September Consumer Sentiment Posts Huge Gains
The Reuter’s/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index did not just post a gain. The gain was a surge, as September’s sentiment reading managed to pop all the way up to 79.2. Dow Jones was…
All Work
Jon C. Ogg
BofA Calls S&P 500 at 1,600 in 2013, but S&P Fully Valued for 2012
Bank of America Merrill Lynch is getting more bullish for its 2013 S&P 500 market outlook. The new target is 1,600. The problem is that the macroeconomic call is saying that stocks are now…
BofA/Merrill Lynch Sees Big Upside in 3M, Still Agressive on GE
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) managed to hit what was almost a four-year high yesterday as shares crept above $22.00 for the first time since the panic selling of the recession took shares from…
August Industrial Production and Capacity Take a Dive
Industrial production and capacity utilization for the month of August is out. The question to ask is whether today’s industrial production report even matters. After the QE3 announcement was targeted at the hope of…
Odd World: UnitedHealth Replacing Kraft in the DJIA (UNH, KFT, DIA, BAC, JPM, TRV, AXP, WFC, AAPL, GOOG)
In the age of health care reform, today’s news will sound ridiculous to just about any investor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSEMKT: DIA) is making a crazy change among its 30 components. Kraft…
August CPI Shows Little Inflation, Let QE3 Ride!
The U.S. Labor Department has released its report on inflation. August’s Consumer Price Index, retail inflation, was put at +0.6% on the headline inflation figure and put at +0.1% on the core inflation figure,…
Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (AAP, CAB, CRUS, CME, CTSH, EQIX, LH, LVLT, MMM, PIR, DGX, SKYW, STFC, TGI, TSL, WERN)
Jon OggThese are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Wall St. research calls this Friday. Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) named Bear of the Day at Zacks. Cabela’s Inc.…
The Problem with a Staples Buyout (SPLS, BBY, ANF, ODP, OMX)
If a retail company gets in trouble or starts to lag on its growth and business model, it seems like the great response is always a chance of a private equity-led buyout. Reports have…
Lookback After QE3: ECB Outlook Commits to Recession for 2012 and Likely in 2013
The European Central Bank’s outlook was hardly given notice as the world was focused on Ben Bernanke and the FOMC’s new round of quantitative easing. The ECB is on the way down the path of…
Apple iPhone 5 Already Sold Out
AppleApple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) finally delivered on the iPhone 5. And shares had a record-high close yet again this week. When the company unveiled the new iPhone, the promise was that it would be…
More Activist Change Headed to Abercrombie & Fitch
More change is coming to Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF). Well, maybe. After yesterday’s news reports that it had hired Goldman Sachs to seek strategic alternatives, shares shot up to $38 from $35…
GE Stock Hits Almost 4-Year High
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) managed to do something rather unique today along with the Bernanke and QE3 led rally. The stock did not just reach a new 52-week high. GE hit a high…
QE3 Brings More Reward For Miners Than For Gold & Silver
The announcement of QE3 is not bringing a “sell the news” reaction at all when it comes to the metals market. Gold is surging, but The Devil’s Metal of silver is significantly outperforming gold. What…
QE3 May Pose At Least Some Dividend Risks To High-Yield Mortgage REITS (NLY, AGNC, CIM, MFA, STWD, IVR, HTS, CYS, ANH, MORT)
Ben Bernanke and the FOMC delivered today on the promise of quantitative easing to start buying mortgage-backed securities to the tune of $40 billion per month. The measure would allow for $23 billion or so…
FOMC Launches New Round Of Bond Buying… QE3 Arrives, Extends Low Rates To Mid-2015 (Updated)
Today wasn’t D-Day for the Federal Open Market Committee. It was QE-Day. Ben Bernanke and the voting FOMC members of course kept rates at zero and promised to keep this ‘exceptionally low’ stance of…
30-Year Treasury Auction A Success Ahead of FOMC
The U.S Treasury picked an interesting time to sell a 30-Year Long Bond auction. This was also an early-close auction. After all, this is the day that the FOMC is due to talk about…
Stock Indicates More Worries Brewing At Knight Capital (KCG, JEF, NYX, NDAQ, IBM)
Something seems to be happening at Knight Capital Group, Inc. (NYSE: KCG). Whatever it is, it sure does not seem like a good development. It is not really any longer a secret that Congressional…
Big U.S. and European Banks Cautious Ahead of FOMC/QE3
The eurozone bailout approval and the coming announcement (or continued hint) of additional quantitative easing from the FOMC is not adding to the banks at the current time. We saw a “Sell the News” reaction…
S&P 500 Chart Analysis Ahead of FOMC/QE3 (SPY)
The markets may seem like they are on pause ahead of Ben Bernanke and friends as everyone is debating whether or not the FOMC will actually announce or just keep hinting at another round…
Big Swings in Short Interest in Actively Traded Cult Stocks (ALU, BAC, BKS, DNDN, DMND, FB, FSLR, GMCR, GRPN, LNKD, NFLX, NOK, RSH, RIMM, SIRI, ZNGA)
The short interest in the actively traded cult stocks and low-priced shares seems to always contain some big surprises. That is again the case as of the August 31 settlement date. We took a…