Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) is significantly higher after the restaurant chain topped analysts' second-quarter earnings expectations.

After Tuesday's closing bell, Buffalo Wild Wings reported a quarterly profit of $9.2 million, or 50 cents per share, up from its year-ago earnings of $7.0 million, or 39 cents per share. Revenue for the period climbed 12.4% to $145.7 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were anticipating earnings of just 42 cents per share on $141.5 million in revenue.

Continue reading Buffalo Wild Wings Bolts Higher on Earnings Beat

Buffalo Wild Wings Bolts Higher on Earnings Beat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The Gift of Recovery (CMCSA, DOW, SAP, BWLD, AOL)

Closing Bell: The Gift of Recovery (CMCSA, DOW, SAP, BWLD, AOL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo upgraded Norfolk Southern (NSC) to outperform from market perform following the company's Q1 results.
• RBC Capital transferred coverage on Gildan Activewear (GIL) with an outperform from sector perform. The firm is positive on Gildan's low-cost producer strategy and free cash flow generation. The firm raised its target to $35 from $26.
• Wunderlich upgraded Delphi Financial (DFG) to buy from hold following the company's Q1 results and raised its target for shares to $31 from $29.
• Aflac (AFL) was upgraded to buy from neutral at Sterne Agee.
• Time Warner (TWX) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• Pride International (PDE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: NSC, GIL, DFG, F, DVA, PFWD, PGN, TDS, PSSI ...

Analyst Calls: NSC, GIL, DFG, F, DVA, PFWD, PGN, TDS, PSSI ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Sonoco Products (SON) to buy from hold after the company reported Q1 results and raised guidance. The firm upped its target for shares to $38 from $32.
• Baird upgraded Western Digital (WDC) to outperform from neutral following the solid Q3 report and guidance. The firm raised its target to $50 from $48.
• Goldman upgraded Qwest (Q) to neutral from sell. Qwest is being acquired by CenturyLink (CTL).
• Hershey (HSY) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Principal Financial (PFG) was upgraded to neutral from sell at UBS.
• Monster Worldwide (MWW) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: WDC, Q, HSY, BWLD, NOK, COP, KFT, VZ ...

Analyst Calls: WDC, Q, HSY, BWLD, NOK, COP, KFT, VZ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings and declared an annual dividend.
• Allstate Corp. (ALL) swung to better-than-expected Q4 earnings and also swung to a full-year profit.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD) shares tumbled after it posted disappointing earnings tied to costs.
• The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (CAKE) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings but sales were flat.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG) earnings numbers for Q4 resulted in upgrades from two analysts.
• CVS Caremark Corp. (CVS) higher Q4 earnings matched the expectations of analysts, and shares rose.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Allstate, Marriott, PepsiCo, 3M, UBS, Viacom, WWE ...

Earnings Highlights: Allstate, Marriott, PepsiCo, 3M, UBS, Viacom, WWE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Humble restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter earnings report after the market closes on Thursday, Feb. 11. Ahead of the event, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for a profit of 51 cents per share, up from 43 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. BWLD has an impressive history in the earnings spotlight, having matched or exceeded Wall Street's consensus expectations in each of the previous four reporting periods.

Continue reading Ambitious Trader Strangles Buffalo Wild Wings Ahead of Earnings

Ambitious Trader Strangles Buffalo Wild Wings Ahead of Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Casual restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) scored an upgrade on Monday, with Morgan Keegan raising its rating from market perform to outperform. As a result, the shares kicked off the week by rallying more than 4%, and reclaiming a perch above the 10-day and 20-day moving averages.

However, option traders were hardly impressed by Morgan Keegan's bullish note, or by the stock's resulting gains. During the course of Monday's session, speculators on the International Securities Exchange (ISE) bought to open 1,000 puts on BWLD, compared to just 181 calls. The equity's single-day put/call volume ratio of 5.52 reveals that bearish bets were snapped up at a much faster pace than their bullish counterparts.

