The new earnings season doesn't kick off until Alcoa (AA) reports its first-quarter results on April 11, but a few stragglers are still reporting their earnings for the previous quarter this week. The most prominent earnings reports on tap are Wednesday's results from Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and from Monsanto (MON). Here's what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to see.

Bed Bath & Beyond

During its fiscal fourth quarter, the nation's largest domestics retailer opened new stores and its CEO sold shares. Analysts anticipate that the New Jersey-based company will report per-share earnings of 97 cents, an increase of 11.3% from the same quarter of last year. The company also is expected to post revenue of $2.4 billion for the three months that ended in February, a 6.3% rise from a year earlier.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings

Week in Preview: Bed Bath & Beyond, Monsanto and Pier 1 Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last month was certainly tough for gold. In fact, it was the worst January in about 20 years.

But as usual, there were many investors who thought that this was the end of the bull run. Hasn't gold risen for ten straight years? Isn't it time for a bear market?

Well, the fact is that corrections are normal, even for gold. And there is no reason to believe that the recent fall-off is yet another example.

Continue reading Investors Make a $102 Billion Bet on Gold

Investors Make a $102 Billion Bet on Gold originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

H&R Block (HRB) was in focus Tuesday morning, thanks to an SEC filing Monday that revealed Soros Fund Management boosted its stake in the tax preparer during the second quarter. The equity has inched moderately higher Tuesday morning, but option volume has soared well beyond HRB's usual levels. Within the first hour of trading, put volume surged to roughly 26 times the norm, with about 4,300 contracts changing hands.

HRB's January 2011 11-strike put was most active, with 4,140 contracts trading within the first hour of the session. About 97% of these puts changed hands at the ask price, implying they were purchased, and implied volatility on this out-of-the-money option rose 2.9 percentage points. With just 339 contracts in open interest at the January 11 put, it's a safe bet that new positions are being opened.

Continue reading Put Volume Spikes on H&R Block

Put Volume Spikes on H&R Block originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Without giving much detail, George Soros says "The euro is a patently flawed construct."

Let's elaborate on this point. The greatest flaw in the euro is that it's a currency without a country. Instead you have a group of 16 countries that have agreed to use the euro as legal tender. This means that 16 separate political systems have agreed in principle to follow the rules of engagement, to use a military term. Those rules state that each country must keep its debt level to 3% of GDP.

Continue reading Soros: Euro Is a 'Patently Flawed Construct'

Soros: Euro Is a 'Patently Flawed Construct' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading George Soros Says Financial Crisis Entering Act Two

George Soros Says Financial Crisis Entering Act Two originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In 1971, President Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard. On that day, world finance changed forever. What that meant is the Fed no longer backed the U.S. currency with gold. Now the currency was free to trade on a relative basis against other world currencies. Eventually, a U.S. dollar index contract was established on the NYMEX. The index is traded against a basket of currencies.

Now, 40 years later, the dollar is still dominant. Our economy went along merrily until we began racking up huge deficits. The deficits have become so great that we face a loss of confidence from investors in our ability to worm our way out of this mess. This year the Fed had to issue between $1.5 to $2 trillion dollars of notes and bonds. Investors are receiving only 4% on the 10-year note, whereas in the past the average yield was 7% to 9%.

Continue reading How Long Can the U.S. Dollar Maintain Its Dominance?

How Long Can the U.S. Dollar Maintain Its Dominance? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One of the world's leading investors is cautioning investors large and small not to expect the world's largest economy to be the primary engine of growth for the world, as it has in previous, post-World War II expansions.

Billionaire investor George Soros said the United States will be a drag on global growth, Reuters reported Friday.

Further, Soros, speaking at a forum sponsored by The Economist magazine held at the New York Stock Exchange, said if market fundamentals determined it, the U.S. dollar should be falling against China's currency, the yuan, which would allow the U.S. to contain its current account deficit, Reuters reported.

