BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Citrix Goes Global with Deal for Netviewer]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/17/citrix-goes-global-with-deal-for-netviewer/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/17/citrix-goes-global-with-deal-for-netviewer/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/12/17/citrix-goes-global-with-deal-for-netviewer/#commentsFiled under: ,

Citrix (CTXS) logoEven before the phrase "cloud computing" became popular, Citrix Systems (CTXS) was a top player in the industry. Over the years, the company has developed sophisticated technologies to leverage the Internet to share applications and allow groups to collaborate.

After being stuck in a trading range for some time, this year the stock of Citrix got juiced up. A big help has certainly been the surge from the leader in cloud-computing, Salesforce.com (CRM).

Continue reading Citrix Goes Global with Deal for Netviewer

Citrix Goes Global with Deal for Netviewer originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Citrixcloud computingctxinthenewsnetviewersalesforce.comFri, 17 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The week in preview: End-of-quarter earnings expectations: Nike, Oracle, Walgreen ...]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/21/the-week-in-preview-end-of-quarter-earnings-expectations-nike/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/21/the-week-in-preview-end-of-quarter-earnings-expectations-nike/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/21/the-week-in-preview-end-of-quarter-earnings-expectations-nike/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

This week brings a small flurry of end-of-the-calendar-quarter earnings reports. And for the most part, the expectations of the analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters aren't very high. Companies expected to report declining earnings in the most recently concluded quarter include America's Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ: CRMT), Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY), ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG), Jabil Circuit Inc. (NYSE: JBL), Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. (NYSE: JTX), Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON), and Sonic Corp. (NASDAQ: SONC).

Continue reading The week in preview: End-of-quarter earnings expectations: Nike, Oracle, Walgreen ...

The week in preview: End-of-quarter earnings expectations: Nike, Oracle, Walgreen ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Americas Car-MartBBBYBed Bath BeyondBrinkerCAGCentexConAgraCRMTCTXCVSDardenDHIDR HortonDRIearningsEATfeaturedHOVHovnanianJabil CircuitJackson HewittJBLJTXKB HomeKBHLENLennarMicrosoftMONMonsantoMSFTNikeNKEOracleORCLPALMPHMPulteRADRite AidSAPSmith and WessonSONCSonicSun MicrosystemsSWHCToll BrothersWAGWalgreenSun, 21 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: The seductive pull of the early cycle ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/20/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-seductive-pull-of-the-early-cycle/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/20/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-seductive-pull-of-the-early-cycle/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/20/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-the-seductive-pull-of-the-early-cycle/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer is seeing signs of a coming boom, but he's still being cautious here.

If you had to define the early cycle, if you had to outline what stocks should be soaring coming out of a recession into a boom and which ones should be faltering, you would have to say the action in this market in the last month is the quintessential behavioral pattern.

What are the components of the early cycle? First, it's the homebuilders. As is typical coming out of a recession, the stocks precede the bottom of housing. That's exactly what's happening with the lowest permits and highest affordability and best mortgage rates and massive inventory. Everywhere, except on Wall Street reporting, the bottom is bursting out. When you read the lead story in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, and it is all about the thousands of prospective homebuyers heading south to pick up condos and homes for half of what they were worth two years ago -- or even less -- and you know that virtually no one has broken ground in the Sunshine State in a year, you can bet that the bottom's actually behind us. This housing market has wiped out all but the most stable private builders and even the public ones are merging as we know from Pulte (NYSE: PHM) (Cramer's Take) and Centex (NYSE: CTX) (Cramer's Take). So, in the next cycle, you can see some profitability developing year over year even though the new homes don't have much margin because the foreclosed homes next door are going for a song. And don't believe this won't change the dynamic of future foreclosures. In most areas, rent is higher than the interest on mortgages, so you will find that second or third job needed to stay in your home. The incentive structure's radically different than a year ago.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: The seductive pull of the early cycle

Cramer on BloggingStocks: The seductive pull of the early cycle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abtalvanaxpazoccelgcofctbctxcvseateftcffeaturedfmergildgisgmgpshnzhsyjcijcpjim cramerJimCramerjnsjnyjwnkkmxkssmmnropbypeppgphmpnrarostschwshldtgttjxtrowunwagyumMon, 20 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: This is what a housing bottom looks like ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-this-is-what-a-housing-bottom-looks-li/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-this-is-what-a-housing-bottom-looks-li/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/17/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-this-is-what-a-housing-bottom-looks-li/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says builders have stopped, and prices have fallen to affordable levels.