Continue reading Bears Not Buying Buffalo Wild Wings Upgrade

Bears Not Buying Buffalo Wild Wings Upgrade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analysts, on average, are expecting BWLD to report a profit of 46 cents per share, up from 36 cents per share in the first quarter of 2008. The company has a mixed history in the earnings confessional: in its previous four reports, the chain has exceeded analysts' estimates twice, met them once, and fallen short on one other occasion.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Buffalo Wild Wings could spark a short-squeeze rally

Earnings preview: Buffalo Wild Wings could spark a short-squeeze rally originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As the quarterly reports continue to roll out and the market continues to rally, optimism seem to be rising. Analysts certainly have high hopes for some companies reporting earnings this week.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) to report first-quarter earnings of $1.51 per share, which is 62.3% higher than a year ago. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be 105.6% higher, or $404.9 million. First Solar earnings have topped expectations in the past five quarters, by as much as 47.3%. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 40.6% and the forward PE ratio estimate is 23.0. In the previous quarter, Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar reported having more cash on hand than debt. The First Call consensus recommendation is to buy FSLR; CNBC recently included it as a stock pick. First Solar has announced that it will build new solar power plants in Nevada and Germany. Its share price has risen 6.9% since the beginning of the year to $147.46.

Continue reading The week in preview: High hopes for First Solar, Humana, DreamWorks and more

The week in preview: High hopes for First Solar, Humana, DreamWorks and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two leading advisors -- both known for an expertise in technical analysts -- are bullish on the prospects for Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD), which operates and franchises casual food restaurants in 38 states.

Here's an overview of the stock from Joseph Hargett, an analyst with Schaeffer Investment Research, and Richard Schmidt, editor of The Stellar Stock Alert.

Schmidt explains, "You've got to love the action of Buffalo Wild Wings. Last month, the stock jumped up nearly 25% in one day and continued to move up.

Continue reading Technicians bet on Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD)

Technicians bet on Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) posted a Q1 loss and announced a workforce reduction.
• ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) swung to it's first ever quarterly loss due to lower demand and a big write-down.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD) shares surged after it posted strong Q4 results.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG) posted better-than-expected Q4 earnings as revenue surged.
• Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) topped Q4 earnings estimates, sending shares higher.
• Global Traffic Network Inc. (NASDAQ: GNET) weaker-than-expected Q2 results led to a downgrade.
• Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) shares fell despite its upside surprise for Q4.
• Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE: LGF) posted a bigger-than-expected Q3 loss despite revenue growth.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Viacom, UBS, RIM, ArcelorMittal, Lions Gate, McAfee and others

Earnings highlights: Viacom, UBS, RIM, ArcelorMittal, Lions Gate, McAfee and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) reported a sharp drop in earnings for the third quarter last November, the stock plummeted to a 52-week low of $14.50 during the succeeding two months.

At the time, I suggested that the fundamentals at the company were so strong that the analysts downplaying the stock and the investors driving the price down were mistaken.

BWLD recovered in early December and held on to those gains for the first part of 2009. With the release of the fourth-quarter earnings report yesterday, the stock has added another 30%-plus to its price.

Continue reading Buffalo Wild Wings flying again

Buffalo Wild Wings flying again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Buffalo Wild Wings: Fatten you up?

Buffalo Wild Wings: Fatten you up? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Chipotle (NYSE: CMG) closed at $51.31. CMG is scheduled to report Q4 on February 11. CMG February call option implied volatility is at 82, puts are at 91; above its 26-week average of 57, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement. CMG puts are more expensive than puts because CMG is difficult to borrow.

Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) closed at $22.67. BWLD, an operator and franchisor of 564 restaurants, is scheduled to report Q4 EPS on February 11. BWLD February 22 straddle is priced at $3.95, March 22 straddle is priced at $5.20. BWLD February option implied volatility is at 117, March is at 85; above its 26-week average of 80, according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Options Update: Chipotle and Buffalo Wild Wings volatility elevated into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's about that time again: Pepsi vs. Coke. No, not another taste test or another Battle of the Brands. It's time for the next quarterly results from these two soft drink titans.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters anticipate that PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP), global beverage and snack food giant, will report fourth-quarter earnings this week that are 9.1% higher that a year ago, or $0.88 per share. Revenue is expected to total $12.8 billion, which is 3.9% higher than last year. For the full year, the profit is expected to be $3.67 per share on revenue of $43.4 billion, up from $3.38 per share on $39.5 billion in 2007. PepsiCo's earnings met or beat estimates in four of the past five quarters, but missed by only two cents per share in the third quarter. The consensus recommendation of analysts remains to buy PEP. The share price fell to a 52-week low in January and is now 24.4% lower than it was a year ago. During the fourth quarter, PepsiCo declared a $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, agreed to acquire a Spitz International, and announced investments in China and Mexico.

Continue reading The week in preview: Coke versus Pepsi

The week in preview: Coke versus Pepsi originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Rosenberg Center Franchise 50 Index, which tracks a diverse set of 50 publicly traded U.S. companies engaged in business format franchising, had good news for investors in Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD).

