"Is a stock market correction imminent?" asks market historian, timer and money manager Jim Stack.

In his Investech Market Analyst, he answers, "Yes. But, actually, one could answer that question the same way at almost any stage of every bull market in history. Corrections are always imminent in bull markets, with the only question being how severe the next correction will be."

Here, he looks at the market's history to help forecast both the likelihood of an upcoming correction as well as the historical evidence for a "Santa Claus rally."

Continue reading Corrections, seasonality and Santa Claus

Corrections, seasonality and Santa Claus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Technology stocks are helping drive the stock market higher; one under-the-radar quality tech issue is Harris Corp. (HRS)," says Brandon Clay.

In his Invest with an Edge, he observes, "This company is proving a tech company doesn't need to do anything flashy to generate flashy returns.

The advisor continues, "At its core, Florida-based Harris is an information technology company. Admittedly, this is a stodgy area in the tech world, but don't let that deter you. There's a lot to like with Harris. For instance, the U.S. government is one of the company's biggest customers.

Continue reading Harris (HRS): Defense stock thrives 'under the radar'

Harris (HRS): Defense stock thrives 'under the radar' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The Chinese people's growing appetite for travel is a big story and it has put two Chinese stocks into our current list of our top ten stock ideas," says technical and fundamental stock expert Mike Cintolo. In his The Cabot Top Ten Report, he takes a look at Home Inns (HMIN) and Ctrip.com (CTRP).

Cintolo explains, "Ctrip.com is la Chinese online search engine that has taken a U.S. Web business (in this case Expedia) and translated it to suit Chinese tastes.

"The company started by aggregating hotel vacancies and offering them online at a discount. Now, Ctrip.com has broadened its offerings to include airline tickets and packaged tours inside China.

Continue reading Two favorites in China travel sector

Two favorites in China travel sector originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Baxter International (BAX) benefits from a robust balance sheet, solid operating momentum, and rising earnings estimates," says blue chip advisor Richard Moroney in Dow Theory Forecasts.

The advisor explains, "The first company to commercially prepare intravenous treatments, Baxter has manufactured and distributed medical products since 1931. It primarily works with blood and plasma, a business with recession-resistant tendencies.

"Its BioScience unit produces clotting agents for hemophilia and biotech drugs that treat both immune deficiencies and cancer.

Continue reading Baxter (BAX): Bank on blood products

Baxter (BAX): Bank on blood products originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"As a conservative long-term oriented investor I tend to keep individual position sizes to no more than 5% of the overall portfolio; however in the case of Activision Blizzard (ATVI), I'm building a more concentrated position that I expect to pay off in the next two to three years," says Asif Suria.

In his The SINLetter advisory, he offers 10 reasons why he believes the stock is an attractive core long-term investment. He explains, "My goal is to eventually build this position until it represents 20% of my personal portfolio. Here are 10 reasons behind this decision.

1) Activision released the highly anticipated game Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 2 and racked up $310 million in sales from the United States and United Kingdom over a 24 hour period. With Christmas right around the corner, the final sales numbers for this edition of Call of Duty are going to be much bigger.

Continue reading Activision Blizzard (ATVI): 10 reasons to buy

Activision Blizzard (ATVI): 10 reasons to buy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The uncertain market has changed our risk appetite and shifted our focus to stocks deemed safe enough for even the most conservative investors," says Jonas Elmerraji.

The editor of The Rhino Stock Report suggests, "Among them are regulated utilities, including our latest recommendation -- NRG Energy (NRG), which is involved in wholesale power generation.

"Investors have long favored utilities for a few very good reasons: predictable, recession-resistant revenues; steady streams of dividends; and government-sanctioned monopolies. They're a safe haven for stressed investors in the midst of a recession.

Continue reading NRG Energy (NRG): 'Wholesale' power play

NRG Energy (NRG): 'Wholesale' power play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Suddenly, no one likes Research in Motion (RIMM) any more, at least that's the impression you get from the media," observes Gordon Pape. In his Internet Wealth Builder, he offers a contrary -- and bullish -- view of the smartphone maker.

