The stock market saw another gainful day despite a reading that consumer sentiment hit a year low. Portugal default fears grew and Japan saw what made for two years of price drops for its consumers. It was pretty impressive to see that most global markets rose on the day. Bond yields were higher and gold failed to reach yesterday's highs.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 12,220.59 +50.03 (0.41%)
S&P 500 1,313.80 +4.14 (0.32%)
Nasdaq 2,743.06 +6.64 (0.24%)

Continue reading Closing Bell: From No Worries to Euphoria (ACN, CVX, CLH, EWJ, ORCL, RIMM, S)

Closing Bell: From No Worries to Euphoria (ACN, CVX, CLH, EWJ, ORCL, RIMM, S) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A great three day rally went from news and excitement to what was really just a dull quiet day for the market as a whole. Earnings and analysts drove some shares but the news of a downed airplane in Libya and more unrest growing in the Middle East region just failed to make markets move so much.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow Jones 12,018.63 -17.90 (-0.15%)
S&P 500 1,293.77 -4.61 (-0.36%)
Nasdaq 2,683.87 -8.22 (-0.31%)

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bulls Take a Breather (DG, EE, EWJ, NFLX, PRAN, S, T)

Closing Bell: Bulls Take a Breather (DG, EE, EWJ, NFLX, PRAN, S, T) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday's announcement of the AT&T (T) and T-Mobile deal gives both companies a clear "win" in the telecommunications sector. Who are the "losers"?

The tower companies have experienced downward pressure today, with American Tower (AMT) currently trading down over 8%, SBA Communications (SBAC) currently down over 10%, and Crown Castle International (CCI) currently hovering down almost 5%.

Continue reading Losers of the AT&T T-Mobile Deal

Losers of the AT&T T-Mobile Deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Even when the market is up a lot, you can always find some good stocks that have been left behind but could be on the verge of a rebound," says George Putnam.

The editor of The Turnaround Letter explains, "That's where we suggest you focus your efforts right now. These eight stocks all have strong business franchises and have all significantly lagged the market over the last two years.

"In fact, several of them are still trading near or even below where they were in early 2009. Here, we look at Bank of America (BAC), Best Buy (BBY), Campbell Soup (CPB), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Microsoft (MSFT) and Sprint Nextel (S).

Continue reading Turnaround Expert: A Six-Pack of Rebound Buys

Turnaround Expert: A Six-Pack of Rebound Buys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Interpublic Group (IPG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Radware (RDWR) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Fluor (FLR) and Waddell & Reed (WDR) to buy from hold, as well as AllianceBernstein (AB) to hold from sell, at Citigroup.
• MetroCorp (MCBI) and American Capital (AGNC) to outperform from market perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• International Flavors (IFF) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BioCryst (BCRX) and Southern Company (SO) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Bunge (BG) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ...

Analyst Calls: AB, BG, CMG, CSCO, DF, EXPE, JLL, MU, NLSN, S, SO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Things look to be pretty quiet on the economic calendar this week. Here are the highlights:

• Tuesday: Weekly chain-store sales
• Wednesday: Federal budget balance for January
• Thursday: Wholesale trade data in December
• Friday: Trade balance in December and the weekly inflation survey

However, three iconic companies -- Walt Disney (DIS), Coca-Cola (KO) and Hasbro (HAS) -- highlight this week's quarterly results. Here's a look at what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are anticipating from these and others.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Coca-Cola, Disney and Hasbro Earnings

Week in Preview: Coca-Cola, Disney and Hasbro Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 12:30:00 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.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Mixed Gains into Tax Vote (ATVI, AAPL, FONR, FCEL, S, TMO, DNEX)

Closing Bell: Mixed Gains into Tax Vote (ATVI, AAPL, FONR, FCEL, S, TMO, DNEX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Is the tide starting to turn for much-maligned mobile phone service provider Sprint Nextel (S)? Perhaps, and the carrier is worth a review.

First, the most important warning: Sprint is a high-risk stock not suitable for low-risk or moderate-risk investors.

Don't consider Sprint if you can't tolerate a more than 50% to 70% loss or seeing your entire investment wiped out -- it could happen.

Continue reading Sprint Nextel: For High-Risk Investors, Only

Sprint Nextel: For High-Risk Investors, Only originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Sprint (S) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at Piper Jaffray.
• Cree (CREE) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Brocade (BRCD) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at JMP Securities.
• JPMorgan upgraded WuXi PharmaTech (WX) to overweight from neutral.
• Barclays upgraded ITC Holdings (ITC) to overweight from equal weight.
• Centene (CNC) was upgraded to outperform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Senior Housing (SNH) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• UBS upgraded Hovnanian (HOV) to neutral from sell.
• GeoResources (GEOI) was upgraded to accumulate from neutral at Madison Williams.
• Compellent (CML) was upgraded to hold from sell at Canaccord.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCD, CCE, DPS, HOV, JOYG, KMB, KO, PEP, S, ...

