Although Yahoo has not been able to catch up with the overall online advertising growth, this has not deterred the company from experimenting with growth areas. In the online advertising market, local marketing is one of the upcoming trends and has attracted players like Google, AOL and Facebook in addition to Yahoo. Here we will analyze the growth prospects of this trend and how it could benefit Yahoo in particular. We currently maintain $17.88 price estimate for Yahoo stock, which is about 6% above market price.

Continue reading Local Marketing: Growth Trend to Watch Out for at Yahoo!

Local Marketing: Growth Trend to Watch Out for at Yahoo! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo (YHOO), which competes with Google (GOOG) and AOL (AOL) in the search business, is seeing a relatively stable profit margin of 42% since 2008 by our estimates, and we expect the margin to rise slightly over the coming years as Yahoo benefits from its partnership with Microsoft (MSFT). In 2009, Yahoo and Microsoft signed a deal whereby Yahoo will not only use Microsoft's search technology on its websites but will also keep a majority of the ad revenues. Yahoo is also making efforts to control costs by cutting its workforce, which should improve profitability in the short term.

Continue reading Yahoo's Search Profit Margin to Expand, Offering Additional Upside to Stock

Yahoo's Search Profit Margin to Expand, Offering Additional Upside to Stock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• SINA (SINA) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Texas Instruments (TXN), ON Semiconductor (ONNN), Xilinx (XLNX) and Valassis (VCI) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Salesforce.com (CRM) to buy from hold at Canaccord.
• Peet's Coffee (PEET) to buy from neutral at Janney Capital.
• Invesco Mortgage (IVR) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• BTU International (BTUI) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Coca-Cola Femsa (KOF) to overweight from neutral at HSBC.
• Chipotle (CMG) to market perform from underperform at Morgan Keegan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AKAM, CIEN, CMG, CRM, FDO, GOOG, JNPR, MCC, TXN, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: AKAM, CIEN, CMG, CRM, FDO, GOOG, JNPR, MCC, TXN, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The U.S. online display advertising market saw a revival in 2010, with an estimated growth of 17% over 2009. Continued growth means greater competition amongst players like Yahoo! (YHOO), Facebook, Google (GOOG), Aol (AOL) and New York Times (NYT).

We currently maintain a $17.88 price estimate for Yahoo, in line with market price. Display advertising accounts for roughly 18% of Yahoo's stock value by our estimates.

Continue reading Gotta 'Like' Yahoo's Traffic and Stock Upside from Incorporation of Facebook Tools

Gotta 'Like' Yahoo's Traffic and Stock Upside from Incorporation of Facebook Tools originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Polo Ralph Lauren (RL) to neutral from underperform at BofA/Merrill.
• Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) to outperform from market perform at Leerink.
• Petrobras (PBR) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Silvercorp Metals (SVM) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• PROS (PRO) to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Power Integrations (POWI) and Monolithic Power (MPWR) to buy from neutral at Roth Capital.
• Diodes (DIOD) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Whole Foods (WFMI) to hold from sell at Hapoalim.
• Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI) to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Sappi (SPP) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Alpha Natural (ANR) to buy from hold at BB&T.
• Watts Water (WTS) to buy from hold at Brean Murray.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: ANR, CSCO, HUM, ITT, NYX, PBR, RL, WFMI, WMT, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: ANR, CSCO, HUM, ITT, NYX, PBR, RL, WFMI, WMT, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Amazon.com (AMZN) is launching a bulk email sending service aimed at businesses and developers. The goal is to expand its Web server services.

Amazon already has huge servers. The new email service is a way to gain added revenue. The service is called Amazon Simple Email Service (SES). The program offers a free usage tier, after which customers pay 10 cents per thousand email messages sent.

Continue reading Amazon to Launch Bulk Email Service for Business

Amazon to Launch Bulk Email Service for Business originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Signal Higher Start on Wall Street

U.S. Stock Futures Signal Higher Start on Wall Street originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• BP (BP) to buy from hold at RBS.
• Symantec (SYMC) to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• GenOn Energy (GEN) and Nationwide Health Properties (NHP) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• Logitech (LOGI) and Patriot Coal (PCX) to neutral from sell, as well as ARM Holdings (ARMH) to buy from neutral, at Goldman.
• Silvercorp Metals (SVM) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• Cinemark (CNK) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Smith & Nephew (SNN) to market perform from underperform at Bernstein.
• Molex (MOLX) to overweight from underweight at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AB, ARMH, BP, DANG, JNS, LOGI, PCX, SYMC, YHOO, YOKU ...

Analyst Calls: AB, ARMH, BP, DANG, JNS, LOGI, PCX, SYMC, YHOO, YOKU ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world of Internet traffic moves at lightning speed. So, too, do the moods and preferences of users. Back in 2007, News Corp's (NWS) MySpace was No. 1. Google.com (GOOG) took the No. 1 spot in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Facebook has taken the No. 1 spot, with 8.9% of U.S. visits, edging Google.com, which had 7.2% of visits, Reuters reported, citing online measurement service Experian Hitwise.

Facebook was started by Mark Zuckerberg and a few classmates in 2004. Facebook users can create profiles with photos, lists of personal interests, contact details and other information. Users can communicate with friends and other users through private or public messages and a chat feature. They can also join interest groups and "like pages."

Continue reading Facebook Edges Google as Most Visited Site in the U.S.

