"Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), already a holding on our buy list, was added to Goldman Sachs' Conviction Buy List," says Bill Martin. In BullMarket.com, he offers the reasoning for his continued buy rating.

"Analyst Sarah Friar at Goldman recently raised her price target on the name to $29 from $25 saying, 'We are adding Microsoft to our Conviction List as we think the combination of better revenue drivers, improved expense management, and sizable cash balances provides more opportunities for bottom-line beats.'

"'Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Bing, Xbox 360 and new Halo content, Office 2010, and the Azure Cloud provide renewed innovation beyond anything we have seen in multiple years,' Friar wrote.

Continue reading Microsoft (MSFT): Bet on Bing?

Microsoft (MSFT): Bet on Bing? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"For investors with a more aggressive bent, one stock on our radar is Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN)," says trading and investing expert Bill Martin.

In BullMarket.com, he explains, "The firm's core niche is producing speech-based voice-recognition and synthesis software for use in corporate customer-care operations, mobile applications including the new iPhone and to automate health records."

"Nuance creates those automated voices you have to listen to when what you really need is a human being to tell you why your cable modem isn't delivering the Internet.

Continue reading Nuance (NUAN): Invest in speech recognition

Nuance (NUAN): Invest in speech recognition originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The hottest IPO of late has been the offering from language instruction company Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST)," notes Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he suggests, "The desire, not to mention need, to learn other languages in a global economy means the company is looking at a potentially huge market." Here's his review of the IPO:

"Shares of Rosetta Stone were priced at $18, which itself was above the anticipated range, but the price surged in the company's first day of trading on April 16th. The stock rose to $32.54 before retreating.

Continue reading Rosetta Stone: Will IPO translate to profits?

Rosetta Stone: Will IPO translate to profits? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a seven article report -- Food for thought: Best bets in food & beverage stocks.

"Customers are trading down to McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) from higher-end restaurants," says growth stock expert Toby Smith in his ChangeWave Investing.

The fast food operator is also a buy from Bill Martin, who adds, the company continues to serve up solid results. In his BullMarket.com advisory, he reviews the stock's recent quarter.

First, Toby Smith explains, "Given the endless parade of depressing economic news, it's no wonder that most people have lost their appetite for food -- if not altogether, then at least for the finer dining.

"Our proprietary ChangeWave Alliance survey -- ongoing pols of thousands of individuals and investors in various industries and professions -- just 5% of respondents said they would spend more at restaurants, which is unchanged from the all-time low.

Continue reading McDonald's (MCD): Two bets on Big Mac

McDonald's (MCD): Two bets on Big Mac originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In a difficult economic environment, it is often wise for investors to consider stocks in more defensive and relatively recession-resistant sectors. And one such area is food and beverage stocks.

As the long-standing market maxim goes, consumers can pull back on spending for vacations, remodeling, and new cars, but they still need to eat and drink.

In that light, I turned to nine leading newsletter advisors who serve up their current favorite ideas in the food and beverage sector:

Continue reading Food for thought: Best buys in food & beverage

Food for thought: Best buys in food & beverage originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) surprised investors with better-than-expected earnings while also raising equity to help replay $10 billion in TARP money," says Bill Martin In BullMarket.com.

"On the earnings front, Goldman swung back to solid profitability after turning in its first-ever quarterly loss at the end of its last fiscal year, which ended November 28th, 2008.

"Goldman earned a net profit of $1.66 billion, or $3.39 a share, compared to a Q1 2008 profit of $1.47 billion, or $3.23 a share. The results are a vast improvement over the loss of -$2.29 billion, or -$4.97 a share, reported for Q4 2008.

"Goldman Sachs has long been the best run of what were previously Wall Street's top investment banks and the strength of its trading operations were evident in the quarter.

Continue reading Good news from Goldman (GS)

Good news from Goldman (GS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In his BullMarket.com advisory, Bill Martin looks to new products from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), such as the next version of the iPhone.

In addition, the advisors looks to the recent stronger-than-expected results announced by Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and why that may bode well for Apple's own upcoming results.

Martin observes, "RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said Apple will launch a new version of the iPhone inJune, which the analyst has dubbed the iPhone 3G Pro.

