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Home resales up 9.4% in September, prices fall

Existing homes are starting to move again. Last month, home resales hit their highest level in more than two years, thrashing expectations. The 9.4% increase in home resales -- which entails a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.57 million -- is attributed largely to the deadline for the first-time home buyer tax credit.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the annualized, seasonally adjusted rate is up from the 5.1 million in August and far ahead of the 5.35 million expected for September (based on economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters).

Continue reading Home resales up 9.4% in September, prices fall

Las Vegas Sands posts a quarterly profit

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) announced that first-quarter adjusted profit totaled a penny per share, thanks to cost reductions and more Macau visitors. These results excluded some items, and topped the consensus estimate for a loss of roughly 2.5 cents per share.

LVS announced that its "fundamentals are getting better," with improving gaming revenue and tourism classified as "OK." The company also hopes that some visa restrictions may be removed, which could help its efforts to start a rally.

LVS has lowered its worker hours and cut jobs in order to cut costs and avoid potential defaults. The company also stopped a condominium development in Vegas and halted construction in Macau to help withstand the recession.

Continue reading Las Vegas Sands posts a quarterly profit

MGM Mirage banks earnings thanks to Treasure Island sale

MGM Mirage hotel in Las VegasMGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) showed its hand in the earnings confessional Monday night after the close. The gaming firm banked 38 cents per share, or $105.2 million, compared with year-ago results of 40 cents ($118.3 million). Net revenue was down 20% to $1.5 billion.

Excluding gains related to the sale of Treasure Island resort, the company lost six cents per share, falling short of analysts' estimates. MGM CEO and Chairman Jim Murren told investors in a conference call that while room rates are "firming" and overall demand seems improved, "[MGM] is not out of the woods yet by any stretch in this market ... at least [visitors] have got their wallets in their pockets [now] and they're spending a little more."

Continue reading MGM Mirage banks earnings thanks to Treasure Island sale

MGM Mirage is rolling the dice

Will some lights go out in Vegas? Donald Trump rolled the dice and lost. His Trump Entertainment Resorts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Not to be outdone MGM Miraage (NYSE: MGM) now has the dice and must make its points to stay in the game.

Continue reading MGM Mirage is rolling the dice

Wynn Resorts craps out on its fourth quarter numbers

Wynn Resorts Q4 Earnings fall short of expectationsThis afternoon, Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) had its turn in the earnings lineup, and the company failed to meet analyst estimates for the quarter, and is being punished in after hours trading as a result.

Going into this afternoon's earnings announcement, analysts had been hoping to see the company show earnings of $0.44 per share on revenues of $703.53 million. Adjusted earnings for the quarter were far below this, with a reported $0.07 cents per share on only $614.3 million in revenues.

Continue reading Wynn Resorts craps out on its fourth quarter numbers

Casinos on the lookout for card-counting iPhones

There are some people walking around Las Vegas and other gaming meccas with something illegal on their iPhones, and I don't mean the new Taylor Swift album pirated off the Internet. A new application, available for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone and iTouch, works to count cards when its user is playing blackjack.

Obviously, this practice is frowned upon by casino officials (even when a mathematical savant is able to count cards mentally). Using an electronic device to help has been deemed even closer to "illegal," and Vegas pit bosses are said to be on the lookout. This sort of unscrupulous behavior is the last thing the gaming industry needs these days, amid reduced tourism and shrinking profits.

Reportedly, this new scam came to light at an Indian casino in California; iPhone users were apparently a little too successful and their efforts were reported to officials in neighboring Nevada.

Continue reading Casinos on the lookout for card-counting iPhones

Five winning Super Bowl trades: II. Short MGM Mirage (MGM)

In an economy like this, is anyone going to the game?

Yes -- but Pittsburgh people will stay in their cars (hotels are too expensive), and the Arizona people will stay in foreclosed houses (so they should feel right at home).

Speaking of hotels -- short 'em.

I received an e-mail from the Mirage in Las Vegas to come out to watch the Super Bowl for $69 a night.

Last time I was there for the Super Bowl, maybe 15 years ago, it was about $400 a night.

