Posts for Ticker ‘HANS’

Nelson Peltz: Bought Hansen, Dumped Starbucks (HANS, SBUX, PFCB, HNZ, WEN, TUX)

We just got to take a look at the JUNE 30 holdings of Nelson Peltz via an SEC filing of his TRIAN FUND MANAGEMENT GROUP.  If you look throughout full filing you’ll see that he has other holdings other than food and restaurants, but Wall Street generally looks to Peltz for his interest and activities in restaurant and/or food companies as he’s been involved in.  Below are the select stock holdings we have identified:

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The 52-Week Low Club (AIG, GAIA, HANS, LORL, PLA, RCL, SCUR)

Today was a larger day on the wall of shame in the 52-week low club.  There were some new names and some old familiar names.

American International Group (NYSE: AIG) was down almost 2% at $38.20 late in the day.  Some funding deals in the billions just aren’t that well received.  This had managed to get just back above the low part of the range of $38.15 to $72.96.

Gaiam Inc. (NASDAQ: GAIA) was down 4% at $14.59 late in the day, which was slightly above the prior 52-week low; range of $14.49 to $30.73.  Not all green lifestyle media stocks are created equally; better get the spin-off soon.

Hansen Natural (NASDAQ: HANS) was down almost another 2% late in the day at $28.00, prior low was $28.20 and high was $68.40.

Loral Space (NASDAQ: LORL) was down over 9% at $19.90 late in the day, prior range was $20.04 to $51.56.  This isn’t regularly on the wall of shame, but the company posted a wider loss Monday.

Playboy (NYSE: PLA) better get the Heff’s doing something.  This one keeps getting worse and shares were at $5.58 late in the day; under the $5.84 to $12.00 range.  How much is that L.A. mansion worth?

Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was down 6% at $29.31 late in the day; prior range was $30.04 to $45.17.  So much for borrowing against the house to take a cruise.  At least the people can choose who they have dinner with now.

Secure Computing (NASDAQ: SCUR) was down 4% at $4.94 late in the day, not so secure it sounds like.  Prior range $5.05 to $10.54.

Jon C. Ogg
May 20, 2008

52-Week Low Club (LNG, CCE, GEOY, HANS, IPAS, KNOT, TDSC, VLO)

Cheniere Energy, Inc. (AMEX: LNG) can thank its earnings or lack thereof today for its implosion.  Shares were down well over 20% at last look around $5.78, while its 52-week trading range was $6.46 to $43.50.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: CCE) was down less than 1% at $21.48 in the last hour; prior 52-week range was $21.55 to $27.09. Who would have guessed that bottling Coke and other drinks would result in this. 

GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY) suffering from geospatial imaging sector woes.  While this was well above the 52-week lows, it has been more volatile than plastique in a lightning storm, and shares went as low as $16.05 today; Prior range $17.00 to $37.37.

Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ: HANS) shares fell another 5% to $28.50 in the last hour but shares were as low as $28.20.  This one is making the list more than just once now.  The short sellers that bet against this one probably feel like they are monsters in their own right.

iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS) fell sharply after earnings and subsequent downgrades.  Shares were down 16% at $2.15 in teh last hour; prior 52-week range was $2.43 to $5.69.  Selling wi-fi spots probably is going to be tough once WiMAX does really hit the U.S.  Looks like the only thing people are passing at iPass is gas.

The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT) was down almost 15% at $9.93 last in the day after posting a 65% drop in earnings.  Maybe bridezillas are not doing research anymore or maybe they are just using wedding planners.  Either way, you know when times are tough people don’t go as extravagant on weddings.  Presumable that ad spending might be down too.

3D Systems Corp. (NASDAQ: TDSC) won "the daily fugly" award after its earnings report.  In the last hour shares were down almost 40% at $8.67; prior 52-week trading range was $11.51 to $26.50.   3-D is tough to explain to blind people.

Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) seems counterintuitive with screaming oil prices, but its power costs and energy demands are costing more and more and it can’t pass the costs along.  Shares were at $44.70 at the end of the day and the prior 52-week trading range was $44.94 to $78.68.

Jon C. Ogg
May 9, 2008

The 52-Week Low Club (BRL)(TSO)(PLA)(SDBT)(HANS)(ARNA)

Barr Pharmaceuticals (BRL) Says business pace is falling off. Down to $37.40 from 52-week high of $58.38.

Tesoro Corporation (TSO) Broker downgrade. Dips to $22.92 from 52-week high of $65.98.

Playboy Enterprises (PLA) Earnings weaken. Falls to $7.01 from 52-week high of $12.

Soundbite Communications  (SDBT) Analyst downgrade. Falls to $2.44 from 52-week high of $8.25.

Hansen Natural (HANS) Earnings miss estimates. Sells off to $28.51. from 52-week high of $68.40.

Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA) Misses on earnings. Dips to $4.92 from 52-week high of $14.78.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Cult Stock Earnings Bonanza (DIVX, VCLK, CROX, HANS, LOCM, RNWK, RICK, TRLG, VG)

While most of the investment community goes out breaking down earnings for major stocks, there is a huge interest in many of the cult stocks reporting earnings.  Among the cult stocks we have reporting this week, the following is a list of key stocks reporting:  DivX, Inc. (NASDAQ: DIVX), ValueClick Inc. (NASDAQ: VCLK), CROCS Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), Hansen Natural Corporation (NASDAQ: HANS), Local.com Corp. (NASDAQ: LOCM), RealNetworks Inc. (NASDAQ: RNWK), Rick’s Cabaret International Inc. (NASDAQ: RICK), True Religion Apparel Inc. (NASDAQ: TRLG), and Vonage Holdings Corporation (NYSE: VG). 

Cult stocks are often fad stocks, but they tend to see explosive volume on news and often have high short interest.  Many of these stocks have been covered in our weekly "10 Stocks Under $10" newsletter we send out too.  Here is a breakdown of these individually:

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Hansen Combats Short Sellers With Larger Buyback Program (HANS)

Hansen Natural Corporation (NASDAQ:HANS) has announced a new share buyback program for up to $200 million of its own common stock.

The Board of Directors has thus terminated the previous stock buyback plan that was authorized back in November 2005.  Under that plan, the company had repurchased some $27.7 million of common stock.  Hansen Natural noted that it had 93,440,891 shares of common stock outstanding. 

Shares closed at $31.61 yesterday and its 52-week trading range is $30.77 to $68.40 and its market cap was $2.95 Billion.  As of December 31, 2007 the company had some $75.5 million in cash and short-term equivalents (before $227 million ‘long term’) on its books.

If the company theoretically exercised the full amount and was able to get shares at yesterday’s prices, then it would come out to 6.3 million shares of common stock or close to 3-days worth of average trading volume.  As of mid-April, Hansen had 15.795 million shares listed in its short interest.  That is the highest short interest seen in the stock in recent history.

You can join our open email distribution list to hear about other critical buybacks, restructurings, spin-offs, secondaries, and IPO’s.

Jon C. Ogg
April 25, 2008

The 52-Week Low Cub (SWY)(NOC)(HCSG)(HANS)

Safeway (SWY) Food prices hurting retailing margins. Falls to $25.75 from 52-week high of $38.31.

Northrop Grumman  (NOC) Q1 charge still weighs on shares. Sell off to $69.48 from 52-week high of $85.21.

Healthcare Services (HCSG) First quarter profit drop. Down to $14.54 from 52-week high of $25.25.

