Here’s this week’s run-down of Humana (NYSE:HUM) news briefings. Humana (NYSE:HUM) company shares ended the week at 62.6 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Humana (NYSE:HUM)

Monday 21 February

Humana (NYSE:HUM) has a plan to increase premiums to reduce its costs.
Due to significant incremental expenses, the company has reported a 57 percent decline in profit for the fourth quarter.

However, the company reported that quarterly revenues have grown from last year mainly due to strong growth in medicare advantage membership.

In a note to clients, Credit Suisse wrote that “We maintain our outperform rating as we believe HUM will be a net beneficiary of the expected shakeout of smaller plans in the MA market due to the challenging reimbursement environment.”

Tuesday 22 February

Humana (NYSE:HUM) has plans to form a $65 million partnership with a South African company called Discovery.
Discovery, a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, offers incentives to its clients to live healthier lives and reduce medical costs.

As per the deal, the company will initially gain access to 4 million of Humana (NYSE:HUM)’s US customers and Humana (NYSE:HUM) will acquire a quarter of Vitality Group, which is the US subsidiary of Discovery.

The one-quarter stake in Discovery is worth an estimated $15 million.

Friday 25 February

Humana (NYSE:HUM) has announced that AmerisourceBergen Corp. will become its primary drug wholesaler.
This deal between Humana (NYSE:HUM) Pharmacy Solutions and AmerisourceBergen will become effective from May 1 onward, and will make AmerisourceBergen Corp. the primary drug wholesaler for Humana (NYSE:HUM)’s pharmacy benefits management business for the next five years.

Despite the fact that other terms of the agreement were not disclosed, Humana (NYSE:HUM) made it clear that AmerisourceBergen would still be its specialty drugs wholesaler as before.

We will be monitoring the Humana stock level for changes over the next few weeks.

Here’s a round-up of FedEx (NYSE:FDX) news stories from this week. FedEx (NYSE:FDX) stocks ended the week at 89.88 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: FedEx (NYSE:FDX)

Monday 21 February

FedEx (NYSE:FDX) has decided to build a new distribution centre on 52 acres in Norcross, Georgia.
As a part of its expansion plan in the country, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Corporation has selected a 52-acre site in Norcross to build a distribution center by 2012.

Robert E. Holcombe, vice president of the southern region for FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Ground said, “This new facility is evidence of the Southeast region’s increased presence in the distribution and logistics business, and the growing confidence of local shippers that we are their best choice for their ground shipping needs.”

Wednesday 23 February

FedEx (NYSE:FDX) has plans to introduce new early morning delivery options for customers.
For this purpose, the world’s largest express transportation company FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Express has decided to add two new programs, called FedEx (NYSE:FDX) First Overnight Freight and FedEx (NYSE:FDX) 2Day A.M.

The move is aimed at providing faster and time-definite shipping options for customers backed by a money-back guarantee.

T. Michael Glenn, president and CEO, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Corporate Services said, “FedEx (NYSE:FDX) Express continues to enhance its portfolio, adding new, relevant services to meet customer needs. Customer service is a top priority at FedEx (NYSE:FDX) and we are committed to providing an industry-leading suite of shipping options.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the FedEx stock price for developments over the next few weeks.

Here’s this week’s round-up of Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) stock briefings. Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) shares ended the week at 36.32 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)

Monday 21 February

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) has decided to help in returning whooping cranes to Louisiana.
Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)’s St. Charles operations has announced a three year sponsorship of the Audubon Nature Institute’s Whooping Crane Recovery program which aims to bring back the whooping crane to its native Louisiana habitat.

Tommy Faucheux, the public affairs manager at Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)’s St. Charles operations said, “We are thrilled and honored to be a part of returning an indigenous species to Louisiana. Through this sponsorship we will continue our commitment to nature and to improving the quality of life in communities across Louisiana. We look forward to watching the program move forward and ultimately restoring the whooping crane to its home in Louisiana.”

Tuesday 22 February

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) has engaged with the International Energy Agency for Global Clean Energy Solutions.
Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) has leveraged its energy expertise to work with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to help launch its Low Carbon Technology Platform, which will accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies around the world.

Russel Mills, the global director of Energy and Climate Change Policy at Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) said that, “In the absence of comprehensive global climate progress, the IEA and its programs are becoming an increasingly important route to positively influence international policy, and we are proud to contribute our experience and expertise to their efforts on clean energy technology.”

Wednesday 23 February

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) and Rusnano have teamed-up to explore joint projects with an emphasis on nanotechnologies.
Rusnano and Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Dow Europe GmbH, have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate potential cooperation in fast-growing areas such as energy efficiency, infrastructure, light-weight materials, and life sciences.

Through this agreement, both companies will evaluate and define potential joint venture projects to pursue collaborative investments in Russia.

Ongoing cooperation between Rusnano and Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) Company demonstrates potential collaboration to expand American engagement in the emerging economy of Russia.

