BloggingStocks

IHS Inc. (IHS): Shares price forming bullish 'pennant'

Larry Schutts — 2008-06-23T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Boeing Co (BA), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Amgen Inc (AMGN), Technical Analysis, Stocks to Buy

IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS) provides documents, decision-support tools and related services to customers in a variety of technical fields. The firm's Energy division delivers oil and gas data on exploration, development, production, and transportation activities to energy producers and oil companies. Its Engineering division provides technical specifications and standards, regulations, parts data, design guides and other information to customers in the defense, aerospace, construction, energy, electronics and automotive industries. Customers include Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN), Boeing (NYSE: BA) and DuPont (NYSE: DD).

The company surprised the Street last week, when it reported Q2 EPS of 46 cents and revenues of $207.2 million. Analysts had been expecting 44 cents and $200.5 million. According to the CFO, the underlying subscription-based business continued to perform very well, helping to generate top-line growth, margin expansion and a record quarterly cash flow from operations. As a result, the firm was able to re-pay money borrowed at the start of Q2 for three March acquisitions. Management also guided FY08 revenues to about $833.0-$846.7 million, versus consensus of $842.80 million.

The stock popped on the news and then moved into a bullish "pennant" consolidation pattern. Prices frequently exit pennants moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the issue with three "strong buys" and four "buys". Analysts see a 22% growth rate, through the next year. The IHS Price to Book ratio (4.76), Price to Free Cash Flow ratio (27.04), Sales Growth rate (33.76%), EPS Growth rate (43.75%) and Net Profit Margin (11.51%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutions hold about 75% of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $44.08 and $72.19. A stop-loss of $59.90 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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Fluor Corporation (FLR): Price consolidating in bullish 'pennant' pattern

Larry Schutts — 2008-05-22T12:16:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, General Motors (GM), Exxon Mobil (XOM), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Technical Analysis, Stocks to Buy

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) provides engineering, procurement, construction management and project management services worldwide. Projects involve the design and construction of manufacturing facilities, transportation infrastructure, refineries, healthcare buildings, power plants and telecommunications infrastructure. The company also provides administrative and support services to the U.S. government. The oil and gas sector accounts for about 50% of sales. Commercial clients include Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), General Motors (NYSE: GM) and DuPont (NYSE: DD).

Investors were pleased last week, when the company reported Q1 EPS of $1.50 and revenues of $4.81 billion. Analysts had been looking for $1.27 and $4.64 billion. Officials said that consolidated backlog rose to $31.5 billion, up 33% from the year ago period. Management also guided FY08 EPS to $6.25-$6.55, versus consensus of $5.63.

The FLR share price popped on the news and has since been defining a bullish "pennant" consolidation pattern. Prices frequently exit pennants moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the issue with five "strong buys", six "buys", three "holds" and one "sell". Analysts expect a 21% growth rate, through the next year. The FLR Price to Sales ratio (0.94), Sales Growth rate (31.99%), EPS Growth rate (59.75%), Return on Assets (10.46%), Return on Investment (20.87%) and Return on Equity (28.17%) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutions hold about 94% of the outstanding shares. The stock is one of those used to calculate the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 52 weeks, it has traded between $98.99 and $198.00. A stop-loss of $164.00 looks good here.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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Cramer on BloggingStocks: Oil's not the widespread tax it used to be

Jim Cramer — 2008-05-19T09:22:00+00:00

Filed under: General Electric (GE), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Market matters, Halliburton (HAL), Schlumberger Limited (SLB), Alcoa Inc (AA), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Bank of America (BAC), Boeing Co (BA), Chesapeake Energy (CHK), Chevron Corp (CVX), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Office Depot (ODP), Deere and Co (DE), Honeywell Intl (HON), United Technologies (UTX), Eaton Corp (ETN), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Oil, Stocks to Buy, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI), Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC), Union Pacific Corporation (UNP), Cramer on BloggingStocks, Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (POT)

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says lots of companies now thrive with crude up here.

Oil's not a tax on everything -- it's a tax on the consumer. That's what I come down to when I see the charts this weekend and ponder what's happening in so much of industrial America.

Company after company that I examine -- the new techs, as I call them -- actually benefit from higher oil prices. Or they can pass them on with ease, because of the worldwide demand being so strong.

