Continue reading Closing Bell: Mixed Fanfare on Wall Street (AAPL, BRK-B, GE, LUV, SMH, MCD, OREX)

Closing Bell: Mixed Fanfare on Wall Street (AAPL, BRK-B, GE, LUV, SMH, MCD, OREX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There have been many lessons to learn from the "Great Recession." But while the message is often clear, we can't always muster the courage, discipline or consensus to act on these lessons.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is about to enter its second season -- the playoffs. And for a Laker fan in Los Angeles, there is much to look forward to. However, the current NBA collective bargaining agreement will end and we will have to witness another battle between the billionaires and the millionaires.

Why can't the NBA learn from other businesses that have successfully maneuvered through economic turmoil to achieve profitability?

Continue reading Chasing Value: The NBA Should Learn from Others

Chasing Value: The NBA Should Learn from Others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks Q1 Review -- A Platform for Success

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks Q1 Review -- A Platform for Success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stock Futures Slightly Higher Ahead of Data

Stock Futures Slightly Higher Ahead of Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With several major developments occurring around the world, many investors may wonder how they could affect their portfolios or their lives. Here are two of the current, newsworthy events and how investors may interpret them.

Libya

The oil from Libya totaled about 2 million barrels a day before the revolution, half of which was exported. About 1 million barrels a day are no longer available to the world. That isn't enough to really affect the price of oil for a long period of time. Plenty of other countries can supply that amount without straining their capacity. But they're unlikely to step in to fill the gap when oil prices are above $100 a barrel. That price should recede once the conflict finishes and a more stable government is in place.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Libya and Japan -- What They Mean for Investors

Comfort Zone Investing: Libya and Japan -- What They Mean for Investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A relief rally recovery is how you would describe Monday. The no-fly zone success of Libya over the weekend and the 'no more bad news' out of Japan were the two major contributors today. The US even announced that it would begin selling off the Treasury's $142 billion mortgage-backed securities portfolio.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels today:

Dow Jones 12,036.53 +178.01 (1.50%)
S&P 500 1,298.38 +19.18 (1.50%)
Nasdaq 2,692.09 +48.42 (1.83%)

Top Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

Continue reading Closing Bell: How Do You Spell Relief? (T, SCHW, OXPS, C, GE, EWJ, TIF)

Closing Bell: How Do You Spell Relief? (T, SCHW, OXPS, C, GE, EWJ, TIF) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Lubrizol Volatility Flat into Berkshire Hathaway Acquisition for $9.7B originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Monday could have been far worse. Japan led things south with news that the nuclear reactors were not shut down and could pose serious risks ahead. This sent Japan's NIKKEI 225 down more than 6% and back under the dreaded 10,000 mark. US markets held up better than expected, while news that Saudi troops were being asked to enter into protect Bahrain's infrastructure sent oil back up. US markets came back from larger losses late in the session.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 11,993.16 -51.24 (-0.43%)
S&P 500 1,296.39 -7.89 (-0.60%)
Nasdaq 2,700.97 -14.64 (-0.54%)

Top analyst upgrades and downgrades
Top Japanese fund, ETF, and ADR movers

Continue reading Closing Bell: Woes Move from North Africa to Japan (FSLR, BTU, CCJ, CBLI, NDAQ, NYX, BAC, GE, TM)

Closing Bell: Woes Move from North Africa to Japan (FSLR, BTU, CCJ, CBLI, NDAQ, NYX, BAC, GE, TM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is the fourth update to my ranting eight months ago that acquiring six of the most hated, and most highly traded stocks with constant negative headlines would outperform the overall market. The theory has born fruit as the toxic stocks are ahead and the difference is increasing over time.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Toxic Stock Update #4 -- BAC, BP, C, GE, GS, RIG

Chasing Value: Toxic Stock Update #4 -- BAC, BP, C, GE, GS, RIG originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) is sitting on $38 billion in cash. Buffett sent a 26-page letter to investors on Saturday, describing his forthcoming goals for this year. Some highlights of the letter are reported in Reuters.

First off, like many other large corporations Berkshire Hathaway has been hoarding cash. Now, Buffett feels that it's time to invest his bundle. He is actively searching for big deals. Reuters quotes him as saying: "Our elephant gun has been reloaded, and my trigger finger is itchy."

Continue reading Buffett's 'Trigger Finger Is Itchy' for Deals

Buffett's 'Trigger Finger Is Itchy' for Deals originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Political and social change in the Middle East has rattled the oil market -- with crude nearing $100 per barrel, but when conditions on the ground stabilize, the global economic growth story will likely be intact, and that's a good reason to own diversified industrial giant General Electric Company (GE), first discussed on March 2, 2009, at a price of $13.80.

GE's stock has vectored above $20 this winter, pushing $22 before pulling back slightly, but I obviously still like the shares. Here's why:

Continue reading Is General Electric Headed to $25 and Beyond?

