I was a bit amused to hear Omaha Mayor Suttle unrolled the idea of a toilet paper tax, but I am not so sure he really thought this tissue through. At first glance, the tax of 10 cents per roll to pay for sewer projects seems like a fair user tax; but I think the politicians really should have contemplated this a little more. Is it really fair to women?

While certainly my heart goes out to politicians trying to balance spending all that money without the pesky things called taxes; but I don't think this idea is going to ... float. But I think it is important to give the politician partial credit for productivity; as I imagine they thought up this idea while in the john.

Continue reading A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really?

A Toilet Paper Tax -- Really? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Oracle (ORCL) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Accenture (ACN) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Advanced Energy (AEIS) and Applied Materials (AMAT) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Spreadtrum (SPRD) to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Healthcare Realty Trust (HR) and Tortoise Energy Capital (TYY) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Global Payments (GPN) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• CBS (CBS) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Sonic (SONC) to outperform from neutral at Cowen.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ACN, AMAT, AZN, BBT, CBS, GPN, IP, ORCL, PKG, SONC, V ...

Analyst Calls: ACN, AMAT, AZN, BBT, CBS, GPN, IP, ORCL, PKG, SONC, V ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Forgive me but I am still fuming about what is going on in Washington with our money. Money that is disappearing faster and faster. No matter how much our representatives cut taxes and extend benefits, it is meaningless. What is the good of having twice as much money when it is worth only half.

Welcome to Washington D.C. -- home of the Great Pretenders.

We just think that our Capitol sits atop solid ground. I think if you swept away the top soil you would find a giant cardboard box because our leaders are certainly playing the biggest game of three-card Monte of all time.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Is Congress Indirectly Helping International Paper?

Chasing Value: Is Congress Indirectly Helping International Paper? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Deutsche Bank upgraded Smurfit-Stone (SSCC) to buy from hold after raising its estimates for containerboard names and upped its target for shares to $28 from $22. The firm also raised its price target for International Paper (IP) to $38 from $32, for Packaging Corp. (PKG) to $33 from $28, for Temple-Inland (TIN) to $31 from $28, for Greif (GEF) to $67 from $65, and for Rock-Tenn (RKT) to $70 from $65. All stocks are buy rated.
• ThinkEquity upgraded VMware (VMW) to buy from hold and has a $90 price target on the stock. The firm expects VMware to benefit from increased virtual infrastructure adoption and improving vSphere solutions.
• Needham upgraded Cavium Networks (CAVM) to strong buy from buy, citing the recent pullback in shares following Cisco's (CSCO) cautious commentary. The firm has a $37 target on the stock.
• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• MedAssets (MDAS) was upgraded to buy from hold at Auriga.
• Brookfield Properties (BPO) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AMGN, CAVM, COCO, GENZ, GILD, ICE, PWRD, SSCC, VMW ...

Analyst Calls: AMGN, CAVM, COCO, GENZ, GILD, ICE, PWRD, SSCC, VMW ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading James Altucher: Stocks Heading to New Highs

James Altucher: Stocks Heading to New Highs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Alcoa Shares Rise on Surprise Profit
• Same-Store Sales: Thursday's Headlines

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Alcoa takes the wheel

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Alcoa takes the wheel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman said International Paper (NYSE: IP) is its top pick in the group citing leverage to early cycle containerboard. The firm upgraded shares to Conviction Buy from Buy and has a $26 target on the stock.
• Morgan Keegan upgraded Healthcare Realty Trust (NYSE: HR) to Outperform from Market Perform citing valuation and better-than-expected Q2 results.
• William Blair upgraded Harbin Electric (NASDAQ: HRBN) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes the Chinese economy is likely to accelerate and the company's balance sheet is strengthened following the retirement of debt.
• Allstate (NYSE: ALL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Commercial Vehicle Group (NASDAQ: CVGI) was upgraded to Overweight from Underweight at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ALL, CMG, GRMN, IP, VRSN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ALL, CMG, GRMN, IP, VRSN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Piper Jaffray upgraded PetMed Express (NASDAQ: PETS) to Overweight from Neutral following the better-than-expected Q1 results. The firm raised its target on shares to $22 from $19.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Packaging Corp. (NYSE: PKG) to Buy from Hold to reflect stabilization in the containerboard industry. The firm raised its target price on Packaging Corp. to $24 from $14, and on International Paper to $24 from $16.
• Bernstein upgraded Human Genome Sciences (NASDAQ: HGSI) to Outperform from Market Perform following the positive Phase III data for Benlysta in lupus.
• IBM (NYSE: IBM) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
• British Airways (OTC: BAIRY) was upgraded to Buy from Sell at Goldman.
• Continental AG (OTC: CTTAY) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Citigroup.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CIEN, DLTR, EXPE, IBM, ZION ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CIEN, DLTR, EXPE, IBM, ZION ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Morgan Stanley upgraded Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) to Overweight from Equal Weight as they expect the company to benefit from higher natural gas prices in 2010. The firm has a $34 target on shares.
• Citigroup upgraded Energy Conversion (NASDAQ: ENER) to Hold from Sell on valuation is it finds the risk/reward balanced at current levels. The firm raised its target price to $16 from $13.
• Jefferies upgraded Lifetime Brands (NASDAQ: LCUT) to Buy from Underperform to reflect reduced liquidity concerns and an improved outlook for Global Direct Sellers. The firm raised its target price to $4 from $2.
• American Eagle (NYSE: AEO) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Barclays.
• TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) was upgraded at Barclays to Overweight from Equal Weight and to Outperform from Netural at Credit Suisse.
• STEC Inc (NASDAQ: STEC) was raised to Overweight from Market Weight at Thomas Weisel.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CHK, AEO, RBS, COF ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CHK, AEO, RBS, COF ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 12 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Five best start-ups of 2009