Housing bottoms form when homebuilders finally stop building. They come when permits dry up. They come when foreclosures are so rife that they drive down the prices to affordable levels. Housing bottoms come when the homebuilders give up and merge. They come when mortgage rates go really low. They come when unemployment claims level out.

The bottom, well, is now. We are seeing a huge wave of buying of foreclosed homes in Northern and Southern California and in Florida. The numbers are too positive to think that these, the hardest-hit areas, aren't putting in long-term bottoms. Of course, where legacy housing is coming on, most notably in Florida and Las Vegas, where lenders like Corus Bank (NASDAQ: CORS) (Cramer's Take) abetted ridiculous levels of condominium construction, or New York, where the economy was on fire courtesy the brokers and the lawyers and the foreign tourists taking advantage of a cheap dollar, you are not going to get a bottom for a year. In New York's case, the building continued right through the layoffs because of tax advantages that ran out inopportunely right at the top. It will most likely be a tough market for a while.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: This is what a housing bottom looks like

Cramer on BloggingStocks: This is what a housing bottom looks like originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bacbkcorsctxfeaturedgmhousingjim cramerJimCramerjpmpncsttwfcFri, 17 Apr 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: HMSY, TSO, CTX, HOG, BBY, NOC, TWX]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations-hmsy-tso-ctx-ho/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations-hmsy-tso-ctx-ho/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/analyst-upgrades-downgrades-and-initiations-hmsy-tso-ctx-ho/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Analyst upgrades:
  • Jefferies upgraded HMS Holdings (NASDAQ: HMSY) to Buy from Hold on valuation as they believe the recent weakness provides an attractive entry point. The firm keeps a $36 price target on shares.
  • Credit Suisse believes Universal Health (NYSE: UHS) is well positioned to gain market share, that earnings risk from the Las Vegas market is manageable, and that the balance sheet provides flexibility. The firm upgraded shares to Outperform from Neutral and raised their target to $48 from $46.
  • UBS upgraded RF Micro (NASDAQ: RFMD) to Buy from Neutral citing checks that indicate strengthening momentum, impact from recent restructuring, and expected debt reduction. The analyst raised RFMD estimates above consensus and upped the price target to $3 from $1.10.
  • Liberty Capital (NASDAQ: LCAPA) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  • Tesoro (NYSE: TSO) was raised to Hold from Sell at Soleil.
  • SunTrust (NYSE: STI) was lifted at Keefe Bruyette to Outperform from Market Perform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: HMSY, TSO, CTX, HOG, BBY, NOC, TWX

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: HMSY, TSO, CTX, HOG, BBY, NOC, TWX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bbbyctxhmsyhogimolcapanocrfrfmdrglsdsivbstitsotwxuhsThu, 09 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Before the Bell: Wall Street is on a roll -- for now]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/before-the-bell-wall-street-is-on-a-roll-for-now/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/before-the-bell-wall-street-is-on-a-roll-for-now/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/09/before-the-bell-wall-street-is-on-a-roll-for-now/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Investors are expecting Wall Street to continue its recent winning ways.

Stocks are poised to open higher as investors await March retail sales data and the weekly unemployment report. Markets in Europe and Asia were higher.

Retail sales, though weak, may not be as bad as investors had feared. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Wal-Mart Stores and a select group of its discounting peers have helped retail sales exceed modest expectations every month since December, and that streak likely will continue."

