BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ingersoll-Rand to Join S&P 500]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/11/ingersoll-rand-to-join-sandp-500/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/11/ingersoll-rand-to-join-sandp-500/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/11/ingersoll-rand-to-join-sandp-500/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

IR logoIngersoll-Rand (IR - option chain) shares are rising today after Standard & Poor's announced the stock will be added to its S&P 500 index after the close of trading on November 16, replacing Pactiv Corp. (PTV). 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 IR.

IR opened this morning at $42.59. So far today the stock has hit a low of $42.35 and a high of $43.00. As of 11:55, IR is trading at $42.63 up $1.49 (3.6%). The chart for IR looks neutral and S&P gives IR a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Ingersoll-Rand to Join S&P 500

Ingersoll-Rand to Join S&P 500 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Ingersoll-RandinthenewsInvestors ObserverIRoptionsSP 500StandardAndPoorsThu, 11 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Helmerich & Payne to Be Added to S&P 500]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/23/helmerich-and-payne-to-be-added-to-sandp-500/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/23/helmerich-and-payne-to-be-added-to-sandp-500/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/02/23/helmerich-and-payne-to-be-added-to-sandp-500/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

HP logoHelmerich & Payne (HP - option chain) shares are rising today after Standard & Poor's announced this morning that HP will be added to its S&P 500 index after the close of trading on February 26. HP will replace IMS Health Inc. (RX), which is being acquired by private interests. Companies added to the major indices often see a bump higher as tracking funds are forced to add shares to their holdings. 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 HP.

HP opened this morning at $42.73. So far today the stock has hit a low of $41.52 and a high of $42.78. As of 12:00, HP is trading at $41.98 up 24 cents (0.6%). The chart for HP looks bearish.

Continue reading Helmerich & Payne to Be Added to S&P 500

Helmerich & Payne to Be Added to S&P 500 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Helmerich and PayneHelmerichAndPayneHPinthenewsinvestors observerInvestorsObserveroptionsSP 500Sp500Standard and PoorsStandardAndPoorsTue, 23 Feb 2010 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Housing Market Slides, but Some Silver Lining Visible]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/01/27/housing-market-slides-but-some-silver-lining-visible/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/01/27/housing-market-slides-but-some-silver-lining-visible/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/01/27/housing-market-slides-but-some-silver-lining-visible/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Home prices fell yet again in November, losing 0.2% month-over-month (on a not seasonally adjusted basis), following a 0.1% drop in October. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller's home price index reported only five out of 20 metro areas with gains, and from November 2008 to November 2009, home prices are off 5.3%. Need a benchmark? It's late 2003: Six years of appreciation have been obliterated by the financial crisis.

The slide worries analysts who wonder if the housing recovery is strong enough to keep moving forward. A stall on the housing side, of course, could push through the rest of the economy, ultimately putting the squeeze on consumer spending (further) and impeding overall growth.

Continue reading Housing Market Slides, but Some Silver Lining Visible

Housing Market Slides, but Some Silver Lining Visible originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Case ShillerCase Shiller Home Price Indexhome pricesHomePriceshousinghousing markethousing pricesmortgage marketmortgage marketsmortgagesnational association of realtorsNationalAssociationOfRealtorsreliefstandard and poorsStandardAndPoorsstimulusWed, 27 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[McGraw-Hill comes out ahead of estimates in Q3, but stock is having trouble]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/mcgraw-hill-comes-out-ahead-of-estimates-in-q3-but-stock-is-hav/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/mcgraw-hill-comes-out-ahead-of-estimates-in-q3-but-stock-is-hav/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/mcgraw-hill-comes-out-ahead-of-estimates-in-q3-but-stock-is-hav/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a distributor of business information and educational materials which counts Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) as a related stock, issued third-quarter results earlier today. Sales contracted over 8%. Net income on a dollar basis dropped almost 14%. Earnings per diluted share decreased a very unlucky 13% to $1.07. At least expectations were taken out. Earnings.com indicates a beat of two pennies for per-share profit.

The declines are pretty understandable. When you think about McGraw-Hill, you understand fairly quickly that the company's business model is tied closely to the economy. Education markets must be tough given all the budget cuts happening in school systems across the country. Plus, spending by administrators is probably done these days very slowly and carefully.

