The market's rebound after a rough start to February has proven that this bull market still has some legs. But I must warn you that not all stocks are set to share in the profits.

The bearish analysts like to hold up the trouble for a few big-name blue chips as a sign that market is doomed -- but don't believe it. These naysayers who focus on the short-lived dips or handful of problem companies forget this is a market of stocks and not just a stock market.

The fact is that there are a lot of smaller companies that are thriving right now even if the 30 components of the Dow are struggling.

Continue reading Five Top Small Cap Gems

Five Top Small Cap Gems originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple (AAPL) has been dominating the domestic market over the past few years, and its products and innovations have been huge successes. The latest winner is the iPhone smart phone.

Now, with a weak dollar, look for sales of this fantastic product to explode across the globe. If you think the success domestically is something, wait to see what sales do overseas.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #5: Apple (AAPL)

Weak dollar winner #5: Apple (AAPL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PepsiCo (PEP) understands the importance of global sales. So much so that its CEO, Indra Nooyi, was born and raised in India. Having led the company's global strategy for more than a decade prepared her well for the challenges of the leadership of the entire company.

That preparation is timely, given the weakness in the dollar and the explosion of opportunity for sales outside U.S. borders.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #4: PepsiCo (PEP)

Weak dollar winner #4: PepsiCo (PEP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We have seen what exports can do for fast food restaurants. Can the same happen with coffee stocks?

In some ways, it is already happening. Starbucks (SBUX) has made a big push overseas and many of its stores can be found in foreign markets. And a weak dollar is going to accelerate the trend greatly.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #3: Starbucks (SBUX)

Weak dollar winner #3: Starbucks (SBUX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, under the guise of betting on America, Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) made an offer to buy all outstanding shares of Burlington Northern (BNI) for a significant premium.

In making the announcement, Buffett confidently claimed that rail would play a big role in the recovery of the economy. What he did not say was that this was a bet on the U.S. dollar.

Continue reading Five winners of a weak dollar: SBUX, PEP, AAPL

Five winners of a weak dollar: SBUX, PEP, AAPL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nothing says manufacturing like Caterpillar (CAT). Those monster trucks made for earth-moving, digging and trucking are the epitome of making stuff in the good old USA.

Emerging markets are gaining confidence in building again, and a declining dollar makes Caterpillar equipment cheap for them. So, look for big sales gains in Caterpillar as the dollar drops.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #2: Caterpillar (CAT)

Weak dollar winner #2: Caterpillar (CAT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The collapse of the domestic housing market crushed businesses that made things that went into the building boom. One of the biggest makers of stuff for homes is Whirlpool (WHR). During the real estate bull market, Whirlpool was firing on all cylinders. But when the market crashed, so did WHR stock.

Since bottoming earlier this year, WHR has made a big recovery. That recovery was based on a recovery in the domestic real estate market. What has yet to be priced into the stock is a boom in overseas shipments.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #1: Whirlpool (WHR)

Weak dollar winner #1: Whirlpool (WHR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lennar (NYSE: LEN) has had one of the most impressive rebounds of all the home builders. The stock has been up as much as 340% since bottoming last November.

Wall Street's current consensus for Lennar's earnings this year is a loss of $2.88. In my opinion, that's too low. I think Lennar will have little trouble surprising Wall Street analysts later this year.

Lennar is a good momentum buy.

Continue reading Home builder stock #4: Lennar (LEN)

Home builder stock #4: Lennar (LEN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) was hit incredibly hard by the housing bust. The stock fell from $82 to just $7 per share. We haven't seen shakeouts like that since the tech bust.

Unlike some of the other home builders, KBH probably hit bottom early. The company's loss from last year wasn't as bad as its loss from 2007, and that's a good sign.

What I also like about KB Home is that the stock's volatility has calmed down, which is often the result of heavy institutional buying.

Continue reading Home builder stock #3: KB Home (KBH)

Home builder stock #3: KB Home (KBH) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

D.R. Horton (NYSE: DHI) saw its earnings-per-share plunge from a profit of $3.90 in 2006 to a staggering loss of $8.34 last year. Fortunately, the worst is behind us. This year D.R. Horton will probably lose about $1 per share.

I don't like to see any loss, but this is a huge improvement. In fact, I think there's even a good chance D.R. Horton could start posting some earnings gains by next year.

D.R. Horton is also a buy.

Next: Home builder stock #3

Home builder stock #2: D.R. Horton (DHI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

NVR (NYSE: NVR) is probably the healthiest of all the major home builders. In fact, the company hasn't taken a single annual loss yet. The company reported a quarterly loss for the fourth quarter of 2008, but all of the other quarters have recorded a profit.

Even though NVR is a fairly small company (market value of nearly $4 billion), the stock carries a very high price. The shares are currently over $660 a piece, which is even higher than Google.

Continue reading Home builder stock #1: NVR (NVR)

Home builder stock #1: NVR (NVR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The past few years haven't been what you might call a happy time for shares of home building stocks. Consider that the Homebuilders Exchange-Traded Fund (NYSE: XHB) plunged from $40 per share in early 2007 to just $8 per share earlier this year.

