Continue reading America Movil to Expand Growth with Pre-Paid Data Plans

America Movil to Expand Growth with Pre-Paid Data Plans originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: EZcorp Still Besting Apple

Chasing Value: EZcorp Still Besting Apple originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fourth quarter GDP ended on a uptrend, coming in at 3.1%. The state of the economy was healthy and it looked like growth would continue to match or exceed Q4. Based on that scenario, Bank of America (BAC) analyst Ethan Harris, forecast first-quarter 2011 GDP to come in at 3.3%.

But in the few short months of 2011, the world is getting turned upside down. The conflict in Libya has cut OPEC oil production and sent oil prices skyrocketing. In turn, the price of gasoline is nearing $4.00 per gallon. And food processors are raising prices due to higher raw commodity prices. These two factors have put a dent in the household budget.

Continue reading Bank of America Cuts First-Quarter GDP Forecast

Bank of America Cuts First-Quarter GDP Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The new earnings season doesn't kick off until Alcoa (AA) reports its first-quarter results on April 11, but a few stragglers are still reporting their earnings for the previous quarter this week. The most prominent earnings reports on tap are Wednesday's results from Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and from Monsanto (MON). Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see.

Bed Bath & Beyond

During its fiscal fourth quarter, the nation's largest domestics retailer opened new stores and its CEO sold shares. Analysts anticipate that the New Jersey-based company will report per-share earnings of 97 cents, an increase of 11.3% from the same quarter of last year. The company also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February, a 6.3% rise from a year earlier.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings

Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This past week's data point of significance for investors has to be March's job report, which indicated the U.S. economy created a better-than-expected 216,000 jobs, the U.S. Labor Department said.

Also, the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 8.8% from 8.9%. A Bloomberg survey had expected the economy to create 200,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 8.9%. Further, job creation totals for February and January were revised higher: February to 194,000 from the initially estimated 192,000 gain; January to 68,000 from 63,000.

Continue reading Ray of Light: March's Jobs Gain Is More Evidence of Healing Labor Market

Ray of Light: March's Jobs Gain Is More Evidence of Healing Labor Market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading PPG Industries Soars On Strong Q1 Forecast

PPG Industries Soars On Strong Q1 Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Discount retailer Family Dollar Stores Inc. (FDO) reported its fiscal second quarter results this morning, topping analyst estimates and sending the stock higher in premarket trading.

For the quarter, Family Dollar reported it earned 98 cents per share, topping analyst estimates by a penny. During the same period last year, the company earned 81 cents per share.

Continue reading Family Dollar Earnings Top Estimates, Sending Shares Higher

Family Dollar Earnings Top Estimates, Sending Shares Higher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Some Very Sirius Numbers

Chasing Value: Some Very Sirius Numbers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Home Depot Announces $1 Billion Stock Buyback

Home Depot Announces $1 Billion Stock Buyback originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The calendar quarter winds down this week and quarterly reports are due from Apollo Group (APOL), CarMax (KMX), Global Payments (GPN), Krispy Kreme (KKD), Lennar (LEN) and McCormick (MKC). But analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters have high hopes for results from fertilizer and animal feed maker Mosaic (MOS), apparel maker Phillips Van Heusen (PVH) and discount retailer Family Dollar (FDO). So here's a look at what they anticipate from these three companies.

Mosaic

During its fiscal second quarter, Cargill agreed to distribute its stake in Mosaic, and Mosaic also said it would redeem senior notes. Analysts anticipate that the Minnesota-based potash producer will report per-share earnings of $1.07, a jump of 53.3% from the same quarter of last year. Mosaic also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February. That's a 35.9% rise from a year earlier.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Mosaic, Family Dollar Earnings and March Unemployment Rate

Week in Preview: Mosaic, Family Dollar Earnings and March Unemployment Rate originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This past week's data point of significance for investors has to be the revised, final, fourth quarter U.S. GDP report, which indicated the world's largest economy grew 3.1% in the quarter, as well as 2.9% for 2010.

