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.

Mattel (MAT) February put option implied volatility is at 39, April is at 34, according to Track Data, compared to its 26-week average of 31 into its release of Q4 EPS on February 2, suggesting larger price movement.

Yum! Brands (YUM) is expected to report Q4 EPS on February 2. Overall option implied volatility of 23 is below its 26-week average of 26, according to Track Data, suggesting decrease price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Mattel Volatility Elevated into Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:00:00 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.

Dawn Kawamoto over at DailyFinance wrote an article discussing THQ Inc. (THQI). She brings into focus a licensing deal between the video-game publisher and Mattel, Inc. (MAT). There was also mention of the incredible price action in the stock. So, what are investors to make of the thesis? What about traders?

This is a tricky one. And I've been wrong about THQ's prospects before. It's certainly difficult to predict the movement of a stock that's priced in the single digits. At the time of this writing, the shares were trading at a quote of $6.26.

Continue reading THQ: Is It Time to Buy or to Take Profits?

THQ: Is It Time to Buy or to Take Profits? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:30:00 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.

Toy manufacturer Mattel (MAT) announced Friday morning that its third-quarter earnings increased to $283.3 million, or 77 cents per share. The results were 23% better than last year's third-quarter earnings of 63 cents per share, or $229.8 billion.

As for sales, the toy maker pulled in $1.83 billion, which is 2% better than last year's same-quarter results. Compared to a year ago, the results were very solid; compared to expectations, the results are mixed. The Street expected MAT to earn 75 cents per share (which it beat by two cents per share) on sales of $1.94 billion (which MAT missed).

Continue reading Mattel Reports Stronger-Than-Expected Earnings

Mattel Reports Stronger-Than-Expected Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings season kicked off last week with better-than-expected results from Alcoa (AA) and Yum! Brands (YUM), while Marriott (MAR) and Pepsico (PEP) met consensus EPS estimates. This week, bellwether companies Intel (INTC), General Electric (GE), Google (GOOG) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) are scheduled to report their third-quarter results, and analysts polled by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings growth from all of them.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel announced the acquisition of McAfee and joint ventures with General Electric and Nokia (NOK) during its third quarter. Analysts forecast earnings for that period to come to 50 cents per share, which is up 34.0% from the same period of last year. The number one semiconductor maker's revenue for the three months ended in September is expected to total $11.0 billion, or 17.1% more than a year earlier. Looking ahead to the full year, the forecast thus far is for earnings of $1.94 per share (+44.8%) and $43.3 billion in revenue (+23.4%). The per-share earnings topped analysts' expectations in the past four quarters, by as much as a dime per share.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Earnings Expectations for Intel, GE, Google and JPMorgan

Week in Preview: Earnings Expectations for Intel, GE, Google and JPMorgan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 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.

Earlier this morning, Mattel (MAT) announced that its Fisher-Price subsidiary will recall a number of products. The company is recalling certain toddler tricycles, high chairs, a toy vehicle set, and infant toys with inflatable balls.

The Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles are recalled because of risk of injury if the child hits, sits, or falls upon a toy plastic key. The Healthy Care, Easy Clean, and Close to Me High Chairs are recalled due to the danger of a baby falling against tray storage pegs. Other recalled toys include a toy vehicle set because of choking hazards, and infant toys with inflatable balls because of a choking hazard stemming from valves.

Mattel believes that the cost of these recalls will reduce the full-year 2010 earnings by roughly a penny per share. The costs should be recorded during the third quarter.

Continue reading Fisher-Price Issues Recall on Toddler and Baby Products

Fisher-Price Issues Recall on Toddler and Baby Products originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:30:00 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 Mattel's Second-Quarter Income Doubles

Mattel's Second-Quarter Income Doubles originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The new earnings season kicks off when Alcoa Inc. (AA) releases its second-quarter results Monday. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters on average expect Alcoa to report that it swung to a profit from a year-ago net loss.

Intel Corp. (INTC) is likewise forecast to have swung into positive territory, while Google Inc. (GOOG) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) are expected to be among the week's biggest earnings gainers.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: A New Earnings Season Kicks Off (INTC, GOOG, JPM)

The Week in Preview: A New Earnings Season Kicks Off (INTC, GOOG, JPM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:30:00 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.

