BloggingStocks

Analyst downgrades: WB, AIG, BT, NOK, ERIC, ALU, TWTI, T

Eric Buscemi — 2008-07-15T11:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Analyst upgrades and downgrades, AT and T (T), Nokia Corp. (NOK), Amer Intl Group (AIG), Wachovia Corp (WB), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Wachovia, American International Group and BT Group were today's noteworthy downgrades:

Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Wachovia (NYSE: WB) to Underperform from Perform as they believe the outlook is "bleak" for equity shareholders. The firm thinks Wachovia's expenses can't come down fast enough too offset earnings erosion.
Wachovia downgraded shares of American International Group (NYSE: AIG) to Market Perform from Outperform as they believe AIG's CDO valuations worsened in Q2, which could result in a $2B-$7B after tax "valuation adjustment." Wachovia expects the value of AIG's core insurance franchise to be obscured by its credit exposure.
Collins Stewart cut BT Group (NYSE: BT) to Hold from Buy on concerns surrounding the company's fiber network expansion.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

Nokia (NYSE: NOK) was downgraded to Add from Buy at WestLB; the firm also lowered Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to Hold from Buy and Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) to Sell from Hold.
Third Wave (NASDAQ: TWTI) was cut to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank.
AT&T (NYSE: T) was removed from Goldman's Conviction Buy List.

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Analyst upgrades: NCR, MDVN, TEVA, MMC, RATE, ALU

Eric Buscemi — 2008-07-08T11:22:00+00:00

Filed under: Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Teva Pharm Indus ADR (TEVA)

MOST NOTEWORTHY: NCR Corp, Medivation and Teva Pharma were today's noteworthy upgrades:

Baird upgraded NCR Corp (NYSE: NCR) to Outperform from Neutral following its North American ATM managers survey that indicates a solid ATM environment and opportunity for margin improvement.
Rodman & Renshaw upgraded Medivation (NASDAQ: MDVN) to Outperform from Market Perform citing valuation of the firm's pipeline given recent catalyst of positive Phase II results in Huntington's disease with lead candidate, Dimebon.
Goldman added Teva Pharma (NASDAQ: TEVA) to its Conviction Buy List citing valuation, upcoming catalysts, and defensive characteristics.

OTHER UPGRADES:

Marsh & McLennan (NYSE: MMC) was raised to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
RBC lifted Bankrate (NASDAQ: RATE) to Outperform from Sector Perform.
Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded at WestLB to Hold from Sell.

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Analyst upgrades: SYMC, CFNL and BP

Eric Buscemi — 2008-06-30T13:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Analyst reports, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, BP p.l.c. ADS (BP), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Activision Inc (ATVI), Symantec Corp (SYMC), Teva Pharm Indus ADR (TEVA)

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Symantec, Cardinal Financial and BP Plc were today's noteworthy upgrades:

ThinkPanmure upgraded Symantec (NASDAQ:SYMC) to Buy from Accumulate based on improved execution, stable growth in core business, and ramping competitive position in some high-growth businesses.
Baird upgraded Cardinal Financial (NASDAQ:CFNL) to Outperform from Neutral based on valuation, the company's favorable credit risk profile in Northern Virginia, and its excess capital position.
Societe Generale raised BP Plc (NYSE: BP) to Hold from Sell as it believes the bad news is priced into shares and earnings could be better than expected.

OTHER UPGRADES:

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) was upgraded at Merrill Lynch to Neutral from Underperform.
Jefferies lifted Hunsman (NYSE: HUN) to Hold from Underperform.
Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:TEVA) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at HSBC.

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Early analyst calls (ALU) (GOOG) (TWX)

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-06-30T07:27:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Google (GOOG), Time Warner (TWX), Whole Foods Market (WFMI), BP p.l.c. ADS (BP), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) was raised to "neutral" from "underperform" at Merrill Lynch, according to 24/7 Wall St. The financial website also reports that Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFMI) was cut to "neutral" from "buy" at UBS.

Citigroup added Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) to its Top Picks Live list, according to Briefing.com. The news service reports that Time Warner (NYSE:TWX) was also added to the list.

