Monday, June 30, 2014

Hot Valued Companies To Watch In Right Now

Hot Valued Companies To Watch In Right Now: Dollar Tree Inc.(DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. operates discount variety stores in the United States and Canada. Its stores offer merchandise primarily at the fixed price of $1.00. The company operates its stores under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$, Dollar Tree Deal$, Dollar Giant, and Dollar Bills. Its stores offer consumable merchandise, including candy and food, and health and beauty care, as well as household consumables, such as paper, plastics, household chemicals, in select stores, and frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, such as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas merchandise. As of April 30, 2011, it operated 4,089 stores in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 88 stores in Canada. The company was founded in 1986 and is based in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Brendan Byrnes]

    Brendan: Not a problem at all. What about the surprising amount of dollar-store companies that are public? You have Family Dollar (NYSE: FDO  ) , Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR  ) , Dollar General (NYSE: DG  ) . You mention, in particular, Family Dollar, which is the lowest market cap out of all of those, as doing the best, an exceptional company. Why?

  • [By Terri Stridsberg]

    Dollar Tree (DLTR), has had a banner 2013, gaining 45.3% year-to-date, and tagging a new record high of $59.68. Nevertheless, short interest skyrocketed by close to 398% over the most recent reporting period, and now accounts for a healthy 6.7% of the equity's available float.

  • [By Mani]

    Dollar Tree, Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) is one of the companies that are set to exploit the ongoing trend of consumers' increasing focus on value with significant opportunity to grow its store base, and expand margins.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.seekpennystocks.com/hot-valued-companies-to-watch-in-right-now.html

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now

November 13, 2013: U.S. equity markets opened lower again Wednesday morning but investors apparently decided to buy the dip today, raising indexes to the upside later in the day. The Treasury reported that the U.S. budget deficit is shrinking although it remains massive. That also lifted equities late in the day.

European and Asian markets closed lower today while Latin American markets closed higher.

Thursday�� calendar includes speeches by Fed Vice-Chairman Janet Yellen and Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser and the following scheduled data releases and events (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – International trade 8:30 a.m. – New claims for unemployment benefits 8:30 a.m. – Productivity and costs 10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly natural gas storage report 11:00 a.m. – EIA weekly petroleum status report 1:00 p.m. – 30-year bond auction 4:30 p.m. – Fed balance sheet and money supply

Here are the closing bell levels for Wednesday:

Hot Energy Companies To Own In Right Now: EXACT Sciences Corporation(EXAS)

Exact Sciences Corporation, a molecular diagnostics company, focuses on developing a molecular diagnostic technology for the early detection and prevention of colorectal pre-cancer and cancer. The company develops the Cologuard, a non-invasive stool-based DNA colorectal cancer screening test that is designed to detect each of the four stages of colorectal cancer, as well as pre-cancerous lesions. Its test includes proprietary and patented methods, which isolate and analyze the trace amounts of human DNA that are shed into stool every day from the exfoliation of cells that line the colon. The company?s Cologuard test is also used to detect blood in stool, utilizing an antibody-based fecal immunochemical test. It has a strategic alliance agreement with LabCorp under which it licenses its patents and patent applications relating to the stool-based colorectal cancer screening technology to LabCorp; a collaboration, license, and purchase agreement with Genzyme Corporation to d eliver intellectual property improvements through licenses; and a license agreement with MAYO Foundation for medical education and research. Exact Sciences Corporation was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Daniel Lauchheimer]

    In the past few weeks, I wrote two articles about TrovaGene (TROV) -- one detailing the history of the DNA market generally and the molecular diagnostics -- and TROV's place therein -- market specifically, and the second detailing the company's internal valuation. In this article, I will value TROV on an external, relative basis. Specifically, I will compare TROV to another molecular diagnostics company, Exact Sciences (EXAS), and try to show that while the market seems to have given EXAS a fair shake, it has not done the same for TROV. I will prove this argument by looking at both companies' addressable markets, and their respective progress at bringing the products to market. However, before we take this deep dive into both companies, I will take a moment to review each of the companies' products, so we have a strong background before turning to the deeper analysis.

  • [By Luke Jacobi]

    Shares of Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) were down throughout Tuesday's session, falling 11.28 percent to $9.99, possibly linked to this being the first week its options are tradable.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: National Retail Properties (NNN)

National Retail Properties, Inc. is a publicly owned equity real estate investment trust. The firm acquires, owns, manages, and develops retail properties in the United States. It provides complete turn-key and built-to-suit development services including market analysis, site selection and acquisition, entitlements, permitting, and construction management. The firm also focuses on purchasing and financing net-leased retail properties. It was formerly known as Commercial Net Lease Realty, Inc. National Retail Properties was founded in August 1984 and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Charles Sizemore]

    ARCP has a shorter trading history than some of its peers, such as Realty Income (O) and National Retail Properties (NNN), which largely explains why its yield is higher. As a relatively new REIT, ARCP stock is largely unfollowed by investors. But once its merger with Cole Properties (COLE) is completed, ARCP will be the largest trip-net REIT by market cap and total square footage, and it will no longer be flying under Wall Street�� radar.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Tellabs Inc.(TLAB)

Tellabs, Inc. designs, develops, and supports telecommunications networking products for communication service providers in the United States and internationally. Its products and services enable customers to deliver wireless and wireline voice, data, and video services to business and residential customers. The company operates through three segments: Broadband, Transport, and Services. The Broadband segment provides access products that enable service providers to deliver bundled voice, video, and high-speed Internet/data services over copper or fiber networks; managed access products, which deliver wireless and business services primarily outside of North America; and data products, including packet-switched products that enable wireless and wireline carriers to deliver mobile voice and Internet services, and wireline business services to their customers. The Transport segment enables service providers to manage network bandwidth by adding capacity needed; and wireline and wireless providers to support metro networks, mobile services, and business services for enterprises, as well as triple-play voice, video, and data services for residential consumers. The Services segment delivers deployment, training, support, and professional services, which support various phases of the network, such as planning, building, and operating. Tellabs, Inc. serves primarily communication services providers, including local exchange carriers; wireline and wireless service providers; multiple system operators; competitive service providers; distributors; original equipment manufacturers; system integrators; and government agencies. The company sells its products and services through its direct sales and sales support personnel, value-added resellers, independent sales representatives, distributors, and public and private network providers. Tellabs, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Selena Maranjian]

    The biggest new holdings are Seagate Technology�and Warner Chilcott. Other new holdings of interest include Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB  ) and Windstream (NASDAQ: WIN  ) . Tellabs offers a satisfying dividend yield of 3.7%, but the networking equipment maker has been facing some headwinds, such as the death of its CEO and the recent departure of its CFO. Its performance has been spotty, besting estimates in its fourth quarter but disappointing them in the recent first quarter.

  • [By Rick Munarriz]

    Thursday
    Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB  ) checks in on Thursday. The provider of mobile backhaul, packet optical, and services solutions to communications services lost its CEO to colon cancer last year. It has also lost its mojo. Wall Street sees Tellabs merely breaking even in 2013 on a 14% decline in revenue.

  • [By SA Pro Top Ideas]

    Stock Movers and Great Calls
    Alpha-Rich long and short ideas regularly move stocks and identify stocks that are about to move. Some notable recent calls subscribers had early access to:

    Saidal Mohmand argued Wednesday that Tellabs (TLAB) was a strong assets play on the verge of a turnaround. The stock is +5.9% since. Read article » On June 13, Stephen Lin said that Ellie Mae's (ELLI) dominant position could mean 45% upside. Shares are +30.7% since. Read article »

    To Come Today
    Don't forget to check your SA Pro dashboard later today for the latest Alpha-Rich ideas, including a REIT with strong management and many catalysts. Any thoughts to share on the latest Alpha-Rich ideas? Leave a comment here. Have a great weekend.

    SA Pro Editors
    …............

    The SA Pro team is Eli Hoffmann (Editor in Chief), Rachael Granby (Editorial Product Manager), Daniel Shvartsman, Samir Patel, Michael McDonald, and Jeffrey Fischer (Senior Pro Editors). You can reach us at pro-editors@seekingalpha.com.

  • [By Rich Smith]

    You have to hand it to Tellabs (NASDAQ: TLAB  ) -- they work fast.

    Late last month, the networking equipment maker had to scramble when its acting chief financial officer, Tom Minichiello, announced plans to retire on July 12 to become the new CFO at Westell Technologies (NASDAQ: WSTL  ) . On Friday, though, just as the deadline was happening, Tellabs announced that it has found a replacement.

