If you are looking for clues to tell you which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want to consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should sit up and take note.

U.S. Gold (UXG) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending March 4 as insiders snapped up 3,067,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $19,935,500. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 30.97% and now own 21.13% of UXG stock.

Continue reading Insiders Snapping Up U.S. Gold, Central Pacific Financial and More

Insiders Snapping Up U.S. Gold, Central Pacific Financial and More originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Wells Fargo (WFC) to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Adobe (ADBE) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Vail Resorts (MTN) and Goldcorp (GG) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• OmniVision (OVTI) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Penn Virginia (PVA) to hold from sell at Canaccord.
• Hub Group (HUBG) to outperform from market perform at Morgan Keegan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ADBE, AOL, CAT, CSTR, FITB, GG, GPS, MDAS, RIG, WFC ...

Analyst Calls: ADBE, AOL, CAT, CSTR, FITB, GG, GPS, MDAS, RIG, WFC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• FedEx (FDX) and Concur Tech (CNQR) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Hershey (HSY) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Open Text (OTEX) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Bemis (BMS) and Hudson Pacific (HPP) upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.
• InterActiveCorp (IACI) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• KB Home (KBH) to neutral from sell at Goldman.
• News Corp. (NWSA) to neutral from underperform at Cowen.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: FDX, HSY, IACI, FSLR, AON ...

Analyst Calls: FDX, HSY, IACI, FSLR, AON ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is one in a series in which more than 60 newsletter advisors share their Top Stock Picks for 2011. This special report is courtesy of TheStockAdvisors.com.

"IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI) -- my top stock pick for the coming year -- is the company behind Match.com and Ask.com," says David Fried.

The editor of The Buyback Letter explains, "The company also operates more than 50 other website properties that make up the 8th largest network of websites in the world, with 246.3 million unique visitors.

Continue reading Top Picks 2011: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI)

Top Picks 2011: IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Yingli Green (YGE) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• National Semiconductor (NSM) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• DuPont (DD) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Blackboard (BBBB) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Kindred Healthcare (KND) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Peabody Energy (BTU) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Savvis (SVVS) to buy from neutral and InterActiveCorp (IACI) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BRCM, BTU, DD, EBAY, KR, MRVL, NSM, PCX, SVVS, TWX ...

Analyst Calls: BRCM, BTU, DD, EBAY, KR, MRVL, NSM, PCX, SVVS, TWX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Forgetting All About Europe (ARO, JPM, KR, GAS, IACI, LINTA, TOL)

Closing Bell: Forgetting All About Europe (ARO, JPM, KR, GAS, IACI, LINTA, TOL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oppenheimer upgraded Boeing (BA) two notches to outperform from underperform to reflect, among other things, the company's plans to accelerate 777 and 747-8 production. The firm raised its price target for shares to $80 from $56. Boeing was also upgraded to outperform from neutral at Cowen.
• FBR Capital upgraded Waddell & Reed (WDR) to outperform from market perform on expectations the company will outperform peers. The firm raised its target for shares to $40 from $36.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Standard Microsystems (SMSC) to outperform from market perform. The firm has increased optimism that the company will benefit from continued strength in the PC end market.
• Genuine Parts (GPC) was upgraded to conviction buy from neutral at Goldman.
• Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Brean Murray.
• Medtronic (MDT) was upgraded to buy from hold at Lazard Capital.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BA, BZH, FTO, HANS, IACI, LMT, MT, SMSC, STI, TRNO, WDR ...

