Analyst Upgrades

• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Trinity Industries (TRN) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Cameron (CAM) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Expedia (EXPE) to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.
• Micron (MU) to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANF, CAM, CLX, EXPE, GME, MU, NAV, NOK, WMT ...

Analyst Calls: ANF, CAM, CLX, EXPE, GME, MU, NAV, NOK, WMT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Two companies devoted to consumer products released earnings this week. One makes items used for cleaning, the other makes goods that you can actually eat.

We'll start with the cleaning-item concern. The Clorox Company (CLX), manufacturer of the iconic laundry bleach, issued results for its fiscal second quarter earlier today. At the time of this writing, shares were higher by 2.4% to a quote of $65.26. Volume was strong. The 52-week low for the stock is $59.07 and the 52-week high is $69. The one-year chart is, well ... not that great.

Continue reading Earnings from Clorox and Kellogg

Earnings from Clorox and Kellogg originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Micron (MU) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Baker Hughes (BHI) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• PDL BioPharma (PDLI) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Fluor (FLR) and Rush Enterprises (RUSHA) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Camden Property (CPT) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Linear Technology (LLTC) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Hologic (HOLX) and Illumina (ILMN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• F5 Networks (FFIV) to buy from neutral at Gleacher.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALTR, BHI, CL, CLX, FFIV, GS, HCBK, LLTC, PG, STT, TYC ...

Analyst Calls: ALTR, BHI, CL, CLX, FFIV, GS, HCBK, LLTC, PG, STT, TYC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• TCF Financial (TCB) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Exelon (EXC) to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.
• Nvidia (NVDA) and Boyd Gaming (BYD) upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Estee Lauder (EL) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Webster Financial (WBS) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Skilled Healthcare (SKH) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR) to outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• NCR Corp. (NCR) to outperform from neutral at Wedbush.
• Barnes & Noble (BKS) to neutral from underperform and Pioneer Natural (PXD) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Autodesk (ADSK) to buy from neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, AAPL, ATHR, BKS, CL, CLX, EL, HBAN, NCR, NVDA, XRTX ...

Analyst Calls: AA, AAPL, ATHR, BKS, CL, CLX, EL, HBAN, NCR, NVDA, XRTX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Bellwether Clorox (CLX) is facing trouble on two fronts, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday as the company projected disappointing second quarter earnings. First, the purchase of the personal care unit Burt's Bees did not pan out as expected, forcing the company to writedown between $250 million to $255 million for goodwill on a purchase of $925 million.

Next, the recession is taking its toll. Consumers are extremely cost conscious and are turning to discount brands. Standard Clorox brands, such as disinfectants, bleach and Fresh Step and Scoop Away cat litter, have experienced weakness.

Continue reading Clorox Warns of Lower Profits and Sales in the Coming Quarter

Clorox Warns of Lower Profits and Sales in the Coming Quarter originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Clorox (CLX - option chain) stock is trading lower today after the company said this morning it expects fiscal-Q2 sales to decline 3% to 4% compared to Q1. That translates to sales of $1.215 to $1.228 billion, compared to Q1 revenue of $1.266 billion. CLX also forecast adjusted earnings of 57 to 63 cents per share. Analysts have forecast a profit of 73 cents per share on revenue of $1.19 billion. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on CLX.

This morning, CLX opened at $61.58. So far today the stock has hit a high of $61.79 and a low of $60.56. As of 12:15, CLX is trading at $61.32, down $1.96 (-3.1%). The chart for CLX looks neutral and S&P gives CLX a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Clorox Dips on Disappointing Q2 Guidance

Clorox Dips on Disappointing Q2 Guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Clorox Under Pressure After Q1 Report

Clorox Under Pressure After Q1 Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Jefferies upgraded Computer Sciences (CSC) to buy from hold and raised its target to $53 from $47. The analyst said Computer Sciences' valuation has created one of the best LBO opportunities in several years and could provide a five year IRR of 25+%.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Comerica (CMA) to outperform from market perform, citing strength of the company's capital. The firm raised its target for shares to $44 from $43.
• RBC Capital upgraded Nokia (NOK) to outperform from sector perform and raised its price target to $14 from $12. The firm upgraded shares based on valuation, reduced execution risk on software development, and potential catalysts from new devices based on Symbian^3. RBS upgraded Nokia to buy from hold after the company named Stephen Elop as CEO.
• Allstate (ALL) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Moody's (MCO) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BCR, BUD, CLX, CMA, CSC, CSCO, DELL, LEN, MCO, NOK, TRV ...

Analyst Calls: BCR, BUD, CLX, CMA, CSC, CSCO, DELL, LEN, MCO, NOK, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Clorox (CLX): More Than Bleach

Clorox (CLX): More Than Bleach originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Clorox Flat on Earnings News

Clorox Flat on Earnings News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:40:00 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) saw shares rise following its report of better-than-expected Q1 earnings.
• Beazer Homes USA Inc. (BZH) posted a Q2 profit and revenue growth, and announced a stock offering.
• CBS Corp. (CBS) reported improvements in both Q1 net income and cash flow, but shares declined.
• Clorox Co. (CLX) posted Q3 earnings that were higher than analysts had expected and offered weak guidance.
• First Solar Inc. (FSLR) reported quarterly earnings that easily topped analysts' expectations.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: CBS, Clorox, Goodyear, MasterCard, News Corp., Time Warner ...