Since March, however, things have improved. There are signs that the housing market is getting back on its feet -- or at least, declining less slowly. Existing home sales recently registered their biggest gain in more than a decade. Seasonally-adjusted single-family building permits are up 27% since bottoming in March, while single-family housing starts have increased five straight months and are up 36% since March.

Continue reading Is it safe to buy home builders?

Is it safe to buy home builders? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

China-based Suntech Power Holdings Co. (NYSE: STP) is one of China's top stocks. The country's largest solar panel maker recently took steps to increase its hold on the Chinese solar market when it reached an agreement with a unit of China Huadian Corp. to develop 500MW of solar projects in China.

The collaboration between Suntech and China Huadian New Energy Development Co. could include some of the 1.8 gigawatts of Chinese projects Suntech recently announced. According to the company, the projects resulting from those agreements could be installed between 2010 and 2012. This deal means a solid pipeline of earnings for the solar maker, and that could translate into solid earnings going forward.

Continue reading Solar stock #5: Suntech Power (STP)

Solar stock #5: Suntech Power (STP) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On July 24, Northern California-based SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA) stunned the Street with a red-hot earnings beat. For Q2, SunPower reported earnings of 24 cents per share, beating consensus by 10 cents. Revenues rose 39% year-over-year to $298 million versus the $263 million consensus. The company also issued upside guidance for fiscal year 2009, seeing EPS of $1.15 to $1.60, compared to the consensus of 96 cents.

In a really bullish sign for SunPower going forward, the company also reiterated its 2009 capex guidance of $250 million to $300 million.

Continue reading Solar stock #4: SunPower (SPWRA)

Solar stock #4: SunPower (SPWRA) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Also reporting after the close on July 30 was Arizona-based First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR). Now these guys had a blowout quarter!

The company reported net income more than doubled in the second quarter, easily beating consensus Street estimates. In Q2, net income was $180.6 million, or $2.11 per share, compared with $69.7 million, or 85 cents per share, a year ago. The word on the Street was for earnings of just $1.65 per share.

Continue reading Solar stock #3: First Solar (FSLR)

Solar stock #3: First Solar (FSLR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After the closing bell on July 30, Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: ESLR) reported second-quarter revenues of $63.8 million, compared to $55.8 million for the first quarter of 2009. The company's gross margin for the second quarter of 2009 was 1.9%, compared to 1.2% for the first quarter of 2009.

Unfortunately, these gross margins are way off the 34.7% we saw in the second quarter of 2008.

Continue reading Solar stock #2: Evergreen Solar (ESLR)

Solar stock #2: Evergreen Solar (ESLR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Several high-profile solar companies recently reported earnings, and although these companies posted mixed results for the most recent quarter, there's no denying that Wall Street has been turning its face toward the sun and bidding up the shares of solar stocks.

So, what's the latest earnings front from stocks in the solar space, and why do the shares of some of the hottest solar stocks continue to shine? More importantly, should you own solar stocks right now, and if so, which ones should you make room for in your portfolio?

Continue reading What's hot and what's not in solar stocks

What's hot and what's not in solar stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Tuesday, July 21, brewing behemoth Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) bested Wall Street earnings estimates for the second quarter. The Seattle-based coffee giant reported earnings of $151.5 million in the period, driven by cost-cutting efforts and the downsizing of underperforming stores. Starbucks has now closed at 676 U.S. locations and almost 100 abroad.

For years, Starbucks was the darling of Wall Street. It seemed to do no wrong. The shares vaulted from less than 70 cents a piece in 1992 to $40 by 2006. But Starbucks wasn't managing its growth very well, and they opened too many stores far too quickly. As a result, shareholders paid the price.

Continue reading Coffee stock #5: Starbucks (SBUX)

Coffee stock #5: Starbucks (SBUX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Tuesday, July 28, the Northern California-based Peet's Coffee & Tea (NASDAQ: PEET) reported a quarterly profit that beat Wall Street estimates.

The company cited a combination of tighter cost controls and higher sales at its specialty business as chief reasons for the better-than-expected results.

For the second quarter ended June 28, net income rose to $3.4 million, or 26 cents per share, from $3 million, or 21 cents per share, one year ago. Revenue rose 5% to $73.6 million.

Continue reading Coffee stock #4: Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET)

Coffee stock #4: Peet's Coffee & Tea (PEET) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the name suggests, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NASDAQ: GMCR) is based in the pastoral state of Vermont. The company offers about 180 varieties of coffee, cocoa, and tea, which it sells to wholesale customers including supermarkets, convenience stores, resorts, and office delivery services.

Some of its biggest customers are ExxonMobil's convenience stores and McDonald's restaurants. In September, Green Mountain acquired Tully's Coffee, which has been chipping away at Starbucks' dominance in the Pacific Northwest.

Continue reading Coffee stock #3: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR)

Coffee stock #3: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.