Analyst Calls: BA, BZH, FTO, HANS, IACI, LMT, MT, SMSC, STI, TRNO, WDR ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Canaccord upgraded BHP Billiton (BHP) to buy from hold. The firm expects BHP Billiton to emerge from the downturn with better operating margins and less dependence on an economic recovery. The firm also upgraded Rio Tinto (RTP) to buy from neutral but expects BHP Billiton to outperform near-term.
• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Raymond James (RJF) to market perform from underperform after raising estimates to reflect higher revenues and lower loan loss provisioning. Despite the upgrade, the firm remains cautious on the stock.
• Goldman upgraded InterActiveCorp (IACI) to buy from neutral. The firm upgraded shares based on improved momentum for its Search and ServiceMagic units and its belief that Ask.com may be an acquisition target. The firm believes Microsoft (MSFT) could be a logical acquirer for the unit once it receives approval for the Yahoo! (YHOO) partnership.
• Baidu.com (BIDU) was raised to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Symantec (SYMC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Brookdale Senior Living (BKD) was upgraded to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BHP, BIDU, GSK, IAIC, MA, RJF, TWX ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: BHP, BIDU, GSK, IAIC, MA, RJF, TWX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Unless you already have a major foothold in the search engine market - or an amazing, disruptive technology that can make the world take notice - there isn't much point in staying. Competing with Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is hard enough, even when you're Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) or Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) ... and, apparently, when you're IAC/InterActive Corp (NASDAQ: IACI). Barry Diller is ready to give up Jeeves, but only if asked nicely.

Diller's presence in the search space is Ask.com, ranked #4 behind Google, Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing. With a substantial gap between first and second, fourth barely registers at all. Ask.com has only a 2% U.S. market share, according to Hitwise, more than 60 percentage points behind the industry leader.

Continue reading Would anybody buy Jeeves? Ask might go on block

Would anybody buy Jeeves? Ask might go on block originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: The bad good day (BIDU, BP, COMV, DRYS, IACI, LDK)

Closing Bell: The bad good day (BIDU, BP, COMV, DRYS, IACI, LDK) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded General Electric (NYSE: GE) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $15 from $13 citing reports that U.S. House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank has indicated regulatory reform will not require a separation of GE Capital.
• Syntel (NASDAQ: SYNT) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform by Wells Fargo. The firm upgraded the stock following the company's much better than expected Q2 EPS.
• Canaccord upgraded USANA (NASDAQ: USNA) to Outperform from Market Perform citing the strong Q2 report and earnings momentum. The firm has a $40 target on the stock.
• Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at FBR Capital.
• Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DIS, GE, MCD, MON, USNA, YUM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DIS, GE, MCD, MON, USNA, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With all the gloom in the global economy, I got to wondering whether there is anything else going on in the world of business. I'm looking for growth because I think that's what will ultimately bring the economy out of the doldrums. Not surprisingly, that growth is coming from technology companies. In Growth Matters, I look at consumer technology companies that point the way to growth trends -- and in the process introduce services and products you may want to explore.

If you're thinking of having a party, it might not be a bad idea to use Evite to send out the invitations and plan the event. As Evite's Vice-President of Marketing and Public Relations Lariayn Payne told me, "Evite is the leading online service on the Web for invitations and party planning. Evite is free and easy-to-use and offers hundreds of stylish invitation designs for almost any occasion. Evite also offers fun and creative party ideas, planning checklists, and other tools, which save party hosts both time and money."

Continue reading Growth Matters: Evite's an invitation to print money

Growth Matters: Evite's an invitation to print money originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've been watching earnings this past week, or if you read last week's Week in Preview, then this coming week may leave you feeling a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day. That is, again analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect earnings declines to be more frequent and deeper than earnings gains.

Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC), IAC Interactivecorp (NASDAQ: IACI), Moody's Corp. (NYSE: MCO), Elizabeth Arden Inc. (NASDAQ: RDEN), Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN), Diebold Inc. (NYSE: DBD), Tyco International Ltd. (NYSE: TYC), United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS), Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL), ITT Corp. (NYSE: ITT), and Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) are scheduled to report quarterly results this week, and they're all expected to report double-digit declines in earnings.

But again this week, let's take a look who Wall Street feels may have done well in the past quarter.

Continue reading The week in preview: High hopes for MasterCard, Avon, Aflac, Northrop Grumman

The week in preview: High hopes for MasterCard, Avon, Aflac, Northrop Grumman originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Dow closes down 5%; MT, GHL, HUN, IACI, S

Closing Bell: Dow closes down 5%; MT, GHL, HUN, IACI, S originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ask.com retools for more speed and relevance. Google doesn't care. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded shares of ING Group (NYSE: ING) to Outperform from Market Perform after upgrading the European insurance sector to Overweight from Neutral due to improved risk management.
  
