Copyright (c) 2006 Stockpickr. All rights reserved. http://www.stockpickr.com/ en-us Enter a portfolio, get recommendations automatically from hedge funds, mutual funds, super investors. http://www.stockpickr.com/images/stockpickr.jpg http://www.stockpickr.com/ 144 17 http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/2003/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 27, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, investors need to know the four enemies of all bull markets. On Wednesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, Cramer reminded viewers that all bull markets must come to an end. However, he said the key to investing successfully is to sell your stocks before that happens. With this in mind, he pointed out some key things for investors to look for so they can avoid any looming selloff. One warning sign that investors should look for is inflation. Cramer said inflation has killed almost every bull market since he started his career on Wall Street. He explained that inflation usually means the Fed will raise rates, which can hurt earnings and force investors i... Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:36:55 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/2002/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 27, 2009 According to CNBC’s “Fast Money” traders, the adjustment in the third-quarter GDP figure released on Tuesday from an expansion of only 2.8%, rather than the estimate of 3.5%, was significant. Rick Santelli said he was surprised the revised data had little impact on the markets. He explained that this means the markets are trading higher for reasons that aren’t fundamentally based. Karen Finerman pointed out that the markets won’t move in the short term off of fundamentals. However, she does think it will become a big factor in the long term. Tim Seymour said there were market players lining up on both sides of the trade in the attempt to interpret the ... Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:22:28 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/2001/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 25, 2009 With Thanksgiving fast approaching, retailers have one thing on their collective minds: Black Friday. After all, the day, which got its name by historically propelling retailers into profitability -- otherwise known as “in the black” -- for the year, continues to be one of the most significant for retailers and the manufacturers that supply them. And although prices will be slashed deep this year, most analysts expect a buying frenzy to well surpass last year’s Black Friday disappointments. So with retail’s biggest day in mind, it’s time to talk turkey about the phenomenon that could cause some of the industry’s biggest stocks to surge going in... Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:33:48 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/2000/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 24, 2009 Don’t dismiss dividends right now. While stocks may have made significant strides in the rally that’s taken hold of the market since March, there’s still a lot to be said for companies that are consistently paying out cash to shareholders. And the companies that actually increase their dividends during a tough economy send an even stronger signal to investors. With cash hard to part with when business is slow, management’s decision to let shareholders have a bigger cut tells Wall Street that a company is in good enough financial shape to weather the storm. Income investors aren’t the only people who should focus on companies that hike their dividen... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:36:13 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1999/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 24, 2009 10 Terrific Dividend Stocks: This Barron’s article highlights 10 high-quality dividend-paying stocks for investors who’re nearing retirement who need to bulk up their portfolios. Among the stocks mentioned are Chevron (CVX), Banco Santander (STD), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and McDonald’s (MCD). Tech Hunter: Barron’s talks with Zack Shafran, portfolio manager of both the Waddell & Reed Advisors Science & Technology Fund (UNSCX) and the Ivy Science & Technology Fund (WSTAX). Shafran looks to invest not only in pure tech but also in companies using science and technology to get ahead no matter what industry they’re in. Among the stocks in hi... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:05:55 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1998/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 23, 2009 As well as broad-based indexes have performed in the last few months, Stockpickr's weekly Rocket Stocks list has managed to do significantly better. In fact, over the trailing 18 weeks, investing in each week’s picks at Monday’s market open and selling at Friday’s close would have delivered 35.16% outperformance over the S&P 500. With stocks opening higher this morning, there's a chance we'll see an even bigger rally this week in our Rocket Stocks list of beaten-down stocks with near-term growth catalysts and long-term growth potential. After a week last week that saw the S&P 500 slide 0.19%, a beginning-of-the-week uptick is exactly what’s need... Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:34:02 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1997/ Not a Stockpickr member? Join the community today -- for free.Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Altria (MO): Altria's Philip Morris USA division is suing 10 retailers for allegedly selling fake Marlbor... