• Kiplinger's suggests: Diageo (NYSE: DEO), the seller of such brands as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness and José Cuervo. Diageo has held up better than most during the recession -- thanks to a balanced portfolio of products, with higher exposure to mid-price, mainstream brands and less exposure to ultra-premium brands. The shares look reasonably priced. At $56.01, Diageo trades at 15 times estimated June 2009 earnings of $3.82 a share. The stock yields 2.8%.

• Another to consider: Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), the seller of such brands as Coors, Blue Moon, Pilsner and Rickard's. Beer, probably even more so than hard liquor is supposed to hold better during a recession given the cheaper price point. The company's recent quarterly profits more than doubled. The shares trade at 13 times forward earnings of $3.33 and yield 2.2%.

Continue reading Five stocks for Father's Day from Kiplinger's ... and five more

Five stocks for Father's Day from Kiplinger's ... and five more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: When bond yields dominate stocks (LVLT, HD, AMD, INTC, SQNM, DELL)

Closing Bell: When bond yields dominate stocks (LVLT, HD, AMD, INTC, SQNM, DELL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• AnnTaylor Stores Corp. (NYSE: ANN) reported a smaller-than-expected Q1 loss as sales slumped.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) smaller-than-expected Q1 net loss sent shares higher.
• Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCE) solid Q1 results were in line with expectations.
• Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) posted higher-than-expected Q1 results but same-store sales fell.
• Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) lower Q1 earnings beat expectations and lower revenue was in line.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: HP, Gap, Saks, Hormel, Barnes & Noble and more

Earnings highlights: HP, Gap, Saks, Hormel, Barnes & Noble and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 May 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) beat profit expectations as revenue and same-store sales both increased.
• Aruba Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN) received an analyst's upgrade following its Q3 report.
• Buckle Inc. (NYSE: BKE) reported better-than-expected Q1 expectations as revenue surged.
• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) higher Q2 earnings beat expectations and sent shares upward.
• Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) reported better-than-expected Q3 earnings, sending shares higher.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Home Depot, Target, Sears, Campbell, Deere and more

Earnings highlights: Home Depot, Target, Sears, Campbell, Deere and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 23 May 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Time to scoop up some shares of The Home Depot

Time to scoop up some shares of The Home Depot originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays believes Procter & Gamble's (NYSE: PG) portfolio mix provides better leverage to stabilizing macro trends. The firm upgraded shares to Overweight from Equal weight and raised its target to $60 from $56. Note the firm downgraded Colgate (NYSE: CL) to Equal Weight from Overweight.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) to Buy from Hold as it finds the risk/reward on shares compelling at current levels and sees upcoming catalysts from McCafe and easing commodity pressures. The firm raised its target price to $65 from $60.
• FBR Capital upgraded Talbots (NYSE: TLB) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect an attractive risk/reward, reduced risk of a bankruptcy, and merchandise improvements. The firm raised its target price to $4 from $2.
• Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• Analog Devices (NYSE: ADI) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Baird.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: PG, MCD, TLB, CL, JTX, HD, IPCM, MYRG and NFLX

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: PG, MCD, TLB, CL, JTX, HD, IPCM, MYRG and NFLX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bull & Bears look equally confused (APP, AXP, HD, MS, PALM, STT)

Closing Bell: Bull & Bears look equally confused (APP, AXP, HD, MS, PALM, STT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Home Depot

Continue reading Home Depot (HD) tops estimates but remains under pressure

Home Depot (HD) tops estimates but remains under pressure originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Technicals Suggest the Rally Isn't Over
• Under-the-Radar Tech Stocks for Today

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Let's read some good news for once

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Let's read some good news for once originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With Home Depot beating earnings estimates and some financial firms asking to repay TARP loans, U.S. stock futures climbed, as Wall Street was set to open higher Tuesday. While investors are looking to extend the previous session's rally, feeling there are signs of stability in the financial and housing sectors, upcoming housing data could still change things.

[Update: Stock futures reversed course after a disappointing housing report that showed starts and permits unexpectedly fell to record lows in April.]

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks poised for mixed open after disappointing housing report

Before the bell: Stocks poised for mixed open after disappointing housing report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 May 2009 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Then you look at the stock. And you say to yourself, "what's going on?" As I write this, with less than three hours to go in the trading day, shares of Lowe's are trading almost 10% higher! On excellent volume, too. As you might have thought, an earnings beat was lurking somewhere in the plot of this particular tale. Lowe's earned $0.32 per share in Q1. According to Trey Thoelcke's earnings preview, the market thought that only $0.25 could be achieved. This differential is helping to fuel the buying.

Continue reading Lowe's rises after Q1 beat, but don't buy high

Lowe's rises after Q1 beat, but don't buy high originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 May 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stock futures edge higher

Before the bell: Stock futures edge higher originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 May 2009 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the markets may have rallied recently, there's been little improvement in housing, credit, or consumers' pullback on discretionary spending. That's not good news for home improvement giants Lowe's Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) and Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), which are both scheduled to report first-quarter results this week. And the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters bear out that sense that these companies aren't out of the woods yet.

