Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks Q1 Review -- A Platform for Success

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks Q1 Review -- A Platform for Success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"This is a time for defensive measures, and one defensive stock idea is Telefonica (TEF); based in Madrid, Spain, Telefonica is a world telecom leader, with more than 280 million customers in 25 countries," notes Mark Skousen.

The editor of Forecasts & Strategies explains, "The company has a particular emphasis on Latin America. Telefonica offers landlines, cell phones and services, network leasing, cable and satellite television, and broadband services. It also is expanding rapidly in Asia in a partnership with China Unicom.

Continue reading Telefonica (TEF): Calling on a Turnaround

Telefonica (TEF): Calling on a Turnaround originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Picks Dust the S&P

Chasing Value: 2011 Picks Dust the S&P originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I have already gone on record this year saying that financial companies and insurance stocks are going to continue to rebound. In my previous two posts Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 5 of 11 and Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 6, 7, 8, 9, I included several financial institutions. Today I add an insurance company.

The industry got whacked hard for many reasons. For one, it makes a significant amount of profit by investing its float, and like every other investor, the industry lost a pile of money in the financial crisis. It was embroiled more directly than some industries, as several insurers are affiliated with banks. Finally the housing crisis meant disruption to payment streams by homeowners who were delinquent on more than their mortgages.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 10 and 11

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 10 and 11 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are the next four of my 2011 picks. I am behind schedule, after publishing the first 5 earlier in the week (see: Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 5 of 11). This year instead of starting completely anew, I am adjusting my 2010 picks. There is no sense in abandoning good ideas just because the calendar turned a page.

You will actually find support of running themes I have been writing about over the past few months. One of these is the idea of making a contrarian investment in a basket of stocks that have been both scalded and scolded in the headlines. Six stocks were included in such a group that I called the "toxic stocks" (see: Chasing Value: Toxic Stock Update #3 -- BAC, BP, C, GE, GS, RIG).

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 6, 7, 8, 9

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- 6, 7, 8, 9 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Could a stock that you made 1,100% on still have room to run? Yes, it is possible. In particular if it had a near death experience as a penny stock for a while.

That is the case with Newcastle Investments (NCT), the CMBS lender and real estate investment company that reached a recent high of $7.10 and has settled back down, most recently hovering between $6.70 to $7.00. It closed Thursday December 23 at $6.71.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- Part 2

Chasing Value: 2011 Stock Picks -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Time to Redial Telefonica

Chasing Value: Time to Redial Telefonica originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Bonds, Gold, Stocks and Capital Flight

Chasing Value: Bonds, Gold, Stocks and Capital Flight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the midst of deep fear and melodramatic headlines in May, I dove into the market suggesting investors take a hard look at three companies that would survive anything the world could throw at them.

There are often profits to be made from the headlines as fear and greed drive the market. You must have read umpteen times in journals worldwide "my pal Warren's" trumpeting smart investors to buy on fear. Well, last may Novartis AG ADS (NVS), Telefonica SA (TEF) and Unilever ADR (UL) were on sale as fear ruled the day. So let's see how these ideas worked out.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Novartis, Telefonica, Unilever Bought on Fear

Chasing Value: Novartis, Telefonica, Unilever Bought on Fear originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: No Double-Dip Recession

Chasing Value: No Double-Dip Recession originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A few weeks ago, a good friend asked me for a stock recommendation that he might add to his Roth IRA. Three stocks with high yields came to mind that would be great in a retirement account. Note that I do not advise others what they should do, but share what I am doing or contemplating doing.

I recently included Merck (MRK) in a review of the granny portfolio, and discussed Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) in Chasing Value[TM]: Buffett Must Be Buying Oil. I own Merck in all of my portfolios and have made Shell the largest holding in the largest portfolio. The third stock that I thought of I don't yet own -- Telefonica SA (TEF). I looked at it last May, and it currently pays a whopping 7.13% yield.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Telefonica, a Work of Art

Chasing Value: Telefonica, a Work of Art originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Perhaps the European Union was doomed from the start and it just took a decade for the more productive member states to realize it.

If you went into a business with a bad partner is there any way for it to work? Inevitably there will be a split and that might be the case for the EU members and the battered euro.

Regardless of the end result shrewd investors should be on the lookout for stock bargains in large successful European companies undermined by the failure of the monetary system. The following three stocks are examples worth considering.

Continue reading EU Collapse Inevitable? No Matter: NVS, TEF and UL Are Buys

EU Collapse Inevitable? No Matter: NVS, TEF and UL Are Buys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 May 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 'Ben Graham' Buys: Six-Pack of Foreign Value Stocks

'Ben Graham' Buys: Six-Pack of Foreign Value Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Short City Update: GameStop: hold short; Telefonica: stopped out

Short City Update: GameStop: hold short; Telefonica: stopped out originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Some contend that shorting stocks is un-American. Hardly. Selling short provides liquidity to the markets, aids in price discovery, and provides an extra check -- some argue the only check -- against ill-conceived business ideas and incompetent executives.