Continue reading Before the Bell: Wall Street is on a roll -- for now

Before the Bell: Wall Street is on a roll -- for now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BBYCPKICTXeconomyfeaturedMSPHMretail salesRetailSalesunemploymentWal-MartWall StreetWallStreetThu, 09 Apr 2009 07:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Options Update: Pulte volatility low into purchase of Centex]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/08/options-update-pulte-volatility-low-into-purchase-of-centex/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/08/options-update-pulte-volatility-low-into-purchase-of-centex/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/08/options-update-pulte-volatility-low-into-purchase-of-centex/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pulte (NYSE: PHM) and Centex (NYSE: CTX) agreed to merge, creating America's largest homebuilding company. CTX shareholders will receive 0.975 PHM common shares for each CTX they own. The combined company will have a market cap of $4.1B with $3.4B in cash on its balance sheet. PHM April option implied volatility is at 93, May is at 97; below its 26-week average of 102, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Centex April option implied volatility is at 108, May is at 118; near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Pulte volatility low into purchase of Centex originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CTXPHMPulteWed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Zombie homebuilders keep shuffling along ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-zombie-homebuilders-keep-shuffling-alo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-zombie-homebuilders-keep-shuffling-alo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/03/04/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-zombie-homebuilders-keep-shuffling-alo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says this group simply refuses to merge, so you can safely sell them all.

One look at Toll Brothers' (NYSE: TOL) (Cramer's Take) quarter today tells us we aren't there yet. They still have plenty of money. They still have plenty of cancellations. They still need a tax credit for more business, which we know they aren't going to get because this administration doesn't want it. No bottom. In fact, Toll and all the others are still where they were a year ago. Independent, hanging on.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Zombie homebuilders keep shuffling along

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Zombie homebuilders keep shuffling along originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buildersctxdhifeaturedhousingjim cramerJimCramertolWed, 04 Mar 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: In the great tug of war, China wins ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/13/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-in-the-great-tug-of-war-china-wins/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/13/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-in-the-great-tug-of-war-china-wins/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/13/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-in-the-great-tug-of-war-china-wins/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says stocks you'd sell on America alone are buys when you consider that great engine in Asia.

Here's some real tension. The best stocks to play China with may be the worst stocks to own here. Look at Freeport (NYSE: FCX) (Cramer's Take) yesterday, which did that giant and hugely successful secondary. There is no doubt in my mind that housing starts won't even get to 600,000 this year, not after that travesty of a stimulus bill -- or when considering the reaction expressed by the stocks of Lennar (NYSE: LEN) (Cramer's Take) and Pulte (NYSE: PHM) (Cramer's Take) and, perhaps most hobbled, Centex (NYSE: CTX) (Cramer's Take).

There is also no doubt that China's stock market being up 35% means that Freeport's Asian arm, the biggest, will soon be getting huge orders.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: In the great tug of war, China wins

Cramer on BloggingStocks: In the great tug of war, China wins originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>catchinactxfcxfeaturedjim cramerJimCramerlenphmSCHNxFri, 13 Feb 2009 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Earnings preview: Homebuilders Centex, Pulte Homes, and DR Horton]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/01/earnings-preview-homebuilders-centex-pulte-homes-and-dr-horto/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/01/earnings-preview-homebuilders-centex-pulte-homes-and-dr-horto/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/02/01/earnings-preview-homebuilders-centex-pulte-homes-and-dr-horto/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Given last week's news that new home sales have plunged and that new home prices continue to fall, what is Wall Street expecting from homebuilders Centex Corp. (NYSE: CTX), Pulte Homes Inc. (NYSE: PHM), and DR Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) when they report quarterly results this week?

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters anticipate that Dallas-based Centex will report that it narrowed its net loss in its fiscal third quarter to $3.27 per share. In the same period of last year, the loss was $7.94 per share. Revenue in the third quarter is expected to total $895.3 million, down 53.0% from last year. For the full year, the loss is expected to reach $7.36 per share on revenue of $4.0 billion, which compares to a $21.69 per share loss on $8.3 billion in sales in 2008. Centex has posted bigger-than-expected losses in the past five quarters. So the consensus recommendation of analysts remains to hold CTX, though the long-range EPS growth forecast is 9.0%. The share price has fallen 20.0% just since the beginning of the year, and it is 70.7% lower than it was a year ago. Centex suspended its quarterly dividends back in October.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Homebuilders Centex, Pulte Homes, and DR Horton

