I was a bit amused to hear Omaha Mayor Suttle unrolled the idea of a toilet paper tax, but I am not so sure he really thought this tissue through. At first glance, the tax of 10 cents per roll to pay for sewer projects seems like a fair user tax; but I think the politicians really should have contemplated this a little more. Is it really fair to women?

While certainly my heart goes out to politicians trying to balance spending all that money without the pesky things called taxes; but I don't think this idea is going to ... float. But I think it is important to give the politician partial credit for productivity; as I imagine they thought up this idea while in the john.

Continue reading A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really?

A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Forgive me but I am still fuming about what is going on in Washington with our money. Money that is disappearing faster and faster. No matter how much our representatives cut taxes and extend benefits, it is meaningless. What is the good of having twice as much money when it is worth only half.

Welcome to Washington D.C. -- home of the Great Pretenders.

We just think that our Capitol sits atop solid ground. I think if you swept away the top soil you would find a giant cardboard box because our leaders are certainly playing the biggest game of three-card Monte of all time.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Is Congress Indirectly Helping International Paper?

Chasing Value: Is Congress Indirectly Helping International Paper? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford Motor Company (F) is reducing its debt by more than $4 billion, primarily by retiring debt owed to the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust ahead of schedule. The company said it is taking the action to further strengthen its balance sheet as it gains momentum on its One Ford plan and remains on track to deliver solid profits and positive automotive operating-related cash flow this year. July put option implied volatility for Ford is at 54, December is at 48; verses its 26-week average of 45, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Continue reading Options Update: Ford Volatility Elevated, Strengthens Balance Sheet

Options Update: Ford Volatility Elevated, Strengthens Balance Sheet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There's a difference between a CEO that's paid well and one that's raking in loot he clearly doesn't deserve. The former may invoke a bit of ire in this economic climate, but when cooler heads prevail, the cash laid out is usually but a rounding error on the increases in market cap he's driven. An overpaid CEO, on the other hand ... well, it's a bit harder to justify the inflated package.

Kerri Chyka over at CNN Money reports that the Corporate Library sifted through the bloated and legit packages out there to let us know which top dogs are rolling in dough that should probably be left in the company coffers.

1. Michael Jeffries, Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF)
Last year, Michael Jeffries made $71.8 million in total, with a base salary of $1.5 million, according to corporate governance research firm, the Corporate Library. It even included a $6 million retention bonus ... because you want to hang on to a guy who the research firm calls one of the five "Highest Paid Worst Performers" of 2008. If that stings, Jeffries can hop on the Abercrombie corporate jet instead of running away. He's paid better than 75% of rival CEOs, while the share price generally underperformed them.

2. James W. Stewart, BJ Services Company (NYSE: BJS)
James Stewart had a good year in 2008, as it outperformed most of its peers, and he nailed a $34.6 million package. In all fairness, $30 million came from the value realized on stock options. The four years that preceded Stewart's strong performance, on the other hand, were lackluster. The future, it seems, is immaterial, as Baker Hughes picked up BJ Services last month, and Stewart will probably be out the door at the end of the year, when the deal closes.

Continue reading Five overpaid CEOs to make you jealous

Five overpaid CEOs to make you jealous originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) a building materials systems and composite solutions company, is expected to report Q1 EPS on April 30. OC May call option implied volatility is at 87, puts are at 97; above its 26-week average of 79, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

International Paper (NYSE: IP) closed at $8.80. IP is expected to report Q1 EPS in late April. IP May option implied volatility of 111 is above its 26-week average of 83, according to Track Data, suggesting large share price movement.

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

Options Update: Material companies' volatility elevated on recent rally originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) earnings prospects garnered an analyst's upgrade.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) warned of a loss for the quarter due to the economic slowdown.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) posted lower Q2 profit and revenue that missed estimates.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) Q2 profit fell but beat estimates, and it reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) swung to a Q4 loss and warned that low demand will continue.
• Hartford Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG) posted a loss, cut its dividend, and offered weak guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Toyota, Disney, Merck, Marathon, News Corp. and others

Earnings highlights: Toyota, Disney, Merck, Marathon, News Corp. and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Accenture Ltd. (NYSE: ACN) reported strong Q1 numbers as its clients sought ways to cut costs.
• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) may interest short sellers despite its earnings prospects for 2009.
• International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) to shed dead wood to reduce the impact of the recession on earnings.
• Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) withdrew Q4 profit and revenue guidance, sending shares lower.
• Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) lowered its Q4 earnings forecast to well below analysts' estimates.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) forecast its first-ever loss for the fiscal year on lower demand/higher yen.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) missed Q1 expectations and announced cost cutting and store redesign.

