When you write about Apple (AAPL), you inevitably hear from some naive person informing you that, "You just don't get it; Apple is different."

There are certainly many things about Apple that are very different, but in the context of the "you just don't get it" crowd, it is absolutely not. The same was said about Google (GOOG) only a short while ago, Xerox (XRX) three decades ago and Winchester -- now part of Olin Corp. (OLN) -- rifles 125 years ago.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Apple's Cash Is Different

Chasing Value: Apple's Cash Is Different originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Humble copier company Xerox (XRX) is suddenly the toast of Wall Street. In addition to a bullish Barron's feature earlier this week, the stock garnered a rush of attention from optimistic options players Thursday. Although the security has yet to establish a firm foothold in double-digit territory, it seems that hopes are running pretty high for Xerox.

On Thursday, call volume on XRX surged to 28 times the norm, with roughly 103,000 contracts crossing the tape. Most of the volume was focused on the January 2011 series of options, as one trader closed out a block of 35,000 January 7.50 calls and exchanged them for 35,000 contracts of the January 9 call. By rolling these calls up to a higher strike, the speculator is indicating that he expects additional upside from XRX during the intermediate term.

Continue reading Should You Buy the Bullish Hype on Xerox?

Should You Buy the Bullish Hype on Xerox? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the weekend, Barron's published a very favorable cover story on Xerox (XRX), noting that the company is branching out to "recast" itself as a service company. The article points out that Xerox has seen steady increases in earnings, which have repeatedly topped the Street's expectations. In fact, Xerox CEO Ursula Burns went as far as to say that "Shareholders clearly love us because we can deliver predictable earnings growth."

The article also notes that the Street is a bit behind as far as coming to terms with how Xerox's new businesses will perform. This leads some to believe that the shares could trade at a "reasonable 8.6x estimated earnings for the year ahead." Yes, 8.6 times the estimated earnings in the coming year. The article also states that although Xerox stock is trading "well below" its five-year price-earnings ratio of 13x, a move to 12x would result in a "jump of at least 50%." So, just a move toward the five-year P/E ratio could result in a 50% jump -- good numbers, but let's take a look at XRX's technical performance to see what technical hurdles lie in the road.

Continue reading Xerox Rallies Thanks to Positive Barron's Mention

Xerox Rallies Thanks to Positive Barron's Mention originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do Hewlett Packard (HPQ) printers tell the truth or lie? Do they print out what is actually there or what we actually want to be there?

In fact, HP printers do not print out what they are given; they make the image deeper, darker and richer than it really is. I was a little surprised when I read that. When asked, HP admitted they improve the photos and they are giving the customers what they want.

Continue reading Do Hewlett-Packard Photo Printers Lie?

Do Hewlett-Packard Photo Printers Lie? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 May 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) lower Q1 earnings were better than expected but it lowered its full-year outlook.
• McDonald's Corp. (MCD) solid Q1 numbers were driven by its value menu, McCafe, and strength overseas.
• Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) topped Q1 earnings expectations and cash from operations rose, but shares declined.
• Netflix Inc. (NFLX) shares were lifted after its strong Q1 earnings beat consensus estimates.
• PepsiCo Inc. (PEP) fell short of Q1 revenue estimates but beat earnings per share expectations by a penny.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: McDonald's, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Starbucks, Yahoo! ...

Earnings Highlights: McDonald's, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Raytheon, Starbucks, Yahoo! ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Copier-and-printer firm Xerox (XRX) released first-quarter results Friday morning, topping the consensus estimate despite posting a loss of four cents per share.

The results were pulled lower by one-time charges related to layoffs and the company's acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services. Excluding one-time costs, Xerox earned 18 cents per share, a nickel better than the Street expected. Revenue increased 33% compared to a year ago, coming in at $4.7 billion. The revenue increase is credited to the addition of Affiliated's business outsourcing segment.

Continue reading One-Time Charges Force Xerox to a Quarterly Loss

One-Time Charges Force Xerox to a Quarterly Loss originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• American Express Co. (AXP) doubled its bottom line in Q4 while its provisions for losses fell.
• Blockbuster Inc. (BBI) warned of weakness in Q4 and lowered its guidance, sending shares lower.
• Coach Inc. (COH) better-than-expected Q2 earnings were accompanied by sales growth, but shares fell.
• Comerica Inc. (CMA) posted a smaller-than-expected Q4 loss, sending shares to a 52-week high.
• CSX Corp. (CSX) posted Q4 earnings that topped estimates but its revenue fell short of expectations.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: American Express, Coach, GE, Google, IBM, McDonald's ...

Earnings Highlights: American Express, Coach, GE, Google, IBM, McDonald's ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a busy week in the equities market. Earnings reports are coming fast and furious. I thought I would catch up on a few companies with a brief look at their numbers.

