Baseball fans worldwide continue to warm themselves around the glow of the television to watch the Phillies and Yankees battle it out in the World Series.

Well, sports fans, I know you're psyched, but I have something just as exciting for you: six home run trades.

Peter Lynch had his "take a walk down Main Street" style of investing, so let's call this the "take me out to the ball game" approach to trading. I'm going to give you six trades that I think will knock it out of the park.

Continue reading Six home run World Series trades

Six home run World Series trades originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

No high-priced stock list would be complete without the best known high-priced stock out there -- Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway A Shares (NYSE: BRK.A).

At over $100,000 per share, this is, by far, the most-expensive, most well-known stock on our list. With an investment in Berkshire Hathaway, you are putting your money on the success of one of the greatest investment minds the world has ever known.

Sure, a hundred grand is a lot for one share of stock, but if you want to get your money alongside one of the best track records in modern investment history, that's what you have to pay.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #10: Berkshire Hathaway A Shares (BRK.A)

Real bargain stock #10: Berkshire Hathaway A Shares (BRK.A) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Real bargain stock #9: Google (GOOG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As an observer of financial markets, I've been stunned by the recent growth of options trading. Options and futures trading have become huge among individual investors, and the interest in the topic is only getting bigger.

So, who benefits most from the surge in options and futures trading? CME Group (NASDAQ: CME).

CME Group is the company that operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, the place where options and futures trades actually take place. Whenever you place an options or futures transaction, the only sure winner in the game is CME Group.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #8: CME Group (CME)

Real bargain stock #8: CME Group (CME) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'd venture a guess that you have at least one, if not multiple, MasterCard (NYSE: MA) credit cards in your wallet right now.

In addition to its credit card division, the company provides transaction processing services to its customers that support its credit, deposit access, electronic cash, and automated teller machine payment card programs. The goal of the company is an ambitious one: to put the use of cash out of business.

The stock has certainly been on a tear since its 2006 debut, rising to over $300 per share near the midway point of 2008. Yes, the recession and accompanying customer spending pullback took its toll on MasterCard in late-2008 and early 2009, but despite the tough economic environment, MA shares are up over 50% year to date.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #7: MasterCard (MA)

Real bargain stock #7: MasterCard (MA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Much like Goldman Sachs, BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) is a financial company that's delivered big gains for its shareholders over the past five years. In fact, BLK shares are up 188% over the past five years. More recently, the company's shares are up over 50% in the past six months.

BlackRock is an asset management firm that provides portfolio management services to corporate and public pension plans. It also manages pension funds for insurance companies, mutual funds, endowments, and private foundations. You might say that BlackRock is the money manager of choice if you've got a really big pension fund in need of the best money managers around.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #6: BlackRock (BLK)

Real bargain stock #6: BlackRock (BLK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a shining example of capitalism at its best -- and that's just one of the many reasons why Apple is an excellent stock to buy now.

If you're a member of the Apple cult like I am, you already know the near-religious commitment we have to anything Steve Jobs and company bring to market. Sure, the company makes the most expensive computers out there, as well as the costly iPhone -- but to us addicts, money is really no object.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #5: Apple (AAPL)

Real bargain stock #5: Apple (AAPL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What can you say about this crown jewel of brokerage and investment banks that hasn't already been said?

Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is, by far, the most prestigious, as well as the most politically-connected, bank on Wall Street. Its success over both the fat years and the lean years has been difficult to ignore.

So it's no wonder then that shares of this iconic financial giant are up nearly 100% over the past five years, while stocks that comprise the Dow Jones Financial Services index were down 11% over those same five years.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #4: Goldman Sachs (GS)

Real bargain stock #4: Goldman Sachs (GS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Leading online travel site Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) is perhaps best known for its pitchman, pop culture icon William Shatner. But to in-the-know investors, this stock is more known for booking big profits.

Now you might think that with the country in a recession, online travel stocks wouldn't be doing very well. But actually, the opposite is true.

According to a recent article in Investor's Business Daily, many corporate travel managers have been forced to cut the cost of basic travel expenses due to the recession. "Firms are telling execs to move their seats from the front to the back of the plane -- and to find budget-class hotel rooms." Bingo!

Continue reading Real bargain stock #3: Priceline.com (PCLN)

Real bargain stock #3: Priceline.com (PCLN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Arizona-based First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) is hot.

The company reported a blowout quarter in July, with net income more than doubling in the second quarter and easily beating consensus Street estimates. In Q2, net income was $180.6 million, or $2.11 per share, compared with $69.7 million, or 85 cents per share, a year ago. The word on the Street was for earnings of just $1.65 per share.

Impressively, the company also beat top line estimates, coming in with Q2 revenue of $525.9 million. Analysts had expected a revenue of just $458.1 million.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #2: First Solar (FSLR)

Real bargain stock #2: First Solar (FSLR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is a specialty retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. Its stores offer the do-it-yourself car tech tremendous value on parts and accessories. The company stocks all kinds of parts and has a great sales staff. In my experience, their parts personnel have always been very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.

On Sept. 23, the company reported a 3% decline in its fiscal fourth-quarter profit. This decline in earnings could have been the result of the government's "cash for clunkers" plan, which saw many older vehicle owners turn in their cars for a credit toward the purchase of a new vehicle.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #1: AutoZone (AZO)

Real bargain stock #1: AutoZone (AZO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As many shoppers have realized in this recession, just because something is cheap doesn't mean it's a bargain.

This is especially true in the stock market, where you definitely get what you pay for.

There have been plenty of low-priced deals on stocks lately, as plenty of good companies watched their shares take a beating in our economic crisis. But that doesn't mean all cheap stocks are worth buying. Unless that bargain goes up in value, it's not a bargain.

