Shares of toy maker Hasbro Inc. (HAS) rose in early morning trading after the toy maker posted better-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter before the market opened.

Going into the earnings report, analysts had been expecting to see Hasbro report earnings of $0.92 per share, but actual earnings came in at $0.99. Earnings were down though from $1.09 during the same period last year.

Continue reading Hasbro Trades Higher on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Hasbro Trades Higher on Better-Than-Expected Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Signal Higher Start on Wall Street

U.S. Stock Futures Signal Higher Start on Wall Street originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's take a quick look at two companies that reported earnings earlier in the week. One is a favorite of chocolate lovers while the other is all fun and games.

We'll start with the sweeter of the two, Hershey (HSY), which posted its release on Wednesday. The Associated Press indicates that fourth-quarter adjusted income of 61 cents per share only equaled what the analysts were looking for. If you're a shareholder, you probably were disappointed. After all, you always want a beat. If the bottom line didn't go beyond the forecast, there's always the top line, right?

Continue reading Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Mattel

Two Quarterly Reports: Hershey and Mattel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Dominion (D) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Corinthian Colleges (COCO) to outperform from underperform at RBC Capital.
• Canadian National (CNI) to sector outperformer from sector performer at CIBC.
• DragonWave (DRWI) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Infosys (INFY) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• SL Green Realty (SLG), Lexington Realty (LXP) and Taubman Centers (TCO) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Sunstone Hotel (SHO) to buy from neutral and Extra Space Storage (EXR) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AEP, CCL, CNI, D, FDX, HAS, INFY, MAT, RCL, S, T, UPS, VZ ...

Analyst Calls: AEP, CCL, CNI, D, FDX, HAS, INFY, MAT, RCL, S, T, UPS, VZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Toymaker Hasbro Inc. (HAS), was first discussed on June 22, 2009, at a price of $24.30. This autumn it tested major psychological resistance at $50, before pulling back, but I still like the shares at this juncture. Here's why:

Look for Hasbro's revenue to rise about 4% to 6% in 2011, as toy sales accelerate from 2010's likely modest 2% to 2.5% rise. The frugal consumer era in the United States continues, but new product introductions, and adequate performance by established brand (Playskool, Nerf), will satisfy investors, for now.

Continue reading Is Hasbro's Recent Dip a Healthy Correction?

Is Hasbro's Recent Dip a Healthy Correction? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two stocks come to mind when thinking about Christmas: Hasbro (HAS) and Mattel (MAT). Last year around this time, I discussed Hasbro. This year, I thought I'd take a brief look at Mattel.

The owner of the iconic Barbie industry has been trading in a relatively tight range over the past twelve months. The 52-week low is $19.07, and the 52-week high is $26.70. The shares closed down 1.3% on Thursday to settle at a quote of $25.88. (Hasbro likewise faced selling pressure on that day, losing over 2%.) The chart shows some rocky sideways action, followed by an uptrend.

Continue reading Mattel: A Christmas Stock Worth a Closer Look

Mattel: A Christmas Stock Worth a Closer Look originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro Up After Earnings News

Hasbro Up After Earnings News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I first discussed Hasbro Inc. (HAS) on June 22, 2009, at a price of $24.30. The toymaker has broken though resistance at $40 and powered higher, and obviously I still like the shares.

Look for Hasbro's revenue to rise 2% to 3% in 2010, as toy sales eek out a small gain from 2009's level, as the "frugal consumer" era in the United States continues. Hasbro's positives in 2010? Product diversity, strength in the Nerf brand, and royalties from its Electronic Arts (ERTS) agreement.

Continue reading Hasbro Powers Higher

Hasbro Powers Higher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading How Is Hasbro Doing?

How Is Hasbro Doing? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Friday, Mattel (MAT) sold off after reporting its latest quarterly results. Today, that company's major enemy in the business, Hasbro (HAS), finds itself on the receiving end of a bearish onslaught. The selling seen this session, however, isn't as bad as what occurred last week, when Mattel dropped a couple bucks. Still, it could be disappointing to shareholders.

Hasbro is down 1.3% in afternoon trading at the time of this writing. Not too bad, but the stock, which is exchanging hands around the $39 mark, has pulled back from the 52-week high of $43.71, a level that was achieved just last month.