Take all of the companies involved with making a Boeing (NYSE: BA) (Cramer's Take): Boeing itself, Alcoa (NYSE: AA) (Cramer's Take), Honeywell (NYSE: HON) (Cramer's Take) and Precision Castparts (NYSE: PCP) (Cramer's Take) being good examples. Each of these is necessary because the new Dreamliner burns lots less fuel, and with fuel the biggest airline cost, it stands to reason that higher energy prices make the plane more desirable even at a higher price point.

Or how about all of the companies involved with process and flow control and efficient motors: Parker-Hannifin (NYSE: PH) (Cramer's Take), Emerson (NYSE: EMR) (Cramer's Take), Eaton (NYSE: ETN) (Cramer's Take) and Flowserve (NYSE: FLS) (Cramer's Take). Those work higher with higher energy prices. CSX (NYSE: CSX) (Cramer's Take), Burlington Northern (NYSE: BNI) (Cramer's Take), Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) (Cramer's Take), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) (Cramer's Take) and Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) (Cramer's Take) are smaller energy users than trucks, and they ship plenty of ethanol and fertilizer.

Of course everything farming: Deere (NYSE: DE) (Cramer's Take), Monsanto (NYSE: MON) (Cramer's Take), Du Pont (NYSE: DD) (Cramer's Take), AGCO (NYSE: AG) (Cramer's Take), Potash (NYSE: POT) (Cramer's Take), Agrium (NYSE: AGU) (Cramer's Take), Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) (Cramer's Take) and Archer Daniels (NYSE: ADM) (Cramer's Take) (these are big companies in market cap now, powers of the S&P or companies just waiting to get into the S&P but stalled by a lack of mergers). And everything that drills, ships and transports oil and gas: Rowan (NYSE: RDC) (Cramer's Take), Parker (NYSE: PKD) (Cramer's Take), Weatherford (NYSE: WFT) (Cramer's Take), Cameron (NYSE: CAM) (Cramer's Take), Noble (NYSE: NE) (Cramer's Take), Transocean (NYSE: RIG) (Cramer's Take), FMC Tech (NYSE: FTI) (Cramer's Take), Oceaneering (NYSE: OII) (Cramer's Take) and so many others -- and of course, Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) (Cramer's Take) and Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) (Cramer's Take).

And then there is oil and gas itself, ever a larger portion of the S&P. Look at the charts during last week's run: Apache (NYSE: APA) (Cramer's Take), Anadarko (NYSE: APC) (Cramer's Take), Nabors (NYSE: NBR) (Cramer's Take), Exxon (NYSE: XOM) (Cramer's Take), Chevron (NYSE: CVX) (Cramer's Take), Occidental (NYSE: OXY) (Cramer's Take), XTO (NYSE: XTO) (Cramer's Take), Southwestern (NYSE: SWN) (Cramer's Take), Chesapeake (NYSE: CHK) (Cramer's Take), Ultra (NYSE: UPL) (Cramer's Take): these all count.

Coal, of course, is a huge beneficiary. Infrastructure works because these companies get the benefits of the oil companies' largesse by being able to build energy-related production centers.

Even the autos can be viewed as benefitting, as the newer cars use less gas than the old ones, making them viable alternatives in multiyear paybacks. Along those lines, energy-efficient appliances get a boost.

Then there are the myriad energy-alternative plays that are always dominating the headlines but haven't yet made it into the S&P or are very small parts of the S&P: the wind plays -- Trinity (NYSE: TRN) (Cramer's Take), Woodward Governor (NASDAQ: WGOV) (Cramer's Take), Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) (Cramer's Take) (also insulation); solar -- First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) (Cramer's Take) ($24 billion market cap), SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) (Cramer's Take), and all the Chinese plays that people love so much.

Pipelines galore: Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMP) (Cramer's Take), Enterprise (NYSE: EPD) (Cramer's Take), Boardwalk (NYSE: BWP) (Cramer's Take), so many others.

Many companies are neutral -- financial, telco, utilities -- although some benefit from the price umbrella of higher oil costs and can pass on costs they don't have. Tech's been fairly neutral. The weaknesses we have seen in tech are related to consumer slowdown (customers such as Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) (Cramer's Take)) or financial. Media's neutral, too. Health care can't be considered a negative either when it comes to energy consumption.

Most of the conglomerates say they are energy-positive: United Tech (NYSE: UTX) (Cramer's Take) and, famously, GE (NYSE: GE) (Cramer's Take), which has said that its fortunes should improve as oil goes higher, although we haven't seen that yet.