Continue reading Ten high-priced bargain stocks worth the price tag

Ten high-priced bargain stocks worth the price tag originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Thursday, Aug. 6, Speedway Motorsports (NYSE: TRK) crossed its Q2 earnings finish line. The company reported a profit of 82 cents per share in the second three months of the year, well above consensus Wall Street estimates for a profit of 79 cents per share.

Now, you might think that TRK took the trading day's checkered flag with a win after its strong earnings beat, but that wasn't the case. Despite a solid move higher in the shares in the first hour of Thursday trade, TRK shares finished the session down more than 5%.

Continue reading Is Speedway Motorsports on track?

Is Speedway Motorsports on track? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In auto racing, drivers try to hit their apexes, meaning they try to drive their cars with such precision that they can hit the exact spot -- within inches -- on the racetrack each lap.

By consistently hitting their apexes, drivers are able to achieve their fastest possible lap times, and being able to turn the fastest lap times puts the driver in the best position to win.

Today, the premier racing company in the country, International Speedway Corp. (NASDAQ: ISCA), hit its Q2 earnings apex.

On the surface, the news didn't look good. The company posted a $31.7 million loss for the second quarter. But it was not just falling revenue that affected International Speedway, which is to be expected from an entertainment company in a soft economy.

Continue reading Hitting the apex: International Speedway meets estimates

Hitting the apex: International Speedway meets estimates originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lewis Carroll's classic novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, depicts a topsy-turvy world where logic is the twisted handmaiden of reality. Sometimes I think the stock market is such a world. I mean, where else could 99 cents equal nearly $13?

Of course, I'm referring to the share price of 99 Cents Only Stores (NYSE: NDN). In Wednesday's trade, the shares surged 17.5% to close at $12.61 -- effectively turning 99 cents into nearly $13. Okay, so it's not a literal transformation, but you get the point.

So, why did NDN gap up so much yesterday?

Continue reading 99 cents equals $13 in a 'frugal nation'

99 cents equals $13 in a 'frugal nation' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Charles Dickens wrote, "Bring in the bottled lightning, a clean tumbler and a corkscrew," it's safe to say the great English novelist wasn't referring to energy technology. But in the 21st century we know that a whole lot of bottled lightning can be uncorked using a variety of sophisticated devices -- and one of the most interesting types is fuel cells.

Today we got lightning news from one of the best companies in the fuel cell space, the aptly named FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL). Although the company reported lower product sales and revenues for fiscal Q2 of $19.3 million compared to $26.4 million in fiscal Q2 a year ago, it did say that the prior year product sales and revenues were unusually high due to timing.

Continue reading FuelCell Energy: Bring on the bottled lightning

FuelCell Energy: Bring on the bottled lightning originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are you kidding me? Trading options is for suckers all right: really rich ones!

You see, when it comes to options trading, there are a whole bunch of myths out there that need to be "busted." And just like the cable TV show "MythBusters," which takes a group of experts who use basic elements of the scientific method to test the validity of a variety of myths, I decided to get a group of options experts together to bust the myths associated with options trading.

Continue reading Options trading is for suckers

Options trading is for suckers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A recent Time magazine cover story described it as, "The New Frugality." The "it" here is the change in behavior, attitudes and even values Americans are embracing as a byproduct of the "Great Recession." It's just a fact that most of us have in some way or another altered our spending habits to a more frugal lifestyle as a direct result of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

One company feeling the sting of the country's new frugality is high-end retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM). Today the company reported a Q1 loss of $18.7 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with a profit of $10.4 million, or 10 cents a share, a year earlier. A performance not uncommon for retail stocks these days.

The losses were actually smaller than the company had projected, but those previous projections included a slashed advertising budget, a cut in capital spending and lowered merchandise inventories. More importantly, the company said that revenue in the quarter ended May 3 fell 22% to $611.6 million. Yikes!

Of course, Wall Street rewarded the anemic results with a near-10% drop in Wednesday's trade. So, what does the Williams-Sonoma miss tell us?

Continue reading Attention Williams-Sonoma: Get used to a 'frugal nation'

Attention Williams-Sonoma: Get used to a 'frugal nation' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What single company is most represented by the sheer number of its products in your home right now?

I bet that company is Proctor & Gamble (NYSE: PG).

Beauty products, household care products, health care products, pet products, toothpaste, toilet paper, batteries, laundry detergent -- even the diapers on Junior's behind are likely to be made by Procter & Gamble.

Like the value of the other stocks in this love list, Procter & Gamble shares have been hit by the wider sell-off.

Corporate earnings are likely to be hurt by the economic slowdown, but companies with diverse revenue streams such as Procter & Gamble will be best able to come out of the current recession with the least amount of collateral damage.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #10 Procter & Gamble (PG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In this tough economic environment, why not choose a company with as many solid revenue-generating divisions as possible?

And when it comes to having many sources of revenue, you can find no better example than 3M (NYSE: MMM).

The diversified giant has its hands in so many market segments that the company is somewhat difficult to classify.

Industrial and retail products such as tape are its bread and butter, but it also makes products like filtration systems; products used in the manufacture, repair and maintenance of automobiles, boats and aircraft; medical and surgical supplies; optical film and lens solutions for electronic displays; office supply products; construction and home improvement products; home care devices ;and even personal protection products.

It's hard to live life without using a 3M product, and it's this kind of product ubiquity that makes 3M the kind of stock that always attracts investment capital.

Take a look at all ten stocks to fall in love with again.

Jim Woods is a Senior Editor for OptionsZone.com.

Ten stocks to fall in love with again: #9 3M (MMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.