24/7 Wall St. » CROX

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (ANF, A, BBVA, CME, CROX, DE, DELL, DKS, HLF, HP, HBAN, ICE, LM, SINA, V, WAT)

Administrator — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:23:52 +0000

These are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen in Wall Street research calls this Thursday.

Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) Cut to Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (NYSE: BBVA) Raised to Neutral at BNP Paribas.

CME Group Icc. (NASDAQ: CME) Cut to Market Perform at Raymond James.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) Started as Neutral at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) Reiterated Buy with $96 target at Argus.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) Raised to Neutral at Stern Agee.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) Reiterated Buy and Raised target to $58 at Argus.

Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) Raised to Buy at Caris; David Einhorn did not discuss the issue at the Value Investing Congress on Wednesday; Reiterated Buy with $76 target at Canaccord Genuity.

Helmerich & Payne Inc. (NYSE: HP) Raised to Buy with $55 target at Argus.

Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ: HBAN) Maintained Outperform but cut 2012/2013 estimates and maintained $8 target at Credit Suisse.

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) Raised to Strong Buy at Raymond James.

Legg Mason Inc. (NYSE: LM) Raised to Buy at Citigroup.

SINA Corp. (NASDAQ: SINA) Raised to Overweight at Barclays.

Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V) Maintained Buy but removed from the Conviction Buy List at Goldman Sachs.

Waters Corp. (NYSE: WAT) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.

If you enjoyed the top analyst upgrades and downgrades, you can join our free email newsletter that includes analyst summaries each morning sent right to your inbox. We also cover top issues such as IPOs, special financial exclusives, mergers and more. Sign up in the box below.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Analyst Calls Tagged: A, ANF, BBVA, CME, CROX, DE, DELL, DKS, HBAN, HLF, HP, ICE, LM, SINA, V, WAT

Top Active Trader Alerts (AKAM, CRUS, CTXS, CROX, EA, EQIX, HTWR, HRB, LOGI, NUAN, SKX, STMP, TQNT, XLNX)

Administrator — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:55:30 +0000

There are many stocks on the move this morning and most are due to the endless reports of earnings. This Thursday morning’s top pre-market winners and losers are the following:

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) is down 5.5% this morning at $36.60 on over 100,000 shares. The media and content accelerator beat earnings estimates even though earnings were down 15%. Despite a revenue gain, the company announced that its CEO would step down from the company by the end of 2013.

Cirrus Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRUS) rose 11% ahead of the close to $23.09 today, but shares are up another 8% or so on over 500,000 shares since the market closed after reporting revenues and earnings ahead of estimates. This will mark a 52-week high.

Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) beat earnings and raised guidance; the stock was up 6.5% last night and shares are now up 8.3% at $23.09 on almost 50,000 shares.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) had a 32% earnings gain is being trumped with an outlook that is not as robust as investors were hoping. Shares were down over 8% last night but the stock is down only about 4.5% at $21.04 this morning.

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) is trading up almost 8% at $16.20 and we have seen almost 500,000 shares trade hands. There is a rumor of a buyout or of some sort of deal involving the company but details are not that clear as of yet.

Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) won on an earnings gain yet again and shares were up 7.6% last night; now shares are up 8.5% at $162.21 and that is a new 52-week high above $161.56 if it holds.

Heartware International, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTWR) is up over 15% at $80.10 on more than 100,000 shares; the company received a favorable FDA Advisory Committee vote for its Ventricular Assist System to bridge transplant for patients with end-stage heart failure.

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) claimed a record year in total tax clients the company is shedding some 350 jobs and is shutting some 250 stores in order to save money. Shares were down over 10% last night and are now down 13.9% at $14.41 pre-market.

Logitech International SA (NASDAQ: LOGI) reported earnings, but this is up because of a change made in its executive management in what investors will hope is a solid turnaround. Shares are up over 13% at $8.85 in thin pre-market trading.

Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) issued guidance that appears to be above expectations and shares are continuing their surge. This is up almost 13% on almost 200,000 shares pre-market.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE: SKX) is up 16% at $17.34 in thin pre-market trading despite a huge drop in sales and despite a loss as the cleaning out of inventory and restructuring is taking hold with pairs sold on the rise.

Stamps.com Inc. (NASDAQ: STMP) is up 11.3% at $31.50 in thin volume pre-market after it grew handily: 27% in its core PC postage revenues and up 41% in non-GAAP earnings per share.

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) rose over 7% yesterday as an Apple-winner, but shares are down huge as guidance fell short of estimates. Maybe Apple drove too hard of a bargain. The drop was over 13% last night and the drop this morning is 14.6% at $4.71 on over 350,000 shares.

Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) showed a net income drop but its outlook for the current quarter is signaling improvements are on the way. Shares were up over 7% last night and that is the same today with a gain of 7.36% to $36.85 on more than 50,000 shares in the pre-market.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Pre-Market Activity, Trading Alert Tagged: AKAM, CROX, CRUS, CTXS, EA, EQIX, HRB, HTWR, LOGI, NUAN, SKX, STMP, TQNT, XLNX

11 Big Unusual After-Hours Movers On News (AKAM, ACOM, CRUS, CROX, EQIX, HRB, LSI, SKX, STMP, TQNT, XLNX)

Administrator — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:05:13 +0000

Earnings season is in full swing and we have many earnings reports moving stocks after the close. 24/7 Wall St. has picked the biggest and most unusual stocks gains and losses in the after-hours session so far this Wednesday.

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) is seeing what might be an unusual move to some. The company beat earnings estimates even though earnings were down 15%. Despite a revenue gain, the company announced that its CEO would step down from the company by the end of 2013. Shares closed up 2.7% today and the stock is up another 2.7% at $38.75 in the after-hours session.

Ancestry.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACOM) rose 4.4% ahead of the closing bell to $24.44 but the company announced earnings and that it is acquiring a service called Archives.com as well. This is for more growth and solidification of its business and the stock is up another 6% at $26.00 in the after-hours session on over 50,000 shares.

Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) was up 3.5% to $77.17 today but then after beating earnings and raising guidance the stock is up yet another 6.5% to $77.35 in the after-hours session on about 400,000 shares since the close.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) has to admit that its shoes are ugly even if they are comfortable. Its stock was up 2.5% at $22.04 ahead of the close, but a 32% earnings gain is being trumped with an outlook that is not as robust as investors were hoping. Shares are down over 8% at $20.22 on more than 250,000 shares since the close.

Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) is back in the saddle and shares are now again within striking distance of new highs. Shares closed up 1.2% at $149.47 on the day but investors are cheering its earnings gains with a 7.6% gain to $160.85 on over 300,000 shares traded since the closing bell.

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) was up 0.9% in normal trading today but despite a record year in total tax clients the company is shedding some 350 jobs and is shutting some 250 stores in order to save money. Shares are down 10.4% at $14.35 in the after-hours session against a 52-week range of $12.54 to $17.83.

LSI Corporation (NYSE: LSI) has been riding high this week on news after Apple beat earnings and after Barron’s touted it over the weekend. After a gain of 5% to $8.43 today, the company’s reaction to beating earnings and increasing guidance is sending shares up 2% to $8.60 in the after-hours.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE: SKX) was up despite a huge drop in sales and despite a loss as the cleaning out of inventory and restructuring is taking hold with pairs sold on the rise. The change was less than 1% today but the stock is up 16% at $17.34 in the after-hours with almost 100,000 having traded since the closing bell alone.

Stamps.com Inc. (NASDAQ: STMP) is one of the after-hours leaders as well with a gain of 11% at $31.45 on over 25,000 shares since the market closed. The online stamp outfit did not just grow, it grew handily: 27% in its core PC postage revenues and up 41% in non-GAAP earnings per share.

TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TQNT) rose over 7% today as an Apple-winner, but shares are down huge as guidance fell short of estimates. Maybe Apple drove too hard of a bargain. The drop is a sharp 13.4% to $4.76 in the after-hours session on over 500,000 shares since the close.

Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) showed a net income drop but its outlook for the current quarter is signaling improvements are on the way. Shares rose over 2% today but the stock is up over 7% at $36.85 on almost 200,000 shares since the close.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: After-Hours Activity, Earnings, Trading Alert Tagged: ACOM, AKAM, CROX, CRUS, EQIX, HRB, LSI, SKX, STMP, TQNT, XLNX

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (FSLR, MNST, TSL, ARMH, MAR, Y, CROX, DECK, MRVL, MCP, SPN, ANR, JCP, NEM, CHTP, BV, KCP, RBCN, KND)

Paul Ausick — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:08:15 +0000

After opening higher this morning, markets rebounded from an early dip following a better-than-expected reading on consumer confidence and a bullish report on US new home sales. But sellers took over in the afternoon and the three major indexes turned south, with the DJIA falling into negative territory for the day. Crude oil continues to set new multi-month highs, with WTI ending up 1.8% for the day at $109.77/barrel, and a gain for the week of 6.3%. Brent crude is up 1.42% at $125.37/barrel. Gold settled down -0.6% at $1,776.40/ounce, but posted a weekly gain of 2.9%.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down nearly 2 points to 12,983.02 (-0.01%), the NASDAQ rose more than 6 points (0.23%) to 2,963.75, and the S&P 500 rose 0.17% or more than 2 points to 1,365.74.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) cut to ‘neutral’ at Susquehanna; Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST) reiterated as ‘Conviction Buy List’ and estimates raised at Goldman Sachs; Trina Solar Ltd. (NYSE: TSL) cut to ‘market perform’ at Wells Fargo and cut to ‘negative’ at Susquehanna; ARM Holdings plc (NASDAQ: ARMH) started as ‘overweight’ at Piper Jaffray; and Marriott International Inc. (NYSE: MAR) raised to ‘Conviction Buy List” at Goldman Sachs.

Earnings reports since markets closed last night have led to some price changes as of the last half hour of trading today: Allegheny Corp. (NYSE: Y) is up 4.4% at $315.72; Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is down -5.8% at $19.24 (more coverage here); Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NASDAQ: DECK) is down -14.2% at $77.39; Marvel Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: MRVL) is down -3.7% at $15.46; Molycorp Inc. (NYSE: MCP) is down -7.9% at $26.80 (more coverage here); Superior Energy Services Inc. (NYSE: SPN) is down -1.8% at $29.92; Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: ANR) is down -2.9% at $20.40 (more coverage here); J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) is down -0.72% at $41.63; and Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) is down -2.3% at $62.32.

Other standouts from today include the following stocks:

Chelsea Therapeutics International Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTP) is up 61% at $3.88. The drug maker yesterday received an FDA panel approval for a drug to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Bazaarvoice Inc. (NASDAQ: BV) is up about 37% at $16.40. Today is the social commerce site’s IPO and trading volume has topped 8.1 million on an original issue of about 9.5 million shares at $12/share. More coverage here and here.

Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. (NYSE: KCP) is up about 19% at $15.55 after posting a new 52-week high of $16.00 earlier. The apparel maker is being taken private at $15/share. More coverage here.

Rubicon Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: RBCN) is down nearly -19% at $9.87. The LED maker missed estimates and offered weak guidance for the current quarter.

Kindred Healthcare Inc. (NYSE: KND) is down nearly -15% at $10.66. The healthcare services company posted a loss last night and announced that it would not renew 7 of 10 master leases with Ventas Inc. (NYSE: VTR).

Stay tuned for Monday. We have noted the following events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

10:00 a.m. – Pending home sales index
10:30 a.m. – Dallas Fed manufacturing survey
11:30 a.m. – 3- and 6-month Treasury bill auction

Have a great weekend!