• Keefe Bruyette also upgraded Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) to Market Perform from Underperform to reflect the company's national footprint if the Wachovia (NYSE: WB) deal goes through.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) to Overweight from Neutral citing top line performance, growth profile and valuation, among other reasons.
• Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
  
• Amylin Pharma (NASDAQ: AMLN) was raised to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.
  
• Louisiana Pacific (NYSE: LPX) was upgraded at RBC Capital to Sector Perform from Underperform.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) to Hold from Buy and lowered its target to $50 from $55 to reflect risks to the company's earnings outlook from the weakening economy.
  
• Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank as they believe the economic slowdown will bring slower volumes. Coca-Cola's target was lowered to $56 from $64.

Continue reading Analyst calls: ING, WFC, DLTR, JBL, AMLN, ECL, KO, IACI, FFIV ...

Analyst calls: ING, WFC, DLTR, JBL, AMLN, ECL, KO, IACI, FFIV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Dow stages comeback as bulls battle bears

Closing Bell: Dow stages comeback as bulls battle bears originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks to decline; FNM, LEH, IACI, LTD, CRM, AAPL, MSFT ...

Before the bell: Stocks to decline; FNM, LEH, IACI, LTD, CRM, AAPL, MSFT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) said its second-quarter profit rose 8% as cable TV rates rose and consumers ordered more digital and premium services. While the results fell short of Wall Street's forecast, CMCSA shares are trading mildly higher.
• Arcelor Mittal (NYSE: MT) said its second-quarter profit more than doubled due to increased production and higher steel prices. It also gave an upbeat outlook for third quarter. The company outperformed consensus by about 20% at the revenue. MT shares, which have already close 7% higher Tuesday, are trading up another 6% in premarket action.
  
• Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) shares are crashing, trading 11% lower in premarket action after the company reported quarterly profit that was above market estimates, but revenue missed expectations and 2008 outlook was cut due to macroeconomic conditions and high fuel prices that have already impacted growth.
• Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) shares are over 1.7% lower in premarket trading after reporting a second-quarter loss as declining spending by smaller businesses and retail customers hurt sales.
• Siemens (NYSE: SI) reported that "third quarter net profit fell 31% due to a one-time gain a year earlier, but order intake and revenue rose, beating expectations and showing the industrial conglomerate's resilience so far to the economic downturn." SI shares are 3.9% higher in premarket trading.
  
• Corning (NYSE: GLW) shares are down over 2% in premarket trading after reporting inline earnings per share, but revenue slightly below estimates.
  
• IAC/InterActive (NASDAQ: IACI) said it swung to a second-quarter loss, hurt by a $300 million charge in its Cornerstone Brands business. Adjusted earnings were 35 cents per share as revenue rose 7% to $1.6 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected profit of 31 cents per share on $1.6 billion in sales.

Continue reading Before the bell: MT, GRMN, SI, ODP, IACI, VIA, ERTS, F, GM, DELL ...

Before the bell: MT, GRMN, SI, ODP, IACI, VIA, ERTS, F, GM, DELL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) to report Q4 earnings; conference call at 8:00am on Tuesday.
• InteractiveCorp (NASDAQ:IACI) to give operational update.

• Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) to report Q1 earnings; conference call at 10:00am.
• Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) to discuss enhanced financial reporting structure at 11:00am.
• Ford (NYSE:F) to report June sales at 1:00pm; General Motors (GM) to report June sales at 2:00pm.
• Apollo Group (NASDAQ:APOL) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 5:00pm.
  

• Family Dollar (NYSE:FDO) to report Q3 earnings; conference call at 10:00am.
  

• Corel Corp (NASDAQ:CREL) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 8:00am.
• Stolt-nielsen to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 9:00am.

• Markets closed for Fourth of July holiday.
  

Market highlights for next week: Ford and GM to report monthly sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.