Twitter calls Google (GOOG) a "good role model," but says it isn't ready to rush down the road to advertising.

Nonetheless, an ad-based revenue model is something that cofounder Biz Stone says they "will be looking to do down the line." But, for now, he continues, Twitter is focused on "creating value for our users." For now, revenue generation ideas are being put on paper, "and we're definitely going to get to them," Stone says.

Continue reading Twitter finally reveals revenue ambition, wants to be Google -- but not yet

Twitter finally reveals revenue ambition, wants to be Google -- but not yet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN) declining same-store sales offset better-than-expected Q3 earnings.
• Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) reached a new 52-week high after Q3 results handily exceeded expectations.
• Dillard's Inc. (DDS) said that it swung to a Q3 profit due to cost cutting as revenue declined year over year.
• GameStop Corp. (GME) reported uninspiring Q3 numbers that included a slump in same-store sales.
• Home Depot Inc. (HD) lower Q3 earnings and revenue beat analysts' estimates, but shares still declined.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Ann Taylor, GameStop, Home Depot, Sears, TJX ...

Earnings highlights: Ann Taylor, GameStop, Home Depot, Sears, TJX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After previously announcing that he would leave the CEO post in December, Bank of America (BAC) head Ken Lewis is backpedaling in light of the company's difficulty in finding a replacement.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that Mr. Lewis "has said he would consider postponing his retirement if directors need more time to find a successor or smooth the transition to the next CEO, according to a person close to him."

Continue reading Ken Lewis says he could stay on as CEO indefinitely

Ken Lewis says he could stay on as CEO indefinitely originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Take the Nook off your Christmas list. The new e-reader from Barnes & Noble (BKS) has already sold out, and more won't be available until after the holiday has passed. The next batch will be available, at best, by November 4, 2010.

In a statement, the company said, "While we increased production based on the high consumer interest, we've sold out of our initial Nook allotment available for delivery before the holidays." If you still want to give the device as a holiday gift, Barnes & Noble will give you a gift certificate to tide the recipient over until the device itself comes around.

Continue reading No more Nookie 'til next year, says Barnes & Noble

No more Nookie 'til next year, says Barnes & Noble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TransCanada Corp.'s (TRP) shares, first recommended on May 11, 2009, at a price of $26.56, have pulled back, and the dip represents a buy opportunity, which is why I'm reiterating my buy rating for the stock.

TransCanada is natural gas play with promise: it's a natural gas transmission and storage company that also owns oil assets and electric power generation assets (including 19 wholly-owned power plants). A solid $1.45 annual dividend adds to the positive story.

Continue reading TransCanada: Pull-back is buy opportunity

TransCanada: Pull-back is buy opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google (GOOG) is letting a few developers peek behind the curtain. The early look the company's new operating system, Chrome, is happening in true Google style: by invitation only. When it's released, which should be in time for the holidays, developers will be able to bang away at an open source solution, tapping an army of volunteers who are eager to work for bragging rights.

The open source version is called Chromium OS, which will hit the market a year before the "consumer" version is ready, which is how Google will be able to tap the wisdom of developers around the world. In a blog entry, Google explained, "This means the code is free, accessible to anyone and open for contributions." The project includes the code base, user interface experiments and some preliminary designs, all of which can be used for ongoing development efforts. To energize the potential base of contributors, Google said that "development will be done in the open from this point on."

Continue reading Google says: Chrome for Christmas

Google says: Chrome for Christmas originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• ADC Telecommunications Inc. (ADCT) posted a surprise net loss for Q4 and predicted a loss in Q1.
• BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (BJ) shares fell after Q3 earnings met expectations and offered guidance for FY.
• Dell Inc. (DELL) posted lower-than-expected Q3 earnings, prompting a sell-off of shares.
• Foot Locker Inc. (FL) said Q3 earnings slumped more than analysts' forecast, sending shares lower.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) reported growth of EPS and revenue in Q3 and announced a share buyback program.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Dell, Foot Locker, Gap, Lowe's, Saks, Target ...

Earnings highlights: Dell, Foot Locker, Gap, Lowe's, Saks, Target ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A weak US dollar is the main stimulus for central bankers' gold purchases. India just bought 200 metric tons from the International Monetary Fund. Central bankers in Mexico, Russia, the Philippines, all have increased their gold purchases.

Continue reading Why is gold marching higher? Ask the central bankers

Why is gold marching higher? Ask the central bankers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading ECB Trichet's comments show central banks' delicate balancing act

ECB Trichet's comments show central banks' delicate balancing act originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I was wrong about Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN). Thought it might make a possible earnings trade. Well, Q3 earnings are out, and it looks like the market has given a thumbs down to my thesis. At the time of this writing, shares were off by almost 4%.