We know there are plenty that don't. Anything that is sold in the supermarket. Anything retail. Anything that uses oil or natural gas and can't really pass it on: Minerals and mining (although global demand really helps), glass (although recycling really helps, as in the case of Owens-Illinois (NYSE: OI) (Cramer's Take)), and chemicals and the paper producers.

But those companies aren't that important anymore, even though they dominate the consciousness of the marketplace, despite the encroachment of energy as a part of the S&P 500.

In fact, if finance could turn itself around -- something that seems increasingly possible, although it has sucked up a huge amount of capital and done nothing -- you could argue that we are on the cusp of a major move as it dawns on people that energy isn't the tax it used to be.

There are plenty of 30,000-foot flaws to this. We have seen time and again that our own growth in this country is heavily consumer-related. But the industrial growth owes itself not to the U.S. consumer, but the worldwide consumer.

All of these facts can go far toward explaining how higher oil prices have not been able to block the advance of the S&P or the Dow Jones averages. In fact, if the latter were more responsive to energy -- the Chevron nod was accompanied by ne'er-do-well Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) (Cramer's Take) instead of a Deere or another oil play like an Occidental or a Schlumberger -- we would be taking out 13,000 with ease.

All of this is worth thinking about when you are gloomy, because it doesn't add up to a decline, it explains the advance.

Keep it in mind during the next downturn. It explains a lot why they've been fairly shallow.

And I don't expect anything deeper now that finance seems to have stabilized.

RELATED LINKS:

Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. At the time of publication, Cramer was long XTO and Owens-Illinois.

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Agriculture boosts growth at DuPont (DD)

Steven Halpern — 2008-05-13T11:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Newsletters, duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Commodities, Agriculture, Stocks to Buy

Resource industry specialists Roger Conrad and Yiannis Mostrous are bullish on the agriculture and water sectors; in their model portfolio they already hold 6 stocks in these sectors.

The co-editors of Vital Resource Investor explain, "We see strong underpinnings for continued higher agricultural prices for many years to come." Here's their latest agrculture play: EI du Pont de Nemours (NYSE: DD).

"Recently the United Nations Food Agency warned of civil war in some countries because of global food shortages. With the rapid urbanization of Asian countries, we see a growing global dependence on a shrinking number of food producing nations, particularly with the world adding 78.5 million people each year.

"There will be ups and downs for prices along the way. A throttling back of America's efforts to develop ethanol so extensively or a move to use something besides corn to brew ethanol could take some of the upward pressure off corn prices.

"A real global recession could also cause food prices to back off for a time and it's also possible we'll see some form of US government intervention to curb food prices, particularly as the presidential election develops.

"Fortunately, there's also a supply-focused solution in agriculture: wide-scale application of technology accompanied with vast improvements in infrastructure. This will take years and heavy investment. But the silver lining is big profits for companies that are producers, technology developers and water system managers.

"Nemours is the second-largest US chemical company in terms of market cap and sales. Its main appeal is its strong global presence and diversified market exposure. DuPont is one of the world's largest producers of corn, soy seed and crop protection chemical products. Agricultural sales should surpass $7 billion this year.

"More than 60% of sales come from outside the US, at least 25% of which is generated in emerging markets. And by 2010 the company expects almost half of its revenue growth will come from emerging markets.

"DuPont has been allocating a lot of resources in research and development (R&D) focusing on new technology in corn traits that can offer triple herbicide resistance to increase productivity gains.

"The big potential of the agricultural business has sparked talk of potential separation of the agricultural arm of the company. Until now, management has maintained that shareholders are better served under the current arrangement.

"It remains to be seen if this view will hold as the market has been increasingly attributing more value in the innovation and growth potential of the agricultural division. Additionally, an eventual spinoff could potentially unlock hidden value and reward current stockholders even more.

"DuPont will endure challenges this year because of higher costs in sulphur and urea raw materials used in herbicides as well as high natural gas costs and soybean commodity prices.

"From the other divisions, the electronic and communication technologies division has benefited from strong demand for refrigerants and photovoltaic products. And this is expected to continue as the energy efficiency investment theme unfolds.

"On the corporate finance level, DuPont successfully implemented its lower-cost strategy and recently revealed a new $800 million three-year, fixed-cost productivity target. The company is also aiming to reduce variable costs by $1 billion in the next three years. Given its past success in the area, we expect that it to deliver once again."