Friday 25 February

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) has decided to pay off $1.5 billion of debt in 2011 first quarter.
Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) Co. has planned to buy back $1.5 billion in debt in the first quarter, including a $750 million cash tender offer to shareholders.

Bill Weideman, the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) said that, “Our actions this quarter will enable us to deliver a structural reduction in interest expense, and the result is accretive to shareholders.”

He added, “It’s also important to note that, after retiring this debt, we will still have a cash balance that is higher than our historical average, which illustrates our strengthened capital structure and enhanced financial flexibility.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the Dow Chemical stock level for developments over the next few weeks.

Here’s a run-down of Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) news stories from this week. Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) stocks ended the week at 4.31 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S)

Tuesday 22 February

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) has selected BilltoMobile to give additional payment option for online purchases.
As a part of the deal, a Direct Mobile Billing Gateway Service Provider agreement was signed between Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and BilltoMobile, a leading mobile payments provider for web purchases.

This move will allow Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) customers to charge online purchases directly to their bills using BilltoMobile’s direct payment service.

However, the financial details of this newly signed have not been disclosed yet.

Wednesday 23 February

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) has concluded its ‘Second Chance’ reality show for small-business entrepreneurs.
The ‘Second Chance’ reality show, shot in New York, was aimed at small-business entrepreneurs for providing a second chance at business success and an opportunity to win a grand prize of $150,000.

Judith Train, Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) vice president-Small Business. “Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) has always maintained a strong commitment to the small business and entrepreneur community and we are pleased to help foster discussion and the exchange of ideas around success and excellence within these unique groups.”

Friday 25 February

Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) has been recognized by J.D. Power & Associates as the 2011 Customer Service Champion.
The award, received by the US based telecommunications and technology giant Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S), is awarded for delivering excellent service to it’s US customers.

Bob Johnson, chief service officer for Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) said, “We are pleased to receive this distinguished honor and proud of the hard work of our employees in enhancing every customer experience. Our steadfast focus is on customer satisfaction and it will continue to be our top priority.”

We will be monitoring the Sprint Nextel stock price for developments over the next few weeks.

Here’s a round-up of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) news stories from this week. PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) company shares ended the week at 63.6 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP)

Monday 21 February

PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) International has introduced Mountain Dew X-treme across GCC markets.
PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) international has launched a new exciting and exhilarating version of the youth’s favorite soft drink, Mountain Dew X-Treme which will be available for a limited time only.

Ibrahim Binaquil, Mountain Dew Marketing Manager at PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) GCCI BU said that, “Innovation has always been at the core of Mountain Dew’s strategic objectives for steady growth. Our marketing strategy focuses on consumers in GCC and X-Treme’s unique formula was exclusively developed for the region’s market after analyzing what young consumer’s desire.”

Tuesday 22 February

PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP)’s Tropicana has plans to switch to bottles.
PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP)’s Tropicana Products Inc. has decided to retool its Pure Premium packaging, substituting clear bottles for cartons in a bid to grab more business back from the Coca-Cola Co.’s Simply Orange brand.

Gina Judge, spokeswomen of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) said that, “The biggest insight was that consumers like to see the juice. The company used “crystal carafes,” used in homes and restaurants for wine and other beverages, not Simply, as its inspiration.”

Wednesday 23 February

PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) and Inter-American Development Bank have inked a partnership.
PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have announced a partnership to spur social and economic growth in 26 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Indra Nooyi, the CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) said that, “PepsiCo has a long history of doing business throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and we’re proud to demonstrate our commitment to this vitally important region through our first-of-its-kind partnership with the IDB.”

He added, “We look forward to collaborating with the IDB on a wide range of sustainable development projects across the region.”

We will be monitoring the PepsiCo stock level for developments over the next few weeks.

Here are this week’s news briefs for Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA). Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) stocks ended the week at 25.26 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Comcast (NYSE:CMCSA)

Monday 21 February

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has reported a gain in fourth quarter revenue.
The largest cable company in the United States Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has posted a 6.6% growth in its fourth-quarter profits and increased its annual dividend by 19%.

It also accelerated its plans to repurchase $2.1 billion worth of its outstanding shares of stock1.

Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) said, “These results highlight effective execution in our residential, commercial and programming businesses, as well as the positive impact of a robust advertising market. Our results also demonstrate that our ongoing investments in technology and in products and services, combined with our focus on enhancing the customer experience, are bearing fruit.”

Wednesday 23 February

Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has partnered with Boston to provide cheaper internet for low-income residents.
Under the deal, the largest Internet provider in the US, Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), will provide low-cost broadband Internet access to thousands of low-income Boston residents.

People who graduate only from one of the city’s three federally funded Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA) programs will be eligible for the scheme.

About 2,800 graduates will be eligible for broadband service from Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) for $10.95 a month in the first year, and $15.95 a month for a second year under this program.

We will continue checking the Comcast share price for developments over the next few weeks.

