"Benjamin Graham has been recognized for decades as the father of value investing; Warren Buffett was a student of Ben Graham at Columbia University and later worked for Mr. Graham for several years," notes J. Royden Ward.

The editor of the Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Letter explains, "We've combined Warren Buffett's and Ben Graham's investing criteria for choosing stocks and and found six high-quality companies.

"We believe that the six stocks that passed our screen each sell at sensible prices, offer reasonable appreciation potential, and provide solid dividends.

Continue reading Double Values: 6 Stocks That Meet Buffett and Graham Criteria

Double Values: 6 Stocks That Meet Buffett and Graham Criteria originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier in the week, I exhibited a bearish tone on Ross Stores (ROST). I haven't had a change of heart necessarily, but I do have to concede that the company's latest earnings report, issued yesterday morning, was a good one.

According to Reuters, Q4 net profit increased 18% to $1.37 per share. While this number merely met Wall Street's projection, I enjoyed the growth rate. Furthermore, same-store sales experienced a healthy 4% expansion.

Continue reading Ross Stores Reports Earnings Results: What Should Investors Think?

Ross Stores Reports Earnings Results: What Should Investors Think? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Buy Ross Stores Before Earnings?

Buy Ross Stores Before Earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets again this week to review economic conditions and set monetary policy. On whether the Fed should end quantitative easing or extend it, Atlanta Fed chairman Dennis Lockhart recently said that the Fed should remain flexible given the rising energy prices, which could be a sign of coming inflation. Either at this meeting or the next, the Fed could signal that interest rates will rise as a hedge against inflation.

Inflation will also be the focus when the Department of Labor releases the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) this week. Back in January the core PPI (which excludes energy and food costs) had its biggest jump in two years, and the core CPI had its largest uptick in more than year, the second month in a row in which consumer prices jumped.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Inflation, the FOMC and Nike Earnings

Week in Preview: Inflation, the FOMC and Nike Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Every so often I update a previous story or provide some insight into my good and bad calls. Today the stimulus to do so is the fact that Apple Inc. (AAPL) reached a stock price of $300 per share sooner than I envisioned.

On February 3, 2010 I posted Apple $300 -- Not This Year! and clearly that is not the case, Steve or otherwise, with the stock closing Wednesday at $300.14. I could argue that I was 78.35% accurate since we made it this deep into 2010 before I was proved wrong by a matter of pennies, but alas, wrong is wrong and I was mistaken, 100% mistaken.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Good and Bad Calls -- AAPL, ROST

Chasing Value: Good and Bad Calls -- AAPL, ROST originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last January I suggested that shares of Ross Stores (ROST) might be as much of a bargain as the merchandise it sells. That turned out to be true. The stock has outpaced the market considerably. At the time, it was trading at $45.20. Last week, on Sept. 3, Ross closed at $52.60 for a year-to-date gain of 16.37%.

Ross pays a small dividend yielding 1.12%. It is not high, but it exceeds what you're getting from money market accounts or CDs and, added to the stocks appreciating, it's a bonus.

After this nice gain, how do the metrics shape up today? Is it too late to make some money here?

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ross Stores Update, Great Then and Now

Chasing Value: Ross Stores Update, Great Then and Now originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Gap (GPS) to outperform from market perform, citing valuation and expectations for EPS to grow in FY11. The firm thinks consensus estimates are achievable and has a $20 to $22 target valuation range for shares.
• BMO Capital upgraded Abercrombie (ANF) to outperform from market perform and has a $43 target on the stock. The firm believes Abercrombie's domestic business is turning and that the company is beginning to take share from competitors.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Codexis (CDXS) to overweight from neutral as it believes Shell's (RDS.A) biofuel commercialization plans and a potential carbon capture partnership present near-term catalysts for the stock. The firm upped its target for shares to $12 from $11.
• Tortoise Energy Capital (TYY) and Tortoise Energy (TYG) were upgraded to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Comerica (CMA) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Baird.
• Methanex (MEOH) was upgraded to strong buy from outperform at Raymond James.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMRC, ANF, CDXS, CIS, DGIT, GPS, MEOH, POT, RAX, ROST ...