"To hear some analysts tell it, the BlackBerry maker is going the way of Nortel. It's just a matter of time. For example, analyst Jim Suva of Citigroup Global Markets recently issued a sell signal on the shares, saying that RIM's long-time dominance of the smart phones market is over.

"For the record, many analysts disagree with Suva's assessment. Credit Suisse has reiterated its 'outperform' rating with a target price of $95. Bank of America/Merrill Lynch has a $100 target, Scotia Capital has a $103 target and CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has a target of $100.

Continue reading Research in Motion (RIMM): A 'love-hate' relationship

Research in Motion (RIMM): A 'love-hate' relationship originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daniel Frishberg -- a former Wall Street insider and the current host of BizRadio -- offers an intriguing glimpse behind the scenes of the gold market.

In his The Moneyman.com Gold & Oil Report, he questions the role of not just overall market fundamentals, but short positions held by institutions. He also looks to a new long positions in silver.

Frishberg explains, "There are plenty of reasons to be bullish on the future of gold prices, including a weak US dollar. Further, India's Central Bank recently announced their purchase of gold from the IMF. Russian and Chinese Central Bankers have also expressed an interest in purchasing the remaining IMF gold.

Continue reading Gold and silver: Frishberg looks behind the scenes

Gold and silver: Frishberg looks behind the scenes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The hands-down choice for growth in the insurance sector is in China, where the industry is just getting off the ground." says says growth stock expert Timothy Lutts.

In The Cabot Stock of the Month Report, he suggests, "CNinsure (CISG) is the king of the Chinese insurance industry. We believe the stock most attractive insurance industry investment in China today.

"When properly managed, a property and casualty insurance company is an excellent vehicle for participating in a region's growth. However, the average age of top insurance companies in the U.S. is 108 years and their assets of the U.S. are growing slowly.

Continue reading CNinsure (CISG): The 'king of China's insurance industry'

CNinsure (CISG): The 'king of China's insurance industry' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We're finding positive opportunities in Asia," says Richard Schmidt. In his Stellar Stock Alert, he looks to a play on China's infrastructure: Rino International (RINO).

"China is very aware of the need for infrastructure to power economic growth. The better your energy production and transportation systems, the better your economy is going to do.

"As a result, China has made a massive investment into expanding and shoring up its infrastructure. We see this as a major investment opportunity.

Continue reading Rino (RINO): A bet on China's infrastructure

Rino (RINO): A bet on China's infrastructure originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Direct Investment Plans -- or DRIPs -- are a great way to investor regardless of the market environment; in fact, avoiding the emotional decisions usually made by the typical investor may be their greatest strength," observes DRIP specialist Vita Nelson.

In her MoneyPaper's Direct Investing, she reviews the basics of DRIP investing and discusses her latest "Bargain Corner" stock pick -- Regions Financial (RF).

Vita Nelson explains, "This strategy involve the four Ds -- dividend reinvestment, dollar-cost averaging, diversification, and discipline.

Continue reading Bank on Regions Financial (RF) ... and DRIPs

Bank on Regions Financial (RF) ... and DRIPs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"New Oriental Education (NYSE: EDU), which offers English language instruction to Chinese students, recently fell sharply after disappointing the Wall Street crowd," says Tony Sagami.

In his The Asia Stock Alert. the China stock specialist suggests, "This pullback is creating a buying opportunity. Indeed, this is your big chance to buy it on sale.

"Digging deeper, EDU's numbers contain both bad and good news. Among the good news, EDU earned $1.57 per share of profits last quarter, which is exactly what the consensus forecast was and 27% more than the same period last year.

Continue reading New Oriental (EDU): Language instructor 'on sale'

New Oriental (EDU): Language instructor 'on sale' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Being socially responsible means different things to different people; however, in the mutual-fund world, it refers to funds that combine progressive 'social' mandates with investment criteria," explains fund expert Mark Salzinger.

In The No-Load Fund Investor, he suggests, "We have no problem with the concept of socially responsible funds for an investor who wants his investments to reflect his values, provided that the funds have also provided good risk-adjusted returns." Here, he looks at two favorites.

"Funds that call themselves socially responsible usually avoid stocks that don't meet progressive, or politically liberal, standards of environment impact, workplace environment, and diversity/tolerance and community involvement.

