares on 5/8/08 at $64.96 and Director Donald B. Rice bought 20,000 shares on 2/22/08 at $67.15.
Vulcan Materials Company has a market cap of $7.82 billion; its shares were traded at around $72.15 with a P/E ratio of 15.91 and P/S ratio of 2.30. The dividend yield of Vulcan Materials Company stocks is 3%.
Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX): Chairman, Director James Gero Bought 15,000 Shares
Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX) designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes orthopedic medical products. The company’s first quarter earnings dropped 42% from higher expenses to $3.6 million or $0.21 a share from $6.3 million, or $0.37 a share in 2007.
Arnold Schneider reduced his OFIX holdings down to 30,483 shares, and George Soros sold out his holdings in the quarter that ended on 12/31/07.
Chairman, Director James Gero bought 15,000 shares on 5/8/08 at $36.90. Other buys were made by Director Thomas J. Kester, who bought 2,000 shares at $33.11 and SVP Raymond C. Kolls, who bought 1,980 shares
Orthofix International N.V. has a market cap of $607.10 million; its shares were traded at around $35.53 with a P/E ratio of 73.26 and P/S ratio of 1.19.
Reynolds American Inc. (RAI): Director De Castro Antonio Monteiro Bought 10,000 Shares
Reynolds American, Inc. (RAI) Tabacco Company doubled their profits in the first quarter to $505 million or $1.71 per share from $328 million or $1.11 per share.
The company is branded under Camel and Kool. Reynolds’ share price is near its 52-week low. The company posted their first quarter dividend at $0.85 a share.
David Winters, Kenneth Fisher, and Richard Aster Jr. kept their shares nearly unchanged.
Director De Castro Antonio Monteiro bought 10,000 shares of RAI stock on 5/5/08 at $54.16. Following, other officers bought around $54.31 to $62.44: President & CEO, Director Susan M. Ivey bought 7,500 shares; President and CEO Daniel M. Delen bought 5,000 shares; and SVP & Treasurer Daniel A. Fawley bought 1,000 shares.
Reynolds American Inc. has a market cap of $16.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $55 with a P/E ratio of 10.92 and P/S ratio of 1.80. The dividend yield of Reynolds American Inc. stocks is 6.2%.
FirstMerit Corp. (FMER): Director Terry L. Haines Bought 24,000 Shares
The holding company FirstMerit Corporation (FMER) announced even quarterly profits as gains from new loans balanced out losses from bad loan. The company earned $31.4 million or $0.39 in the past two first-quarters. In the first quarter, the bank set aside $11.3 million for write-downs, compared to $3.5 million in the previous year. The Feds recently cut the rate down another quarter to 5% to boost the economy.
David Dreman now owns 253,675 shares as of 12/31/07.
As Director Terry L. Haines bought 24,000 shares on 5/6/08 at $20.74, Chairman, President, and CEO, Director Paul G. Greig sold 10,597 shares on 4/29/08 at $20.76.
FirstMerit Corp. has a market cap of $1.71 billion; its shares were traded at around $21.16 with a P/E ratio of 13.86 and P/S ratio of 3.41. The dividend yield of FirstMerit Corp. stocks is 5.6%.