Paul Ausick

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire Tagged: ANR, ARMH, BV, CHTP, CROX, DECK, FSLR, JCP, KCP, KND, MAR, MCP, MNST, MRVL, NEM, RBCN, SPN, TSL, Y

Ugly Shoes Empire Expanding: Crocs Goes Into New Merchandise Territory (CROX)

Administrator — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:46:01 +0000

Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is going into many new horizons with its brand. It almost sounds impossible if you are not a fan of the brand. Many people love Crocs, but many think it is one of the ugliest brands on the market. If you love those rubber shoes, how about wearing new accessories, apparel, and eyewear with the Crocs logos on them? The data comes from a press release, otherwise we might wonder if it was reported by The Onion.

The first non-footwear Crocs-branded products included a line of adult and children’s socks from Sock and Accessories Brands, which launched in the holiday 2011 season. These will also be available in Europe.
Crocs has also signed up with Accessory Exchange for it to produce Crocs-branded accessories for men, women and children. These will include hats, bags, backpacks, socks and gloves for Crocs retail stores and the Crocs.com website.
In April 2012, the Crocs brand will extend to children’s apparel through an agreement with the A Group in 46 countries. Crocs-branded sunglasses and sunglass accessories also will launch in May 2012 in a deal with Eye King, LLC to produce sunglasses for adults and youth for retail and wholesale distribution in the U.S. and Canada.
Crocs Professional Footwear Division is in a partnership with ICER Brands to “build on the loyal following of medical professionals with the introduction of Crocs-branded scrubs. This new medical gear is available now through specialty stores and online.”
Paramount, a sports licensee, recently kicked off Collegiate and MLB licensed footwear for the brand.

OK. so let’s get this straight. Medical scrubs, baseball shoes, eyeglasses, hats backpacks, and gloves… All with the Crocs label on them.

This just sounds bad on the surface. As far as investors are concerned, if it grows the brand and captures new sales that were previously uncharted then it is a win.

200 million pairs of shoes sold is probably a better judge than us calling Crox one of the ugliest brands that there is. After all, opinions greatly differ and the sales results probably speak louder than critical words.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Apparel, Consumer Goods, Economy, Retail Tagged: CROX

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (ALU, WBMD, URBN, RL, AWK, LEN, SVU, SHIP, LEDS, SNX, JASO, YRCW, CROX, HL, HRC)

Paul Ausick — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:05:20 +0000

Equities opened modestly down this morning and the three major indexes have stayed within a few points of flat all day. The NASDAQ composite has remained in positive territory as the technology sector has benefited from a sharp buying trend in solar stocks. The EIA’s weekly petroleum report came in with a crude build of 5 million barrels, way above an expected gain of 1 million barrels. The report weighed on energy stocks since mid-morning. The euro has also been weaker today, adding a bit of push to equity buying. Crude oil is ending the day down, with WTI crude down about -1.3% at $100.92/barrel and Brent crude is down 0.64% at $112.55/barrel. Gold closed higher, at $1,640.50/ounce, after posting a four-week high earlier today.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA down more than 13 points to 12,449.08 (-0.11%), the NASDAQ rose more than 8 points (0.31%) to 2,710.76, and the S&P 500 rose 0.03% or less than 1 point to 1,292.44.

There were several analyst upgrades and downgrades today, including Alcatel-Lucent, S.A. (NYSE: ALU) raised to ‘buy’ at Deutsche Bank; WebMD Health Corp. (NASDAQ: WBMD) cut to ‘market perform’ at Wells Fargo; Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN) cut to ‘sell’ at Citigroup; Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) cut to ‘market perform’ at Wells Fargo; and American Water Works Co. Inc. (NYSE: AWK) raised to ‘buy’ at Ladenburg Thalmann.

Earnings reports since markets closed yesterday have led to some price changes: Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN) is up 6.3% at $22.07 after posting a new 52-week high of $22.53 earlier today; Supervalu Inc. (NYSE: SVU) is down nearly -13% at $7.33; Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHIP) is up more than 5.5% at $2.65; SemiLEDS Corp. (NASDAQ: LEDS) is more than 5% at $3.69; and Synnex Corp. (NYSE: SNX) is up more than 8% at $34.80.