The Mirage is owned by MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM), which is hovering at a technical support price. Once it breaks through, look out.

I'm not traveling to Tampa or Las Vegas -- I'm staying at home for the big game. And I'm shorting MGM.

Michael Shulman is a contributor to OptionsZone.com.

MGM Mirage (MGM) slides on analysts' actions

MGM logoMGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) stock is falling after an analyst at UBS downgraded the stock to "Neutral" from "Buy," citing declining business on the Las Vegas Strip. A Wachovia analyst also cut his estimates for MGM and other casinos, saying that the Vegas market is "uncertain." 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 MGM.

After hitting a one-year high of $100.50 in October, the stock hit a one-year low of $57.26 in March.. This morning, MGM opened at $60.58. So far today the stock has hit a low of $57.90 and a high of $60.58. As of 1:45, MGM is trading at $58.84, down $2.23 (-3.9%). The chart for MGM looks neutral but improving, 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 June bear-call credit spread above the $75 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 two and a half months as long as MGM is below $75 at June expiration. MGM would have to rise by more than 28% before we would start to lose money. Learn more about this type of trade here.

MGM hasn't been above $75 since early January and has shown resistance around $65 recently. This trade could be risky if the company's earnings (due out in late April or early May) are a positive surprise, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by resistance MGM might find around $73, where it topped out in January and February.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE: Mr. Archer owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in MGM.

Playboy needs to get sexy again

Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA) may not be doing so well, but it's still one of my favorite companies -- I'm a guy, so this makes sense. The company reported Q4 and full-year earnings today -- losses have widened, and I'm sure not a few investors out there are questioning the value of the brand.

Total net revenues saw a slight decline for the quarter, coming in at roughly $86 million. The company lost 3 cents per share on these revenues; in the previous year's quarter, Playboy actually booked a much more pulchritudinous 11 cents per share of positive net income. For the year, total net revenues didn't jump like a bunny -- $340 million versus $331 million. Net income, however, was much better, doubling to 15 cents per share. The company's year-end results benefited from a decline in interest expense, income tax obligations, and other costs. Sales of artwork were also cited by CEO Christie Hefner in the release.

The licensing operations are performing, but domestic TV and publishing are very weak. In fact, it is the publishing segment that really needs attention. It's been needing attention for a long time now -- for the year, subscription sales were down, newsstand sales were down, and advertising revenues rose by the smallest bit.

Long-term, I still have hope for Hugh Hefner's Playboy. It is an American icon, and its logo continues to propel licensing; plus, the company does have a nice presence in Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort. As Jonathan Berr reported back in November, you may want to remember that sex does indeed sell, and one has to assume that Playboy will be supplying that demand for years to come.

Dubai World ups its ante in MGM

Dubai World, a state owned investment company, announced that it has increased its ownership in MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) to 6.5% by purchasing an additional five million shares of stock in the company.

Following the announced purchase, Lawrence Klatzkin of Jefferies & Co. told his clients that MGM is one of his top three picks and maintains a "buy" rating. According to Klatzkin, investors can expect to see Dubai World continue to add to its MGM holdings. This will continue to help keep the stock strong and definitely minimize any sort of downside risk.

Dubai, which has been swimming in money since the oil boom brought billions into the economy, has been moving fast over the past decade to branch out in its revenue streams. Seeing the end of the country's oil reserves in the near future, the country has been working hard to become one of the world's top tourist destinations, and moving into Las Vegas gaming is just one more step in the country's strategy to remain a relevant world player once the oil runs dry.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last four years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.



Las Vegas stays strong despite economic weakness

There's a lot of talk about a weak economy, the mortgage meltdown, and a credit crunch, but apparently that isn't stopping people from heading to Las Vegas. According to the New York Times, "some of the city's largest casinos are on pace for a record-setting year. In October alone, gambling revenues on the Las Vegas Strip were up 19.8 percent over the same month last year."