Also, bank earnings will be hit next by cancelled M&A deals.

Earnings releases scheduled for early January include Navistar (NYSE: NAV), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), and Monsanto (NYSE: MON).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Walgreen, Toyota, Best Buy, International Paper and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Paper (NYSE: IP), the largest paper products firm in the world, has not been immune to the global economic crisis.

As businesses continue to forecast retraction or slow growth at best, the demand for the products manufactured and distributed by International Paper is experiencing a sharp decline as well.

Despite the difficulty in the economy, the company is holding its leading position as producer of uncoated paper, industrial and commercial packaging, and pulp. It also distributes printing and specialty packaging to the graphic arts industry through its subsidiary, Xpedx.

Recent moves by International Paper appear to have been designed to reduce the impact of the recessionary environment on company earnings. The company has slimmed down significantly, selling its specialty chemical operations, disposing of the majority of its lumber and wood products businesses, and selling most of its 6.3 million acres of forestland, while retaining much of its substantial holdings of Brazilian forestland.

With more than $9.6 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet, International Paper remains a highly leveraged company. Its long-term debt-to-equity ratio is 1.28 compared with the industry average of 0.82. Its total debt-to-equity ratio is 1.36.

Continue reading Paper giant moves to ease recession impact

Paper giant moves to ease recession impact originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Allegiant Travel Co. (NASDAQ: ALGT) beat estimates with soaring Q1 revenues, bucking the airline trend.
• Apache Corp. (NYSE: APA) Q1 profits doubled but fell short of expectations.
• Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) posted solid Q1 results despite negative operational cash flow.
• Centex Corp. (NYSE: CTX) posted a Q4 loss well below analyst estimates.
• Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI) profits plunged in the first quarter on litigation charges.
• Countrywide Financial Corp. (NYSE: CFC) posted another big loss, way off estimates of a small profit.
• Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) posted its first quarterly loss since 2003 on write-downs.
• Gardner Denver Inc. (NYSE: GDI) beat Q1 expectations and raised its outlook for the year.
• International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) fell short of Wall Street's Q1 earnings estimates.
• Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE: JEC) beat Q1 estimates and offered fully-year guidance.
• KBR Inc. (NYSE: KBR) Q1 profit more than doubled on arbitration benefit.
• MasterCard Inc. (NYSE: MA) topped analysts' expectations as Q1 profits more than doubled.
• Office Depot Inc. (NYSE: ODP) Q1 profits tumbled 55% but still beat analysts' estimates.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Countrywide, Visa, MasterCard, KBR, Office Depot and others

Earnings highlights: Countrywide, Visa, MasterCard, KBR, Office Depot and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 May 2008 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) shares are falling after the company posted an adjusted first-quarter profit of 41 cents per share, below analysts' predictions of 50 cents per share. IP was hurt by higher raw material costs during the quarter. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on IP.

After hitting a one-year high of $41.57 in July, the stock hit a one-year low of $26.59 in March. This morning, IP opened at $26.44. So far today the stock has hit a low of $25.81 and a high of $26.88. As of 12:15, IP is trading at $25.96, down 1.35 (-4.8%). The chart for IP looks bearish and steady, while S&P gives the stock a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold rating.

For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider a July bear-call credit spread above the $30 range. A bear-call credit spread is an options position that combines the purchase and sale of call options to hedge risk in case the stock doesn't do what you think but still leverage nice returns. For this particular trade, we will make a 4.2% return in three months as long as IP is below $30 at July expiration. IP would have to rise by more than 15% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

Continue reading International Paper (IP) Q1 earnings miss estimates

International Paper (IP) Q1 earnings miss estimates originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan downgraded International Paper (NYSE: IP) to Neutral from Overweight and said its purchase of Weyerhaeuser's (NYSE: WY) containerboard business will shift the company's focus back to North America and result in a less attractive product mix given increased OCC exposure.
  
• Merriman downgraded shares of Dynavax Tech (NASDAQ: DVAX) to Neutral from Buy after the company's hepatitis B vaccine was placed on clinical hold.
  
• Merrill cut Telecom Italia (NYSE: TI) to Neutral from buy as they expect stronger competition and regulatory measures to cut prices.

• Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) was downgraded to Neutral from Accumulate at Buckingham.
  
• ViewPoint Financial (NASDAQ: VPFG) was lowered to Market Perform from Outperform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Bear downgraded Siemens (NYSE: SI) to Peer Perform from Outperform.

Analyst downgrades: International Paper, Dynavax Tech, Telecom Italia originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says the Weyerhaeuser and Bristol-Myers stories slipped under the radar yesterday.