Hansen Natural (HANS) No news. Commodities costs could weigh on beverage maker. Sells off to $32.04 from 52-week high of $68.40.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (AHO, BKUNA, CHRT, FTI, HANS, MU, SIGM, UBS, X, WYE)

These are not the only analyst calls today, but these are the top ten analyst calls that 247WallSt.com is looking at in early pre-market trading:

  • Ahold (NYSE: AHO) raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
  • BankUnited Financial (NASDAQ: BKUNA) downgraded to Market Perform at Wachovia.
  • Chartered Semiconductor (NASDAQ: CHRT) raised to Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan.
  • FMC Tech (NYSE: FTI) downgraded to Neutral at JPMorgan.
  • Hansen Natural (NASDAQ: HANS) raised to Overweight at JPMorgan.
  • Micron Tech (NYSE: MU) raised to Overweight at Thomas Weisel.
  • Sigma Designs (NASDAQ: SIGM) downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Robert W. Baird.
  • UBS (NYSE: UBS) downgraded to Peer Perform at Bear Stearns.
  • US Steel (NYSE: X) raised to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
  • Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley. 

Jon C. Ogg
February 19, 2008

Goldman Sachs Beverage Changes (KO, HANS, TAP)

Goldman Sachs is out noting that investors hunkering down into earnings may want to look at beverages as an attractive sector with reasonable valuations.  Goldman Sachs also believes that macro weakness should continue to support defensive stock names for investors.  Interestingly enough the note also suggests that a demand rebound in the U.S. along with moderating cost inflation and international growth will lead to strong earnings growth.  It even noted an approximate 11% EPS gain in Q4 2007 and a gain of 14% EPS growth in 2008.

  • Goldman Sachs is adding Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) to its Conviction Buy List this morning. 
  • Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ: HANS) is seeing its fiscal EPS raised to $1.63 from $1.61 for this year and raised much higher for next year up to $2.25 EPS from a prior target of $2.10.
  • Molson Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE: TAP) is seeing a trim in estimates from Goldman Sachs down to $2.61 from $2.64 this year and down to $2.96 from $3.18 for next year.

Jon C. Ogg
January 17, 2008

Top 10 Pre-Market Analyst Calls (AXP, COF, DFS, ATVI, HANS, JCP, LEN, MFE, SWHC, TGT, YGE)

These aren’t the only analyst calls we are watching, but these are the top ten that 247wallst.com is reviewing:

  • Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI) raised to Buy from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.
  • Hansen Natural (NASDAQ: HANS) started as Buy with $58 target at UBS.
  • JC Penney (NYSE: JCP) raised to Overweight from equal weight at Lehman.
  • Lennar (NYSE: LEN) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
  • McAfee (NYSE: MFE) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at FBR.
  • Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC) downgraded to Neutral at Cowen & Co, and downgraded to Underperform at Rodman & Renshaw.
  • Sunpower (NASDAQ: SPWR) raised to Buy from Hold at Jefferies.
  • Target (NYSE: TGT) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Banc of America.
  • Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE) raised to Buy from Neutral at Banc of America.
  • CREDIT CARD DOWNGRADES: Merrill Lynch downgrades American Express (NYSE: AXP), Capital One (NYSE: COF), and Discover Financial (NYSE: DFS).  Capital One (NYSE: COF) also downgraded to Underweight at Morgan Stanley.

Jon C. Ogg
December 7, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Can Jones Soda Escape the Hansen Trap? (JSDA, HANS)

Jones Soda Co. (NASDAQ:JSDA) is set to report right after the close today, and it is actually surprising that the stock hasn’t seen more selling just out of sympathy with Hansen.  The soda and beverage maker is expected to post $0.02 EPS on $18.85 million revenues. 

One thing the company needs to figure out is how to shrug of the niche growth stock trap.  If the company hits the $0.18 consensus estimate for fiscal Dec-2008, it still trades just under 50-times forward earnings after todays sell-off.

At $8.90 its trailing P/E is still listed as "almost 100" on most systems.  The company obviously has a lot ahead for it with its niche drinks and its recent sports win, but it sure feels like in the last two days that the market isn’t going to pay for growth in the same manner it was willing to just last week.   

Hansen Natural (NASDAQ:HANS) was so confusing this morning that it’s no wonder shares went to hell in a hand basket.  The officers need to go to ‘press release’ school. Really.  Shares of Hansen were down almost 30% at last look.