Facebook Edges Google as Most Visited Site in the U.S. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• RightNow (RNOW) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Vivo Participacoes (VIV) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Genesis Energy (GEL) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

Analyst Downgrades

• First Community (FCBC) and WesBanco (WSBC) to hold from buy at Stifel Nicolaus.
• Dresser Rand (DRC) to neutral from buy at Global Hunter.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: FCBC, GEL, GOOG, MR, RNOW, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: FCBC, GEL, GOOG, MR, RNOW, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. stock futures are trading lower Wednesday morning as investors are awaiting inflation and manufacturing data. Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 43 points to 11,378.00 and S&P 500 futures lost 5.50 points to 1,231.30. Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 9.50 points to 2,204.50.

U.S. stocks closed higher yesterday, with the blue-chip Dow index rising 0.42%.

Continue reading U.S. Stock Futures Lower as Investors Await Economic Data

U.S. Stock Futures Lower as Investors Await Economic Data originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Yahoo! Lays Off 600 Employees

Yahoo! Lays Off 600 Employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This deal would help Google improve its presence in the local advertising market and give Google access to a huge amount of data regarding consumer spending habits around the world.

Continue reading Google May Offer Close to $6 Billion to Acquire Groupon

Google May Offer Close to $6 Billion to Acquire Groupon originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• Intel (INTC) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight and Autodesk (ADSK) to equal weight from underweight at Morgan Stanley.
• Citigroup upgraded Blackrock (BLK) to buy from hold.
• 99c Only Stores (NDN) was upgraded to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank.
• PetSmart (PETM) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Piper Jaffray upgraded Ruth's Hospitality (RUTH) and Morton's Restaurant (MRT) to overweight from neutral.
• BioMed Realty (BMR) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at FBR Capital.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Piedmont (PDM) to market perform from underperform.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: AA, AOL, BLK, CSCO, GOOG, INTC, JBL, JBLU, YHOO ...

Analyst Calls: AA, AOL, BLK, CSCO, GOOG, INTC, JBL, JBLU, YHOO ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yahoo (YHOO) released third-quarter numbers after the bell on Tuesday, and they didn't do anything for the stock. Shares closed the regular session down 2.7% to $15.49. During the extended-hours period, I saw a quote go by of $15.53. That's right, the equity gained a measly four cents. Traders most certainly weren't applauding that performance.

Very recently, I wrote a bearish piece on the web portal. Since then, the stock has risen. Also, the company has been surrounded by some interesting speculation as of late regarding a potential takeover, with one theoretical scenario involving the owner of BloggingStocks, Aol (AOL).

Continue reading Yahoo! Earnings: Q3 Wasn't Very Exciting

Yahoo! Earnings: Q3 Wasn't Very Exciting originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Daily market news shows stocks pulled back on Thursday, as 50 state attorneys general are looking into allegations that thousands of home foreclosures were improperly handled. Financials were hard hit with both big banks and regionals falling on the news.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) fell 2.6%, Bank of America Corp. (BAC) was off 5.2%, and Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) fell 4.2%. Regional banks like BB&T Corp. (BBT) and SunTrust Banks Inc. (STI) fell 2.14% and 4.23%, respectively.

Continue reading How to Avoid Striking Out in This Market

How to Avoid Striking Out in This Market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The earnings season kicked off last week with better-than-expected results from Alcoa (AA) and Yum! Brands (YUM), while Marriott (MAR) and Pepsico (PEP) met consensus EPS estimates. This week, bellwether companies Intel (INTC), General Electric (GE), Google (GOOG) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) are scheduled to report their third-quarter results, and analysts polled by Thomson Reuters are looking for earnings growth from all of them.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel announced the acquisition of McAfee and joint ventures with General Electric and Nokia (NOK) during its third quarter. Analysts forecast earnings for that period to come to 50 cents per share, which is up 34.0% from the same period of last year. The number one semiconductor maker's revenue for the three months ended in September is expected to total $11.0 billion, or 17.1% more than a year earlier. Looking ahead to the full year, the forecast thus far is for earnings of $1.94 per share (+44.8%) and $43.3 billion in revenue (+23.4%). The per-share earnings topped analysts' expectations in the past four quarters, by as much as a dime per share.

Continue reading Week in Preview: Earnings Expectations for Intel, GE, Google and JPMorgan

Week in Preview: Earnings Expectations for Intel, GE, Google and JPMorgan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Yahoo! Volatility Increases originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I noticed in our Closing Bell piece Friday that Yahoo! (YHOO) was one of the highlighted stocks. It made me want to see how the company was doing.

The equity has traded in a narrow range over the past twelve months. The 52-week low is $12.94 and the 52-week high is $19.12. I can tell you this much: I do not like the looks of Yahoo!'s chart. It doesn't make me want to buy the stock, even though the shares have clearly experienced a pullback.

Continue reading Is Yahoo! Worth a Look?

Is Yahoo! Worth a Look? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) only entered the mobile advertising market a few months ago, but the company has already been successful at taking away crucial mobile advertising revenue from giants such as Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) and Google, Inc. (GOOG).

Apple was definitely a late comer to the mobile advertising party, but it has nonetheless made a quick impact. According to a report from Bloomberg Businessweek today, Apple could end the year with a nice 21% share of the market.

Continue reading Apple's Mobile Advertising Continues to Grow

Apple's Mobile Advertising Continues to Grow originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.