"I've put together a retirement blue print that will allow anyone who is 20 years old or younger to retire a multi-millionaire," says Steve Christ.

The editor of The Wealth Advisory explains, "This diversified portfolio, contains a transport, a utility, a tech company, a health care giant, and a defense contractor, all of which pay nice steady dividends with room for growth.

"All you need to start is $15,000 initial investment to go along with an additional $100 bucks a week in total contributions divided among the five stocks.

Continue reading A 'Fool-Proof' Retirement Plan for 20-Year-Olds

A 'Fool-Proof' Retirement Plan for 20-Year-Olds originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Air Products (APD) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Zimmer (ZMH) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• SunPower (SPWRA) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Brocade (BRCD) to buy from hold at Wunderlich and at ThinkEquity.
• Duke Energy (DUK) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• NewStar Financial (NEWS) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Hormel Foods (HRL) to hold from sell at Soleil.
• Inspire Pharma (ISPH) to hold from sell at Duncan-Williams.
• Alnylam (ALNY) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Weight Watchers (WTW) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Raytheon (RTN) and Toreador Resources (TRGL) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCD, CREE, DUK, HRL, MOLX, RTN, SPWRA, VCLK, WTW ...

Analyst Calls: BRCD, CREE, DUK, HRL, MOLX, RTN, SPWRA, VCLK, WTW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Coca-Cola (KO) has more than $13 billion in cash.

The top five companies (according to market cap) are:

• Exxon Mobil (XOM): $398.3 billion
• Apple (AAPL): $309.0 billion
• Microsoft (MSFT): $237.5 billion
• General Electric (GE): $215.0 billion
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A): $202.5 billion

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Did You Know ... ?

Comfort Zone Investing: Did You Know ... ? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First off, who are Duke Energy (DUK) and Progress Energy (PGN), and why are they merging? Both are located in North Carolina. Both operate fleets of fossil fuel and nuclear power plants. The merger will give them the boost needed to expand their nuclear power stations outside North Carolina. So the partners decided that bigger is better.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reports that it's an all stock merger valued at about $13.7 billion. Under the deal Duke will exchange 2.6125 of its shares for each Progress share. Based on Duke's closing price on Friday, Progress shareholders would receive $46.48 a share, a 3.9% premium. Progress closed at $44.72 Friday. Duke will also assume $12.2 billion in debt. Duke plans to effect a reverse stock split immediately after the close.

Continue reading Duke Energy Merger Creates Largest U.S. Power Company

Duke Energy Merger Creates Largest U.S. Power Company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Home Prices Are About to Bottom" was the headline for the Barron's cover story the week of July 14, 2008. The story explained that the housing market should level off in many areas of the country by the end of the year.

I have made some equally unfortunate prognostications in my tenure at BloggingStocks, so my purpose is not to poke fun at Barron's but to point out that here we are, over two years later, and it is still debatable whether the housing market has bottomed out.

Continue reading Chasing Value: "Home Prices Are About to Bottom"

Chasing Value: "Home Prices Are About to Bottom" originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Brookfield Infrastructure (BIP) to outperform from sector perform with a $20 target. The firm thinks the units' valuation is compelling, while the company's proposed acquisition of assets is positive.
• Stifel upgraded First Horizon (FHN) to buy from hold based on valuation and its path towards normalized profitability. The firm has a $15 price target on the stock.
• KeyBanc upgraded Isle of Capri (ISLE) to buy from hold based on improved earnings growth and valuation. The firm has a $13 target on the stock.
• ATA Inc. (ATAI) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Buckeye Partners (BPL) was upgraded to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• Sinopec (SNP) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANN, BIP, DUK, FHN, ISLE, JCG, POM, RE, SMT ...

Analyst Calls: ANN, BIP, DUK, FHN, ISLE, JCG, POM, RE, SMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here is a common sentiment about the stock market: "No fun at all. As I have said before, I believe it has turned into one big casino largely divorced from its original goal of providing capital to companies who produce something of value."

There's a lot of truth to what "granny" recently said to me in an e-mail. Fortunately she also noted "FYI Granny's up 5.86% + dividends." That would give her a gain of about 10% in the past ten months since I posted Where should granny put $50,000, suggesting a very conservative portfolio for an uncertain time.

Not only has she earned a very nice return, surpassing her CD account by 9.5% (20 fold), but she was able to do so with a great deal less volatility than the overall market most of us have lived through.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Granny Said, 'It Has Turned into One Big Casino'

Chasing Value: Granny Said, 'It Has Turned into One Big Casino' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: NGG, Buffett, Barron's and Me

Chasing Value: NGG, Buffett, Barron's and Me originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Powerful Dividends Powering the Nation

Serious Money: Powerful Dividends Powering the Nation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 May 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Option traders are pushing up call option prices in the Processed & Packaged Goods industry and are pushing up put option prices in the Packaging & Containers industry.

Any time the volatility skews above 1.00, it is an indication that calls are more expensive than puts. Typically, when calls are more expensive than puts, it means the demand for calls is greater than the demand for puts because investors believe the stock is going to rise in the future and they want to take advantage of that movement by buying calls.

The opposite is also true. Any time a volatility skews below 1.00, it is an indication that puts are more expensive than calls.

Continue reading McCormick Tops Bullish Volatility Skews, Bemis Tops the Bearish Ones

McCormick Tops Bullish Volatility Skews, Bemis Tops the Bearish Ones originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 May 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Greek Bonds or High Yield Stocks?

