BloggingStocks

Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ...

Eric Buscemi — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Safeway Inc (SWY), BP p.l.c. ADS (BP), Marriott Intl'A' (MAR), Analyst Initiations, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Analyst Upgrades

Marriott (MAR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and Owens-Illinois (OI) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
FirstMerit (FMER) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
Safeway (SWY) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
Babcock & Wilcox (BWC) to buy from neutral, as well as Jacobs Engineering (JEC) and W. R. Berkley (WRB) to neutral from sell, at Goldman.
Pioneer Natural (PXD) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
Teekay Tankers (TNK) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ...

Analyst Calls: BP, DGX, DNDN, MAR, PM, PXD, SWY, TNK, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 3

Sheldon Liber — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: International Markets, Management, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Allstate Corp (ALL), Chubb Corp (CB), Chasing Value[TM], MetLife Inc. (MET), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Last week, Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A and BRK.B), said India's 26% foreign ownership cap on insurers deters him from such an investment. This follows an earlier report that Buffett aims to enter the Indian insurance sector as a corporate agent of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

After numerous world calamities, Buffett's focus on insurance companies, and the fact that many hedge funds seem to be heavily focused on banks and neglecting insurance companies -- with the exception of Bruce Berkowitz -- I decided to explore the possibilities.

Even though we can anticipate billions of dollars in claims there still are buying opportunites.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 3

Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 2

Sheldon Liber — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: International Markets, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Allstate Corp (ALL), Chubb Corp (CB), Amer Intl Group (AIG), Chasing Value[TM], China Mobile Limited (CHL), MetLife Inc. (MET)

Do you have any interest in insurance companies amidst the turmoil, disaster and current crises in Japan? A crises that followed so closely on the heals of the destruction of the New Zealand city of ChristChurch by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Perhaps you think this is even a poorer idea than catching that proverbial falling knife we are always hearing about when stock prices are collapsing.

Certainly there will be billions of dollars in claims. On the other hand, perhaps the burden will be spread around the globe to reinsurer's such that none is struck too hard and this is a buying opportunity. After all, when the dust settles, insurers will cry for mercy, and in particular, rate increases. It is also likely those that never saw the need for insurance have been awakened and demand will increase.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 2

Chasing Value: Insurance Stock Review -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chasing Value: Insured Profits or a Mountain of Risk?

Sheldon Liber — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: International Markets, Deals, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Allstate Corp (ALL), Chubb Corp (CB), Amer Intl Group (AIG), China Life Insurance ADS (LFC), Chasing Value[TM], MetLife Inc. (MET), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Ten weeks into the year and never a dull moment. Pondering the remaining 42 weeks and beyond, where will value be found? We know that "my pal Warren" is on the prowl waist high in Berkshire Hathaway cash to invest, and he is on record as chomping on the bit to do so. Just this morning it was reported that Buffett had closed a $9 billion deal to buy Lubrizol Corp. (LZ), the Wickliffe, Ohio-based maker of engine lubricants.

More evidence of this abounds: Wednesday March 2, (Reuters) - US-based Berkshire Hathaway aims to enter the Indian insurance sector as a corporate agent of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance.

This is part 1 of a series examining the insurance market for expansion, stock valuations, potential risks and opportunities, excluding health care focused companies, a whole other breed of enterprise.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Insured Profits or a Mountain of Risk?

Chasing Value: Insured Profits or a Mountain of Risk? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Serious Money: Buffett's Next Buys -- You Pick'em

Sheldon Liber — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft (MSFT), Apple Inc (AAPL), Cisco Systems (CSCO), Intel (INTC), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A), Citigroup Inc. (C), American Express (AXP), Chubb Corp (CB), Amer Intl Group (AIG), Entrepreneurs, Serious Money, Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG), MetLife Inc. (MET), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV), Republic Services Inc. (RSG), Stock Picks, National Grid (NGG)

Prognosticators the world over are throwing in their 2 cents about "my pal Warren's" next market moves; especially since he announced last week that his trigger finger was itchy. When Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A and BRK.B) speaks, investors listen.