In 2009, the U.S. economy contracted 2.6% during the Great Recession -- the worst downturn since the Great Depression -- and even though the final 3.1% fourth quarter stat was better than the 2.8% previously estimated fourth quarter growth rate, the growth pace still is not strong enough.

Continue reading Inadequate Q4 U.S. GDP Growth Points to Fed's Extension of QE2

Inadequate Q4 U.S. GDP Growth Points to Fed's Extension of QE2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's (AAPL) iPad 2 got off to a great start during the first weekend of its launch, selling an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 units. Apple holds a substantial lead in the tablet market over competitors like Research In Motion (RIMM), Motorola Mobility (MMI), Dell (DELL), Samsung and LG Display.

How Much Will Suppliers Benefit from iPad 2 Sales in 2011?

Here we take a look at how much various iPad 2 component suppliers stand to gain from the product's success. We assume that Apple will continue to source iPad 2 components from the same set of suppliers throughout 2011.

Continue reading How Much Will Suppliers Gain from iPad 2 in 2011?

How Much Will Suppliers Gain from iPad 2 in 2011? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Jabil Circuit Reports Strong Q2 Earnings & Q3 Forecast

Jabil Circuit Reports Strong Q2 Earnings & Q3 Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: EZCorp Still a Bargain

Chasing Value: EZCorp Still a Bargain originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tiffany & Co. (TIF - option chain) shares are rising after the company reported Q4 2010 earnings Monday morning, posting a profit of $181.22 million, or $1.41 per share. Excluding one-time items, Tiffany earned $1.44 per share on revenue of $1.10 billion, while analysts had forecast a profit of $1.39 per share on revenue of $1.10 billion.

Tiffany cut its Q1 earnings forecast to 57 cents per share, down from a previous forecast of 62 cents per share, due to an anticipated decline in sales in Japan in the wake of the recent earthquake. However, that is still above analysts' forecasts of 55 cents per share, which is a good sign for the stock. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on TIF.

Continue reading Tiffany & Co. Posts Strong Q4 Earnings, Q1 Forecast

Tiffany & Co. Posts Strong Q4 Earnings, Q1 Forecast originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets again this week to review economic conditions and set monetary policy. On whether the Fed should end quantitative easing or extend it, Atlanta Fed chairman Dennis Lockhart recently said that the Fed should remain flexible given the rising energy prices, which could be a sign of coming inflation. Either at this meeting or the next, the Fed could signal that interest rates will rise as a hedge against inflation.

Inflation will also be the focus when the Department of Labor releases the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) this week. Back in January the core PPI (which excludes energy and food costs) had its biggest jump in two years, and the core CPI had its largest uptick in more than year, the second month in a row in which consumer prices jumped.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Inflation, the FOMC and Nike Earnings

Week in Preview: Inflation, the FOMC and Nike Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gas prices are rising and show no signs of coming back down. In fact the predictions are for higher prices to come. At the moment, gasoline averages $3.542 per gallon, according the the AAA motorist group, as reported by CNNMoney.

The highest recorded nationwide price was $4.114 on July 17, 2008. Forecasters are looking for the $4.00 per gallon marker to be hit by this summer.

Continue reading Will Rising Gas Prices Hurt the U.S. Economy?

Will Rising Gas Prices Hurt the U.S. Economy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ann Taylor Jumps 12% On Strong Q4 Earnings, 2011 Outlook

Ann Taylor Jumps 12% On Strong Q4 Earnings, 2011 Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Trade on Quiksilver, Body Central, and Aeropostale Earnings Today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We have yet another food product to add to the inflation list. This time it's cattle. Cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange closed at an all-time high of $1.1752 per pound, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Beef is a in a special category. Unlike grains, which are harvested yearly, it takes about three years to raise cattle and bring them to market. High grain prices and high exports have shrunk the size of herds. They are at their lowest levels since the 1950s. With prices so high, some cattle ranchers choose to slaughter their cattle rather than let them mature to full term. These young cattle are called feeder cattle.

Continue reading Cattle Futures Are at a Record High

Cattle Futures Are at a Record High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.