Earnings preview: Homebuilders Centex, Pulte Homes, and DR Horton originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CentexCTXDHIdividendsDR Hortonearningshousingnew home salesPHMPulte HomesSun, 01 Feb 2009 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Stocks in the news: GM, F, JPM, KBH, TM, FNM, MO, HUN, AAPL, HON ... (update)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/15/stocks-in-the-news-gm-f-gs-std-kbh-tm-fnm-mo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/15/stocks-in-the-news-gm-f-gs-std-kbh-tm-fnm-mo/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/15/stocks-in-the-news-gm-f-gs-std-kbh-tm-fnm-mo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) may get help from the Bush administration. President Bush said in an interview today that "an abrupt bankruptcy for the autos could be devastating for the economy." He signaled he may use TARP funds for that, but didn't provide a timeline or other details. GM shares are up 4.8% in premarket, Ford's shares are up 2%. Shares of both opened about 3% higher.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) probably will report fourth-quarter losses this week on shrinking asset values and a decline in fees for businesses. But even the deep cost cutting measures the investment firms -- now turned banks -- may not help help shareholders enough as the companies face another year of slumping revenue. The demand for their services is and will continue to be limited in what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. GS shares are down 2% in premarket trade.

Banco Santander (NYSE: STD), Nomura (NYSE: NMR) and Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS) are among the victims ex-Nasdaq Chairman Bernard Madoff' $50 billion Ponzi scheme. Santander said its customers had an exposure of around $3.1 billion, while Japan's Nomura has an exposure of around $302 million. STD shares are down 1.5% and RBS shares up 1.7% in premarket trade.

[Update 10:00 am:
Huntsman Corp. (NYSE: HUN) shares were down about 35% a little after the open after it has ended its $6.5 billion agreement to be taken over by Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc. and agreed to a $1 billion legal settlement.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares were down about 4% a little after the open on a downgrade. Goldman Sachs downgraded the iPhone and Mac maker to Neutral from Buy due to deteriorating consumer spending.
JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) shares slumped nearly 6% after a Merrill Lynch analyst downgraded JPM to Underperform from Neutral.
Honeywell (NYSE: HON) shares gained nearly 7.5% after the manufacturer affirmed a lower 2009 outlook and said it expects profits to fall 6% to 16% as the deepening global recession hits markets it serves.]

Continue reading Stocks in the news: GM, F, JPM, KBH, TM, FNM, MO, HUN, AAPL, HON ... (update)

Stocks in the news: GM, F, JPM, KBH, TM, FNM, MO, HUN, AAPL, HON ... (update) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaplalubbyctxdhiffnmgmgshonhuninthenewsjpmkbhkrlenmadoffmomsnmrphmrbsrylstdtmMon, 15 Dec 2008 08:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Recent moves finally address housing ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-recent-moves-finally-address-housing/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-recent-moves-finally-address-housing/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/27/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-recent-moves-finally-address-housing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says you just can't be as negative as you were before the latest actions.

It's been right to be more than the average bear for months now. But if you believe that housing played some role in the downturn, then you have to believe that the latest moves are very meaningful for that trashed market.

We have had two major problems in housing: affordability and the ease and cost of mortgage money. We got news this week that ameliorated both difficulties, and we cannot sniff at them as much as it has paid to sniff at everything else that has been done.

First, the government's buy of GSE paper revives a moribund market and ends a lot of federal indecision. If you recall when the government confiscated the Fannie (NYSE: FNM) (Cramer's Take) and Freddie (NYSE: FRE) (Cramer's Take) preferreds and therefore made FNM paper more dangerous, the government at the same time said that it would make mortgage rates come down, presumably by buying a ton of Fannie/Freddie paper. Instead it made a half-hearted effort by buying about $25 billion in paper and then disappeared!

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Recent moves finally address housing

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Recent moves finally address housing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cctxdhifeaturedfnmfrekbhlennlyphmtolxomThu, 27 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: 'Cheap' is meaningless ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-cheap-is-meaningless/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-cheap-is-meaningless/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/10/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-cheap-is-meaningless/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says tons of stocks look like good buys, and they go down all the time.

