Two weeks ago I decided to sell my shares of E*Trade (ETFC) after concluding it did not fit my investment criteria. It was one of my successful picks for 2010 and I made money having sold puts establishing a base price of $13.50. It closed Friday February 25 at $15.89.

I might not have chosen to post about this except for news that Ken Griffin's hedge fund Citadel Investment Group plans to sell much of its stake in E*Trade Financial. The largest shareholder selling out is news. Citadel will still hold valuable warrants, giving it the option of taking a very large position again, but for now there seems to be a change of heart for them as well.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Time to Sell E*Trade?

Chasing Value: Time to Sell E*Trade? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

E*Trade (ETFC - option chain) shares are rising today despite the company announcing Q4 earnings last night and posting a loss of $24.11 million, or 11 cents per share, on revenue of $517.95 million. Analysts had forecast a loss of 4 cents per share on revenue of 321.77 million.

ETFC also said it cut its loan-loss provision to $194 million from $292 million in the year-ago quarter, suggesting that it expects much lower future losses on bad loans. This stock is one that has been hit so hard by bad news that even though the overall earnings news was rough it is on the rise today. ETFC missed estimates and posted a loss after finally having two quarterly profits in a row, this small bit of optimistic news has energized investors. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on ETFC.

Continue reading E*TRADE Cuts Loan-Loss Provisions in Half

E*TRADE Cuts Loan-Loss Provisions in Half originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rumor has it -- again -- that dot.bomb era survivor E*Trade (ETFC) may be acquired by none other than Charles Schwab Corp. (SCHW) for an initial offer of $24 a share. This chatter moved the stock price marginally Friday up 72 cents to $15.27. Although as of Monday morning the rumors are unsubstantiated, trading in stock options has heated up on the call side.

Bantering about the inevitable acquisition of E*Trade has been an annual pastime on and off for the past 10 years, but they resurfaced again in earnest after the financial crisis creamed most companies and institutions. E*Trade is currently capitalized at $3.37 billion. If the rumors bear fruit, the Schwab offer represents approximately a 60% premium to the current price.

Continue reading Chasing Value: E*Trade Schwab Buyout Rumors

Chasing Value: E*Trade Schwab Buyout Rumors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TD Ameritrade (AMTD), a broker whose competitors include Charles Schwab (SCHW) and E*Trade (ETFC), closed Wednesday's session higher by 2%. The final quote came in at $14.93. That's not too far from the 52-week low of $14.53. The twelve-month range is a narrow one, as the 52-week high is $21.30.

Is the stock a trade? An investment? Indeed, you may be thinking that it's time to buy. Some things worry me, however. The one-year chart isn't attractive at all. Well, in one sense it is, because a trader/investor would be buying low at this point.

Continue reading TD Ameritrade: How Does the Stock Look?

TD Ameritrade: How Does the Stock Look? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading E*TRADE, Amgen and Others Heating Up in Google Searches

E*TRADE, Amgen and Others Heating Up in Google Searches originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Great, Germans Halt Naked Short Selling

Great, Germans Halt Naked Short Selling originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 May 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

E*Trade (ETFC), an online broker whose colleagues include Charles Schwab (SCHW) and TD Ameritrade (AMTD), is a low-priced stock. It closed on Wednesday at $1.82, representing a rise of 2.8%; the move was backed by strong volume. The company reported first-quarter earnings yesterday after the bell. What should we make of the results?

According to MarketWatch, things seem to be improving. A loss of 2 cents per share compared very favorably to the loss of 41 cents per share booked in the year-ago period. As for estimates, the analysts were thinking that a loss of 3 cents per share was in the offing.

Continue reading E-Trade Still Speculative After Q1

E-Trade Still Speculative After Q1 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (AMTD) didn't experience a spectacular start to its new fiscal year. The broker, which competes with Charles Schwab (SCHW) and E*Trade Financial Corporation (ETFC), was hampered by a decline in trading activities.

According to the press release, revenues increased a modest 2% from the year-ago period. On a sequential basis, the top line actually contracted. Net income decreased 26% to 23 cents per share. Earnings.com indicates an expectation of 26 cents per share. Margins and profitability metrics unfortunately were down across the board.

Continue reading TD Ameritrade's Q1 Worthy of a Trade?

TD Ameritrade's Q1 Worthy of a Trade? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:00:00 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.

This post is part of a special report, Top Picks for 2010, the 27th annual survey in which TheStockAdvisors.com asks the nation's leading advisors for their single favorite stock for the new year. See all 80 stocks listed here.

"Moviegoers represent a captive audience that can't change the channel or block a pop-up ad," observes value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In his Half-Priced Stocks, he suggests, "We expect more companies than ever before to spend ad dollars on theater ads, leading to a banner year for National CineMedia (NCMI)."

