Analysis Topic: Companies Analysis
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Profit from Asia's E-Commerce Boom / Companies / Tech Stocks
Tony Sagami writes: MasterCard knows a thing or two about consumer spending, so I pay close attention to what the credit-card giant has to say about spending patterns. Such information often helps me connect the dots in identifying big picture trends, which can prove to be quite lucrative.
And the latest study from MasterCard, which examined Asian e-commerce trends, looks like the mother lode! There are going to be some big, big winners out there.
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Monday, July 07, 2008
Earnings Season Again, Watch the Multinationals for Stock Market Trend / Companies / Corporate Earnings
Can it be earnings season already?
It sure is, but don't expect too much. With its report tomorrow (Tuesday), Alcoa Inc. ( AA ) leads off what is expected to be a pretty dismal series of profit reports. Thomson Reuters now estimates that second-quarter earnings declined by 11.1%, which is significantly worse than the projected 2% decline that was made back in April.
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Saturday, July 05, 2008
Banking Stocks Still Not a Buy, Heading for New Lows Into August / Companies / Banking Stocks
The unprecedented decline in global financials, since early 2007, has most investors wondering when the bottom will arrive. Many world financial indexes are now sitting on half of their value from 18 months ago. Attractive fundamental valuation levels, provided by many analysts, have proven to be of little consequence since stocks have continued to waterfall 20%-40% below those 'attractive levels' and show no signs of stopping. But as many financial indexes plunge to the same levels as the 2002 bear market lows, the big question remains; when will the banks stop their fall?Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, July 05, 2008
US Auto Makers Feel the Heat of High Gas Prices / Companies / US Auto's
The Sport Utility Vehicle has been an American icon ever since it was born into mass popularity during the days of World War II when the American WillysJeep was introduced in the US car market. Vehicle buyers were drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety. Additionally, full-size SUVs have greater towing capabilities than conventional cars, and can haul trailers, campers and boats. SUVs had the added benefit that they could carry more passengers than a pick-up truck. Finally, a perception of social wealth SUV owners grew.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Algae a Greener Biofuel Than Ethanol? / Companies / Renewable Energy
In my May article, Food Shock , I mentioned that biofuel production was consuming many of the crops normally used for food. Riots have broken out over the sharp price rises of 37% last year, and 16% so far in 2008. Coffee, soybeans and wheat are increasingly diverted to biodiesel production, driving prices higher. Almost a quarter of America's corn crop was distilled into ethanol last year, and the percentage is expected to grow another 10% in 2008.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Marks & Spencer Shares Crash on Real Retail Sales Slump / Companies / Corporate Earnings
Marks & Spencer's share price crashed by 25% today following announcement of a sharp drop in sales of 5.3% for the second quarter. The slump in sales translates into a sharp fall in profits for the same period that defies the retail sales statistics released for May 2008. M&S earnings could fall by as much as 1/3rd for the current financial year on existing expectations of £900 million, as consumers continue to cut back on spending in the face of loss of household equity, increased debt servicing costs and higher energy and food costs.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Can Battery Technology Save General Motors / Companies / US Auto's
The saga at GM continues. On Monday I spoke of GM's Ridiculous Bluff to raise prices on the 2009 line of autos.GM and GMAC were in the news again on Tuesday on cash burning concerns. Let's take a look. Bloomberg is reporting GMAC's $60 Billion Deal Loses Traction as Cash Burns .
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Expansive Monetary Policy Bullish for Small Cap Stock Performance / Companies / Sector Analysis
Numerous studies have presented evidence investors receive excess returns, or an investment premium, when investing in small and micro capitalization stocks. The findings indicate that even after considering the higher risk associated with investing in the small companies the small cap sector generates excess returns on a risk-adjusted basis.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
General Motors Ridiculous Bluff / Companies / US Auto's
GM needs some poker playing lessons. The first rule of bluffing is that it's important that not everyone else at the table not know it's a bluff.The Kansas City Star is reporting GM to raise prices on 2009 models, cut production .
General Motors Corp. told dealers Monday it plans to raise prices on 2009 models by an average of 3.5 percent despite a tough market that is forcing the automaker to cut production and discount its 2008 models.
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Friday, June 20, 2008
US Banking Stocks Downward Spiral to Zero / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
On Wednesday, BankUnited Financial Corporation Announced Public Offering of Stock .BankUnited Financial Corporation (BKUNA) today announced the launch of a public offering of its Class A common stock, with gross proceeds of $400 million. The offering is expected to be pursuant to customary underwriting terms for a firm commitment offering of this type.