All weekend I heard it. Stocks have gotten too cheap. Put 'em away cheap. Don't worry about 'em cheap. To which I say, stocks are only cheap if the companies make it. Stocks are only cheap if the bondholders don't claim them.

Every day I see cheap stocks. Ford (NYSE: F) (Cramer's Take) reported this morning. Ridiculously cheap. How cheap is Sprint (NYSE: S) (Cramer's Take), for heaven's sake? Did you see the Sunrise Senior Living (NYSE: SRZ) (Cramer's Take) numbers? That stock should show up when you enter "cheap stock" in Google. Except Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) (Cramer's Take) comes up.

When Warren Buffett says stocks are cheap, or Jeremy Grantham or Steve Leuthold or Jeremy Siegel, it's very heartening. You just want to go out there and buy cheap stocks like CBS (NYSE: CBS) (Cramer's Take) and Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) (Cramer's Take) and Ann Taylor (NYSE: ANN) (Cramer's Take) and Talbots (NYSE: TLB) (Cramer's Take).

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: 'Cheap' is meaningless

Cramer on BloggingStocks: 'Cheap' is meaningless originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aaaigannayrbabacccbscopcscoctxdedhiffcxfeaturedgeglsgmgshdhigjim cramerJimCramerjnjkbhkolenlvsmetoxypeppgphmpruqcomrigssrztlbunhwbwfcwsmMon, 10 Nov 2008 09:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Crooks and mortgages]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/19/crooks-and-mortgages/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/19/crooks-and-mortgages/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/19/crooks-and-mortgages/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recent reports reveal a surprising amount of criminal activity in the mortgage business. This is particularly true in states whose names end in the letter A, such as Florida and Nevada. Two particular forms of illegal behavior are the licensing of mortgage brokers with criminal records and homebuilders' use of bribes -- or 'incentives' -- to encourage people to buy over-priced houses without disclosing them to lenders as required by law. Think I'm kidding?

DSNews reports that last week, Florida's mortgage commissioner resigned after it was revealed that he granted mortgage brokerage licenses to people with criminal records. Specifically, DSNews wrote that Don Saxon, who had been Chairman of the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) had "allowed more than 10,000 people with criminal histories - including bank robbers, racketeers, defrauders, embezzlers, identity thieves, and tax evaders, among others - to work in Florida's mortgage lending industry between 2000 and 2007. These convicted felons had expropriated more than $85 million from lenders and homeowners during that time."

Meanwhile, things were not much more legal in Nevada. That's where the Wall Street Journal reports that the Las Vegas, NV branch of home builder Centex (NYSE: CTX) paid off the credit cards and mortgages of potential borrowers to entice people to buy homes priced from $350,000 to $550,000. The FBI is investigating allegations that Centex did not always disclose these 'incentives' to lenders as required by law.

Continue reading Crooks and mortgages

Crooks and mortgages originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>centexctxfeaturedmortgage brokersMortgageBrokersOffice of Financial RegulationOfficeOfFinancialRegulationTue, 19 Aug 2008 12:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Toll Brothers issues preliminary results -- should you stay away from the stock?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/14/toll-brothers-issues-preliminary-results-should-you-stay-away/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/14/toll-brothers-issues-preliminary-results-should-you-stay-away/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/14/toll-brothers-issues-preliminary-results-should-you-stay-away/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Are you waiting for the malaise in the housing market to finally lift? Of course you are, who isn't? I can't wait for the day when headline news suddenly turns unambiguously positive. And I can't wait for the day when the market as a whole decides to anticipate it. For now, though, we've still got sour data to contend with. According to this article, famous luxury home-builder Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL), whose competitors include Centex (NYSE: CTX) and Lennar (NYSE: LEN), reported preliminary results for the third quarter on Wednesday that showed a big decrease in home-building revenues. They decreased 34%, coming in at roughly $796 million. Seems par for the course, all things considered.