Continue reading McGraw-Hill comes out ahead of estimates in Q3, but stock is having trouble

McGraw-Hill comes out ahead of estimates in Q3, but stock is having trouble originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>educationfinancial informationFinancialInformationmcgraw hillMcgrawHillMHPSCHLscholasticstandard and poorsStandardAndPoorsMon, 26 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[S&P overvalued by 40%, according to economist Smithers]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/sandp-overvalued-by-40-according-to-economist-smithers/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/sandp-overvalued-by-40-according-to-economist-smithers/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/26/sandp-overvalued-by-40-according-to-economist-smithers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Economist and president of a research firm that bears his name, Andrew Smithers (not related to the Smithers of Mr. Burns fame) is saying our on-fire stock market is set to burn itself out. The S&P 500 Index is overvalued by 40%, he believes, and we can expect a plunge thanks to central bankers restraining themselves on the securities purchases that have pushed the markets up so far so fast. Also, banks are going to need to sell more shares to raise capital and pump up their balance sheets.

If the S&P 500 were to take a 40% dive today, it would fall to 647.76 (based on the Friday close), below the low it recorded in March.

Continue reading S&P overvalued by 40%, according to economist Smithers

S&P overvalued by 40%, according to economist Smithers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bank of englandBankOfEnglandeconomisteconomyfederal reserveFederalReserveinthenewss and p 500SAndP500smithersstandard and poorsStandardAndPoorsMon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First Solar to join the S&P 500 Index]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/first-solar-to-join-the-sandp-500-index/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/first-solar-to-join-the-sandp-500-index/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/02/first-solar-to-join-the-sandp-500-index/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Late Thursday, Standard & Poor's announced a few changes to its U.S. indices. The reason for the changes are that Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) is being acquired by Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), leaving an opening in both the S&P 100 and S&P 500 (SPX). I want to focus on the stock that will replace WYE in the SPX, First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR). In after-hours trading, FSLR jumped more than 6% in response to the announcement.

FSLR manufactures solar modules and is a major benefactor of what I like to call the "green rush" that took place during the past two years. FSLR capitalized nicely on the global environmental consciousness revolution last year, ascending as high as the $310 region. Yes, the stock has backed off quite a bit due to the economic crisis, but it could enjoy a bit of a recovery provided it can parlay this latest news into a breach of some overhead resistance.

Continue reading First Solar to join the S&P 500 Index

First Solar to join the S&P 500 Index originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Since Obama's inauguration, the market seems to have responded negatively to the president's rhetoric, and yesterday was no exception. Within seconds of a White House alert that the president and his chief economic advisers would make an important announcement, stocks headed south.

And by the time that President Obama -- flanked by his team -- began the address at 3:50 p.m. Eastern, the Dow had given up more than 100 points, with investors fearful that the team had decided on a major policy shift.

Despite the poor timing of the White House's news conference, which contained little new information and spooked traders into a flurry of profit-taking, Wednesday's small correction did little to change Tuesday's upside reversal and the probability of further buying.

Continue reading Today's technical outlook: Obama's bad timing

Today's technical outlook: Obama's bad timing originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>barack obamaBarackObamapresident obamaPresidentObamas and p 500sam collinsSamCollinsSAndP500standard and poorsStandardAndPoorstechnical analysisTechnicalAnalysisThu, 26 Feb 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[McGraw-Hill's S&P (MHP) to face tougher regulation in the EU]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/16/mcgraw-hills-sandp-mhp-to-face-tougher-regulation-in-the-eu/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/16/mcgraw-hills-sandp-mhp-to-face-tougher-regulation-in-the-eu/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/16/mcgraw-hills-sandp-mhp-to-face-tougher-regulation-in-the-eu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

MHP logoMcGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) shares opened lower today, but have rebounded as the day moved on after the European Union Internal Market Commissioner announced that bond and credit rating agencies, including MHP's Standard & Poor's, will face mandatory new European Union regulation as a result of these agencies' roles in the U.S. sub-prime mortgage crisis. 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 MHP.