Each day, Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers the latest market commentary and favorite investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

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Earnings highlights: Ford, Boeing, McDonald's, PepsiCo, JetBlue and others

Trey Thoelcke — 2008-04-27T11:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Starbucks (SBUX), PepsiCo (PEP), Ford Motor (F), McDonald's (MCD), Halliburton (HAL), Boeing Co (BA), Hershey Co (HSY), Coach Inc (COH), ConocoPhillips (COP), Yum Brands (YUM), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Lockheed Martin (LMT), U.S. Steel (X), UAL Corp (UAUA), Dow Chemical (DOW), JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Goodyear Tire and Rubber (GT), Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AXL) reported a strike-related Q1 loss.
Arch Coal Inc. (NYSE: ACI) Q1 profit tripled on increased demand and higher prices.
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) posted better-than-expected earnings despite Dreamliner delays.
Coach Inc. (NYSE: COH) better-than-expected quarter didn't impress Jim Cramer.
ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) reported Q1 earnings and revenue above analysts' forecasts.
Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE: DAL) reported a big loss on a one-time charge and fuel costs.
Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) posted a smaller-than-forecast profit drop and predicted a good Q2.
EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) Q1 earnings rose 26% but missed expectations.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) surprised Wall Street by swinging to a profit in the first quarter.
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) easily surpassed analyst estimates for the first quarter.
Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL) Q1 earnings and revenue rose due to international growth.
Hershey Co. (NYSE: HSY) profit fell but was in line with analysts' expectations.

JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU) reported a narrower-than-expected loss in the first quarter.
Lockheed-Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) posted solid Q1 results and raised its full-year outlook.
McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD) easily beat Q1 estimates due to gains overseas.
Northwest Airlines Corp. (NYSE: NWA) reported a larger-than-expected loss due to fuel costs.
PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) posted solid Q1 results that were merely inline with expectations.
Pepsi Bottling Group (NYSE: PBG) earnings were flat, but beat Wall Street expectations by a penny.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. (NYSE: POT) posted strong results on strong demand and price hikes.
Sonoco Products Co. (NYSE: SON) reported better-than-expected Q1 results and revised guidance.
Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX) preliminary Q2 results were lower than analyst's expected.
3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) beat earnings expectations and reaffirmed its guidance.
UAL Corp. (NASDAQ: UAUA) posted a worse-than-expected Q1 loss on rising fuel prices.
US Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) better-than-expected quarter didn't impress Jim Cramer.
Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) Q1 profits soared on overseas strength, and raised its guidance.

Also, Jim Cramer discusses "crummy lenders" and Jonathan Berr wonders if Ford's turnaround is for real. Joseph Lazzaro considers Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) as a barometer of the economy. One analyst thinks financials may have hit bottom and it may be time to buy, and Jon Ogg looks at what short sellers are making of tech stocks. Ted Allrich discusses what to sell/what to buy.

Upcoming results to watch for include Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN), CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS), Countrywide Financial (NYSE: CFC), U.S. Steel Corp. (NYSE: X), Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), General Motors (NYSE: GM), Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Time Warner (NYSE: TWX), Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), and Chevron (NYSE: CVX).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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Should you be looking at 3M?

Steven Mallas — 2008-04-26T12:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, 3M Corporation (MMM), Johnson and Johnson (JNJ), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD)

There were a lot of earnings reports this week -- if you weren't setting up some trades before the reports were released, you're probably digesting the numbers now. I had a look at 3M (NYSE: MMM) this morning. The famous Dow component, which competes with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and DuPont (NYSE: DD), reported this past Thursday. Net sales increased 9%, but diluted earnings per share unfortunately took a whopping decline of 25%. However, you need to take a look at what caused this drop -- there was a gain in last year's quarter from the disposition of a European pharmaceutical business, as well as some other items. Excluding these elements, you'll find that earnings per share grew by 8%.

According to the company's release, 3M did rather well in the free-cash-flow department. Last year at this time, free cash flow came in at $276 million. This past quarter saw free cash flow grow to just under $700 million. I liked that; I also liked that most of the company's divisions reported double-digit profit growth. This is a healthy, blue-chip dividend player -- plus, 3M is comfortable with its previously stated forward guidance of at least $5.47 in adjusted earnings per share for 2008 (or, as the release put it, management believes net income will see an increase of "a minimum of 10% over 2007 earnings-per-share of $4.98"), and it beat the street this past quarter by three pennies, according to Briefing.com.