"In a research note, Abramsky said the new version of the popular smartphone will include a number of new features and improvements over the one introduced last summer to popular appeal.

Continue reading Apple: Still a favorite for the 'long haul'

Apple: Still a favorite for the 'long haul' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The CEO of Target (NYSE: TGT) has purchased $4.6 million in shares of the discount retailer, and we're going to follow suit," says Bill Martin in his BullMarket.com advisory.

"Chief Executive Officer Gregg Steinhafel purchased 150K shares at $30.54 on March 18th. On the same day, he also acquired 78K shares at $31.58 for his 401(k) plan in what appears to have been an automated transaction.

"Following the transactions Steinhafel now holds 555.8K shares, exercisable options on 727.7K shares at $34.00 to $58.13, and unexercisable options on 600.9K shares at $48.16 and $58.13.

Continue reading Insider targets Target (TGT)

Insider targets Target (TGT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), having watched Apple's success at running its own stores, has decided to get into retailing as well," reports Bill Martin in his BullMarket.com advisory.

"Microsoft began its new retail effort by announcing last night that it had hired a veteran retail executive to lead it. The software giant hired David Porter away from DreamWorks Animation SKG, where he was head of worldwide product distribution.

"Prior to joining DreamWorks in 2007, Porter had spent 25 years at Wal-Mart, where he held a variety of jobs in store operations, merchandising, and information technology.

Continue reading What's in 'store' for Microsoft (MSFT)

What's in 'store' for Microsoft (MSFT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) continues to just hum along as a cash flow and profit machine," says trading and investing expert Bill Martin.

In his industry-leading BullMarket.com, he explains, "The king of the quick service restaurant sector once again booked a quarter's worth of same-store sales increases as it benefited from consumers 'trading down' from more expensive dining options."

"Though the headline fourth quarter numbers show a year-over-year drop in profit, McDonald's nonetheless delivered another strong quarter to wrap up 2008 and said sales were continuing to grow on a same-store basis so far in 2009.

Continue reading McDonald's (MCD): Cash flow machine

McDonald's (MCD): Cash flow machine originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special report, A Dozen Ways to Play an Obama Building Boom.

"Some of the most aggressive buying we've seen from insiders has come from Terex (NYSE: TEX), where seven have bought since October 24th," says Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he explains, "The Westport, Conn.-based company manufactures capital equipment for construction, infrastructure, quarrying, mining, shipping, transportation, refining, and utility industries worldwide." Here's his review of the stock.

"The shares recently traded at $9.33, down -86% year to date. The stock hit a 52-week high of $76.25 in May and is currently trading at multi-year lows.

"The company announced Q3 results on October 22nd that fell well short of analyst earnings estimates. For the quarter, Terex reported its profit fell year over year to $93.8 million, or 96 cents per share, down from $151.1 million, or $1.45 per share. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.08, which was well below the $1.33 profit analysts were expecting.

"Looking forward, Terex cut its 2008 earnings outlook for the second time in less than two months, faulting weakness in worldwide construction. As such, the company said it is expecting to post a FY08 profit of $5.69-$5.79 a share, down from earlier guidance of $6.35-$6.65 per share.

Continue reading Terex (TEX): Insiders step up to infrastructure play

Terex (TEX): Insiders step up to infrastructure play originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is offering a rare opportunity and is now one of our favorite ideas for investors with a multi-year time horizon," says Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, the trading and investing expert explains, "Our bullish thesis on Apple revolves around cash; both the cash on its balance sheet and the cash it is able to generate."

"With approximately $24.5 billion in cash and no debt, about $27.50 of Apple's share price is cash. Meanwhile, the company generated $9.1 billion in cash the past fiscal year.

"Given the way revenue with the iPhone is reported (it's recognized over the life of a contract, not upfront), the cash Apple generates is actually a lot higher than what its earnings indicate.

"Combined, this makes common metrics like P/E ratios not a great way to value the company. If you instead substitute an Enterprise Value (which is basically the market cap with net debt or cash added back in) to cash flow ratio, the stock is trading at only about a 6x multiple.