Societe Generale raised its rating on BP (NYSE:BP) to "hold" from "sell" according to MarketWatch.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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Closing Bell: PPI, banks, tanks

Jon Ogg — 2008-06-17T16:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Best Buy (BBY), Goldman Sachs Group (GS), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

Any relief we would have been seen in financial stocks was knocked down by a solid PPI reading and by more worries about banking stocks. We also saw a report from The Federal Reserve reporting that industrial productions fell by -0.2% in May, and plants were running at the lowest capacity in almost three years at 79.4%. As you'd expect, we also saw a decline of -3.3% in new housing starts to an annual rate of 975,000, and that represented more than a 10-year low. These are the unofficial closing bell levels for major US index levels:

DJIA 12159.65 (-109.43)
S&P500 1350.90 (-9.24)
NASDAQ 2457.73 (-17.05)
10YR T-NOTE 4.225% (-0.02%)
52-WEEK LOWS
Top 10 Analyst Calls

And the best news of all may be if you believe T. Boone Pickens comment that oil speculators aren't helping the increase in oil prices.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) managed to stay up all day and shares were up 4% at $7.00 after the company's $1 billion award from China last night.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) also saw a better than expected earnings report and strong guidance for the economy, but Wall Street focused on those negative metrics we addressed. Shares were down by over 5% at $43.44 in the final minutes today.

Capstone Turbine Corporation (NYSE: CPST) continued its surge because of that understated backlog from last week. Shares were up 7% at $4.09 in the final minutes today.

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) saw a surge in the price of its stock at the open and pre-market after it beat earnings estimates, but shares were down by 1.25% at $179.81 in the final minutes after the weakness in the sector today.

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Pre-market movers (BCS) (ALU)

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-06-17T08:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Barclays plc ADS (BCS)

Barclays (NYSE:BCS) is up about 5% on news that interest rates are unlikely to rise in the UK.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) is up about 4% on news it has gotten a $1 billion contract from China Mobile (NYSE:CHL).

Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN) is down 25% after revising its growth forecast down.

La-Z-Boy (NYSE:LZB) is down over 12% on a report of a quarterly loss.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do in the regular session.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Pre-market movers: CMGI, ALU

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-06-10T08:06:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), CMGI Inc (CMGI)

CMGI (NASDAQ: CMGI) is off almost 15% after posting poor earnings.

ArcelorMittal (NYSE: MT) is down about 4% after news that it will open new mining operations.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) is off 2% without any obvious news.

Petro-Hawk (NYSE: HK) is up almost 3% after positive comments from Jim Cramer.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do in the regular session.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Alcatel-Lucent's deal from Hell

Tom Taulli — 2008-06-01T14:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

When Alcatel and Lucent agreed to merge in April 2006, there were the typical phrases in the press release: "new growth opportunities," "cost synergies," "global convergence," "increased scale," "global capabilities" and so on. Oh, and yes, it would "create enhanced value for shareholders."

Yet, there was something that was curious. The CEO of the new entity, Patricia Russo, said she would not learn French, even though Alcatel was based in France. Might this be a sign that there would be some cultural issues?

Alas, the fact remains that the benefits of the deal haven't materialized as Alcatel-Lucent's (NYSE: ALU) stock price has gone from $14.50 to $7.50.

Well, this week, Alcatel-Lucent had its annual meeting. No doubt, it wasn't fun as shareholders provided an earful. After all, the company had to write down $4.55 billion in asset value because of the merger (there were also thousands of layoffs).

Interestingly enough, shareholders passed a resolution that allows Alcatel-Lucent's board to rid its chairman/CEO with a majority vote instead of a two-thirds of a vote.

Unfortunately, I don't see this amounting to much. Keep in mind that -- with consolidation of wireless carriers -- its tough for equipment providers to get any leverage. Plus, the competition is still intense.

By the way, Russo apparently is learning to speak French now. And she even spoke some words at the meeting. However, she will need to learn a more important language: profits.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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Analyst upgrades: ALU, OPXT and AXL

Eric Buscemi — 2008-05-29T11:03:00+00:00

Filed under: Analyst upgrades and downgrades, Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Alcatel-Lucent, Opnext and American Axle were today's noteworthy upgrades:

Goldman upgraded shares of Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) to Neutral from Sell to reflect the recovery of U.S. corporate bond yields which they believe is positive for the company's long-term pension liability. Goldman also thinks analyst estimates may have bottomed.
Thomas Weisel raised Opnext (NASDAQ:OPXT) to Overweight from Market Weight after their research indicated an acceleration in optical communications component industry revenue growth.
Deutsche Bank upgraded American Axle (NYSE:AXL) to Buy from Hold to reflect the cost savings from the UAW contract.