Analyst Calls: AMRC, ANF, CDXS, CIS, DGIT, GPS, MEOH, POT, RAX, ROST ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kenneth Fisher Strategy: A Price-to-Sales Portfolio

Kenneth Fisher Strategy: A Price-to-Sales Portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ross Stores Discounting More Than Fashion

Chasing Value: Ross Stores Discounting More Than Fashion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FBR Capital upgraded MicroStrategy (MSTR) to outperform from market perform after channel checks indicated MicroStrategy 9 product cycle's continued to gain momentum in Q4. The firm raised its target price on shares to $120 from $87.
• Following a management meeting, Baird upgraded Woodward Governor (WGOV) to outperform from neutral based on long-term energy control growth opportunities and low Street expectations. The firm raised its target to $33 from $24.
• Citigroup upgraded Under Armour (UA) to hold from sell as it believes the company's initiatives in footwear will accelerate growth and share downside is limited at current levels. The firm raised its target on shares to $31 from $24.
• Procter & Gamble (PG) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Aflac (AFL) was upgraded to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.
• MGM Mirage (MGM) was raised to buy from neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AFL, GPS, LEAP, MGM, NTAP, PG, UA ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AFL, GPS, LEAP, MGM, NTAP, PG, UA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The 2009 equity market recovery has led to an increase in Q ratios for the world's largest retailers. What does this mean? They're using their tangible assets effectively and have demonstrated the strength of intangible factors, such as brand and operational efficiency, to create shareholder value.

"Q" is the ratio of a public company's market capitalization to the market value of its tangible assets. So, a Q ratio of above one means that investors value the company's non-tangible assets -- e.g., brand, differentiation, innovation, customer experience and customer loyalty -- and see these factors as reasons to pay a higher price per share. A company with a Q ratio of below one can't generate a sufficient return on its physical assets. According to Deloitte, this could create an arbitrage opportunity, as it may be ripe for an acquisition.

Continue reading Emerging Markets and Electronics Retailers Sport Best Intangible Values

Emerging Markets and Electronics Retailers Sport Best Intangible Values originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Kaufman Bros. upgraded Yahoo! (YHOO) to buy from hold after channel checks indicated display advertising is seeing continued improvement in pricing and demand. The firm finds the risk/reward profile on Yahoo! shares attractive at current levels and raised its price target on the stock to $20 from $19.
• Citigroup upgraded Edwards Lifesciences (EW) to buy from hold following the company's investor meeting as it believes new product launches will serve as catalysts in 2010. Citi raised its target on shares to $101 from $72.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded BWAY Holding (BWY) to buy from hold following the company's Q4 results and raised its target on shares to $22 from $17.
• Clearwire (CLWR) was upgraded to buy from sell at Soleil.
• Nokia (NOK) was raised to hold from sell at Societe Generale.
• NCR Corp. (NCR) was upgraded at JPMorgan to overweight from neutral.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: YHOO, EW, BWY, BRO, BNI, FFIV, AOL, CYPB, ATML ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: YHOO, EW, BWY, BRO, BNI, FFIV, AOL, CYPB, ATML ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Dell's Weak Numbers Sink Shares
• Five Dumbest Things on Wall Street: Nov. 20

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Dell feeds the bears

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Dell feeds the bears originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Popular (NASDAQ: BPOP) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes the issuance of new common stock in exchange for outstanding preferred and trust preferred stock is a net positive. The firm has a $3.50 target on the stock.
• Merriman upgraded Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) to Buy from Neutral as if finds the currrent valuation compelling and believes the company should directly benefit from improving IT budgets. The firm thinks fair value is in the $9.11-$11.13 range.
• Kaufman Bros. upgraded Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) to Buy from Hold after its proprietary survey indicated the company is well positioned longer term. The firm finds the valuation on shares attractive at current levels and raised its target price to $53 from $48.
• Taleo (NASDAQ: TLEO) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Janney Montgomery.
• Boardwalk Pipeline (BWP) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Lloyds Banking (NYSE: LYG) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at RBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AA, CI, DIS, GPS, NFLX ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AA, CI, DIS, GPS, NFLX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week we looked at expectations for some retail earnings. More shopping mall favorites are reporting second-quarter results this week, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for significant earnings growth from some of them.

Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO), the teen-focused retailer spun off from Macy's (NYSE: M) in 1998, is expected to post a second-quarter profit that is 44.6% higher than a year ago, or $0.56 per share. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be 19.7% higher, or $451.3 million. For the full year, the forecast so far is for $2.98 per share (+25.8%) on $2.2 billion (+14.6%). Earnings of the New York-based company have matched estimates in recent quarters. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 13.9%, which is better than the retail industry average and rival Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF). Aeropostale's earnings multiple is 12x, and this debt-free company's cash flow from operations swung into positive territory in the first quarter. The First Call consensus recommendation is to buy ARO; The Motley Fool identified it as a Wall Street favorite. Shares are down a couple of bucks from the 52-week high of $38.74 back in July, but are still 123.0% higher year to date.

Continue reading The week in preview: More retail results (and a few techs too)

The week in preview: More retail results (and a few techs too) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you plan on liquidating any profitable, or taxable, positions in the stock market thanks to the current uptrend and also want to give to your favorite charity, the strategy outlined below is key to optimizing your gift, as well as your capital.

Though giving cash to causes is the most popular form of charity, desperate times call for creative measures, and any type of gift will be gladly accepted. By giving stock directly to charity, and bear in mind that the stock must be in your portfolio for one year or more as short-term capital gains are not applicable, you not only avoid capital gains taxes on your gains, but you can actually use the gift of your stock as a tax deduction. Hence, the cost of your gift is lower than giving cash directly. Think of it as an overall investment for yourself and the charity.

Continue reading Save money, give stock to charity!

Save money, give stock to charity! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• AnnTaylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) reported a smaller-than-expected Q1 loss as sales slumped.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) smaller-than-expected Q1 net loss sent shares higher.
• Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) solid Q1 results were in line with expectations.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) posted higher-than-expected Q1 results but same-store sales fell.
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) lower Q1 earnings beat expectations and lower revenue was in line.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: HP, Gap, Saks, Hormel, Barnes & Noble and more

Earnings highlights: HP, Gap, Saks, Hormel, Barnes & Noble and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 May 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Rush to Auto Bankruptcy Criticized
• Five Dumbest Things on Wall Street: May 22

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Consider the positives

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Consider the positives originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Ross Stores soars on first quarter results

Ross Stores soars on first quarter results originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Goldman upgraded Gerdau AmeriSteel (NYSE: GNA) to Buy from Neutral and has a $5.50 target on shares. Shares were upgraded due to the potential impact from infrastructure spending. Note that Goldman downgraded Steel Dynamics (NYSE: STLD) and Olympic Steel (NYSE: ZEUS) to Neutral from Buy.
  
• Banc of America/Merrill upgraded Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE: CCE) to Buy from Neutral and raised the price target to $18 from $15. The firm the strong Q1 report gives them greater confidence in shares.
  
• Roth Capital upgraded Halozyme (NASDAQ: HALO) to Buy from Hold due to increased clarity into Roche programs, the discontinuation of the chemophase program, and progress on insulin delivery.
• American Movil (NYSE: AMX) was raised to Overweight from Neutral at JP Morgan and to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) and Lloyds TSB Group (NYSE: LYG) were upgraded at HSBC to Overweight from Neutral.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GNA, CCE, BCS, SFD, TRI ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GNA, CCE, BCS, SFD, TRI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.