Continue reading Parnassus: Favorite funds for socially responsible investors

Parnassus: Favorite funds for socially responsible investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In his Ticker Tape Digest, technician Leo Fasciocco looks for "breakout" stocks; his latest feature is HMS Holdings (HMSY), which coordinates benefits for government healthcare programs.

"With annual revenues of $185 million, HMSY helps ensure that healthcare claims are paid correctly and by the responsible party.

"As a result of the company's services, government healthcare programs recover over $1 billion annually and avoid billions of dollars more in erroneous payments.

Continue reading HMS Holdings (HSMY): Breakout in health care

HMS Holdings (HSMY): Breakout in health care originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We believe it is prudent to lock in some profits, and focus on developing an income stream in the event that we get either a major correction or double-dip recession," says Glenn Rogers.

The contributing editor to The Internet Wealth Builder suggests, "It seems to me to that the most promising areas worth considering are high-yield bond funds and international real estate funds, preferably with some underlying income." Here, the reviews four income ideas.

"I like high-yield bond funds, even though there is concern that interest rates will rise in 2010.

Continue reading A four-pack of income fund favorites

A four-pack of income fund favorites originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"I'm excited about Quanta Services (PWR), a contracting company that specializes in building utility transmission and distribution infrastructure," says Ian Wyatt.

In his Top Stock Insights, he explains, "The current focus in the U.S. of projects that improve energy conservation, utilize renewable resources, and improve air quality make Quanta an excellent long-term growth opportunity.

"Its customers are in the electric power, gas, telecommunications, and cable television industries. These are stimulus spending customers; i.e., big government organizations and utilities companies.

Continue reading Quanta Services (PWR): Infrastructure power play

Quanta Services (PWR): Infrastructure power play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jack Adamo looks to Novatel Wireless (NVTL) as a new buy. In his Insiders Plus newsletter, he assesses the firm's newest products and recent insider buying.

"Novatel provides wireless broadband access solutions for the mobile communications market worldwide. The company offers third generation (3G) wireless PC card and ExpressCard modems, embedded modems, USB modems and other fixed-mobile convergence solutions. It also provides many related support services.

"Novatel recently pulled back from a huge run-up to a near-term high of $14 after announcing a mixed shelf-offering. The market did not like the possibility of earnings dilution from more shares.

Continue reading Insiders eye Novatel (NVTL)

Insiders eye Novatel (NVTL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In his The Energy Strategist, he explains, "Strong demand for coal from India and China is a growth story that will play out in 2010."

Gue explains, "Peabody reported its third quarter results and share prices have reacted positively. The weakness in US coal markets remains a challenge, but Peabody has taken steps to shore up profitability in the US, cutting back planned production and locking in contracts for 2010 at fixed prices.

Continue reading Peabody (BTU): Energy expert looks to coal

Peabody (BTU): Energy expert looks to coal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) develops treatments for life-threatening diseases and specializes in drugs for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS," notes Hannah Choe.

The contributing editor to Personal Finance explains, "Already the market leader in HIV antivirals, Gilead is in the beginning stages of developing Quad, the first-ever, four-in-one AIDS pill.

"The manufacture of HIV drugs, which accounts for more than three-quarters of revenue, is Gilead's highest-grossing business. This segment has held up through the recession; in the second quarter product sales for the antiviral franchise grew 26% from a year ago to $1.41 billion.

Continue reading Gilead (GILD): New potential in 4-in-1 HIV drug

Gilead (GILD): New potential in 4-in-1 HIV drug originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We have very few buy recommendations currently; one exception is Franco-Nevada (Toronto: FNV.CA)," says resource expert Adrian Day.

In his The Global Analyst, the advisor explains, "Franco Nevada is one of our all-time favorites; it has top management, a solid balance sheet, and risk-averse business plan.

He continues, "The company previously merged with Newmont, and was reborn in a spin off nearly two years ago. Although the stock has nearly doubled since the IPO, it still represents good value.

Continue reading Franco Nevada (FNV): A core holding in gold

Franco Nevada (FNV): A core holding in gold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.