OTHER UPGRADES:

MFA Mortgage (NYSE:MFA) was upgraded at Keefe Bruyette to Outperform from Market Perform.
Citigroup upgraded Flagstone Reinsurance (NYSE:FSR) to Buy from Hold.
Merrill raised Crane Co (NYSE:CR) to Buy from Neutral.

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Earnings highlights: Verizon, Comcast, CBS, DreamWorks, IAC, Kodak and others

Trey Thoelcke — 2008-05-04T13:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Time Warner (TWX), Viacom (VIA), IAC/InterActiveCorp (IACI), CBS Corp 'B' (CBS), Colgate-Palmolive (CL), Comcast Cl'A' (CMCSA), Procter and Gamble (PG), Verizon Communications (VZ), Sun Microsystems (JAVA), Eastman Kodak (EK), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), RadioShack Corp (RSH)

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

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) reported its fifth straight quarterly loss and lowered its outlook.
Anadigics Inc. (NASDAQ: ANAD) beat Q1 expectations and raised its Q2 guidance.
AuthenTec Inc. (NASDAQ: AUTH) Q1 revenues jumped 67% on new product offerings.
CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) posted better-than-expected Q1 results and raised its dividend.
Cognex Corp. (NASDAQ: CGNX) beat Q1 expectations and lifted its outlook.
Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) posted soild Q1 results on high-speed internet/digital phone strength.
DreamWorks Animation Inc. (NYSE: DWA) earnings and revenues soared in the first quarter.
Eastman Kodak Co. (NYSE: EK) narrowed its Q1 loss but missed earnings estimates.
IAC/InterActivCorp (NASDAQ: IACI) Q1 profits fell but met analsts' expectations.
LSI Corp. (NYSE: LSI) beat Q1 expectations and raised its guidance for the next quarter.
NetSuite Inc. (NASDAQ: N) narrowed its loss on a surge in Q1 revenue.
Omniture Inc. (NASDAQ: OMTR) Q1 revenue jumped 136% on acquisitions.
RadioShack Corp. (NYSE: RSH) just beat low Q1 expectations on lower demand and narrower margins.
SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) earnings for the first quarter fell short of analysts' expectations.

Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHU) Q1 profits rose 156%, easily beating analysts' estimates.
Sun Microsystems Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA) reported a Q3 loss and announced layoffs.
Teledyne Technologies Inc. (NYSE: TDY) posted its 25th consecutive quarterly earnings growth.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) posted solid Q1 profits in line with expectations.
Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) posted solid Q1 profits despite weakness in movie business.
Virtual Radiologic Corp. (NASDAQ: VRAD) solid Q1 results failed to impress investors.

Also, Jim Cramer lauds Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) for its success in these tough times and Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE: CL) for bouncing back after taking a hit. And Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) investors may have been looking for more than they got in the quarterly report.

Upcoming results to watch for include Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC), Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM), Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), and American International Group (NYSE: AIG).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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Recovery? Not these stocks, getting double-digit returns at home & retiring in a recession - Today in Money 4/30

Allan Halprin — 2008-04-30T09:13:00+00:00

Filed under: Time Warner (TWX), Starbucks (SBUX), General Motors (GM), AT and T (T), Citigroup Inc. (C), Money and Finance Today, Procter and Gamble (PG), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Kraft Foods'A' (KFT)

In the News

· General Motors Reports a Whooping $3.3 Billion Loss

· Time Warner Profit Tumbles 36%; Will Separate Out Cable Business

· Cost Control, Price Increases Boost Procter & Gamble Earnings

· Citigroup's Stock Sale Fails to Impress Top Analyst

· Kraft Foods Profit Declines 13%

· Alcatel-Lucent Reports 5th Straight Quarterly Loss

· DreamWorks Profit Rises 69% on 'Bee Movie' & 'Shrek' DVD Sales

· Airlines Giving Propellers Another Spin

· Starbucks to Introduce Two New Drinks

· AT&T to Cut Price of Apple's New iPhone

· Toddlers Coming of the Digital Age

Recovery? Not These Stocks
Not all stocks in battered sectors will bounce back in a second-half economic upturn. Here are some that could be left behind.
Recovery? Not for These Stocks - BusinessWeek