Other standouts from today include the following stocks:

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JASO) is up more than 37% at $1.97. The Chinese solar maker is among several Chinese solar companies getting a boost today from news that solar panel prices appear to be stabilizing. We have more coverage here.

YRC Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: YRCW) is up nearly 16% at $11.38. The transportation company has said it will auction 62 of its surplus US sites.

Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is up more than 17% at $18.73. The funny-shoe company has estimated that sales in the current fiscal year will top $1 billion for the first time.

Hecla Mining Co. (NYSE: HL) is down about -22% at $4.55, after posting a new 52-week low of $4.25 earlier today. The silver miner has lowered its production estimate due to a forced closure of a shaft at its Nevada mine.

Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HRC) is down nearly -12% at $30.45. The medical equipment maker and services provider lowered fourth-quarter and full-year guidance last night.

Stay tuned for Thursday. Here are the noteworthy events on the schedule (all times Eastern):

8:30 a.m. – Initial unemployment benefits claims report
8:30 a.m. – Census Bureau retail sales report
10:00 a.m. – Census Bureau business inventories report
10:30 a.m. – EIA weekly natural gas status report
1:00 p.m. – 30-year bond auction
2:00 p.m. – US Treasury budget
4:30 p.m. – Federal Reserve balance sheet

Paul Ausick

Filed under: HI/LOW, Market Close, The Day Tagged: ALU, AWK, CROX, HL, HRC, JASO, LEDS, LEN, RL, SHIP, SNX, SVU, URBN, WBMD, YRCW

Top Active Trader Alert Stocks (CREE, CROX, ERIC, INTC, YHOO)

Mike Sauter — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:59:18 +0000

Active traders and day traders have many stocks to choose from this Wednesday morning. We are tracking news and moves in shares of Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE), Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), and Yahoo, Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO).

Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) is down 4.8% before market open to $26.45, relative to a 52-week range of $23.03 – $72.85.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is up 2.7% before market open to $16.60, relative to a 52-week range of $13.20 – $32.47.

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) is down 4.7% premarket to $9.91, relative to a 52-week range of $8.83 – $15.44.

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) is up 3.5% premarket to $24.22, relative to a 52-week range of $18.90 – $23.96.

Yahoo, Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is up 3.6% premarket to $16.04, relative to a 52-week range of $11.09 – $18.84.

Filed under: General Tagged: CREE, CROX, ERIC, INTC, YHOO

24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (BAC, CHTR, HAL, EP, KO, IBM, JNJ, STT, APEI, BMI, CROX, HALO, HOG, HGSI, USU)

Administrator — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:08:25 +0000

Today was a day of red that went to a day of green. Earnings were at first a disappointment, and producer price index came out far hotter at +0.8% on the headline number before the +0.2% reading if you back out food and energy prices from the producer prices. The market rallied with financial stocks from the start of the day and the market losses suddenly became gains. Homebuilders also looked a bit less-pessimistic in their latest survey. The big news came from a report out of England that France and Germany have supposedly agreed to increase the European Financial Stability Fund to up to $2 billion ahead of the Sunday meeting, although this seems to be a stretch based upon Europe’s slowness to act so far.

The unofficial closing bells put the DJIA up triple digits with a gain of 178 points to 11,575.46, the NASDAQ rose more than 42 (1.6%) to 2,657.43, and the S&P 500 rose 2% or 24 points to 1,225.28. Today’s top analyst upgrade and downgrade calls were numerous and included Charter Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL), and more than a dozen other companies.

There has been a turnaround from the indicated loss in Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) after its earnings showed that book value managed to actually grow and the stock was up almost 10% at $6.63 late in the session.

Some food for thought… Now the MLP and pipeline sector may look cheap on the heels of the El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) buyout.

As far as the other big earnings report reactions today (prices within 20 minutes of the closing bell): The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) was down 0.3% at $66.79; International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM) was a huge drag on teh DJIA with shares still down 4.5% at $178.30; Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) was up 1.2% at $64.54; State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) was up 9% at $36.97.