Here are some things to think about regarding 3M's stock. If it does earn close to $5.47 a share, then the company sports a forward P/E ratio of a little over 14. The yield on the shares is well over 2%. And, as of Friday's close, the price of the stock -- $77.82 -- is well off the 52-week high of $97 and a little ways off from the 52-week low of $72.05. Taken together, this 3M scenario seems like an interesting set-up for a decent trade. The stock looks like it will probably meander for a bit, but it nevertheless should be looked at.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any of the companies mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

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DuPont (DD) first-quarter profit jumps on higher prices

Eliza Popescu — 2008-04-22T09:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Forecasts, Good news, Consumer experience, duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Agriculture

Shares of chemical maker EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD) are trading slightly higher in the premarket after the company reported a rise of 26% in its first quarter. The chemical maker also affirmed its second-quarter and full-year earnings outlooks, but warned about a weak domestic demand that is likely to put pressure on growth outside the country through the rest of 2008.

For its most recent quarter, the giant chemicals maker said its profit climbed to $1.19 billion, or $1.31 a share, compared with $945 million, or $1.01 a share reported in the same period a year ago. Analysts had expected DuPont show earnings of $1.29 a share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Looking at revenue, DuPont saw a growth of 9% to $8.58 billion, inline with analysts' predictions. The third-biggest U.S. chemical maker had to face continued economic worries such as higher fuel prices and declining housing markets that put a curb on consumer spending. However, the company was able to successfully surpass those obstacles, helped by the weak dollar and higher selling prices that offset flat domestic sales.

The chemical maker also reaffirmed both its second-quarter and full-year earnings outlook, citing strength in its agriculture and nutrition business and higher grain prices; soaring fuel prices gave a lift to grain prices, encouraging farmers to use more and more fertilizers and crop protection chemicals.

For 2008, the chemical maker forecast earnings in a range of $3.40 and $3.55 a share, excluding items. Analysts expectations for 2008 earnings had been $3.48 per share.

The company had to face a pretty difficult 2007 when saw its shares plunged on recession fears. Looking ahead, DuPont warned that it could see further weakness in U.S. markets that might offset international growth. But traders' optimism over the chemical maker's positive earnings sent its shares slightly higher in this morning's trading. However, it still remains under question how long the shares will keep moving upwards.

Eliza Popescu is a financial writer for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

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Hottest stocks of 2008, worst places for homeowner debt & the cell sell - Today in Money 4/22

Allan Halprin — 2008-04-22T09:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Ford Motor (F), Home Depot (HD), McDonald's (MCD), AT and T (T), Netflix, Inc. (NFLX), Money and Finance Today, American Express (AXP), Lowe's Cos (LOW), Verizon Communications (VZ), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Lockheed Martin (LMT), News Corp'B' (NWS), UAL Corp (UAUA), Time Warner Cable (TWC)

In the News:

· McDonald's Profit Jumps 24%

· AT&T Profit Rises; Meets 1Q Expectations

· United Airlines Loses Over $.5 Billion in 1Q

· Weak Dollar Boosts DuPont

· RBS Reveals Another $12 Billion in Losses

· Lockheed Martin Rises After 1Q Earnings Report

· Ford: Betting Its Future on One Car

· Samsung's Long-Time Chairman to Step Down After Tax Evasion Indictment

· Drivers Feel Squeezed as Gas Prices Hit New Highs

· Wall Street Journal Top Editor Stepping Down

· Americans Pinching Pennies on Mother's Day This Year

· Horror Show at Netflix as Growth Slows

Hottest Stocks of 2008 (so far)
Some surprising names have performed well this year--and they have room to run. They include Allied Irish Banks, Home Depot, Lowe's, American Express, Time Warner Cable, Vulcan Materials and Verizon.
The Hottest Stocks This Year - Morningstar Stock Strategist

Worst Places for Homeowner's Debt
It's no secret that homeowners with subprime mortgages have taken a beating. Next up: those who have combined their mortgages with home equity loans, second loans or both. These combinations spell especially bad news for homeowners with the worst city being Sacramento. Other cities with high homeowner debt include San Diego, Washington DC and Colorado Springs.
Worst Cities For Homeowner Debt - Forbes.com