Continue reading Cash-rich Apple (AAPL) offers 'rare opportunity'

Cash-rich Apple (AAPL) offers 'rare opportunity' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber (NYSE: PCL), the nation's largest private landowner with more than eight million acres, has caught our eye," says Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com advisory, he explains, "Earnings have been stunted in recent quarters by the housing slump, but the company sports a strong balance sheet and an asset base that thanks to nature only gets larger and more valuable as time goes by."

"Plum Creek, which operates as a real estate investment trust, reported surprisingly solid Q3 profit. It posted net income of $69 million, or 40 cents per share, for the quarter ended September 30th, compared with a profit of $59 million, or 34 cents per share, for the same period a year ago.

"In the 2007 quarter, fire losses in Montana forced the company to report a $4 million non-cash expense, or two cents per share, related to fire losses experienced in Montana.

"The company's EPS results topped the expectations of Wall Street analysts by a penny a share. Revenue grew to $414 million, up 2% from $407 million last year. The sales results were a bit short of the consensus of $419.8 million.

Continue reading 'Growing' assets: Plum Creek Timber (PCL)

'Growing' assets: Plum Creek Timber (PCL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The CEO of McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) is bullish on his own stock; he recently bought $1.1 million in shares," says trading and investing expert Bill Martin in BullMarket.com.

"On October 23, CEO Jim Skinner purchased 20,000 shares at $55.00, increasing his holdings to 236,700 shares. The buy was the first for Skinner in at least five years. "Under the terms of McDonald's stock ownership guidelines, Skinner is expected to hold 6 times his annual base salary in shares, or $7.65 million in stock.

"He exceeded the ownership guidelines prior to his recent purchase and presently owns more than $12.55 million in shares, excluding unvested restricted stock, phantom stock, and options.

"Excluding dividends, shares of McDonald's have risen nearly 90% during Skinner's approximately four-year tenure at the helm, no small feat considering they rose just 2% in the preceding four years and 43% in the preceding eight years.

Continue reading McDonald's (MCD): CEO ups his stake

McDonald's (MCD): CEO ups his stake originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Broad-based chemical, agriculture, and 'science technology' company DuPont (NYSE: DD) is about as 'blue chip' as companies get," says Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, the trading and investing expert explains, "One of the oldest firms in the country DuPont has shown it can continue to remake itself and grow." Here's his review.

"DuPont offers the potential of significant gains once the major weak links in the U.S. economy -- namely housing and the automotive sector -- rebound from their funks and eventually begin to grow.

"DuPont turned in a solid performance in the second quarter, posting a profit of $1.08 billion, or $1.18 per share, up from $972 million, or $1.04 per share, a year ago.

"The bottom line was enhanced by seven cents a share as the result of a lawsuit settlement and a lower tax rate that resulted from a one-time tax settlement. The company cited strength in is agricultural products business as well strong sales in emerging markets for the growth.

Continue reading DuPont (DD): 'As blue chip as a company gets'

DuPont (DD): 'As blue chip as a company gets' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We've looked at several ways to play anticipated growth in wind energy; we've also considered titanium makers for that industry's ties to the production of lightweight, modern aircraft," notes Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he explains, "While the two trends might not appear to have much in common at first glance, Hexcel Corp. (NYSE: HXL) offers a way to play both the aircraft and wind markets.

"The connection is the lightweight, composite materials Hexcel makes that are used by producers in both sectors. Hexcel develops and manufactures advanced structural materials.

"It is the largest U.S. producer of carbon fiber; the world's largest weaver of reinforcement fabrics; and the number-one producer of composite materials.

"Its product was initially developed for the aerospace industry, but is now used in a wide range of applications -- from golf clubs to satellite arrays, and from the rotor blades of wind turbines to life-saving monocoques for Formula 1 race cars.

"It's been a rollercoaster ride for Hexcel's stock in the past 12 months. The shares hit their one-year peak of $27.19 in December 2007; by January 22nd they had plummeted to $17.. The shares rebounded through May, only to fade again. Year to date, HXL is off about 15%.

Continue reading Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains?

Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The Grand Old Opry's owner is sparkling after a billionaire buys a big stake," says Bill Martin in his top-notch advisory service, BullMarket.com.

He notes, "TRT Holdings, an investment vehicle for Robert Rowling. has quietly taken a 10%+ stake in Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), becoming its largest shareholder.

