Shares of Baidu (BIDU) are pointed sharply higher in after-hours trading, with investors cheering the company's fourth-quarter earnings report. The Internet-search issue swung to a profit of $62.7 million, or $1.80 per American depositary share, while revenue jumped 40% to $184.7 million. Analysts were looking for a slimmer per-share profit of $1.69, according to Thomson Reuters.

Looking ahead, BIDU said it expects first-quarter revenue to range between $176 million and $181 million, compared to consensus expectations for revenue of $170 million. This upbeat forecast sent the stock surging to a gain of nearly 9% in electronic trading.

Continue reading Baidu Blazes Past 4Q Earnings Expectations

Baidu Blazes Past 4Q Earnings Expectations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Goodyear's Road Should Be Smoother in 2010

Goodyear's Road Should Be Smoother in 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Schlumberger: Well-Positioned Oil Services Company

Schlumberger: Well-Positioned Oil Services Company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Avon Products (AVP), which I first wrote about on May 6, 2009, at a price of $23.12, has pulled-back with the market's retreat, but I still like the company and the stock. Here's why:

Avon remains the world leader in direct-marketed cosmetics, toiletries, fashion jewelry, and fragrances, with ample growth opportunities in Latin America, China, and Central/Eastern Europe.

Continue reading Avon Products: An Overcorrection Creates an Opportunity

Avon Products: An Overcorrection Creates an Opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Northeast Utilities: Adequate Growth, Decent Dividend

Northeast Utilities: Adequate Growth, Decent Dividend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading American Electric Power: Low-Profile Utility Gem

American Electric Power: Low-Profile Utility Gem originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The summer movie season is only a few months away, and Viacom (VIA) has some big blockbusters in the works. The studio will use a number of ads during the Super Bowl to promote May's Iron Man 2 and July's The Last Airbender. There also will be a plug for a February flick with Leonardo DiCaprio called Shutter Island.

The runaway success of recent release Avatar proves that Americans are still spending strongly on movies. Viacom saw tremendous success with the original Iron Man release with Robert Downey Jr., and I expect another big payday at the box office.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #5: Viacom (VIA)

Super Bowl Stock #5: Viacom (VIA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Consumer products giant Unilever (UL) saw big business even during the worst of the recession thanks to its recognizable brands like Ben & Jerry's, Vaseline and Cutex. This loyal customer base has provided a great backbone for the company's sales and profits, and kept this stock attractive among investors.

Now that consumer spending appears to be on the mend, Unilever is looking to take its business to the next level with a new line of men's products -- including Dove moisturizers and bath items.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #4: Unilever (UL)

Super Bowl Stock #4: Unilever (UL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dr Pepper-Snapple (DPS) will put its flagship soda brand before Super Bowl audiences for the first time this year with its Dr Pepper Cherry commercial. Spokesman Gene Simmons will offer up his tagline, "Trust me, I'm a doctor," with the rest of his KISS bandmates in the company's spot.

Dr Pepper has made a habit out of beating Wall Street expectations, with an average earnings surprise of 17% across the past four quarters.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #3: Dr Pepper-Snapple (DPS)

Super Bowl Stock #3: Dr Pepper-Snapple (DPS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Newspaper giant Gannett (GCI) owns a controlling influence in CareerBuilder.com. This online job-seeking portal is sure to see big revenue in the coming months as the employment picture brightens up and most human resource departments post their open positions.

A recent Wall Street Journal survey of 56 economists concluded that 1.4 million new jobs will be created in 2010. That means big things for CareerBuilder.com.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #2: Gannett (GCI)

Super Bowl Stock #2: Gannett (GCI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to ad industry buzz, Coca-Cola (KO) has landed two Super Bowl spots that will star characters from the Simpsons, including Kwik-E-Mart clerk Apu cheering up the miser Mr. Burns with a Coke.

Coca-Cola is already a household name, but the company is looking to push sales to the next level. I think KO can do it.

The company has met or exceeded expectations for each of the last four earnings reports and should post another strong showing in February that will send shares up nicely.

Continue reading Super Bowl Stock #1: Coca-Cola (KO)

Super Bowl Stock #1: Coca-Cola (KO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There have been no problems selling big-ticket ads for this weekend's broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV. And with good reason -- this has been one of the best years for football on television, with viewership up across the board. The recent NFC and AFC championship games were the NFL's largest combined audience for the two championship games since January 1982.

With all those eyeballs, the real winners could turn out to be the companies with the most aggressive (and the most memorable) advertising spots.

Continue reading Five First-String Super Bowl Stocks

Five First-String Super Bowl Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading American Express: Well-Positioned for the Upturn in Business Start-ups

American Express: Well-Positioned for the Upturn in Business Start-ups originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Readers of this space know that like Warren Buffett, I like the rails, and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), which I first wrote about on May 1, 2009, at a price of $37.47, still looks attractive. Here's why.

I expect the global upturn, albeit with fits-and-starts, in commodity shipments (potash, coal) to continue, and look for the pace to quicken in 2010. Industrial car loadings also should register an impressive improvement this year. Meanwhile, increases in CP's railroad efficiency add to the positive story.

Continue reading Canadian Pacific Is Attractively Priced

Canadian Pacific Is Attractively Priced originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ashland: Still at a Bargain Price

Ashland: Still at a Bargain Price originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Where should you invest in 2010?" asks resources sector expert Curtis Hesler, who suggests, "Preferably, you should stick to the heart of the matter and focus on crude oil and gold.".

In his top-ranked The Professional Timing Service, he explains, "Invest in assets that promise to increase in price as the dollar falls; this will insulate your portfolio from the damage that the ongoing deleveraging process will bring to the stock market and to other paper assets."

Continue reading Resource Sector Expert Sticks with Gold and Oil

Resource Sector Expert Sticks with Gold and Oil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've liked the railroad sector for a while, and CSX Corp. (CSX), which I first wrote about on May 1, 2009, at a price of $30.56, looks likely to continue to move higher. Here's why:

CSX's volumes should increase and overall prices for transport services should firm, albeit with some softness in selected price categories, as the U.S./global economic recoveries gain momentum in 2010. Basic materials transport, including coal and scrap, should also experience healthy business gains in 2010, and the company's increased efficiency adds to the positive story.

Continue reading CSX Corp. Railroad Rolls On

CSX Corp. Railroad Rolls On originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sitting in his college dorm, a student stared at his jar of coins, wondering what to do with them; two years later in 1991, Jens Molbak started a company that allowed customers to pour their change into a machine and getting dollars in return," notes Paul Tracy.

The editor of Street Authority Market Advisor adds, "Coinstar (CSTR) is now offering its products and services in more than 90,000 locations in more than 140 countries."

Continue reading Coinstar (CSTR): Making Change from Coins to DVDs

Coinstar (CSTR): Making Change from Coins to DVDs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Murphy Oil: Conflicting Signals

Murphy Oil: Conflicting Signals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Enterprise Products Partners: Pull-back Is Buy Opportunity

Enterprise Products Partners: Pull-back Is Buy Opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.