Major commodities suffered one of the sharpest declines of 2011: Gold and silver
prices sharply decreased as many attribute the catalyst for this reaction was
the recent decision of the FOMC to purchase $400 billion long term securities by
the end of June 2012.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Cablevision: The Company We Love to Hate
Whats the business everyone loves to hate? Cable television! True, we tend to
hate the service more than the stocks, but theres plenty to hate about some
cable stocks, too. Lets have a look at Cablevision (NYSE: CVC ), which gets tons
of bad press thanks to its (arguably poor) management. The company doesnt merely
own a cable system in the New York metropolitan area, it also owns an Internet
service, local news networks, NSG Varsity Channel, the newspaper Newsday , and
Star Community Publishing (weekly shopper publications). It operates the
Clearview Cinemas chain, and recently spun off a suite of cable networks into
another stock, AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX ). Media empires can be quite
lucrative. Just ask Rupert Murdoch. There always will be people to entertain.
However, the trend toward Internet entertainment and streaming media is
providing an historic challenge to companies like Cablevision. With television
viewership migrating away from old-media outlets and the movie exhibition
business suffering from a decade of high single-digit annual drops in
admissions, theres a lot to be concerned about. And although satellite providers
are competing with cable networks, even that business has problems. Add to this
long-running complaints about the Dolan family, which controls Cablevision
through a special class of stock, and one wonders why Cablevision should even be
on any investors radar. One has to look at financials before rendering any final
decision. Stock analysts peeking out five years see annualized earnings growth
at an impressive 20%. At a stock price of $18 on FY 2011 earnings of $1.22, the
stock presently trades at a P/E of 15. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC ) trades at
a 13 P/E, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) at 17 and DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV ) at 14, so
Cablevision is right in the middle. Cable companies carry a lot of debt, and
Cablevision is no exception. The company carries $630 million in cash, but is
offset by a colossal $10 billion in debt, at an interest rate of about 7.9%.
Trailing 12-month cash flow was $950 million, so the debt service is no problem.
The company also had seven times the amount of free cash flow necessary to pay
its 3.4% dividend. Conclusion I have two concerns with Cablevision. The first is
that the company has managed to push off some of its maturing debt from 2012 to
2015. Much of its remaining debt matures further out. Still, while cash flow is
great, one must keep an eye on the ever-advancing threat of Internet content.
The other issue is the Dolan family, known for its infighting. Placing a 20 P/E
on the company, with projected 2015 earnings of $2.64 per share gives us a price
target of $52. Even if one were to knock that price target back significantly on
the overall concerns, it is not inconceivable that Cablevision could double from
its present price. I think Cablevision is a buy for regular accounts, but Id be
cautious as a retirement investor. If you own it, hold it, but dont buy.
Lawrence Meyers does not own shares of Cablevision.
hate the service more than the stocks, but theres plenty to hate about some
cable stocks, too. Lets have a look at Cablevision (NYSE: CVC ), which gets tons
of bad press thanks to its (arguably poor) management. The company doesnt merely
own a cable system in the New York metropolitan area, it also owns an Internet
service, local news networks, NSG Varsity Channel, the newspaper Newsday , and
Star Community Publishing (weekly shopper publications). It operates the
Clearview Cinemas chain, and recently spun off a suite of cable networks into
another stock, AMC Networks (NASDAQ: AMCX ). Media empires can be quite
lucrative. Just ask Rupert Murdoch. There always will be people to entertain.
However, the trend toward Internet entertainment and streaming media is
providing an historic challenge to companies like Cablevision. With television
viewership migrating away from old-media outlets and the movie exhibition
business suffering from a decade of high single-digit annual drops in
admissions, theres a lot to be concerned about. And although satellite providers
are competing with cable networks, even that business has problems. Add to this
long-running complaints about the Dolan family, which controls Cablevision
through a special class of stock, and one wonders why Cablevision should even be
on any investors radar. One has to look at financials before rendering any final
decision. Stock analysts peeking out five years see annualized earnings growth
at an impressive 20%. At a stock price of $18 on FY 2011 earnings of $1.22, the
stock presently trades at a P/E of 15. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC ) trades at
a 13 P/E, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA ) at 17 and DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV ) at 14, so
Cablevision is right in the middle. Cable companies carry a lot of debt, and
Cablevision is no exception. The company carries $630 million in cash, but is
offset by a colossal $10 billion in debt, at an interest rate of about 7.9%.
Trailing 12-month cash flow was $950 million, so the debt service is no problem.
The company also had seven times the amount of free cash flow necessary to pay
its 3.4% dividend. Conclusion I have two concerns with Cablevision. The first is
that the company has managed to push off some of its maturing debt from 2012 to
2015. Much of its remaining debt matures further out. Still, while cash flow is
great, one must keep an eye on the ever-advancing threat of Internet content.
The other issue is the Dolan family, known for its infighting. Placing a 20 P/E
on the company, with projected 2015 earnings of $2.64 per share gives us a price
target of $52. Even if one were to knock that price target back significantly on
the overall concerns, it is not inconceivable that Cablevision could double from
its present price. I think Cablevision is a buy for regular accounts, but Id be
cautious as a retirement investor. If you own it, hold it, but dont buy.
Lawrence Meyers does not own shares of Cablevision.
DJIA Index DJX DJI Drops Big; MSN Money Stock Quotes USAA Mutual Fund Drops Red Stock Market Investing News
The stock market indices in the U.S. plummeted during the last trading session.
The sell-offs that initiated Wednesday, carried through and continued after
opening bell Thursday. The Dow Jones experienced significant losses just after
opening bell and did not recover. At one point, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
had lost approximately 500 points on the day. Investors on Wall Street
experienced a disappointing reality on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve posted
remarks after its two day policy meetings. Many were hoping for the Feds to come
to the economic rescue, but this did not happen. The Feds will not be initiating
another round of economic stimulus at this point in time. The dollars that
investors were hoping to see injected into the economy are not forthcoming. The
primary indices moved significantly lower as stocks were hammered throughout the
day. U.S. stocks ended sharply lower and many fear the recession double dip, and
some expect it could be worse. Individual stocks felt the heat and a multitude
of funds dropped lower as a result. The USAA Aggressive growth mutual fund
closed out the day in the red. USAUX dropped 3.72 percent on the day to close
out at 30.02 per share. Previous close for the fund was 31.18. Frank Matto
The sell-offs that initiated Wednesday, carried through and continued after
opening bell Thursday. The Dow Jones experienced significant losses just after
opening bell and did not recover. At one point, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
had lost approximately 500 points on the day. Investors on Wall Street
experienced a disappointing reality on Wednesday when the Federal Reserve posted
remarks after its two day policy meetings. Many were hoping for the Feds to come
to the economic rescue, but this did not happen. The Feds will not be initiating
another round of economic stimulus at this point in time. The dollars that
investors were hoping to see injected into the economy are not forthcoming. The
primary indices moved significantly lower as stocks were hammered throughout the
day. U.S. stocks ended sharply lower and many fear the recession double dip, and
some expect it could be worse. Individual stocks felt the heat and a multitude
of funds dropped lower as a result. The USAA Aggressive growth mutual fund
closed out the day in the red. USAUX dropped 3.72 percent on the day to close
out at 30.02 per share. Previous close for the fund was 31.18. Frank Matto
Microsoft Trumps Software Stocks Oracle, Salesforce.com
In the battle for a share of corporate software budgets, winning depends on
confidence. That is, a company will only spend its money on software if it
believes your company will be around for years to come. Thats why it is so
impressive that Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM ) was ever able to break into the
market. Facing competitors like Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL ) and
confidence. That is, a company will only spend its money on software if it
believes your company will be around for years to come. Thats why it is so
impressive that Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM ) was ever able to break into the
market. Facing competitors like Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL ) and
More Bad News for The New York Times
What could go wrong for The New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT )? Apparently plenty.
Shares of the venerable newspaper publisher yesterday slumped more than 4% after
CEO Janet Robinson said advertising sales would be worse than expected. In fact,
third-quarter advertising revenue will drop 8% double a previous forecast as
spending dries up. Print advertising is expected to fall by a whopping 10%. Even
digital ad revenue, which had been rising, will fall 2% to 3%, Robinson told
analysts at a Goldman Sachs conference . "Economic conditions have been
getting more difficult since the second quarter," The Wall Street Journal
quotes Robinson as saying in perhaps the understatement of the year. Consumer
confidence remains as fragile as ever. More worrisome for The New York Times is
the fact that wealthy consumers, which its advertisers want to target, are not
feeling that confident either. One study found that confidence among the
well-to-do had plunged 18% in July to a level not seen since the middle of the
recession in 2008 . Advertisers interested in reaching wealthy readers like
those that read the Times and News Corp. 's (NASDAQ: NWS ) The Wall Street
Journal might be shifting their marketing spending overseas because that's
where their companies are growing the fastest. For example, Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:
TIF ) saw second-quarter sales in the Asia-Pacific region rise 55% , more than
double the 25% increase seen in the U.S. European sales also surpassed
America's, gaining 32%. For the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2012, Tiffany
expects Asia Pacific sales to gain 30% and European sales to jump by at least
20% while rising "a high-teens percentage increase in the Americas." Wall
Street also might do less advertising as well, as big financial services firms
including Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) lay off workers to reduce expenses. New
York real estate, another prime source of Times advertising, continues to be
soft. The real estate web site Trulia estimates the median sales price for homes
in New York, N.Y., for June 2011 to August 2011 at $1,075,000, up just 1.4% from
a year earlier. However, prices in several trendy neighborhoods including the
Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and Chelsea showed week-over-week
declines. Circulation revenue is a bright spot, with an expected increase of
around 4% . Robinson said digital subscriptions are outpacing internal
expectations, which is noteworthy considering the company recently instituted a
paywall. The company had 224,000 digital subscribers as of the second quarter.
One problem there, of course, is discounting. The company's flagship paper is
selling digital subscriptions that range between $15 and $35 per month for 99
cents for the first four weeks. It will be interesting to see if New York Times
readers remain loyal to the paper once these teaser rates expire. Robinson's
speech threw cold water on what little enthusiasm Wall Street mustered for the
stock following the investment by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. After he
added 450,000 shares to his position in August, his spokesman was quoted in the
Times of course as saying that the price was so low that it was a "good
point to buy." Slim has stayed on the sidelines at The New York Times for now,
but his patience with the Sulzberger family, who has controlled the company
since 1896, will not last forever. Jonathan Berr does not own shares of any of
the companies listed.
Shares of the venerable newspaper publisher yesterday slumped more than 4% after
CEO Janet Robinson said advertising sales would be worse than expected. In fact,
third-quarter advertising revenue will drop 8% double a previous forecast as
spending dries up. Print advertising is expected to fall by a whopping 10%. Even
digital ad revenue, which had been rising, will fall 2% to 3%, Robinson told
analysts at a Goldman Sachs conference . "Economic conditions have been
getting more difficult since the second quarter," The Wall Street Journal
quotes Robinson as saying in perhaps the understatement of the year. Consumer
confidence remains as fragile as ever. More worrisome for The New York Times is
the fact that wealthy consumers, which its advertisers want to target, are not
feeling that confident either. One study found that confidence among the
well-to-do had plunged 18% in July to a level not seen since the middle of the
recession in 2008 . Advertisers interested in reaching wealthy readers like
those that read the Times and News Corp. 's (NASDAQ: NWS ) The Wall Street
Journal might be shifting their marketing spending overseas because that's
where their companies are growing the fastest. For example, Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:
TIF ) saw second-quarter sales in the Asia-Pacific region rise 55% , more than
double the 25% increase seen in the U.S. European sales also surpassed
America's, gaining 32%. For the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2012, Tiffany
expects Asia Pacific sales to gain 30% and European sales to jump by at least
20% while rising "a high-teens percentage increase in the Americas." Wall
Street also might do less advertising as well, as big financial services firms
including Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) lay off workers to reduce expenses. New
York real estate, another prime source of Times advertising, continues to be
soft. The real estate web site Trulia estimates the median sales price for homes
in New York, N.Y., for June 2011 to August 2011 at $1,075,000, up just 1.4% from
a year earlier. However, prices in several trendy neighborhoods including the
Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and Chelsea showed week-over-week
declines. Circulation revenue is a bright spot, with an expected increase of
around 4% . Robinson said digital subscriptions are outpacing internal
expectations, which is noteworthy considering the company recently instituted a
paywall. The company had 224,000 digital subscribers as of the second quarter.