Renters Can't Escape Housing Crisis
The most brutal real estate slump in decades is reverberating through the rental market. Renters in properties that are being foreclosed on are being evicted. Homeowners forced into foreclosure are becoming tenants again and driving up rents. And renters not yet ready to buy a home - shut out by stricter lending rules or hoping to buy after prices fall still further - are creating a dynamic shift: Even as real estate is sputtering, the rental market is surging.
Renters can't escape housing foreclosure crisis - USATODAY.com

Justice for Air Travelers?
Ongoing chaos at the terminal prompts the government to revisit passenger's rights.
Amid Chaos, Government Revisits Air Passengers' Rights - SmartMoney.com

The Cell Sell
Cell phone advertising -- expected to rise tenfold by 2011, to $14 billion -- is getting more and more creative.
The Cell Sell - Mobile Advertising - Mobile Gaming | Fast Company

Project Rehab
Tim Gunn, the star of Project Runway, is trying to revive Liz Claiborne. Can he "make it work" or is it "auf Wiedersehen" for a once-great American fashion house?
Project Rehab -- Tim Gunn -- Liz Clairborne | Fast Company

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Before the bell: Street reacts to earnings (TXN, DD), awaits more earnings (T, MCD, YHOO)

Melly Alazraki — 2008-04-22T07:39:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), McDonald's (MCD), AT and T (T), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Texas Instruments (TXN), Economic data, Housing

Stock futures were mostly lower Tuesday morning after Texas Instruments gave a disappointing outlook and as investors awaited earnings from McDonald's, AT&T and other big caps as well as housing data.

U.S. stocks ended mixed Monday as oil prices hit new record highs and Bank of America reported a 77% profit decline. The Dow industrials losing 24 points, or 0.19%, and the S&P 500 down 2 points, or 0.16% while the the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 5 points, or 0.21%.

This morning investors will focus on March existing home sales reading. Economists forecast the pace of sales again fell in March despite showing a rise in February. That rise could have been attributed to the largest housing price drop and no one called a bottom to the housing crisis back then. The March data will show if indeed that was the beginning of a trend, but most likely it will show continued decline in the housing market.

With Texas Instruments' bleak outlook, much of today's trading will be swayed by the housing data, the outcome of earnings from the large companies as well as oil prices, which have already set a new record Tuesday of over $118 a barrel. Meanwhile retail gas prices reached over $3.50 a gallon.

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) has reported a 28% rise in first-quarter profit after the close Monday. However, as has become increasingly more common, the chipmaker's outlook disappointed Wall Street. TXN shares were down nearly 2% in premarket trading.

Already this morning, DuPont (NYSE: DD), a Dow component, posted a better-than-expected earnings of $1.19 billion, or $1.31 a share, a 26% increase over the same period last year. Revenue was up 7% to $8.77 billion. Analysts were expecting Dupont to earn $1.28 a share. Not only that, but DuPont mostly reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance.

Two more Dow components, AT&T (NYSE: T) and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) are scheduled to report earnings before the opening bell, while the giant portal company Yahoo (NASDAQ: YHOO) is due to report after the close. With Yahoo! having to give an answer to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) shortly, many see these upcoming earnings report as crucial to the company's future.

Other than earnings news, Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE: RBS) said Tuesday it is forced to raise $23.9 billion in new capital to cover its additional losses of $11.7 billion tied to mortgages. Seems banks aren't out of the woods yet.

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Bunge Limited (BG): Shares price defines bullish 'flag'

Larry Schutts — 2008-04-14T11:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Good news, Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Technical Analysis, Stocks to Buy, Bunge Ltd. (BG)

Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) is an integrated agribusiness, fertilizer and food products concern. The company is a leading global processor of soybeans and other grains, a leading provider of products and services to the South American farming community and a major U.S. food processor. Some of Bunge's agribusiness products are used for industrial purposes, including renewable fuels like biodiesel. Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE: ADM) is a major competitor.

Investors were pleased earlier in the month, when Bunge-DuPont (NYSE: DD) joint venture Solae Company said it would increase global prices for its soy protein ingredients by up to 30%. The firm said the increases were necessary, in order to maintain a consistent level of service, innovation and investment in research.