Egypt's Bread Lines Highlight Dangers of Food Crisis
Well before 8 o'clock on a late April morning, a line of about 30 eager customers forms at a modest bakery in this working-class neighborhood. With a global food crisis roiling countries from Asia to the edge of Europe, at least 11 people have been killed recently in such lines here, struggling to get their daily bread.
Tension in Egypt shows potency of food crisis - USATODAY.com

Here's How to Get Double-Digit Returns at Home
While food shortages and rising food prices have resulted in riots in a number of impoverished countries, these scenes aren't likely to reach the U.S. and there is absolutely no need to start hoarding food. That being said, stocking up your pantry can be one of the wisest short-term investments you can make if you have the space and the cash to spare.
Use Your Pantry to Pinch Pennies - TheStreet.com

Retiring in a Recession
For many who have just quit working or will soon, concerns over their nest eggs run deep. Planners say retirees must weigh their options, but it's not time to panic.
Retiring in a bad economy: Plan ahead -Bankrate.com

Attack of the $35 Gucci Bag
Knockoffs may seem like a cheap-and-easy way to outfit your wardrobe with the top luxury brands. But all those counterfeit Louis Vuitton purses and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses add up -- costing the U.S. economy billions in lost revenue and thousands of jobs each year. An inside look at how some of these real-life companies are fighting the war on fakes.
Attack of the $35 Gucci Handbag- counterfeiting - Inc.com
Also: Is That Really a Louis Vuitton? Channel? Polo?
Quiz: Can you spot the fake?

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Before the bell: GM, ALU, T, AAPL, KFT, MSFT, YHOO, AMR

Melly Alazraki — 2008-04-30T08:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, Earnings reports, Deals, Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO), Apple Inc (AAPL), General Motors (GM), AT and T (T), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), AMR Corp (AMR), Kraft Foods'A' (KFT)

Before the bell: Futures lower ahead of Fed, data; flurry of earnings on its way

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) reported a staggering $3.3 billion loss in its first-quarter, due in part to a weak U.S. market, a strike at a major supplier and plummeting sales of sport utility vehicles and pickups. While the loss amounted to $5.74 per share, GM's adjusted results are a loss of $350 million, or 62 cents per share, handily beating analysts' expectations of a $1.60 loss per share. Still, compared to last year, when the automaker had earned $62 million, or 11 cents a share, the results are far from stellar especially when considering that GM's revenue slipped despite being up 20% outside North America. GM shares are up about 3.5% in premarket trading.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) also reported a loss Wednesday morning, its fifth straight quarterly loss and said it expected annual revenues to fall while scaling back its market forecast for 2008. Shares of ALU are down nearly 8% in premarket trading.

According to Fortune, AT&T (NYSE: T) is planning to cut the price by as much as $200 on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone when the new 3G model comes out this summer. Subsidizing the phone by that much will cut the price to $199 to for customers who sign two-year contracts, the Fortune source says.

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) reported a 13% profit drop in its first quarter. Without one-time items, the company earnined 44 cents per share, beating estimates of 40 cents per share. Kraft now expects 2008 revenue growth of at least 5 percent, up from an earlier estimate of 4 percent growth.

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is mulling it next move in the three-month-old takeover standoff with Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) as early as Wednesday, according to the WSJ. One option could be a proxy fight to replace Yahoo's board.

Meanwhile, American Airlines (NYSE: AMR) dealt in the past month with picketing pilots calling for his resignation, FAA inspectors grounding 300 aircraft, the merger of two large competitors, and $110-a-barrel oil that contributed to a $328 million loss for the first quarter. Analysts estimate it is losing $3.3 million a day. More on the airline industry and the recent merger mania in that AP piece.

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Pre-market movers (GM) (ALU) (GRMN)

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-04-30T07:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Before the bell, General Motors (GM), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Garmin Ltd (GRMN)

GM (NYSE:GM) is up 4% on strong earnings.

Panera Bread (NASDAQ:PNRA) is trading up over 7% on good numbers.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE:ALU) is off 8% on a weaker-than-expected forecast.

Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN) is down over 5% on news that it had missed earnings estimates.

Stocks may trade differently in the pre-market than they do the regular session.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Big rally opens Europe, Barclays (BCS) up 10%

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-03-25T04:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Barclays plc ADS (BCS)

Markets in Europe rose sharply at 4:40 AM New York time.

The FTSE was up 3.3% to 5,678. Barclays (NYSE: BCS) was up 10.2% to 472.75. Lloyds was up 7.1% to 465.