One problem there, of course, is discounting. The company's flagship paper is
selling digital subscriptions that range between $15 and $35 per month for 99
cents for the first four weeks. It will be interesting to see if New York Times
readers remain loyal to the paper once these teaser rates expire. Robinson's
speech threw cold water on what little enthusiasm Wall Street mustered for the
stock following the investment by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. After he
added 450,000 shares to his position in August, his spokesman was quoted in the
Times of course as saying that the price was so low that it was a "good
point to buy." Slim has stayed on the sidelines at The New York Times for now,
but his patience with the Sulzberger family, who has controlled the company
since 1896, will not last forever. Jonathan Berr does not own shares of any of
the companies listed.
LOUISIANA FOOD CO Shares Soar on heavy Volume
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 Epic Stock Picks LOUISIANA FOOD CO
5 Stocks to Boom on iPhone 5 Release
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace Apple ( NASDAQ : AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook is going to go on stage on Oct. 4 and finally, after nearly a year of anticipation, announce the iPhone 5 . He also likely will announce the iPhone 4S , a smaller, cheaper version of the current best-selling model of smartphone sold by the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. Consumers already rabid for the company's portable devices will have even more to celebrate as their lust for the latest and greatest device finally will be sated. And Apple shareholders have already seen the stock hit an all-time high in September. The iPhone 5 should push shares even closer to that vaunted $500 price point . The iPhone 5 release also brings good news for telecoms Verizon (NYSE: VZ ), AT&T (NYSE: T ) and even Sprint (NYSE: S ), while retailers like Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) and Target (NYSE: TGT ) bask in the glow of fresh sales. But these aren't the only publicly traded companies that stand to benefit from the new iPhone's release. Here are five stocks that can expect a boom when the iPhone 5 hits shelves:
Gold, Silver Plummet, U.S. Dollar Hits 7-Month High
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold and silver futures plummeted Thursday as the U.S. dollar surged higher on heightened fears over a global recession and the sovereign debt crisis in Europe. COMEX gold for December 2011 delivery settled lower by $74.20, or 4.1%, at $1734.10 per ounce.
Market Slammed More By Emotion Than ‘New’ News
After a dive yesterday following the FOMC meeting, U.S. stock market losses
continued this morning. The Dow lurched down 350 points in early trading before
stabilizing, but things still look ugly. A number of issues are at play right
now, but the largest is investor emotion. Many folks are just plain scared right
now consumers are scared about their jobs and reluctant to spend, investors are
reluctant to buy anything other than bonds, and cash-rich businesses are scared
to do anything other than sit on their piles of money. But if you want some
"reasons" for the selloff, here are a few big news items of note: China
Slowing Down: HSBC's China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to
a two-month low in September, hinting that China is not immune to the slowdown
and could be moving from boom times into a phase of more moderate growth. HSBC
economists, of course, pointed out that the Chinese economy is not screeching to
a halt but considering Asia and other emerging markets have been the sole
source of global growth, it's a troubling trend to see any decline in China.
Fed Admits Things Are Ugly: Bernanke's quote of the day yesterday was: There
are significant downside risks to the economic outlook, including strains in
global financial markets." That's not news to anyone, but Big Ben was using
very different language just several months ago. Take this gem from a January
appearance before Congress : We have seen increased evidence that a
self-sustaining recovery in consumer and business spending may be taking
hold." Admittedly, perhaps too much weight is placed on Fed soundbites. But
the contrast is disturbing nonetheless. Housing and Unemployment and Spending
Oh My! : And, of course, beyond these "new" news developments there is the
steady drumbeat of gloom and doom on old issues that have plagued the market.
This week we learned that housing starts dropped 5% in August, the most since
April. Jobless claims dropped a measly 9,000 last week and remain over 420,000.
Even the rich are cutting back, as a recent report shows that luxury sales have
started to flag. It seems like more of the same. So perhaps the big question
here isn't why we are seeing a decline, but why we saw such a rally from the
August lows after the fragility of the economy was clearly on display. We are
right back where we were a month ago, and investors should be wary of any rapid
move away from these valuations without significant improvements on any of these
issues. Oh yeah, and that debt thing in Europe still is going on guess we
should watch that, too. Jeff Reeves is editor of InvestorPlace.com. As of this
writing, he did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Write him at
editor@investorplace.com , follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP and become a
fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook .
continued this morning. The Dow lurched down 350 points in early trading before
stabilizing, but things still look ugly. A number of issues are at play right
now, but the largest is investor emotion. Many folks are just plain scared right
now consumers are scared about their jobs and reluctant to spend, investors are
reluctant to buy anything other than bonds, and cash-rich businesses are scared
to do anything other than sit on their piles of money. But if you want some
"reasons" for the selloff, here are a few big news items of note: China
Slowing Down: HSBC's China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to
a two-month low in September, hinting that China is not immune to the slowdown
and could be moving from boom times into a phase of more moderate growth. HSBC
economists, of course, pointed out that the Chinese economy is not screeching to
a halt but considering Asia and other emerging markets have been the sole
source of global growth, it's a troubling trend to see any decline in China.
Fed Admits Things Are Ugly: Bernanke's quote of the day yesterday was: There
are significant downside risks to the economic outlook, including strains in
global financial markets." That's not news to anyone, but Big Ben was using
very different language just several months ago. Take this gem from a January
appearance before Congress : We have seen increased evidence that a
self-sustaining recovery in consumer and business spending may be taking
hold." Admittedly, perhaps too much weight is placed on Fed soundbites. But
the contrast is disturbing nonetheless. Housing and Unemployment and Spending
Oh My! : And, of course, beyond these "new" news developments there is the
steady drumbeat of gloom and doom on old issues that have plagued the market.
This week we learned that housing starts dropped 5% in August, the most since
April. Jobless claims dropped a measly 9,000 last week and remain over 420,000.
Even the rich are cutting back, as a recent report shows that luxury sales have
started to flag. It seems like more of the same. So perhaps the big question
here isn't why we are seeing a decline, but why we saw such a rally from the
August lows after the fragility of the economy was clearly on display. We are
right back where we were a month ago, and investors should be wary of any rapid
move away from these valuations without significant improvements on any of these
issues. Oh yeah, and that debt thing in Europe still is going on guess we
should watch that, too. Jeff Reeves is editor of InvestorPlace.com. As of this
writing, he did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Write him at
editor@investorplace.com , follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP and become a
fan of InvestorPlace on Facebook .
Top 10 U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks with Highest Momentum: CSR, CFSG, CHU, CHA, CHL, FTLK, SPRD, KH, CIIC, KEYP (Sep 22, 2011)
Below are the top 10 U.S.-listed Chinese stocks with highest price momentum.
China Security & Surveillance Tech. Inc. (NYSE:CSR) has the 1st highest price
momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 99.7% of 52-week high.
Its price change was 8.3% for the last 4 weeks. China Fire & Security Group,
Inc. (NASDAQ:CFSG) has the 2nd highest price momentum in this segment of the
market. It is trading at 98.8% of 52-week high. Its price change was 5.8% for
the last 4 weeks. China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHU) has the 3rd
highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 95.4% of
52-week high. Its price change was 12.8% for the last 4 weeks. China Telecom
Corporation Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHA) has the 4th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 93.8% of 52-week high. Its price change
was 1.8% for the last 4 weeks. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) has the 5th
highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.8% of
52-week high. Its price change was -1.1% for the last 4 weeks. Funtalk China
Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) has the 6th highest price momentum in this segment
of the market. It is trading at 88.8% of 52-week high. Its price change was 2.6%
for the last 4 weeks. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:SPRD) has the
7th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 87.4%
of 52-week high. Its price change was 26.0% for the last 4 weeks. China Kanghui
Holdings (ADR) (NYSE:KH) has the 8th highest price momentum in this segment of
the market. It is trading at 85.7% of 52-week high. Its price change was 19.5%
for the last 4 weeks. China Infrastructure Investment Corp (NASDAQ:CIIC) has the
9th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 85.6%
of 52-week high. Its price change was 313.5% for the last 4 weeks. Keyuan
Petrochemicals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KEYP) has the 10th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 84.9% of 52-week high. Its price change
was 0.0% for the last 4 weeks.
China Security & Surveillance Tech. Inc. (NYSE:CSR) has the 1st highest price
momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 99.7% of 52-week high.
Its price change was 8.3% for the last 4 weeks. China Fire & Security Group,
Inc. (NASDAQ:CFSG) has the 2nd highest price momentum in this segment of the
market. It is trading at 98.8% of 52-week high. Its price change was 5.8% for
the last 4 weeks. China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHU) has the 3rd
highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 95.4% of
52-week high. Its price change was 12.8% for the last 4 weeks. China Telecom
Corporation Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CHA) has the 4th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 93.8% of 52-week high. Its price change
was 1.8% for the last 4 weeks. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) has the 5th
highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.8% of
52-week high. Its price change was -1.1% for the last 4 weeks. Funtalk China
Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) has the 6th highest price momentum in this segment
of the market. It is trading at 88.8% of 52-week high. Its price change was 2.6%
for the last 4 weeks. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:SPRD) has the
7th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 87.4%
of 52-week high. Its price change was 26.0% for the last 4 weeks. China Kanghui
Holdings (ADR) (NYSE:KH) has the 8th highest price momentum in this segment of
the market. It is trading at 85.7% of 52-week high. Its price change was 19.5%
for the last 4 weeks. China Infrastructure Investment Corp (NASDAQ:CIIC) has the
9th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 85.6%
of 52-week high. Its price change was 313.5% for the last 4 weeks. Keyuan
Petrochemicals, Inc. (NASDAQ:KEYP) has the 10th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 84.9% of 52-week high. Its price change
was 0.0% for the last 4 weeks.
Oracle Shares — 3 Pros, 3 Cons
As we have seen during the past few years, a variety of tech giants have
imploded notable examples include Nokia (NYSE: NOK ) and Research In Motion
(NASDAQ: RIMM ). So it always is amazing to see a long-time tech giant that
finds a way to grow and make shareholders happy. One case is Oracle (NASDAQ:
ORCL ), which has produced an average annual return of 9.82% for the past
decade. And yes, the momentum has not stopped. In the latest quarter, Oracle
posted net income of $1.8 billion, or 36 cents per share, up from $1.4 billion,
or 27 cents per share. Revenues increased by 12% to $8.4 billion. On the
earnings news, the stock spiked by 6.5%, but then it fizzled because of the
falloff in the equities market. So is there an investment opportunity? To see,
here's a look at the pros and cons: Pros Must-have products. Unless you are a
tech guru, you probably never have used or seen Oracle's software. But you
certainly have benefited from the technology. The company is a leader in core
systems like databases, servers and corporate applications. Such technologies
are likely to remain essential for many years to come. Strong leadership .
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is a legend. Besides understanding the key trends in
the global software industry, he also has been savvy at building strong teams.
Keep in mind that some of his prior executives have gone on to create stellar
companies like Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM ) and Quest Software (NASDAQ: QSFT ).
Hardware. Oracle is becoming a player in this market. To this end, the company
has made key acquisitions, such as for Sun Microsystems. ORCL also has made
aggressive investments with internal development. While hardware has lower
margins, the business still is vital for future growth. The fact is hardware is
an efficient way to help companies with areas like high-end storage, processing
and security. And it looks like Oracle will get lots of traction from its
Exadata and Exalogic offerings. Cons New innovations. While Oracle has
tremendous lock-in with its customers, this can easily deteriorate. After all,
there are emerging new technologies, especially in the cloud-computing industry.
At the same time, Oracle's licensing and maintenance fees are substantial
which could motivate customers to look for alternatives. Mergers and
acquisitions. This has been a key strategy for Oracle's growth. However, it
definitely can be risky and result in too much complexity. Just look at the case
with Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ). Competition. Of course, Oracle must fight with many
tech giants, such as SAP (NYSE: SAP ), IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Hewlett-Packard
(NYSE: HPQ ). But smaller companies like Salesforce.com also are making an
impact. Verdict Since 2005, Oracle has purchased more than 65 companies. While
the dealmaking has not been perfect, it certainly has made the company much more
competitive. And even as the software market matures, there is likely to be
continued growth. After all, in a highly competitive global marketplace,
companies need ways to be more nimble, and software is a smart way to do this.
Besides, it looks like Oracle has more room to find more efficiencies in its own
organization, which should mean even higher margins. When looking at all these
factors, the pros outweigh the cons on the stock. Tom Taulli is the author of
"All About Short Selling" and "All About Commodities." You can also find
him at Twitter account @ttaulli. He does not own a position in any of the stocks
named here.
imploded notable examples include Nokia (NYSE: NOK ) and Research In Motion
(NASDAQ: RIMM ). So it always is amazing to see a long-time tech giant that
finds a way to grow and make shareholders happy. One case is Oracle (NASDAQ:
ORCL ), which has produced an average annual return of 9.82% for the past
decade. And yes, the momentum has not stopped. In the latest quarter, Oracle
posted net income of $1.8 billion, or 36 cents per share, up from $1.4 billion,
or 27 cents per share. Revenues increased by 12% to $8.4 billion. On the
earnings news, the stock spiked by 6.5%, but then it fizzled because of the
falloff in the equities market. So is there an investment opportunity? To see,
here's a look at the pros and cons: Pros Must-have products. Unless you are a
tech guru, you probably never have used or seen Oracle's software. But you
certainly have benefited from the technology. The company is a leader in core
systems like databases, servers and corporate applications. Such technologies
are likely to remain essential for many years to come. Strong leadership .