But there are more declines. Backlog orders decreased over 50%, and net signed contracts took a dive of 35% (both of these metrics are in dollar terms). The company is also issuing write-downs that will fall somewhere between $100 million and $200 million. Depressing stats, but according to the company press release, CEO Robert I. Toll believes that there is pent-up demand lurking out there in the marketplace for homes and he used the fact that total cancellations were down during the quarter as a tool for positive spin. Plus, the home-building revenue number did, in fact, beat estimates, according to Reuters. Does this make me want to run out and buy the stock?

No. Even though the stock has been strong in the last month, and even though it was up nearly 1% at the end of the trading session on Wednesday (a pretty nice showing on an otherwise overall downer of a day), I don't think I'm ready to initiate a position in Toll Brothers. I'd have to see a significant pullback in this one before my interest becomes piqued (some better economic news wouldn't hurt, either).

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

Toll Brothers issues preliminary results -- should you stay away from the stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CentexCTXhomebuildershomebuilding stocksHomebuildingStocksinthenewsLENlennarTOLToll BrothersTollBrothersThu, 14 Aug 2008 08:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Cramer on BloggingStocks: Horton doesn't get it ]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/06/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-horton-doesnt-get-it/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/06/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-horton-doesnt-get-it/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/06/cramer-on-bloggingstocks-horton-doesnt-get-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says they should be punished for trying an end run on taxpayers.

Love Centex (NYSE: CTX) (Cramer's Take), sell Horton (NYSE: DHI) (Cramer's Take)? That's how I feel after reading Horton's pathetic plea to bring back down-payment assistance for this industry, which remains unpunished for all it did to foment the housing crisis.

Yesterday, in one of our "Wall Street Confidential" series, I opined that Centex was shaping up to be one of the better builders after making so many right moves in the last year to preserve capital. I didn't care for industry leader D.R. Horton, though.

And that was before I read the outrageous comments from Horton CEO Don Tomnitz in Market Watch yesterday, where he decried that the new housing law didn't include more down-payment assistance loans from the FHA. These seller assistance loans plied basically, by the homebuilders that allow homebuyers to use a back door to FHA loans, have been defaulting at very high rates. The Congress, in an actual dollop of wisdom, scrapped them and instead gave people a tax credit of $7,500 to buy a new house, not bad considering that houses have retreated in value to the point that even though you need to put down more money as a percentage basis, as an absolute basis there's some affordability. This kind of loan is precisely what got us in trouble, an affordable loan that people ultimately couldn't afford that just helped Horton dump properties.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Horton doesn't get it

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Horton doesn't get it originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>centexctxd.r. hortonD.r.Hortondhifcxfeaturedfhahousing billHousingBilltomnitzWed, 06 Aug 2008 09:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Earnings highlights: Countrywide, Visa, MasterCard, KBR, Office Depot and others]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/03/earnings-highlights-countrywide-visa-mastercard-kbr-office/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/03/earnings-highlights-countrywide-visa-mastercard-kbr-office/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/03/earnings-highlights-countrywide-visa-mastercard-kbr-office/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Countrywide, Visa, MasterCard, KBR, Office Depot and others

Earnings highlights: Countrywide, Visa, MasterCard, KBR, Office Depot and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 May 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ALGTAllegiant TravelAPAApacheAvonAVPCentexCFCCICignaCLColgateCountrywideCTXDBDeutsche Bankearningsearnings reportsfeaturedGardner DevnerGDIInternational PaperIPJacobs EngineeringJECJim CramerKBRMAMasterCardODPOffice DepotParker HannifinPGPHSavvisSVVSThomas WeiselTime WarnerTWPGTWXTYCTycoVisaWMGIWright MedicalSat, 03 May 2008 15:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Centex rises despite huge EPS miss]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/centex-ctx-rises-despite-huge-eps-miss/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/centex-ctx-rises-despite-huge-eps-miss/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/centex-ctx-rises-despite-huge-eps-miss/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

CTX logoCentex Corp. (NYSE: CTX) shares opened lower today, but have risen throughout the day, even after the company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $911 million, or $7.34 per share, well below analyst estimates of a $2.43 per-share loss. Revenue tumbled 37% for the quarter to $2.31 billion, as CTX cut its average selling price 15% to help build up sales. Investors must believe that the worst is over for CTX. If you think this stock won't be falling too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged play on CTX.