On Wednesday March 2, this investor threw in his two cents worth (see:Serious Money: What Should Warren Buffett Do Next?) discussing possible acquisitions. Since all the "pro's", I use the term loosely, have had a say I thought I would give readers a chance to express some of their ideas too.

Continue reading Serious Money: Buffett's Next Buys -- You Pick'em

Serious Money: Buffett's Next Buys -- You Pick'em originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chasing Value: Pre-Christmas Quick Takes

Sheldon Liber — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: International Markets, Forecasts, Other Issues, General Electric (GE), Walgreen Co (WAG), Citigroup Inc. (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Novartis AG ADS (NVS), Bank of America (BAC), Bank of New York (BK), CVS Corp (CVS), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Teva Pharm Indus ADR (TEVA), Wells Fargo (WFC), Bargain Stocks, Chasing Value[TM], Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

To paraphrase Mark Twain "The reports of our death are greatly exaggerated". The world economy has been in shambles for a few years now, and our nation has much work ahead of it. 2010 was an improvement over 2009 and I believe 2011 will show further improvement.

There are lots of ideas running through my mind as I consider where the economy might be heading in 2011. What opportunities lay in front of us waiting to be picked up or passed over? Just five trading days left, and market activity will slow down except among fund managers making adjustments for tax purposes or window dressing. You should examine your tax situation, too.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Pre-Christmas Quick Takes

Chasing Value: Pre-Christmas Quick Takes originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Travelers Remains Undervalued

Joseph Lazzaro — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: Stocks to Buy, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

The view in August argued that The Travelers (TRV), which I first wrote about on April 24, 2009, at a price of $30.50, was undervalued. That proved to be on the mark, as the stock rose out of a base near $50 to trade above $57 this fall.

However, the good news is that The Travelers pulled back a few bucks in November, creating still another opportunity risk-tolerant investors to establish a position in a quality insurer and earn an outsized gain.

The Travelers should approach $70 by mid-2011, boosted by 2% to 4% premium revenue growth, as the insurance company takes advantage of new business opportunities. Prudent underwriting, a superior balance sheet and a $1.44 annual dividend add to the positive mix.

Continue reading The Travelers Remains Undervalued

The Travelers Remains Undervalued originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ...

Eric Buscemi — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Brinker Intl (EAT), Chevron Corp (CVX), CVS Corp (CVS), Marriott Intl'A' (MAR), Analyst Initiations, Freep't McMoRan Copper (FCX), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Analyst Upgrades

Verisk (VRSK) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
Marriott (MAR) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.
Jefferies upgraded Teekay (TK) and Tsakos Energy (TNP) to Buy from Hold.
Cadence Design (CDNS) was upgraded to sector perform from underperform at RBC Capital.
BofA/Merrill upgraded NV Energy (NVE) to buy from underperform and Education Realty Trust (EDR) to neutral from underperform.
Men's Wearhouse (MW) was upgraded to buy from hold at Stifel.
William Blair upgraded Atheros (ATHR) to outperform from market perform.
Freeport McMoran (FCX) was upgraded to buy from hold at Argus.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ...

Analyst Calls: CTV, CVX, EAT, FCX, ICE, MAR, MW, TRV, WLP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Dow's Best Buys for Growth and Income

Steven Halpern — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft (MSFT), Intel (INTC), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Newsletters, International Business Machines (IBM), Chevron Corp (CVX), Stocks to Buy, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

"Income-hungry investors have spoken, and they have chosen bonds as their investment of choice," notes dividend expert Chuck Carlson, who prefers to look to blue chip stocks for potential capital gains and income growth.

The editor of The DRIP Investor explains, "In 2009, a record $375 billion of new money flooded into bond funds. Over the same period, domestic stock funds saw $40 billion go out the door.

And through the ﬁrst half of 2010, taxable bond funds had net new cash ﬂow of $136 billion versus outﬂows of $18.4 billion for domestic stock funds. This torrent of money has driven down the yields on bonds to microscopic levels.

"The upshot is that, on a relative basis, dividend-paying stocks seem quite cheap compared to bonds.

Continue reading The Dow's Best Buys for Growth and Income

The Dow's Best Buys for Growth and Income originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst Calls: BCR, BUD, CLX, CMA, CSC, CSCO, DELL, LEN, MCO, NOK, TRV ...