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is a legend. Besides understanding the key trends in
the global software industry, he also has been savvy at building strong teams.
Keep in mind that some of his prior executives have gone on to create stellar
companies like Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM ) and Quest Software (NASDAQ: QSFT ).
Hardware. Oracle is becoming a player in this market. To this end, the company
has made key acquisitions, such as for Sun Microsystems. ORCL also has made
aggressive investments with internal development. While hardware has lower
margins, the business still is vital for future growth. The fact is hardware is
an efficient way to help companies with areas like high-end storage, processing
and security. And it looks like Oracle will get lots of traction from its
Exadata and Exalogic offerings. Cons New innovations. While Oracle has
tremendous lock-in with its customers, this can easily deteriorate. After all,
there are emerging new technologies, especially in the cloud-computing industry.
At the same time, Oracle's licensing and maintenance fees are substantial
which could motivate customers to look for alternatives. Mergers and
acquisitions. This has been a key strategy for Oracle's growth. However, it
definitely can be risky and result in too much complexity. Just look at the case
with Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO ). Competition. Of course, Oracle must fight with many
tech giants, such as SAP (NYSE: SAP ), IBM (NYSE: IBM ) and Hewlett-Packard
(NYSE: HPQ ). But smaller companies like Salesforce.com also are making an
impact. Verdict Since 2005, Oracle has purchased more than 65 companies. While
the dealmaking has not been perfect, it certainly has made the company much more
competitive. And even as the software market matures, there is likely to be
continued growth. After all, in a highly competitive global marketplace,
companies need ways to be more nimble, and software is a smart way to do this.
Besides, it looks like Oracle has more room to find more efficiencies in its own
organization, which should mean even higher margins. When looking at all these
factors, the pros outweigh the cons on the stock. Tom Taulli is the author of
"All About Short Selling" and "All About Commodities." You can also find
him at Twitter account @ttaulli. He does not own a position in any of the stocks
named here.
Top 10 Most Profitable U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks: VALV, TBOW, SCOK, CYOU, TAOM, HGSH, BIDU, GA, NTES, KONE (Sep 22, 2011)
Below are the top 10 most profitable U.S.-listed Chinese stocks for the last 12
months. Shengkai Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALV) is the 1st most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 69.42% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 15.37% for the same period.
Trunkbow International Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TBOW) is the 2nd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 65.72% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 49.19% for the same period.
SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chem Ind, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOK) is the 3rd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 53.72% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 31.63% for the same period.
Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the 4th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 52.84% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 60.81% for the same period. Taomee Holdings Ltd
(NYSE:TAOM) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 47.76% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 46.62% for the same period. China HGS Real Estate, Inc. (NASDAQ:HGSH) is the
6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin
was 47.14% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 49.12% for
the same period. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the 7th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.51% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 52.18% for the same period.
Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 8th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.02% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 54.45% for the same period. NetEase.com,
Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:NTES) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 44.50% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 45.63% for the same period. Kingtone Wirelessinfo Solutions
Hldg Ltd (NASDAQ:KONE) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 43.69% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 53.04% for the same period.
months. Shengkai Innovations, Inc. (NASDAQ:VALV) is the 1st most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 69.42% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 15.37% for the same period.
Trunkbow International Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:TBOW) is the 2nd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 65.72% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 49.19% for the same period.
SinoCoking Coal and Coke Chem Ind, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCOK) is the 3rd most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 53.72% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 31.63% for the same period.
Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the 4th most profitable stock in this
segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 52.84% for the last 12 months.
Its operating profit margin was 60.81% for the same period. Taomee Holdings Ltd
(NYSE:TAOM) is the 5th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its
net profit margin was 47.76% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin
was 46.62% for the same period. China HGS Real Estate, Inc. (NASDAQ:HGSH) is the
6th most profitable stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin
was 47.14% for the last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 49.12% for
the same period. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the 7th most profitable
stock in this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.51% for the
last 12 months. Its operating profit margin was 52.18% for the same period.
Giant Interactive Group Inc (ADR) (NYSE:GA) is the 8th most profitable stock in
this segment of the market. Its net profit margin was 46.02% for the last 12
months. Its operating profit margin was 54.45% for the same period. NetEase.com,
Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:NTES) is the 9th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 44.50% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 45.63% for the same period. Kingtone Wirelessinfo Solutions
Hldg Ltd (NASDAQ:KONE) is the 10th most profitable stock in this segment of the
market. Its net profit margin was 43.69% for the last 12 months. Its operating
profit margin was 53.04% for the same period.
Gold, Silver Plummet, U.S. Dollar Hits 7-Month High
Gold and silver futures plummeted Thursday as the U.S. dollar surged higher on
heightened fears over a global recession and the sovereign debt crisis in
Europe. COMEX gold for December 2011 delivery settled lower by $74.20, or 4.1%,
at $1734.10 per ounce.
heightened fears over a global recession and the sovereign debt crisis in
Europe. COMEX gold for December 2011 delivery settled lower by $74.20, or 4.1%,
at $1734.10 per ounce.
5 Stocks to Boom on iPhone 5 Release
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) CEO Tim Cook is going to go on stage on Oct. 4 and
finally, after nearly a year of anticipation, announce the iPhone 5 . He also
likely will announce the iPhone 4S , a smaller, cheaper version of the current
best-selling model of smartphone sold by the Cupertino, Calif.-based company.
Consumers already rabid for the company's portable devices will have even more
to celebrate as their lust for the latest and greatest device finally will be
sated. And Apple shareholders have already seen the stock hit an all-time high
in September. The iPhone 5 should push shares even closer to that vaunted $500
price point . The iPhone 5 release also brings good news for telecoms Verizon
(NYSE: VZ ), AT&T (NYSE: T ) and even Sprint (NYSE: S ), while retailers like
Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) and Target (NYSE: TGT ) bask in the
glow of fresh sales. But these aren't the only publicly traded companies that
stand to benefit from the new iPhone's release. Here are five stocks that can
expect a boom when the iPhone 5 hits shelves:
finally, after nearly a year of anticipation, announce the iPhone 5 . He also
likely will announce the iPhone 4S , a smaller, cheaper version of the current
best-selling model of smartphone sold by the Cupertino, Calif.-based company.
Consumers already rabid for the company's portable devices will have even more
to celebrate as their lust for the latest and greatest device finally will be
sated. And Apple shareholders have already seen the stock hit an all-time high
in September. The iPhone 5 should push shares even closer to that vaunted $500
price point . The iPhone 5 release also brings good news for telecoms Verizon
(NYSE: VZ ), AT&T (NYSE: T ) and even Sprint (NYSE: S ), while retailers like
Best Buy (NYSE: BBY ), Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ) and Target (NYSE: TGT ) bask in the
glow of fresh sales. But these aren't the only publicly traded companies that
stand to benefit from the new iPhone's release. Here are five stocks that can
expect a boom when the iPhone 5 hits shelves:
General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) To Take Over Shipyard
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tdp2664 E money daily General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) has decided to take over Norfolk shipyard Metro Machine. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) To Take Over Shipyard General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), the West Falls Church based defense conglomerate and the fifth largest defense contractor in the world, is reportedly planning to acquire Norfolk shipyard Metro Machine. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) spokesman, Rob Doolittle, says, “We’re acquiring Metro Machine because we think it represents a growth opportunity. The Navy is one of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD)' largest customers today, and we provide very similar-type services to the Navy on the West Coast. So we see this as an opportunity to expand our repair offerings to the Navy and hope to grow.” General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) stocks were at 57.27 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -21.9% change in the stock price over the past 3 months. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.67 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months Ago: 1.68 Zack’s Rank: 2 out of 7 in the industry
Top 10 Dow 30 (DJIA) Stocks with Highest Momentum: KO, MCD, KFT, IBM, PG, JNJ, VZ, INTC, AXP, WMT (Sep 22, 2011)
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tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJIA ) stocks with highest price momentum. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has the 1st highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 96.5% of 52-week high. Its price change was -0.6% for the last 4 weeks. McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) has the 2nd highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 95.9% of 52-week high. Its price change was -2.9% for the last 4 weeks. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT) has the 3rd highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 94.0% of 52-week high. Its price change was -0.3% for the last 4 weeks. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) has the 4th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 93.2% of 52-week high. Its price change was 3.8% for the last 4 weeks. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) has the 5th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 93.1% of 52-week high. Its price change was -0.5% for the last 4 weeks. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has the 6th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.8% of 52-week high. Its price change was -3.7% for the last 4 weeks. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has the 7th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.0% of 52-week high. Its price change was -1.7% for the last 4 weeks. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has the 8th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 91.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was 10.8% for the last 4 weeks. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) has the 9th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 89.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was 0.3% for the last 4 weeks. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has the 10th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 88.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was -3.8% for the last 4 weeks.
Glam Media: The Next Social Network IPO?
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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Despite all the market volatility, it still looks like investors are hungry for social networking IPOs, especially from the top operators like Facebook and Twitter. The problem is that it may be at least a year until they hit the public markets. In the meantime, investors have been focusing on proxies. Perhaps the most popular one is LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD ), which
Thursday Apple Rumors: iPad’s Rule of Tabletdom Looks Secure
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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Here are your Apple news items and rumors for Thursday: Gartner Lays Out the Tablet Market; iPad on Top For a While to Come: Research group Gartner released its latest report on the tablet PC market on Thursday, breaking down how it expects Apple ( NASDAQ : AAPL ) and others to perform across the holiday season. The short version: Apple will perform. Others won't. The group believes a total of 63.6 million tablets will be sold to retailers before the year is out, compared to just 17.6 million in 2010. More than 73% of those tablets will be iPads. The group expects Apple to maintain market dominance through 2014 when it still will control more than 50% of the market. As for tablets using Google 's ( NASDAQ : GOOG ) Android operating system, Gartner lowered its expectations from 28% of the market to just above 17%. The only reason Gartner believes Android tablets will maintain that much control of the market is because of "success in low-cost Asian markets and strong expectations for Amazon 's ( NASDAQ : AMZN ) forthcoming tablet." Apple Continues Shift Away From Samsung Components: While Apple and Samsung (PINK: SSNLF ) continue to try to sue the pants off one another over patent infringements in their respective mobile products, Apple has remained one of Samsung's biggest component clients. Word came out in June, however, that Apple would not use Samsung to manufacture the custom, ARM Holdings -based (NASDAQ: ARMH ) A6 chip — a successor to the A5 chip used in the current iPad — when it began production in 2012. A Thursday report in DigiTimes (via TUAW ) said now Apple is dropping Samsung as the supplier of DRAM and NAND memory parts used in its products, buying instead from Toshiba and Elpida. Samsung is contracted to produce $7.8 billion in parts for Apple across all of 2011. The loss of that business could hurt the company a whole lot more than a patent lawsuit. Once an iPhone User, Always an iPhone User: Paranoid investors terrified that the Apple bubble soon will burst might find reassurance in a new report from UBS Investment Research. Reprinted in a Thursday report at Apple Insider , UBS' report said that 89% of iPhone users will continue to use Apple's smartphones . Apple's retention rate trounces the competition. Its closest competitor is HTC, which enjoys a retention rate of 39%. Samsung's retention rate is 28%, while Motorola Mobility ‘s (NYSE: MMI ) is 25% — a figure that can't thrill Google. As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at
Thursday Apple Rumors: iPad’s Rule of Tabletdom Looks Secure
Here are your Apple news items and rumors for Thursday: Gartner Lays Out the
Tablet Market; iPad on Top For a While to Come: Research group Gartner released
its latest report on the tablet PC market on Thursday, breaking down how it
expects Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and others to perform across the holiday season.
The short version: Apple will perform. Others won't. The group believes a
total of 63.6 million tablets will be sold to retailers before the year is out,
compared to just 17.6 million in 2010. More than 73% of those tablets will be
iPads. The group expects Apple to maintain market dominance through 2014 when it
still will control more than 50% of the market. As for tablets using Google 's
(NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android operating system, Gartner lowered its expectations from
28% of the market to just above 17%. The only reason Gartner believes Android
tablets will maintain that much control of the market is because of "success
in low-cost Asian markets and strong expectations for Amazon 's (NASDAQ: AMZN
) forthcoming tablet." Apple Continues Shift Away From Samsung Components:
While Apple and Samsung (PINK: SSNLF ) continue to try to sue the pants off one
another over patent infringements in their respective mobile products, Apple has
remained one of Samsung's biggest component clients. Word came out in June,
however, that Apple would not use Samsung to manufacture the custom, ARM
Holdings -based (NASDAQ: ARMH ) A6 chip a successor to the A5 chip used in the
current iPad when it began production in 2012. A Thursday report in DigiTimes
(via TUAW ) said now Apple is dropping Samsung as the supplier of DRAM and NAND
memory parts used in its products, buying instead from Toshiba and Elpida.
