Stocks

Your editorial was spot on regarding the current presidential campaign ("It's not over yet," Oct. 1). If one were to believe the current polls, President Barack Obama has already won the election and there's no need for anyone to vote. That obviously is far from the truth, because a poll is simply a snapshot in time and subject to daily change. I recall the historic presidential election of 1948, when the polls overwhelmingly favored a landslide victory for Gov. Thomas E. Dewey over incumbent president Harry S. Truman.

Would you borrow money to pay off your mortgage and instead risk it in the market? That is in essence what Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz would like to do by floating $255 million of pension obligation bonds to fill the official hole in the county's $2 billion pension system. Because of accounting gimmicks, the real hole is much deeper, and the county soon will sink billions of dollars more into debt because of Gov. Martin O'Malley's shift of teacher pension costs and tougher accounting standards.

KEYW Corp., a Hanover-based defense contractor that offers cybersecurity and counterterrorism solutions to government agencies, said Monday that it will sell 6.5 million shares of stock in a new public offering to raise money to pay down debt and complete a recently announced company acquisition. The publicly traded company said last week that it intended to acquire Poole & Associates Inc., of Annapolis Junction, for $126 million in cash and stock. The company last week also announced the acquisition of Sensage Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., for nearly $35 million in cash and stock.

Less than five years after taking the helm of Legg Mason, Chairman and CEO Mark R. Fetting announced Tuesday that he would step down Oct. 1, possibly setting the stage for the sale of parts of the Baltimore-based money management firm. Legg Mason has struggled for nearly five years to stop investors from pulling money out of its funds, and the company's stock never recovered from the 2008 financial crisis, even as some of its peers rebounded. Shares are down by more than 60 percent from when Fetting became CEO in early 2008.

Ever notice how late summer nights come alive with the chirps and rhythmic whirrs of crickets and katydids? Now, just by stepping outside and listening for a minute or two, you can help scientists understand more about nature's symphony, and the unseen insects making all that music. On Friday night, people all over the Baltimore-Washington area are invited to help with " Cricket Crawl 2012 ," the region's first sound-based census of crickets and katydids. It's so easy almost anyone can do it, and a scientist organizing it says the effort will provide valuable information about an underappreciated set of critters in our ecosystem.

Nothing of true consequence has transpired yet at Ravens training camp, not even an actual preseason game -- the best litmus tests for who's worthy of inclusion on the roster. That doesn't mean impressions aren't being formed, though, as the Ravens are one week away from the close of camp. With that thought in mind, here's a cheat sheet on how the roster is shaping up by position with an eye toward performance: QUARTERBACK Joe Flacco has had a sharp camp, decisively delivering spirals and getting the football out of his hands quickly.

Seven senior federal employees and four employees' groups filed a federal lawsuit Thursday to stop their agencies from posting their salaries, stock portfolios and other assets online. Congress required federal agencies to post the data by Aug. 31 as part of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, which bans insider trading by members of Congress, their staff members and other high-level federal employees. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Maryland by the Senior Executives Association, the American Foreign Service Association, the Assembly of Scientists, the National Association of Immigration Judges and seven individuals.

T. Rowe Price Group said earnings rose to $206.8 million for the second quarter on record revenue of $736.8 million, results that fell below analysts' expectations and sent the company's shares tumbling Wednesday. On a per-share basis, the Baltimore-based investment company earned 79 cents. For the second quarter last year, Price earned $204.7 million, or 76 cents per share, on revenue totaling $713.7 million. Earnings came slightly under analysts' averaged expectations of 80.6 cents per share, according to Bloomberg.

Under Armour Inc. scored a touchdown Tuesday with its second-quarter profit rising 7 percent, which sent its stock soaring. Shares in the iconic Baltimore-based sports apparel maker surged 9 percent to $52.79 each in New York Stock Exchange trading after it reported earnings. New offerings in women's apparel and footwear helped propel a 27 percent leap in sales during the April-to-June quarter, which pushed its income to $6.7 million from $6.2 million a year earlier. Earnings per share were flat at 6 cents, but analysts had expected earnings of 5 cents a share, according to Zacks Equity Research.

Baltimore County principals are protesting a new financial disclosure form that is the most detailed of any required in the region, setting up a debate over how much personal information some school officials should have to divulge to the public. Principals were told last spring that they must fill out a 14-page financial disclosure form that is the same as that required of school board members, the superintendent and other officials who make decisions about purchases. "We feel it is too intrusive," said Tom Evans, principal of Eastern Technical High School.