Top 5 Asian Companies To Invest In Right Now: Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6)

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (Eletrobras) is a Brazil-based holding company engaged in the electric power generation, transmission and distribution. The Company operates and maintains hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants, nuclear power plants and wind/solar power plants. The Company acts as an agent for managing and investing government funds related to the energy sector, such as the Global Reversion Reserve (RGR), Fuel Consumption Account (CCC) and Energy Development Account (CDE). The Company also manages government programs, such as the National Electric Energy Conservation Program (Procel), the National Program for the Universalization of Access and Use of Electricity (Luz Para Todos) and the Alternative Energy Sources Incentive Program (Proninfa). In October, 2013, the Company acquired a 50% stake in the share capital of Rouar SA, held by Administracion Nacional de Usinas y Transmisiones Electricas UTE. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Patricia Lara]

    Tractebel leapfrogged Cia. Energetica de Minas Gerais, CPFL Energia SA (CPFE3) and Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6) in the fourth quarter to become the biggest utility after sidestepping pressure to cut rates because its contracts don�� expire for at least 14 years. Florianopolis, Brazil-based Tractebel has gained 11 percent in the past year, less than Sabesp�� 36 percent rally, which is the most of any utility on the Bovespa index.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Best International Companies To Watch In Right Now

Best International Companies To Watch In Right Now: Standard Pacific Corp(SPF)

Standard Pacific Corp. operates as a diversified builder of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. It constructs homes targeting various homebuyers primarily move-up buyers in metropolitan markets in California, Florida, the Carolinas, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. The company also provides mortgage financing services to its homebuyers; and title examination services to its Texas homebuyers. As of December 31, 2011, it owned or controlled 26,444 homesites and had 166 active selling communities. Standard Pacific Corp. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Sally Jones]

    Standard Pacific Corp. (SPF): Reduced

    Up 19% over 12 months, Standard Pacific Corp., a residential construction company, has a market cap of $2.27 billion. The current share price is around $8.18. Shares trade at a P/E of 5.70. The company does not pay a dividend.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/best-international-companies-to-watch-in-right-now-2.html

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now

Top 5 Growth Companies To Own In Right Now: Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.(BWLD)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. engages in the ownership, operation, and franchise of restaurants in the United States. The company provides quick casual and casual dining services, as well as serves bottled beers, wines, and liquor. As of July 26, 2011, it had 773 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in 45 states in the United States, as well as in Canada. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By kcpl]

    However, there are a few restaurants who have managed to brave the headwinds and have come out as winners. Some of these are Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD), Sonic (SONC), and Domino's Pizza (DPZ) -- which have bucked the industry trend.

  • [By abirk]

    The restaurant sector is always a hot favorite among people as there are many varieties of restaurants that cater to the demographics of people in the U.S. One player in this industry with a casual dining facility is Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD).

  • [By Damian Illia]

    Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (BWLD) owns, operates and franchises a chain of more than 900 casual dining restaurants across the United States and Canada. Buffalo Wild Wings has a strong brand prospect and is considered one of the most popular casual dining restaurant chains – with a dine and watch concept and 40 television sets per outlet. The company offers its chicken wings, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and beers until 2am. Not only sports fan love Buffalo but also families which enjoy taking their children to restaurants where their children can watch TV and play videogames.

  • [By Nickey Friedman]

    "Customers have been telling us for some time... 'I don't like to wait for the check,'" said Julia Stewart, CEO of DineEquity  (NYSE: DIN  ) , in an interview on CNBC. D! ineEquity, the parent company of Applebee's, and other restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD  ) and Chili's of Brinker International (NYSE: EAT  )  are in the process of rolling out pay-at-the-table computer tablets across the nation. While giving consumers a more convenient way to order and pay for their meal is a plus, there is an indirect motivator for the tablets that may lead to higher sales and profits.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-growth-companies-to-own-in-right-now-2.html

Friday, June 27, 2014

Top 5 High Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now

Popular Posts: Follow Insider Buying Into These Cheap StocksThe 3 Cheapest Stocks in the World2 Cheap Bank Stocks to Buy Now Recent Posts: Get Paid by Following Insiders Follow Insider Buying Into These Cheap Stocks The Only Retail Stock on My Holiday Shopping List View All Posts

I talked about insider trading last week, laying out how I use it to find value stocks. But we can also use the insiders screen to help solve one of the most difficult question facing investors today.

We already know that the stock of companies with recent open-market purchases by the top two executives have a strong tendency to go up substantially over the next year. We can now screen for companies that have shown this type of positive activity from insiders and also provide a high dividend yield.

Top 5 Electric Utility Stocks To Own For 2015: Rio Tinto(reg)

Rio Tinto plc engages in finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. The company produces aluminum products, including bauxite, alumina, and aluminum; copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and nickel; diamonds; minerals, such as borates, titanium dioxide feedstocks, high purity iron, metal powders, zircon, and rutile; thermal and coking coal, and uranium; and iron ore and salt. It primarily operates in Australia, North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and southern Africa. The company was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Rio Tinto plc is a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Dividend King]

    Regency Centers Corp. (REG): Regency Centers Corp. has been slightly appreciating after reaching a low of around $22 back in 2009. Currently, the stock issues an annual dividend of $1.85, has a yield of 4.30% and a payout ratio of 529%. During the last 12 months sales and income increased 5.10% and 208.30%, respectively. Revenue during the last four years increased at a compound annual growth rate of 0.28% while income decreased at a compound annual growth rate of 21.63%. The moderate revenue increase and lower income are due primarily to the real estate bubble that burst around 2007. However, revenue has started to pick up during the last two years, a good indication that the stock will begin appreciating in value.

Top 5 High Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: CarMax Inc(KMX)

CarMax, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer of used vehicles in the United States. It also sells vehicles that do not meet its retail standards to licensed dealers through on-site wholesale auctions, as well as sells new vehicles under franchise agreements. In addition, the company provides customers financing alternatives through its finance operation, CarMax Auto Finance, as well as through its third-party financing providers. Further, it offers a range of other related products and services, including the sale of extended service plans, guaranteed asset protection, and accessories; the appraisal and purchase of vehicles directly from consumers; and vehicle repair services. As of December 21, 2011, the company operated 107 used car superstores in 52 markets. CarMax, Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Hill]

    In this installment, our analysts discuss four stocks making big moves.�CarMax (NYSE: KMX  ) hits an all-time high after fourth-quarter profits rise. PriceSmart (NASDAQ: PSMT  ) jumps after the retailer reports better-than-expected results. Fastenal (NASDAQ: FAST  ) falls after it reports weaker-than-expected revenues. And 3D Systems (NYSE: DDD  ) racks up big gains after one of its competitors gets an upgrade.�

  • [By Rich Bieglmeier]

    On Tuesday, September 24, CarMax Inc. (KMX) will release sales and earnings for the second quarter ended August 31, 2013 and will host a conference call for investors at 9:00 a.m. ET.

  • [By Louis Navellier] Popular Posts: 5 Stocks Ready to Bloom in SpringGoogle Stock Split Is All Good For GOOG Investors3 Stocks to Buy Now That Spring is In the Air Recent Posts: Here Is Your Guide for Q1 Earnings Season Leave CarMax Stock on the Lot For Now (KMX) Don’t Panic Out of Barnes & Noble Stock Yet View All Posts

    Welcome to the Stock of the Day.

  • [By Michael Lewis]

    Used-auto behemoth CarMax (NYSE: KMX  ) released earnings this week that came in above expectations and sent the stock to a new 52-week high. Given the high average auto-age in the United States, coupled with continued macroeconomic trepidation, used-car sales appear to have a strong future. Yet, at 19 times forward earnings, the company known for its no-nonsense auto pricing has a stock price that looks mighty rich. Here's what you need to know about CarMax going forward.

Top 5 High Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Mastercard Incorporated(MA)

MasterCard Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides transaction processing and related services to customers principally in support of their credit, deposit access, electronic cash and automated teller machine payment card programs, and travelers? cheque programs. Its payment solutions include payment programs, marketing, product development, technology, processing, and consulting and information services. The company provides transaction processing services comprising transaction switching, which include authorization, clearing, and settlement; connectivity services, such as network access, equipment, and the transmission of authorization and settlement messages; and other payment-related services consisting of products used to prevent or detect fraudulent transactions, cardholder services, professional consulting and research services, compliance and penalty, account and transaction enhancement services, holograms, and publication services. MasterCard Incor porated manages and licenses payment card brands, including MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic, Maestro, and Cirrus. The company?s payment programs, which are facilitated through its brands, include consumer credit, debit and prepaid programs, commercial payment solutions, and contactless payment solutions. It serves approximately 22,000 financial institutions. The company was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Teresa Rivas]

    It�� been a good week for Visa�(V) and�MasterCard�(MA)��wo days in and they��e enjoyed two rounds of upgrades.

    Today, the bullishness comes from Janney Montgomery Scott�� Thomas McCrohan and Leonard DeProspo, who boosted their ratings on both names to Buy.