First up is an entity from the consumer products sector. Kimberly-Clark (KMB), a colleague of Procter & Gamble (PG), issued fourth-quarter data on Friday. Sales increased over 8%, with a better currency environment helping things out. Organic sales powered up almost 3%, driven in part by higher prices. Per-share profit went up over 15% to $1.17.

Continue reading A Look at Three Quarterly Reports: Kimberly-Clark, Xerox, American Express

A Look at Three Quarterly Reports: Kimberly-Clark, Xerox, American Express originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some big names set new 52-week highs Tuesday: WAG, ACS, WYE ...

Some big names set new 52-week highs Tuesday: WAG, ACS, WYE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the global tech industry, the services business has become a strategic asset. Last week, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) agreed to shell out a whopping $3.9 billion for Perot Systems (NYSE: PER).

Now, there's another biggie deal: Xerox (NASDAQ: XRX) has agreed to pay $6.4 billion for Affiliated Computers Services (NASDAQ: ACS). Just like Dell, Xerox's core hardware business is undergoing lots of pressure. So why not expand into something else?

Continue reading Xerox copies Dell for a big M&A deal

Xerox copies Dell for a big M&A deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) reported better-than-expected Q1 results due to cost cutting.
• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) received several upgrades ahead of its Q4 report on the demise of Circuit City.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) crushed analyst's expectations for Q4 as same-store sales rose.
• China Direct Industries Inc. (NASDAQ: CDII) Q4 earnings prospects resulted in an analyst's dowgrade.
• Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI) posted better-than-expected Q3 earnings and lifted its 2009 guidance.
• Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER) was downgraded after it lowered its guidance.
• FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) fell short of Q3 earnings and revenue expectations due to economic conditions.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: FedEx, Nike, Oracle, General Mills, Palm, Adobe and more

Earnings highlights: FedEx, Nike, Oracle, General Mills, Palm, Adobe and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After days of rallying, the market decided that bank stocks had gone much too far. With no first quarter earnings out, the fact is that the current quarter could still be tough. Financial shares could still reset lower. The market reacted accordingly.

The unofficial numbers for the day broke out like this:

Dow 7,278.38 -122.42 (-1.65%)
S&P 500 768.54 -15.50 (-1.98%)
Nasdaq 1,457.27 -26.21 (-1.77%)

TOP ANALYST CALLS

Continue reading Closing bell: End of bank rally brings the show down (AIG, EXPE, GM, MGM, XRX)

Closing bell: End of bank rally brings the show down (AIG, EXPE, GM, MGM, XRX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I think it's fair to say that there's much trepidation about the earnings season that picks up steam this week. And for better or worse, numbers from the big financials have begun to roll in. Last week we saw profit sink for JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) and significant losses from Bank of American Corp. (NYSE: BAC), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C), and Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB).

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (NYSE: BK) to be among those financials reporting fourth-quarter earnings growth this week. They anticipate that Bank of New York will post a profit of $0.70 per share, compared to $0.67 per share a year ago and $0.72 in the previous quarter. Revenue is expected come to $3.8 billion, about the same as it was a year ago. Bank of New York has fallen short of earnings estimates in two of the past five quarters, by as much as 11.1%. For the full year, analysts are looking for $2.78 per share (+5.8%) on $14.8 billion (+4.2%). The consensus recommendation of analysts is to buy BK, and the long-term EPS growth rate forecast is 10.7%. Shares are 48.7% lower than a year ago. Other financials expected to report quarterly earnings growth this week include SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE: STI) and M&T Bank Corp. (NYSE: MTB).

Continue reading The week in preview: Financials, techs lead off earnings crunch

The week in preview: Financials, techs lead off earnings crunch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• American Eagle Outfitters Inc. (NYSE: AEO) saw lower Q3 results in the tough retail envirnoment.
• Analog Devices Inc. (NYSE: ADI) Q4 profit surged but it lowered its Q1 forecast due to slowing orders.
• Borders Group Inc. (NYSE: BGP) had dismal Q3 results and said it had ceased its quest to sell itself.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) solid Q1 results beat estimates but shares fell despite a market rally.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) fell short of Q4 profit expectations and guidance was below estimates.
• Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ: DLTR) had a bigger-than-expected Q3 profit and raised its full-year outlook.
• D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) reported a wider Q4 loss as home sales revenue declined by 50%.
• Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE: HPQ) posted strong Q4 numbers that didn't quite match the preliminary results.
• Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) had strong results and an optimistic forecast despite economic conditions.
• Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) lowered its fiscal 2009 forecast and warned of further restructuring.
• Tiffany & Co. (NYSE: TIF) Q3 earnings declined but topped expectations, and it announced staff reductions.
• Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) Q4 earnings beat expectations though revenues fell slightly.
• Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) forecast a full-year profit in line with estimates and said it is confident in its liquidity.