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

• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) shares declined despite better-than-expected Q1 results due to profit taking.
• Alcoa Inc. (AA) reported a decline in revenue and earnings in line with expectations, leading to a sell off of shares.
• Bank of America Corp. (BAC) Q1 earnings results beat consensus estimates but shares fell on other news.
• General Electric Co. (GE) posted better-than-expected earnings but said revenue declined in the first quarter.
• Google Inc. (GOOG) Q1 earnings and revenue topped expectations but a surge in expenses sent shares lower.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Alcoa, GE, Google, Intel, JPMorgan, Mattel, UPS ...

Earnings Highlights: Alcoa, GE, Google, Intel, JPMorgan, Mattel, UPS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 14:40:00 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 Home Depot (HD) to outperform from perform on expectations that comp sales growth in the home improvement retail sector will accelerate. The firm has a $37 price target for Home Depot shares. The firm also reiterates an outperform rating on Lowe's (LOW).
• UBS upgraded Mattel (MAT) to buy from neutral, citing solid demand in core brands, strong free cash flow and improved cost structure, among other reasons. The firm raised its target to $26 from $21.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Dreamworks (DWA) to overweight from market weight, citing upcoming releases and increased international expectations. The firm raised its target to $47 from $40.
• TD AmeriTrade (AMTD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Whole Foods (WFMI) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Whiting Petroleum (WLL) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMTD, DELL, DWA, HD, MAT, MSFT, WFMI ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMTD, DELL, DWA, HD, MAT, MSFT, WFMI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Quarterly reports continue to roll out this week, with results due from Allstate Corp. (ALL), Coca-Cola Co. (KO), Marriott International Inc. (MAR), Molson Coors Brewing Co. (TAP), New York Times Co. (NYT), Pepsico Inc. (PEP), Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), Viacom (VIA), Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and many others. Here's a look at a few of the companies that analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect to be the biggest earnings gainers this week.

Analysts are looking for Coinstar Inc. (CSTR), which distributes coin-counting, DVD-rental, and other self-service kiosks, to report that its fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled from a year ago to $0.32 per share. Revenue for the three months that ended in December is expected to have jumped 26.1% to $329.2 million. The analysts' forecast for the full year calls for earnings of $0.94 per share (+46.8%) on $1.2 billion in revenue (+25.9%). Coinstar has beat earnings estimates in the past three quarters, by as much as six cents per share.

Continue reading The Week in Preview: High Hopes for Coinstar, Agilent, Chipotle, Baidu, Hasbro

The Week in Preview: High Hopes for Coinstar, Agilent, Chipotle, Baidu, Hasbro originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Apple Inc. (AAPL) posted its highest quarterly revenue ever, easily beating estimates, as iPhone sales doubled.
• Boeing Co. (BA) swung to a larger-than-expected Q4 profit but guidance fell short of analysts' estimates.
• Chevron Corp. (CVX) fell short of analysts' earnings estimates for Q4, sending shares lower.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) shares rose after optimistic statements by the CEO ahead of Q2 results.
• Eastman Kodak Co. (EK) shares surged after it beat Q4 expectations by a wide margin and cash flow improved.
• Ford Motor Co. (F) reported its first annual profit in four years due to cost-cutting and improved market share.
• Halliburton Co. (HAL) reported lower Q4 earnings but beat estimates by a penny, and revenue also fell.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Apple, Boeing, Cisco, Ford, Kodak, Microsoft, Yahoo! ...

Earnings Highlights: Apple, Boeing, Cisco, Ford, Kodak, Microsoft, Yahoo! ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's check out some earnings reports from earlier in the week. We have Mattel (MAT), a toy business, Newell Rubbermaid (NWL), a consumer products company, and Sherwin-Williams (SHW), a supplier of fine paints. In all three cases, we'll see that technical concerns may outweigh fundamental strengths.

Mattel: Everyone loves toys, right? They're fun to play with. But no one wants to invest blindly in a stock even though it represents games and action figures. That's where the hard data come in. According to the fourth-quarter press release, Mattel made 89 cents per share, representative of an 80% increase. Incredible, huh? A higher gross profit and a better handle on operating efficiency drove the growth. Better commodity costs also helped out.

Continue reading Three Q4 Reports: Mattel, Newell Rubbermaid, Sherwin-Williams

Three Q4 Reports: Mattel, Newell Rubbermaid, Sherwin-Williams originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.