  • [By Mani]

    MasterCard Incorporated (NYSE: MA) will release its third-quarter financial results on�Oct.31. The company will host a conference call to discuss these results at�9:00 a.m.�Eastern Time.

Top 5 High Dividend Stocks To Buy Right Now: Tree.com Inc.(TREE)

Tree.Com, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in lending business in the United States. It owns various brands and businesses that provide information, tools, advice, products, and services for consumers looking to comparison shop for loans, real estate, and other services from businesses and professionals. The company?s LendingTree Loans segment originates, processes, approves, and funds various types of residential real estate loans primarily under the LendingTree Loans brand name. It offers a range of adjustable and fixed rate mortgage loans, including conforming and prime loans, as well as non-conforming and FHA loans. This segment sources its leads through online and telephone services, as well as through various non-LendingTree channels, such as third-party online lead aggregators and direct mail marketing campaigns. Its Exchanges segment consists of online lead generation networks under the LendingTree.com, GetSmart.com, DegreeTree.com, HealthTree.com, LendingT reeAutos.com, DoneRight.com, and InsuranceTree.com brands; and call centers that connect consumers and service providers, principally in the lending, higher education, home services, insurance, and automobile marketplaces. This segment also provides unsecured loans, automobile loans, credit cards, and various consumer insurance products, as well as opportunities for students seeking institutions of higher education, and home improvement professional services with contractors. The company is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By WWW.DAILYFINANCE.COM]

    Casper1774 Studio/Shutterstock You may not have noticed it, but recently, it's gotten easier to buy a new home. Last year, a strong housing market combined with fears that the Federal Reserve would eventually begin tapering its purchases of mortgage bonds. Together, these factors helped drive up the cost of a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from about 3.3 percent in January 2013 to nearly 4.6 percent by September. Since then, mortgage rates have backed off those recent highs, bobbling back and forth between 4.5 percent or so, and, recently, 4.2 percent. This has helped to keep housing affordable for those who want to buy a home. But it did pose the bankers a dilemma: How could they get more people to want to buy homes in the first place, so that they could sell more mortgages? Answer: Make it easier to apply for a mortgage. Mortgage Down Payments Live Down to Their Name Last spring, lending data website LendingTree.com (TREE) released a report showing that the average down payment demanded by mortgage bankers to obtain a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage had fallen 9.4 percent since mid-2011. At 16.1 percent, it was nearly 4 full percentage points shy of the old rule of thumb that a home buyer should put 20 percent down on a new home. Six months later, average down payments had fallen to 15.73 percent of the value of a home. Now, LendingTree has put out an updated report showing that after down payment demands inched back up in 2013 (to 16.01 percent), they've begun to fall once more. At last report, mortgage bankers on average want to see a 15.78 percent down payment -- a bit more than what we saw last fall, but still continuing the downward trend in down payments. Why? One clue may be found in recent comments from Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist Frank Nothaft, who's been highlighting declines in existing-home sales, in new-home sales as well, and even in permits taken out to build houses, in a series of reports through April. If home-buying is

Thursday, June 26, 2014

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014

After a seemingly endless rise over the past year, shares of Citigroup (NYSE: C  ) have begun to tick lower. Is there still room for shares of Citigroup to push higher?

In this video, Motley Fool banking analyst David Hanson discusses how the bank stacks up compared with Bank of America (NYSE: BAC  ) and Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC  ) .

Despite the run-up, Citigroup's stock still looks tantalizingly cheap. Yet the bank's balance sheet is still in need of more repair, and CEO Michael Corbat still needs to prove himself.

Should investors be treading carefully, or jumping on an opportunity to buy? To help figure out whether Citigroup deserves a spot in your portfolio, read our premium research report on the bank today.�We'll fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Citigroup, and what areas Citigroup�investors need to watch going forward.�Click here now�for instant access to our best expert's take on Citigroup.

Hot Gold Stocks To Own For 2015: Cloud Peak Energy Inc(CLD)

Cloud Peak Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in coal mining operations in the Powder River Basin of the United States. It produces sub-bituminous steam coal with low sulfur content for electric utilities and industrial customers. The company owns and operates Antelope surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; the Cordero Rojo surface coal mine located to the south of Gillette, Wyoming; and the Spring Creek surface coal mine located in Montana. It also owns a 50% interest in the Decker surface coal mine located in Montana. As of December 31, 2010, it had approximately 970 million tons of proven and probable reserves. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Gillette, Wyoming.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Jon C. Ogg]

    Before you think the call was all positive, it is not. Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) was downgraded to Sell from Neutral. Industry-leading Peabody Energy Corp. (NYSE: BTU) was given a mere Neutral rating, but it does have a $20 target, versus a $17.85 close. Cloud Peak Energy Inc. (NYSE: CLD) was downgraded to Neutral from Buy and given a $15 price target, versus a $15.20 closing price.

  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    At the same time, there are a few glimmers of hope for the coal industry. Cloud Peak Energy's (NYSE: CLD  ) balance sheet shows some characteristics that could help it survive another rough patch for coal. It may not be a great balance sheet overall, but it's certainly better than many others in the space. Tune into the following video to get Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Aimee Duffy's take on a couple other coal companies that either look like they are headed for a big fall or have stronger balance sheets to weather the storm.

  • [By Dimitra DeFotis]

    Consol Energy (CNX), �which also produces natural gas, was up more than 3%, as was Cloud Peak Energy (CLD).

    The Moody’s press release, here. Coal insiders were active earlier this year, we noted here.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    During the past three months, Consol Energy (CNX) has gained 11%, Peabody Energy (BTU) has risen 3.4% and Cloud Peak Energy (CLD) has dropped just 0.8%. (Arch Coal (ACI), it should be noted, has plunged 11% during that time period.) Is this the start of a good thing?

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: S&P GSCI(GD)

General Dynamics Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions; military and commercial shipbuilding; and communications and information technology products and services worldwide. Its Aerospace group designs, manufactures, and outfits various large and mid-cabin business-jet aircraft; provides maintenance, repair work, fixed-based operations, and aircraft management services; and performs aircraft completions for aircraft. The company?s Combat Systems group offers tracked and wheeled military vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions. Its product lines include wheeled combat and tactical vehicles; battle tanks and infantry vehicles; munitions and propellant; rockets and gun systems; and axle and drivetrain components and aftermarket parts. This group also manufactures and supplies engineered axles, suspensions, and brakes for heavy-load vehicles for military and commercial customers. The company Advisors' Opinion:

  • [By Paul Ausick]

    Although no other defense or aerospace contractors had announced any layoffs or furloughs due to the government shutdown, the Aerospace Industries Association said last Friday that “tens of thousands” of employees at member companies would have to be furloughed if the shutdown continued. The group includes defense firms Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC), Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) and General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD) among its membership. None of these firms had announced plans to idle workers.

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Defense contractor General Dynamics (GD) raised its quarterly dividend 10.7% to 62 cents per share, payable May 9 to shareholders of record as of April 11. The increase is the 17th consecutive annual dividend raise for GD.
    GD Dividend Yield: 2.23%

  • [By Brendan Mathews]

    It's a favorite of Warren Buffett's, too, and not just because he's profiled in it. This short book chronicles eight CEOs�who�operated in different industries and dealt with different challenges over the decades but shared the same radical mindset. They set aside the status quo and applied logic and rationality to business with a particular focus on efficient operations and skillful capital allocation. The average returns generated by these CEOs have beaten the S&P 500 by a factor of 20. Buffett's run at�Berkshire Hathaway is spotlighted, along with Tom Murphy of Capital Cities, Henry Singleton of Teledyne, Bill Anders of�General Dynamics� (NYSE: GD  ) , John Malone of TCI, Katharine Graham of The Washington Post, Bill Stiritz of Ralston-Purina, and Dick Smith of General Cinema.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: Global Payments Inc.(GPN)

Global Payments Inc. provides electronic transaction processing services for merchants, independent sales organizations (ISO), financial institutions, government agencies, and multi-national corporations located in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. It offers a comprehensive line of processing solutions for credit and debit cards; business-to-business purchasing cards; gift cards; and electronic check conversion and check guarantee, verification, and recovery, including electronic check services, as well as terminal management. The company also offers proprietary software products to establish revolving check cashing limits for the casinos? customers in the gaming industry. In addition, it sells, installs, and services automated teller machine and point of sale terminals; and provides card issuing services, including card management and card personalization. The company markets its products directly, as well as through ISOs, retail outlets, tra de associations, alliance bank relationships, and financial institutions. Global Payments Inc. has a joint venture with La Caixa Group to provide merchant acquiring services to merchants in Spain. Global Payments Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Laura Brodbeck]

    Thursday

    Earnings Expected From: Global Payents Inc. (NYSE: GPN), Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), Synnex Corporation (NYSE: SNX) Economic Releases Expected: �US services PMI, Canadian imports and exports, US trade balance, eurozone services PMI, ECB interest rate decision, British services PMI

    Friday

  • [By Monica Gerson]

    Global Payments (NYSE: GPN) is expected to post its Q1 earnings at $0.95 per share on revenue of $623.79 million.