It's funny, because Ann Taylor has done so well in 2009 as a stock that one could have supposed that a wide earnings beat would serve as a catalyst for capital appreciation. The retailer made 20 cents per share on an adjusted basis. According to my earnings preview, 6 cents was the analyst number. I mean, come on, that's an example of solid performance, correct?

Continue reading Ann Taylor out of style with investors after Q3 report

Ann Taylor out of style with investors after Q3 report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ken Lewis' successor could be... Ken Lewis?

Ken Lewis' successor could be... Ken Lewis? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've put three quarters behind us in 2009, and the most recent one was merely another miserable step downward for the beleaguered newspaper industry. Total ad revenue plummeted in the third quarter to $6.4 billion for the print jockeys, a decline of 28%. This info from the Newspaper Association of America drives home the notion that conditions will only worsen for the newspaper industry. So, if you're hoping those shares of New York Times Company (NYT), Gannett (GCI) and Washington Post Company (WPO), holding your breath will leave you little more than dizzy.

Of the total advertising revenue generated in the third quarter of 2009, $5.8 million came from print, the lowest quarterly amount this year. The $623 million in online advertising sold by America's newspapers was also 2009's worst. Both are down substantially from the same quarter in 2008, when the newspapers posted print ad revenue of $8.2 million and online ad revenue of $750 million, according to NAA data. At this time last year, we lamented year-over-year declines approaching 20%. Now, we have the same feelings as ad revenue drops approach 30%.

Continue reading Newspaper ad revenue of 28%, 8 quarters of double-digit drops

Newspaper ad revenue of 28%, 8 quarters of double-digit drops originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Why bother measuring the manufacturing sector? The main reason is that manufacturing accounts for 12% of our GDP. Growth in manufacturing indicates that orders are picking up. If orders are picking up, the next step is to hire more workers. Hiring more workers speeds the growth of our economy and at the same time puts unemployed persons back to work.

Continue reading Manufacturing in the Philadelphia area grows at a faster pace

Manufacturing in the Philadelphia area grows at a faster pace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Earnings working against stocks (BCRX, DELL, DHI, INTC, LEAP, PCS)

Closing Bell: Earnings working against stocks (BCRX, DELL, DHI, INTC, LEAP, PCS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Look for ADP to rise with payrolls

Look for ADP to rise with payrolls originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tyson Foods: Meandering into the new year

Tyson Foods: Meandering into the new year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Activist hedge fund Harbinger Capital disclosed in an SEC filing yesterday that it has sold 2.5 million shares of The New York Times Co. (NYT), reducing the company's largest outside shareholder's stake from to 14.6%. It also sold shares in September, when it reduced its position in the company from a 20% stake.

Harbinger declined a request for comment from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), but it's possible that Harbinger is finally realizing that the shares' dual-class voting structure will make it impossible to affect change on the company's operations or corporate governance -- and as long as the Sulzberger family controls the company's fate, it will continue to be a value destruction machine trading at approximately the same share price it was at in 1984.

Continue reading Is Harbinger giving up on The New York Times Co.?

Is Harbinger giving up on The New York Times Co.? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The loans that got us into this mess were generally the first to fall. Variable rate mortgages written without documentation for people with sketchy credit histories shocked nobody as their slide became an avalanche. But, the good stuff is starting to follow. An increasing amount of fixed rate mortgages offered to borrowers with solid credit histories are feeling their ways to foreclosure. Blame unemployment for this one. When people can't work, it gets pretty hard to pay the mortgage.

Fixed rate, high quality mortgages had a foreclosure a year ago. Last quarter, it jumped to 33%, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association report. As this happened, the amount of homeowners behind on their payments or in foreclosure just set another record high ... for the ninth month in a row. Subprime mortgages are headed in the other direction. Low quality adjustable rate mortgages are now 16% of new foreclosures -- compared to 35% last year. And, more than 18% of Federal Housing Administration loans are anywhere from one payment behind to in foreclosure, with California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida worst off: together, they accounted for 44% of new foreclosures.

Continue reading Even the good die young? High-quality mortgages approaching foreclosure

Even the good die young? High-quality mortgages approaching foreclosure originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (AAPL) continues to bring the iPhone to countries outside the U.S. Although its launch in China didn't generate as much fanfare as the company had hoped, things take time to roll into a big ball of success. Apple won't be slowing down international introductions of the handset that changed the wireless game, that's for sure.

As such, South Korea's own LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are about to see their homeland assaulted by the official introduction of the iPhone for sale into that country. South Korea's KT Corp. and SK Telecom are the reported carriers for Apple's iPhone there, and although the South Korean market may seem like a small potato of opportunity for Apple, the company has been cleared by the Korean Communications Commission to start selling its popular handset.

Continue reading Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch

Apple's iPhone set for South Korean launch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: E-Trade, a word of caution

Chasing Value: E-Trade, a word of caution originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.