Jones Soda shares are down 1% at $8.90, and the 52-week trading range is $8.50 to $32.60.

Jon C. Ogg
November 8, 2007

Hansen Natural’s Convoluted Earnings (HANS)

Hansen Natural Corporation (NASDAQ:HANS) has posted an increase of 35.8% in gross sales to $277.8 million, while net sales for the quarter increased 38.4% to $247.2 million. Operating income was $73.4 million and net income was $45.8 million, or $0.46 per diluted share.  First Call had estimates at $0.49 EPS on $258.4 Million in revenues.

There are items in the numbers, but in all honesty this report is difficult to evaluate because of its "gross versus net" issues and no real indications for what to expect ahead.  The CEO Rodney Sacks said, "“The energy category continues to show strong growth over the prior year, and the Monster Energy® brand continued to increase its market share. In particular, sales of our Java Monster™ line of non-carbonated dairy based coffee drinks have exceeded our expectations.”

The company also offered no guidance.  Its conference call is not until 2:30 PM EST today and we’ll have to wait until we hear from the company before a major declaration here.  But the entire syntax and order of this press release is quite irritating, and not at all a normal company press release.  After having evaluated and analyzed press releases for over 15 years, I’d personally like to suggest to Mr. Sacks that he and his investor relations and communications departments take themselves to press release boot camp so they can send a clear message.  The last conference call was after earnings was a bit hard to follow, but this earnings release takes the cake. 

Jon C. Ogg
November 8, 2007

Hansen Natural Hit Hard By Goldman Sachs (HANS)

Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ:HANS) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs this morning basedupon recent gains in the stock reflecting valuations.  Goldman Sachs believes this reflects the potential that it sees for new product growth and geographic and channel growth.  At the $59 close yesterday the stock was apparently up over 47% since it had been added to Goldman’s BUY LIST on June 14, 2007, compared to a mere 1.1% gain in the S&P 500 index.  It also noted the sever outperformance over the last year with Hansen up over 89% versus an S&P gain of 15.4%.

If pre-market trading is accurate it appears that HANS shares are down 5% around $56.00 in very early indications.  Its 52-week trading range is $24.75 to $61.65, and its market cap was almost $5.4 Billion as of yesterday’s close.

Jon C. Ogg
October 4, 2007

Hansen Chugging Earnings (HANS)

Hansen Natural Corp. (NASDAQ:HANS) is gapping up pre-market after the company exceeded earnings estimates.  The company was expected to post $0.36 EPS on $217.65 million in revenues, but the 54% revenies gain put results over the top with $0.47 EPS before items (and still $0.39 net) with revenues topping $280 million.

Its Monster drinks are continuing to score new users, and its Java Monster(TM) brand non-carbonated dairy based coffee drinks (introduced in April 2007) and Monster® M-80 energy drinks (introduced in March 2007) appear to be adding additional growth machines ahead.  It looks like even the Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) distribution pact is now being viewed as a good thing. 

The company will hold an investor conference call at 2:30 PM EST today, and that will probably be a focus for more of what to expect ahead.  Shares are now up over 12% in pre-market trading around $47.00.  If this level holds, this will actually be a new 52-week high (although not an all-time high of $50+).  hansen no longer has that ludicrous P/E ratio as well, and if you add the results today and only give it a "meet guidance ahead" you’d end up with a forward P/E ratio for fiscal 2007 of roughly 31.  That’s for you to decide if it is worth it or not, but that is much more realistic than in the past.