    Synergetics USA (NASDAQ: SURG) is projected to post its Q4 earnings at $0.06 per share on revenue of $17.01 million.

  • [By Wallace Witkowski]

    Shares of Global Payments Inc. (GPN) �advanced 4.8% to $67.50 on moderate volume after the company raised its earnings outlook for the year to a range of $4.03 to $4.10 a share. Analysts were forecasting $4.04 a share.

5 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy For 2014: International Business Machines Corporation(IBM)

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides information technology (IT) products and services worldwide. Its Global Technology Services segment provides IT infrastructure and business process services, including strategic outsourcing, process, integrated technology, and maintenance services, as well as technology-based support services. The company?s Global Business Services segment offers consulting and systems integration, and application management services. Its Software segment offers middleware and operating systems software, such as WebSphere software to integrate and manage business processes; information management software for database and enterprise content management, information integration, data warehousing, business analytics and intelligence, performance management, and predictive analytics; Tivoli software for identity management, data security, storage management, and datacenter automation; Lotus software for collaboration, messaging, and so cial networking; rational software to support software development for IT and embedded systems; business intelligence software, which provides querying and forecasting tools; SPSS predictive analytics software to predict outcomes and act on that insight; and operating systems software. Its Systems and Technology segment provides computing and storage solutions, including servers, disk and tape storage systems and software, point-of-sale retail systems, and microelectronics. The company?s Global Financing segment provides lease and loan financing to end users and internal clients; commercial financing to dealers and remarketers of IT products; and remanufacturing and remarketing services. It serves financial services, public, industrial, distribution, communications, and general business sectors. The company was formerly known as Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co. and changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924. IBM was founded in 1910 and is based in Armonk, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Mark Morelli]

    Positive trends have Silicon Valley tech giants Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL  ) , Facebook (NASDAQ: FB  ) , and the century-old�International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM  ) �poised for future success in each of their diverse, but somewhat interrelated, businesses.�

  • [By Doug Ehrman]

    With the Linux Foundation announcing the rollout of the Open Daylight Project, the endorsement by both IBM (NYSE: IBM  ) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO  ) is a major coup. Given the potential near-term threat that the project represents to Cisco, its involvement comes as something of a surprise. The longer-term implications, however, show the strategic advantage for the company and why it may have thrown its support behind the project.

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Interesting… so we got negative earnings from [Goldman Sachs (GS), eBay (EBAY), International Business Machines (IBM). And SPX doing very well. You can argue that EBAY does not have broad relevance to market, and that GS is really a quarter to quarter thing, where earnings this quarter tell us little about next quarter (trading), but IBM is a big deal as it is a good measure of spending on IT. So SPX performance very impressive, even though it is driven to some extent by defensives/ rates plays (utilities, telcos etc). This is a good sign. The market wants to go up into year end.

  • [By Jayson Derrick]

    IBM (NYSE: IBM) has purchased Aspera, a developer of technology that speeds up the transfer of extremely large files over long distances. Big Blue has been attempting to grow its storage software sales as hardware sales continue to be a drag on the company. Shares gained 0.86 percent, closing at $180.23.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Top Electric Utility Companies To Watch For 2014

What Is The Markets Opinion On GM And Mary Barra's Testimony?

Related GM Caterpillar Looks Positive Despite Tax Probe - Analyst Blog #PreMarket Primer: Thursday, April 3: ECB Outcome Awaited Barra: Culture at GM Has Changed (Fox Business)

While Mary Barra was grilled by Congress regarding the handling of the General Motors (NYSE: GM) recall involving defections in the ignition switch in some compact cars, the stock continued to trade in a narrow range.

In fact, GM had nearly identical ranges on Tuesday and Wednesday throughout her testimony ($34.32-$35.14), ending the session at $34.88. In Thursday's trading, GM is once again testing the upper-end of this range, reaching $35.11, before falling back to $35.00.

It's as if the market could care less about her testimony. Of course, there have been a few spikes up and down during her testimony that may be attributed to her comments, but overall Barra has held her own and so has GM's share price.

In fact, GM has traded in a well defined trading after its swoon to $33.57 on March 15, a few days after first revealing the details of the recall. Interestingly, this level coincides with its August 28 low ($33.50).

Related: Mary Barra Stands Her Ground On Capitol Hill

Since bottoming at the level GM rebounded to the $35.25 area. Shares only exceeded that level on a huge buy imbalance induced by the March 21 Quadruple Witch Expiration that propelled GM to $35.50 shortly after its open. It should be noted GM quickly faded from the level and ended the day at $35.01.

GM did manage a few attempts to remain in the $35 handle, but was rebuffed each time. After each failed attempt GM declined to the lower $34.00's, only to find willing buyers just above and below that area.

All in all GM has traded in a less than two point trading range ($33.57-$35.50) for the last 17 trading sessions -- a majority of the days ending with share price slightly above and below the $34.50 level, which happens to be smack dab in the middle of the range.

Consolidation periods with this long of a duration usually provide investors with a good trading opportunity, since GM cannot trade in this narrow of a range forever.

The bulls are banking on a quick resolution to the recall debacle and for GM to clear the $35.50 level and migrate towards the major resistance at the $38.00 level from early March.

UBS has reported the automobile forecaster IHS Automotive has not detected a change in GM production schedules following the news of the recall. Based on prior recalls from Toyota and Ford, the analyst does not expect GM to suffer in the long-term.

Although the new GM is not legally responsible for the old GM, the company may choose to compensate the families that lost loved ones do to the the faulty ignition switch. This action would be a good public relations move for the company and the monies paid out to the families may be offset by GM improving its public image.

Bears will be leaning on $35.50 as a possible exit point for their short positions. If shorting at the $35.00 level, the risk is clearly defined in the trade and a move to the lows of the current move ($33.57) yields a solid 3-to-1 risk/reward ratio.

Additional recalls or a monster judgment against GM would certainly exert more downside pressure on the issue. In the event $33.57 is breached, GM may not find any support until its June 24 low ($31.13).

Whatever and whenever the resolution to the recall is announced, GM is going to have a big move. Investors may want to base their trading strategy on the technical levels the issue has provided over the last 17 trading sessions.

Posted-In: Ford IHS Automotive Mary Barra recalls Toyota UBSTechnicals Intraday Update Markets Trading Ideas Best of Benzinga

© 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  Most Popular Mark Cuban Critical of CNBC's Interview of Manoj Narang No Leg Work Wednesdays – How IBM Blew The Deal With Microsoft Munster Says Apple Could Announce Increased Dividend, Buyback With Q2 Results Piper Jaffray Not Convinced MannKind's Afreeza Will Be Commercial Success UPDATE: MannKind Confirms FDA Panel Recommends Approval of AFREZZA From Wall Street To Green Street: Terra Tech CEO Derek Peterson Related Articles (GM) Caterpillar Looks Positive Despite Tax Probe - Analyst Blog What Is The Markets Opinion On GM And Mary Barra's Testimony? #PreMarket Primer: Thursday, April 3: ECB Outcome Awaited GM Faces Congressional Probe - Analyst Blog Market Wrap For April 2: Markets On Four-Day Winning Streak Mary Barra Stands Her Ground On Capitol Hill Partner Network Around the Web, We're Loving... Emerging markets: One size doesn't Fit All

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

10 Best Up And Coming Stocks For 2015

10 Best Up And Coming Stocks For 2015: Open Text Corporation (OTEX)

Open Text Corporation develops, markets, sells, licenses, and supports enterprise content management (ECM) solutions primarily in North America and Europe. The company?s ECM software and solutions enable customers to manage various types of enterprise content, including business documents, Web content, records, digital assets, email, forms and reports, forums, blogs, wikis, and real time instant messaging and collaboration. Its ECM solutions comprise various components, including document management, which provides repository for business documents, such as Microsoft office, CAD, and PDF; collaboration that offers tools designed to better facilitate people working with each other with content and processes; Web content management, which provides tools for authoring, maintaining, and administering sophisticated Web sites; and records management that enables control of the lifecycle of content objects by associating robust retention and disposition rules with each content as set. The company?s ECM solutions also provide email management services designed to enable the archiving, control, and monitoring of email; capture and delivery tools that provide the means of converting documents from analog sources; digital asset management; business process management services; content reporting tools for analyzing content and generating reports; and Open Text Everywhere that allows the Open Text ECM suite to be available via mobile devices. In addition, it offers industry specific solutions for government, technology/manufacturing, energy, financial services, pharmaceutical and life sciences, legal, and media sectors. Additionally, the company provides learning, consulting, hosting, and customer support and training services. It has strategic alliances with Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, and SAP AG. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Waterloo, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By ! Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Open Text (NASDAQ: OTEX) got a boost, shooting up 12.23percent to $101.70 after the company reported upbeat Q2 results and announced a 2-for-1 stock split.

