Investors Focused Stocks: Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO), Baxter International Inc (NYSE:BAX), TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ:TASR)

On Wednesday, Shares of Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc (NYSE:DO), lost -1.96% to $23.04.

Loews Corporation stated net income for the three months ended September 30, 2015 of $182 million, or $0.50 per share, contrast to $208 million, or $0.55 per share, in the preceding year period. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, net income was $461 million, or $1.25 per share, contrast to $383 million, or $1.00 per share, in the preceding year period. In 2014, net income for the three month period comprised income from suspended operations of $29 million while the nine month period comprised a loss from suspended operations of $364 million reflecting the disposition by Loews of HighMount Exploration & Production, LLC and by CNA Financial Corporation of its former life insurance partner.

Book value per share not taking into account accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) raised to $52.59 at September 30, 2015 from $50.95 at December 31, 2014 and $50.32 at September 30, 2014.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2015 Contrast to 2014

Income from ongoing operations for the three months ended September 30, 2015 was $182 million, or $0.50 per share, contrast to $179 million, or $0.47 per share, in the 2014 third quarter. Income from ongoing operations raised primarily due to higher earnings at Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP.

CNAs earnings declined primarily due to lower limited partnership investment results and realized investment losses as compared to realized gains in the preceding year quarter. Improved underwriting results driven by higher favorable net preceding year development partially offset the negative related to the investment portfolio.

Diamond Offshores earnings improvement stemmed from the absence in 2015 of the $55 million asset impairment charge (after tax and noncontrolling interests) in 2014 related to the carrying value of six drilling rigs. Not Taking Into Account this charge, earnings declined primarily due to lower rig utilization and raised depreciation and interest expense. In addition, earnings were influenced by a $20 million impairment charge to write-off all goodwill associated with the Companys investment in Diamond Offshore. These decreases were partially offset by significantly reduced contract drilling expenses.

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. provides contract drilling services to the energy industry worldwide. The company provides services in floater market, such as ultra-deepwater, deepwater, and mid-water; and non-floater or jack-up market. It operates a fleet of 38 offshore drilling rigs, which comprise 27 semisubmersibles, counting 1 under construction; 6 jack-ups; and 5 dynamically positioned drillships, counting 1 under construction. Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. serves independent oil and gas companies, and government-owned oil companies.

Shares of Baxter International Inc (NYSE:BAX), declined -1.70% to $37.57, during its last trading session.

Baxter International, declared that it will present at the Stifel Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 1:15 p.m. (CT).

The live webcast of Baxter’s presentation can be accessed from the Baxter corporate website at www.baxter.com and will be available for replay through December 17, 2015.

Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital products, counting home, acute and in-center dialysis; sterile IV solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition; biosurgery products and anesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software and services. The company’s global footprint and the critical nature of its products and services play a key role in expanding access to healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter’s employees worldwide are building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations that enable patient care.

Baxter International Inc., develops, manufactures, and markets products for people with hemophilia, immune disorders, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company’s BioScience segment processes recombinant and plasma-based proteins to treat hemophilia and other bleeding disorders; plasma-based therapies to treat immune deficiencies, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, burns and shock, and other chronic and acute blood-related conditions; and biosurgery products.

Finally, Shares of TASER International, Inc. (NASDAQ:TASR), ended its last trade with -1.58% loss, and closed at $20.58.

TASER International, declared financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2015.

Third Quarter 2015 Financial Highlights:

Net sales were $50.4 million in the quarter, an improvement of $6.0 million, or 13.6% over the preceding year third quarter. International sales were $6.7 million in the quarter.
TASER Weapons segment revenues declined $0.5 million year-over-year, or 1.2%, to $39.5 million in the third quarter of 2015. The decrease of $1.1 million in sales of legacy TASER X26 CEW, which was stepped down from production as of December 31, 2014 was partially offset by an improvement in cartridge sales of $0.9 million contrast to third quarter 2014. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the TASER Weapons revenues raised $10.5 million, or 10.0% over the same period in the preceding year.
Axon segment revenues raised by $6.5 million, or 150.2%, to $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2015 in comparison to the preceding year third quarter. The improvement was partially driven by a $2.0 million improvement, or 168.7%, in service revenue contrast to the third quarter 2014 which was driven by raised license counts and higher monthly per license revenues for Evidence.com in addition to raised professional services delivered. Axon body-worn camera hardware sales raised $3.2 million contrast to the preceding year period as more agencies continue to adopt these technologies. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Axon segment revenues raised $13.6 million, or 108.5% over the same period in the preceding year.
Merged gross margin in the third quarter of 2015 was 61.7%, contrast to 64.7% in the same period last year mostly due to a larger mix of lower margin Axon hardware product sales within the quarter contrast to the preceding year.
TASER Weapons segment gross margins remained relatively compriseent at 68.5% in third quarter 2015 contrast to 68.9% in third quarter 2014.
Axon segment gross margins improved to 36.8% in the third quarter 2015 contrast to 26.4% in the third quarter of 2014. Axon hardware product margins (not taking into account Axon services) raised to 24.7% contrast to 15.3% in the preceding year. Axon service margins raised to 66.8% in the third quarter of 2015 contrast to 57.0% in the preceding year due to the leverage of the fixed costs to operate and host the Evidence.com service.

TASER International, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) worldwide. It operates through two segments, TASER Weapons and AXON. The companys CEW products transmit electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. It offers three hand-held CEW product lines, counting TASER X26P and TASER X2, which integrates with EVIDENCE.com; and TASER X26.

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