IBM (IBM) sells middleware software and technology services such as outsourcing and integration to large and medium sized businesses worldwide, and competes with firms like Oracle (ORCL) and Red Hat (RHT). IBM is also among the global leaders in business systems and competes with hardware vendors like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) in the server market as well as firms like EMC (EMC) and NetApp (NTAP) in the storage market.

In a recent development, IBM announced the launch of a new software and consulting service targeted at helping companies swiftly adapt to rising customer demands in today's digitally transformed marketplace. The firm chooses to call this new emerging category "Smarter Commerce," keeping in line with its Smarter Planet initiative. We have earlier discussed IBM's focus on its Smarter Planet initiative and how the firm stands to benefit from it. (See IBM's Smarter Planet Initiatives Lay Groundwork for Growth.)

Continue reading IBM Smells Opportunity in CRM with Launch of Smarter Commerce Initiatives

IBM Smells Opportunity in CRM with Launch of Smarter Commerce Initiatives originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Cree (CREE) and Rubicon Technology (RBCN) to buy from neutral at Merriman.
• Children's Place (PLCE) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Lockheed Martin (LMT) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Copano Energy (CPNO) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.
• Motorola Mobility (MMI) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Parker-Hannifin (PH) to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• Akamai (AKAM), ShoreTel (SHOR), AMB Property (AMB) and ProLogis (PLD) to buy from hold at Stifel Nicolaus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ...

Analyst Calls: AAPL, AEO, CREE, DELL, HPQ, IBM, LMT, MMI, MYGN, PH ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As some of you may know, I own Microsoft Corporation (MSFT). I've discussed my position before. It's been a tough ride with this one. And I'm sure I'm not alone in terms of such opinion.

Microsoft has a reputation for being a frustrating stock. It looks like a value; it seems as if it should be trading higher. But as soon as you purchase the shares, they oftentimes disappoint. At least, that's been my experience.

Continue reading Is Microsoft's Price Action Encouraging?

Is Microsoft's Price Action Encouraging? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard Down Big After Latest Report

Hewlett-Packard Down Big After Latest Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As outlined in November 2010, Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ), first discussed on April 24, 2009, at a price of $35.80, has made it through its autumn rough-patch, and the stock has since moved further norther this winter to trade at/near $48.

And needless to add, Hewlett is still preferred here, and with a P/E of 10.5, HPQ is still on sale.

Continue reading Is Hewlett-Packard Undervalued?

Is Hewlett-Packard Undervalued? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Fluor (FLR) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Macy's (M) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ), JA Solar (JASO) and HeartWare (HTWR) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Ashford Hospitality (AHT) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• RenaissanceRe (RNR) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• DCT Industrial (DCT) to market perform from underperform at Wells Fargo.
• Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDE) and Silver Standard (SSRI) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Weatherford (WFT), Hercules (HERO), GulfMark Offshore (GLF), Tidewater (TDW) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to buy from hold, and Diamond Offshore (DO) to hold from underperform, at Jefferies.
• Ritchie Bros. (RBA) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• AstraZeneca (AZN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, AMD, AMR, AZN, CIT, GSK, HPQ, M, NVDA, PCX, SPWRA ...

Analyst Calls: AA, AMD, AMR, AZN, CIT, GSK, HPQ, M, NVDA, PCX, SPWRA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Riverbed Technology (RVBD - option chain) shares are rising today on reports that the company is in negotiations to buy Radware (RDWR) for $47 per share. Rival Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) reportedly has offered $45 per share for RDWR. 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 RVBD.

RVBD opened this morning at $35.50. So far today the stock has hit a low of $34.58 and a high of $36.91. As of 12:20, RVBD is trading at $34.99 up 0.17 (0.5%). The chart for RVBD looks neutral and S&P gives RVBD a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Riverbed Enters Bidding War Against Hewlett-Packard

Riverbed Enters Bidding War Against Hewlett-Packard originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard: Sell-Off Appears to Be Over

Hewlett-Packard: Sell-Off Appears to Be Over originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) was up 2% to $44.19 at the close of today's bell. Unfortunately, that wasn't too close to the 52-week high of $54.75. Then again, it was comfortably above the 52-week low of $37.32. And, volume was super-strong.

Alas, the chart doesn't look too appealing, does it? The equity seems to be in a downtrend, and while traders might be able to make some money, long-term believers had no choice but to consistently add on the dips to improve the cost basis.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard in the Green After Earnings Report

Hewlett-Packard in the Green After Earnings Report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Among the quarterly results scheduled for this holiday-shortened week, investors may be thankful for the earnings results from Tyson Foods (TSN). The Arkansas-based poultry and meat producer reported on its sustainability efforts and also was named McDonalds' (MCD) supplier of the year during its fiscal fourth quarter. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast earnings for that period to have doubled from a year ago to 56 cents per share.

Tyson is also expected to post revenue of $7.8 billion for the three months that ended in September, which is 7.4% more than in the same period of fiscal 2009. And the consensus estimate for the full year calls for earnings of $2.08 per share (+87.0%) and revenue of $28.7 billion (+7.3%). Tyson's earnings have been better than expected in recent quarters, beating consensus estimates by as much as 24 cents per share.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Tyson Foods, Analog Devices, Deere Serve Up Earnings

Week in Preview: Tyson Foods, Analog Devices, Deere Serve Up Earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Technology giant Hewlett Packard Company (HPQ) will be reporting its fiscal fourth quarter results following the market close Monday, with analysts expecting to see earnings of $1.27 per share.