The DAXX rose 3.2% to 6,519. Deustche Bank (NYSE: DB) was up 5% to 73.78 marks. Siemens (NYSE: SI) was up 2.5% to 58.7.

The CAC 40 traded up 3.2% to 4,680. Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was up 4.7% to 3.54 francs. AXA (NYSE: AXA) was up 4.6% to 22.05.

Data from Reuters.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Don't invest in what you know: a dozen disaster blue chips

Timothy Sykes — 2008-03-20T10:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Intel (INTC), Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI), Citigroup Inc. (C), Sprint Nextel Corp (S), Merrill Lynch (MER), Washington Mutual (WM), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Stock screen, Bear Stearns Cos (BSC), Stocks to Sell

I'm glad all these "blue chip stocks" are blowing up. No, I don't enjoy seeing investors suffer, but as I've written about here, here and here, investors need to learn not trust any company or anybody in this business. Investors don't even have to remain invested all the time! Contrary to the advice of fee-earnings-professionals, the majority of whom continually fail to match the S&P 500's returns, you don't have to manage your money like a $500 million mutual fund. Diversification is for widows and orphans!

While it'll probably take me a few years to truly get through to all of you, if you've been invested for any length of time in any company listed below-considering what you've been through-you're probably more likely to believe me:

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc (NYSE: MER)
The Bear Stearns Companies (NYSE: BSC)
Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C)
MF Global Ltd (NYSE: MF)
E*Trade Financial Corp (NASDAQ: ETFC)
Sirius Satellite Radio Inc (NASDAQ: SIRI)
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC)
Washington Mutual Inc (NYSE: WM)
Thornburg Mortgage Inc. (NYSE: TMA)
Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)
Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S)
Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC)

Oh yes, that's a disaster list. I won't bother detailing their failings, simply put they're all "quality" companies responsible for immense shareholder heartache and pain. Sure, they're mostly financial companies, but that's just the current industry caught with their pants down. Do not think for one minute companies and management teams in other industries are any different. Their time will come when they get roasted for taking on too much risk and not telling shareholders the whole not-so-rosy truth, also known as business reality.

While I tried warning you, did I really expect you to listen to a 26-year-old who became a millionaire trading penny stocks and now writes and teaches for a living? Doubtful. But I'll keep pressing on to help you realize you must learn alternative strategies-hedge fund strategies. Buy and hold is dead.

Now, you must think like this overly cynical short selling penny stock day trader. Do not listen to comments from sugarcoating CEOs, the WWE-like financial media or measly track record-lacking analysts; learn to stay liquid while stalking your investments, striking only you have a perfect shot!

Timothy Sykes writes the blog timothysykes.com, is a former hedge fund manager, star of the TV show Wall Street Warriors and author of the book, An American Hedge Fund: How I Made $2 Million as a Stock Operator & Created a Hedge Fund

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The trend is your friend (or enemy): 20 stocks to watch

Timothy Sykes — 2008-03-12T10:58:00+00:00

Filed under: eBay (EBAY), Starbucks (SBUX), Motorola (MOT), Citigroup Inc. (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Merrill Lynch (MER), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Broadcom Corp'A' (BRCM), Technical Analysis, Gilead Sciences (GILD), Kinross Gold (KGC), SanDisk Corp (SNDK), Stocks to Buy, Stocks to Sell

Last week, I wrote one article about 10 stocks making new 52-week highs and another about 10 stocks making new 52-week lows. Gold, oil and steel plays made up the majority of stocks making new highs while technology and finance companies were the ones plummeting.

Both articles gave some very basic rules on how to spot reversals while recommending investors cut their losses quickly and let their winners run. And, both articles were released mid-week around the same time of day. Yet the article about stocks making new lows turned out to be more than seven times as popular!

Why do you think that is? Sure, they're slightly more actively traded, but I believe investors are not comfortable buying into or holding commodity plays because they've already gone up so much. But they're perfectly willing to go down with the ship on blue chip brokers and technology plays, sometimes even doubling and worse, tripling up because they're invested in such "quality companies."

If I'm right, as Cher would say, snap out of it! Forget those bubble years of the past; technology -- and certainly financial -- won't be making exponential comebacks anytime soon. The trend is your friend until the trendline breaks -- oh yes, technical analysis works because it pertains directly to your investment's value. Fundamental analysis is all well and good in the long run, but it won't save you from potentially mammoth short-term losses!