Did anyone even see that Weyerhaeuser (NYSE: WY) (Cramer's Take) made this great trade with International Paper (NYSE: IP) (Cramer's Take), getting out of the commodity container board business and pulling in $6 billion to reduce debt? To me, anytime you get out of a commodity business you lift your multiple, even if the rest is constrained by the housing-related lumber business.

Or how about the story that Bristol-Myers (NYSE: BMY) (Cramer's Take) might sell its baby-food business for a big chunk of change, another $6 billion.

Hmm, $12 billion in shuffles, both good for the shufflers, and no one really cares.

That's the problem with the endless focus on the financials, something I know I am falling prey to, too. Because of the focus, for example, I also missed that Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) (Cramer's Take) traded back to $68 and change after trading up to $75, a terrific opportunity.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Financial fixation can cost you

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Financial fixation can cost you originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Paper boxes division of Weyerhaeuser for $6 billion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Citigroup upgraded shares of International Paper (NYSE: IP) to Buy from Hold on valuation and their belief that recent declines in the dollar will support pulp, paper and paperboard prices going forward.
  
• Autodesk (NASDAQ: ADSK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Jefferies after their proprietary survey yielded positive data points going into Q3. They also raised their estimates due to currency. Broadpoint raised its rating on Oracle to Buy from Neutral on valuation following the recent underperformance.
  
• Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) was also upgraded to Sector Outperformer from Sector Performer at CIBC, as they believe the company's growing product portfolio, improving margins and successful acquisition strategy should continue to drive double-digit EPS gains.
  
• William Blair added Vistaprint (NASDAQ: VPRT) to its Current Better Values List. The firm believes the company has a large market opportunity and expects its business momentum to continue. They view the recent weakness as a buying opportunity.

• Merrill Lynch upgraded Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) to Neutral from Sell.
  
• UBS upgraded Eagle Bulk Shipping (NASDAQ: EGLE) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Affiliated Managers Group (NYSE: AMG) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.
  
• Banc of America upgraded Andersons (NASDAQ: ANDE) to Buy from Neutral.

Analyst upgrades: IP, ADSK, ORCL and VPRT originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lots more quarterly reports rolled out this past week, and here are some highlights of earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) reported more losses and more job cuts.
• Alvarion Ltd.'s (NASDAQ: ALVR) record quarter fuels speculation of a Cisco (NYSE: CSCO) buyout.
• Avon Products Inc.'s (NYSE: AVP) profit rose 61%, buoyed by strength in emerging markets.
• Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) fell short of expectations due to tighter margins.
• CIGNA Corp. (NYSE: CI) had a solid quarter but warned about 2008 earnings.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) blamed profit loss on materals costs, and announced acquistion of Burt's Bees.
• Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) beat estimates by a penny and had strong sales overseas.
• Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) beat earnings estimates and revised its full-year forecast.
• Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) announced it would restate revenues, ahead of its November quarterly report.
• Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) missed expectations, also due to tighter margins.
• Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: GIVN) cited FDA approval delays for disappointing results.
• Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) posted record revenues and appointed a new CFO.
• Humana Inc.'s (NYSE: HUM) positive surprise lifted the share price to a new all-time high.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Crocs, Exxon, Kraft, P&G, Sirius, and others

Earnings highlights: Crocs, Exxon, Kraft, P&G, Sirius, and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading International Paper's slightly down, but not nearly out

International Paper's slightly down, but not nearly out originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Volunteer State is the home of Elvis Presley and the Grand Old Opry, former Vice President Al Gore, presidential candidate Fred Thompson, and the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Economically, Tennessee is the home of textiles, cotton, cattle, and electricity production, as well as mega corporations such as FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP). And it is also the home of four companies from Fortune's 2007 list of the fastest growing public companies in the U.S.: Psychiatric Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: PSYS), Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: PNFP), Miller Industries Inc. (NYSE: MLR), and First Acceptance Corp. (NYSE: FAC).

At number 49 on Fortune's list was Psychiatric Solutions (PSI), the Franklin-based health care provider, which has grown in part through acquisitions. It has 900 psychiatric hospitals in 30 states, and operates in-patient facilities for other hospitals and government organizations. PSI's three-year revenue growth was 50%; three-year earnings per share growth at 76%. In July, PSI reported a record second quarter and a Lehman Brothers analyst expects PSI to meet or beat expectations in the current quarter. The consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial is that PSI is a buy, but Standard & Poor's is among those that consider PSI a strong buy. The share price was $39.90 on at the close on Friday.

Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners is the holding company for Pinnacle National Bank, and holds assets of more than $2 billion. Pinnacle's three-year revenue growth was 81%, and its three-year earnings per share growth was 46%. Despite a strong second quarter report, the share price dropped to a 52-week low of $21.62 in August, but has bounced back since to $30.63 at the close on Friday. In September, a Pinnacle director bought 5,000 common shares of PNFP, and Pinnacle was among southern regional banks considered good bets despite the current credit climate. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial consider Pinnacle Financial a buy.

Continue reading Investing in Tennessee: Pinnacle Financial (PNFP), Miller Industries (MLR), and others

Investing in Tennessee: Pinnacle Financial (PNFP), Miller Industries (MLR), and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Oct 2007 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• CIBC cut SanDisk Corp (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Sector Performer from Outperformer on valuation.

• Nationwide Financial (NYSE: NFS) was downgraded to Underweight from Equal-Weight at Morgan Stanley on valuation.

• Ferris Baker cut Unica Corp (NASDAQ: UNCA) to Sell from Hold following the company's announcement that it has dismissed auditors Ernst & Young. Montgomery downgraded Unica to Hold from Buy on valuation.

• International Paper (NYSE: IP) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse on valuation.

• UBS downgraded the Apartment REIT sector to Underweight and downgraded BRE Properties (NYSE: BRE), Camden Property Trust (NYSE: CPT) and Meruelo Maddux Properties (NASDAQ: MMPI) to Neutral from Buy...

• JP Morgan cut Moody's Corp (NYSE: MCO) to Neutral from Overweight.

• Lehman downgraded Powerwave Technologies (NASDAQ: PWAV) to Equal-Weight from Overweight.

• Goldman downgraded Target Corp (NYSE: TGT) to Neutral from Buy.

Analyst downgrades 7-02-07: NFS, PWAV, SNDK, TGT and UNCA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• JP Morgan upgraded shares of the New York Times Co (NYSE: NYT) to Neutral from Underweight to reflect easier advertising sales comparisons the rest of the year and the possibility for a stepped-up buyback program.

• Friedman Billings upgraded New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYB) to Market Perform from Underperform with an $18 target.

• Bernstein upgraded shares of Cadbury Schweppes (NYSE: CSG) to Outperform from Market Perform and revised its sum-of-the-parts and "real options" analysis. The firm still sees major upside and limited downside at these levels.

• Matrix believes higher selling prices and lower costs are improving profit margins at International Paper (NYSE: IP).

• TurboChef Technologies (NASDAQ: OVEN) was upgraded to Sector Perform from Underperform following Q1 results...

• Citigroup upgraded H.J. Heinz Co (NYSE: HNZ) to Buy from Hold with a $52 target.

• AG Edwards raised Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE: OFC) to Buy from Hold.

• Baird transitioned coverage of Pike Electric Corp (NYSE: PEC) with an Outperform rating, up from Neutral.

• Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPW) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Stifel.

• Buckingham raised Eaton Corp (NYSE: ETN) to Strong Buy from Accumulate.

Analyst upgrades 5-24-07: CSG, HNZ, IP, NYT and OVEN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 May 2007 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• UBS downgraded First Data Corp (NYSE: FDC) to Neutral from Buy following the acquisition by KKR.

• Pinnacle Entertainment (NYSE: PNK) was cut to Hold from Buy at Matrix USA, as the firm believes post-hurricane reconstruction efforts are leading to significant capital expenditures, which limits upside.

• Cephalon Inc (NASDAQ: CEPH) was removed from American Technology's Focus List with shares up 15% in three weeks as the approval of Nuvigil without a Black Box warning has passed.

• JP Morgan cut shares of Verint Systems (NASDAQ: VRNT) to Underweight from Neutral, citing risks and costs associated from the Witness Systems' (WITS) acquisition.

• Labor Ready, Inc (NYSE: LRW) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman based on the slowdown in U.S. residential construction activity.

• Citigroup downgraded International Paper Co (NYSE: IP) to Hold from Buy with a $39 target.

• Bernstein cut MedImmune, Inc (NASDAQ: MEDI) to Market Perform from Outperform.

• Sanders Morris downgraded Dreamworks Animation SKG, Inc (NYSE: DWA) to Neutral from Buy on valuation.

• JP Morgan downgraded Icagen, Inc (NASDAQ: ICGN) to Neutral from Overweight.

• Friedman Billings cut CompuDyne Corp (NASDAQ: CDCY) to Market Perform from Outperform following Q4 results.

• Roth Capital cut LivePerson, Inc (NASDAQ: LPSN) to Sell from Hold.

Analyst downgrades 4-04-07: Cephalon, First Data & Dreamworks Animation downgraded today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.