Sara Lee More Valuable As Spin-Off Versus Sale (SLE)
Sara Lee Corporation (NYSE: SLE) has been a takeout candidate and restructuring candidate for what may be a decade now. In recent days and recent weeks, Sara Lee shares went skyward as word was…
All Work
Jon C. Ogg
BankUnited Returns As Public Bank With IPO (BKU, BX)
BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE: BKU) is coming public again today, for the second time. The bank you used to know as “BKUNA” is now “BKU” and is far more healthy and more focused. The Florida-based…
The 8 Greatest Dividend Gains For 2011 (AWK, CSCO, XOM, FDX, GE, HPQ, JPM, WMT)
Corporation are now sitting on billions and billions of dollars in their corporate treasuries. They are keeping their share prices higher by returning capital to shareholders. Most are certainly not hiring large numbers of…
LinkedIn Files For IPO (GS, MHP, SAP)
LinkedIn Corporation is one of our top 17 IPOs to watch for 2011, and it has now formally filed for its IPO. The social networking site for professionals has filed to sell up to…
Margin Pressure Continues at Amazon.com (AMZN)
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) was hitting all-time highs just last week before earnings were due today, but that was then and this is now. The online retail giant has now shown its 2010 year-end…
Microsoft Earnings Win Botched By Poorly Timed Release (MSFT)
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) somehow managed to release its earnings early and before the close rather than after the close of trading. The software giant reported earnings in the last quarter of $0.77 EPS…
2011’s New Dividend Candidates From Giant Companies (AMGN, BRK-A, DELL, EBAY, EMC, KSS, CSCO, AAPL)
Despite big companies holding unprecedented billions and billions of dollars on their balance sheets, it is shocking how many companies do not reward shareholders in the most classic sense by paying regular dividends. Before…
Why Analysts Are Playing Catch-Up With Netflix (NFLX, AMZN, CSTR, BLOAC, AAPL)
If nothing succeeds like success, then Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) could be on the verge of being wildly successful. The company absolutely smoked first quarter expectations, and the stock is now trading well above…
Short Sellers Gain on SIRIUS XM as Pandora Rises (SIRI)
SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) peaked above $1.70 at the start of 2011 with a high of $1.72 on January 3 and a high of $1.74 on January 4, but the highest close…
Motorola and Nokia Dance To iPhone Tune in Earnings (AAPL, VZ, MMI, T, NOK, GOOG)
If there was any lingering doubt about the identity of the 600-pound gorilla in the mobile phone market, today’s earnings announcements from three major mobile players out to put those doubts out of mind.…
Short Sellers Regaining Courage in High-Priced Leaders (AMZN, AAPL, BIDU, FFIV, GS, GOOG, IBM, MA, NFLX, POT, PCLN, CRM, VMW, WYNN)
The short sellers had been exiting the high-priced market leaders for some time, but as of the January 14, 2011 settlement date we saw many issues showing an increase in the short selling activity. …
Ag/Mining Earnings on Fire: Caterpillar, Potash, and Peers (POT, CAT, BHP, CNH, BUCY, MOS, MOO)
The message delivered today by earnings reports from Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT), Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), and CNH Global N.V. (NYSE: CNH) is that as long as the world’s population continues to…
Altria Delivers on Earnings, Again and Again (MO)
Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE: MO) has some mixed earnings data this morning that is driving shares. America’s Big Tobacco reported earnings of $0.44 EPS versus $0.35 EPS a year ago, meeting the Thomson Reuters…
Immense Pain in Jobless Claims
The Labor Department just delivered the weekly jobless claims and the numbers are startling even if seasonality is a large issue in January as retailers and transport companies trim back on their holiday temporary…
Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (ANF, BA, BWA, BKI, KMX, CHK, COP, FDO, GT, NFLX, QCOM, CODE, SYMC)
These are some of this Thursday’s top analyst calls with upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research firms. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) Cut to Market Perform at FBR. Boeing Co.…
High Coffee Prices Snag Starbucks in 2011 Outlook (SBUX, GMCR)
ThinkstockStarbucks Corporation (NASAQ: SBUX) managed to beat earnings but issued disappointing guidance. The coffee giant posted almost a 35% earnings gain to $0.45 EPS and revenues were up more than 8% to $2.95 billion, …
The 13 Countries That Control the World’s Gold
Even if 2011 has gotten off to a rough start for gold, everyone knows that the value of gold is at historic highs. What is interesting is that there is rarely a discussion about…
Netflix Growth Meets Confusion of Earnings Release (NFLX)
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) was one we knew would see a different format on earnings. The company tried to pull the sneaky maneuver of releasing earnings on its website rather than via a press…
FOMC Rate Verdict as DJIA Hits 12,000… January 2011
The decision from the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rates came today as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was hitting 12,000 for the first time in more than two years. As you should…
United Tech Earnings Catch Up to Shares, and Peers (UTX, GE, MMM)
United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) is looking like another conglomerate winner. The company beat earnings estimates, gave positive commentary, and reiterated guidance. The news, though, was mostly priced into the stock. As far as…