After hitting a one-year high of $49.85 last May, the stock hit a one-year low of $17.77 in November. This morning, CTX opened at $20.02. So far today the stock has hit a low of $19.79 and a high of $22.25. As of 12:15, CTX is trading at $21.92, down 1.10 (-5.3%). The chart for CTX looks bearish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 Stars (out of 5) Hold rating.

For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a June bull-put credit spread below the $17.50 range. A bull-put credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of put options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make an 11.1% return in two months as long as CTX is above $17.50 at June expiration. Centex would have to fall by more than 20% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

Continue reading Centex rises despite huge EPS miss

Centex rises despite huge EPS miss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 May 2008 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CentexCTXearningshousingInvestors ObserverInvestorsObserveroptionsThu, 01 May 2008 14:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Centex (CTX) tumbles on housing data]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/centex-ctx-tumbles-on-housing-data/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/centex-ctx-tumbles-on-housing-data/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/08/centex-ctx-tumbles-on-housing-data/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

CTX logoCentex Corporation (NYSE: CTX) stock is falling today along with other homebuilders after the National Association of Realtors said February pending sales of existing homes fell 2% from January. Existing home sales are considered a good indicator of the overall housing market, which means more trouble could be ahead for CTX. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on CTX.

After hitting a one-year high of $49.85 in May, the stock hit a one-year low of $17.77 in November. This morning, CTX opened at $25.90. So far today the stock has hit a low of $25.00 and a high of $26.09. As of 1:00, CTX is trading at $25.01, down $1.31 (-5.0%). The chart for CTX looks bullish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 Stars (out of 5) Hold rating.

For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a May bear-call credit spread above the $30 range. A bear-call credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of call options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 12.4% return in six weeks as long as CTX is below $30 at May expiration. Centex would have to rise by more than 20% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

Continue reading Centex (CTX) tumbles on housing data

Centex (CTX) tumbles on housing data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CentexCTXhousinginthenewsInvestors ObserverInvestorsObserveroptionsTue, 08 Apr 2008 15:32:00 EST<![CDATA[How to play the financial sector right now]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/11/how-to-play-the-financial-sector-right-now/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/11/how-to-play-the-financial-sector-right-now/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/11/how-to-play-the-financial-sector-right-now/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Judging by my latest emails, everybody wants to know "how should I play the financial sector right now?" Let me make it real simple for you: avoid this entire sector at all costs. Don't buy them and don't short them, at least not yet. I've been repeating the same thing over and over since December, so while I know this will leave many unsatisfied, nothing much has changed in two months. In fact, the recent downgrade concerns over bond insurers MBIA (NYSE: MBI) and Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK), student lender Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM) and more importantly, prime mortgage lender Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM), means the situation has gone from bad to worse. Yes, we still risk economic disaster and that's when defaulting consumers could really hurt credit card companies American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA).

But thanks to the lack of transparency in this industry, there's simply no way to accurately judge how bad things really are and as I learned the hard way, accurately gaming disaster is next to impossible.

The good news is that if I had to guess, I'd say the chances of a true disaster are slim. Given that this seems to be an increasingly popular view, many of these financial stocks have been punished to the point of exhaustion. And just as I wouldn't buy them, I wouldn't short them here either. Despite the seemingly steady stream of negative news, the risk of further damage to shareholders and the overall market crashing all around them, broker stocks like Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Bear Sterns (NYSE: BSC), Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) have basically stopped going down. They haven't bounced much either, but the nation's three largest banks Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Citigroup (NYSE: C) and JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) have managed that feat, with all three bouncing considerably off their lows.

Continue reading How to play the financial sector right now

How to play the financial sector right now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abkaxpbacbscbzhcctxetfcfnmgsjpmmambimermsslmtim sykesTimSykestolwbwfcwmMon, 11 Feb 2008 12:38:00 EST