Continue reading ADP: Sideways Action Continues

ADP: Sideways Action Continues originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The TJX Companies: A Retail Shining Star

The TJX Companies: A Retail Shining Star originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nordstrom August Sales Beat Estimates

Nordstrom August Sales Beat Estimates originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) may be at a tipping point right now. And for a stock that has seen four big price gaps during 2010, the move could be a big one. The question is, will the stock gap higher or lower?

Goldman Sachs -- citing influences like a higher mix of smartphones and tablets, the move from voice-to-data-centric devices in China and India and a weaker US dollar -- recently reiterated its Conviction Buy List rating for Qualcomm and raised its price target from $44 to $46.

Continue reading Time to Ride a QUALCOMM Straddle?

Time to Ride a QUALCOMM Straddle? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, has long advocated fiscal conservatism. In a recent interview for CNBC, he told the U.S. to stop printing money, bite the bullet and go on an austerity program. His ideas are sound but are falling on deaf ears at the Federal Reserve. Rogers said that he would rather have Europe manage our fiscal policy.

We must remember that Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has already pledged and spent $12.8 trillion dollars to bail a handful of bankers. Now he says he will spend more if needed. He is already pumping money into the economy by buying treasuries with the proceeds of expiring securities.

Continue reading Rogers: U.S. Should Adopt Austerity Measures

Rogers: U.S. Should Adopt Austerity Measures originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We do have a select number of speculative stocks and growth funds in our portfolio; among them, my favorite is Ford Motor Co. (F)," says Mark Skousen.

The editor of Forecasts & Strategies explains, "The stock, which has been my favorite speculation for 2010, reported another blockbuster quarter.

"Its second-quarter earnings blew past Wall Street estimates last month and the stock now is up more than 20% from our recommended price.

Continue reading Driving with Ford (F): A Favorite Speculation

Driving with Ford (F): A Favorite Speculation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What is happening in the cattle market is directly affecting food prices at your local supermarket. Here are some upsetting numbers.

• Global meat prices have hit a 20-year high.
• The UN Food & Agriculture Organization's index was the highest in August since 1990.
• Live cattle futures hit $1 per pound, the highest in 22 months.
• Australian lamb prices have risen above $5.50 a kilo, the highest since 1973-74.
• And this is the big whopper: Pork bellies, which are used for bacon, are at a record $1.50 per pound.
• The higher cost of feed is driving up prices.

Continue reading Higher Meat Prices Are Fueling Food Inflation

Higher Meat Prices Are Fueling Food Inflation originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JMP Securities upgraded Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) to outperform from market perform based on valuation and checks that indicate strength in enterprise PCs, high growth geographies and light laptops. The firm has a $50 target on the stock.
• RBC Capital upgraded Rio Tinto (RTP) to outperform from sector perform, citing the company's improving growth plans and attractive risk profile.
• Goldman upgraded FormFactor (FORM) to neutral from sell, but lowered its price target to $6 from $10. The firm cites valuation for the upgrade.
• MCG Capital (MCGC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• CRH (CRH) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Melco Crown (MPEL) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst Calls: BSX, FORM, HPQ, JACK, MCO, NFLX, PPL, RTP, VALE ...

Analyst Calls: BSX, FORM, HPQ, JACK, MCO, NFLX, PPL, RTP, VALE ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A company the size of Cisco (CSCO) needs to find massive market opportunities. So why not the electric grid? No doubt, it needs lots of improvement. In fact, there is an emerging trend towards making it much smarter. And no doubt, Cisco's technology can be a big help.

At the same time, the company is revving up its acquisitions machine. The latest deal is for Arch Rock. The financial details were not disclosed.

Continue reading Cisco to Buy Smart-Grid Operator Arch Rock

Cisco to Buy Smart-Grid Operator Arch Rock originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Are we in a recession or a depression? A recession usually means a temporary dip in an otherwise growing economy. A depression is much worse, feeding on itself and dragging the economy lower and lower. A recession carries hope. A depression is pure hopelessness.

We have all kinds of forecasts, from extreme optimism to bleak pessimism. Government officials and the mainstream media are touting this as a dip in a long-term growth cycle.

Continue reading Are We in a Recession or a Depression?