Several other standouts from today are as follows…

American Public Education Inc. (NASDAQ: APEI) lost more than 20% of its value to $30.05 after the American Military University will see far lower tuition assistance from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Badger Meter Inc. (NYSE: BMI) was a loser even if it is supposed to be a water winner after missing earnings estimates. Shares were down 13% at $29.08 in the final minutes of the day.

Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) was a disaster after an earnings warning that would not have been so bad had the stock not been up 100% from its 52-week lows before the report. The stock was down a massive 39% at $16.20 right before the close on more than 8-times normal volume of 25 million shares.

Halozyme Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) was such a winner that it should be called “Master Chief” for its stock ticker. Its subcutaneous Herceptin trial met the study goals and the stock was up over 18% at $7.34 right before the close. This was not even a 52-week high.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG) was about 4% shy of sales targets in its earnings report and that had the stock down 7% to $34.56 right before the close. With a 52-week high of $46.88, it seemed a bit harsh of a reaction even with slightly lower margin guidance.

Human Genome Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) was up over 15% at $12.95 on reports that a $25.00 per share buyout could be headed its way. We gave a handicap on the odds of a deal happening.

USEC Inc. (NYSE: USU) broke a major run higher today and still no news exists. The belief is that the loan approval from the DOE may get a better review now that solar loan fraud seems to be prevailing after Solyndra. Shares were down 4% at $2.10 right before the close. Still, this was a $1.30 stock just last Thursday.

Stay tuned for Wednesday. We have speeches to watch from Rosengren and Lockhart on the docket as well as a hearing about ETFs. Here are some economic releases due in the morning and throughout the day:

8:30 September CPI
8:30 Housing Starts
10:30 Weekly Oil Inventories
2:00 PM Beige Book

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Economy, The Day Tagged: APEI, BAC, BMI, CHTR, CROX, EP, HAL, HALO, HGSI, HOG, IBM, JNJ, KO, STT, USU

Top Active Trader Alert Stocks (AMR, BAC, CROX, HGSI)

Mike Sauter — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:56:44 +0000

Active traders and day traders have many stocks to choose from this Tuesday morning. We are tracking news and moves in shares of AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR), Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC), Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), and Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI).

AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR) is down 5.4% premarket to $2.61, relative to a 52-week range of $1.75-$8.98.

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) is up 2% before market open to $6.15, relative to a 52-week range of $5.13 – $15.31.

Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is down more than 35% premarket to $17.27, relative to a 52-week range of $13.20 – $32.47. The company has lowered its 3Q forecast substantially.

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: HGSI) is up 9.2% before market open to $12.34, relative to a 52-week range of $10.40 – $30.15.

Filed under: General Tagged: AMR, BAC, CROX, HGSI

CROCS Earnings: Now Back To Ugly Shoes (CROX)

Administrator — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:58:47 +0000

CROCS Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX) is one of the few retail apparel stocks which was up 100% from its 52-week low. It had been a miraculous recovery stock earlier this year. Call it the flame-out momentum apparel stock death of years past that witnessed a massive resurrection. The emblem could have been a Phoenix rather than an alligator if you just look at the lows in January to the highs in July.

That was then, this is now… Wall Street lives by a “what have you done for me lately and what will you do for me tomorrow” creed. That creed is causing major pain in CROCS after the close.

The shoe (and apparel) maker reported that earnings were going to come in at $0.31 to $0.33 EPS on $273 to $275 million in sales. The company had previously offered guidance of $0.40 EPS and $280 million in sales (by and large the consensus estimates.

CROCS went on record by saying that direct channel sales in outlets and kiosks were soft after having been strong in the spring and summer. That in turn drove down margins.

After a big move up and in the “what will you do for me tomorrow” scenario, CROCS has gone back from a hot stock trying to regain some glory to a company that makes ugly gardening and comfort shoes.

The after-hours is just as ugly as those garden shoes. Shares are down a whopping 36% at $16.89 after closing down 1.2% at $26.64. The 52-week trading range is $13.20 to $32.47.

JON C. OGG

Filed under: Apparel, Consumer Goods, Earnings, Earnings Warning, Retail Tagged: CROX