Jon C. Ogg
August 8, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Hansen Natural (HANS): Goldman Sachs Says $52 On Its Own or $70 in Buyout

Hansen Natural Corp. (HANS-NASDAQ) was added to the Americas Buy List at Goldman Sachs with a potential 30% return expected based on a $52.00 price target because of new discounted cash flow and revised P/E targets.  Interestingly enough, Goldman said that Hansen could have significant upside as a takeover candidate, and based on the Vitamin Water purchase it could even fetch $70.00 per share.  Another bonus is the focus of management can focus on growth rather than the Budweiser distribution problems and the options investigations now that those are completed.  Goldman also noted that new products and expanded geography will help the top-line.   Shares of HANS are trading up almost 4% pre-market above $41.00.  Its 52-week trading range is $24.75 to $52.72, and the market cap as of the close was roughly $3.6 Billion.

Jon C. Ogg
June 15, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

Can ‘Who’s Your Daddy, Inc.’ Be The Next Hot Beverage Play? (WYDY)

Stock Tickers: WYDY, HANS, JSDA, KO, KR

The higher-end bottled sport and energy beverages sector is an interesting one, needless to say.  After seeing companies like Hansen Natural (HANS-NASDAQ) and Jones Soda (JSDA-NASDAQ) make exponential stock returns it is without any surprise that investors and business people alike peruse the sector to see if there are any stones left unturned.  After Coca-Cola (KO-NYSE) paid more than $4 Billion for Glaceau’s Vitamin Water, there are obviously traders looking for more and more of these potential home runs.  That is why there is such a wide gap between the winners and the losers in thr group.

After running some SEC filing screens yesterday, an interesting stock surfaced over an investment group having a 13% stake in the company.: Who’s Your Daddy, Inc. (WYDY-NASDAQ/OTC).  Who’s Your Daddy is an ‘functional’ energy drink maker that most have never heard of, let alone tried the product (including yours truly).  When you look at the website, www.kingofenergy.com, you can see what they are all about.  It looks like they are targeting the young men and the sports crowd and from how it seems will end up targeting the flashy, young, bling crowd; but it also aims for the ’supplement’ and some sugar-free alternatives.  Both the Chairman and the President are in their mid-20’s.

The company recently hired Tony Seery the former "Trade Development Manager" of Hansen Beverages
(HANS-NASDAQ) to develop more relationships with distributors in Southern California and beyond.
Mr. Seery also worked for Coors and Crest (said to be a Red Bull distributor). Who’s Your Daddy also promotes itself actively via press releases, or at least it appears that they publicly announce each contract and pact signed.  In recent weeks and months it has signed the
following:

-Expanded retail distribution into 130 retail Smith’s Food & Drug Stores (Kroger-KR) in Utah, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona (this morning).
-Beach Volleyball sponsorship in San Diego.
-Sale and distribution through Bashas’ and Food City Supermarkets in Arizona.
-Distribution with Seven-Up in Wisconsin.
-Recent $3.25M financing to pay off all of its short and long-term debt to NIR Group, plus additional working capital.
-Distribution pact in El Paso, Texas.
-Distribution in New Mexico.

You have to keep in mind that all of these deals are going to be very small pacts in the grand scheme of things compared to other sport and energy drink makers, and the company will end up doing far better if it takes the regional approach first because shipping costs can eat all the profits up (there’s a reason for multiple bottling locations around the US for large players). 

It sounds like the company has some additional limited financing now, and the question is going to
boil down to just how much more capital it will need.  The trick with almost every one of these micro-cap OTC-BB stocks is that they often have high blips in stock trading followed by long periods of next to nothing in share volume.  There is also a lot of hype (many press releases and promotion) around these micro-caps with more promise than history.  These are often in hot sectors (energy drinks have been). 

The truth is that any company with the profile listed here (or same data and different industry) like this could fit the bill of an OTC flame-out where investors feel they should have known better.  That doesn’t mean this is the case in this stock, but making some risk disclosure is critical before you even think of trading such a micro-cap bulletin board company.  As always with Micro-Cap OTC stocks, you’ll need to do your own research and your own decisions on these.  I don’t even like to comment on such things as market cap, shares in the float, financial data, and real highs and lows on a historic basis because some of the data is either old and inaccurate or it is just carry-on data.

Jon C. Ogg
May 31, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he does not own securities in the companies he covers.