Eric Buscemi — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Cisco Systems (CSCO), Dell (DELL), Nokia Corp. (NOK), Allstate Corp (ALL), Black and Decker (BDK), Clorox Co (CLX), Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), KB HOME (KBH), Lennar Corp'A' (LEN), Toll Brothers (TOL), Analyst Initiations, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Analyst Upgrades

Jefferies upgraded Computer Sciences (CSC) to buy from hold and raised its target to $53 from $47. The analyst said Computer Sciences' valuation has created one of the best LBO opportunities in several years and could provide a five year IRR of 25+%.
Keefe Bruyette upgraded Comerica (CMA) to outperform from market perform, citing strength of the company's capital. The firm raised its target for shares to $44 from $43.
RBC Capital upgraded Nokia (NOK) to outperform from sector perform and raised its price target to $14 from $12. The firm upgraded shares based on valuation, reduced execution risk on software development, and potential catalysts from new devices based on Symbian^3. RBS upgraded Nokia to buy from hold after the company named Stephen Elop as CEO.
Allstate (ALL) was upgraded to buy from hold at Citigroup.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) was upgraded to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
Moody's (MCO) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BCR, BUD, CLX, CMA, CSC, CSCO, DELL, LEN, MCO, NOK, TRV ...

Analyst Calls: BCR, BUD, CLX, CMA, CSC, CSCO, DELL, LEN, MCO, NOK, TRV ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Is The Travelers Undervalued?

Joseph Lazzaro — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Stocks to Buy, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Did you miss that April 2009 entry point with the The Travelers (TRV), which I first wrote about on April 24, 2009, at a price of $30.50?

Well, here's some good news: TRV has pulled back, slightly (and temporarily, according to my analysis), giving investors who can tolerate moderate-risk a chance to establish a position in a quality insurer and earn an out-sized gain.

Look for TRV to approach $70 by mid-2011, boosted by 2% to 4% premium revenue growth in 2010, as the insurance company takes advantage of new business opportunities. Prudent underwriting, a superior balance sheet, and a $1.44 annual dividend add to the positive mix.

Continue reading Is The Travelers Undervalued?

Is The Travelers Undervalued? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Closing Bell: Red for the Day and Red for the Year (AIG, FIG, TRV, CREE, APA, AVGO)

Jon Ogg — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:20:00 EST

Filed under: Amer Intl Group (AIG), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

You could blame trade deficit, or the government deficit, which both came out today, either way, this was one of those miserable days spawned overseas with weakness in China and on the heels of a lower economic guidance from the FOMC. Triple-digit DJIA losses never saw any bargain buyers come into the mix. Today's drop in the DJIA also took the index back into the red for the year as the December 31 closing date was at $10,428.05.

Here were the unofficial closing bell levels:

DJIA
S&P500
NASDAQ

Top Analyst Calls

Continue reading Closing Bell: Red for the Day and Red for the Year (AIG, FIG, TRV, CREE, APA, AVGO)

Closing Bell: Red for the Day and Red for the Year (AIG, FIG, TRV, CREE, APA, AVGO) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst Calls: STI, BIDU, BAX, JBLU, TRV, SNDK, AGN, COO, BEC

Eric Buscemi — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Allergan (AGN), Baxter Intl (BAX), Analyst Initiations, JetBlue Airways (JBLU), SanDisk Corp (SNDK), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Analyst upgrades:

Morgan Keegan upgraded Copano Energy (CPNO) to Outperform from Market Perform based on the $300M capital infusion it received from TPG Capital.
Wells Fargo upgraded SunTrust (STI) to Market Perform from Underperform following the company's Q2 results citing improving credit quality trends and valuation.
UBS upgraded Baidu (BIDU) to Buy from Neutral based on solid fundamentals following the strong Q2 report and guidance and valuation. The firm raised its price target to $92 from $69.
Baxter (BAX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.
JetBlue (JBLU) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Soleil.
Penn Virginia GP (PVG) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

Analyst downgrades:

Piper Jaffray downgraded Beckman Coulter (BEC) to Neutral from Overweight following the company's weaker than expected Q2 results and lowered guidance. The firm lowered its target for shares to $60 from $74. Shares were also downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies and to Neutral from outperform at Baird following the company's reduced guidance.
Keefe Bruyette cut AmeriCredit (ACF) to Market Perform from Outperform following the acquisition by General Motors (GM, MTLQQ).
FBR Capital downgraded SunTrust (STI) to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered its price target to $27 from $34. The analyst believes larger banks are better positioned than regionals due to greater prospects of reserve releases.
Travelers (TRV) was downgraded to Perform from Outperform at Oppenheimer.
Lender Processing (LPS) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman.
Penn Virginia Resource (PVR) was downgraded to Sector Perform at RBC Capital.

Analyst initiations:

ThinkEquity assumed coverage of SanDisk (SNDK) with a Buy rating.
Macquarie initiated Allergan (AGN) with an Outperform rating and $75 price target.
Macquarie also initiated Cooper Companies (COO) with an Outperform rating and $45 price target.
NCR Corp (NCR) was initiated with a Hold rating at KeyBanc.
CryoLife (CRY) was started at Benchmark Co. with a Buy rating and $8 target.
China New Borun (BORN) was initiated with an Overweight rating and $7.40 target at Piper Jaffray.

Analyst Calls: STI, BIDU, BAX, JBLU, TRV, SNDK, AGN, COO, BEC originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analyst Calls: ALL, EMC, FCN, IRBT, JNPR, MRVL, RNOW, TRV, VRSN ...

Eric Buscemi — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EST

Filed under: Analyst Reports, Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades, Allstate Corp (ALL), Chubb Corp (CB), Analyst Initiations, EMC Corp (EMC), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Marvell Technology Group (MRVL), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Analyst Upgrades

Oppenheimer upgraded VeriSign (VRSN) to outperform from perform, citing better-than-expected domain names trends and the potential for a sizeable share buyback. The firm has a $33 price target for shares.
Oppenheimer also upgraded EMC (EMC) to outperform from perform, citing valuation and expectations for strong Q2 results. The firm set a $22 price target for shares.
Piper Jaffray upgraded Juniper (JNPR) to overweight from neutral, citing valuation and its longer-term outlook. The firm keeps a $31 price target for shares.
Kilroy Realty (KRC) was upgraded to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
Veolia Environment (VE) was upgraded to buy from add at WestLB.
QEP Resources (QEP) was upgraded to positive from neutral at Susquehanna.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ALL, EMC, FCN, IRBT, JNPR, MRVL, RNOW, TRV, VRSN ...

Analyst Calls: ALL, EMC, FCN, IRBT, JNPR, MRVL, RNOW, TRV, VRSN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Entrepreneur's Journal: Insuring Your Home Business from Disaster

Tom Taulli — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Entrepreneurs, Workspace, Small Business, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

All in all, there are many advantages to a home business. For example, you have more time to spend with your family, you do not have to deal with aggravating commutes, and there is even the home office tax deduction. If anything, the overall costs should be lower -- making it easier to get traction for your business.

Yet, there are definitely considerable risks, which are often overlooked. But the good news is that smart insurance planning can provide sufficient protection. And the prices are affordable, costing as little as $500 per year.

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Insuring Your Home Business from Disaster

Entrepreneur's Journal: Insuring Your Home Business from Disaster originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Allstate Earnings Preview: Looking for a Turnaround

Trey Thoelcke — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings Reports, Forecasts, Allstate Corp (ALL)

Allstate Corp. (ALL), which has been the subject of rumors concerning the termination of agents, is scheduled to release fourth-quarter financial results after the market closes Wednesday, and then to discuss those results in a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 11, at 9:00 AM (ET). An audio webcast of the call will be available at the company's website.

During the three months that ended in December, Allstate named a new marketing chief, welcomed a new board member and declared a quarterly dividend. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings for that period to come to $1.01 per share. That compares with 99 cents per share in the previous quarter and 97 cents per share a year ago. Revenue for the fourth quarter is expected to be 23.0% higher than a year ago to $8.1 billion.