Analyst Calls: BRCD, CCE, DPS, HOV, JOYG, KMB, KO, PEP, S, ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Barclays upgraded Western Digital (WDC) to overweight from equal weight.
• LDK Solar (LDK) was upgraded to buy from hold at Needham.
• Legg Mason (LM) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Agilent (A) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Dean Foods (DF) to outperform from market perform and Developers Diversified (DDR) to market perform from underperform.
• Deutsche Bank also upgraded Developers Diversified, to buy from hold.
• Northrop Grumman (NOC) was upgraded to sell from conviction sell at Goldman.
• MYR Group (MYRG) was upgraded to buy from hold at BB&T.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: A, CQB, DDR, DF, LDK, NOC, RIMM, S, STRA, TTM, WDC ...

Analyst Calls: A, CQB, DDR, DF, LDK, NOC, RIMM, S, STRA, TTM, WDC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clearwire (CLWR - option chain) shares are rising today on reports that the company will auction some of its wireless spectrum in order to raise $2.5 billion to $5 billion. According to Bloomberg, potential bidders for the spectrum include AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), Deutsche Telekom, Time Warner Cable (TWC) and Sprint (S). If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on CLWR.

Continue reading Clearwire May Auction Parts of Wireless Spectrum

Clearwire May Auction Parts of Wireless Spectrum originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Best Buy to Resell Clearwire's Mobile Broadband

Best Buy to Resell Clearwire's Mobile Broadband originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Shares of RIMM Rise as NTP Slaps Competitors with Lawsuits

Shares of RIMM Rise as NTP Slaps Competitors with Lawsuits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Dramatic Dow Drop of Nearly 1,000 Before Bounce Back (BAC, C, S, ORCL, MU)

Closing Bell: Dramatic Dow Drop of Nearly 1,000 Before Bounce Back (BAC, C, S, ORCL, MU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel (S) has done many things in the last few years: improved its customer service, procured some of the better and leading-edge smartphones (at least in 2009) and it has gained gobs of prepaid wireless subscribers while narrowing losses of contract wireless customers. Still, it is losing customers to the competition, and that hasn't stopped. What can be done?

Sprint CFO Bob Brust indicated this week that revenue declines will show up this year and will turn into revenue growth at least a few quarters out. That statement alone sent Sprint shares up 5% yesterday. But it's the same old stuff: Brust referenced narrowing losses in the contract customer base and rising revenue growth from its prepaid customer base. This isn't anything new, so why the spike in share price? Good question.

Continue reading Sprint Shares Rise on CFO Comments About Rising Revenue Levels in 2010

Sprint Shares Rise on CFO Comments About Rising Revenue Levels in 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sprint Nextel (S) will again be using its CEO to try and explain to potential customers why they should choose the beleaguered telecom provider for their wireless calling and data needs. Using the marketing catchphrase "Our $69.99 is worth more than their $69.99," Sprint CEO Dan Hesse will be featured in a new advertising campaign to explain why Sprint offers so much more value for each customer's money than its two larger competitors, AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless.

Continue reading Sprint's Hesse to Be Back on TV Screens Touting Value

Sprint's Hesse to Be Back on TV Screens Touting Value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sprint: Mobile IT Spending On The Rise

Sprint: Mobile IT Spending On The Rise originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's a bad habit: losing customers. Unfortunately, Sprint (S) seems to have this problem.

In the latest quarterly report, the company said it lost a net of 148,000 subscribers. Breaking things down, about 504,000 contract customers bolted while 435,000 prepaid customers came on board. In other words, Sprint is trying to deal with its problem by going down-market. However, the prepaid space is competitive, with players like Leap (LEAP) and MetroPCS (PCS). Even the mega carriers -- like Verizon (VZ) -- are moving in.

Continue reading Sprint Drops Another Bomb on Investors

Sprint Drops Another Bomb on Investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While Sprint Nextel (S) continues to leach wireless customers to the larger competitors, it is propping itself up by taking the lead in prepaid wireless), and by recently winning the top spot in business customer satisfaction for both wireless voice and wireless data services from a survey of large business decision makers.

Why isn't that success translating into more contract wireless customers in the consumer sector?

Continue reading Sprint Nextel Tops Business Use Satisfaction Survey: Now, on to Capitalizing on It

Sprint Nextel Tops Business Use Satisfaction Survey: Now, on to Capitalizing on It originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.