"The latest buys came as shares of the $1 billion market cap company hit a multi-year low. Rowling's firm bought more than 608,000 shares of Gaylord at $20.44, increasing its holdings to 4.693 million shares, or an 11.49% stake.

"Nashville-based Gaylord owns and operates hotel properties, including the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee and the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

"The company also owns and operates the Radisson Hotel at Opryland and the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Other business include a Nashville radio station, a paddle wheel showboat, performance venues, a golf course located near the Opryland complex, and a corporate events production company.

"With a projected net worth of $6.2 billion, Rowling was #158 on the latest Forbes list of the World's Billionaires. The press-shy Rowling rarely pops up as a major shareholder in a public company, and has only done so three times in recent years, including Gaylord.

Continue reading Gaylord Entertainment (GET): Grand gains from Grand Ole Opry?

Gaylord Entertainment (GET): Grand gains from Grand Ole Opry? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"As steel prices continue to climb, one company that is set to profit handsomely is Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF)," says Bill Martin.

Adding to the stock's appeal, the editor of BullMarket.com explains, "Event-driven hedge fund Harbinger Capital has been an aggressive buyer of the stock." Here's his review of the situation.

"Shares of Cleveland-Cliffs have been on fire, up over 150% year over year and they have more than doubled year to date. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company is the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America and a major supplier of metallurgical coal to the global steel-making industry.

"Cleveland-Cliffs benchmarks iron ore prices to the price of steel, so when steel prices rise, so do iron ore prices. The company said all of its North American iron ore mines are producing at or near capacity.

"Cleveland-Cliffs ended the first quarter of 2008 with $186.5 million of cash and cash equivalents and $600 million in borrowings outstanding under an $800 million credit facility. The company expects to generate approximately $700 million in cash from operations in FY08 as it sells through its inventory.

"Event-driven hedge fund Harbinger Capital was an aggressive buyer of the stock in May, paying between $76.96 to $104.75 a share to add to its position in the name. For the month, the firm spent approximately $338.5 million to acquire nearly 3.7 million shares.

Continue reading Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF): Hedge fund eyes steel maker

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF): Hedge fund eyes steel maker originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Executives from Waste Management (NYSE: WMI), a stock on our recommended list, presented the company's case to Wall Street at a conference sponsored by J.P. Morgan," says Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com newsletter, the advisor explains, "We reviewed the presentation from CEO David Steiner and CFO Robert Simpson and found the company's story to be quite compelling for long-term investors."

"Steiner began by outlining some of the basic drivers of the company's business. Waste Management is the nation's largest trash hauler, and he pointed out that it along with its two-largest competitors own two-thirds of the nation's landfill space.

"The percentage, he said, will only increase over time as municipalities, which for the most part own the remaining third, aren't investing in new capacity the way private industry is.

"Since the biggest cost component is the tipping fees charged by landfills -- it amounts to 40% of total costs -- the more landfill space the company operates, the more it is able to capture those fees from other haulers.

"Landfills also form the basis for the company's initiatives in transforming the methane gas that builds up naturally in landfills into fuel for its trucks. The company plans to invest $70 million this year in efforts to convert landfill gas to fuel.

Continue reading Clean up with Waste Management (WMI)

Clean up with Waste Management (WMI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The boom in natural gas prices has been good for North American producers and their investors, both of which continue to be upbeat on the sector as share prices also keep rising," says Bill Martin.

In his exceptional BullMarket.com, he looks at SandRidge Energy (NYSE: SD), where its billionaire CEO as well as a director have continued to buy shares, despite the stock trading near "peak levels."

"Oklahoma City-based SandRidge focuses on the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in the West Texas Overthrust, East Texas, and Mid-Continent (Oklahoma) regions.

"President, and CEO Tom Ward purchased 460,000 shares at $48.95 on May 19th/20th, which increased his already substantial holdings to nearly 36.95 million shares, or a 25.27% stake.

"It was the first purchase for Ward since he announced in March his attention to buy up to $100 million in stock on the open market this year. His only other open-market purchase came in November 2007, when he took down 4.17 million shares at $26.00 in the company's initial public offering.

Continue reading Billionaire builds stake in Sandridge Energy (SD)

Billionaire builds stake in Sandridge Energy (SD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.