  • [By Jake L'Ecuyer]

    Shares of Open Text (NASDAQ: OTEX) got a boost, shooting up 11.95 percent to $101.45 after the company reported upbeat Q2 results and announced a 2-for-1 stock split.

  • [By Michael Robinson]

    Open Text (OTEX)

    Known as one of the world's leading data management firms for large organizations, Open Text ranks as the biggest software company in Canada. A roster of A-list clients helps a great deal. Some of Open Text's stable of blue-chip clients include Coca-Cola, BP, and Visa.

  • [By Seth Jayson]

    OpenText (Nasdaq: OTEX  ) is expected to report Q3 earnings on April 24. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

    The 10-second takeaway
    Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict OpenText's revenues will grow 18.1% and EPS will grow 28.7%.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/10-best-up-and-coming-stocks-for-2015-2.html

Monday, June 23, 2014

Top 5 Media Companies To Buy For 2015

Top 5 Media Companies To Buy For 2015: Time Warner Inc.(TWX)

Time Warner Inc. operates as a media and entertainment company in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Networks, Filmed Entertainment, and Publishing. The Networks segment provides domestic and international networks, premium pay and basic tier television programming services, and digital media properties, which primarily consist of brand-aligned Websites. Its premium pay television services consist of the multi-channel HBO and Cinemax premium pay television services. This segment provides programming to cable system operators, satellite service distributors, telephone companies, and other distributors; sells advertising; and licenses original programming to domestic and international television networks. The Filmed Entertainment segment produces and distributes feature films, television and other programming, and videogames; distributes home video products; and licenses rights to its feature films, television programming, and characters. T he Publishing segment publishes magazines and books; and operates various Websites, as well as engages in marketing services and direct-marketing businesses. This segment publishes magazines on style and entertainment, lifestyle, news, and sports. The company?s brands include TNT, TBS, CNN, HBO, Cinemax, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, People, Sports Illustrated, and Time. Time Warner Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tim Beyers]

    Comic book fans won't have to wait till 2016 to get the Batman they deserve. Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX  ) subsidiary Rocksteady Studios will bring the Dark Knight back to Gotham with the 2015 release of Batman: Arkham Knight. The one problem? Bats was supposed to be back in October.

  • [By Will Ashworth]

    FactSet pegs both com! panies' 2014 enterprise value at 10 times EBITDA, which is less than bigger players such as Walt Disney (DIS), Time Warner (TWX) and Viacom (VIAB). If the two firms continue to operate independently of one another, they run the risk of becoming also-rans in the cable network consolidation game. Together, they have a better chance of naming their price when the big boys eventually come knocking.

  • source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-5-media-companies-to-buy-for-2015.html

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Book Review: Meb Faber’s Global Value

How does an investment manager reconcile all of the various prognostications he hears on a daily basis?Simple—ignore them.—Meb Faber, Global ValueIf you've never heard of Cambria Investment Management's Meb Faber, then you have some serious catching up to do. I consider Faber one of the most innovative strategists in the business today, and I found his research on shareholder yield to be compelling enough to make the Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD) a core, long-term holding in multiple ETF portfolios I manage. (For readers unfamiliar with the term, "shareholder yield" is a holistic measure of shareholder friendliness that includes dividends paid, shares repurchased, and debt repaid.)Faber's latest book, Global Value: How to Spot Bubbles, Avoid Market Crashes, and Earn Big Returns in the Stock Market, provides the research underpinnings for Cambria's latest ETF offering, the Cambria Global Value ETF (GVAL).Faber is a "quant" who ignores the news of the day and instead focuses on the raw numbers. At its core, Global Value is a roadmap for implementing the value investing concepts originally espoused by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd in their 1934 classic Security Analysis in a systematic, quantitative manner.Specifically, Faber uses the cyclically-adjusted price/earnings ratio ("CAPE"), a metric popularized by Yale economist Robert Shiller, as a valuation tool to rank countries. In Faber's model, an investor buys the stocks of the cheapest countries as ranked by the CAPE.The CAPE divides the current market price by the average of annual earnings across the economic cycle, with 10 years being the most popular time interval.Why? Because using a single yea! r's earnings can massively skew the results based on where you are in the economic cycle. As an example, a collapse in earnings in 2008-2009 would have made the S&P 500 look expensive had you used a simple P/E calculation with 2008 earnings numbers, even though the market had lost half of its value during the crisis.Faber notes that the U.S. market is expensive today and priced to deliver lackluster returns in the decade ahead. This is consistent with the forecasts made by, among others, GMO's Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio). But Faber—also like Grantham—makes it clear that we are not technically in a bubble. "Overpriced" does not mean "bubble." The former implies disappointing returns; the latter implies the potential for a devastating crash. And some of the market's overpricing is a natural product of the low-inflation / low-interest-rate environment today.But while the American equity markets are looking pricey these days, there are plenty of values to be found overseas for investors with strong stomachs. Among the countries Faber notes as being cheap—and which, not coincidentally, are current holdings of GVAL—are problem countries Russia, Greece, and Spain.Do Faber's methods work? Indeed, it appears they do. Variations of Faber's CAPE strategy returned between 15.9% and 17.6% per year, compounded annually, from 1980 to 2013.The MSCI EAFA Index—the standard benchmark for international investing—returned only 9.6%. (These numbers exclude taxes, trading costs, and management fees.)Importantly, Faber's valuation models are intended, in his words, to be long-term strategic guides, not short-term timing tools. And had you implemented the strategy espoused in Global Value in 2013, you would have been out of the U.S. market—and would have missed the 33% total returns for the year. Of course, you would have been invested Greece (GREK), Ireland(EIRL) and Argentina (ARGT), which saw returns of 24.9%, 45.6% and 15.0%, respectively. That's not too shabby.I'll leave y! ou with a! quick summary of Faber's advice to improve your risk-adjusted portfolio returns:At a minimum, allocate your portfolio globally reflecting the global market cap weightings. In the U.S., that means allocating 50% of your portfolio abroad. To avoid market cap concentration risk, consider allocating along the weightings of global GDP. This would mean closer to 60-80% in foreign stocks. Similarly, ponder a value approach to your equity allocation. Consider over-weighting the cheapest countries and avoiding the most expensive ones. Currently, this would mean a low, or zero, allocation to U.S. stocks.I recommend you pick up a copy of Faber's Global Value. And for that matter, I would recommend his Shareholder Yield and Ivy Portfolio as well. All are excellent additions to any investor's library.About the author:Charles SizemoreCharles Lewis Sizemore is the Editor of the Sizemore Investment Letter premium newsletter and Chief Investment Officer of Sizemore Capital Management. Mr. Sizemore has been a repeat guest on Fox Business News, has been quoted in Barron's Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, and has been published in many respected financial websites, including MarketWatch, TheStreet.com, InvestorPlace, MSN Money, Seeking Alpha, Stocks, Futures, and Options Magazine and The Daily Reckoning.