Here’s this week’s run-down of Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) news briefings. Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) shares ended the week at 21.86 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC)

Monday 21 February

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has plans to construct a microchip factory in Arizona, providing a huge number of jobs to the area.
Microchip maker Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has announced that it has decided to build a $5 billion state-of-the-art microprocessor factory in Arizona by 2013, greatly increasing it US manufacturing capacity as part of a major global expansion.

Brian Krzanich, the senior vice president and general manager of manufacturing and supply chain at Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) said that, “The investment positions our manufacturing network for future growth.”

He went on to add, “This fab will begin operations on a process that will allow us to create transistors with a minimum feature size of 14 nanometers. The unmatched scope and scale of our investments in manufacturing help Intel maintain industry leadership and drives innovation.”

Tuesday 22 February

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is aiming to reshape chips for next-generation mobile devices.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) will soon come up with chips with improved functionality and security in upcoming mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

Specialized graphics accelerator hardware layers will be found in the new secure mobile devices. Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has also planned to implement functionalities like monitoring temperature, quality of air, speed and distance traveled and location using sensors and accelerators.

Dadi Perlmutter, the vice president of the Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Architecture Group said that, “The integrated sensors and accelerators on mobile devices will feed real-time data that could help users make decisions and organize schedules. [Users] would like to have a lot of information about context. A context could be measuring the speed or measuring the temperature.”

Wednesday 23 February

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Capital has led a $12 million funding round in game developer Digital Chocolate.
Game developer Digital Chocolate has announced a $12 million Series D funding round led by Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Capital, with prior investors Sutter Hill Ventures and Bridgescale Partners participating in the round.

Mike Buckley, the managing director of the Consumer Internet Sector of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Capital said that, “We’ve chosen to invest in Digital Chocolate because of its success across the fastest growing digital platforms and consumer electronics device categories. As a leading social game developer, Digital Chocolate continues to drive new features and functionality across multiple computing platforms.”

Thursday 247 February

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is currently hunting for new partners for MeeGo.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) continues to seek hardware partners for the MeeGo Linux-based operating systems, even though it has been downgraded in Nokia’s affections following the Microsoft deal.

Paul Otellini, the chief executive officer of Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) said that, “We will find another partner. The carriers still want a third ecosystem and the carriers want an open ecosystem, and that’s the thing that drives our motivation. Some closed models will certainly survive, because you can optimize the experience, but in general, if you harness the ability of all the engineers in the world and the developers in the world, open wins.”

Friday 25 February

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has acquired Silicon Hive.
US-based chip manufacturer Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has announced the acquisition of Silicon Hive, an Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Capital portfolio company.

According to reports, this is aimed at bringing better still imaging and multimedia video processor technology, compilers and software tools to its growing Atom processor portfolio.

The amount that Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has agreed to pay has not yet been disclosed.

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) said that, “The Silicon Hive capabilities will aid in the delivery of more differentiated Atom-processor based SoCs as multimedia and imaging grow in importance across the mobile smart device segments.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the Intel Corp. stock price for changes over the next few weeks.

Here are this week’s stock briefs for Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX). Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX) stocks ended the week at 102.1 (as of 2/25/2011).

Weekly News Roundup: Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX)

Monday 21 February

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) and USAID have made a $50 million partnership for Niger Delta development.
Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has set aside $50 million to promote economic development and improve the capacity of government and civil society institutions in the Niger Delta region.

Rhonda Zygocki, the vice president of Policy, Government and Public Affairs at Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) said that, “Today’s agreement builds on the innovative and successful partnerships Chevron and USAID have established in other parts of the world. Chevron has been operating in Nigeria for almost 50 years. This is an investment in developing stronger communities and the future of our business.”

Tuesday 22 February

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) and Transocean have inked a rig deal.
Transocean has entered into contracts with Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) for building two shallow-water rigs over five years.

The deals are worth $246 million each.

The five-year drilling contracts are expected to commence during the first quarter of 2013 and third quarter of 2013. The two rigs will be deployed in Thailand by a subsidiary of San Ramon, California-based Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX). Orders have been placed with Singapore’s Keppel Fels for the two jack-up rigs. Transocean expects a $1 billion impairment charge on the value of its standard jack-up fleet this month.

Thursday 247 February

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is looking to continue its Gulf drilling by the middle of the year.
According to reports, Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) is expecting to resume its ambitious drilling programme in the deep-waters of the Gulf of Mexico before the first half of this year is over.

Gary Luquette, the head for exploration and production in North America for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) said that, “We are getting at the end of the road. One time we thought it will be the end of the year, now our estimate is that it could be before the middle of the year.”

Friday 25 February

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has begun to drill in a Bangladesh gas field.
According to reports, U.S based oil company Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has begun drilling an exploratory well on-site in Bangladesh to determine gas reserves there.

State-owned energy corporation Petrobangla officials said that the Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), now operating in Bangladesh, has detected the presence of gas at the Kajol structure under Block-7 upon completing a two-dimensional survey in 2009.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) has decided to drill the exploratory well up to a 4,500-metre depth and will start well development work from the next year.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the Chevron Corp. stock price for developments over the next few weeks.