Continue reading Chasing Value: How to Find Value Stocks -- Part 2

Chasing Value: How to Find Value Stocks -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

American Superconductor (AMSC) gapped lower right out of the gate this morning, thanks to a bearish write-up in Barron's (subscription required) over the weekend. In a piece titled "Flagging Winds from China," author Bill Alpert warns of "signs that China's boom in wind power is slowing." As points of concern, Alpert points to dropping prices and rising inventories in the wind-turbine industry.

AMSC tumbled to a loss of more than 6% Monday morning, deepening its year-to-date decline of 18%. The stock has suffered four consecutive Friday closes beneath its 10-week moving average, and AMSC is now trading below its 20-week moving average, as well. Going forward, these formerly supportive trendlines could switch roles to act as resistance.

Continue reading American Superconductor Slides on Bearish Barron's Article

American Superconductor Slides on Bearish Barron's Article originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mela Sciences (MELA) gapped higher right out of the gate Monday, with the shares surging roughly 12% on Monday morning. Over the weekend, Barron's noted that the stock is "worth a close look ahead of a regulatory vote on Nov. 18," and traders are apparently taking the suggestion to heart.

The financial publication described its opinion on the shares as "cautiously optimistic," explaining that analysts believe MELA could double if its MelaFind device receives the OK from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel this Thursday. However, warned Barron's, a regulatory thumbs-down "could cut the shares in half."

Continue reading Mela Sciences Surges Ahead of FDA Panel

Mela Sciences Surges Ahead of FDA Panel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bulls Cheer All the Way Home (SVNT, BAC, C, CTV, SOHU)

Closing Bell: Bulls Cheer All the Way Home (SVNT, BAC, C, CTV, SOHU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was only a month ago I wrote a story comparing Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and Hewlett Packard (HPQ), concluding the latter to be the better opportunity from a value investor's perspective. At the time Oracle was $27.49. Yesterday it closed at a new 52-week high of $29.23 -- a gain of 6.33%.

During this time, Oracle insiders have been selling shares and the trend is negative. In September alone, almost $300 million of the stock was sold off. If you examine Barron's weekly summary of insider activity, as one source, you will find that Oracle has been in the top five companies on the sell side for many weeks. As the stock has been rising, insiders have been selling into strength.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Oracle Insiders Selling as Stock Hits 52-Week High

Chasing Value: Oracle Insiders Selling as Stock Hits 52-Week High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Humble copier company Xerox (XRX) is suddenly the toast of Wall Street. In addition to a bullish Barron's feature earlier this week, the stock garnered a rush of attention from optimistic options players Thursday. Although the security has yet to establish a firm foothold in double-digit territory, it seems that hopes are running pretty high for Xerox.

On Thursday, call volume on XRX surged to 28 times the norm, with roughly 103,000 contracts crossing the tape. Most of the volume was focused on the January 2011 series of options, as one trader closed out a block of 35,000 January 7.50 calls and exchanged them for 35,000 contracts of the January 9 call. By rolling these calls up to a higher strike, the speculator is indicating that he expects additional upside from XRX during the intermediate term.

Continue reading Should You Buy the Bullish Hype on Xerox?

Should You Buy the Bullish Hype on Xerox? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Having accepted a speaking engagement at a university school of business recently, I had to think about what introductory information I could impart to the students about investing that would be practical, immediately useful and establish a foundation for whatever direction their paths might lead. This was supposed to be the first in a series. However, since I pull no punches and can be a little edgy in my candor and presentation, who knew if I would be invited back?

My outline had five basic elements. The first thing I told them was to start now!

Continue reading Chasing Value: Class Is in Session -- Where to Start

Chasing Value: Class Is in Session -- Where to Start originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the weekend, Barron's published a very favorable cover story on Xerox (XRX), noting that the company is branching out to "recast" itself as a service company. The article points out that Xerox has seen steady increases in earnings, which have repeatedly topped the Street's expectations. In fact, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns went as far as to say that "Shareholders clearly love us because we can deliver predictable earnings growth."

The article also notes that the Street is a bit behind as far as coming to terms with how Xerox's new businesses will perform. This leads some to believe that the shares could trade at a "reasonable 8.6x estimated earnings for the year ahead." Yes, 8.6 times the estimated earnings in the coming year. The article also states that although Xerox stock is trading "well below" its five-year price-earnings ratio of 13x, a move to 12x would result in a "jump of at least 50%." So, just a move toward the five-year P/E ratio could result in a 50% jump -- good numbers, but let's take a look at XRX's technical performance to see what technical hurdles lie in the road.

Continue reading Xerox Rallies Thanks to Positive Barron's Mention

Xerox Rallies Thanks to Positive Barron's Mention originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week's Barron's (Sept. 6) was full of great stock insights and the favorable reports on Noble Corp. (NE) and Raytheon Company (RTN) were well articulated. Often you hear that by the time the news hits the streets, it's too late to get in on the bargain. This is a myth; both of these stocks are good examples proving the point because they were bargains before the stories were published and remain so today.

This is not to say that a broadly published story will not have an impact on the stock price -- it may. However, there is not a one to one correlation and there are many other factors to weigh. Also, given the number of financial publications, blogs, press releases, analysts calls and more, almost every company's stock is in the news, if not daily then weekly.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Barron's Is Right About Noble, Raytheon, but Forget About Its Market Strategists

Chasing Value: Barron's Is Right About Noble, Raytheon, but Forget About Its Market Strategists originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harman International (HAR) is starting to sound like an interesting value play.