Lowe's is scheduled to discuss its first-quarter results tomorrow, May 18, in a conference call at 9:00 AM ET with CEO Robert A. Niblock, president Larry D. Stone, and CFO Robert F. Hull, Jr. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website, or in the U.S. and Canada listen in by dialing 1-888-817-4020.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Lowe's and Home Depot results to bust the rally?

Earnings preview: Lowe's and Home Depot results to bust the rally? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 17 May 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Home Depot & Lowe's belong on your watchlist

Serious Money: Home Depot & Lowe's belong on your watchlist originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 May 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) to Buy from Hold on a favorable risk/reward profile. The firm thinks sentiment is negative, estimate revisions have troughed, and compares ease in the second half of 2009. Jefferies upped its target price to $35 from $22.
• Citigroup upgraded Home Depot (NYSE: HD) to Buy from Hold on expectations for positive earnings surprises in 2009. The firm thinks home merchandise sales are picking up and consensus estimates could prove conservative. Citi raised its target price on the stock to $32 from $26.
• Bernstein upgraded Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT) to Market Perform from Underperform and raised their price target to $23 from $10 based on its credit agreement amendment and valuation.
• SunTrust (NYSE: STI) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Goldman. Fiat (OTC: FIATY) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• Lincoln National (NYSE: LNC) was raised to Outperform from Market Perform at Wachovia.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ANF, HD, HOT, NFLX, STT ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ANF, HD, HOT, NFLX, STT ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 May 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"They were not customers or even potential customers, because we did not have stores there and we don't ship out of the country. ... All the information showed it was the right move, but we brought it out during the holidays and in the middle of a recession," Home Depot spokesman Ron Defeo told The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Continue reading Home Depot shuts Spanish-language site

Home Depot shuts Spanish-language site originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 03 May 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Does Mark-to-Market Matter That Much?
• Leadership Matters: 'Less Worse' Ain't Bad

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says if you don't want to wait for a pullback, look abroad for the next leg or find values at home.

What do you do when everyone knows we have come up too far, too fast; no one knows who is actually buying; and we are going into earnings season?

What do you do when the animal spirits are taking up the market and yet other than a handful companies -- Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) (Cramer's Take), Xilinx (NASDAQ: XLNX) (Cramer's Take), Corning (NYSE: GLW) (Cramer's Take), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) (Cramer's Take) and Taiwan Semi (NYSE: TSM) (Cramer's Take) -- almost all companies that have spoken during the "off-season" earnings reports have been dismal?

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: So you missed the recent run -- now what?

Cramer on BloggingStocks: So you missed the recent run -- now what? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Home-products retailer Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM), which runs such retail brands as Pottery Barn and West Elm in addition to its namesake chain, issued Q4 numbers on Tuesday. Well, they weren't spectacular. Surprised? No, I'm sure you weren't. I mean, when you sell stuff for homes, you've got to expect that you're going to see some weakness. And there's plenty of it here.

Revenues decreased almost 27% during the quarter, and earnings per share on an adjusted basis dropped over 70% to 31 cents. That beat estimates of 16 cents per share, according to Reuters' analysts, but forgive me if I don't jump up and down over that performance. And what about same-store sales? They were mighty bad. On an overall basis, they went down by over 22%.

Continue reading Williams-Sonoma beats expectations; its stock is strong but expensive

Williams-Sonoma beats expectations; its stock is strong but expensive originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded Home Depot (NYSE: HD) to Buy from Hold as they expect significant multiple expansion as earnings revisions start to bottom out and the market starts to factor in a recovery. The firm raised its price target to $24 from $18-$20.
  
• Goldman upgraded HSBC (NYSE: HBC) to Neutral from Sell and removed the stock from their Asia Pacific Sell List given the company's plans to stop making new loans at its U.S. unit.
  
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Ensco International (NYSE: ESV) to Hold from Sell on valuation as it believes weakening shallow water demand is priced into shares at current levels. The firm raised its target price to $32 from $30.
• Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA) was raised to Equal Weight from Underweight at Morgan Stanley.
  
• UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH) was lifted to Outperform from Market Perform at Bernstein.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: HD, HBC, GS, MS, BAC, JPM, C ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: HD, HBC, GS, MS, BAC, JPM, C ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) reported solid Q2 numbers despite competition from store brands.
• DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. (NYSE: DWA) missed Q4 expectations, sending shares lower.
• First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) said Q4 profit more than doubled due to strong demand.
• Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) posted a lower-than-expected profit on soft sales and lower margins.
• Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. (NASDAQ: HSII) earnings and revenue declined in Q4.
• Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) earnings beat low expectations even as revenue continued to decline.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Campbell, Sears, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Marvel and more

Earnings highlights: Campbell, Sears, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Marvel and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.