Top 5 Warren Buffett Stocks To Invest In Right Now

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SYLD STOCK PRICE CHART 30.32 (1y: +13%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='SYLD',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1378962000000,26.88],[1379048400000,27.03],[1379307600000,27.25],[1379394000000,27.37],[1379480400000,27.59],[1379566800000,27.56],[1379653200000,27.37],[1379912400000,27.2],[1379998800000,27.32],[1380085200000,27.36],[1380171600000,27.3],[1380258000000,27.22],[1380517200000,27.08],[1380603600000,27.43],[1380690000000,27.38],[1380776400000,27.06],[1380862800000,27.3],[1381122000000,27.01],[1381208400000,26.63],[1381294800000,26.58],[1381381200000,27.24],[1381467600000,27.55],[1381726800000,27.69],[1381813200000,27.52],[1381899600000,27.9],[1381986000000,28.18],[1382072400000,28.33],[1382331600000,28.27],[1382418000000,28.48],[1382504400000,28.32],[1382590800000,28.32],[1382677200000,28.42],[1382936400000,28.48],[1383022800000,28.72],[1383109200000,28.58],[1383195600000,28.42],[1383282000000,28.42],[1383544800000,28.64],[1383631200000,28.57],[1383717600000,28.51],[1383804000000,27.98],[1383890400000,28.48],[1384149600000,28.53],[1384236000000,28.5],[1384322400000,28.79],[1384408800000,28.92],[1384495200000,28.93],[1384754400000,28.67],[1384840800000,28.58],[1384927200000,28.45],[1385013600000,28.73],[1385100000000,28.83],[1385359200000,28.83],[1385445600000,28.85],[1385532000000,28.98],[1385704800000,28.99],[1385964000000,28.92],[1386050400000,28.81],[1386136800000,28.68],[1386223200000,28.54],[1386309600000,28.92],[1386568800000,28.89],[1386655200000,28.79],[1386741600000,28.4],[1386828000000,28.39],[1386914400000,28.39],[1387173600000,28.6],[1387260000000,28.44],[1387346400000,28.89],[1387432800000,28.83],[1387519200000,29.12],[1387778400000,29.28],[1387864800000,29.36],[1388037600000,29.43],[1388124000000,29.22],[1388383200000,29.3],[1388469600000,29.37],[1388642400000,29.06],[1388728800000,29.14],[1388988000000,28.97],[1389074400000,29.2],[1389160800000,29.24],[1389247200000,29.32],[1389333600000,29.41],[1389592800000,29.03],[1389679200000,29.26],[1389765600000,29.37],[138! 9852000000,29.32],[1389938400000,29.27],[1390284000000,29.39],[1390370400000,29.61],[1390456800000,29.26],[1390543200000,28.53],[1390802400000,28.3],[1390888800000,28.47],[1390975200000,28.19],[1391061600000,28.55],[1391148000000,28.39],[1391407200000,27.53],[1391493600000,27.67],[1391580000000,27.79],[1391666400000,28.06],[1391752800000,28.44],[1392012000000,28.4],[1392098400000,28.75],[1392184800000,28.9],[1392271200000,29.15],[1392357600000,29.25],[1392616800000,29.25],[1392703200000,29.49],[1392789600000,29.33],[1392876000000,29.5],[1392962400000,29.56],[1393221600000,29.73],[1393308000000,29.75],[1393394400000,29.82],[1393480800000,29.99],[1393567200000,30.04],[1393826400000,29.8],[13939

Top 10 tax tips for individual taxpayers

If anyone should know the top ten tax tips for individual taxpayers, it's the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the industry's trade group. And fortunately, they do.

AICPA's top 10 tax tips for individual taxpayers are:

1. Get organized. If you don't have your W-2 and 1099 forms, you can't do your taxes. Put them where you can find them.And keep good records of your deductions. If you keep good records, you won't overpay, and you'll be able to answer any questions from the Internal Revenue Service easily.

NEED HELP: Get all the latest tax news and advice

2. Don't be late. Your federal tax return must be filed before midnight on Tuesday, April 15. You can get an extension if you file IRS Form 4868 by April 15, but you still have to pay your taxes by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest. And check the filing deadline for your state: It may be different than the Federal deadline.

3. Protect your ID. Your records include important identification information, and identity thieves would love to have that. Got an e-mail from the IRS requesting personal or financial information? It's bogus.

4. Investigate the details if you are filing as a legally married same-sex couple. Legally married same-sex couples do not have to reside in the state in which they were legally married to qualify. But the new IRS rules do not apply to domestic partnerships or civil unions. Because state income tax laws vary, same-sex couples may want to get help from a local CPA.

5. Prepare and hold. It's not unusual for taxpayers to receive corrected 1099 forms late in the tax filing season. If you have investments, prepare your tax return now and then delay filing it electronically until just before the April 15 deadline. You can take your time preparing your return and make last-minute changes without filing an amended return.

"If you're going to have a large balance due on April 15, you want to find out now," says Melissa Labant, director of tax advocacy ! for the AICPA. "That's much better than a surprise at the last minute."

6. Check your tax breaks. Just because you got certain exemptions and deductions last year, don't assume you can claim the same ones this year. New rules have kicked in phasing out exemptions at certain income levels and imposing new limits on deductions. For example, medical and dental deductions must exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income, unless you or your spouse is 65 or older and then it's still 7.5%.

"Your personal situation may not have changed, but tax rules are always changing," Labant says. "The rules for 2013 are significantly different than the rules for 2012."

5 Best Quality Stocks To Own Right Now

7. Review. Review. Review. Two of the most common mistakes made by taxpayers – incorrect Social Security numbers and math calculations – significantly slow down the refund process.. They're also the easiest to correct. Slow down and double-check your return before it's filed. "It's a common mistake to get the numbers transposed -- sometimes for a number of years," Labant says. It's a headache that can be eliminated in a few minutes of review.

8. Use Direct Deposit. The fastest way to get a refund is to have it deposited directly into your bank account.

9. File Electronically. E-filing is the easiest way to file a tax return. You'll avoid the long lines at the post office, save on postage -- and get your return faster.

10. Don't be shy. What you don't know can cost you Don't guess. Your local CPA can help you determine how the tax law applies to your specific situation, including whether you qualify for one or more of the special provisions in the tax code. The AICPA's 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy website has information on a variety of tax topics. The official IRS websitehas answers to typical questions.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2015

Hot Defensive Companies To Watch For 2015: Cosi Inc.(COSI)

Cosi, Inc. owns, operates, and franchises premium convenience dining restaurants. It offers squagels, sandwiches, hearth-baked quiches, oatmeal, salads, soups, appetizers, melts, flatbread pizzas, S?mores, fruit parfaits, wraps, and other desserts; coffees and other espresso-based beverages, seasonal fruit smoothies and specialty drinks, soft drinks, and flavored teas, as well as bottled beverages, such as still and sparkling waters. The company also sells alcoholic beverages comprising beer and wine. Its restaurants also offers catering service for the breakfast and lunch day parts, including breakfast baskets, lunch buffets, and dessert platters. As of August 26, 2011, it had 80 company-owned and 58 franchise restaurants in 17 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, and the United Arab Emirates. Cosi, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    At the end of last week, small cap sandwich stock Potbelly Corp (NASDAQ: PBPB) had a delicious surge of 120% for its IPO meaning its probably a good idea to see whether its still worth getting in on the action plus take a look at the performance of peersCosi Inc (NASDAQ: COSI), Panera Bread Co (NASDAQ: PNRA) and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: BAGL) as Subway remains private. I should mention that competing with Subway in the sandwich business is a tall order as they have 40,229 restaurants in 102 countries and territories as of early September making them thelargest single-brand restaurant chain and the largest restaurant operator globally. However, Potbelly Corp and its peers Cosi Inc, Panera Bread Co and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group arent slugging it out directly with Subway.

  • [By James Brumley]

    But Sbarro is hardly the only restaurant struggling to make ends meet right now. Indeed, there are several more that may be following in the pizza chain&#! 8217;s bankruptcy footsteps. In no particular order, here are five more restaurants that may be fiscally insolvent in the foreseeable future.

    Cosi (COSI)

    The sandwiches may be delicious, but the menu Cosi Inc. (COSI) offers at its 136 restaurants is increasingly irrelevant, either for price (the average ticket size is about $8.81), convenience, or both.

  • source from Top Penny Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksforum.com/hot-defensive-companies-to-watch-for-2015.html

Friday, June 20, 2014

5 Toxic Stocks to Sell in March

BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- Buckle your seatbelt. The S&P 500 looks ready for another correction.

>>5 Stocks Under $10 Set to Soar

After rocketing straight up in February, the big index is sitting at the top of its trading range, an indication that we're due for some sideways price action in March. As far as the index is concerned, that's just fine; we're in a "buy the dips market" right now, so buyers should be eager for another dip.

The real trouble comes, though, when you hold onto "toxic stocks" during a correction. Those are the names that crush your portfolio's performance when the market takes a breather. That's why, today, we're taking a technical look at five "toxic stocks" you should start selling.

Just to be clear, the companies I'm talking about today aren't exactly junk. By that, I mean they're not next up in line at bankruptcy court. But that's frankly irrelevant; from a technical analysis standpoint, sellers are shoving around these toxic stocks right now. For that reason, fundamental investors need to decide how long they're willing to take the pain if they want to hold onto these firms in the weeks and months ahead. And for investors looking to buy one of these positions, it makes sense to wait for more favorable technical conditions (and a lower share price) before piling in.

>>5 Stock Charts to Buy for Gains in March

For the unfamiliar, technical analysis is a way for investors to quantify qualitative factors, such as investor psychology, based on a stock's price action and trends. Once the domain of cloistered trading teams on Wall Street, technicals can help top traders make consistently profitable trades and can aid fundamental investors in better planning their stock execution.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at five toxic stocks you should be unloading.

Legacy Reserves


First up is Legacy Reserves (LGCY), a $1.5 billion oil and gas partnership. This stock has been trading flat for the better part of the last year, failing to do much from a price standpoint while it paid out a hefty 8.8% dividend yield. But with a toxic setup in shares right now, chasing yield in LGCY looks like a major mistake.

>>3 Stocks Spiking on Unusual Volume

That's because LGCY is currently forming a descending triangle, a bearish setup that's formed by a downtrending resistance level above shares and horizontal support at $26. Basically, as shares bounce between those two technically important price levels, they're getting squeezed closer and closer to a breakdown below that $26 price floor. When that happens, we've got our sell signal in LGCY.

