"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.

Analyst Upgrades

• General Growth (GGP) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• PPL Corp. (PPL) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Hudson City Bancorp (HCBK) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Hologic (HOLX) to conviction buy from buy at Goldman.
• Cognex (CGNX) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Buckeye Partners (BPL) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Ericsson (ERIC) and Health Care REIT (HCN) to buy from neutral and Olin (OLN) to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Nalco (NLC) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Watts Water (WTS) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• McDermott (MDR) to buy from neutral at Pritchard.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMTD, BPL, BX, ERIC, FTE, GGP, HCBK, HCN, NE, PPL, TUP ...

Analyst Calls: AMTD, BPL, BX, ERIC, FTE, GGP, HCBK, HCN, NE, PPL, TUP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Verizon (VZ), FEMSA (FMX), Vornado (VNO), Duke Realty (DRE) and AvalonBay (AVB) to buy from neutral, as well as Carnival (CCL) to conviction buy from buy, at Goldman.
• Symantec (SYMC) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Copano Energy (CPNO), DCP Midstream (DPM) and Inergy (NRGY) to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.
• SYNNEX (SNX) to strong buy from buy at Needham.
• Eli Lilly (LLY) to hold from sell at Hapoalim.
• World Wrestling (WWE) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKS, CCL, EOG, GE, GS, LLY, SNDK, T, TLB, TUP, VZ, WWE ...

Analyst Calls: AKS, CCL, EOG, GE, GS, LLY, SNDK, T, TLB, TUP, VZ, WWE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BMO Capital upgraded Procter & Gamble (PG) to outperform from market perform as it views P&G's valuation as attractive and expects growth to pick up in the March quarter. The firm has a $74 price target for shares.
• Goldman upgraded Tupperware (TUP) to buy from neutral and raised its target for shares to $60 from $48.
• Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Scansource (SCSC) to buy from hold. The firm believes that the company's growth is poised to accelerate, allowing the stock's multiple to expand or even rise slightly. The firm has a $43 target for shares.
• CA Technologies (CA) was upgraded to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Brady (BRC) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at BMO Capital.
• Lukoil (LUKOY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMZN, BTU, CA, EXPE, MOT, OI, PG, SCSC, TSL, TUP ...

Analyst Calls: AMZN, BTU, CA, EXPE, MOT, OI, PG, SCSC, TSL, TUP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Benjamin Graham has been recognized for decades as the father of value investing; Warren Buffett is known as the Oracle of Omaha for his superior investing skills," asserts J. Royden Ward, adding, "For this report, we combine Warren Buffett's and Ben Graham's criteria for choosing stocks.

The advisor reviews Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Coach (COH), Intel (INTC), Mastercard (MA), Microsoft (MSFT) and Tupperware Brands (TUP).

Continue reading Graham/Buffett Buys: A Six-Pack of Values

Graham/Buffett Buys: A Six-Pack of Values originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tupperware Q2 Earnings Come Up Short

Tupperware Q2 Earnings Come Up Short originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded Tupperware (TUP) to overweight from neutral, but lowered its price target to $57 from $58. The firm cites valuation and organic growth for the upgrade.
• William Blair upgraded Computer Programs (CPSI) to outperform from market perform. The firm noted that the company's Systems bookings have significantly exceeded its Systems revenue in recent quarters while the firm thinks the company will benefit from accelerated EHR adoption by small hospitals in coming years.
• RBC Capital upgraded Questar (STR) to outperform from sector perform and raised its price target to $49 from $52. The firm believes the separation of QEP Resources from Questar will create shareholder value.
• Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Power Integrations (POWI) and Volterra (VLTR) were upgraded to strong buy from buy at Needham.
• Realty Income (O) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CPSI, JOYG, MAKO, POWI, PXD, RIMM, STR, TUP, ...

Analyst Calls: CPSI, JOYG, MAKO, POWI, PXD, RIMM, STR, TUP, ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Most investors wouldn't give a fund described as 'relatively prosaic, dull, conservative' a second glance; that, however, is exactly how John Neff described the Windsor Fund that he headed for more than three decades," notes John Reese, an advisor who models specific portfolios designed around the stated investing strategies of many of the stock market's most legendary investors.

In his Validea newsletter, Reese explains, "And, while his style may not have been flashy or eye-catching, the returns he generated for clients were dazzling -- so dazzling that Neff's track record may be the greatest ever for a mutual fund manager.

"Over his 31-year tenure (1964-1995), Windsor averaged a 13.7 percent annual return, beating the market by an average of 3.1 percent per year.

Continue reading Ten Top Value Plays: Spotlight on John Neff

Ten Top Value Plays: Spotlight on John Neff originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Aol Inc. (AOL) reported a better-than-expected Q4 profit and said its revenue also topped estimates.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (BKC) higher Q2 earnings topped analysts' estimates but same-store sales fell.
• Clorox Co. (CLX) higher Q2 earnings beat expectations and it lifted its full-year earnings guidance.
• Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) Q4 earnings more than doubled and beat Wall Street expectations, but shares fell.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) shares jumped after it forecast earnings above analysts' expectations, boosted by January sales.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ...

Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tupperware (TUP) issued Q4 numbers after the bell on Monday. Sales were higher by 10% once benefits from currency exchange were eliminated. Adjusted earnings per share increased 16% to $1.22. According to Earnings.com, net income came in 18 cents better than the average estimate.

Bravo! Tupperware, which counts Newell Rubbermaid (NWL) and Avon Products (AVP) as colleagues, is also doing well with cash flow. In fact, you'll notice from the release that management is increasing its stock buyback by $200 million.

Continue reading Tupperware Reports Strong Q4

Tupperware Reports Strong Q4 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Kaufman Bros. upgraded Amazon.com (AMZN) to buy from hold as it finds the risk/reward on shares attractive following the recent pullback and expects the company to report strong Q4 results. Kaufman maintains a $155 price target on the stock.
• Baird upgraded DeVry (DV) to outperform from neutral and raised its target to $76 from $62. The firm said they have increased confidence in DeVry's ability to navigate through the ERP implementation.
• Benchmark Co. upgraded McGraw-Hill (MHP) to buy from hold on expectations the company's momentum should continue throughout 2010 due to improving debt markets, increased IPO issuance and steady education funding. The firm raised its target price on shares to $42 from $32.
• Best Buy (BBY) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Rochdale.
• AK Steel (AKS) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Cooper Industries (CBE) was raised to buy from neutral at UBS.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMZN, BBY, DV, POT, TWX, VZ, X ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: AMZN, BBY, DV, POT, TWX, VZ, X ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The march toward year end continues as three more stocks are reviewed in a search for the eventual 2010 stock picks. This year there will be nine stocks with a new wrinkle, I will add one naked put.

These options have contributed to a mind-boggling return on my 2009 portfolio, exceeding 200% to date. This has been a very unusual year, and I bet against the rampant fear in the market. I will not pretend for a moment that this is repeatable. What I will do is share my opinions and investing adventure, hoping to stimulate investor interest and dialog.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 5

Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 5 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tupperware continues to race ahead

Tupperware continues to race ahead originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tupperware makes up for the sell-off, and then some

Tupperware makes up for the sell-off, and then some originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tupperware likes the 'frugal consumer' trend

Tupperware likes the 'frugal consumer' trend originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Madoff Client List Revealed
• Cisco Dashes Hope for Tech Turnaround

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Just being upbeat isn't good enough

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Just being upbeat isn't good enough originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've been watching earnings this past week, or if you read last week's Week in Preview, then this coming week may leave you feeling a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day. That is, again analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect earnings declines to be more frequent and deeper than earnings gains.

Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), IAC Interactivecorp (NASDAQ: IACI), Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO), Elizabeth Arden Inc. (NASDAQ: RDEN), Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN), Diebold Inc. (NYSE: DBD), Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL), ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT), and Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) are scheduled to report quarterly results this week, and they're all expected to report double-digit declines in earnings.

But again this week, let's take a look who Wall Street feels may have done well in the past quarter.

Continue reading The week in preview: High hopes for MasterCard, Avon, Aflac, Northrop Grumman

The week in preview: High hopes for MasterCard, Avon, Aflac, Northrop Grumman originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Wachovia upgraded shares of The Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) to Outperform from Market Perform on expectations for greater pricing power given Goldman's position as the largest remaining independent securities firm.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Investment Technology Group Inc (NYSE: ITG) to Outperform from Market Perform as they believe the company will take market share with the reshaping of the large wire-house brokerage community. The company's target was raised to $37 from $33.
• Broadpoint raised Hoku Scientific Inc (NASDAQ: HOKU) to Buy from Neutral as they believe the contract with Tianwei New Energy reduces financing risk.
• ACE Ltd (NYSE: ACE) and The Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE: TRV) were upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
• Axcelis Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: ACLS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold and Evergreen Solar Inc (NASDAQ: ESLR) was lifted to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

Analyst downgrades:

Continue reading Analyst calls: GS, ITG, HOKU, CME, QSII, TUP, ABFS, PSE, RAX

Analyst calls: GS, ITG, HOKU, CME, QSII, TUP, ABFS, PSE, RAX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Top five 2008 defensive stocks: An update

Top five 2008 defensive stocks: An update originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 May 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tupperware Brands Corporation (NYSE: TUP) sells household goods, beauty items and personal care products. Kitchen and home items are Tupperware branded. Beauty and personal care brands include Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo and Swissgarde. Goods are marketed by a sales force of 2.1 million independent contractors, who take orders for items presented to small gatherings of customers they know. Other sales channels involve the Internet, infomercials and mall kiosks. The firm operates in nearly 100 countries.

Tupperware surprised the Street late last month, with Q4 EPS of 93 cents and revenues of $576.9 million. Analysts had been expecting 80 cents and $532.1 million. Management also guided Q1 EPS to 44-49 cents (43 cent consensus), FY08 EPS to $2.50-$2.60 ($2.32 consensus) and FY08 revenues to $2.14-$2.18 billion ($2.04B consensus).

Continue reading Tupperware Brands (TUP): Shares defining bullish 'flag' pattern

Tupperware Brands (TUP): Shares defining bullish 'flag' pattern originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.