Samsung is contracted to produce $7.8 billion in parts for Apple across all of
2011. The loss of that business could hurt the company a whole lot more than a
patent lawsuit. Once an iPhone User, Always an iPhone User: Paranoid investors
terrified that the Apple bubble soon will burst might find reassurance in a new
report from UBS Investment Research. Reprinted in a Thursday report at Apple
Insider , UBS' report said that 89% of iPhone users will continue to use
Apple's smartphones . Apple's retention rate trounces the competition. Its
closest competitor is HTC, which enjoys a retention rate of 39%. Samsung's
retention rate is 28%, while Motorola Mobility s (NYSE: MMI ) is 25% a figure
that can't thrill Google. As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own
a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at
Tablet Market; iPad on Top For a While to Come: Research group Gartner released
its latest report on the tablet PC market on Thursday, breaking down how it
expects Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and others to perform across the holiday season.
The short version: Apple will perform. Others won't. The group believes a
total of 63.6 million tablets will be sold to retailers before the year is out,
compared to just 17.6 million in 2010. More than 73% of those tablets will be
iPads. The group expects Apple to maintain market dominance through 2014 when it
still will control more than 50% of the market. As for tablets using Google 's
(NASDAQ: GOOG ) Android operating system, Gartner lowered its expectations from
28% of the market to just above 17%. The only reason Gartner believes Android
tablets will maintain that much control of the market is because of "success
in low-cost Asian markets and strong expectations for Amazon 's (NASDAQ: AMZN
) forthcoming tablet." Apple Continues Shift Away From Samsung Components:
While Apple and Samsung (PINK: SSNLF ) continue to try to sue the pants off one
another over patent infringements in their respective mobile products, Apple has
remained one of Samsung's biggest component clients. Word came out in June,
however, that Apple would not use Samsung to manufacture the custom, ARM
Holdings -based (NASDAQ: ARMH ) A6 chip a successor to the A5 chip used in the
current iPad when it began production in 2012. A Thursday report in DigiTimes
(via TUAW ) said now Apple is dropping Samsung as the supplier of DRAM and NAND
memory parts used in its products, buying instead from Toshiba and Elpida.
Samsung is contracted to produce $7.8 billion in parts for Apple across all of
2011. The loss of that business could hurt the company a whole lot more than a
patent lawsuit. Once an iPhone User, Always an iPhone User: Paranoid investors
terrified that the Apple bubble soon will burst might find reassurance in a new
report from UBS Investment Research. Reprinted in a Thursday report at Apple
Insider , UBS' report said that 89% of iPhone users will continue to use
Apple's smartphones . Apple's retention rate trounces the competition. Its
closest competitor is HTC, which enjoys a retention rate of 39%. Samsung's
retention rate is 28%, while Motorola Mobility s (NYSE: MMI ) is 25% a figure
that can't thrill Google. As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own
a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at
Top 10 U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks with Most Analyst Upgrades: YGE, TSL, MPEL, PWRD, BIDU, VIT, FMCN, GAME, SNP, CEO (Sep 22, 2011)
Below are the top 10 U.S.-listed Chinese stocks with most analyst upgrades in
the past four weeks. Sentiment on these stocks is turning more positive. Yingli
Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:YGE) has the 1st most analyst upgrades
in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 3 brokerage analyst(s) in this
period. The stock is rated positively by 9 of the 28 analysts covering it. Trina
Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) has the 2nd most analyst upgrades in the past
four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock
is rated positively by 24 of the 34 analysts covering it. Melco Crown
Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) has the 3rd most analyst upgrades in the
past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The
stock is rated positively by 15 of the 18 analysts covering it. Perfect World
Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) has the 4th most analyst upgrades in the past four
weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is
rated positively by 13 of the 16 analysts covering it. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR)
(NASDAQ:BIDU) has the 5th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 27 of the 31 analysts covering it. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR)
(NYSE:VIT) has the 6th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 11 of the 15 analysts covering it. Focus Media Holding Limited (ADR)
(NASDAQ:FMCN) has the 7th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 10 of the 11 analysts covering it. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME)
has the 8th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1
brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 9 of the
16 analysts covering it. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (ADR) (NYSE:SNP) has
the 9th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1
brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 4 of the 4
analysts covering it. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) has the 10th most analyst
upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in
this period. The stock is rated positively by 4 of the 5 analysts covering it.
the past four weeks. Sentiment on these stocks is turning more positive. Yingli
Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:YGE) has the 1st most analyst upgrades
in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 3 brokerage analyst(s) in this
period. The stock is rated positively by 9 of the 28 analysts covering it. Trina
Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) has the 2nd most analyst upgrades in the past
four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock
is rated positively by 24 of the 34 analysts covering it. Melco Crown
Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) has the 3rd most analyst upgrades in the
past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The
stock is rated positively by 15 of the 18 analysts covering it. Perfect World
Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) has the 4th most analyst upgrades in the past four
weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is
rated positively by 13 of the 16 analysts covering it. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR)
(NASDAQ:BIDU) has the 5th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 27 of the 31 analysts covering it. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR)
(NYSE:VIT) has the 6th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 11 of the 15 analysts covering it. Focus Media Holding Limited (ADR)
(NASDAQ:FMCN) has the 7th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 10 of the 11 analysts covering it. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME)
has the 8th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1
brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 9 of the
16 analysts covering it. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (ADR) (NYSE:SNP) has
the 9th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1
brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 4 of the 4
analysts covering it. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) has the 10th most analyst
upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 1 brokerage analyst(s) in
this period. The stock is rated positively by 4 of the 5 analysts covering it.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Encouraging Mobile-Friendly Ad Sites
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been pushing advertisers to modify their sites
for mobile. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Encouraging Mobile-Friendly Ad Sites The
search engine giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been encouraging website
owners to modify their sites as mobile friendly, and has included mobile
optimization in its 'ads quality' ranking. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s
mobile search ads team head Surojit Chatterjee said, "We cannot expect that
every site will dramatically or magically become mobile optimized. However,
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) can give advertisers a little more incentive, because
the ones with mobile-friendly sites will now be able to drive more traffic at a
slightly lower cost". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares were at 539.2 at the
end of the last days trading. Theres been a 10.7% change in the stock price over
the past 3 months. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion:
Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.21 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months
Ago: 1.26 Zacks Rank: 12 out of 31 in the industry
for mobile. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Encouraging Mobile-Friendly Ad Sites The
search engine giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has been encouraging website
owners to modify their sites as mobile friendly, and has included mobile
optimization in its 'ads quality' ranking. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)'s
mobile search ads team head Surojit Chatterjee said, "We cannot expect that
every site will dramatically or magically become mobile optimized. However,
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) can give advertisers a little more incentive, because
the ones with mobile-friendly sites will now be able to drive more traffic at a
slightly lower cost". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares were at 539.2 at the
end of the last days trading. Theres been a 10.7% change in the stock price over
the past 3 months. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion:
Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.21 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months
Ago: 1.26 Zacks Rank: 12 out of 31 in the industry
Gold Stocks Extend Losses, GDX Hits 6-Week Low
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DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 GOLD STOCKS NEWS – Gold stocks extended their losses in early afternoon trading on Thursday, with the Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (GDX) tumbling as much as $4.98, or 7.8%, to $59.30 per share.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) To Install More Solar At Stores
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 E money daily Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has planned solar energy at more Calif. Stores. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) To Install More Solar At Stores The retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has plans to install solar-power panels at most of its California stores. The company hopes to use solar for 20 percent to 30 percent of each store’s electricity needs. According to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT), it will put panels on more than 130 more store rooftops in California, or more than three-quarters of its stores in the state. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) said solar energy has cut the company’s energy spending by more than $1 million. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) stocks are currently standing at 51.32. Price History Last Price: 51.32 52 Week Low / High: 48.31 / 57.9 50 Day Moving Average: 52.25 6 Month Price Change %: -0.6% 12 Month Price Change %: -4.2%
Regeneron Shares Get a Spark
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace When is a decision to stop using a drug greeted with cheers by both the manufacturer and a competitor? Look no further than what happened on Wednesday. The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it had decided to stop using the cancer drug Avastin to treat an eye disease because it wants to take a closer look at reports of serious infections and blindness. On the surface, that pronouncement would appear to be bad for the company that supplies the drug, Roche's Genentech unit. Not so. That's because Genentech also provides the far more costly drug Lucentis, which, unlike Avastin, is specifically approved to treat wet age-related macular degeneration — the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. Lucentis sales have been hurt as physicians increasingly prescribed Avastin off-label to treat the disease because they thought it worked as well at a fraction of the cost. That may change now. The VA decision is a boost for Genentech, but it appears to be monumental leap for Regeneron ( Nasdaq : REGN ). If all goes well, the Tarrytown, N.Y.-based biotech hopes to get FDA approval of its injectable drug Eylea in November. Investors certainly recognized the potential for Eylea to carve out a nice market share now that Avastin has been sent to the sidelines. On Wednesday, they bid the stock up to a 20-year high of $79.90 before closing up more than 9% to $70.28. Amid Thursday's broad market selloff, the stock had given back 2%. If approved, Eylea will become Regeneron's second marketed product, joining Arcalyst , which is available in the U.S. for treating Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a spectrum of rare, inherited auto inflammatory syndromes that affects about one of every 1 million people. The market for Eylea promises to be much bigger. Advanced macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in Americans ages 60 and older, according to the National Eye Institute. About 15% of patients have the more advanced "wet" form of the disease tied to abnormal blood vessels that grow under the macula, the part of the retina responsible for seeing in fine detail. Blood and fluid leaked from the vessels can result in vision loss. Regeneron estimates about 1.5 million people have the wet form of the disease with 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Earlier this year, one analyst said Eylea could capture 15% of the U.S. market and has annual sales potential of more than $1 billion. Both those figures could be bumped up substantially after the VA's action on Wednesday. But investors might be wise to temper their enthusiasm because Regeneron' path is still fraught with obstacles. First, the drug has to get FDA approval. Second, the VA is likely to face political pressure to reinstate Avastin because doing so would reduce government spending on drug costs. The third big issue is the same one facing Lucentis: cost. A dose of Lucentis is $2,000. Regeneron has yet to say what it will charge for Eylea, but it's likely to be competitive with Lucentis. One thing working in Eylea's favor is that it's dosed half as frequently as Lucentis. Because injections are made directly into the eye, patients obviously appreciate less dosing.
DJIA Index:DJX DJI Todays Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Stock Market Today Mid-Day News
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 The primary stock indices dropped off significantly last session after news spread that the Feds were not pulling QE3 out of their pocket at this time. Many expected a more direct form of stimulus for the stagnating American economy, such as QE3, and investor optimism extinguished when this was not offered. The primary U.S. stock indices suffered as a result. They continued to show the negative affects of yesterday’s business this morning. Prior to opening bell this morning, Futures for the primary stock composites were all posting red. Stocks were positioned for the lower open this morning. Investors are seeing negative signs today on a global scale. World markets are experiencing noteworthy sell-offs today, due in part, to the statements issued by the Federal Reserve yesterday. The major indices in Asia all finished in negative territory and the primary indices in the European marketplace opened with attention grabbing losses. Today in the U.S., as the trading session reached the halfway point, the primary stock composites continued to move lower. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had reached the 400 point loss mark. Stocks are getting hammered. Adding to the already negative tone, the jobs report posted today and was much weaker than expected. According to the data issued by the Labor Department, the number of Americans filing for first time jobless benefits posted higher than expected at 423,000 last week. This news pushed negatively on stock indices as well. At mid-day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by over 425 points at 10,698. The Nasdaq was lower by over 82 points at 2,456 and the S&P 500 was lower by over 40 points at 1,126. Frank Matto
Gold price per ounce silver price per ounce Todays spot gold price per gram spot silver price per ounce Today Mid-day
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 Gold and silver price per ounce rates finished on opposite sides of break-even during the last trading session. Contract gold for December delivery was in the red and contract Silver for December delivery was in the green. After last session close, both spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per ounce rates were trending in negative territory. This morning, prior to opening bell, trend lines were moving in similar directions. both spot gold per gram and spot silver per ounce were still moving in a negative direction. The global stock market was struggling this morning however. Stock indices in the U.S. fell off yesterday after news spread that the Feds would not be initiating QE3 at this time. This morning, it was evident that this news was affecting the global marketplace in a negative way. The primary indices in Asia finished the day with losses, Europe’s primary stock indices started their respective sessions with losses and stock futures in the U.S. were positioned for the lower open today as well. Up to this point in the session, The Dow has lost over 300 points. The environment is setting up as one in which safe haven appeal could grow. To some surprise, contract gold and silver prices continued to trend in the red as today’s trading session reached the halfway mark. Gold contract for December delivery was lower by 4.04 percent at 1735 per troy ounce. Silver contract for December delivery was lower by 9.26 percent at 36.72 per troy ounce. Spot gold and spot silver trends were also negative at this point in the session. Spot gold price per gram was red by 2.28 at 55.78. Spot silver price per ounce was red by 3.70 at 36.72 per troy ounce. Camillo Zucari
Top 10 Dow 30 (DJIA) Stocks with Highest Momentum: KO, MCD, KFT, IBM, PG, JNJ, VZ, INTC, AXP, WMT (Sep 22, 2011)
Below are the top 10 Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stocks with highest
price momentum. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has the 1st highest price
momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 96.5% of 52-week high.
