There have been many lessons to learn from the "Great Recession." But while the message is often clear, we can't always muster the courage, discipline or consensus to act on these lessons.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is about to enter its second season -- the playoffs. And for a Laker fan in Los Angeles, there is much to look forward to. However, the current NBA collective bargaining agreement will end and we will have to witness another battle between the billionaires and the millionaires.

Why can't the NBA learn from other businesses that have successfully maneuvered through economic turmoil to achieve profitability?

Continue reading Chasing Value: The NBA Should Learn from Others

Chasing Value: The NBA Should Learn from Others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Goodrich (GR) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Ford (F) to neutral from underperform and CenterPoint Energy (CNP) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Dollar Financial (DLLR) and Edwards Lifesciences (EW) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Alterra Capital (ALTE) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) and P.F. Chang's (PFCB) to buy from neutral, as well as SunTrust (STI) to neutral from sell, at Janney Capital.
• Arch Capital (ACGL), Axis Capital (AXS), PartnerRe (PRE), Everest Re (RE) and Transatlantic (TRH) to buy from hold, as well as W. R. Berkley (WRB) to hold from sell, at Citigroup.
• Optimer Pharm (OPTR) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CAKE, CNP, EW, F, GR, NDAQ, NYX, RGLD, STI, SWN ...

Analyst Calls: CAKE, CNP, EW, F, GR, NDAQ, NYX, RGLD, STI, SWN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford (F) has been successfully solidifying its position in the Indian car market over the last year when it launched Ford Figo. Booming sales of the Ford Figo helped Ford India post a 184% growth in sales in 2010. This helped Ford compete globally with automakers like GM (GM), Daimler (DKX), Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM), Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and others. We believe Ford's transformed position in India and its aggressive growth plans can provide significant upside potential to Ford's stock value.

We have a price estimate of $20.59, which is around 42% above the current market price.

Continue reading Ford's Investment in India Is Paying Off

Ford's Investment in India Is Paying Off originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford Motor Co.(F) reported 2010 full year net income of $6.6 billion, which was its highest net income in more than 10 years. We currently estimate Ford's international operations contribute 35% to its stock price - almost similar to its North American operations (both cars and trucks together) that contribute almost 36%. In 2010, Ford's South American operations contributed 8.3% to its total automotive sales of $119.3 billion (up 0.6% from 2009). We expect that international operations will become increasingly more valuable for Ford. Ford competes globally with automakers like BMW, GM (GM), Daimler (DDAIF), Audi, Honda (HMC), Toyota (TM) and others.

We have a price estimate of $20.59, which is around 42% above the current market price.

Continue reading South America's Contribution to Ford's Stock Value

South America's Contribution to Ford's Stock Value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Siemens (SI) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Diamond Offshore (DO) to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• MeadWestvaco (MWV) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• TD AmeriTrade (AMTD) and Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Janus Capital (JNS) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Motorola Mobility (MMI) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Frontier Communications (FTR) to neutral from underperform at Macquarie.
• Humana (HUM) to buy from hold at Argus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMTD, COG, DO, F, GM, HUM, LEA, MMI, NKE, SI, TRW ...

Analyst Calls: AMTD, COG, DO, F, GM, HUM, LEA, MMI, NKE, SI, TRW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sirius XM (SIRI) is the largest satellite radio company in United States. Sirius and XM merged in July 2008 to form Sirius XM Satellite Radio Inc. The company offers over 180 channels comprising of commercial free music, sports, talk shows, news stations amongst others. Sirius XM radio channels are mainly available in automobiles but can also be accessed over the Internet or through home stereos by using various accessories. The firm's satellite radios are primarily distributed through automakers, retail locations and through its website.

Sirius XM has ties with major automobile manufacturers such as Ford (F), General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM). This helps drive its presence in the U.S. automobile space. In addition satellite radio services are also offered to customers of certain rental car companies.

Continue reading Coverage Launch: Sirius XM Radio

Coverage Launch: Sirius XM Radio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Do you use a GPS System in your car? If not, here are some points to consider. GPS systems give you the shortest distance to your destination. With gas nearing $4.00 per gallon, a GPS could save you priceless gas and save you money.

Yet, using a GPS does not always ensure a gas savings. Take for example a traffic jam. While your GPS is giving you the shortest route, you could waste a lot of gas sitting for hours in tied up traffic.

Continue reading Ford's New GPS System Is a Super Gas Saver

Ford's New GPS System Is a Super Gas Saver originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford (F) overall option implied volatility of 39 is near its 26-week average of 38, according to Track Data, suggesting nondirectional price movement.

JCPenney (JCP) announced better-than-expected cost controls and sales growth. Overall option implied volatility of 41 is near its 26-week average of 41, according to Track Data, suggesting nondirectional price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Ford Volatility Flat; Shares Near Four-Month Lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Shares of Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) were running smoothly this afternoon. At the time of this writing, they were up 3.3% to $87.96. That wasn't too far away from the new 52-week high of $89.31 that was set earlier in the session.

Driving the move was a third-quarter earnings report. According to the Associated Press, net income declined by 39%. While that may not be something investors would want to buy, here's the part of the story that they apparently are giving a bid: management increased its outlook for the full-year profit, expecting it to come in at around $6 billion instead of $4.3 billion.

