"Not surprisingly, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) has been placing particular emphasis on China, where there is plenty of untapped potential," says Paul Tracy in his StreetAuthority Market Advisor.

"Like most companies that have been around for well over a century, Coca-Cola operates in a relatively mature industry.

"Domestically, per-capita soft-drink consumption has plateaued and domestic volume growth is generally tough to come by.

"The story is quite different for many overseas markets, which now account for about 75% of the firm's sales. Coke isn't the world's most recognized brand for nothing -- consumers in 200 countries around the globe gulp down about 1.6 billion servings of its beverages every single day.

Continue reading Coca-Cola (KO) targets China

Coca-Cola (KO) targets China originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Golf has Tiger Woods, novelists have Tom Clancy, and the investment community has stars such as Bruce Berkowitz, Bill Nygren, Charlie Dreifus, and Mario Gabelli," states Paul Tracy.

In his The Street Authority Market Advisor, he suggests, "These money managers are at the pinnacle of their craft." Here, he takes a look at these "celebrities" and some of their current top stock holdings.

"These money managers have all amassed prodigious gains over the years for their shareholders. Over the past few months, these gurus have come out with ringing endorsements for certain stocks. This isn't empty talk -- they are putting their money where their mouth is.

Continue reading Investing with the stars: Top stocks from top managers

Investing with the stars: Top stocks from top managers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 May 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Though the past year has been tough for Warren Buffett, we still like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B), which we believe is well-positioned for the year ahead," says Paul Tracy.

In his StreetAuthority Market Advisor, he looks at the holding company which is a position in his "undervalued gems" model portfolio. Here's his review.

"For only the second time in the investment-based company's 44 years, Buffett saw the book value of Berkshire drop. Of course his book value decline of 9.6% should be put in context with the 37% loss incurred by the S&P 500.

Continue reading Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B): Buffett is still a good bet

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B): Buffett is still a good bet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Market Vectors Global Nuclear (ASE: NLR) offers investors a well-diversified play on the booming nuclear power industry," notes Paul Tracy.

The editor of The ETF Investor -- a top notch service that offers in-depth analysis of exchange-traded funds -- turns its analysis towards the outlook for the nuclear power sector.

"The ETF is designed to track the performance of companies that derive at least half their total revenues from the nuclear power business. That list includes firms that build nuclear power plants, mine uranium, and generate electricity in nuclear plants.

"Demand for electricity is surging globally, with most of that growth coming from fast-growing emerging markets like China and India. In fact, according to the Department of Energy, Chinese and Indian power demand is expected to nearly triple between now and 2030.

"These nations (and many others) are choosing to expand their nuclear power plant capacity to meet some of that demand. China has been aggressively opening new plants in recent years and has plans to open dozens more in an effort to triple nuclear's share of Chinese electricity supply by 2030.

Continue reading Powering gains with Market Vectors Global Nuclear (NLR)

Powering gains with Market Vectors Global Nuclear (NLR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Under Armour (NYSE: UA) and VMware (NYSE: VMW) both have the potential for a short squeeze in coming months," says Paul Tracy in StreetAuthority Market Advisor.

"VMware is a market leader in software virtualization. Companies typically do not use the full computing power of their servers, and when not in use, that server sits idle.

"Virtualization technology allows IT managers to use that underutilized capacity -- running software across the organization's entire base of servers. Thus, virtualization is a key cost-cutting technology.

"VMware has a short interest ratio of 11.7 and a freely traded float of just 50 million shares. If all those shorts try to cover, the stock looks likely to be in short supply. Meanwhile, trading at 36 times 2009 earnings estimates with a long-term growth rate of 45%, VMW doesn't look overpriced.

"Under Armour (NYSE: UA) makes clothing (along with sports equipment) targeting the athletic and outdoor-oriented market. Specifically, the company makes clothes designed to wick moisture away from the skin and keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature, regardless of weather conditions.

"Meanwhile, the stock has seen strong earnings growth despite the slowdown in consumer spending -- earnings surged 42% in the fourth quarter. And management recently announced its looking for revenues to reach $765-775 million in 2008, representing around a 27% increase over 2007 levels.

"With a forward P/E of 23 and a long-term growth rate of 25%, UA looks inexpensive. With a float of less than 32 million shares and a short interest ratio approaching 12, Under Armour looks like a prime short-squeeze candidate."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Under Armour (UA) and VMware (VMW): Short squeeze candidates? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Western Union (NYSE:WU ) is the favorite speculative idea for 2007 from Paul Tracy. The editor of StreetAuthority Market Advisor notes, "The company, which dates back to the early 1850s, has one of the most recognized names around the world. Today, Western Union is a financial powerhouse, generating some $4 billion in annual revenues.

"As the world's leading money transfer specialist, the firm operates a vast global network of 270,000 agent locations spread throughout nearly 200 countries. With more than a quarter of a million locations, Western Union's network dwarfs its closest rivals by a wide margin.

"In the digital age where the Internet is an increasingly popular transaction medium and ATMs are conveniently located at seemingly every major intersection, Western Union's core money transfer services may seem to be a bit dated. However, it is easy to forget that not everyone has a bank account or online access -- particularly in developing countries.

Continue reading Top Picks: Paul Tracy sends funds to Western Union

Top Picks: Paul Tracy sends funds to Western Union originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Britain's Diageo (NYSE: DEO), the largest alcoholic drinks manufacturer in the world, is the top conservative pick for 2007, from Paul Tracy. The editor of StreetAuthority Market Advisor observes, "The company owns either the best-selling or second-best-selling brand of drink in every major category.

"While DEO garners most of its income from spirits, it's also a major wine and beer producer. Top-selling brands include Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, and Guinness. Diageo owns one fifth of the world's 100 top-selling liquor brands.

"DEO has benefited from two major growth sources in recent years. In the U.S., consumers continue to shift their spending in favor of premium spirits brands. Meanwhile, consumers are also moving away from beer in favor of spirits. Both trends benefit Diageo, as it owns most of the top-selling U.S. liquor brands and most of its liquors are positioned at the premium end of the market.

Continue reading Top Picks 2007: Paul Tracy toasts to Diageo

Top Picks 2007: Paul Tracy toasts to Diageo originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.