After hitting a one-year high of $71.97 last June, the stock hit a one-year low of $33.91 in March. This morning, MHP opened at $42.87. So far today the stock has hit a low of $42.10 and a high of $43.65. As of 12:00, MHP is trading at $43.60, down $0.13 (-0.3%). The chart for MHPlooks bullish and steady.

For a bearish hedged play on this stock, I would consider an August bear-call credit spread above the $50 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. This particular trade will make an 11.1% return in two months as long as MHP is below $50 at August expiration. McGraw-Hill would have to rise by more than 14% before we would start to lose money.

MHP hasn't been above $50 since October and has shown resistance around $45 recently. This trade could be risky if the company's earnings (due out in late-July) are a positive surprise, but even if that happens, this position could be protected by resistance MHP might find at its 200 day moving average, which is currently around $44 and falling.

Brent Archer is an options analyst and writer at Investors Observer. At publication time, Brent neither owns nor controls positions in MHP.

McGraw-Hill's S&P (MHP) to face tougher regulation in the EU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EUinthenewsInvestors ObserverInvestorsObserverMHPoptionsStandard and PoorsStandardAndPoorsMon, 16 Jun 2008 14:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Subprime = Triple-A ratings? or 'How to Lie with Statistics']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/25/subprime-triple-a-ratings-or-how-to-lie-with-statistics/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/25/subprime-triple-a-ratings-or-how-to-lie-with-statistics/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/25/subprime-triple-a-ratings-or-how-to-lie-with-statistics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Most investors probably think that when an investment ratings service like Moody's, Standard & Poors or Fitch gives a company, financial institution or security the highest rating of "AAA," it carries the least possible level of risk. Most investors would think that this rating would be reserved for United States Treasuries and only the most secure of companies like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), or United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS). Actually, this happens to be the case, and these companies are among the very few to receive AAA ratings outside of financial institutions.

So what happened in the case of the Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDOs), where the ratings agencies determined that high-risk securities batched together had a smaller chance of default than the individual securities? Perhaps that is the case, but triple-A? Well, it seems to me that large investment banks knew they needed the AAA ratings to have a marketable security. They went to the ratings agencies that understood this and the agencies created the rational or plausible deniability to support the rating. This may be a bit harsh, but it does seem that the ratings agencies were working in reverse: first establish the rating and then the support for the rating. The ratings services are all heading for cover and many of the previously AAA-rated securities are being re-evaluated.

Continue reading Subprime = Triple-A ratings? or 'How to Lie with Statistics'

Subprime = Triple-A ratings? or 'How to Lie with Statistics' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AAA ratingsAaaRatingsBerkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)BerkshireHathaway(brk.a)CDOsFitchinvestingJohnson and Johnson (JNJ)JohnsonAndJohnson(jnj)Moody'sNASDAQNYSEStandard and PoorsStandardAndPoorsSTATISTICSSTOCKSUnited Parcel'B' (UPS)UnitedParcel'b'(ups)Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Is tech hand-wringing creating opportunities for savvy investors?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/26/is-tech-hand-wringing-creating-opportunities-for-savvy-investors/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/26/is-tech-hand-wringing-creating-opportunities-for-savvy-investors/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/26/is-tech-hand-wringing-creating-opportunities-for-savvy-investors/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Over the past few weeks I have seen a bit of skepticism showered on the technology sector. As was noted in a Bloggingstocks post earlier this month, Jim Cramer offered some cautious comments on the group, saying that many stocks were "off limits". I then saw this BusinessWeek article that says Standard & Poor's is calling for a potential 7% to 10% correction in the Nasdaq Composite.

To be sure, this hasn't been a good couple of weeks for individual tech stocks. Companies such as Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM), Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD), Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX), and Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) have all seen their stocks hit. Some posted lower-than-expected earnings, some warned, and some saw selling despite seemingly decent results. Each stock drop has helped to weigh on the collective psyche of investors. In other words, each individual sell off has fed into the skepticism expressed above.

Continue reading Is tech hand-wringing creating opportunities for savvy investors?

Is tech hand-wringing creating opportunities for savvy investors? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business weekBusinessWeekjim cramerJimCramermarket correctionsMarketCorrectionsnasdaq compositeNasdaqCompositestandard and poorsStandardAndPoorsFri, 26 Jan 2007 14:55:00 EST