Continue reading Soros: U.S. economy will be a drag on global growth

Soros: U.S. economy will be a drag on global growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The clean technology wave just got a little bigger. This tends to be a side-effect of interest from billionaire investor George Soros. And, as usual, it's more than just money; it's more than just a return. Soros, yet again, is trying to save the world. Interestingly, the bold move was announced at a meeting on climate change sponsored by Project Syndicate - an international association consisting of 430 newspapers from 150 countries (and thus with clear ties to the past, rather than future).

The investor and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC is planning to put $1 billion into clean-tech opportunities using what he calls "rather stringent criteria," which involves being "profitable but should also actually make a contribution to solving the problem [i.e., of clean technology adoption and proliferation]." Soros didn't provide any other details on the nature or scope of his investments.

Continue reading Soros to put $1 billion into clean-tech companies

Soros to put $1 billion into clean-tech companies originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: The glass isn't half empty -- it's half full

Comfort Zone Investing: The glass isn't half empty -- it's half full originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Soros blasts bailout as one-sided

Soros blasts bailout as one-sided originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

George Soros is one of the truly legendary figures in world finance. He doesn't use fancy mathematics and he doesn't follow the crowd. In 2007 he predicted the coming collapse of the world financial system. Unlike other pundits, Soros has the courage to make huge bets, often using his "feelings" about what he sees is happening.

Continue reading George Soros says commercial property values to decline 30%

George Soros says commercial property values to decline 30% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Soros says world is witnessing end of pure, unregulated capitalism model

Soros says world is witnessing end of pure, unregulated capitalism model originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When financier George Soros makes a play, traders stand up and take notice. In 1992, Soros made $1 billion by selling the British pound.

Recently, he used the same strategy of betting against the pound. However, when the pound traded below $1.40 last Wednesday, Soros decided to cover his short position. The pound has traded up to $1.4256 against the dollar on Friday. As demand for the pound rose, it had the effect of putting pressure on the U.S. dollar.

Continue reading Soros covered his short position in the British pound

Soros covered his short position in the British pound originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We recently presented a look at some of the most notorious financial felons of contemporary times.

Since then, news has included the indictment of Mark Cuban for insider trading in a case that is somewhat reminiscent of Martha Stewart's case. According to the SEC, the billionaire entrepreneur asked his broker to sell all his shares of Mamma.com after the company's CEO confidentially told him of an impending stock offering that would dilute the value of all existing shares. By selling before the information became public, Cuban is said to have sidestepped losses of more than $750,000. Cuban insists, though, that no agreement existed to keep the information confidential.

And then there was the indictment in Texas of Vice President Dick Cheney, along with former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others. There seems to be a conflict of interest between the vice president's influence on the federal agency that oversees federal immigration detention centers and his substantial holdings in Vanguard Group, which invests in private prison companies. But does the lame-duck county district attorney, who was a no-show in court, have the authority to bring charges against federal officials with regard to federally run institutions?

Continue reading Financial Felons: Where are they now and is there a next generation coming?

Financial Felons: Where are they now and is there a next generation coming? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a feature in which we wonder whatever happened to some notorious financial felons. See all 17.

Just say it's been "a long and winding financial road" for billionaire investor George Soros -- but one that's had more smooth traveling than detours.

True, the Hungarian-born Soros was fined $2 million by a French court in 2002 for insider trading, which France's highest court upheld on an appeal on June 14, 2006, but other than that transgression, critics would be hard pressed to find other operational/financial flaws.

Soros is perhaps best known for one of the most cunning and successful short-term plays in investment fund history. On September 16, 1992 Soros sold short more than $10 billion worth of the British pound, after the Bank of England failed to raise interest rates. Soros' profit on the ensuing fall in the pound: about $1.1 billion.

Further, the other dimensions of Soros life that some critics would cite -- his social activism and philanthropy -- are viewed as positives by many others. Soros has promoted nonviolent democratization in Central and Eastern Europe, and other states, and pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to numerous universities globally and to antipoverty programs in Africa, among many other charitable acts.