Continue reading Hasbro Down on Q2 News

Hasbro Down on Q2 News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro Is Having Fun Today

Hasbro Is Having Fun Today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro: Toy Sector Star

Hasbro: Toy Sector Star originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Suncor (SU) to outperform from sector perform following the Q1 report and FY10 production guidance. The firm has a $46 target on the stock.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) to outperform from market perform. The firm expects the company to report higher-than-expected Q1 revenue and guidance, as it thinks a late cycle ad recovery is occurring.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Power Integrations (POWI) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results and subsequent sell-off. The firm has a $43 price target for shares.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) was upgraded to buy from hold at ING Group.
• Sapient (SAPE) was raised to conviction buy from buy at Goldman and to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Powerwave (PWAV) was upgraded to buy from hold at Befferies and to buy from neutral at Merriman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ...

Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 May 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) strong Q1 results beat earnings expectations, and yet shares sold off.
• American Express Co. (AXP) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, which lifted shares.
• Apple Inc. (AAPL) shares rose to a new all-time high after it said earnings surged 90% in its Q2.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) beat Q1 earnings estimates but weaker-than-expected revenue sent shares lower.
• eBay Inc. (EBAY) shares sold off after Q1 earnings were in line with expectations and guidance was weak.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Hershey, IBM ...

Earnings Highlights: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Hershey, IBM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hasbro, Inc. (HAS) had a notable trading day. The company's shares hit a new 52-week high of $40.77 after the first-quarter earnings report was distributed to the market. Volume was strong during the session.

Quite frankly, I look upon Hasbro as a very viable candidate for investment capital. Why do I say this? Well, I think we've got a nice combination of technical and fundamental strength. And let us start with the technical side of things. Check out the one-year chart. Not a bad trend, huh? Wall Street is clearly positive on the future prospects of the toy maker. Put this chart together with the 52-week high and you've got yourself a compelling price-action thesis.

Continue reading Hasbro Hits New 52-Week High on Earnings

Hasbro Hits New 52-Week High on Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Friday, Bank of America (BAC) and Mattel (MAT) reported first-quarter earnings data. How do these two look after their respective releases?

Let's go with the financial business first. Bank of America is a solid brand in the money-services arena. Over the last year, the stock has risen very nicely, as the BAC chart clearly shows. Shares of the company were quite close to the 52-week high of $19.86 on Thursday before the Q1 numbers were sent to the market.

Continue reading How Do Bank of America and Mattel Look After Their Reports?

How Do Bank of America and Mattel Look After Their Reports? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded ConocoPhillips (COP) to outperform from perform after the company sold its stake in Syncrude. The firm has a $70 price target for shares.
• Leerink upgraded UnitedHealth (UNH) to outperform from market perform. The firm sees upside to the company's 2010 guidance and finds shares attractively valued at currently levels.
• Citigroup upgraded both Mirant (MIR) and RRI Energy (RRI) to hold from sell after the two companies agreed to merge.
• Cooper Companies (COO) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• A123 Systems (AONE) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, COP, GWW, HAS, HOG, NATL, PCLN, UNH, UTX ...

Analyst Calls: AA, COP, GWW, HAS, HOG, NATL, PCLN, UNH, UTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded Legg Mason (LM) to market perform from underperform, citing stabilizing outflows and an improved liquidity position.
• Walmart (WMT) was upgraded to buy from hold by Citigroup on expectations the company will regain market share from aggressive price cuts.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Kirkland's (KIRK) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q4 results.
• Greenbrier (GBX) was upgraded to buy from hold by KeyBanc as the company believes that railcar fundamentals have improved.
• Citigroup upgraded WM Morrison (MRWSY) to buy from sell.
• HSBC raised Millicom (MICC) to overweight from neutral.
• HealthSouth (HLS) was raised to outperform from market perform by Raymond James.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKAM, HAS, ICE, KIRK, LM, PEET, RSH, WMT ...

Analyst Calls: AKAM, HAS, ICE, KIRK, LM, PEET, RSH, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hasbro Powers Ahead

Hasbro Powers Ahead originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) received an analyst's upgrade ahead of next week's Q4 earnings report.
• Acer Inc. reported its highest quarterly earnings in almost three years due in part to growth in shipments.
• Baidu Inc. (BIDU) swung to a better-than-expected Q4 profit, with strong revenue growth, and offered rosy guidance.
• Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) offered an upside surprise as well as full-year earnings above Wall Street estimates.
• Coinstar Inc. (CSTR) strong quarterly results and guidance, as well as litigation concerns, failed to inspire Wall Street.
• Coca-Cola Co. (KO) posted strong Q4 and full-year earnings results due to growth in emerging markets.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Acer, Baidu, Coca-Cola, Disney, Hasbro, Sprint ...

Earnings Highlights: Acer, Baidu, Coca-Cola, Disney, Hasbro, Sprint ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.