I'm listing all 20 stocks, good and bad, because nothing much has changed since. Yes, some stocks have dropped and bounced a bit, but the overarching trends remain intact. So, you suffering longs have no choice but to click these strange stocks to see what uptrending charts look like, and you trend-following investors who are loving life can laugh while you see how the other half lives.

Uptrending = Good!

Downtrending = Bad!

Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM)
Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK)
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM)
Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER)
Citigroup (NYSE: C)
Motorola (NYSE: MOT)
Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S)
Ebay (NASDAQ: EBAY)
Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU)
Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX)

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Ciena (CIEN) first-quarter profit rises on strong sales

Eliza Popescu — 2008-03-07T14:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, Forecasts, Ciena Corp (CIEN), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

Shares of communications equipment maker Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) have been surging today following announcing that its first-quarter profit more than doubled, helped by higher networking equipment sales. Its surprising earnings numbers and also a positive sales outlook gave a lift to the entire sector, whose shares have been rallying in early trading.

For the quarter, the company said that its profit rose to $28.8 million, or 28 cents per share as new products helped Ciena to "take share and gain additional customer traction." These numbers are up from $11.1 million, or 12 cents per share reported in the same period a year ago.

Included in the company's earnings figures was $7.7 million related to a patent litigation settlement. Excluding that, Sears earnings numbers would have come at $49.6 million, or 47 cents a share. Analyst, on average, expected the company show quarterly earnings of 40 cents per share.

Ciena posted a respectable growth of 38% for its first-quarter revenue which surged to $227.4 million from $165.1 million a year ago. This was above analysts' predictions for revenue of $226.5 million in the quarter, according to Thomson Financial.

Looking ahead, Ciena expressed its optimism over further gains and said it expects "no change in the fundamental drivers" of its business. The communications equipment maker forecast a rise of 27% for its fiscal 2008 revenue which implies a sales values of more than $779.8 million. Analysts predicted a gain of "only" 22% to $949.7 million for 2008 revenue.

Traders expressed their enthusiasm over the company's positive outlook and pushed telecommunication equipment makers higher in early trading. Thus, Alucatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) is up 2.20% to 5.54, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is up 0.50% to 36.17, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is up 0.30% to 36.37.

Eliza Popescu is a financial writer for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

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Motorola (MOT) and Nortel (NT) consider telecom equipment JV

Douglas McIntyre — 2008-02-11T08:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Deals, Industry, Motorola (MOT), Nortel Networks (NT), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU)

Do two weak operations combined make a strong one? Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Nortel (NYSE: NT) are considering putting their wireless telecom equipment operations into a company that would have about $10 billion in annual sales. Motorola is already considering spinning off its largest unit -- handset. According to The Wall Street Journal, "if Motorola completes a deal with Nortel and divests itself of its handset business, it would be a much smaller company."

It is hard to see why the venture would work. In the same sector, the merger that created Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) has been a first class disaster. The Nokia-Siemes telecom equipment operation says it has seen a slowdown.

Nortel's shares have fallen from a 52-week high of $31.79 to $11.07. The company has long-term debt of almost $4 billion and had operating income of only $63 million last quarter.

Otherwise, it is a swell idea.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Earnings highlights: PepsiCo, Toyota, News Corp., ADM, Toll Bros. and others

Trey Thoelcke — 2008-02-09T15:10:00+00:00

Filed under: Earnings reports, PepsiCo (PEP), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Chevron Corp (CVX), Yum Brands (YUM), Wendy's Intl (WEN), News Corp'B' (NWS), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Toll Brothers (TOL), Western Union (WU), Polo Ralph Lauren'A' (RL)

The earnings crunch continues, and here are a few of the highlights of this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) posted its biggest quarterly loss since its creation in 2006.
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) missed earnings estimates despite revenue up 50%.
Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) fourth-quarter profit soared on strong sales of Avonex and Tysabri.
Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) reported record profits due to surging oil prices.
CNET Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: CNET) revenue rose but the forecast was not encouraging.
Data Domain Inc. (NASDAQ: DDUP) third-quarter revenues spiked due to aggressive overseas expansion.
Elizabeth Arden Inc. (NASDAQ: RDEN) benefitted from overseas growth, which offset weak holiday sales.
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) warned that 2008 earnings would be affected by competition from generics.
Harris Corp. (NYSE: HRS) beat estimates and raised its guidance.
Micros Systems (NASDAQ: MCRS) beat expectations and offered guidance in line with estimates.
News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) fell short of earnings expectations despite strength in MySpace and Fox News.
PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP) results met estimates and it announced further share buybacks.
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE: RL) beat estimates and raised its guidance.
SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRF) missed expectations due to a seasonal decline.
Toll Brothers Inc. (NYSE: TOL) expects to report its seventh straight quarterly revenue decline.
Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) attributed solid earnings to growth in China, Russia, emerging markets.
Wendy's International Inc. (NYSE: WEN) missed earnings estimates, despite beating revenue forecast.
Western Union Co. (NYSE: WU) posted results just ahead of Wall Street estimates.
Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) posted solid results on overseas growth and share buybacks.