Continue reading Financial Felons: George Soros

Financial Felons: George Soros originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday, the market had a swing of over 900 points as indexes hit new lows for the year and then pushed upward to close 6% or so higher. Overnight, markets in Asia and Europe staged rallies of their own.

The stock market may march up for a while, but that can't be sustained and the odds are likely that it will crash and make new lows again before year's end.

The fiction is that the markets trade based on what they see six months into the future. Perhaps they see GDP recovering by then. Not a chance.

George Soros said yesterday that there is some chance that the world economy will enter a depression next year. That may be extreme, but a majority of business leaders and economists who want to be heard on the subject say that this is the most significant downturn of their lifetimes.

There is a view that falling housing prices are at the core of the disaster that has overwhelmed the financial structure of the country and is now hurting everything from retail sales to tech company revenue. Housing may be helped by government programs, but if unemployment hits 8% or better next year, the number of people who have to give up their homes could rise sharply. Lower interest rates do not help people out of work.

Another misconception about the future is that oil prices will continue to fall. With some OPEC nation's facing budget deficits due to crude dropping from over $140 to $55, the cartel will have to cut production to meet demand. That may mean a huge cut, but OPEC can match the drop in the global need for oil with a paltry supply.

The stock market has not stopped going down.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Why a stock market rally can't be sustained originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Congress will bring in a bunch of big hedge fund managers like George Soros and ask them why they make so much money. It will also try to figure out if they control too much of the trading on Wall Street and borrow too much money from banks putting them at risk if the hedge funds default.

According to The Wall Street Journal, "Already, momentum is building to monitor hedge-fund activities more closely and curtail some trading activities, through greater regulatory oversight and lower borrowing limits, industry insiders said."

The government may be going a little too far here. For starters, hedge funds are private institutions with the exception of a couple which have gone public. To a large extent what they pay their traders is based on a formula which their customers accept. These fees are not forced on anyone. It is not an odd analogy to say that a farmer who makes $100 million because he owns 50,000 acres of corn has reaped what he deserves for his labor. But, he is not going to be in front of Congress testifying about what he made. Free enterprise has given him his reward.

On the issue of whether hedge funds borrow too much money and then put it as risk by making aggressive trades, that can be regulated from the side of the banks. If the government thinks banks take too many risks in lending, it can curtail that through actions by the FDIC or the Fed.

The great majority of hedge funds make their profits fair and square. Regulating risk in private enterprise takes the incentives out of making money for hedge fund clients. And, that damages the economy's ability to create wealth, and through that, demand for goods and services.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

Congress goes after hedge funds originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Soros sees ray of light in bank recapitalization plan

Soros sees ray of light in bank recapitalization plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Will the Paulson plan make money? Don't forget where we're getting the cash! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wilbur Ross, the world's most famous buyer of bankrupt companies, who is a sage in his own right, attacked the government''s bank bailout plan. Like Warren Buffett and George Soros, the media hangs on his comments. He has made a billion dollar fortune and is, therefore, considered smarter than most people, whether that is true of not.

Ross has a simple message. Savings banks will do nothing if mortgage-holders are not saved in the process. If the mortgage mess gets worse, banks will continue to have trouble over time, even if the Treasury does put $700 billion into the market.

Ross's comment was straight-forward. He told Reuters that "none of the recent actions to stabilize the financial system addressed the root of the problem -- helping Americans make their mortgage payments."

So, why is the government attacking the crisis from the wrong end of the system? The answer probably is that it is easier to save a small number of banks than it is to salvage hundreds of thousand of mortgages. Renegotiating all of those loans, resetting interest rates, and keeping some homes from foreclosure is simply too difficult a task. Many members of Congress do not view it that way. They want mortgage assistance programs added to the bailout bill.

Not matter what the level of challenge, the federal government has to give banks direct incentives to help the mortgage holder. Nothing can save the economy if hundreds of thousands of more home loans go into default. At that point, the real estate market could collapse and not recover for years.

The $700 billion rescue package would only be a drop in the bucket.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

A sage comment from Wilbur Ross originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.