Its price change was -0.6% for the last 4 weeks. McDonalds Corporation
(NYSE:MCD) has the 2nd highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It
is trading at 95.9% of 52-week high. Its price change was -2.9% for the last 4
weeks. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT) has the 3rd highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 94.0% of 52-week high. Its price change
was -0.3% for the last 4 weeks. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM)
has the 4th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading
at 93.2% of 52-week high. Its price change was 3.8% for the last 4 weeks. The
Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) has the 5th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 93.1% of 52-week high. Its price change
was -0.5% for the last 4 weeks. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has the 6th highest
price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.8% of 52-week
high. Its price change was -3.7% for the last 4 weeks. Verizon Communications
Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has the 7th highest price momentum in this segment of the market.
It is trading at 92.0% of 52-week high. Its price change was -1.7% for the last
4 weeks. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has the 8th highest price momentum in
this segment of the market. It is trading at 91.6% of 52-week high. Its price
change was 10.8% for the last 4 weeks. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) has
the 9th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at
89.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was 0.3% for the last 4 weeks. Wal-Mart
Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has the 10th highest price momentum in this segment of
the market. It is trading at 88.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was -3.8%
for the last 4 weeks.
price momentum. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) has the 1st highest price
momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 96.5% of 52-week high.
Its price change was -0.6% for the last 4 weeks. McDonalds Corporation
(NYSE:MCD) has the 2nd highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It
is trading at 95.9% of 52-week high. Its price change was -2.9% for the last 4
weeks. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT) has the 3rd highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 94.0% of 52-week high. Its price change
was -0.3% for the last 4 weeks. International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM)
has the 4th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading
at 93.2% of 52-week high. Its price change was 3.8% for the last 4 weeks. The
Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) has the 5th highest price momentum in this
segment of the market. It is trading at 93.1% of 52-week high. Its price change
was -0.5% for the last 4 weeks. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has the 6th highest
price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at 92.8% of 52-week
high. Its price change was -3.7% for the last 4 weeks. Verizon Communications
Inc. (NYSE:VZ) has the 7th highest price momentum in this segment of the market.
It is trading at 92.0% of 52-week high. Its price change was -1.7% for the last
4 weeks. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has the 8th highest price momentum in
this segment of the market. It is trading at 91.6% of 52-week high. Its price
change was 10.8% for the last 4 weeks. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) has
the 9th highest price momentum in this segment of the market. It is trading at
89.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was 0.3% for the last 4 weeks. Wal-Mart
Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has the 10th highest price momentum in this segment of
the market. It is trading at 88.6% of 52-week high. Its price change was -3.8%
for the last 4 weeks.
Gold price per ounce silver price per ounce Todays spot gold price per gram spot silver price per ounce Today Mid-day
Gold and silver price per ounce rates finished on opposite sides of break-even
during the last trading session. Contract gold for December delivery was in the
red and contract Silver for December delivery was in the green. After last
session close, both spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per ounce
rates were trending in negative territory. This morning, prior to opening bell,
trend lines were moving in similar directions. both spot gold per gram and spot
silver per ounce were still moving in a negative direction. The global stock
market was struggling this morning however. Stock indices in the U.S. fell off
yesterday after news spread that the Feds would not be initiating QE3 at this
time. This morning, it was evident that this news was affecting the global
marketplace in a negative way. The primary indices in Asia finished the day with
losses, Europes primary stock indices started their respective sessions with
losses and stock futures in the U.S. were positioned for the lower open today as
well. Up to this point in the session, The Dow has lost over 300 points. The
environment is setting up as one in which safe haven appeal could grow. To some
surprise, contract gold and silver prices continued to trend in the red as
todays trading session reached the halfway mark. Gold contract for December
delivery was lower by 4.04 percent at 1735 per troy ounce. Silver contract for
December delivery was lower by 9.26 percent at 36.72 per troy ounce. Spot gold
and spot silver trends were also negative at this point in the session. Spot
gold price per gram was red by 2.28 at 55.78. Spot silver price per ounce was
red by 3.70 at 36.72 per troy ounce. Camillo Zucari
during the last trading session. Contract gold for December delivery was in the
red and contract Silver for December delivery was in the green. After last
session close, both spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per ounce
rates were trending in negative territory. This morning, prior to opening bell,
trend lines were moving in similar directions. both spot gold per gram and spot
silver per ounce were still moving in a negative direction. The global stock
market was struggling this morning however. Stock indices in the U.S. fell off
yesterday after news spread that the Feds would not be initiating QE3 at this
time. This morning, it was evident that this news was affecting the global
marketplace in a negative way. The primary indices in Asia finished the day with
losses, Europes primary stock indices started their respective sessions with
losses and stock futures in the U.S. were positioned for the lower open today as
well. Up to this point in the session, The Dow has lost over 300 points. The
environment is setting up as one in which safe haven appeal could grow. To some
surprise, contract gold and silver prices continued to trend in the red as
todays trading session reached the halfway mark. Gold contract for December
delivery was lower by 4.04 percent at 1735 per troy ounce. Silver contract for
December delivery was lower by 9.26 percent at 36.72 per troy ounce. Spot gold
and spot silver trends were also negative at this point in the session. Spot
gold price per gram was red by 2.28 at 55.78. Spot silver price per ounce was
red by 3.70 at 36.72 per troy ounce. Camillo Zucari
DJIA Index:DJX DJI Todays Dow Jones Industrial Average, Nasdaq, S&P 500 Stock Market Today Mid-Day News
The primary stock indices dropped off significantly last session after news
spread that the Feds were not pulling QE3 out of their pocket at this time. Many
expected a more direct form of stimulus for the stagnating American economy,
such as QE3, and investor optimism extinguished when this was not offered. The
primary U.S. stock indices suffered as a result. They continued to show the
negative affects of yesterdays business this morning. Prior to opening bell this
morning, Futures for the primary stock composites were all posting red. Stocks
were positioned for the lower open this morning. Investors are seeing negative
signs today on a global scale. World markets are experiencing noteworthy
sell-offs today, due in part, to the statements issued by the Federal Reserve
yesterday. The major indices in Asia all finished in negative territory and the
primary indices in the European marketplace opened with attention grabbing
losses. Today in the U.S., as the trading session reached the halfway point, the
primary stock composites continued to move lower. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average had reached the 400 point loss mark. Stocks are getting hammered. Adding
to the already negative tone, the jobs report posted today and was much weaker
than expected. According to the data issued by the Labor Department, the number
of Americans filing for first time jobless benefits posted higher than expected
at 423,000 last week. This news pushed negatively on stock indices as well. At
mid-day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by over 425 points at
10,698. The Nasdaq was lower by over 82 points at 2,456 and the S&P 500 was
lower by over 40 points at 1,126. Frank Matto
spread that the Feds were not pulling QE3 out of their pocket at this time. Many
expected a more direct form of stimulus for the stagnating American economy,
such as QE3, and investor optimism extinguished when this was not offered. The
primary U.S. stock indices suffered as a result. They continued to show the
negative affects of yesterdays business this morning. Prior to opening bell this
morning, Futures for the primary stock composites were all posting red. Stocks
were positioned for the lower open this morning. Investors are seeing negative
signs today on a global scale. World markets are experiencing noteworthy
sell-offs today, due in part, to the statements issued by the Federal Reserve
yesterday. The major indices in Asia all finished in negative territory and the
primary indices in the European marketplace opened with attention grabbing
losses. Today in the U.S., as the trading session reached the halfway point, the
primary stock composites continued to move lower. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average had reached the 400 point loss mark. Stocks are getting hammered. Adding
to the already negative tone, the jobs report posted today and was much weaker
than expected. According to the data issued by the Labor Department, the number
of Americans filing for first time jobless benefits posted higher than expected
at 423,000 last week. This news pushed negatively on stock indices as well. At
mid-day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lower by over 425 points at
10,698. The Nasdaq was lower by over 82 points at 2,456 and the S&P 500 was
lower by over 40 points at 1,126. Frank Matto
Regeneron Shares Get a Spark
When is a decision to stop using a drug greeted with cheers by both the
manufacturer and a competitor? Look no further than what happened on Wednesday.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it had decided to stop using the
cancer drug Avastin to treat an eye disease because it wants to take a closer
look at reports of serious infections and blindness. On the surface, that
pronouncement would appear to be bad for the company that supplies the drug,
Roche's Genentech unit. Not so. That's because Genentech also provides the
far more costly drug Lucentis, which, unlike Avastin, is specifically approved
to treat wet age-related macular degeneration the leading cause of blindness in
the elderly. Lucentis sales have been hurt as physicians increasingly prescribed
Avastin off-label to treat the disease because they thought it worked as well at
a fraction of the cost. That may change now. The VA decision is a boost for
Genentech, but it appears to be monumental leap for Regeneron (Nasdaq: REGN ).
If all goes well, the Tarrytown, N.Y.-based biotech hopes to get FDA approval of
its injectable drug Eylea in November. Investors certainly recognized the
potential for Eylea to carve out a nice market share now that Avastin has been
sent to the sidelines. On Wednesday, they bid the stock up to a 20-year high of
$79.90 before closing up more than 9% to $70.28. Amid Thursday's broad market
selloff, the stock had given back 2%. If approved, Eylea will become
Regeneron's second marketed product, joining Arcalyst , which is available in
the U.S. for treating Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a spectrum
of rare, inherited auto inflammatory syndromes that affects about one of every 1
million people. The market for Eylea promises to be much bigger. Advanced
macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in Americans ages 60 and
older, according to the National Eye Institute. About 15% of patients have the
more advanced "wet" form of the disease tied to abnormal blood vessels that
grow under the macula, the part of the retina responsible for seeing in fine
detail. Blood and fluid leaked from the vessels can result in vision loss.
Regeneron estimates about 1.5 million people have the wet form of the disease
with 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Earlier this year, one analyst said
Eylea could capture 15% of the U.S. market and has annual sales potential of
more than $1 billion. Both those figures could be bumped up substantially after
the VA's action on Wednesday. But investors might be wise to temper their
enthusiasm because Regeneron' path is still fraught with obstacles. First, the
drug has to get FDA approval. Second, the VA is likely to face political
pressure to reinstate Avastin because doing so would reduce government spending
on drug costs. The third big issue is the same one facing Lucentis: cost. A dose
of Lucentis is $2,000. Regeneron has yet to say what it will charge for Eylea,
but it's likely to be competitive with Lucentis. One thing working in
Eylea's favor is that it's dosed half as frequently as Lucentis. Because
injections are made directly into the eye, patients obviously appreciate less
dosing.
manufacturer and a competitor? Look no further than what happened on Wednesday.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it had decided to stop using the
cancer drug Avastin to treat an eye disease because it wants to take a closer
look at reports of serious infections and blindness. On the surface, that
pronouncement would appear to be bad for the company that supplies the drug,
Roche's Genentech unit. Not so. That's because Genentech also provides the
far more costly drug Lucentis, which, unlike Avastin, is specifically approved
to treat wet age-related macular degeneration the leading cause of blindness in
the elderly. Lucentis sales have been hurt as physicians increasingly prescribed
Avastin off-label to treat the disease because they thought it worked as well at
a fraction of the cost. That may change now. The VA decision is a boost for
Genentech, but it appears to be monumental leap for Regeneron (Nasdaq: REGN ).