New York Stock Trader Dave Fischer is a short king, and has made most of his money over the past 15 years shorting stocks. His favorite phrase is, "With those fundamentals, that stock can't hang on for long."

Short these shares if you can tolerate high-risk and are an experienced investor that does not remove Buy/Stop Losses.

Continue reading Short City: GameStop, Telefonica

Short City: GameStop, Telefonica originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded shares of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) to Buy from Hold and raised the target to $79 from $52.50 on valuation and believes the company can use its strong cash flow position to acquire assets.
  
• Baird said The Corporate Executive Board Company's (NASDAQ: EXBD) valuation is discounting a miss and that the company is well positioned as an early-cycle story with a new CFO, continued mid-market traction, and likely better than feared 2009 results. The firm upgraded shares to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $38 from $41.
  
• Merrill upgraded Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE: NVS) to Buy from Neutral and Sanofi-Aventis SA (ADR) (NYSE: SNY) and Shire Plc (ADR) (NASDAQ: SHPGY) to Buy from Underperform on valuation and defensive earnings.
• Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (NYSE: MI) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
  
• Barclays Plc (ADR) (NYSE: BCS) was raised to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Novellus Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS) was upgraded at Soleil to Buy from Hold.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Seaspan, Vodafone, Telefonica and 8x8 Inc. were today's noteworthy initiations:

• Jefferies believes shares of Seaspan (NYSE: SSW) are attractively valued at current levels given the company's large modern fleet of containerships and "excellent" earnings and cash flow visibility; shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $33 target.
  
• Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and Telefonica (NYSE: TEF) were assumed with Outperform ratings at Bernstein, as they believe their mobile growth will be stronger than expected.
  
• Kaufman Bros. believes 8x8 Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) is on the cusp of posting sustainable profitability and could be an attractive acquisition candidate. The firm started shares with a Buy rating and $2 target.

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• Goldman initiated Ford (NYSE: F) with a Neutral rating.
  
• Sensient Tech (NYSE: SXT) was started withan Outperform rating and $36 target at Oppenheimer.
  
• Friedman Billings assumed Prudential FInancial (NYSE: PRU) with a Market perform rating and $86 target.

Analyst initiations: Seaspan, Vodafone, Telefonica, 8x8 Inc. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Validea is a fascinating newsletter that assesses stocks based on the known criteria of "legendary" stock investors, such as Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch.

Here, editor John Reese reviews Telefonica (NYSE: TEF) -- a Spain-based telecom firm with operates in Europe and Latin America -- based on the strategy of quantitative analyst James O'Shaughnessy.

"James O'Shaughnessy has noted that 'disciplined implementation of active strategies is the key to performance.' He should know; his study of 44 years of stock market data is one of the most extensive ever of the market.

"The system he devised based on that research produced average back-tested returns of 22% per year for those 44 years. At times like these, it's more important than ever to heed his advice, and keep your emotions in check by focusing on fundamentals.

"Telefonica (NYSE: TEF), based in Madrid, Telefonica is involved in the communications, information, and entertainment arenas in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The firm has a presence in more than 20 countries and more than 218 million customers.

Continue reading Validea votes for Telefonica (TEF)

Validea votes for Telefonica (TEF) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Bear upgraded Overseas Shipholding Group (NYSE: OSG) to Outperform from Peer Perform following its Q4 results, citing seasonal strength.
  
• Tenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies after quarterly operating trends showed signs of stabilization.
  
• Goldman raised Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX) to Buy from Neutral and added shares to their Conviction Buy List as they find the valuation attractive at current levels.

• UBS raised Telefonica (NYSE: TEF) to Buy from Neutral.
  
• Goldman added El Paso Pipeline Partners (NYSE: EPB) to its Conviction Buy List.
  
• Royal Ahold (OTC: AHONY) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill Lynch.

Analyst upgrades: Overseas Shipholding, Tenet Healthcare, Luxottica originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK.A) chair Warren Buffett is in a position to help companies like Ambac Financial Group Inc (NYSE: ABK) and MBIA Inc (NYSE: MBI), possibly providing relief amid the credit market turmoil; sources speculate the company could also get into the bond-insurance business.
• Retailer Kohl's Corporation (NYSE: KSS) is today expected to announce an exclusive multi-year active wear licensing partnership with Fila Luxembourg S.a.r.l., a part of Fila Korea, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• According to a senior executive at Telefonica SA (NYSE: TEF), the company's efforts to obtain exclusive control of Vivo have stalled, the Financial Times reported.
• CEOs of CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX), Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI) told the Financial Times that if any of the new four bills to regulate rates, that are currently being debated in congress, becomes law, accelerating investment in U.S. railroads' capacity could come to a halt.

• News Corp's (NYSE: NWS.A) Rupert Murdoch said the company plans to replace nearly one million paid subscribers of the online Wall Street Journal with 10-15 million "who wouldn't pay a thing." Murdoch's long-term plan is to penetrate developing markets, The Australian reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Kohl's to announce partnership with Fila originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.