Continue reading Allstate Earnings Preview: Looking for a Turnaround

Allstate Earnings Preview: Looking for a Turnaround originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21

Sheldon Liber — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Management, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Wal-Mart (WMT), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Campbell Soup (CPB), Chevron Corp (CVX), Chubb Corp (CB), ConocoPhillips (COP), CVS Corp (CVS), Darden Restaurants (DRI), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Verizon Communications (VZ), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Hasbro Inc (HAS), Entrepreneurs, Serious Money, Stock Screen, Raytheon Company (RTN), Xcel Energy (XEL), EZCORP (EZPW), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

While most investors are fretting the markets recent contraction, you can be quite confident that "my pal Warren" has a smile on his face, as does Peter Lynch, Ken Heebner, Bill Miller, Bruce Berkowitz, and any number of fellow value investors that know now may be a time of opportunity. That is because they have the experience and understanding to pounce when they have a chance to buy things cheap.

This is the fourth installment of my series to discover just that: cheap stocks. If you would like to get on board from the beginning then review the initial post which screened for stocks with lower than market average P/E ratios, see Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks. In the second installment, I looked at yield and PEG ratios: Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth. Then I moved on to the the P/S and P/CF metrics in Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26, cutting nine stocks.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks List Shrinks from 26 to 21 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26

Sheldon Liber — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: eBay (EBAY), Pfizer (PFE), Wal-Mart (WMT), International Business Machines (IBM), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Altria Group (MO), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), AutoZone Inc (AZO), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Campbell Soup (CPB), Chevron Corp (CVX), Chubb Corp (CB), ConocoPhillips (COP), CVS Corp (CVS), Darden Restaurants (DRI), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), General Mills (GIS), Verizon Communications (VZ), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Merck and Co (MRK), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Hasbro Inc (HAS), Serious Money, Stock Screen, Raytheon Company (RTN), Xcel Energy (XEL), EZCORP (EZPW), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

Is the market overpriced? Maybe it is cheap, or perhaps it is fairly valued. This is the third in a series examining the issue. Still, it has been my contention that it does not make any difference because no matter how the market is valued as a whole, there are plenty of cheap stocks out there to accommodate a large amount of capital allocation even this deep into a bull run.

If you would like to follow along from the beginning, the initial post screened stocks for lower than market average P/E ratios: Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks. In the second installment, I looked at yield and PEG ratios: Serious Money: Still Cheap Market -- 35 Stocks + Yields & Growth.

Continue reading Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26

Serious Money: Cheapest Stocks Yet -- From 35 to 26 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks

Sheldon Liber — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), eBay (EBAY), Pfizer (PFE), Wal-Mart (WMT), International Business Machines (IBM), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), AFLAC Inc (AFL), Altria Group (MO), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY), Campbell Soup (CPB), Chevron Corp (CVX), Chubb Corp (CB), ConocoPhillips (COP), CVS Corp (CVS), Darden Restaurants (DRI), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), General Mills (GIS), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Merck and Co (MRK), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Hasbro Inc (HAS), Serious Money, Stock Screen, S and P 500, Xcel Energy (XEL), Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

We frequently receive comments that the market is overpriced. Recently one of our active readers commented that the market P/E was 30, which it's not. The actual rate (S&P forecast) has been even higher at times due to the volatile market.

The average should trend closer to the long term P/E of 15.7 in the next few years. However, I have reviewed companies often covered on our site and come up with a list of 35 stocks that have price-to-earning ratios below the long-term average already. I think there are dozens of bargains regardless of the status of the overall market.

Continue reading Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks

Serious Money: Market Looks Cheap to Me -- 35 Stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Travelers: Pull-Back Is Buy Opportunity

Joseph Lazzaro — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Stocks to Buy, Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV)

The Travelers (TRV) represents one of the few moderate-risk/decent growth opportunities in this market, and that's a major reason I'm reiterating my buy rating for the company's shares), first recommended on April 24, 2009 at a price of $30.50. If you bought TRV in April 2009, you're up about 60%.

I expect The Travelers to register earned premium growth of 1% to 3.5% in fiscal 2010. Meanwhile, investment income should increase 8% to 11% fiscal FY2010.

Continue reading The Travelers: Pull-Back Is Buy Opportunity

The Travelers: Pull-Back Is Buy Opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments