Continue reading Ensco: A Ben Graham Value in Drilling

Ensco: A Ben Graham Value in Drilling originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: How to Find Value Stocks -- Part 2

Chasing Value: How to Find Value Stocks -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:30:00 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.

I have always felt that for all the blabbing we do -- or blogging, in my case -- we should try as best we can to be accountable for our good and bad calls. This report is long overdue, but I will post it anyway since all of my past year's picks and results have been made public.

The market was very harsh in the early part of 2009, filling investors fear and trepidation, and sinking to a March 9, 2009 bottom. Perhaps some of the bleeding has stopped, but the economy has not healed as bears and bulls seem to carry the day, or every other day.

Continue reading Chasing Value™: 2009 Results Crushed the S&P 500

Chasing Value™: 2009 Results Crushed the S&P 500 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Insurance Mess, Ebix to the Rescue

Chasing Value: Insurance Mess, Ebix to the Rescue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

During my tenure at BloggingStocks I have expressed my opinion often about the contribution that dividends make to your overall return. Most shrewd investors, and especially "my pal Warren," know this and understand why I re-emphasize the point when I make my annual selections.

By now I hope you have had a chance to peruse my picks for 2010. If not the links below will give you another opportunity.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2010 Dividends for Ten Stock Picks

Chasing Value: 2010 Dividends for Ten Stock Picks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For the first time my annual picks will include a stock option. I have written numerous blogs this year about something called "naked puts" -- that is a sell to open put position -- committing me to buy a certain number of shares by a certain date if the closing price is less than the strike price.

In this case I have selected the E*TRADE (ETFC) January 2011, $2.50 puts last traded on December 28, 2009 at $0.97 for a 39% return. If it expires, as I am betting it will, by the third Friday of that month I have no further obligation.

This type of option transaction is not available to most investors. It is marginable, but you pay no interest.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 2010 -- #10 E-Trade 'Naked Put'

Chasing Value: 2010 -- #10 E-Trade 'Naked Put' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The 5 data points were price-to-sales (P/S), price-to-book (P/B), price-to-cash flow (P/CF), dividend yield and return-on-equity (ROE). I did look at other things but these were the subject of my initial focus.

Continue reading Chasing Value: 10 Stock Picks for 2010

Chasing Value: 10 Stock Picks for 2010 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Vacationers and professionals finally appear to be hitting the road, and many are relying on Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE) to handle the details," says Nathan Slaughter in Half-Priced Stocks.

The value investor explains, "Expedia's travel sites processed 15.3 million transactions during the second quarter, 18% above the same period last year. Howevver, the gross dollar amount of those bookings dipped slightly to $5.6 billion/

"Whenever you have more trips bringing in less money, it's a pretty good indication that prices are way down.

Continue reading Expedia (EXPE): Travel firm books gains

Expedia (EXPE): Travel firm books gains originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Internet Wealth Builder, he explains, "I have been involved in the newspaper industry for good portion of my career; so it has been with great dismay that I've watched the industry crumble over the last few years." For contrary investors, he looks to New York Times (NYSE: NYT) and Gannett (NYSE: GCI).

"The Internet in general has siphoned off millions of dollars of advertising that used to belong to the newspaper industry.

Continue reading Printing profits? A contrary look at newspapers

Printing profits? A contrary look at newspapers originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest place in the world to find oil

Serious Money: Cheapest place in the world to find oil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: EZ Corp down -- opportunity knocks

Chasing Value: EZ Corp down -- opportunity knocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Hudson City Bancorp (NASDAQ: HCBK) is a fortress of safety with plenty of upside potential," says value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In his Half-Priced Stocks, he explains, "The 140-year old bank is a classic example of the tortoise and hare fable. Its slower, measured approach has paid off handsomely and keptit at arms length from the problems plaguing other banks."

"Hudson City manages a network of 130 bank branches spread throughout affluent regions of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. At last count, the firm had over $20 billion in deposits and approximately $56 billion in total assets.

"According to an independent study, this tight-knit institution has been rated one of the nation's three strictest mortgage underwriters. So when most other banks relaxed their standards in recent years to attract riskier clientele, Hudson City stuck to its conservative roots and refused to budge.

Continue reading Hudson City (HCBK): 'Best in breed' bank bet

Hudson City (HCBK): 'Best in breed' bank bet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Quick take: Williams or Apple or Google or Microsoft?

Quick take: Williams or Apple or Google or Microsoft? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 May 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When I look at the numbers for Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO), it is hard for me to believe the company has not been bought out already. Capitalized at $22 billion, it would be easy for most of the major oil companies to swallow whole.

Contrarian that I am, my view differs from that of Credit Suisse, which downgraded the stock yesterday based on valuation and lack of a visible catalyst for near-term growth.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Marathon Oil -- simply too cheap!

Chasing Value: Marathon Oil -- simply too cheap! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Wells Fargo - squeezing out the shorts!

Chasing Value: Wells Fargo - squeezing out the shorts! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Intuitive Surgical's right price

Chasing Value: Intuitive Surgical's right price originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Concerning the current debate over executive bonuses, value investor Charles Mizrahi contents, "As a shareholder, I have the choice of becoming partners with more than 7,000 businesses on the American stock exchanges."

In his Hidden Values Alert he states, "I've found two companies with managers who are aligned with shareholders. Their compensation packages put them in the same boat as shareholders, and as an owner that is exactly where you want them to be."

Here, the advisor looks at insurance firm Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) and business supplies retailer Staples (NYSE: SPLS).

Continue reading Shareholder-focused managements: Markel (MKL) & Staples (SPLS)

Shareholder-focused managements: Markel (MKL) & Staples (SPLS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Loews (NYSE: L), the holding company of the New York-based Tisch family, is a way of buying a collection of good stocks at a discount, with much else thrown in free," says Adrian Day.

The editor of the top-notch The Global Analyst explains, "These value investors have a long record of buying quality assets cheaply when they are out of favor, nurturing them, and eventually monetizing them."

"Everyone loves a sale, right? Typically, the Tisch family buys major chunks of out-of-favor businesses, often publicly traded, and holds them for many years. They exemplify the important traits of successful value investors: discipline and patience.

"I calculate a New Asset Value for Loews-taking current (depressed) stock prices for its publicly traded holdings, the cash, and conservative valuations for the private assets-of almost $39 per share.

Continue reading Loews (L): Buying value assets at a discount

Loews (L): Buying value assets at a discount originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.