Continue reading Futures Up as Investors Await Home Sales, Personal Income Data

Futures Up as Investors Await Home Sales, Personal Income Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even as the year winds to a close this week, there are still a handful of economic releases on the schedule. Starting out on Monday, the Chicago Fed releases its Midwest Manufacturing Index for November.

Tuesday brings the final Consumer Confidence Index of the year, as well as the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for October, the Richmond Fed's Business Surveys, and a look at chain store sales for the week leading up to Christmas.

Data on last week's initial jobless claims will be released on Thursday. And then Friday brings the New York NAPM Index and the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Final Economic Data of the Year

Week in Preview: Final Economic Data of the Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Monday, Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (CALM) reported second quarter earnings of $0.67 per share, which topped the consensus estimate by a penny per share. But Cal-Maine said revenues fell 3.8% from a year ago to $229.23 million, falling short of estimates.

"Our feed costs were down for the quarter, which improved our profitability," CEO Fred Adams Jr. said. "However, food service and restaurant sales continued to be slow, reflecting economic trends."

Continue reading Cal-Maine Tops EPS Estimates, Resumes Dividend

Cal-Maine Tops EPS Estimates, Resumes Dividend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (CALM) is about the only company of note scheduled to release earning results in what will otherwise be a very quiet week between the holidays.

The three months that ended in November saw the poultry industry embroiled in an environment-related lawsuit, and Cal-Maine also ended its streak of special dividends when it reported a first-quarter loss.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: The CALM Between the Holidays

The Week in Preview: The CALM Between the Holidays originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) skips dividend, reports Q1 loss

Cal-Maine Foods (CALM) skips dividend, reports Q1 loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Autumn has arrived and the quarter winds down this week. The Dow has been inching toward 10,000 for a while now, though it closed lower in the past three sessions. Can it make it to 10,000 for the start of the third quarter? If so, what will push it higher? If not, what will drag it down further?

• Monday is Yom Kippur, the most solemn of the Jewish holidays; trading likely will be lighter than usual. In the evening, the FDIC meets to discuss how to rebuild the Bank Deposit Insurance Fund.
• Tuesday, the Consumer Confidence Index for September is due and the SEC holds a public meeting to consider more short sale actions.

Continue reading The week in preview: Is the rally over?

The week in preview: Is the rally over? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Short City Update: Panera Bread, Cal-Maine Foods - cover each short

Short City Update: Panera Bread, Cal-Maine Foods - cover each short originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Investor and trader Mishko Janusevich had a mantra that he used to repeat while outlining the top, new stock shorts that appeared that day, as determined by technical indicators.

He would stand next to the overhead projected stock chart at the front of the trading room, point to the stock chart and recite, "You see this stock? You see that it's dropped $8 in past two days? You think it can't drop any more? SELL THAT STOCK it's dropping more!!"

Short these shares if you can tolerate high-risk and are an experienced investor that does not remove Buy/Stop Losses.

Continue reading Short City: Panera Bread, Cal-Maine Foods

Short City: Panera Bread, Cal-Maine Foods originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 May 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I often talk stocks with my father, and he believes that with the economy in tatters, the big beneficiaries in the coming year will be companies that produce and sell food. His simple theory is that with discretionary spending at a minimum, "everybody still needs to eat."

While it's certainly hard to argue with the fact that we all need sustenance, a different case can be made for investing in suppliers and vendors of food.

My dad thinks prices at the store will rise much higher because it's still cheaper than eating out, thus, great profits will be had by everyone up and down the supply chain.

But I'm not so sure.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALM), which released earnings on Monday, is a good example of why I'm not jumping onboard with this theory.

The company, which is currently the largest producer and distributor of fresh-shell eggs in the United States, said profit for its second fiscal quarter fell 32% as sales to egg-product makers and the food service industry slowed, and feed costs remained high.

Cal-Maine earned $1.14 per share for the quarter ended Nov. 29, but last year it earned $1.69 a share.

Continue reading Everyone's gotta eat, right? Food stocks may not be as defensive as you think

Everyone's gotta eat, right? Food stocks may not be as defensive as you think originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the calendar year winds down, the news no doubt will be full of stories (like the one below from AP) analyzing incoming holiday sales figures and speculating on what they mean for the big picture.

About the only confirmed company reporting quarterly earnings results next week is Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (NYSE: CALM), the largest producer/distributor of eggs in the U.S. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are, on average, looking for the Jackson, Miss.-based company to report earning $1.26 per share in its fiscal second quarter. That's 25.4% lower than in the same period of the previous year. In its first-quarter report back in September, Cal-Maine also reported a drop in net income as rising feed costs offset increased demand. While the share price has fallen 22.2% in the past three months, it is up 14.0% from a year ago. Cal-Maine recently completed its acquisition of a Tampa Bay egg producer.

Economic data scheduled to be released this week include:

Continue reading The week in preview: Holiday sales, Cal-Maine Foods

The week in preview: Holiday sales, Cal-Maine Foods originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM) is the largest producer of fresh shell eggs in the United States, distributing its products to grocery store chains, club stores, foodservice distributors and egg product manufacturers throughout the southwestern, southeastern, mid-western and mid-Atlantic regions. The company also offers reduced cholesterol, cage free, and organic eggs under the Egg-Land's Best and Farmhouse labels. Cal-Maine operates breeding facilities, hatcheries, feed mills, egg production sites and processing facilities in 16 states across its distribution regions. It provides for nearly 16% of total U.S. egg consumption.

Investors were pleased Monday, when Barron's reported that CALM shares could double over the next year. Analysis was offered suggesting the potential for $7 per share in earnings next year, a three-fold increase from early 2008 levels.

Continue reading Cal-Maine Foods (CALM): Price defining bullish 'pennant' formation

Cal-Maine Foods (CALM): Price defining bullish 'pennant' formation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some agricultural stocks to consider from BusinessWeek

Some agricultural stocks to consider from BusinessWeek originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ: CALM), a producer and marketer of fresh shell eggs, is expected to report Q3 EPS on March 31. CALM shares have rallied 173% over the past 12 months. CALM will initiate a variable dividend policy during Q3 to replace a fixed dividend policy. According to NASDAQ, CALM on March 14 had a short interest of 12,436,184 shares with average daily volume of 585,828 shares. CALM April 35 straddle is priced at $7. CALM May 35 straddle is priced at $9. CALM May call option implied volatility is at 87, puts are at 103--above its 26-week average of 68 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement. Puts are price higher than call because CALM is difficult to borrow.

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

Option Update: Cal-Maine Foods volatility elevated into EPS, $3 dozen eggs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.