Casinos in other locales aren't doing so well, with some reporting declines in gaming revenues of 5% or more. Experts believe that pricey locales like Las Vegas are less vulnerable to consumer malaise precisely because they cost more -- the mortgage mess just isn't hurting people with a lot of disposable income, at least for now.

Day trip locations that target lower-income gamblers aren't faring nearly as well.

This may have broader implications for investors. If higher income consumers still have the money to drive Las Vegas gaming revenue growth, they also probably aren't going to be cutting back on luxury products like bags from Coach, Inc. (NYSE: COH), which has seen its stock beaten down by worries about consumer spending. The international tourists that are giving Vegas revenue a boost could also help luxury goods companies.

If Coach won't see its sales and margins hurt by an economic slowdown, the stock is cheap.

Option update: Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN) sell off on Macau expectations

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS), a leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts operated by Sheldon Adelson, is recently down $10.62 to $133.97.

  • Morgan Stanley said that preliminary Macau gaming revenues are up 55% YoY versus its estimate for 70% and below the Street's estimates.
  • LVS October option implied volatility of 57 is above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) operates Wynn Macau & Wynn Las Vegas.

  • WYNN is recently down $13.23 to $152.72.
  • UBS Warburg downgraded WYNN to Sell from Neutral.
  • WYNN overall option implied volatility of 54 is above its 26-week average of 43 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

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

Option update: Option heavy and volatility up in LVS, BDC

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS), a leading international developer of multi-use integrated resorts operated by Sheldon Adelson, is recently up $4.42 to $142.73. LVS October option implied volatility of 56 is above its 26-week average of 41 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Belden (NYSE: BDC) designs, manufactures and markets signal transmission solutions for data networking and specialty electronic markets. BDC is recently up $3.74 to $52.03 on overseas takeover chatter. BDC has a market cap of $2.1 billion with June quarterly total revenue of $549 million. BDC call option volume of 1,240 contracts compares to put volume of 193 contracts. BDC October option implied volatility of 47 is above its 26-week average of 37 according to Track Data, suggesting larger risk.


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

Judge sets O.J.'s bail at $125,000

Last Friday we learned that O.J. Simpson had been questioned over a break-in at a Las Vegas casino, and today the ex-NFL star had his arraignment hearing today, and was granted bail of $125,000. When we looked at this Friday the details were still fuzzy, but the events of the break-in now point to much more than just a break-in snatch and grab.

In court today O.J. had the following charges handed down to him:
  • Kidnapping
  • Robbery with use of a deadly weapon
  • Burglary while in possession of a deadly weapon
  • Coercion with use of a deadly weapon
  • Assault with a deadly weapon
  • Conspiracy to commit kidnapping
  • Conspiracy to commit robbery
  • Conspiracy to commit a crime
If you ask me, "The Juice" got off pretty easy with only $125,000 in bail considering the amount and severity of the charges. The crime occurred last Thursday and O.J. has been in custody since Sunday. Reports indicate that O.J. was subdued during the hearing, and did not enter a plea on the charges.

Continue reading Judge sets O.J.'s bail at $125,000

O.J. Simpson questioned in hotel break-in; O.J. vigilante for memorabilia justice?

In case you missed it, ex-footballer and tabloid icon O.J. Simpson is making the news again today. Las Vegas police have confirmed they questioned him regarding a casino hotel break-in that occurred last night.

O.J. Simpson was one of the most liked American celebrities once. He was a former Heisman Trophy winner, an ex-NFL star, and an actor (who can forget his Naked Gun performances?), but he fell from grace in dramatic style following the 1994 murder investigation of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. While he was eventually found not guilty of the charges in his criminal (and highly televised) case, he will probably never shake off the stigma of the event, and he was later found liable in a wrongful death civic suit.

The current investigation involves a break in that took place at the Palace Station Casino last night. While there are no official details on what, if anything, was taken out of the hotel room, some reports indicate there were sports memorabilia in the room and that one auctioneer had reported that O.J. was simply taking back articles that had been stolen from him.

Continue reading O.J. Simpson questioned in hotel break-in; O.J. vigilante for memorabilia justice?

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Last updated: November 09, 2009: 11:55 PM

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