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Banking Sector Earnings Won't Recover / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
Minyan Peter, former bank treasurer at a very large national bank, was writing this morning about the financial sector in general and Goldman Sachs in particular in a post called Immunity. Let's take a look.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, June 16, 2008
Barclays SWF Cash Call, Nationwide Mortgage Interest Rate Hikes / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
One of Britain's biggest banks, Barclays after weeks of cash call rumours finally looks set to follow the rest of the banking sector in another cash call rights issue that aims to raise £4 billion from investors in an attempt to improve the banks balance sheet in the face of a deepening credit crisis. Barclays may even go so far as using some of the cash raised to bid for Bradford & Bingley which has seen its share price collapse from £4.50 to as low as 60p, however I personally doubt it will.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 13, 2008
Exxon Exits Low Profit Gas Pump Retail Business / Companies / Oil Companies
The Wall Street Journal is reporting Out of Gas:Exxon to Exit Low-Profit Retail Pumps .Exxon Mobil Corp., purveyor of one of the most recognizable gasoline brands in the world, is getting out of the domestic retail gasoline business. The oil giant said Thursday that over the next few years it will sell the 2,220 gasoline stations it owns in the U.S.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Lehman Brothers- Next to Follow Bear Stearns Into Credit Crisis Oblivion? / Companies / Credit Crisis 2008
Lehman's has made some extremely large property bets right at the tip of the commercial real estate bubble. Those bets are now going sour. Let's pick up the story from the WSJ article Lehman's Property Bets Are Coming Back to Bite .Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Three Profitable Investment Trends in China / Companies / China Stocks
I just returned from China and boy was it an informative trip.
Of course, you have to understand that when I travel to Asia, I don't limit my conversation to just corporate bigwigs. I chat up anybody who can give me information about the economy and that includes people like taxi drivers, bellmen, waitresses, retail clerks, other traveling businesspeople, and even students.
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Sunday, June 08, 2008
Bradford & Bingley's Dream Turns Into a Mortgage Default Nightmare / Companies / Banking Stocks
The credit crisis continues to hit Bradford & Bingley bank that has heavy exposure to the speculative buy to let mortgage market. The bank ran a string of glossy, visually appealing TV adverts shortly following the spectacular Northern Rock collapse last September, the management tried their hardest to give assurance to the public that it was a case of business as usual for B&B. Despite many signs at the time that the number 2 slot after Northern Rock for credit crisis and housing market risk woes was reserved for Bradford & Bingley.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Why Mark-to-Market is Bad News for Shareholders / Companies / Market Manipulation
“When I use a word” said Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll's “ Through the Looking-Glass ,” “it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.”
It has always been the ambition of Wall Street to bring its financial statements under a similar type of discipline. And if the The Institute for International Finance Inc.'s new proposal on “mark-to-market” accounting is implemented, Wall Street will have achieved this objective.
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Monday, June 02, 2008
Bradford and Bingley- Another Bank Cracks Under Credit Crunch Pressure / Companies / Banking Stocks
The Bradford and Bingley, Britain's biggest buy to let mortgage lender is expected to announce another profits warning later today as its Chief Executive abandoned the sinking ship ahead of a £300 million originally heavily discounted rights issue at 82p, which given Friday's close of 86p and today's expected price slump looks increasingly vulnerable.
Way back in August 2007, well before the credit crisis broke across the mainstream media, I specifically warned of three mortgage banks that are especially vulnerable during the next housing bust Of the three the first one to go was Northern Rock in spectacular style and much earlier than one could have imagined during Sept 07, by way of the first run on a British bank in 150 years. The Government eventually did another u-turn by nationalising the bank in January 08.
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Friday, May 30, 2008
The McDonalds Falling US Dollar Menu / Companies / Food Crisis
McDonalds Corp (MCD) held its annual meeting last Thursday, May 22 nd , and stated it has no plans to tamper with its highly successful dollar menu, which accounts for 14% of the company's sales. However, The Golden Arches must wish that its dollar menu was on the McGold standard instead of being based on a currency that has fallen 40% in the last 6 years. That dollar decline is putting the squeeze on the Oak Brook, Illinois-based firm, as agricultural input prices are surging while consumer food prices are only up about 4% since last year.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, May 30, 2008
What Hewlett-Packard's Acquisition of EDS Means to Accenture / Companies / Mergers & Acquisitions
Investors who wish to beat the market often look for value in picking stocks. Hewlett-Packard's (HP) acquisition of EDS (EDS) presents an opportunity to examine the large IT Services Provides. The move by HP doubles their market share in the global Information Technology Services market. Further, IBM's recent success stems primarily from the growth in its services business. Mark Hurd, HP's CEO, is trying to follow the IBM business model where services are the driver for growth.Read full article... Read full article...