Is General Electric Headed to $25 and Beyond? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) reported earnings for the fourth quarter on Wednesday. Today, the company's shares hit a new 52-week high of $25.39 during the intraday session (there's still more than two hours left until the closing bell rings, so that high point could eventually change).

The 52-week low for the cable business is $15.55. The one-year chart tracks the positive momentum of the equity. Will the stock break out to new heights from this juncture?

Continue reading Comcast Attracts Bullish Sentiment Following Latest Report

Comcast Attracts Bullish Sentiment Following Latest Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

CBS Corporation (CBS) issued its fourth-quarter report after the bell today. The results should make shareholders happy. Adjusted net income rose an incredible 77% to 46 cents per share, according to the press release. That number went beyond the estimate by two pennies as indicated by TheFly.

Considering how the stock has fared over the past twelve months, one would have expected a good earnings report. The 52-week low for the shares is $12.26 while the 52-week high is $22.25. The chart communicates a company backed by some solid momentum.

Continue reading CBS Tops Estimate in Q4: Buy the Stock?

CBS Tops Estimate in Q4: Buy the Stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Based on what I was reading going into the weekend, I thought the multiplex was going to be an unexciting place. I was therefore rather surprised to see what I thought were relatively impressive numbers attached to the top films.

According to early estimates for domestic grosses at Box Office Mojo, Sony's (SNE) Just Go With It, starring Adam Sandler, is so far credited with a first-place showing; the movie is believed to have made about $31 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. But Viacom's (VIA.B) Justin Bieber: Never Say Never product isn't giving up without a fight. At the time of writing, it was in second place with $30.3 million. Essentially, it's a tie.

Continue reading Viacom's Bieber Film Gives Sony's Sandler Project a Fight

Viacom's Bieber Film Gives Sony's Sandler Project a Fight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:00:00 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.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Picks Dust the S&P

Chasing Value: 2011 Picks Dust the S&P originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you think the economic recovery is just beginning, then these three stocks will benefit. They've just released their earnings so you can see how they've fared even in these tough times. They all share positive attributes: plenty of cash, growing sales and earnings, and a dividend.

General Electric (GE): This stock has been a frustration for years. It cut the dividend. The price went from $38 a share to $8 from 2008 to 2009. Now it's coming back. The latest quarterly and annual reports for 2010 confirm the company's finally seeing better demand for most of its products and services.

GE mirrors the economy because it's in so many different parts of it. Here are only some of its offerings: jet engines, light bulbs, credit, mortgage finance, appliances, power plants, locomotives, electric distribution and control equipment, generators and turbines, real estate, commercial finance, aircraft leasing, NBC Universal, health care and several more. When the economy does well, so does GE.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Ride the Recovery with These Three Stocks

Comfort Zone Investing: Ride the Recovery with These Three Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: A Stealth Rally from Somewhere (AA, C, GE, INTC, MCD, NVDA, CRM)

Closing Bell: A Stealth Rally from Somewhere (AA, C, GE, INTC, MCD, NVDA, CRM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wow. General Electric Company (GE) is up 7.9% to $19.89 as I write this. Volume is strong. I wish I could say I was participating in today's rally, but alas, I am not. Late last year, I sold out of my GE position, as I explain in this article. I obviously could have sold at a higher price, but hey, I needed to sell when I did; that's just how it goes.

I like the price action I'm seeing, and I believe the Q4 profit report was solid. According to the Associated Press, continuing operations captured 36 cents per share, four pennies above the projection. Probably of more significant note in some respects is the top-line performance: the AP stated that net sales increased on a year-over-year basis, a feat that hasn't been observed for quite a while.

Continue reading GE's Electric Rise After Q4 Report: Take Profits or Not?

GE's Electric Rise After Q4 Report: Take Profits or Not? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two of the three major indexes opened higher on a solid earnings report from General Electric Company (GE), although a quarterly loss from Bank of America Corporation (BAC) and weak earnings from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) kept a lid on the rise. Oil prices have continued to decline today, trading below $89.50. Gold prices, too, have posted a second-day of falling prices, though today's drop is modest compared with yesterday's dive. In the currency markets, the euro has gained against the dollar for a second day in a row.

Here are the unofficial closing bell numbers for today:

Dow Jones: 11,871.84 +49.04 (0.41%)
S&P 500: 1,283.35 +3.09 (0.24%)
Nasdaq: 2,689.54 -14.75 (-0.55%)

Continue reading Closing Bell: Stocks Move Up Slightly on Mostly Good Earnings Reports (WMG, ORCC, HUGH, ACOR, VVUS)

Closing Bell: Stocks Move Up Slightly on Mostly Good Earnings Reports (WMG, ORCC, HUGH, ACOR, VVUS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.