Serious Money: Greek Bonds or High Yield Stocks? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Citigroup upgraded Freeport McMoRan (FCX) to buy from hold to reflect valuation, as well as its increased forecasts for copper and aluminum. The firm raised its price target on shares to $95 from $85.
• Citigroup also upgraded Alcoa (AA) to buy from hold and reiterated a buy rating on Cliffs Natural (CLF).
• William Blair upgraded WESCO International (WCC) to outperform from market perform. The upgrade reflects the firm's belief that WESCO's sales trends will become increasingly positive from easy comparisons over the next 12 months.
• RBC Capital upgraded Thomson Reuters (TRI) to top pick from outperform. The firm sees attractive returns over the next 12 to 18 months as the company's headwinds subside, and it raised its target price on shares to $43 from $41.
• Motorola (MOT) was upgraded to hold from sell at Societe Generale.
• American Express (AXP) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Schnitzer Steel (SCHN) was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, DE, DUK, FCX, HYS, MA, MOT, V ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AA, DE, DUK, FCX, HYS, MA, MOT, V ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of my wonderful friends, Ms. P, asked me for some guidance on how she might allocate $50,000 currently earning peanuts in a money market account. Though she is decades from becoming a grandmother, after a brief discussion about her financial parameters, it became clear to me that she was looking for a "granny fund."

In reality, my recommendations would be suitable, and perhaps desirable, for many passive investors as well.

The $50,000 is a portion of money Ms. P has set aside to purchase a home, which might happen in six months, but could also be pushed out further, depending on the economy and her situation. Basically, she wants to cover all her bases because she might need the money at any time and does not want to be caught short, while at the same time she would like to generate some revenue without taking any big risks.

Continue reading Where should granny put $50,000?

Where should granny put $50,000? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Citigroup upgraded Brightpoint (NASDAQ: CELL) to Buy from Hold on expectations global handset units will trough in 2009, leading to a higher multiple for the stock. Citi raised its target on shares to $9 from $6.50.
• FBR Capital upgraded Rosetta Resources (NASDAQ: ROSE) to Outperform from Market Perform on valuation and believes drilling results in Q3 and Q4 should serve as near-term catalysts. The firm raised its target on shares to $15.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Echelon (NASDAQ: ELON) to Neutral from Underweight following the company's contract announcement with Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK). The firm raised its target on shares to $10 from $6.
• Smith & Nephew (NYSE: SNN) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Schawk (NYSE: SGK) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Baird.
• Alpha Natural (NYSE: ANR) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at BMO Capital.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMGN, KR, ROSE, SWY, YUM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AMGN, KR, ROSE, SWY, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) reported better-than-expected Q2 results, sending shares higher.
• Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) said it swung to a Q2 profit despite a dearth of leveraged buyouts.
• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) Q2 earnings declined but still topped estimates, sending shares higher.
• Coinstar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSTR) reported stellar Q2 results driven by its the popularity of RedBox.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) posted solid Q4 earnings but said revenues were flat due to currency effects.
• Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) lower Q2 earnings beat expectations by a penny but revenue fell short.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Blackstone, CBS, Humana, Playboy, Sirius, Whole Foods ...

Earnings highlights: Blackstone, CBS, Humana, Playboy, Sirius, Whole Foods ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has to wonder if Al Gore knows exactly what he is talking about when it comes to global warming.

This morning, the power company announced that its second-quarter profit fell to 21 cents per share from 28 cents per share a year ago. Excluding items, the company would have earned 26 cents per share, which is a penny better than the consensus estimate. Revenue for the quarter fell to $2.91 billion from $3.22 billion a year ago and far short of the consensus estimate. The blame for the year-over-year profit decline falls squarely on the shoulders of mark-to-market losses on economic hedges.

Continue reading Duke Energy's Q2 earnings fall along with temperatures

Duke Energy's Q2 earnings fall along with temperatures originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Five more high yield, safe, diversified stocks -- Part 2

Serious Money: Five more high yield, safe, diversified stocks -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Six stocks paying over 6% yields: VZ, DUK, MO, KMP, BWP, NLY

Serious Money: Six stocks paying over 6% yields: VZ, DUK, MO, KMP, BWP, NLY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Baird upgraded Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) to Outperform from Neutral based on field research that indicates improving traffic trends and visibility from cost savings initiatives.
• FBR Capital upgraded E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) to Outperform from Underperform citing an attractive risk/reward following the company's capital raise and debt exchange commencement. The firm believes the worst is behind the company and has a $2 target on the stock.
• Oppenheimer upgraded Sonic (NASDAQ: SONC) to Outperform from Perform on expectations demand trends will improve, leading to more normalized profitability.
• Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• Motorola (NYSE: MOT) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• ConAgra (NYSE: CAG) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DUK, ETFC, MOT, MTB, SBUX

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DUK, ETFC, MOT, MTB, SBUX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The stock market has enjoyed a strong rally the past ten weeks, even with a few very minor setbacks. If you were in the market, you enjoyed it too.

It is more likely that the market will become somewhat volatile for the rest of the year rather than continue to rise substantially, barring some outlier. For this reason I have been emphasizing to our readers that they focus their attention on creating a watchlist of stocks they would like to acquire, potentially at great discount for the long haul.

I started this recent series last week with Serious Money: Keep your eyes on UPS and FDX, focusing on large cap stocks certain to make it through these difficult times.

Continue reading Serious Money: Duke Energy & Southern 'Power-Full'

Serious Money: Duke Energy & Southern 'Power-Full' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.