For more BloggingStocks earnings highlights from this past week, see Earnings highlights: Time Warner, Cisco, Gannett, Disney, EDS and others.

Also, Doug McIntyre suspects analysts are expecting too much from earnings in the later half of the year. And Zac Bissonette is skeptical about claims of "record earnings."

Upcoming results to watch for include General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT), Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO), Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE), and Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA).

Visit AOL Money & Finance for more earnings coverage.

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Credit on the edge, 10 generic drugs to soothe your budget & 8 retirement mistakes to avoid - Today in Money 2/8

Allan Halprin — 2008-02-08T09:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Yahoo! (YHOO), McDonald's (MCD), Walt Disney (DIS), Money and Finance Today, Tiffany and Co (TIF), Alcatel-LucentADS (ALU), Limited Brands (LTD)

In the News:

· McDonald's January Sales Up 5.7%

· Alcatel-Lucent Earnings Another Disappointing Quarter

· Consumer Confidence Sinks Even Lower

· More Chrysler Models on Chopping Block?

· Congress Passes Economic Aid Package

· U.S. Dollar Having Best Week in Years

· Tiffany Raises 2008 Outlook

· D-Day for Yahoo; Board to Meet Today on Its Fate

· Is It Too Late for Yahoo?

· Disney to Add 'American Idol' Attraction

· A New Venture for Jay-Z, on Madison Avenue

Credit on the Edge

The once-vaunted FICO credit scoring system is now being blamed for failing to flag risky home-loan borrowers. The FICO score, last overhauled in 1989, is based on a complex formula using many variables --and yet it can be manipulated fairly easily by ordinary people. In the past few years a group of "credit doctors" and mortgage brokers began devising tricks, some illegal, to help borrowers juice their FICO scores to qualify for credit cards and mortgages on homes they couldn't afford. Will an overhaul be enough to appease angry lenders? Credit Scores: Not-So-Magic Numbers - BusinessWeek

Making Sense of Your Credit Score

Do you know your credit score? If so, you're probably well aware of how important it is to your finances. Unfortunately 70% of consumers don't know their score. It pays to know your number -- and how to boost it. Test your credit-score savvy with our QUIZ.

Making Sense of Your Credit Score - Kiplinger.com

Quiz: Do You Know the Score on Your Credit?

Discount Retailers More Fashionable

Macy's, The Limited and Ann Taylor Loft are out and T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Ross Dress for Less are in.

The weaker the economy gets, it seems, the more some discounters benefit and the bleaker the outlook for their higher-priced competitors. The trend could carry long-term implications for all the retailers. People who try - and like - stores in shaky economic times are more likely to stick with them after the economy rebounds.

More shoppers head to discount stores - USATODAY.com

Refinancing, Only for the Privileged Few

Sure, now is a great time to refinance - that is, if you can still qualify. Here is what lenders are looking for.

Refis: Who can do it - CNNmoney

8 Retirement Plan Mistakes to Avoid

Think of how important your retirement savings are. You can't afford to make many big mistakes -- especially as the years go by and you accumulate substantial sums of money in your tax-deferred retirement plans.

8 retirement plan mistakes- Bankrate.com

10 Generics to Soothe Your Drug Budget

In 2008 more than 10 top-selling drugs will lose patent protection. What's bad news for Big Pharma can be good news for your wallet. Take a look at which blockbusters will soon loser their patent protection. They cover a wide range of conditions like osteoporosis, asthma, insomnia, glaucoma, depression, epilepsy, migranes, prostate cancer and HIV.

Big Pharma's Patent Headache

Gallery: 10 Top-Selling Drugs

What Slump? Homeowners in Denial -- Survey shows 3 of 4 homeowners believe their home has gained or retained its value, despite evidence of price decline.
Home prices in the state of denial -CNNmoney

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