Upcoming earnings releases include Sears (NASDAQ: SHLD), Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS), Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO), Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM), Guess (NYSE: GES), Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL), Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL), Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: HP, Campbell, Deere, Tiffany, Xerox, Borders and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

There was a short blurb about Xerox (NYSE: XRX) in the news on Monday. Management at the company wanted investors to know that it won't be needing to beg for the green stuff. Cash flow from operating activities, existing credit facilities, and a leaner business will carry the technology company through the current difficult period. Xerox gave a wide earnings range for 2009, saying it should book between $1 and $1.25 per share. Analysts are counting on $1.15 per share.

Well, that range makes it kind of difficult to predict how things will turn out in terms of whether the company will beat Wall Street or not; might as well flip a quarter. The more important thing to focus on is that Xerox will be profitable and that it is confident in its liquidity. The stock was up almost 18% at the close yesterday on nice volume. With the recent rally, should you look at Xerox as an investment, or a trade?

Xerox isn't one of my favorite stocks. I have no interest in it on a long-term basis. It just isn't a leading innovator these days, and there are way better alternatives out there if you want a core, long-term holding in the tech sector. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) are three names off the top of my head I'd look at first.

Continue reading Xerox says it's doing fine - but it's still the same old company

Xerox says it's doing fine - but it's still the same old company originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's a look at what's on the economic calendar for the week of November 24, 2008, which includes the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.

• Merrill Lynch Speciality Finance Conference: Monday, 7:00 AM
• Schering Plough R&D Update Meeting: Monday, 8:30 AM
• Xerox 2008 Investor Conference: Monday, 9:00 AM
• Existing home sales (Oct. 2008): Monday, 10:00 AM
• Standard & Poors Asia Pacific Market Outlook Conference: Tuesday
• U.S. GDP (prelim.) (Q3 2008): Tuesday, 8:30 AM
• Consumer confidence index (Nov. 2008): Tuesday, 10:00 AM
• Personal income (Oct. 2008): Wednesday, 8:30 AM
• Durable goods orders (Oct. 2008): Wednesday, 8:30 AM
• New housing sales (Oct. 2008): Wednesday, 10:00 AM
• University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (final) (Nov. 2008): Wednesday, 10:00 AM

For expectations for this some of this coming week's earnings releases, see The week in preview: Holiday week earnings.

Housing sales, GDP, consumer confidence on this week's schedule originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In this series, we take a look at the 25 stocks on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) that have turned in the worst performance during the past decade -- what went wrong, and what happens next.

Google should allow the sad fate of Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) to serve as a cautionary tale: the use of your company's name as a common verb in the popular lexicon does not guarantee long-term success.

I can remember an age when I thought "xerox" was a legitimate action verb. But I couldn't tell you the last time I made a "xerox." You may remember from our discussion of Gannett Co. (NYSE: GCI) that people don't read the paper anymore. Well, it's actually a little more serious than that -- people don't even like to use paper anymore.

What went wrong? At number 18 on our list of SPX laggards, XRX shed 73% of its value during the 10 years that ended June 30, 2008. The stock tapped a high of $63.94 back in May 1999, shortly after G. Richard Thoman succeeded Paul Allaire as CEO. As The New York Times noted, Thoman was taking the helm "...at a time of unprecedented change for Xerox," with digital technology transforming traditional copier and printer usage.

Continue reading Worst 10-year performers: Xerox Corporation can't reproduce its early momentum

Worst 10-year performers: Xerox Corporation can't reproduce its early momentum originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Why did Xerox add Chuck Prince to its board of directors? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Abbott Laboratories Inc. (NYSE: ABT) first-quarter profit soared on overseas demand for Humira.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) posted a bigger-than-expected loss, its sixth straight.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on strength overseas.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) first-quarter profit soared on strong demand for grain, ethanol, and coal.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) beat first-quarter expectations but the outlook was uninspiring.
• Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) first-quarter profit soared 42%, beating Wall Street estimates.
• Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) first-quarter earnings slipped but exceeded expectations.
• Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG) beat first-quarter estimates and offered a disappointing outlook.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) missed first-quarter estimates on rising fuel prices.
• Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) first-quarter profit missed expectations and it warned of a coming decline.
• Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) first-quarter profits fell and missed analysts' expectations.
• Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE: RS) lowered its second-quarter outlook.
• Royal Philips Electronics posted a bigger-than-expected fall in profit on weak North America TV sales.
• Wolverine World Wide Inc. (NYSE: WWW) beat earnings estimates but shareholders were not impressed.
• Xerox Corp. (NYSE: XRX) posted a first-quarter loss that matched analysts' estimates.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Google, Intel, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, eBay, AMD and others

Earnings highlights: Google, Intel, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, eBay, AMD and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Xerox (XRX) reports loss during first-quarter on legal settlement

Xerox (XRX) reports loss during first-quarter on legal settlement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.