This week we turn the calendar page, and that change brings with it a raft of economic data. Scheduled for release on Monday are pending home sales and personal income numbers for January, as well as the Chicago PMI and car and truck sales data for February.

On Tuesday, look for the ISM Manufacturing Index for February and construction spending numbers for January. That's followed on Wednesday by the week's first employment data: the Challenger Job-Cuts announcement and the ADP employment report for February. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver his semiannual monetary policy testimony before Congress on both days.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Unemployment Rate, Retail Earnings, Bernanke Testimony

Week in Preview: Unemployment Rate, Retail Earnings, Bernanke Testimony originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If in December, as outlined, you scooped-up shares of professional engineering/construction services provider URS Corporation (URS), first discussed on June 5, 2009, at a price of $51.56, you made the correct move. The stock is finally starting to get some respect from institutional investors (IIs).

URS's stock has progressed nicely this winter, rising about 15% in three months and the the stock should trade above $50 in 2011, according to my analysis.

Continue reading Is Now a Good Time to Consider URS Corp.?

Is Now a Good Time to Consider URS Corp.? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Heico (HEI) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Eaton (ETN), Silgan Holdings (SLGN), MYR Group (MYRG) and Shaw Group (SHAW) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Infosys (INFY) to buy from Neutral at Nomura.
• Isle of Capri (ISLE) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• NovaGold (NG) to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital.
• CarMax (KMX) and Rockwell Collins (COL) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• DHT Holdings (DHT) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) to overweight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CB, COL, ETN, FCX, FRO, INFY, KMX, NAT, SHAW, SON ...

Analyst Calls: CB, COL, ETN, FCX, FRO, INFY, KMX, NAT, SHAW, SON ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is URS Corp Undervalued?

Is URS Corp Undervalued? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Is the Selling Over with URS Corp?

Is the Selling Over with URS Corp? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Patterson-UTI Calls and iShares Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Puts Heating Up

Patterson-UTI Calls and iShares Investment-Grade Corporate Bond Puts Heating Up originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading URS Corp: Over-Correction Creates an Opportunity

URS Corp: Over-Correction Creates an Opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 May 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• UBS upgraded Yum! Brands (YUM) to buy from neutral, citing valuation, improving momentum and stabilizing China fast-food sales. The firm raised its target to $44 from $38.
• United Technologies (UTX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Needham upgraded Arris (ARRS) to buy from hold, citing valuation and positive near-term business trends. The firm has a $16 price target on shares.
• Warnaco (WRC) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Aetna (AET) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Nestle (NSRGY) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AET, ARRS, BIIB, CMA, CP, ENER, FSLR, UTX, YUM ...

Analyst Calls: AET, ARRS, BIIB, CMA, CP, ENER, FSLR, UTX, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading As Expected, URS Corp Swings to the Upside

As Expected, URS Corp Swings to the Upside originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

URS Corporation's (URS) stock continues to correct -- it's down about 20% since the June buy call -- but investors should view the pull-back as a buy opportunity, and I'm reiterating my recommendation at $51.56 on June 6, 2009. Here's why:

URS Corp's likely stock trend is higher because industrial and commerce power project activity should bottom in the quarters ahead, and that fact, combined with a lack of project cancellation by state and local governments, and new federal projects, should convince institutional investors (IIs) that URS's revenue growth will accelerate in FY2010. The First Call FY2009/FY2010 EPS estimates for URS are $3.09 to $3.26.

Continue reading URS Corporation is undervalued

URS Corporation is undervalued originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading URS Corp: Pull-back is buy opportunity

URS Corp: Pull-back is buy opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Put planning/construction management company URS Corp. (NYSE: URS) in that category of companies that have been rudely treated by Wall Street. From the way, institutions dumped the stock in October 2008, one would think that the United States would not build or repair another electric or water system or build another public facility. From a high over $60, the Street hammered shares to a low around $20. Or, as a CEO friend of mine says when he sees irrational behavior in a corporate environment, "It was a totally unacceptable thought process."

Wall Street's fits-and-starts continued over the winter, hence a Buy rating was delayed here regarding URS until it cleared the $50 mark, and now that the psychologically important "5-0" has been breached, look for shares to continue their upward movement.

Continue reading URS Corp. knows the rebuilding in the U.S. has just begun

URS Corp. knows the rebuilding in the U.S. has just begun originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Baird upgraded URS Corp. (NYSE: URS) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to Outperform from Neutral based on momentum of new wins from stimulus funds and expectations for additional nuclear contracts.
• Jefferies upgraded EnerSys (NYSE: ENS) to Buy from Hold following the recent share weakness as it believes volumes have stopped declining and the June quarter is likely the bottom. The firm raised its target price to $18 from $11.
• RBC Capital upgraded Camden Property (NYSE: CPT) to Outperform from Sector Perform citing the company's improved financial capacity and portfolio position. The firm raised its target price to $34 from $23.
• CBS Corp (NYSE: CBS) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• UDR (NYSE: UDR) was raised to Sector Perform from Underperform at RBC Capital and to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Zale (NYSE: ZLC) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merril.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: URS, CBS, CCE, LIFE ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: URS, CBS, CCE, LIFE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the release of economic data doesn't stop next week (see economic schedule highlights below), the earnings season does wind down dramatically. Most of the S&P 500 companies already have reported on the past quarter, which means dismal earnings news is largely behind us, at least for a while. About the only companies of note expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters to report falling earnings this week are Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST), Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. (NYSE: WEN), Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE: FL), Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO), and Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (NYSE: LVB).

While PetSmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) and Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG) quarterly profits are expected to be about the same as a year ago, Liz Claiborne Inc. (NYSE: LIZ), Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. (NYSE: KCP), Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN), and Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) are expected to have swung to losses in the most recent quarter.

Continue reading The week in preview: Earnings season winds down

The week in preview: Earnings season winds down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Infrastructure is a clear priority for President-elect Obama," says Bill Wilton, editor of Zacks Growth Trader looks to construction management firm, URS Corp. (NYSE URS) as his top idea for 2009.

"Typically, as we get down to the last page on the calendar, most market participants have a concrete opinion on what the next 12 months will bring.

"This year we have the benefit of the soon-to-be president of the United States telling us what to plan for, given his stated plans to focus on the nation's infrastructure.

"URS Corp provides a wide range of construction management and technical services for several industries that should benefit from the Obama's plan.

"The particularly relevant sectors include transportation, general building, and utilities. The company services government entities as well as private and institutional clients.

Continue reading Top Stock Picks '09: URS Corp. (URS)

Top Stock Picks '09: URS Corp. (URS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last year global stock markets lost $29 trillion in value -- falling 42%. And although it does not get much media attention, there is something that investors can do when the stock market moves against them. They can set stop losses on their stocks which limit how much money they can lose. Specifically, if an investor buys a stock at, say, $20 a share, he or she can issue a limit order which requires the broker to sell the stock when it declines to a lower price, say, $18. Such a limit order would limit the investor's loss to 10%.

This comes to mind in considering why the average stock in my investment newsletter gained 15% in 2008 when the S&P 500 fell 38.5%. My monthly newsletter analyzes broad economic trends and bores into specific industries. It also picks three stocks each month for subscribers to consider. During the first half of 2008, the energy and commodities stocks mentioned boosted its performance to +29% through the end of June. Then the bottom began to fall out as commodity prices tumbled and the financial services industry collapsed.

Thanks to the 2% stop loss rule -- which automatically sells any stock that falls 2% below the price at which it was mentioned in the newsletter -- the low point for the year was -1% at the end of October. By the end of 2008, only four of the 36 stocks mentioned remained in the portfolio. However, thanks to a surprising boost in one stock mentioned at the end of October and the three stocks picked at the end of November, the average stock was up 15% by the end of 2008. What were the three best performers?

Continue reading Why investors should use stop-losses

Why investors should use stop-losses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a special report, A Dozen Ways to Play an Obama Building Boom.

"URS Corp. (NYSE: URS) provides engineering, construction, and technical services to a wide range of markets," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian.

In The Forbes Growth Investor, he adds, "There is increased speculation that the federal government will enact a stimulus package containing substantial spending on infrastructure; as a leader in federally-funded projects, URS could benefit significantly."

"The U.S. was responsible for 91% of first half 2008 revenues with the remainder derived from various global markets. URS operates three divisions. The Washington division was responsible for 41.2% of first half sales.

"Acquired last November, its primary markets are energy and power. The URS division,which generated 35.4% of first half sales, serves the commercial, industrial, environmental, facilities, homeland security, transportation, water/waste water, and specialty markets.

"Customers include federal, state and local governments, and private enterprises, such as nuclear energy and mining companies, chemical and drug makers, and oil and gas firms.

Continue reading URS Corp. (URS): Forbes quant eyes infrastructure stimulus

URS Corp. (URS): Forbes quant eyes infrastructure stimulus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

URS Corporation (NYSE: URS) provides engineering, construction and technical services to public agencies and private sector companies around the world. The firm offers a full range of program management; planning, design and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance; construction and construction management; operations and maintenance; and decommissioning and closure services. Most clients are involved with infrastructure, power, heavy industry and federal programs. URS employs about 50,000, in over 30 countries. Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) and KBR (NYSE: KBR) are major competitors.

The company pleased investors earlier in the month, when it reported Q2 EPS of 72 cents and revenues of $2.53 billion. Analysts had been looking for 60 cents and $2.45 billion. In discussing the solid quarter, the CEO pointed to the firm's success in building capabilities across such growth areas as power and government work. Management also guided FY08 EPS to $2.36-$2.48 ($2.42) and FY08 revenues to $9.8 billion ($9.75B consensus). Morgan Joseph subsequently reiterated its "buy" rating on the shares and boosted its price target to $54.

Continue reading URS Corporation (URS): Share price defines bullish 'pennant'

URS Corporation (URS): Share price defines bullish 'pennant' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Fluor shows the power of execution

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Fluor shows the power of execution originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It is alarming to me that the same people who screw up the economy (or stand by watching) are the ones that are now promoting the remedies. They have proven without a shadow of a doubt that this is not their strong suit. The proposed economic stimulus package has bi-partisan support and calls for an estimated $156 billion of tax rebates ranging from $500 to $1,000 (+ $300 for each child) that might show up in May.

If we are going to add on to our already humungous joke of national debt, than I want to invest this capital in something that will bring a higher return on invested capital (ROIC) than the paltry one time mad money. That expenditure should be for national infrastructure projects like roadways, bridges, tunnels, and waterways.

We have all heard about the poor condition of our national infrastructure and the hundreds of billions of dollars of repair work and replacement that is desperately needed.

This alternative would bring visible results that every single person in the country would benefit from and improved linkages always stimulate economic growth. Road improvements even reduce fuel consumption by shortening routes and reducing friction both strategically and physically.

Continue reading Fund roads & bridges NOT mad money stimulus

Fund roads & bridges NOT mad money stimulus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.