It's important not to jump the gun on this trade. Downside doesn't become the high-probability move until shares violate $26.

Fidelity National Financial


Shareholders in $7.5 billion insurer Fidelity National Financial (FNF) have enjoyed a better run lately; in the last six months, shares have climbed 33% higher. But the rally could be coming to an end in FNF -- shares are starting to look "toppy" in March. Here's how to trade it.

>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying

FNF is currently forming a double top, a bearish reversal pattern that sounds just like it looks. The double top is formed by a pair of swing highs that max out at approximately the same price level. The sell signal comes when the trough that separates the two highs gets violated. For FNF, that breakdown level is right at $30. A drop below $30 means that it's time to be a seller (or go short).

There's no magic in why $30 is such an important price level to watch. Whenever you're looking at any technical price pattern, it's critical to keep buyers and sellers in mind. Triangles and double tops are a good way to quickly describe what's going on in a stock, but they're not the reason it's tradable. Instead, it all comes down to supply and demand for shares.

That horizontal $30 support level in FNF is the spot where there's previously been an excess of demand for shares; in other words, it's a price where buyers have been more eager to step in and buy shares at a lower price than sellers were to sell. That's what makes a breakdown below support so significant. The move means that sellers are finally strong enough to absorb all of the excess demand at the at price level. So if FNF slips below $30, more downside is the high-probability trade.

Target


The last six months haven't been a good time to be an investor in $38 billion retailer Target (TGT). Between the firm's very public breach of credit card data by hackers and soft earnings, Target hasn't been able to catch a break on Wall Street. And if you think that's set to change, think again.

>>5 Rocket Stocks to Buy in March

You don't have to be an expert technical analyst to figure out what's going on in Target -- a quick glance at the chart will do. Target is currently in a downtrending channel, a range that shares are likely to stay within. When it comes to price channels, it's about as simple as it gets: up is good and down is bad. And so, Target isn't looking very good right now. As shares bounce off of trend line resistance for a third time since last summer, it makes sense to be a seller here.

Target's relative strength has been horrific since last summer as well, a signal that TGT is likely to keep outperforming this month. As the broad market eyes a correction relative strength is the single most important indicator in your technical toolbox. That makes Target's lack of strength especially toxic.

Compania de Minas Buenaventura


We're seeing the exact same setup right now in mid-cap Peruvian gold and silver miner Compania de Minas Buenaventura (BVN). Like Target, Buenaventura has been stuck in a downtrending channel since last summer, bouncing lower on every test of trend line resistance. And so, with shares creeping up on resistance for a fourth time, it makes sense to sell the bounce lower.

>>5 Bargain Bin Stocks to Buy in March

Waiting to sell off a resistance bounce makes sense for two big reasons: It's the spot where prices are the highest within the channel, and alternatively it's the spot where you'll get the first indication that the downtrend is ending. Remember, all trend lines do eventually break, but by actually waiting for the bounce to happen first, you're ensuring that sellers are still in control before you unload your stake in BVN.

The fact that shares have had two other reversals inside the channel before even getting to resistance adds some confidence that buyers are few and far between in this name. So even though metals prices are on the upswing, don't expect Buenaventura to participate this time around...

Southwest Gas


Last up is Southwest Gas (SWX), a name that's starting to look toxic thanks to a classic technical setup that's been forming in shares since October. While shareholders have been sitting on double-digit gains since this summer, now might be the time to think about locking them in by selling. SWX looks "toppy" in March.

That's because SWX is forming a head and shoulders pattern, a bearish reversal setup that indicates exhaustion among buyers. The head and shoulders is formed by two swing highs that top out at approximately the same level (the shoulders), separated by a higher high (the head). The sell signal came on a move through the neckline just below $51. If that $51 level gets violated, it's time to steer clear of SWX.

Momentum, measured by 14-day RSI, has been making lower highs over the course of the pattern in SWX. In other words, our momentum gauge is telling us that down days are getting the better of up days in this stock, even as shares push up against highs. So, if shares can't catch a bid above $51, then it's time to sell.

To see this week's trades in action, check out the Toxic Stocks portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.


RELATED LINKS:

Top 5 Electric Utility Stocks To Own For 2015



>>4 Stocks Under $10 Triggering Breakouts



>>5 Short-Squeeze Stocks That Could Pop in March



>>5 Ways to Trade the Ukraine Crisis

Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to

TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.

Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


Thursday, June 19, 2014

Commodities Are Building Bases and About To Rally – Steel Market

Commodities in general have been under pressure for the last couple years. This can be seen by looking at the GCC Greenhaven Continuous Commodity ETF which holds a basket of resources.

The weekly chart has formed a bullish bottom pattern, and as of last January it looks as though it's now building a basing pattern. Overall commodities are in the very early stages of a stage 1 basing pattern and it looks as though it will be a few more months before any significant breakout will occur. But there could be some early entry points if you know what to look for…

A few days ago I talked about how commodities tend to perform well near the end of a bull market in the United States stock market. I also pointed out which hot index was going to benefit from this.

Top Valued Stocks To Invest In Right Now

Read Commodity Index Report: http://www.gold-eagle.com/article/gold-and-oil-fuel-canadian-stock-market-rally

In this article I want to bring your attention to the steel market. Using the SLX Steel ETF you can clearly see the bottoming pattern and basing pattern for this commodity.

Currently steel is underperforming the stock market and is vulnerable to lower prices. But if we see a few things come together in the coming days or weeks, this could be a screaming buy.

My technical take on steel is this:

SLX has formed a bottoming pattern from January – mid March. It has since put in a strong impulse rally to make a higher high, and is now consolidating above key support. The RSI (Relative Strength) remains in a down trend, but if this starts to rise and SLX breaks above its recent highs around the $47.75 level I feel steel will start to rally with $50 being the next major whole number and previous high for steel to find some resistance.

Also price has been riding along the 200 day moving average which is acting as support. If price closes a couple of days below the 200 moving average I would consider this to be a bearish sign.

SLX

Steel Trading Conclusion:

In short, we are looking for the relative strength to start making new highs. Also we want to see a reversal bar on the SLX chart to the upside which we got on Tuesday. Or you can wait for a breakout and close above $47-48 area. Stop would be somewhere around the $45.75 area to start, then raise it as price rallies using intraday pivot lows on the 30 minute chart.

GET THESE REPORTS DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX FREE: www.GoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen
Disclaimer: I do not own shares of TAN as this point, but may buy some in the near future.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Economists divided on timing of Fed pullback

WASHINGTON — Business economists are almost equally divided over whether the Federal Reserve will pare its bond purchases at the current pace through year's end or pause to let the economy recover further.

The views were unveiled Monday by the National Association for Business Economics. The NABE conducted its twice-a-year survey of 230 members between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, before Janet Yellen's first appearance before Congress as Fed chair.

About 43% of NABE members said they thought the Fed would complete its pullback in bond purchases in the fourth quarter. About 42% said they thought the Fed would finish in 2015 or later.

STOCKS MONDAY: How markets are doing

At each of its last two policy meetings, the Fed cut bond purchases by $10 billion to the current pace of $65 billion a month. There are seven meetings left in 2014. The Fed's bond purchases have been intended to drive down loan rates to stimulate spending and economic growth.

A majority of those surveyed agreed with the Fed's gradual end to its accommodative stance, with 57% saying current monetary policy is "about right." About 37% thought it was "too stimulative."

Cutting back on the bond purchases and the prospect of further cutbacks has already prompted mortgage rates to rise.

Most respondents thought the Fed would wait until 2015 to start raising its key short-term interest rate above the current level near zero. Yellen told Congress earlier this month that the Fed would keep the rate near zero "well past" the time the unemployment rate falls below 6.5%, as long as inflation remains low. The unemployment rate was 6.6% in January, a five-year low.

About 36% of respondents thought the Fed would raise the federal funds rate in the first half of 2015, while 37% thought the rate hike would come in the second half. Just 12% thought a hike would occur in the second half of this year, while 15% thought it would happen in 2016 or later.

As for government spending, 21% thought fiscal policy was "! too stimulative," while 37% thought it was "about right." About 39% thought fiscal policy was "too restrictive."

Nearly all the respondents — or 83% — did not think Congress should put a permanent cap on the debt limit at its current level around $17 trillion.

Respondents were also split on the economic impact of the new federal health care law. While 18% thought the Affordable Care Act would boost growth, 42% thought it would have no impact and 30% thought it would hurt growth.

Another Markdown Coming In Gold

Gold bounces into 1285, but appears poised for another round of selling ahead.

