Continue reading Expedia Resumes American Airlines Relationship

Expedia Resumes American Airlines Relationship originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Expedia's (EXPE) stock took a hit in the markets, dropping almost 17% on the release of its FY 2010 earnings on February 10. The response was largely on account of the overall decline in the company's EBITDA margin from over 32% in 2009 to around 25% by the end of 2010. Clearly the market is concerned about Expedia's outlook on the heels of this.

Expedia competes with other online travel agents like Priceline (PCLN), Orbitz (OWW) and Travelocity, as well as hotel chains that offer their own online booking services.

Continue reading Expedia: A $29 Stock Despite Margin Concerns

Expedia: A $29 Stock Despite Margin Concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft's (MSFT) Bing has recently added a new feature called Price Predictors to its travel searches, which automatically suggest flights based on the best air fares -- and even recommends if you should buy now or hold off for a better price based on how fares are trending. For flexible travelers, suggestions are offered as one types in the search bar. We believe this will have an impact on companies like Expedia (EXPE), the largest U.S. online travel agency by booking volumes, and challenge Google's (GOOG) move into the travel search.

Continue reading Bing Travel's New Features Step on Google and Expedia's Toes

Bing Travel's New Features Step on Google and Expedia's Toes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Expedia (EXPE) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Weatherford (WFT) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• MDC Holdings (MDC) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• AutoNavi (AMAP) to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Ciena (CIEN) and Nvidia (NVDA) to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Canadian Pacific (CP) to outperform from market perform at Raymond James.
• First Midwest (FMBI) and Quiksilver (ZQK) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Sonic (SONC) to neutral from negative at Susquehanna.
• MIPS Technologies (MIPS) to buy from hold at Benchmark Co.
• Arrow Electronics (ARW) and Avnet (AVT) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, BBBY, CIEN, CP, EXPE, ICE, NVDA, QCOM, SONC ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, BBBY, CIEN, CP, EXPE, ICE, NVDA, QCOM, SONC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Trinity Industries (TRN) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Cameron (CAM) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Micron (MU) to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, CAM, CLX, EXPE, GME, MU, NAV, NOK, WMT ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, CAM, CLX, EXPE, GME, MU, NAV, NOK, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Priceline, Inc. (PCLN) is the second largest online travel agency in the world after Expedia, Inc. (EXPE) and offers travel services over the Internet, including bookings for air tickets, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises and vacation packages.

What distinguishes Priceline from the rest is its proprietary Name Your Own Price service? While it does sell travel services under the traditional price-disclosed model, the Name Your Own Price service allows customers (that are flexible on the date and time of travel and the choice of supplier) the option to bid for hotel stays and air tickets.

Continue reading How About a New Business Model for Priceline?

How About a New Business Model for Priceline? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Interpublic Group (IPG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Radware (RDWR) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Fluor (FLR) and Waddell & Reed (WDR) to buy from hold, as well as AllianceBernstein (AB) to hold from sell, at Citigroup.
• MetroCorp (MCBI) and American Capital (AGNC) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• International Flavors (IFF) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BioCryst (BCRX) and Southern Company (SO) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bunge (BG) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ...

Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Expedia, Inc. (EXPE), an online service devoted to travel whose related companies include Orbitz Worldwide (OWW) and Priceline.com (PCLN), issued its Q4 results after the bell today. According to the report, which you can find at the company's investor site, adjusted net income increased 10% to 32 cents per share. TheFly says that this number came in below the estimate by a disappointing four pennies.

You can't always beat Wall Street's prediction. Shortly after the data was posted, the stock experienced a drop of 3.7%, making the quote equal to $24.74.

Continue reading Expedia Reports Q4 Results

Expedia Reports Q4 Results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Priceline.com (PCLN) issued its third-quarter report yesterday after the bell. The market sent the stock of the online-travel concern higher by 6% in the extended-hours session, bringing it up to $412.

That was well past the 52-week high of $393.33. With a 52-week low set at $167.25, this company has one heck of a yearly range. Those who got in at the low and have still held on must be doing some kind of victory dance right about now.

Continue reading Priceline.com Reports Q3 Results: What About the Stock?

Priceline.com Reports Q3 Results: What About the Stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded Vivus (VVUS) to overweight from neutral.
• Citigroup upgraded Corn Products (CPO) to buy from hold.
• Maxim Integrated (MXIM) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Cardinal Health (CAH) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Citigroup upgraded Monster Worldwide (MWW) and EchoStar (SATS) to buy from hold, as well as Las Vegas Sands (LVS) to buy from sell.
• BMO Capital upgraded Potash (POT) and Barrick Gold (ABX) to outperform from market perform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CAH, EXPE, FSLR, HOT, LVS, MWW, NUVA, POT ...