Continue reading Toyota Up on Earnings News

Toyota Up on Earnings News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford (F) overall option implied volatility of 36 is below its 26-week average of 39, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

KKR & Co. (KKR) February 15 and 17 calls are active on total call volume of 9,000 contracts, compared to 3,000 puts. February call option implied volatility is at 43, March is at 41; above its 26-week average of 40, according to Track Data. Active volume suggest traders positioning for larger price movement.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Ford Volatility Low as Shares Trend to Three-Month Lows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Did you see the price action in Ford (F) Friday? I shouldn't call it price action; instead, I should refer to what I saw as an act of total carnage. Seriously, down over 13%?

That's what happened. Volume was, as one might expect, huge. The price of the automobile manufacturer settled at the end of day to a quote of $16.27. The 52-week low for the shares is $9.75 while the 52-week high is $18.97. The one-year chart shows a stock that has been doing very well. Investors want to know if this is a simple bump in the road on the way to further capital appreciation.

Continue reading Ford Punished After Earnings Report

Ford Punished After Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In another sign that auto industry has bright day ahead of it, Ford Motor Company (F) announced today that it planned to hire an additional 7,000 employees over the next 2 years.

While this is definitely good news, the figures are still way down from where they were before the auto crisis ravished the industry. Ford currently has 42,000 compared to 103,000 just ten years ago.

Continue reading Ford Planning to Hire More Employees

Ford Planning to Hire More Employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AutoWeek reports that Ford (F) will offer a new fuel-saving technology, dubbed "start-stop," on its 2012 vehicles.

The start-stop system works by shutting off the engine when it is at idle and starting it again when the driver releases the brake or steps on the gas pedal.

Continue reading Ford to Offer Fuel-Saving Start-Stop System

Ford to Offer Fuel-Saving Start-Stop System originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The stage is set for a recovery in certain industries. They've been hit hard the last three years, pounded by a slow economy. But now things are starting to change, and if you believe the worst is over, then these sectors should see good advances in 2011.

Car Companies: They're hiring. Toyota Motors (TM) just announced the re-opening of its Mississippi plant after being dormant for two years. It needs 2,000 workers. GM (GM) is hiring 1,000 engineers and researchers in Michigan over the next two years focused on hybrid and electric cars. Chrysler is looking for 1,000 engineers and others to create small and midsize vehicles in its partnership with Italy's Fiat. Fiat controls Chrysler. Ford is the most healthy of the U.S. producers, having never touched government funds.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Two Industries Set to Recover in 2011

Comfort Zone Investing: Two Industries Set to Recover in 2011 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nobody knows what the future holds. But there are a few things shaping up that suggest certain things will most likely happen. Here are some of the major ones.

Interest Rates: Low at the beginning of the year, then headed higher for a long time. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage and you're still paying it, it's the perfect time to get it refinanced, if you can qualify. Interest rates are definitely going up; it's just a matter of when. As long as the Fed is pumping money in (QE2 is targeted with $800 billion .... with the possibility of more behind it), rates will stay low, unless investors think inflation will get way out of hand. Then rates will go higher no matter what the Fed does as investors sell longer term bonds to beat the coming inflation. Initially, rising interest rates will be bullish as they are a precursor to a healthy economy. But that bull will morph and become a bear when rates start jumping as the Fed tries to get ahead of inflation. Tricky business. Investors will do well to have floating rate assets and fixed rate liabilities.

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: What Lies Ahead For 2011 ... Maybe

Comfort Zone Investing: What Lies Ahead For 2011 ... Maybe originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Plans. They're something other people make, right? And what's the use of a plan when the stock market is so volatile? You can watch a stock take years to rise well above where you bought it, only to see all that gain lost in a matter of hours. Plans. Who needs them? You do. Especially you.

Investors need plans and discipline more than ever. It's been a tough few years. No one knows how long this recession will last, but having a plan that is almost (nothing is absolute in investing) bulletproof will help you get through the roughest days, weeks, months, even years of turmoil. Here's where you start:

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: Do You Have a Plan?

Comfort Zone Investing: Do You Have a Plan? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Qualcomm (QCOM) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• JPMorgan upgraded Allegheny Tech (ATI) to overweight from neutral.
• NetApp (NTAP) was upgraded to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Estee Lauder (EL) was upgraded to perform from underperform at Oppenheimer.
• Citigroup upgraded Suntech (STP) to hold from sell.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ABT, ALU, CSCO, EL, F, KKR, QCOM, RIMM, SAP, STP, TIVO ...

Analyst Calls: ABT, ALU, CSCO, EL, F, KKR, QCOM, RIMM, SAP, STP, TIVO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Applied Materials (AMAT) is expected to report Q4 EPS on Nov. 17. November put option implied volatility is at 44, January is at 29, compared to its 26-week average of 33, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement after EPS.

Ford (F) options volume and volatility increases into GM IPO. Nov. 18 and Dec. 18 calls were active. November option implied volatility is at 72, December is at 49, January is at 48, compared to its 26-week average of 39, according to Track Data, suggesting larger near-term price movement.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is recently up 11.5% to 22.53.

Options Update is by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Applied Materials November Volatility Elevated into EPS and Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Ford (F) looks like a 'no-brainer' trade; there are many things to like about the world's fourth largest automaker, which appears to be on a major growth trajectory," says Dr. Melvin Pasternak.

The editor of Double-Digit Trading explains, "In addition to strong fundamentals and a compelling valuation, the technicals for Ford shares look very enticing.

"For starters, it was the only major U.S. automaker able to skirt bankruptcy during the financial crisis. And due to aggressive cost cutting, it is on target to have one of its strongest years ever.

Continue reading Ford (F): A 'No-Brainer' Trade

Ford (F): A 'No-Brainer' Trade originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ford

Options Update: CBOE Volatility Index Down, FOMC Leaves Rates Unchanged originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.