During the same period last year, the company had earnings of $1.14 per share.

There will definitely be a lot of attention paid to the company's quarterly report, but that does not have so much to do with the company's figures as it does with the company's new CEO, Leo Apotheker.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard Q4 Earnings Preview

Hewlett-Packard Q4 Earnings Preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was only a month ago I wrote a story comparing Oracle Corp. (ORCL) and Hewlett Packard (HPQ), concluding the latter to be the better opportunity from a value investor's perspective. At the time Oracle was $27.49. Yesterday it closed at a new 52-week high of $29.23 -- a gain of 6.33%.

During this time, Oracle insiders have been selling shares and the trend is negative. In September alone, almost $300 million of the stock was sold off. If you examine Barron's weekly summary of insider activity, as one source, you will find that Oracle has been in the top five companies on the sell side for many weeks. As the stock has been rising, insiders have been selling into strength.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Oracle Insiders Selling as Stock Hits 52-Week High

Chasing Value: Oracle Insiders Selling as Stock Hits 52-Week High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Crude oil futures closed up 1.99% to $81.56 according to Bloomberg. Amex Energy Select (XLE) closed up 75 cents to $56.51. October put option implied volatility is at 22, January is at 27, versus its 26-week average of 27, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing near-term price movement.

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) announced the election of Leo Apotheker as CEO and President and Ray Lane, Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as nonexecutive chairman. Hewlett-Packard closed down $1.30 to $40.77. Overall option implied volatility of 29 is below its 26-week average of 31, according to Track Data, suggesting slightly decreasing price movement.

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

Options Update: Amex Energy Select October Volatility Low; Oil Rallies to Four-Month High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Never mind the drama in the front office, soap operas are not getting the ratings they used to. Let's take a closer look at the businesses and the stock metrics of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Oracle Corp. (ORCL) that find themselves competing more and more each day. Mark Hurd, fired from HP and just recently installed as president of Oracle, has done nothing yet.

What do the numbers indicate?

Continue reading Chasing Value: Buy Oracle or Hewlett-Packard?

Chasing Value: Buy Oracle or Hewlett-Packard? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Oracle, Hurd and HP Have a Kumbaya Moment

Oracle, Hurd and HP Have a Kumbaya Moment originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In late August, a report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that security software provider, ArcSight (ARST), was in the process of selling itself. The stock shot up to $38 per share.

And yes, ArcSight found a buyer: Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). The company has agreed to pay $43.50 per share, or roughly $1.5 billion. However, the shares of ArcSight are about 50 cents above the bid, indicating that another suitor may jump in. But for investors, it would be risky to speculate on this one. After all, ArcSight has already undergone an auction.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard Secures a Pricey Deal for ArcSight

Hewlett-Packard Secures a Pricey Deal for ArcSight originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The tail-end summer heat has been heavily attributable to the mergers and acquisitions blaze. Companies are putting their cash to work on public companies fetching discounted equity prices in a market environment favoring safety (e.g., gold and bonds).

Recently, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) edged out Dell (DELL) for the 3Par deal award. With an eye toward the future, HP displayed their powerful desire to own a piece of the data storage and cloud computing pie. Since Dell ended empty-handed, it's only a matter of time before the next stock is a tech heavyweight's prime target.

Continue reading Is Brocade the Next 3Par?

Is Brocade the Next 3Par? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When Mark Hurd took the CEO spot for Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) in 2005, the board wanted to put an end to the drama. After all, the company's former CEO, Carly Fiorina, was a magnet for controversy. Hurd, on the other hand, was a no-nonsense operator.

Well, over the past month, he appears much different. Of course, the trigger was the resignation over allegations of sexual harassment and false expense reports. Maybe Hurd is the Manchurian CEO?

Continue reading Oracle's Hurd May Get $10 Million Next Year

Oracle's Hurd May Get $10 Million Next Year originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Mark Hurd, is in talks with enterprise software maker Oracle (ORCL) about becoming an executive there. Hurd left HP in early August following allegations of sexual harassment by a former contractor. An investigation failed to find any evidence of sexual misconduct by Hurd.

What position Hurd may take up is unknown; Oracle's founder and CEO, Larry Ellison, will not be stepping down from his position, according to people familiar with the matter. Ellison did criticize HP's board for ousting Hurd, telling the New York Times that the board had failed to act in the best interest of its shareholders, employees and customers.

Continue reading Mark Hurd to Replace Oracle's Larry Ellison?

Mark Hurd to Replace Oracle's Larry Ellison? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

M & A. That's mergers and acquisitions. They're all over the financial pages. Intel (INTC) is buying Infineon's wireless division for $1.4 billion so the chip manufacturer can diversify beyond computers. HP (HPQ) or Dell (DELL) will end up with 3PAR, a cloud-computing company, at a cost of $2 billion or more. Carl Icahn, the billionaire financier, is making a hostile tender bid for Lions Gate (LGF), the film and television producer. 3M (MMM) is buying Attenti Holdings, an Israeli maker of remote monitoring technology used to track people, for $230 million. Exelon (EXC) is picking up a division of Deere (DE), a renewable energy unit, for about $900 million so it can enter the wind-power segment. Sanofi-Aventis (SNYNF) is trying to buy Genzyme (GENZ) but the board won't accept the bid of $18.5 billion. The board is open to better numbers. There are many more.

Is all this good for investors? Or is there some bad in there?

Continue reading Comfort Zone Investing: M&A: Good News ... or Bad?

Comfort Zone Investing: M&A: Good News ... or Bad? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.