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Chasing Value: Scoping Out Defense Contractors -- Part 2

Yesterday I began a review of the five major U.S. defense contractors, searching for potential stock value. The group included General Dynamics (GD), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Boeing (BA), Northrop, Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon (RTN). After examining the P/E, PEG, P/CF, P/S, and P/B, Boeing did not make it through the screens.

Today I continue the exercise, hoping to find a stock worthy of placing a bet.

Dividend Yield
  • Lockheed Martin: 3.77%
  • Raytheon Company: 3.16%
  • Northrop, Grumman: 2.89%
  • General Dynamics: 2.59%

Continue reading Chasing Value: Scoping Out Defense Contractors -- Part 2

Thanksgiving Trade #6: SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB)

SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB)The biggest bunch of turkeys out there is homebuilders (actually, a group of turkeys is known as a rafter or gang).

President Obama just signed the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 into law, which renewed the first-time homebuyer tax credit until next April. This bill also gives tax breaks to big companies to offset losses in the past two years, and the homebuilders will be among the biggest beneficiaries. Looks like Congress found another great way to spend our tax dollars!

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #6: SPDR S&P Homebuilders (XHB)

Thanksgiving Trade #5: Retail HOLDRs (RTH)

Retail HOLDRs (RTH)Retailers are going to struggle this holiday season -- and the Street simply does not care. While retail sales figures for October exceeded expectations, by historical standards, they were awful, and economists don't expect a robust holiday shopping season. But the market seems to be anticipating a holiday surprise, as retail ETFs are all up.

The retail sector is fundamentally unsound, yet technically flying, so take advantage of Wall Street's misplaced optimism with the Retail HOLDRs (RTH).

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #5: Retail HOLDRs (RTH)

Thanksgiving Trade #4: PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)

PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)Thanksgiving's origins can be traced back to festivals meant to celebrate the harvest, which makes this bullish pick a natural play on the holiday.

The PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA) provides investors with a single-share alternative to investing in agricultural commodities. This was one of the hottest commodity-based ETFs in 2007 and 2008, as the "crowd" became increasingly interested in trading commodities as food prices skyrocketed. Lately, DBA has seen less activity as rising food prices have fallen off consumers' and investors' radar screens. However, in my view, that means it's the perfect time for a bullish play.

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #4: PowerShares DB Agriculture Fund (DBA)

Thanksgiving Trade #3: Darden Restaurants (DRI)

Darden Restaurants (DRI)Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family gather at home for a feast, but the restaurant industry is hoping that a good number of folks dine out amid their holiday shopping activities.

Given the tentative economic recovery and double-digit unemployment rate, it's doubtful that they'll get their wish. That's why our bearish pick is Darden Restaurants (DRI) -- the operator of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, The Capital Grille and LongHorn Steakhouse, to name a few.

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #3: Darden Restaurants (DRI)

Thanksgiving Trade #2: Barnes & Noble (BKS)

Barnes & Noble (BKS)Barnes & Noble (BKS) is in the direct path of one of the largest, highest momentum and most successful retailers in history: Amazon.com (AMZN). Whether it's price, convenience or almost any other metric, Amazon is crushing its competition and aggressively taking market share.

The consumer today is very price sensitive and Amazon is one of the largest discount retailers on earth, with an incredible assortment of offerings. Barnes & Noble is neither a price or category leader. And to make this already difficult situation for the retailer worse, Amazon's Kindle is continually being upgraded and becoming steadily more popular.

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #2: Barnes & Noble (BKS)

Thanksgiving Trade #1: Costco (COST)

Costco (COST)The day after Thanksgiving is the official kick-off to the holiday shopping season, and this year the focus will be on bargains. According to our ChangeWave Research surveys, most consumers will be doing their shopping at discount stores and online.

Discount retailer Costco (COST) does one-third of its overall business in southern California and Nevada, where the unemployment rate is higher than the national average. Because a disproportionate amount of Costco's warehouse and distribution facilities are located in southern California and the supply chain is relatively more efficient, this geographic region has historically had the highest margins. Over the past year, though, this region suffered the worst of the economic downturn and has been a big drag on Costco's profits.