Harman has seen its stock price cut nearly in half during the past month -- falling from a high of $53.36 at the end of April to around $33 -- but it seems to have found some recent support.

Plus, it must be doing something right because it was the lucky recipient of a bullish review in Barron's this weekend.

Continue reading Harman Sounds Like a Value Play

Harman Sounds Like a Value Play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is Viacom a Trade After Barron's Piece?

Is Viacom a Trade After Barron's Piece? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I found an interesting article over on Barron's that takes a look at Fastenal (FAST) and its prospect for a good year thanks to the perceived economic recovery.

The article notes that Fastenal had a rather difficult year last year as the company was "hammered" (their pun, not mine) by the recession. The company saw sales drop 17.5% and profit drop 34.1%. Last year, the company took on cost controls, cut its workforce, and cut hours for its employees. According to the article, these measures helped, as Fastenal saw daily revenue increase 2.4% in January and 4.4% in February, which was the company's first year-over-year sales gains since late 2008. The article adds that the company's balance sheet is "another big plus," with no debt and a dividend that produces a 1.7% yield.

Continue reading Is Fastenal Headed for a Rebound?

Is Fastenal Headed for a Rebound? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) was the subject of a rosy write-up in Barron's over the weekend, with the financial publication noting that the company is well-positioned to benefit as "trends in the transportation industry are reaching an inflection point." In fact, portfolio manager Quoc Tran of Lateef Investment Management believes that "a stake in C.H. Robinson [is] the best way to enjoy a rebound in the transportation sector."

The stock enjoyed a modest boost Monday morning in the wake of the Barron's endorsement, with CHRW breaking out above short-term pressure from its 10-day and 20-day moving averages. The stock has added roughly 40% during the past year, capitalizing on support from its longer-term 10-month and 20-month trendlines.

Continue reading Barron's Is Bullish on C.H. Robinson Worldwide

Barron's Is Bullish on C.H. Robinson Worldwide originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Defense firm Oshkosh Corporation (OSK) is wallowing in red ink, after Barron's published a downbeat article on the company over the weekend. After securing a $3 billion, five-year Army contract, the author warns that "Oshkosh may have won the battle but lost the war."

The main thrust of the article appears to be an argument against further price appreciation for OSK, which has "gained 448% over the past 12 months based on a booming military business," according to Barron's. Plus, Tom Harenburg, a longtime investor in the company, adds that profit margins on the Army deal "are meager."

Continue reading Oshkosh Smacked by Bearish Barron's Article

Oshkosh Smacked by Bearish Barron's Article originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Valeant Pharma (VRX) falls on bearish Barron's coverage

Valeant Pharma (VRX) falls on bearish Barron's coverage originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In this week's (November 9) Preview Section of Barron's (subscription required) I was surprised to find that on Wednesday (11/9) it is noted that Computer Sciences (CSC), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Macy's (M) reported "profits." How do they know this?

On other days they refer to the "earnings" of various companies reporting. Perhaps I am splitting hairs, perhaps it is editorial haste (like you might find on our site), or perhaps there is no difference in some people's minds? From my perspective there is a difference between earnings and profits. Every quarter, public companies report their earnings. They do not always report a profit.

Continue reading Sunday Funnies: Barron's predicting profits?

Sunday Funnies: Barron's predicting profits? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An article in Barron's suggests that Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is on the verge of regaining some of its former mojo. The company recently offered a solid outlook for the remainder of the year, and it could garner new business after debuting two smartphones featuring Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system -- namely, the Droid and the Cliq.

The author cites analyst Ed Snyder of Charter Equity Research, who believes Motorola is on the cusp of "an extended upswing in handsets ... over the next several quarters." Snyder believes that the firm's ailing handset division could achieve break-even results as soon as the second quarter of 2010.

Continue reading Barron's, Citigroup bet on a comeback for Motorola

Barron's, Citigroup bet on a comeback for Motorola originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For the first half of 2010, almost two thirds of money managers are bullish, according to Barron's. In fact, 54% are bullish, and 5% are "very bullish." Responses suggest that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to gain another 5% by the end of the year.

According to Barron's, "Today's bullish investors see the major stock indexes making steady progress through next June, amid signs the U.S. economy is on the mend after a searing recession."

Continue reading Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months

Healthcare, tech and energy to outperform in next 12 months originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Teradata (TDC) ripe for a bullish trade?

Teradata (TDC) ripe for a bullish trade? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO - option chain) shares rose Monday after the stock received positive coverage in Barron's over the weekend. An analyst wrote in the magazine that shares of the stock could appreciate quickly since it is the only bond insurer among its competitors that still has the credit rating and financial strength to write insurance on new issues of municipal bonds and bond securitizations. Barron's also said that Assured Guaranty could have smaller-than-expected losses from claims. 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 AGO.

AGO opened at $18.70. In morning trading, the stock hit a low of $18.70 and a high of $19.63. As of 11:05, AGO was trading at $19.53 up 1.38 (7.6%). The chart for AGO looks neutral and S&P gives AGO a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Barron's: Assured Guaranty (AGO) could thrive

Barron's: Assured Guaranty (AGO) could thrive originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.