It was September 29 when I last wrote about GameStop (GME) in Chasing Value: Are GameStop's Days Numbered? At that time I strongly believed "The demise of GameStop is not imminent -- but it's inevitable." My opinion of this outlet for new and used video games has indeed changed since that time.

I now believe even more fervently that GameStop the gamer is a goner. If you own it, you are playing a game of chicken to see if you make a few bucks with GME as it bounces up and down before it sinks. A word of caution is in order: timing the market as a strategy is a losing proposition the majority of the time.

Continue reading Chasing Value: GameStop's Demise Not Imminent, Just Inevitable

Chasing Value: GameStop's Demise Not Imminent, Just Inevitable originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, maybe not the very last word ever, but for now this is it. The poll results on eight key questions are in. Although such a small sampling is not conclusive, it may be broadly indicative of investor sentiment.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is among the most admired, talked about and intriguing companies in the investment world. This story is the fifth in a series that started off pondering Apple's cash stash and what good it was, and leading up to this polling review.

Continue reading Chasing Value: The Last Word on Apple

Chasing Value: The Last Word on Apple originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Raytheon's Increased Dividends and Buybacks Equal New High

Chasing Value: Raytheon's Increased Dividends and Buybacks Equal New High originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Accenture falls on weak fourth quarter earnings

Accenture falls on weak fourth quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Campbell Soup (NYSE: CPB) plans on executing a nice buyback program for its stock. The company will repurchase perhaps as much as 10% of its shares over time. Also, earnings will probably come in near the top point of the previously stated range. So, should you rush in and invest in Campbell just because of this buyback?

My opinion: Probably not if you're looking to merely trade the name, but if you're looking to hold for the long term, you'll probably be all right. Although Campbell Soup's stock isn't near a 52-week low as of this writing, I notice that Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), and Kraft (NYSE: KFT) aren't too far from theirs. It's been a crazy time for the markets, and it amazes me that a stock like Coke isn't being perceived as a safe haven. I know there are some reasons out there for its weakness in terms of growth prospects and the like, but still, I've watched it drop quite a bit in very recent times (I own Coke), and I'm a bit surprised at its current price action considering the recession.

So, even though Campbell's buyback is great news for shareholders who already own the stock, I'm not sure I'd initiate a position myself. Although I am looking for stocks to buy, I just haven't been able to ignore the technical damage that's been inflicted upon the big averages by the bears and am reticent at putting new money to work in short-term trades. I think management might be doing the right thing with its buyback from a shareholder standpoint, but from a trading perspective, I would not be buying along with them.

Disclosure: I own Coke; positions can change at any time.

Campbell Soup believes its stock is a good investment -- is it? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stock buybacks not adding value like they used to

Stock buybacks not adding value like they used to originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading AT&T buyback shows value in its shares

AT&T buyback shows value in its shares originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Are share buybacks at risk? And is there a silver lining?

Are share buybacks at risk? And is there a silver lining? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earnings preview: Cisco Systems (CSCO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) today reported strong fiscal fourth quarter profits, improving margins and raised a stock buyback. Shares are rising in pre-market action even though the world's largest consumer products company also gave disappointing earnings guidance.

Profit rose 19% to $2.3 billion, or 67 cents per share, from $1.9 billion, or 55 cents, helped by gains in Blades & Razors, Fabric & Home Care and Beauty and Health Care. Revenue rose 8% to $19.3 billion. Results beat analysts' forecasts which called for profit of 66 cents on revenue of $19.11 billion.

Procter & Gamble also announced plans to repurchase between $24 billion and $30 billion worth of company shares over the next three years, at about $8 billion to $10 billion a year. This represents an increase over the $5.6 billion acquired in the last fiscal year.

"They're not shooting the lights out, but they're doing the right things to increase sales,'' Procter & Gamble shareholder John Kornitzer, chief investment officer at Kornitzer Capital Management, told Bloomberg News.

Earnings will be $3.44 to $3.47 for the current fiscal year, which is below the $3.47 analysts had expected. Sales are expected to rise between 5 to 7%. Analysts were expecting a rise of 5.8%, according to Thomson Financial.

The 88-cent to 90-cent profit forecast for the quarter, lags the 91 cents Wall Street had expected. Procter & Gamble sees sales rising 6 to 8 percent while analysts saw a gain of 6%.

Procter & Gamble (PG) overcomes disappointing earnings guidance originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Share buybacks vs. debt addition make for odd comfort levels originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

So Microsoft is going to buy some shares back? That's fine, but it's no big deal. In fact, it's long overdue.

The stock moved upward on the news that MSFT was going to basically establish their own support levels for the share price. This is better for people that hold stock options than it is for shareholders. They will be in the money sooner.

Everything I heard on the earnings call indicates the company is doing fine and will continue to do fine and that profit margins and cash flow are amazing. However, Microsoft is huge, bloated and average in so many ways. I would be happier to hear that they had a fantastic new plan for growth, Vista was going to be released earlier than expected and that their dividend was going to be increased to a level higher than the market average.

What we did not hear about was what they intended to do with their billion$ and billion$ because they have the good fortune of doing the buyback over time and still maintain staggering cash reserves. If they were going to spend their cash reserves -- that would have been a BIG DEAL!

Microsoft's share buyback -- NO BIG DEAL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Jul 2006 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.