BG shares popped on the news and have since been consolidating the gain in a bullish "flag" pattern. Equities frequently exit flags moving in the same direction they were traveling on entry. In this case, that would be to the upside.

Brokers recommend the stock with six "buys" and three "holds". Analysts see a 17% growth rate, through the next year. The BG P/E ratio (17.99), Price to Sales ratio (0.32), Price to Book ratio (1.92), Price to Cash Flow ratio (9.93), Sales Growth rate (82.45%) and Revenue per Employee ($1.584M) compare favorably with industry, sector and S&P 500 averages. Institutions hold about 72% of the outstanding shares. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between $70.97 and $135.00. A stop-loss of $89.50 looks good here. Note that the firm is expected to release first quarter results on April 24th, before the open.

Larry Schutts is a contributing editor for Theflyonthewall.com and the Vice-President of Stockwinners.com. He does not hold positions in any of the stocks mentioned above.

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Earnings highlights: GE, Alcoa, Circuit City, UPS, Dell, DuPont, AMD and others

Trey Thoelcke — 2008-04-12T17:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Dell (DELL), General Electric (GE), Target Corp. (TGT), Advanced Micro Dev (AMD), Alcoa Inc (AA), Circuit City Stores (CC), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), United Parcel'B' (UPS), Genentech Inc (DNA), Progressive Corp,Ohio (PGR), Rite Aid Corp (RAD)

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Acuity Brands Inc. (NYSE: AYI) beat second-quarter estimates on increased productivity and new products.
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) cut its outlook and announced job cuts.
Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) missed first-quarter earnings estimates but beat revenue expectations.
Circuit City Stores Inc. (NYSE: CC) surprised Wall Street by posting a second-quarter profit.
Dell Inc.'s (NASDAQ: DELL) rosy 2008 forecast is based on cost cuts, overseas growth, share buybacks.
DuPont & Co. (NYSE: DD) raised its first-quarter outlook on strength in agriculture and emerging markets.
Eastman Chemical Co. (NYSE: EMN) raised its first-quarter guidance on strong sales and higher prices.
EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering (NASDAQ: EXFO) beat estimates and announced an acquisition.
Foundry Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) slashed its first-quarter outlook, blaming the weak economy.
Genentech Inc. (NYSE: DNA) beat first-quarter earnings estimates, but not revenue expectations.
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) missed earnings expectations and lowered its guidance.
Novellus Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: NVLS) trimmed its first-quarter earnings and revenue forecasts.
Progressive Corp. (NYSE: PGR) beat estimates though first-quarter profits fell due to lower premiums.
Rite Aid Corp. (NYSE: RAD) swung to a loss in the fourth quarter on acquisition costs and a tax charge.

Schawk Inc. (NYSE: SGK) posted mixed results due in part to the Hollywood writers strike.
Sealy Corp. (NYSE: ZZ) posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on international sales.
SonoSite Inc. (NASDAQ: SONO) forecast swinging to a first-quarter profit on international growth.
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) lowered its first-quarter forecast due to weakness in the U.S. economy.
WD-40 Co. (NASDAQ: WDFC) missed second-quarter estimates and lowered its outlook.

Also, Jim Cramer takes GE's disappointing results as a reminder that earnings matter. Weak financial performance at Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) hits the CEO in the pocketbook, and analysts don't like the prospects for MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) and other casinos. Jonathan Berr looks back at analysts' earnings forecasts in the previous quarter. And here's a look at big banks reporting results next week.

Upcoming results to watch for include Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), IBM (NYSE: IBM), JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Capital One (NYSE: COF), E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Harley Davidson (NYSE: HOG), Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER), Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT), Schlumbeger (NYSE: SLB), Wachovia (NYSE: WB), and Xerox (NYSE: XRX).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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Closing Bell: Gains Hold after end of day profit taking

Jon Ogg — 2008-04-10T16:41:00+00:00

Filed under: Intel (INTC), Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD)

Today was mostly a solid day until profit taking at the day's end took off some of the gains. Retail sales data was mixed to mostly poor, although the shares reacted as though the news was good as many retailers maintained or were at least close to earnings guidance. Today's equity volume was actually very light. As far as trying to figure out the huge internet merger, well that's just an obvious mess and one that all the parties will ultimately decide on.