Continue reading Top Picks for 2010: National CineMedia (NCMI)

Top Picks for 2010: National CineMedia (NCMI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 9 + Apple

Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 9 + Apple originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 3

Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) reported better-than-expected Q3 earnings and revenue, sending shares higher.
• Allergan Inc. (NYSE: AGN) reported better-than-expected Q3 numbers, sending shares higher.
• Bare Escentuals Inc. (NASDAQ: BARE) Q3 profit easily topped analysts' estimates, and shares surged.
• Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE: COG) received an upgrade following the release of its Q3 numbers.
• Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) reported strong Q1 results, sending shares higher.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) reported a smaller-than-expected net loss for Q3.
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) Q3 earnings topped estimates and revenue was up sequentially.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ...

Earnings highlights: Aetna, Allergan, E*Trade, Goodyear, RadioShack, SAP, Visa ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) is a well-known brand in the broker space. It competes vigorously with the other giants, TD Ameritrade (NASDAQ: AMTD) and Charles Schwab (NASDAQ: SCHW). To be honest, if I were looking for investment ideas in this sector, I would probably begin my search with the latter two. It's difficult to put E*Trade on the list. The company got in trouble during the financial crisis because it was exposed to the mortgage industry. It has now become, in my opinion, a speculative play on a return to glory.

The latest earnings report shows what I'm talking about. For the third quarter, E*Trade lost, on a GAAP basis, 66 cents per share from continuing operations, wider than the year-ago loss of 60 cents per share from continuing operations. After adjusting for an item related to debt extinguishment, the current red ink is equal to 5 cents per share.

Continue reading E*Trade loses less than expected in third quarter -- is this a victory?

E*Trade loses less than expected in third quarter -- is this a victory? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: stocks mixed on overseas news, minimal domestic headlines (AAPL, BIDU, GOOG, ETFC, MSFT, RIMM)

Closing Bell: stocks mixed on overseas news, minimal domestic headlines (AAPL, BIDU, GOOG, ETFC, MSFT, RIMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) Q1 profit fell despite strong sales of Plavix and Abilify.
• Check Point Software Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: CHKP) was downgraded based on its guidance.
• Domino's Pizza Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) strong Q1 results were boosted by early debt retirement.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) strong Q1 results were driven by Madagascar 2.
• Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: ENDP) Q1 results led to an analyst's downgrade.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) widened its Q1 loss, sending shares sharply lower.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: P&G, DreamWorks, E*Trade, Netflix, Under Armour, Humana and more

Earnings highlights: P&G, DreamWorks, E*Trade, Netflix, Under Armour, Humana and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 May 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The brokerage reported a Q1 loss that was wider than the year-ago number. E*Trade lost 41 cents per share versus a loss of 20 cents per share in 2008. According to this source, that was a penny worse than what Wall Street was bracing itself for.

Continue reading E*Trade loses more money -- why would I want to own this stock?

E*Trade loses more money -- why would I want to own this stock? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In his Stellar Stocks Alert, newsletter advisor Richard Schmidt sees long-term opportunity in select brokerage stocks. Here, he looks at Charles Schwab (NASDAQ: SCHW) and E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC).

"Some of the strongest financials in the world have lost 60%, 70%, even up to 90% or more of their value in the last year. Shares of Charles Schwab have come down too. But the stock has lost less than 50%, at its worst.

"Most of that has come since October. We had hoped the stock would bottom. But the stock continued to drop through support, meaning the downtrend is still in place. We may eventually see it go down by more than 50%.

Continue reading Brokerage bets: Schwab (SCHW) and E*Trade (ETFC)

Brokerage bets: Schwab (SCHW) and E*Trade (ETFC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) earnings tumbled in Q4 but came in just short of expectations.
• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) earnings prospects and cash flow led to an analyst's upgrade.
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE: BMY) topped analysts Q4 expectations, sending shares higher.
• Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) posted a better-than-expected Q4 profit despite the weak economy.
• Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) reported a big quarterly loss due to merger costs and bad fuel hedges.
• Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) Q4 earnings fell on lower exchange rates and charges related to an acquisition.
• E*Trade Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ETFC) narrowed its Q4 net loss but fell short of expectations.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Yahoo!, McDonald's, American Express, Pfizer, Delta and others

Earnings highlights: Yahoo!, McDonald's, American Express, Pfizer, Delta and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Discount broker E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) will run its famous "talking baby" TV ad during the Superbowl. It won't help the failing company. The stock is still a "sell."

E*Trade shares change hands at $1.18. That is down from a 52-week high of $5.79. For the fourth quarter of last year, the company reported a net loss of $276 million, or $0.50 per share. And, E*Trade's operating interest income, a key measurement of its health, keeps dropping. The firm said it had applied for money from the TARP but admitted there was no guarantee it would be successful in securing that funding.

Continue reading Superbowl ad won't save E*Trade

Superbowl ad won't save E*Trade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.