Earnings Highlights: CBS, Clorox, Goodyear, MasterCard, News Corp., Time Warner ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 08 May 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• RBC Capital upgraded Suncor (SU) to outperform from sector perform following the Q1 report and FY10 production guidance. The firm has a $46 target on the stock.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) to outperform from market perform. The firm expects the company to report higher-than-expected Q1 revenue and guidance, as it thinks a late cycle ad recovery is occurring.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Power Integrations (POWI) to overweight from neutral following the company's Q1 results and subsequent sell-off. The firm has a $43 price target for shares.
• ArcelorMittal (MT) was upgraded to buy from hold at ING Group.
• Sapient (SAPE) was raised to conviction buy from buy at Goldman and to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Powerwave (PWAV) was upgraded to buy from hold at Befferies and to buy from neutral at Merriman.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ...

Analyst Calls: ACN, CCO, CLX, EHTH, HAS, HOLX, MT, POWI, SON, SU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 04 May 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The markets are up today, but that doesn't seem to be helping The Clorox Company (CLX). At the time of this writing, shares were fighting the good fight between red-and-green status: they were down 0.2% right after being slightly higher by the same amount during the moments it took me to complete this sentence.

It's the earnings game, folks; Wall Street was cool to the numbers. According to MarketWatch, net income of $1.16 per share was eight pennies ahead of estimates. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

Continue reading Is Clorox Okay After Q3 Report?

Is Clorox Okay After Q3 Report? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 May 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading IQ Trends' Blue Chip Buys: The 'Timely Ten'

IQ Trends' Blue Chip Buys: The 'Timely Ten' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The editor of IQ Trends -- and author of the just-released book Dividends Still Don't Lie -- explains, "To that end we believe that high-quality stocks purchased at historically low-price-to-high-yield offers the best potential for downside protection and upside appreciation.

Continue reading Quality Yields: IQ Trend's Timely Ten

Quality Yields: IQ Trend's Timely Ten originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Aol Inc. (AOL) reported a better-than-expected Q4 profit and said its revenue also topped estimates.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (BKC) higher Q2 earnings topped analysts' estimates but same-store sales fell.
• Clorox Co. (CLX) higher Q2 earnings beat expectations and it lifted its full-year earnings guidance.
• Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) Q4 earnings more than doubled and beat Wall Street expectations, but shares fell.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) shares jumped after it forecast earnings above analysts' expectations, boosted by January sales.

Continue reading Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ...

Earnings Highlights: Aol, Burger King, Comcast, Hershey, Kellogg, UPS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This week brought earnings results from three pantry stocks -- Clorox Co. (CLX), Kellogg Co. (K) and Unilever (UL). While Clorox's strong second-quarter earnings beat the consensus estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, Kellogg's lower fourth-quarter earnings fell short of expectations, and Unilever's earnings fell as well.

Clorox said net income totaled $110 million, or 77 cents per share, up from $86 million, or 61 cents a share, a year earlier. That was a penny per share better than the Street view. Revenue climbed 5% to $1.28 billion. Results benefited from fears over the H1N1 flu, favorable foreign exchange rates and lower commodity costs. Clorox, whose brands include PineSol, Hidden Valley, Glad and Kingsford, also raised its outlook for full-year earnings to a range of $4.10 to $4.25 per share, which is in line with expectations.

Continue reading Mixed Results from Clorox, Kellogg, Unilever

Mixed Results from Clorox, Kellogg, Unilever originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WD-40 (WDFC), whose related stocks include Church & Dwight (CHD) and Clorox (CLX), did a good job of courting earnings growth through efficiency. According to yesterday's post-market release, the consumer products concern saw its bottom line jump 22% to 56 cents per diluted share. According to Earnings.com, that was five pennies better than the expectations of Wall Street's smart guys.

Unfortunately, sales growth was not in the cards. The top line experienced a decrease of 7%. Furthermore, according to Reuters, revenues came in softer than projections. It would have been really nice to see at least a little increase in sales, or perhaps an in-line performance, to go along with the improved bottom line. Wasn't meant to be.

Continue reading WD-40 Tops Q1 Estimates, but Needs Better Sales Growth

WD-40 Tops Q1 Estimates, but Needs Better Sales Growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The rest of the world is going to help U.S. consumer product manufacturers next year. Look for international growth to push the likes of Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Avon (AVP) and Clorox (CLX) higher in 2010, according to Fitch Ratings. In an interview with Reuters, a director gave the Fitch's outlook for consumer goods.

The household and personal care segments increased revenue every year from 2003 to 2008. So, 2009 was but a bump in the road. Even in a recession, you need toilet paper and shampoo, so expect the spending to come back.

Continue reading Consumer goods to gain 5% next year, according to Fitch

Consumer goods to gain 5% next year, according to Fitch originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) reported that Q3 revenue was flat while earnings and cash flow declined.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, helped by healthy gross margins.
• Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) posted better-than-expected Q3 earnings with modest revenue growth.
• Dean Foods Co. (NYSE: DF) Q3 revenue missed estimates but earnings came in better than expected.
• Expeditors International of Washington Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPD) traded lower after its Q3 earnings miss.
• Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) beat earnings estimates in the week after the Google Navigation launch.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: CBS, Comcast, News Corp., Time Warner, UBS, Viacom ...

Earnings highlights: CBS, Comcast, News Corp., Time Warner, UBS, Viacom ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.