Below was the unofficial close of major US index levels:

DJIA 12,582.39 (+55.13; +0.44%)
S&P 500 1,360.58 (+6.09;+0.45%)
NASDAQ 2,351.70 (+29.58; +1.27%)
10YR-TBond 3.532% (+0.066%)
52-Week Lows.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (NYSE: DD) saw a 1.2% gain to $49.64 after the company raised guidance for Q1 and issued cautious Q2 views.

The First Marblehead Corporation (NYSE: FMD) saw a 3% drop to $4.49 after the company announced it wouldn't tap a credit line. The good news is that this one looked like it was dead meat earlier in the day when shares traded even under $3.50.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) saw shares rise 3% to $22.08 after Banc of America raised the semiconductor sector today, including Intel.

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) saw shares fall by more than 2% today after the march-end short interest from NASDAQ showed a substantial gain in short selling on the name.

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Option Update: Wal-Mart and Dupont raise outlook

Paul Foster — 2008-04-10T09:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Wal-Mart (WMT), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Options

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) sees Q1 EPS 74 to 76 cents versus prior guidance of 70-74 cents. WMT over all option implied volatility of 24 is below its 26-week average of 26 according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price risk.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) raised its Q1 2008 earnings outlook reflecting strong agriculture and emerging markets growth. DD over all option implied volatility of 29 is near its 26-week average according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional risk.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

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5 foreign stocks to love, highest paid CEOs & 6 best credit cards - Today in Money 4/10

Allan Halprin — 2008-04-10T09:07:00+00:00

Filed under: Yahoo! (YHOO), Time Warner (TWX), Wal-Mart (WMT), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Nokia Corp. (NOK), Money and Finance Today, American Express (AXP), Bed Bath and Beyond (BBBY), CBS Corp 'B' (CBS), Merrill Lynch (MER), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), duPont(E.I.)deNemours (DD), Oracle Corp (ORCL), News Corp'B' (NWS), AMR Corp (AMR)

In the News:

· News Corp., AOL Eye Yahoo Deals

· Yahoo's New Bedfellows: AOL and Google

· Wal-Mart March Sales Soft, But Ups Profit Forecast

· Retailers Post Sluggish March Sales

· Wal-Mart Moments Never Meant for Display Are Released

· American Airlines Cancels Flights for Third Day

· Toyota Recalls Half Million Vehicles

· DuPont Raises 1Q Estimates

· Bed, Bath & Beyond Profit Drops

· Katie Couric May Leave CBS News Early

5 Foreign Stocks to Love
Concerned about your domestic investments in today's troubled economy? Consider these international companies, which can be easily purchased right here in the U.S. They include Finland's Nokia, China's CNOOC, Brazil's Embraer, U.K's InterContinental Hotels Group and Ireland's Allied Irish Banks.
5 foreign stocks we love - How we chose the stocks (1) - CNNMoney.com

Highest Paid CEOs
Stocks may have fallen in 2007, but executive pay sure didn't. And if the multi-million dollar paydays for CEOs doesn't raise eyebrows, the 'perks' that go along with the money certainly will. These include corporate jets, special security, private cars with drivers to country club dues and vacations. Among the top paid CEOS including base pay, perks and other compensation are Merrill Lynch's new CEO John Thain, Oracle's Larry Ellison, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein and American Express' Kenneth Chenault who each made over $50 million last year.
List: Highest Paid CEOs Stocks may fall, but execs' pay doesn't - USATODAY.com CEO perks often include use of company jet, security - USATODAY.com

Retirees Turn to Communes
With living costs spiraling upward and empty-nesters feeling a need for a greater sense of community in their lives, some baby boomers are reconsidering the concept of group living. This time around, the idea holds appeal as a cost-efficient, socially engaging way to spend their golden years.
Baby boomers go back to the commune -Bankrate

12 Tips for Midnight Tax Filers
These tips will help ensure that you get your return into Uncle Sam's hands on time while mailing at the last possible moment.
Many happy, but last-minute, returns

The Best Credit Cards Today
From low fees to frequent-flyer miles: 6 cards that give you something back.
The best credit cards - CNNMoney.com

Secrets of Lawn Pros
We reveal seven tips to get your yard looking great this year. Plus, how do lawn services compare?
ConsumerReports.org - Lawn care: Steps to a great yard, Lawn care services
Plus: Lawn Care Services: How Do They Stack Up?
Review: Comparing Nationwide Lawncare Service Providers - Lawn Doctor, Naturalawn, Scotts & TruGreen

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