Five best start-ups of 2009 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Citi, BofA Shareholders Target Boards
• Obama Seeks Input From Banking CEOs

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Keep the TARP money until things get better

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Keep the TARP money until things get better originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Mar 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:

• Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) earnings prospects garnered an analyst's upgrade.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) warned of a loss for the quarter due to the economic slowdown.
• Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) posted lower Q2 profit and revenue that missed estimates.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) Q2 profit fell but beat estimates, and it reaffirmed its full-year guidance.
• Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) swung to a Q4 loss and warned that low demand will continue.
• Hartford Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: HIG) posted a loss, cut its dividend, and offered weak guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Toyota, Disney, Merck, Marathon, News Corp. and others

Earnings highlights: Toyota, Disney, Merck, Marathon, News Corp. and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 08 Feb 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded shares of Akamai (NASDAQ:AKAM) to Buy from Neutral as they believe consensus expectations are now realistic and already reflect macro headwinds. Merriman also thinks the company's cost reductions could generate upside to EPS estimates.
  
• JP Morgan upgraded Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) to Overweight from Neutral on expectations the company's diabetes drug will gain U.S. approval.
  
• Credit Suisse upgraded Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) to Outperform from Neutral and raised their target to $20 from $19 citing the merits of the Wyeth (WYE) deal and valuation.
• Quality Systems (NASDAQ:QSII) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  
• Parexel (NASDAQ:PRXL) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.
  
• Ferro (NYSE:FOE) was upgraded at KeyBanc to Hold from Underweight.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AKAM, PFE, NYX, SCHW, SNDK

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AKAM, PFE, NYX, SCHW, SNDK originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Coming Week: More Data, More Trouble
• Auto-Parts Makers Fear Bankruptcy

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Too much debt makes stocks dangerous

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Too much debt makes stocks dangerous originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Accenture Ltd. (NYSE: ACN) reported strong Q1 numbers as its clients sought ways to cut costs.
• Best Buy Inc. (NYSE: BBY) may interest short sellers despite its earnings prospects for 2009.
• International Paper Co. (NYSE: IP) to shed dead wood to reduce the impact of the recession on earnings.
• Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) withdrew Q4 profit and revenue guidance, sending shares lower.
• Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) lowered its Q4 earnings forecast to well below analysts' estimates.
• Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) forecast its first-ever loss for the fiscal year on lower demand/higher yen.
• Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) missed Q1 expectations and announced cost cutting and store redesign.

Also, bank earnings will be hit next by cancelled M&A deals.

Earnings releases scheduled for early January include Navistar (NYSE: NAV), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO), and Monsanto (NYSE: MON).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

Earnings highlights: Walgreen, Toyota, Best Buy, International Paper and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

International Paper (NYSE: IP), the largest paper products firm in the world, has not been immune to the global economic crisis.

As businesses continue to forecast retraction or slow growth at best, the demand for the products manufactured and distributed by International Paper is experiencing a sharp decline as well.

Despite the difficulty in the economy, the company is holding its leading position as producer of uncoated paper, industrial and commercial packaging, and pulp. It also distributes printing and specialty packaging to the graphic arts industry through its subsidiary, Xpedx.