If all goes well, the Tarrytown, N.Y.-based biotech hopes to get FDA approval of
its injectable drug Eylea in November. Investors certainly recognized the
potential for Eylea to carve out a nice market share now that Avastin has been
sent to the sidelines. On Wednesday, they bid the stock up to a 20-year high of
$79.90 before closing up more than 9% to $70.28. Amid Thursday's broad market
selloff, the stock had given back 2%. If approved, Eylea will become
Regeneron's second marketed product, joining Arcalyst , which is available in
the U.S. for treating Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndromes (CAPS), a spectrum
of rare, inherited auto inflammatory syndromes that affects about one of every 1
million people. The market for Eylea promises to be much bigger. Advanced
macular degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in Americans ages 60 and
older, according to the National Eye Institute. About 15% of patients have the
more advanced "wet" form of the disease tied to abnormal blood vessels that
grow under the macula, the part of the retina responsible for seeing in fine
detail. Blood and fluid leaked from the vessels can result in vision loss.
Regeneron estimates about 1.5 million people have the wet form of the disease
with 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Earlier this year, one analyst said
Eylea could capture 15% of the U.S. market and has annual sales potential of
more than $1 billion. Both those figures could be bumped up substantially after
the VA's action on Wednesday. But investors might be wise to temper their
enthusiasm because Regeneron' path is still fraught with obstacles. First, the
drug has to get FDA approval. Second, the VA is likely to face political
pressure to reinstate Avastin because doing so would reduce government spending
on drug costs. The third big issue is the same one facing Lucentis: cost. A dose
of Lucentis is $2,000. Regeneron has yet to say what it will charge for Eylea,
but it's likely to be competitive with Lucentis. One thing working in
Eylea's favor is that it's dosed half as frequently as Lucentis. Because
injections are made directly into the eye, patients obviously appreciate less
dosing.
Gold, Silver, Miners Tank a Day Removed from ‘Operation Twist’ Announcement
Gold prices fell Thursday morning in the wake of the Federal Reserves
announcement that it will implement Operation Twist to help hold down long-term
interest rates and stimulate lending and borrowing. August U.S. leading economic
indicators rose 0.3%, pointing to faster growth going into year-end. Weekly
jobless claims dropped but remained above 400,000. Spot gold was bid at
$1,726.40 with an ask price of $1,727.40, more than 3% lower, having hit a
morning high of $1,731.60 and a low of $1,725.30, according to Kitco market data
. The price of an ounce of gold for spot delivery was fixed in the London
afternoon at $1,722 by the LBMA . Spot silver was trading at $36.74 Bid, $36.84
Ask, down more than 7.25%, with a morning high of $37 and a low of $36.58. The
spot silver reference price was fixed at $37.85 per ounce in the London a.m.
Gold and silver trusts were sharply lower in exchange trading Thursday morning.
The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ) was off around 2.9%. The iShares Gold Trust
(NYSE: IAU ) was down about the same. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was
showing losses of about 6.4%. Gold and silver mining ETFs were falling sharply
as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was around 5.7% lower.
The Market Vector Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was down about 7.7%. The
Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was off 7.8%. Shares of gold miners were
plunging. Agnico Eagle Mines (USA) (NYSE: AEM ) was down 4.9%. Barrick Gold
Corp. (NYSE: ABX ) was showing losses of more than 7.3%. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG )
was more than 6% lower. Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM ) was down nearly 3.5%.
NovaGold Resources (USA) (AMEX: NG ) was off more than 8.5%. Silver miners
shares were plummeting as well. Coeur DAlene Mines Corp. (NYSE: CDE ) was more
than 7.4% lower. Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) was down more than 5.5%. Pan American
Silver Corp. (USA) (NASDAQ: PAAS ) was off nearly 8.9%. Silver Wheaton Corp.
(USA) (NYSE: SLW ) was showing losses of around 8.5%. Silver Standard Resources
Inc. (USA) (NASDAQ: SSRI ) was down around 8%. The author does not hold
positions in any of the above-mentioned investments.
announcement that it will implement Operation Twist to help hold down long-term
interest rates and stimulate lending and borrowing. August U.S. leading economic
indicators rose 0.3%, pointing to faster growth going into year-end. Weekly
jobless claims dropped but remained above 400,000. Spot gold was bid at
$1,726.40 with an ask price of $1,727.40, more than 3% lower, having hit a
morning high of $1,731.60 and a low of $1,725.30, according to Kitco market data
. The price of an ounce of gold for spot delivery was fixed in the London
afternoon at $1,722 by the LBMA . Spot silver was trading at $36.74 Bid, $36.84
Ask, down more than 7.25%, with a morning high of $37 and a low of $36.58. The
spot silver reference price was fixed at $37.85 per ounce in the London a.m.
Gold and silver trusts were sharply lower in exchange trading Thursday morning.
The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ) was off around 2.9%. The iShares Gold Trust
(NYSE: IAU ) was down about the same. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was
showing losses of about 6.4%. Gold and silver mining ETFs were falling sharply
as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was around 5.7% lower.
The Market Vector Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was down about 7.7%. The
Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was off 7.8%. Shares of gold miners were
plunging. Agnico Eagle Mines (USA) (NYSE: AEM ) was down 4.9%. Barrick Gold
Corp. (NYSE: ABX ) was showing losses of more than 7.3%. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG )
was more than 6% lower. Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM ) was down nearly 3.5%.
NovaGold Resources (USA) (AMEX: NG ) was off more than 8.5%. Silver miners
shares were plummeting as well. Coeur DAlene Mines Corp. (NYSE: CDE ) was more
than 7.4% lower. Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) was down more than 5.5%. Pan American
Silver Corp. (USA) (NASDAQ: PAAS ) was off nearly 8.9%. Silver Wheaton Corp.
(USA) (NYSE: SLW ) was showing losses of around 8.5%. Silver Standard Resources
Inc. (USA) (NASDAQ: SSRI ) was down around 8%. The author does not hold
positions in any of the above-mentioned investments.
Gold Price Tumbles, Chinese Data, Fed Spook Wall Street
GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price tumbled $45.91, or 2.6%, to $1,736.44
Thursday amid significant weakness in financial markets across the globe.
Thursday amid significant weakness in financial markets across the globe.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) To Launch New iPhones Soon: Report
It has been reported that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is launching new iPhones in
October. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) To Launch New iPhones Soon: Report Citing
Apple board member and former U.S. vice president Al Gore, various reports say
that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has scheduled the release of new product lines,
including new iPhones in October. Earlier it was announced that Apple Inc.
(NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning to hold an event on October 4 to announce its
next-generation iPhone, which will be a later than usual debut for the handset.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stocks were at 412.14 at the end of the last days
trading. Theres been a 27.8% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy Mean
recommendation: 1.21 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months Ago: 1.22 Zacks
Rank: 1 out of 2 in the industry
October. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) To Launch New iPhones Soon: Report Citing
Apple board member and former U.S. vice president Al Gore, various reports say
that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has scheduled the release of new product lines,
including new iPhones in October. Earlier it was announced that Apple Inc.
(NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning to hold an event on October 4 to announce its
next-generation iPhone, which will be a later than usual debut for the handset.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stocks were at 412.14 at the end of the last days
trading. Theres been a 27.8% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy Mean
recommendation: 1.21 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months Ago: 1.22 Zacks
Rank: 1 out of 2 in the industry
Thursday’s Stocks to Watch: Bed Bath & Beyond, Red Hat
Here are a few stocks to keep on your radar: Amid a sharp selloff in stocks
early Thursday, Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY ) shares slipped 1.3%. Late
Wednesday, the company beat analysts' fiscal third-quarter profit expectations
with revenue met estimates. Red Hat (NYSE: RHT )
early Thursday, Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ: BBBY ) shares slipped 1.3%. Late
Wednesday, the company beat analysts' fiscal third-quarter profit expectations
with revenue met estimates. Red Hat (NYSE: RHT )
Facebook’s Biggest Threat? Itself
Why did Facebook win the social networking sweepstakes while hundreds of other
websites failed? Numbering among those reasons are timing and the strategy to
launch the service through colleges. Facebook also was much faster than rivals
like Friendster and MySpace. But perhaps the key reason for success:
Facebook's user interface. Basically, it has been fairly clean. Facebook
realized there is a powerful need for people to connect with friends. So why not
make it as easy as possible? The strategy has been spot-on. But lately, Facebook
has been giving into the temptation of implementing more and more change. For
example, this week the company launched another redesign of its user interface.
Now the News Feed has a "top story" listing, which is based on some type of
algorithm, thats placed above the chronologically listed recent stories. On the
right side of the page, you'll find a ticker that shows the activities of your
friends, some of which are repeated from the story sections. As should be no
surprise, there has been an uproar. With 750 million users, it is impossible to
please everyone especially with such intense daily engagement. Still, Facebook
needs to be extremely cautious. Numerous cases have shown big sites suffering
sharp reductions in user activity because of redesigns, such as with Digg and
Netscape.com. Did Facebook bother to test its redesign? It did. But testing is
far from perfect. Just look at Netflix 's (NASDAQ: NFLX ) recent changes with
its pricing and branding. Its been a disaster even though the company has some
of the world's best Internet marketing gurus. It's true that if Facebook
detects unusual problems and it will quickly it will make some tweaks. This
has happened with prior redesigns. So it seems highly unlikely that there will
be a drastic change in the user base. However, something else broader is at
work. During the past few months, Facebook actually has been adding many new
offerings, like video chat based on Microsoft s (NASDAQ: MSFT ) Skype as well
as facial recognition, improved commenting, a new photo viewer, privacy rules
and so on. The company also is encouraging more development of third-party
applications and services. Perhaps such things are the result of the competition
from Googles (NYSE: GOOG ) G+ social network or even pressure from LinkedIn
(NYSE: LNKD ). Whatever the reason, it looks like Facebook's innovations have
not been up to its usual high standards. Consider that the company already has
cut back on several recent features, such as Places and its daily-deals service.
In a way, Facebook could be going down the same path that Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO )
took that is, adding too many things to the site. The result is an overly
complex experience that detracts from the core service. Hey, do you really know
what Yahoo is about? Unfortunately, users and investors ultimately might ask the
same question about Facebook. Tom Taulli is the author of "All About Short
Selling" and "All About Commodities." You can also find him at Twitter
account @ttaulli. He does not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
websites failed? Numbering among those reasons are timing and the strategy to
launch the service through colleges. Facebook also was much faster than rivals
like Friendster and MySpace. But perhaps the key reason for success:
Facebook's user interface. Basically, it has been fairly clean. Facebook
realized there is a powerful need for people to connect with friends. So why not
make it as easy as possible? The strategy has been spot-on. But lately, Facebook
has been giving into the temptation of implementing more and more change. For
example, this week the company launched another redesign of its user interface.
Now the News Feed has a "top story" listing, which is based on some type of
algorithm, thats placed above the chronologically listed recent stories. On the
right side of the page, you'll find a ticker that shows the activities of your
friends, some of which are repeated from the story sections. As should be no
surprise, there has been an uproar. With 750 million users, it is impossible to
please everyone especially with such intense daily engagement. Still, Facebook
needs to be extremely cautious. Numerous cases have shown big sites suffering
sharp reductions in user activity because of redesigns, such as with Digg and
Netscape.com. Did Facebook bother to test its redesign? It did. But testing is
far from perfect. Just look at Netflix 's (NASDAQ: NFLX ) recent changes with
its pricing and branding. Its been a disaster even though the company has some
of the world's best Internet marketing gurus. It's true that if Facebook
detects unusual problems and it will quickly it will make some tweaks. This
has happened with prior redesigns. So it seems highly unlikely that there will
be a drastic change in the user base. However, something else broader is at
work. During the past few months, Facebook actually has been adding many new
offerings, like video chat based on Microsoft s (NASDAQ: MSFT ) Skype as well
as facial recognition, improved commenting, a new photo viewer, privacy rules
and so on. The company also is encouraging more development of third-party
applications and services. Perhaps such things are the result of the competition
from Googles (NYSE: GOOG ) G+ social network or even pressure from LinkedIn
(NYSE: LNKD ). Whatever the reason, it looks like Facebook's innovations have
not been up to its usual high standards. Consider that the company already has
cut back on several recent features, such as Places and its daily-deals service.
In a way, Facebook could be going down the same path that Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO )
took that is, adding too many things to the site. The result is an overly
complex experience that detracts from the core service. Hey, do you really know
what Yahoo is about? Unfortunately, users and investors ultimately might ask the
same question about Facebook. Tom Taulli is the author of "All About Short
Selling" and "All About Commodities." You can also find him at Twitter
account @ttaulli. He does not own a position in any of the stocks named here.
Why We All Overreacted To Netflix
Have you chosen sides yet in the Great Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) Debate of 2011?