Are We in a Recession or a Depression? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The Cushing MLP Total Return Fund (SRV) is a closed-end fund that invests in master limited partnerships (MLPs), MLP bonds, and natural resource companies that are not publicly traded," notes income specialist Carla Pasternak.

The editor of High-Yield Investing explains, "In addition to providing diversification, SRV provides a huge advantage over investing in individual MLPs.

"Unlike individual MLPs, SRV is classified as a corporation for tax purposes and doesn't generate a K-1 form or unrelated business taxable income, which can be taxable in an IRA. In short, SRV offers the high income of MLPs without the tax hassle.

Continue reading Cushing MLP Total Return: Partnership Profits

Cushing MLP Total Return: Partnership Profits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Higher prices are not keeping gold buyers away in India. This year it is estimated that India will buy between 600 to 625 metric tons of the precious metal, up fromm 480 to 485 tons last year, according to the National Spot Exchange Ltd, a reported by Bloomberg. This year's purchases will make India the world's biggest consumer of gold.

According to the World Gold Council, India's bullion demand almost doubled in the first half of this year. Anjani Sinha, CEO of the nation's'biggest bourse for trading physical gold said: "This level of prices is already accepted, so during this period compared with last year, the demand will be higher."

Continue reading India Imports More Gold Despite Higher Prices

India Imports More Gold Despite Higher Prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TD Ameritrade (AMTD), a broker whose competitors include Charles Schwab (SCHW) and E*Trade (ETFC), closed Wednesday's session higher by 2%. The final quote came in at $14.93. That's not too far from the 52-week low of $14.53. The twelve-month range is a narrow one, as the 52-week high is $21.30.

Is the stock a trade? An investment? Indeed, you may be thinking that it's time to buy. Some things worry me, however. The one-year chart isn't attractive at all. Well, in one sense it is, because a trader/investor would be buying low at this point.

Continue reading TD Ameritrade: How Does the Stock Look?

TD Ameritrade: How Does the Stock Look? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Every single one of these stocks has been beaten down and is trading at a very compelling valuation. Furthermore, these names are the cream of the crop in the technology space. If the market can find a bottom in the next couple of weeks, you will be grateful to have added Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Intel Corporation (INTC), Hewlett-Packard Company (HPQ) and Dell, Inc. (DELL) at these depressed levels.

Continue reading Looking for a Bounce? Buy Big Cap Tech (CSCO, MSFT, INTC, HPQ, DELL)

Looking for a Bounce? Buy Big Cap Tech (CSCO, MSFT, INTC, HPQ, DELL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dell: Buy or Sell?

Dell: Buy or Sell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Options Update: Apple Options Active as Shares Rally on iPod and TV News originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The obvious question many investors will ask, amid a Dow that surged ahead 200 points or so on Thursday, is "Does this mark a turning point for the market?" or 'Is now a good time to start committing more money to stocks?'

Let's ignore technical indicators for the moment, as more than one bullish fundamental indicator during this long recession -- an economic statistic or otherwise -- has signaled a "false rise" or a "sucker's rally."

Continue reading For Dow Clues, Monitor U.S. Job Growth

For Dow Clues, Monitor U.S. Job Growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Speaking to CNBC, Peter Beutel makes his case for $10 per barrel oil. Here are some his stats to back up his analysis:

• We have more oil than we've had in 27 years, since they began keeping records.
• Oil inventories are higher than when the price of oil was $20 per barrel.
• We have 50 million more barrels than we had two years ago,
• We have 176 million barrels of distillate.

Continue reading The Case for $10 per Barrel Oil

The Case for $10 per Barrel Oil originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: A Good September Start (AAPL, BCSI, BKC, JPM, SLRY, RDC, APOL)

Closing Bell: A Good September Start (AAPL, BCSI, BKC, JPM, SLRY, RDC, APOL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EPFR Global tracks money flows worldwide. In a Bloomberg article, here are their latest numbers:

• Investors pulled $7.1 billion from stock funds worldwide in the week Aug 25.
• They put $5.2 billion into bonds.
• European equity funds reported net outflows of $15.7 billion
• Global emerging market funds took in $333 million.
• Dollar bonds in developing nations returned 13% this year.Global bonds could surpass last year's record inflow of $47 billion.

Continue reading Investors Are Switching from Stocks to Emerging Bonds

Investors Are Switching from Stocks to Emerging Bonds originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.