Continue reading Thanksgiving Trade #1: Costco (COST)

Six Thanksgiving trades for tasty profits

6 Thanksgiving trades for tasty profitsWhether the market can keep pushing higher in 2010 despite our shaky economy is anyone's guess, but we hope that this rally has helped you recoup from some of the devastating losses most people experienced in 2008.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to give you six more reasons to be thankful this year. So we've put together a list six trades that should lead you to some very tasty profits in the near future.

Continue reading Six Thanksgiving trades for tasty profits

World Series trade #6: Progressive (PGR)

World Series Trade #6 - Progressive Corp. (PGR)Voted MLB's best ballpark in 2008, Cleveland's Progressive Field boasts the name of Ohio-based Progressive Corp. (NYSE: PGR).

Drawn down by the financial crisis and credit freeze of 2008, Progressive fell to $10 per share. With it now trading around $16, I consider the stock a bullish candidate given its fundamental strength and the fact that 82% of the analyst community ranks this stock as a "hold." I think the analysts will wake up and start upgrading the stock, driving buyers back into the insurer.

Continue reading World Series trade #6: Progressive (PGR)

World Series trade #5: Sonosite (SONO)

World Series Trade #5 - Sonosite Inc. (SONO)The Yankees are led by a core of four men -- Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera -- who all came to the club in 1995.

They're no spring chickens, that's for sure. Thankfully, the players are supported by a great organization, which includes top-notch medical care, oftentimes right there in the clubhouse, which is equipped with X-ray and sonogram equipment.

Continue reading World Series trade #5: Sonosite (SONO)

World Series trade #4: PNC Financial Services (PNC)

World Series Trade #4 - PNC Financial Services (PNC)The Pittsburgh Pirates may not be putting much on the field these days, but Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Inc. (NYSE: PNC) has jockeyed itself into a lead position in the financial recovery.

Since hitting its lows in March, at just below $20, PNC is up around 150% at its current price of near $50. I think that the stock will continue to lead the financials higher as its strong balance sheet and diversified revenue fuel a considerable rally.

Continue reading World Series trade #4: PNC Financial Services (PNC)

World Series trade #3: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

World Series Trade #3 - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)When Americans go to the ball park to watch the World Series, we eat hot dogs. It's a tradition. It is also representative of a developed economy to eat lots of protein.

China is a developing economy with 22% of the world's population. And 1.3 billion Chinese people are developing an appetite for more protein, just as the people of almost all industrialized countries have. To make meat, you need grain. What China doesn't have is a lot of land and water for growing grain.

Continue reading World Series trade #3: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)

World Series trade #2: ResMed (RMD)

World Series Trade #2 - ResMed (RMD)New York and Philadelphia have some of the most hardcore fans in Major League Baseball. These fans don't just get excited about a game as big as the World Series, they get stressed out.

And stress isn't good for anyone's health, and neither are the hot dogs New York fans will gorge themselves on, or the cheese steaks the Philadelphia fans will wolf down. Plus, fans in both cities are going to be washing that heart-attack-waiting-to-happen chow down with too much beer. No doubt many of them will be suffering from sleep apnea.

Continue reading World Series trade #2: ResMed (RMD)

World Series trade #1: CenturyTel (CTL)

World Series Trade #1 - CenturyTel (CTL)Unfortunately, most of us can't attend the World Series in person. What some of us do, though, is get our scores in real time over the phone. The World Series is becoming more data centric, real time, and wireless, like almost all other aspects of our modern lives, and telecommunications company CenturyTel Inc. (NYSE: CTL) is an enabler of this trend. CenturyTel, which provides voice and data services operating in 22 states, is benefiting from long-term secular trends, and has yet to be fully recognized by the market.

Continue reading World Series trade #1: CenturyTel (CTL)

Six home run World Series trades

6 World Series tradesBaseball fans worldwide continue to warm themselves around the glow of the television to watch the Phillies and Yankees battle it out in the World Series.

Well, sports fans, I know you're psyched, but I have something just as exciting for you: six home run trades.

Peter Lynch had his "take a walk down Main Street" style of investing, so let's call this the "take me out to the ball game" approach to trading. I'm going to give you six trades that I think will knock it out of the park.

Continue reading Six home run World Series trades

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Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-74.9212,454.83
NASDAQ-1.852,837.53
S&P 500-2.861,317.82

Last updated: May 29, 2012: 01:54 AM

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