Recent moves by International Paper appear to have been designed to reduce the impact of the recessionary environment on company earnings. The company has slimmed down significantly, selling its specialty chemical operations, disposing of the majority of its lumber and wood products businesses, and selling most of its 6.3 million acres of forestland, while retaining much of its substantial holdings of Brazilian forestland.

With more than $9.6 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet, International Paper remains a highly leveraged company. Its long-term debt-to-equity ratio is 1.28 compared with the industry average of 0.82. Its total debt-to-equity ratio is 1.36.

Continue reading Paper giant moves to ease recession impact

Paper giant moves to ease recession impact originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Business method, software patents limited: Big (bad?) news for tech firms originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Credit Suisse upgraded shares of Novartis (NYSE: NVS) to Neutral from Underperform as they believe the stock's defensive characteristics justify a premium valuation.
  
• Merrill raised Dreamworks (NYSE: DWA) to Buy from Neutral and has increased confidence in DWA's sustainable success following the performance of Kung Fu Panda and new revenue streams.
  
• Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC) was raised to Buy from Hold at Stanford on valuation.
  
• Goldman upgraded Smurfit-Stone (NASDAQ: SSCC) and Canadian National (NYSE: CNI) to Buy from Neutral and added International Paper (NYSE: IP) to the Conviction Buy List.
  
• Northern Trust (NASDAQ: NTRS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merrill.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) to Hold from Buy and lowered the target to $17 from $20 to reflect decreasing visibility from economic headwinds and expectations for increased capex.
  
• Citigroup downgraded Regions Financial (NYSE: RF) to Sell from Hold as they believe fundamentals are not in-line with the current valuation following the recent rally.
  
• Merrill lowered their General Electric (NYSE: GE) estimates below consensus and downgraded shares to Neutral from Buy citing increased fundamental pressures on the company's GE Capital unit. GE's target was cut to $28 from $37.50.

Continue reading Analyst calls: NVS, DWA, APC, RF, GE, MTB, BYD, NWL ...

Analyst calls: NVS, DWA, APC, RF, GE, MTB, BYD, NWL ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Merriman upgraded shares of Netezza (NYSE: NZ) to Buy from Neutral following the company's solid Q2 results as they believe it is well-positioned for strong operating results heading into 2H09.
  
• JP Morgan raised Cabot (NYS: CBT) to Overweight from Neutral. The firm expects 2009 to be a better year given lower raw material costs and higher contract prices.
  
• JP Morgan also upgraded Royal Ahold (OTC: AHONY) to Overweight from Neutral on valuation.
  
• Liberty International (OTC: LBYIY) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank.
  
• BMO Capital upgraded Royal Bank (NYSE: RY) to Market Perform from Underperform and Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) to Outperform from Market Perform.

• Jefferies downgraded shares of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) to Underperform on Hold on concerns the company will come under increasing pressure to issue equity. The firm lowered its target to $60 from $71.
• Thomas Weisel downgraded Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) to Market Weight from Overweight citing continued macro pressures.
  
• Wachovia has concerns that Kayne Anderson's (NYSE: KED) book value will be pressured by its investment in ProPetro Services, trading losses associated with SemGroup, and negative developments at Quest Midstream. The firm cut shares of Kayne to Market Perform from Outperform.
• Energy Conversion (NASDAQ: ENER) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Piper.
  
• Deutsche Bank cut International Paper (NYSE: IP) and Domtar (NYSE: UFS) to Hold from Buy.
  
• H&E Equipment (NASDAQ: HEES) was lowered at Credit Suisse to Neutral from Outperform.

• Morgan Stanley yesterday initiated Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) with an Overweight rating. The firm sees a low-probability of a Tysabri withdrawal.
  
• ThinkPanmure views On Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ONNN) as a nice turnaround story with opportunities for shares gains in notebooks and consumer gaming platforms. Shares were initiated with a Buy rating and $14 target.
• Petrohawk Energy (NYSE: HK) was assumed with an Outperform rating at Morgan Keegan.
  
• Regency Energy (NASDAQ: RGNC) was initiated at Merrill Lynch with a Neutral rating.

Analyst calls: NZ, CEG, WSM, CBT, ELN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

ThinkPanmure reiterated its "buy" rating on Taleo (NASDAQ:TLEO) ahead of the company's analyst meeting, according to the AP.

Goldman Sachs upgraded International Paper (NYSE:IP) from "buy" to "neutral", according to Briefing.com. The news service also writes that Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) from $185 to $210.

EMC Corp (NYSE:EMC) was cut to "neutral" at Bernstein, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Early analyst calls (AAPL) (EMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.