Do you hail CEO Reed Hastings as a far-seeing prophet of online video? Or are
you appalled at the madness that led one of the webs biggest successes to
declare that the customer is not always right? Or are you, like me, shaking your
head at the whole stupid debate? The simple truth is that Netflix is pinning its
future on streaming media, and doing what it has to do to get there. In the
process, its botching the transition from DVD-by-mail to pure streaming in a way
that will cause it headaches for some time. Both views have some merit, but both
are overreacting. So how do investors respond? Trading strategies in Netflix
used to be so simple. You either thought it would be crushed under the wheels of
a traditional giant like Blockbuster, or you believed it would prove naysayers
wrong. And in that halcyon past, the longer a bull stayed long in Netflix, the
more that bull won. When all the emotion of the present moment passes, there
will be several factors suggesting the company is making the hard choices
necessary for its survival, and also several clear things that it screwed up.
Here are a few of each: Netflix is Being Dumb 1. A search too far. When Hastings
made his murky and vilified defense of the move to separate DVDs by mail and
streaming video, someone asked in the comments whether hed need to search twice
for the same movie, Hastings responded ouch as in, yes, youre right. To me,
that means we didnt think this through right (unlikely) or we know and just dont
care (likely). 2. The branding fail. Qwikster, the new name for Netflix's DVD
business, is not only easily confused with Quickster (a collapsible Lacrosse
net) and Qwixtar (an Amway business), its slang for a guy who can get women in
bed quickly. That ones going down in the annals of bad branding. Netflix Is
Being Smart 1. Nobody outside the U.S. is complaining. This is the thing the
critics don't want to say. If millions of U.S. subscribers fall from Qwikster,
thats great news for the neighborhood video store. But its not bad news for
Netflix, if angering tens of millions of U.S. subscribers is offset by the
addition of a hundred million in Latin America, Europe and Asia. In that case,
Qwikster will be an unsightly footnote in the companys history. 2. The power of
scale. Start the countdown until Qwikster is sold off. Theres simply no more
growth in it, and without new subscribers Netflix has no leverage in pricing
with the big studios. But by getting subscribers in other countries before
rivals do, Netflix can scale up its subscriber base into a juggernaut that would
make even the most clueless studio executive sit down at the bargaining table.
Qwikster may be Netflixs childhood, but the company is lurching into adulthood
and not looking back. What does all this add up to for investors? Netflix has
always had a gift for seeing, several years ahead of anyone else, where the
video-rental industry is heading. Until now, its managed to pursue that vision
by giving consumers what they want. Now, its pursuing its vision by denying
consumers (U.S. consumers, at least) what they want. That means Netflix is going
to be rather volatile for a while: a risky investment in the short term. Its
likely to fall further as U.S. cancellations pull down revenue and licensing
fees push up costs. But once streaming subscriptions start to accelerate
internationally, it will surprise the bears and rebound sharply. No longer is
investing in Netflix simply a matter of going long and watching it prove the
naysayers wrong. Like everything else in the stock market these days, investing
in Netflix is a matter of shrewd timing.
Do you hail CEO Reed Hastings as a far-seeing prophet of online video? Or are
you appalled at the madness that led one of the webs biggest successes to
declare that the customer is not always right? Or are you, like me, shaking your
head at the whole stupid debate? The simple truth is that Netflix is pinning its
future on streaming media, and doing what it has to do to get there. In the
process, its botching the transition from DVD-by-mail to pure streaming in a way
that will cause it headaches for some time. Both views have some merit, but both
are overreacting. So how do investors respond? Trading strategies in Netflix
used to be so simple. You either thought it would be crushed under the wheels of
a traditional giant like Blockbuster, or you believed it would prove naysayers
wrong. And in that halcyon past, the longer a bull stayed long in Netflix, the
more that bull won. When all the emotion of the present moment passes, there
will be several factors suggesting the company is making the hard choices
necessary for its survival, and also several clear things that it screwed up.
Here are a few of each: Netflix is Being Dumb 1. A search too far. When Hastings
made his murky and vilified defense of the move to separate DVDs by mail and
streaming video, someone asked in the comments whether hed need to search twice
for the same movie, Hastings responded ouch as in, yes, youre right. To me,
that means we didnt think this through right (unlikely) or we know and just dont
care (likely). 2. The branding fail. Qwikster, the new name for Netflix's DVD
business, is not only easily confused with Quickster (a collapsible Lacrosse
net) and Qwixtar (an Amway business), its slang for a guy who can get women in
bed quickly. That ones going down in the annals of bad branding. Netflix Is
Being Smart 1. Nobody outside the U.S. is complaining. This is the thing the
critics don't want to say. If millions of U.S. subscribers fall from Qwikster,
thats great news for the neighborhood video store. But its not bad news for
Netflix, if angering tens of millions of U.S. subscribers is offset by the
addition of a hundred million in Latin America, Europe and Asia. In that case,
Qwikster will be an unsightly footnote in the companys history. 2. The power of
scale. Start the countdown until Qwikster is sold off. Theres simply no more
growth in it, and without new subscribers Netflix has no leverage in pricing
with the big studios. But by getting subscribers in other countries before
rivals do, Netflix can scale up its subscriber base into a juggernaut that would
make even the most clueless studio executive sit down at the bargaining table.
Qwikster may be Netflixs childhood, but the company is lurching into adulthood
and not looking back. What does all this add up to for investors? Netflix has
always had a gift for seeing, several years ahead of anyone else, where the
video-rental industry is heading. Until now, its managed to pursue that vision
by giving consumers what they want. Now, its pursuing its vision by denying
consumers (U.S. consumers, at least) what they want. That means Netflix is going
to be rather volatile for a while: a risky investment in the short term. Its
likely to fall further as U.S. cancellations pull down revenue and licensing
fees push up costs. But once streaming subscriptions start to accelerate
internationally, it will surprise the bears and rebound sharply. No longer is
investing in Netflix simply a matter of going long and watching it prove the
naysayers wrong. Like everything else in the stock market these days, investing
in Netflix is a matter of shrewd timing.
Todays Gold Price Per Ounce Silver price Per Ounce; Spot gold price per gram spot silver price per ounce; Dollar USA review
Gold and silver prices ended the last trading session on the opposite side of
break-even. Gold dropped lower and silver finished off the day on positive
ground. The stock market in the U.S. ended the day on a sour note as investors
were unhappy with the news that spread at the conclusion of the Feds two day
policy meeting. Many were hoping that the Feds would offer something more
substantial regarding economic support. The Feds stopped short of offering
another round of quantitative easing and once news spread that QE3 was not on
the days menu of supports, the primary stock indices dropped off into the red.
Gold assets should begin to attract more attention in the current economic
climate. This was not evident last session though. Contract gold for December
delivery finished the last session lower by .06 percent at 1808.10 per troy
ounce. Silver contract for December delivery finished the last session higher by
.83 percent at 40.47 per troy ounce. Spot gold and spot silver were trending red
prior to opening bell this morning. Spot gold price per gram was lower by .72 at
57.38. Spot silver price per ounce rates were trending lower by .39 at 39.70.
The dollar finished the last session higher versus the euro, Japanese yen, and
British pound. Camillo Zucari
break-even. Gold dropped lower and silver finished off the day on positive
ground. The stock market in the U.S. ended the day on a sour note as investors
were unhappy with the news that spread at the conclusion of the Feds two day
policy meeting. Many were hoping that the Feds would offer something more
substantial regarding economic support. The Feds stopped short of offering
another round of quantitative easing and once news spread that QE3 was not on
the days menu of supports, the primary stock indices dropped off into the red.
Gold assets should begin to attract more attention in the current economic
climate. This was not evident last session though. Contract gold for December
delivery finished the last session lower by .06 percent at 1808.10 per troy
ounce. Silver contract for December delivery finished the last session higher by
.83 percent at 40.47 per troy ounce. Spot gold and spot silver were trending red
prior to opening bell this morning. Spot gold price per gram was lower by .72 at
57.38. Spot silver price per ounce rates were trending lower by .39 at 39.70.
The dollar finished the last session higher versus the euro, Japanese yen, and
British pound. Camillo Zucari
Retail Stocks in a Down Economy: 3 Winners, 3 Losers
If you're looking for signs that the economy is sputtering, look no further
than the retail sector. August retail sales were flat and July sales were
revised downward. Even worse, the jobs outlook remains grim, with unemployment
stubbornly stuck at 9.1% and little new hiring planned for the holiday shopping
season. Add to that the news that new housing starts fell by 5% last month the
largest drop since April and it's clear that consumers have a lot of reasons
to hold onto their money. And since consumer spending accounts for a whopping
70% of the U.S. economy, the frugal consumer is the enemy of recovery. All
retailers are feeling the pinch of the sluggish economy, but the pain index is
different. While shares of many mid-level retailers are struggling, some
high-end companies are soaring. Here are three retail winners and three losers
in this sluggish economy: Winners Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU ). Shares of the
high-end women's athletic apparel company have been on a tear this year. At
$61.39, the stock is trading nearly 196% above its 52-week low last September.
With a market cap of $8.80 billion, LULU has a price/earnings-to-growth ratio of
1.84, which indicates the stock is overvalued. The debt position is good:
$264.73 million in total cash and no debt. Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL ). RL is an
ultimate American luxury brand that specializes in classic elegance and its
international growth strategy isn't priced in yet. Shares set a new 52-week
high of $151.70 on Monday more than 78% above the 52-week low last September.
With a market cap of $14.01 billion, RL has a PEG ratio of 1.78, indicating the
stock is overvalued. The balance sheet looks good, with total cash of $951.5
million versus total debt of $304.4 million. The dividend yield is 0.5%. Coach
(NYSE: COH ). This American accessories brand is a fashion thoroughbred, and its
stock is running pretty well, too. At $60.25, the stock is trading more than 47%
above its 52-week low last September. With a market cap of $17.41 billion, COH
has a PEG ratio of 1.29 slightly overvalued. Coachs debt position is good:
$702.04 million in total cash and $24.16 million in total debt. The dividend
yield is 1.5%. Losers The Gap (NYSE: GPS ). The best news here is the chain's
expansion into Russia. At $17, GPS is trading more than 28% below its 52-week
high of $23.73 in May. With a market cap of $8.68 billion, The Gap has a PEG
ratio of 1.41, meaning the stock is slightly overvalued. The company has total
cash of $2.18 billion and total debt of $1.65 billion. Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:
URBN ). The best shot for recovery is this chain's online expansion. At
$24.88, URBN set a new 52-week low of $23.50 on Sept. 7 and is trading more than
36% below its 52-week high of $39.26 in March. With a market cap of $3.82
billion, the stock has a PEG of 0.92, indicating that it's slightly
undervalued. The company has $285.73 million in total cash and no debt. Kohl's
(NYSE: KSS ). Kohl's same-store sales slipped by 4.6% in July and another 1.9%
in August. KSS will come back into favor, but likely not until 2012. At $47.37,
KSS hit a new 52-week low of $42.14 earlier this month and is trading more than
18% below its 52-week high of $58 last November. With a market cap of $12.76
billion, the stock has a PEG ratio of 0.8, indicating that it's undervalued.
Kohls debt position warrants watching: The company has total cash of $1.17
billion versus total debt of $3.69 billion. For the first time, KSS began paying
dividends in March the current yield is 1.9%. As of this writing, Susan J.
Aluise did not hold a position in any of the stocks named here.
than the retail sector. August retail sales were flat and July sales were
revised downward. Even worse, the jobs outlook remains grim, with unemployment
stubbornly stuck at 9.1% and little new hiring planned for the holiday shopping
season. Add to that the news that new housing starts fell by 5% last month the
largest drop since April and it's clear that consumers have a lot of reasons
to hold onto their money. And since consumer spending accounts for a whopping
70% of the U.S. economy, the frugal consumer is the enemy of recovery. All
retailers are feeling the pinch of the sluggish economy, but the pain index is
different. While shares of many mid-level retailers are struggling, some
high-end companies are soaring. Here are three retail winners and three losers
in this sluggish economy: Winners Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU ). Shares of the
high-end women's athletic apparel company have been on a tear this year. At
$61.39, the stock is trading nearly 196% above its 52-week low last September.
With a market cap of $8.80 billion, LULU has a price/earnings-to-growth ratio of
1.84, which indicates the stock is overvalued. The debt position is good:
$264.73 million in total cash and no debt. Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL ). RL is an
ultimate American luxury brand that specializes in classic elegance and its
international growth strategy isn't priced in yet. Shares set a new 52-week
high of $151.70 on Monday more than 78% above the 52-week low last September.
With a market cap of $14.01 billion, RL has a PEG ratio of 1.78, indicating the
stock is overvalued. The balance sheet looks good, with total cash of $951.5
million versus total debt of $304.4 million. The dividend yield is 0.5%. Coach
(NYSE: COH ). This American accessories brand is a fashion thoroughbred, and its
stock is running pretty well, too. At $60.25, the stock is trading more than 47%
above its 52-week low last September. With a market cap of $17.41 billion, COH
has a PEG ratio of 1.29 slightly overvalued. Coachs debt position is good:
$702.04 million in total cash and $24.16 million in total debt. The dividend
yield is 1.5%. Losers The Gap (NYSE: GPS ). The best news here is the chain's
expansion into Russia. At $17, GPS is trading more than 28% below its 52-week
high of $23.73 in May. With a market cap of $8.68 billion, The Gap has a PEG
ratio of 1.41, meaning the stock is slightly overvalued. The company has total
cash of $2.18 billion and total debt of $1.65 billion. Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:
URBN ). The best shot for recovery is this chain's online expansion. At
$24.88, URBN set a new 52-week low of $23.50 on Sept. 7 and is trading more than
36% below its 52-week high of $39.26 in March. With a market cap of $3.82
billion, the stock has a PEG of 0.92, indicating that it's slightly
undervalued. The company has $285.73 million in total cash and no debt. Kohl's
(NYSE: KSS ). Kohl's same-store sales slipped by 4.6% in July and another 1.9%
in August. KSS will come back into favor, but likely not until 2012. At $47.37,
KSS hit a new 52-week low of $42.14 earlier this month and is trading more than
18% below its 52-week high of $58 last November. With a market cap of $12.76
billion, the stock has a PEG ratio of 0.8, indicating that it's undervalued.
Kohls debt position warrants watching: The company has total cash of $1.17
billion versus total debt of $3.69 billion. For the first time, KSS began paying
dividends in March the current yield is 1.9%. As of this writing, Susan J.
Aluise did not hold a position in any of the stocks named here.
Should You Buy the Dow — Coca-Cola
Today were looking at Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO ). Everyone knows Coca-Cola makes
soft drinks, but did you know just how many brands the company actually has?
Many are specific to region, but a quick scan yields these familiar names: Coke,
Fanta, Dasani, Bacardi Mixers, Mello Yello, Enviga, Five Alive, Full Throttle,
Fuze, Godiva Coffee/Chocolate drink, Hi-C, Lift, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla,
Seagrams, Simply Orange and Smart. No wonder the company still is growing. The
key driving factors for Coca-Cola? Well, people always will be thirsty. Sure,
there is some economic sensitivity, but not a whole lot of it. By and large,
Cokes products are cheap in all parts of the world compared to 100% juice or
milk or liquor. There are three other factors. The first is competition, but
Coca-Colas market share has been relatively stable for many years. The second is
innovation: The company must be able to introduce new products to keep revenues
fizzing and customers from getting bored. The third is continued expansion. And
Im sure Coke wont be satisfied until theres a Coke machine under every rock in
the every corner of the world. Stock stock analysts looking out five years on
Coca-Cola see annualized earnings growth at 8%. At a stock price of $71, on FY
2011 earnings of $3.87, the stock presently trades at a P/E of 18. Dr. Pepper
Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS ) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) are the closest competitors,
with P/Es of 16 and 15, respectively, so Coke is in line with their valuations.
Coca-Cola carries $14 billion in cash and $11.3 billion in debt at an interest
rate of about 6.5%. Trailing 12-month cash flow was $6.5 billion, so the debt
service is no problem. The company also had 1.5 times the amount of free cash
flow necessary to pay its 2.6% dividend. I just love writing the word billion,
as nothing gives me greater comfort than seeing that word next to cash or free
cash flow. Coke certainly is it . Coca-Cola has had four insider purchases of
about 629,000 three of them, comprising the vast majority at 625,000 shares,
were made by new board of directors member Barry Diller. That means Diller
invested almost $40 million of his own money to come on board. Talk about a vote
of confidence! Add in the fact that Warren Buffett owns about 9% of the company,
and you must figure that Coke is the place to be. Conclusion If we put an 8 P/E
on Coca-Cola, I think we are not giving it the deserved premium considering its
consistent history of free cash flow, long history of soda expertise,
extraordinary management, incredible confidence in the company in the form of
Diller and Buffett, and world-blass brand name. I say it deserve a P/E of at
least 11. On projected 2015 earnings of $5.86 per share, factoring in the $1 in
net cash, and the 2.7% compounded dividend yield reinvested, we get a price
target of right about $70. Uh oh. Thats right where the stock is sitting right
now. I guess Im not the only one that realizes what a great company Coke is. It
appears to be fully valued for 2015. I believe Coca-Cola is a hold for regular
accounts. I believe Coca-Cola is a hold for retirement accounts. Lawrence Meyers
does not own shares of any company mentioned.
soft drinks, but did you know just how many brands the company actually has?
Many are specific to region, but a quick scan yields these familiar names: Coke,
Fanta, Dasani, Bacardi Mixers, Mello Yello, Enviga, Five Alive, Full Throttle,
Fuze, Godiva Coffee/Chocolate drink, Hi-C, Lift, Minute Maid, Nestea, Odwalla,
Seagrams, Simply Orange and Smart. No wonder the company still is growing. The
key driving factors for Coca-Cola? Well, people always will be thirsty. Sure,
there is some economic sensitivity, but not a whole lot of it. By and large,
Cokes products are cheap in all parts of the world compared to 100% juice or
milk or liquor. There are three other factors. The first is competition, but
Coca-Colas market share has been relatively stable for many years. The second is
innovation: The company must be able to introduce new products to keep revenues
fizzing and customers from getting bored. The third is continued expansion. And
Im sure Coke wont be satisfied until theres a Coke machine under every rock in
the every corner of the world. Stock stock analysts looking out five years on
Coca-Cola see annualized earnings growth at 8%. At a stock price of $71, on FY
2011 earnings of $3.87, the stock presently trades at a P/E of 18. Dr. Pepper
Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS ) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP ) are the closest competitors,
with P/Es of 16 and 15, respectively, so Coke is in line with their valuations.
Coca-Cola carries $14 billion in cash and $11.3 billion in debt at an interest
rate of about 6.5%. Trailing 12-month cash flow was $6.5 billion, so the debt
service is no problem. The company also had 1.5 times the amount of free cash
flow necessary to pay its 2.6% dividend. I just love writing the word billion,
as nothing gives me greater comfort than seeing that word next to cash or free
cash flow. Coke certainly is it . Coca-Cola has had four insider purchases of
about 629,000 three of them, comprising the vast majority at 625,000 shares,
were made by new board of directors member Barry Diller. That means Diller
invested almost $40 million of his own money to come on board. Talk about a vote
of confidence! Add in the fact that Warren Buffett owns about 9% of the company,
and you must figure that Coke is the place to be. Conclusion If we put an 8 P/E
on Coca-Cola, I think we are not giving it the deserved premium considering its
consistent history of free cash flow, long history of soda expertise,
extraordinary management, incredible confidence in the company in the form of
Diller and Buffett, and world-blass brand name. I say it deserve a P/E of at
least 11. On projected 2015 earnings of $5.86 per share, factoring in the $1 in
net cash, and the 2.7% compounded dividend yield reinvested, we get a price
target of right about $70. Uh oh. Thats right where the stock is sitting right
now. I guess Im not the only one that realizes what a great company Coke is. It
appears to be fully valued for 2015. I believe Coca-Cola is a hold for regular
accounts. I believe Coca-Cola is a hold for retirement accounts. Lawrence Meyers
does not own shares of any company mentioned.
Gold & Silver Prices – Daily Outlook September 22
The FOMC decision to purchase $400 billion LT securities is likely to continue
affecting in small doses the financial markets throughout June 2012 when the
program will end.
affecting in small doses the financial markets throughout June 2012 when the
program will end.
How Low Will the Dow Go?
Yesterday, the U.S. dollar rose sharply following the Fed announcement that
they would buy $400 billion of long-term Treasurys and sell short-term
Treasurys. But the impact of the new quantitative easing plan, which The Street
calls "Operation Twist," was a broad-based, high-volume sell-off in stocks
and commodities. As the Fed wished, long-term bond prices rose sharply, driving
the yields on the 10-year bond down to 1.871%. But investor confidence was
shaken badly by the divided decision of the board as three members dissented.
they would buy $400 billion of long-term Treasurys and sell short-term
Treasurys. But the impact of the new quantitative easing plan, which The Street
calls "Operation Twist," was a broad-based, high-volume sell-off in stocks
and commodities. As the Fed wished, long-term bond prices rose sharply, driving
the yields on the 10-year bond down to 1.871%. But investor confidence was
shaken badly by the divided decision of the board as three members dissented.
#Gold miners with lung disease begin UK legal action against #Anglo American South Africa
London law firm Leigh Day & Co has started proceedings in the London High Court
against Anglo American South Africa , as the Johannesburg-registered wholly
owned subsidiary of London-based Anglo American plc. Thousands of former gold
miners, say that they are suffering from silicosis and silicotuberculosis,
resulting from exposure to dust in the company's South African gold mines. The
case has just begun but given the suffering and poverty of the victims and the
amount of time that this has been happening, Leigh Day & Co hopes that a
settlement scheme will be established early on. Read the full story here from
Mining weekly:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/lung-diseased-gold-miners-start-uk-legal-action-against-anglo-american-2011-09-21
Attend the Mine Managers Show South Africa 2011 , addressing leadership and
innovation for mine managers and partners. Download the brochure to find out
more: http://www.terrapinn.com/template/live/documents.aspx?e=4564
against Anglo American South Africa , as the Johannesburg-registered wholly
owned subsidiary of London-based Anglo American plc. Thousands of former gold
miners, say that they are suffering from silicosis and silicotuberculosis,
resulting from exposure to dust in the company's South African gold mines. The
case has just begun but given the suffering and poverty of the victims and the
amount of time that this has been happening, Leigh Day & Co hopes that a
settlement scheme will be established early on. Read the full story here from
Mining weekly:
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/lung-diseased-gold-miners-start-uk-legal-action-against-anglo-american-2011-09-21
Attend the Mine Managers Show South Africa 2011 , addressing leadership and
innovation for mine managers and partners. Download the brochure to find out
more: http://www.terrapinn.com/template/live/documents.aspx?e=4564
Gold Price Slightly Slipped | Oil Prices Declined – September 21
Major commodities changed direction again and yesterday most of the commodities
prices declined. The major announcement came yesterday as the FOMC decided to
purchase additional long term securities at $400 billion by the end of June
2012.
prices declined. The major announcement came yesterday as the FOMC decided to
purchase additional long term securities at $400 billion by the end of June
2012.
Todays DJIA Index DJX DJI Dow Jones Average, S&P 500, Nasdaq Stock Market Investing News Today Open
Primary stock index trends revealed little direction during the initial half of
the last trading session. Investors were more or less sidelined ahead of the
highly anticipated announcements from the Feds. The Fed ended their two day
policy meetings last session and reported details during the latter half of
yesterdays trading session. Up to that point in time, the primary stock
composites were posting mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, as well as the
S&P 500, were posting red at the mid-day mark. The Nasdaq was trending on the
positive side of break-even at that point. As the trading session neared close
for the day, the primary stock indices in the U.S. had dropped significantly
lower due to the unpopular response from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones
Closed the day lower by over 280 points at 11,124.84. The Nasdaq closed out the
session lower by over 52 points at 2,538.19 and the S&P 500 finished off red by
over 35 points to close out the session at 1,166.76. The Feds reported that they
would transfer approximately 400 billion from short term Treasuries into long
term Treasuries. This move is expected to increase lending and push economic
progress forward. What most were hoping to hear was that the Feds would initiate
another round of economic stimulus. The people wanted the Federal Reserve to
pump dollar bills into the economy via a QE3. When this was not presented as an
active strategy, indices dropped to their lowest points of the day. Frank Matto
the last trading session. Investors were more or less sidelined ahead of the
highly anticipated announcements from the Feds. The Fed ended their two day
policy meetings last session and reported details during the latter half of
yesterdays trading session. Up to that point in time, the primary stock
composites were posting mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, as well as the
S&P 500, were posting red at the mid-day mark. The Nasdaq was trending on the
positive side of break-even at that point. As the trading session neared close
for the day, the primary stock indices in the U.S. had dropped significantly
lower due to the unpopular response from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones
Closed the day lower by over 280 points at 11,124.84. The Nasdaq closed out the
session lower by over 52 points at 2,538.19 and the S&P 500 finished off red by
over 35 points to close out the session at 1,166.76. The Feds reported that they
would transfer approximately 400 billion from short term Treasuries into long
term Treasuries. This move is expected to increase lending and push economic
progress forward. What most were hoping to hear was that the Feds would initiate
another round of economic stimulus. The people wanted the Federal Reserve to
pump dollar bills into the economy via a QE3. When this was not presented as an
active strategy, indices dropped to their lowest points of the day. Frank Matto
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