In its most recent report, issued Dec. 27, it was noted that the index dipped a mere 0.4% in the third quarter, while the S&P 500 dropped 9% in the same period.

BWLD was the principal contributor to the performance of the index. The company actually saw an increase in value of 62.3% during the quarter. The next best positive contributor to the index performance was McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), with an increase in value of 9%.

The company is in a strong capital position to take the next steps toward its goal of having 1,000 owned or franchised locations. With a current ratio of over 1.5 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08%, compared with an industry average of 208%, BWLD should have little difficulty raising the necessary capital to grow.

Continue reading Buffalo Wild Wings is a hot deal

Buffalo Wild Wings is a hot deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Jan 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) to Buy from Hold on valuation with the stock down 65% in two months as they believe the company has a "best-in-class fundamental story." The firm lowered its target to $25 from $30.
• Morgan Stanley upgraded Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) to Overweight from Equal Weight on valuation and believes near-term cost reductions could provide a positive catalyst.
• Citigroup upgraded New York Times (NYSE: NYT) to Hold from Sell and lowered its target to $5.50 from $7 on valuation and believes the dividend cut will boost the company's liquidity.
• Pantry (NASDAQL PTRY) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Friedman Billings.
• LECG Corp (NASDAQ: XPRT) was raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) was upgraded at RBC Capital to Outperform from Sector Perform.

• Jefferies downgraded Suntech (NYSE: STP) to Hold from Buy and lowered its target to $6 from $25 as they believe concerns about a convert refinancing in February 2010 will continue to weigh on the stock.
• Credit Suisse cut Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to Underperform from Outperform due to expectations for a decline in wireless infrastructure spending.
• ING downgraded shares of Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) to Hold from Buy as they believe it will be challenging for the company to execute asset sales planned at reducing debt in the current environment.

Continue reading Analyst calls: BWLD, SNY, NYT, STP, ERIC, RTP, KTOS, ZGEN

Analyst calls: BWLD, SNY, NYT, STP, ERIC, RTP, KTOS, ZGEN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD), an operator and franchisor of 510 restaurants, is expected to report Q2 EPS in late July. BWLD is recently down $2.32 to $27.41. BWLD call option volume of 955 contracts compares to put volume of 4,570 contracts. BWLD July option implied volatility is at 65, August is at 76; above its 26-week average of 56 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement into late July EPS.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com

Option Update: Buffalo Wild Wings put volume & volatility elevated into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Some investors shy away from small stocks, thinking they are too volatile and risky. But BusinessWeek takes a look at such stocks and finds some that could offer a lot of potential for growth.

It can be hard to find small companies that have great growth potential. Since most Wall Street analysts ignore smaller companies, it is often tough for investors to find the research that they need in their selection process, so they have to rely on their own research in order to find that perfect small cap stock.

One thing to look for when examining small cap stocks is a long and established track record. The downside to this approach is that these stocks are not going to be the next "big thing" and bring you huge profits in the short run. These stocks are the ones that typically serve a niche market, and perform that service successfully. While these will not make you rich overnight, they are fairly reliable companies you can look to for nice and steady returns. If you are the type of investor who likes to buy and hold, these are the small cap stocks for you.

Continue reading Small but beautiful stocks from BusinessWeek

Small but beautiful stocks from BusinessWeek originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 May 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) Q3 profits soared, beating analysts' expectations.
• Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD) strong Q1 results met analysts' expectations.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) reported solid Q3 results that beat Wall Street estimates.
• Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) beat expectations for the first quarter, sending shares up.
• Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) posted better-than-expected Q1 results on the weak dollar.
• Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) beat earnings expectations and raised its guidance.
• Corn Products International (NYSE: CPO) posted record sales for the ninth consecutive quarter.
• Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) Q1 profits met expectations but revenues beat them.
• ExxonMobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) missed Q1 expectations due to narrower margins.
• Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN) reported lower-than-expected earnings due to slowed demand.
• General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the first quarter.
• Herbalife Ltd. (NASDAQ: HLF) posted Q1 results and announced the resignation of the president and COO.
• Kellogg Co. (NYSE: K) beat Q1 expectations and announced a 10% dividend increase.
• Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) Q1 profits declined but beat analysts' expectations.
• Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) reported better-than-expected Q1 results and raised its 2008 outlook.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Exxon, GM, Time Warner, Starbucks, P&G, ADM and others

Earnings highlights: Exxon, GM, Time Warner, Starbucks, P&G, ADM and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 03 May 2008 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.