Retest of 1280

In the June 3 edition of the Opening Print (Gold Sees Expansion, Approaches First Target) I wrote: “watch 1237.50 to 1240 for a potential bounce, as responsive buyers will look to defend this zone in an attempt to return price back to the bottom of the April price range at 1268.50. Should price rally into the 1268.50 to 1280 zone, look for signs of absorption, as this area offers another selling opportunity with downside targets at 1256.50, 1237.50, and 1206.30.”

Gold futures [CBT: ZGQ14] went offered through prior value at 1293.70 before the sell-off into the 1240 level, which held firmly as support. As a matter of fact, Gold eventually rallied off 1240, reaching our 1280 key level and the bottom of value of the prior range at 1285.70, and immediately went offered upon first test during Monday’s session.

I wrote about this potential scenario two weeks ago, and now that it has come to fruition, I’ll be looking for signs of increased selling pressure ahead, as responsive sellers will be looking to defend the bottom of value of the prior range in an attempt to seek new lows ahead.

Gold has also formed an LVN between 1280 and 1285, which clearly illustrates the market’s rejection of this zone, as was the case during Monday’s trading. If sellers can keep a lid on this price zone, another key markdown could be seen in Gold ahead.

Watch Value at 1256.50

If sellers are able to defend 1280 to 1285, look for the market to retest value at 1256.50. Sellers must be able to take this price offered if new lows are to be seen. If so, look for another test at 1240 support, with a shot to complete our original idea of reaching the 100% expansion target at 1206.30.

Keep in mind, buyers took 1256.50 bid recently after defending 1240, which means they’ll be looking to defend value upon the first retest in hopes of returning price to prior value at 1293.70.

Best Industrial Disributor Stocks To Invest In 2015

Overall, Gold has been extremely bearish, so any rallies should be seen as selling opportunities until price can re-establish acceptance above 1331.

The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Commodities Intraday Update Markets

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Elliott Wave Overiew on S&P500 And German DAX

US stocks once again rallied to the highs yesterday, but on the S&P we see possibility of an irregular correction that could be now unfolding. If pullback will occur then this will be nice for traders who want to join the trend. We still see 1785-1795 as nice zone for a potential completion of a corrective price action.
S&P 500 (Mar 2014) 1h
spx elliott wave
German DAX is also bullish after clean five waves rally from 9025. We know that after every five wave’s correction will follow so be aware of a three wave set-back in the near future. Ideally market will retrace back to 9423 swing before uptrend will resume. A divergen on the RSI also suggests that price is in final stages of current impulse.
DAX (Mar 2014) 1h

german dax elliott wave

Written by www.ew-forecast.com  

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The following article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.

Posted-In: Technicals Markets Trading Ideas

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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Did New GM CEO Mary Barra Get Fair Pay At $1.6 Million?

New GM (NYSE: GM) CEO Mary Barra will get a base salary of $1.6 million. She can make about three times that in total bonuses and other compensation, according to a filing with the SEC. While she becomes a millionaire, is the pay package fair?

GM’s filing, which included new President Dan Ammann said:

On January 13, 2014 the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Compensation Committee") approved new compensation arrangements for Ms. Barra and Mr. Ammann. Ms. Barra's annual cash base salary as Chief Executive Officer will be $1.6 million, and she will participate in the benefit plans currently available to executive officers as described in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed August 18, 2010 and subsequently amended, and as set forth as exhibits to various periodic filings by the Company (the "Benefit Plans"). As additional 2014 compensation she will be eligible to receive $2.8 million under the Company's 2009 Short-Term Incentive Plan, as amended (the "STIP"). Mr. Ammann's annual cash base salary as President will be $900 thousand, and he also will participate in the Benefit Plans. As additional 2014 compensation he will be eligible to receive $1.125 million under the STIP.

GM’s retiring CEO made much more last year, and Ford (NYSE: F) CEO Alan Mulally has been one of the highest paid CEOs in America. The GM board would argue that Barra is new, and as a CEO completely untested.

Former GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson made $11.1 million in 2012. He made $7.7 million the year before, and $2.5 million in 2010. While GM was already at the start of its turnaround, the GM board rewarded him for finishing it. GM’s shares actually did poorly from when they began to trade again in November 2010, one of the final signals the company had put its Chapter 11 behind it, through the end of 2012. Shares were down 15% during that period. By comparison, the S&P 500 was up 20%. GM’s board clearly put the turnaround itself over Wall St.’s reaction.

Mulally benefited from the belief in may circles that his performance at Ford made him one of the finest CEOs of the last decade. (Good enough, apparently, that he was a front runner to take over the top job at Microsoft). Mulally made $78 million between 2010 and 2012. He may have been helped by the fact that the Ford family continues to dominate the board. Mulally did save their fortune.

The only reasonable evaluation about Barra’s compensation will come two or three years from now, as analysts can look back. In the meantime, Ford needs to at least hold its own the U.S., make up for lost ground in China, the world’s largest car market, and solve the problem of hundreds of millions of dollars in losses in Europe.

 

Saturday, June 14, 2014

5 Analyst Darlings to Buy and 5 to Sell Right Now

Facebook Logo Twitter Logo RSS Logo Louis Navellier Popular Posts: 3 Under-the-Radar Triple-A Stocks to BuySIRI: Sirius XM’s Signal is Fading FastBAC: Time For Caution in Bank of America Stock Recent Posts: 5 Analyst Darlings to Buy and 5 to Sell Right Now F: Ford Stock is Still Stuck In a Rut My “Great Eight” Fundamental Variables for Stock Analysis View All Posts

If you’ve used my Portfolio Grader tool or have kept up with this blog, you know that I put a lot of weight on what analysts are saying about any given stock. And an effective way to judge how the analyst community feels about a stock is tracking their earnings estimates for the quarter.

Upward revisions are an important indicator of a company’s future success. You see, analysts are paid to estimate a company’s earnings outlook. If an analyst makes a wrong estimate that ends up costing investors money, that analyst could be out of a job. If a number of Wall Street analysts start to move their forecasts higher, it’s a good bet that the stock will outperform expectations and deliver market-beating returns to investors since positive revisions are never made lightly.

I know that I usually focus on sales and earnings growth when these reports come out. But now that we’re on the cusp of fourth-quarter earnings season, we’re seeing interesting analyst activity regarding some of the hottest names on Wall Street. While the market may have not reacted to these upgrades (and downgrades) just yet, I want you to be prepared for what’s to come for the impending earnings season.

To get to the point, here are five companies that have the analyst community buzzing, and they should be on your radar as well.

Facebook (FB): In the past three months, estimates have been revised up 23%. Analysts now expect 47.5% annual sales growth and 58.8% earnings growth this quarter. . Melco Crown Entertainment (MPEL): In the past three months, estimates have been upwardly revised 12%. Analysts now expect 19.9% sales growth and 85% earnings growth. MPEL is a strong buy. Netflix (NFLX): In the past three months, estimates have been upwardly revised 41%. Analysts now expect 23.5% sales growth and 400% earnings growth. NFLX is a strong buy. Westlake Chemical (WLK): In the past three months, estimates have been revised up 13%. Analysts now expect 15.6% sales growth and 50% earnings growth this quarter. . Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS): In the past three months, estimates have been revised up 17%. Analysts now expect 78.1% sales growth and 97.9% earnings growth. NUS is a strong buy.

To put these earnings estimates into perspective, analysts forecast that the average S&P 500 company will grow earnings by 8.8% this quarter. This means that each of the five buys above are well-positioned to win this earnings season.

Of course, I’d also like to alert you to these big blue chips that have fallen in the eyes of the analyst community before they disappoint with their earnings reports.

Avon Products (AVP): In the past three months, analysts have slashed their estimates by 19%. Avon Products is expected to see sales fall 8.1% and earnings plunge 18.9%. AVP is a sell. Coach (COH): In the past three months, analysts have reduced their estimates by 11%. Coach is now headed towards a 1.1% drop in sales and an 8.9% drop in earnings. COH is a sell. Hess (HES): In the past three months, analysts have slashed their estimates by 19%. Hess is due to post a 75% year-on-year drop in sales and just 7.5% annual earnings growth. HES is a hold. H&R Block (HRB): In the past two months, analysts have slashed their estimates from a profit of 1 cent per share to a loss of 8 cents per share. HRB is a hold. Target (TGT): In the past two months, analysts have cut their estimates by 15%. Target is now expected to see sales retreat 2.8% over last year and earnings fall nearly 16%. TGT is a sell.

Now a lot can happen in the weeks between now and these earnings announcements, so there is a chance that some of these will firm up before then. However, in the meantime I see no reason to hold stocks that are underperforming their peers, especially when so many premium stocks are still on sale.

If you want to see how the analyst community feels about one of your holdings, feel free to run it through my Portfolio Grader screening tool. After hitting “submit,” you’ll see that one of the components of the stock’s Fundamental Grade is “Analyst Earnings Revisions.”