Analyst Calls: CAH, EXPE, FSLR, HOT, LVS, MWW, NUVA, POT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BMO Capital upgraded Procter & Gamble (PG) to outperform from market perform as it views P&G's valuation as attractive and expects growth to pick up in the March quarter. The firm has a $74 price target for shares.
• Goldman upgraded Tupperware (TUP) to buy from neutral and raised its target for shares to $60 from $48.
• Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Scansource (SCSC) to buy from hold. The firm believes that the company's growth is poised to accelerate, allowing the stock's multiple to expand or even rise slightly. The firm has a $43 target for shares.
• CA Technologies (CA) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Brady (BRC) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at BMO Capital.
• Lukoil (LUKOY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMZN, BTU, CA, EXPE, MOT, OI, PG, SCSC, TSL, TUP ...

Analyst Calls: AMZN, BTU, CA, EXPE, MOT, OI, PG, SCSC, TSL, TUP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Options Traders Buying Host Hotels Calls and Leucadia National Puts

Options Traders Buying Host Hotels Calls and Leucadia National Puts originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Petroleo Brasiliero and Expedia Rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Priceline.com Receives Upgrade: Should Investors Buy?

Priceline.com Receives Upgrade: Should Investors Buy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 May 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings and declared an annual dividend.
• Allstate Corp. (ALL) swung to better-than-expected Q4 earnings and also swung to a full-year profit.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD) shares tumbled after it posted disappointing earnings tied to costs.
• The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (CAKE) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings but sales were flat.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) earnings numbers for Q4 resulted in upgrades from two analysts.
• CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) higher Q4 earnings matched the expectations of analysts, and shares rose.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Allstate, Marriott, PepsiCo, 3M, UBS, Viacom, WWE ...

Earnings Highlights: Allstate, Marriott, PepsiCo, 3M, UBS, Viacom, WWE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Online travel entity Expedia, inc. (EXPE), whose big competitor in the space is Priceline.com (PCLN), posted fourth-quarter data (this link opens to a .pdf file) on Thursday. Judging by the growth presented in the release, I believe one can say the company is executing its strategies pretty well.

Revenues increased 12%. Unfortunately, the margin on that revenue dipped. On the other hand, let's not forget that adjusted earnings expanded by over 30% to 30 cents per share. According to Reuters, analysts wanted 29 cents per share. Yep, it's the proverbial beat-by-a-penny scenario.

Continue reading Expedia Posts Strong Fourth Quarter

Expedia Posts Strong Fourth Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN), which was recently added to the S&P 500, is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2009 financial results in a conference call Monday, November 9, at 4:30 PM ET. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in September, Priceline announced a partnership with Ticketmaster (TKTM) and launched a rewards Visa card. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this leading online travel services provider to report that earnings for that period jumped 18.2% from a year ago to $2.92 per share. And revenue for the quarter is expected to be 23.6% higher to $693.9 million.

Continue reading Priceline.com earnings preview: A sweet deal in Q3?

Priceline.com earnings preview: A sweet deal in Q3? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE) closed at $26.36. EXPE is scheduled to discuss Q3 EPS on October 29. EXPE November option implied volatility of 53; December is at 49; near its 26-week average of 53 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) closed at $177.14. PCLN will be added to the NASDAQ-100 Index effective at the start of trading on October 29. PCLN is expected to report Q3 EPS in early November. PCLN November option implied volatility is at 43, December and January is at 40; below its 26-week average of 45, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

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

Options Update: Expedia volatility flat at 53 into EPS; shares near 22-month high originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Vacationers and professionals finally appear to be hitting the road, and many are relying on Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE) to handle the details," says Nathan Slaughter in Half-Priced Stocks.

The value investor explains, "Expedia's travel sites processed 15.3 million transactions during the second quarter, 18% above the same period last year. Howevver, the gross dollar amount of those bookings dipped slightly to $5.6 billion/

"Whenever you have more trips bringing in less money, it's a pretty good indication that prices are way down.

Continue reading Expedia (EXPE): Travel firm books gains

Expedia (EXPE): Travel firm books gains originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN), a web-based booking business that fights it out with Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE), was red-hot during yesterday's session. Shares closed higher by 14%. Volume rocked. The Q2 numbers were strong, and the market rewarded the results without hesitation.

Revenues increased 17%. According to TheStreet.com, adjusted profit of $2.02 per share walloped estimates. Wall Street was only booked for $1.79 per share. The analysts really missed this one. It's understandable, though. Whether we're close to the end of a recession or not is debatable, and I'm sure they wanted to be conservative with the models.

Continue reading Priceline surprises analysts with recession-resistant Q2

Priceline surprises analysts with recession-resistant Q2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.