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:48:36 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1996/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 20, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, options expiration is driving the current market selloff. He pointed out that the only stocks that were holding up in the market were the agriculture and bulk shipping plays, such as DryShips (DRYS) and Mosaic (MOS). Cramer said the market is experiencing some consolidation patterns that are in line with what happens around options expiration. He doesn’t see the market making any sharp selloffs during this non-news environment, but he thinks we get nickel and dime selloffs. Cramer also mentioned that the market bears are are using twisted logic when they try to talk the markets down. He thinks the bears should be arguing in the alternative right now. Cram... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:09:29 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1995/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 19, 2009 According to CNBC’s “Fast Money” traders, the stock market is showing no signs of stopping its current bull run. Joe Terranova told viewers that the markets simply consolidated Tuesday, and the odds of a market correction between now and the end of the year are low. Pete Najarian said he’s watching the 1100 level on the S&P 500. He pointed out that 1100 was resistance but now has turned into support. Tim Seymour said he would look for support around 1068. He believes the S&P 500 is heading to 1120, but probably not much higher from there. Brian Kelly of Kanundrum said it’s a good sign the market is staying above 1100. However, he mentioned the ... Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:13:49 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1994/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 18, 2009 There are plenty of reasons for stocks to have the attention of short-sellers. Waning financials, a deteriorating business model and expected upcoming bad news are all par for the course. But what about when a stock’s underlying business and fundamentals are good, but the short-sellers are still betting against it? Then it’s gearing up to be a potential short-squeeze play. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted stock starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and more of the short investors buy shares to cover their positions, share prices skyrocket. Almost anything can trigger a short squeeze, including trumping earnings expectatio... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:36:23 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1993/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 17, 2009 As company earnings dwindle toward the end of third-quarter earnings season, dividend stocks are continuing to deliver in a tough economy. Last week, 14 companies announced an increasing dividend, a telling sign for investors. That’s because, historically, companies that pay dividends materially outperform those that don’t, and when the market turns bearish, dividends could be the only semblance of return that investors see for a while. That’s why every week Stockpickr reviews recent dividend declarations and compiles a portfolio of dividend-increasers. These stocks represent some of the most enticing investments on the market right now. Here’s a graphic... Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:16:34 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1992/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 16, 2009 Follow us on Twitter! “Futures advance. Retail sales make gains. Bernanke to speak on economic outlook. GM, in first post-bankruptcy report, says it lost $1.2 billion. Gold hits another record,” read this morning’s premarket report from CNN. Short of GM’s performance, you’d hardly know that we’re in a recession, sentiment echoed last week with the S&P 500’s 2.26% gain. But the S&P’s rally paled in comparison with how our Rocket Stock picks fared last week. And this week’s new list of Rocket Stocks -- beaten-down stocks with near-term growth catalysts and long-term growth potential -- looks primed to continue ... Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:21:22 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1991/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 16, 2009 Follow us on Twitter! Legendary Investors’ Stock Picks: This Barron’s article highlights more than a dozen stock picks and pans from some of Wall Street’s most recognized money managers, including David Einhorn and Steve Mandel. Among the stocks mentioned are Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), Monsanto (MON), Whole Foods Market (WFMI) and Wyndham Worldwide (WYN). 5 Retail Stock Bargains: This Barron’s article says that retailers could enjoy a much stronger Christmas than Wall Street expects. With this in mind, Barron’s identified five stocks that could rally as results improve and new products take off. Among the stocks mentioned are Best Buy (... Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:02:59 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1990/ By Roberto Pedone Follow us on Twitter! According to Jim Cramer, investors shouldn’t read too much into Thursday’s market action. He reminded investors that the market has gone up for six days in a row on no real news, so it’s very reasonable to trade lower for a day on nothing. Cramer pointed out that we have a number of bullish items, such as improving jobless claims, weak oil prices and bullish guidance from Wal-Mart (WMT), that should give the bulls some comfort in the short term. Plus, Cramer believes that investors should stop fearing high gold prices. On Wednesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, he told viewers that the rally in gold is actually a good thing, not a sign of pending ... Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:48:32 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1989/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 12, 2009 Follow us on Twitter! According to CNBC’s “Fast Money” traders, stocks continued to move higher this week, maintaining their strength off the weakness in the U.S. dollar. On Wednesday’s “Halftime Report” segment, Tim Seymour said he expects the market to keep going up from here as long as the dollar continues to weaken. He told viewers to watch how the S&P 500 acts at the key resistance level of 1100. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” TV show, Joe Terranvoa said he thinks the S&P will move north of 1100 this week. Pete Najarian agreed with him, saying the market could experience an explosive move higher if we can crac... Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:44:54 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1988/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 11, 2009 Recently we put our short-squeeze focus on smaller stocks; this week we’re going large-cap. With higher trading volumes, more analyst coverage and, frequently, less risk, going long a large-cap short-squeeze play can be a pretty attractive move. That’s because even though it takes more money to move the big names, the risks of getting caught when a trade doesn’t go your way are significantly diminished for stocks over the $5 billion threshold. But what’s a short squeeze anyway? A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted stock starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and more of the short investors buy shares to... Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:19:56 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1987/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 10, 2009 After six straight days of gains, the markets are taking a breather today, which gives us the chance to focus our attention back on the stocks that announced increased dividends last week. Increasing dividends is a significant development that investors shouldn’t overlook, whether they’ve focused on dividends in the past or not. Historically, companies that pay dividends materially outperform those that don’t, and when the market turns bearish, dividends could be the only semblance of return that investors see for a while. That’s why every week Stockpickr reviews recent dividend declarations and compiles a portfolio of dividend-increasers. These stocks rep... Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:04:09 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1986/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 9, 2009 Financial-Services Bull: Barron’s talks with Anton Schutz, portfolio manager at the Burnham Financial Industries Fund (BURFX), a large-cap financial-services mutual fund he launched in April 2004. Schutz thinks a number of financial-services companies are worth buying, despite the challenges that lay ahead. Among the stocks in his portfolio are JPMorgan Chase (JPM), People’s United Financial (PBCT) and Ameriprise Financial (AMP). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron’s publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on Altria Group (MO) and JDS Uniphase (JDSU), ... Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:01:37 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1985/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 9, 2009 Last week brought investors a welcome return to gains as the S&P 500 pushed up 3.2% over the course of the last five trading days. With most broad-based indices tumbling down to a key support level toward the end of October, many traders were waiting with baited breath for the market’s next move. And now, despite unemployment in the double digits and more of the same from the Fed, it looks like investors are game to keep pushing stocks higher as we enter this week. That’s all the more reason to look to the Rocket Stocks -- beaten-down stocks with near-term growth catalysts and long-term growth potential. In the past 16 weeks, Stockpickr readers have had the chance to b... Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:04:22 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1984/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 6, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, the bears are tellinginvestors six lies. On Wednesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, Cramer said if you listen to the bears, you’re going to miss out on some tremendous opportunities. He explained that the negative spin the bears are putting on the market seems to be dismissing every bit of good news we get. However, Cramer started his TV show for times just like these so he can expose the lies and protect investors from the rash of pessimism. One of the lies the bears are spinning is that Warren Buffett doesn’t know what he’s doing after the investment guru announced he was buying Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI). Cramer said... Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:52:11 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1983/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 5, 2009 The traders on CNBC’s “Fast Money” told their viewers what they must know after Warren Buffett announced on Tuesday his largest-ever takeover of railroad company Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI) for $26 billion. “It’s an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States,” Buffett said in a statement. Tim Seymour said Buffett’s move is a long-term play that won’t change anyone’s short-term trading strategies. Joe Terranvoa told viewers that Buffett’s move is a signal to investors that he’s bullish on transports, energy and infrastructure. He thinks this means good times are in store for FedEx (FDX... Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:05:41 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1982/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 4, 2009 For investors who seek out short-squeeze opportunities, there’s no time as important as earnings season. Earnings are one of the biggest catalysts a stock has to move higher, and good earnings can be just what investors need to start a squeeze. That’s especially true at the tail end of earnings season as less-visible companies release their quarterly results to investors. With smaller trading volumes in many of these stocks, the squeeze potential is magnified in a big way. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted stock starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and more of the short investors buy shares to cover their positions, sh... Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:18:35 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1981/ By Stockpickr Staff Posted on Nov. 4, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Ford (F): Ford has expanded its convertible debt sale to $2.5 billion from the previously planned $2.3 billion. In ... Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:12:20 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1980/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 4, 2009 Up one day and down the next -- it seems as though investors can’t make up their minds. But when the stock market churns and volatility spikes, they can still find solace in dividends. That’s because investing in income stocks is one of the few ways to collect earnings from a portfolio when the market isn’t moving higher. The companies that actually increase their dividends during a tough economy send an even stronger signal to investors. With cash hard to part with when business is slow, management’s decision to let shareholders have a bigger cut tells Wall Street that a company is in good enough financial shape to weather the storm. Income investors aren&... Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:07:49 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1979/ By Stockpickr Staff Posted on Nov. 3, 2009 Not a Stockpickr member? Join the community today -- for free.Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Hecla Mining (HL): Hecla surprised in the third quarter wi... Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:56:15 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1978/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Nov. 2, 2009 Last week was brutal for investors. With four of the last five trading sessions ending in the red, the S&P 500 index closed 4% lower on Friday than its open last Monday. But things are turning up this week, with markets opening higher on hopes of a November bounce. Right now is a very key time for the market. With the pullback we’ve had in recent weeks and with aggregate share prices nearing their 50-day moving averages, we could be witnessing a very significant bounce over the next couple of trading sessions. If not, the markets could be set to fall even further. With that in mind, Stockpickr presents another installment of its weekly Rocket Stocks list. These beaten-down s... Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:41:35 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1977/ By Stockpickr Staff Posted on Nov. 2, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. CIT (CIT): On Sunday, CIT filed for bankruptcy protection following a failed debt-exchange offer to bondholders. I... Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:37:49 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1976/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Nov. 2, 2009 Big Money Stock Picks: This Barron’s article says the bulls are still in charge according to a survey of the top money managers in their latest edition of the Big Money Poll. Despite the optimism, the bulls also see reasons to be cautious about how much is left in the rally. Among the stocks mentioned are Apple (AAPL), American International Group (AIG) and General Electric (GE). Hedge Fund Strategies: This Barron’s article highlights how three newbie hedge fund managers are navigating the current trading landscape post-crisis. These three managers all agree on three broad ideas: stick to what you know best, have rigorous and systematic risk controls, and recognize the credit ... Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:20:53 CST http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1975/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 30, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, window dressing is upon us. On Tuesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, Cramer told viewers that we’re just three days away from the end of the month and the end of the fiscal year for most hedge funds and mutual funds. He explained that that means managers will look to mark up their biggest holdings to generate better returns and keep clients from withdrawing funds. For most mutual and hedge funds, October and early November is when clients can withdraw capital due to tax implications and fund requirements if they’re unhappy with a fund’s performance. Cramer said watch what happens to stocks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursd... Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:56:56 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1974/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 29, 2009 Some of the traders on CNBC’s “Fast Money” are concerned that with Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and the rest of the tech sector losing steam, market players might be starting to fear that the bull market rally is over. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” TV show, Joe Terranova said that the markets have lost momentum caused by strong earnings reports and now the S&P 500 has suffered a technical failure. He pointed out that the market lost the best sector, tech, and the smartphone trade has started to unwind. Terranova told viewers that if the S&P can trade back above 1070, momentum will prevail. Tim Seymour said the uncertainly around the one... Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:29:55 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1973/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 28, 2009 Don’t discount the power of the small stocks. While most investors spend their time focusing on big blue chips, small- and micro-cap investors are reaping the benefits of bigger price swings and a lack of analyst coverage. And when it comes to short squeezes, small-cap stocks (those with market capitalizations of $2 billion or less) provide some of the most serious gain potential. Price swings and little analyst attention don’t typically sound like good things for a stock that you’re thinking about investing in. But when you’re talking about a potential short-squeeze play, they can be. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted... Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:35:35 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1972/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 27 Now that earnings season is in full swing for Wall Street's biggest companies, dividend declarations are coming out in full force as well. And this past week has seen more dividend hikes than we've had in a very long time. All told, 22 companies announced increases in their payouts to shareholders last week. And with consumer concerns about the recovery still playing a big part in investment choices, higher dividends do a good job of quelling doubts that things are getting "less worse." We’re also seeing a continuing trend of more and more large-cap companies announcing higher dividends. Last week, some of the biggest blue chips on the Street announced that they were sharing more... Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:10:07 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1971/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 26, 2009 If this morning's headlines are any indication, investors are ready to get back into the market’s action. As another week of earnings season opens up, 137 of the S&P 500 companies are set to report their earnings in the next five days. That’s an event-packed earnings calendar that could be a huge catalyst for a number of companies -- but especially for this week’s Rocket Stocks list. Rocket stocks are beaten-down stocks with near-term growth catalysts and long-term growth potential. And over the course of the last 14 weeks, getting into our weekly list on Monday and selling on Friday would have netted you gains of about 28.9%. Last week, we played the rising wa... Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:35:06 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1970/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 26, 2009 10 Takeover Targets: This Barron’s article identified 10 takeover targets in the technology sector. Among the stocks mentioned are F5 Networks (FFIV), Riverbed Technology (RVBD), Brocade Communications Systems (BRCD) and Red Hat (RHT). Managed-Care Buys: This Barron’s article says some managed-care companies will remain relatively unaffected by the Obama administration’s changes to health-care. In fact, some could rise as much as 25%. Among the stocks mentioned are WellPoint (WLP), Cigna (CI) and UnitedHealth Group (UNH). Relative-Value Manager: Barron’s talks with Jerry Senser, CEO and chief investment officer of Institutional Capital, a large-cap value sh... Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:17:12 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1969/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 23, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, if investors want to make money in the market, they have to break the rules. Cramer said that market players need to forget about “buy and hold” and the notion of investing only in index funds. Cramer thinks investors can pick their own stocks if they’re willing to put in the time and effort. In fact, Cramer believes that if investors do their homework, they’ll have the edge over much of Wall Street. But homework isn’t easy, and it’s time consuming, so Cramer advised viewers to stay interested in the markets by speculating with up to 20% of their non-IRA portfolios. Speculating in the markets is fun, and it can pay... Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:59 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1968/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 22, 2009 Nothing moves the market like earnings season. With that time upon us once again, the potential for some seriously profitable short squeezes is very real in the next few weeks. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted stock starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and more of the short investors buy shares to cover their positions, share prices skyrocket. Almost anything can trigger a short squeeze, including trumping earnings expectations, winning a lawsuit, unveiling a new product and even announcing a management change. One of the best indicators of just how high a short-squeezed stock could go is the short interest ratio , which divides sha... Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:59:35 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1967/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 21, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” are starting to get worried that the falling dollar and rising oil prices could put a dent in U.S. stock prices. On Wednesday’s “Halftime Report,” Brian Kelly of Kanundrum said he’s concerned about the current level of the S&P 500. He pointed out that higher oil prices will lead to higher prices at the pump, which could hurt consumer spending across the board. Jared Levy of Peak6 mentioned that the VIX is trading at 52-week lows. He explained that this shows the market is complacent and said investors should consider put protection if stocks continue to move higher. Tim Seymour said he’s wa... Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:49:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1966/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 20, 2009 After a week’s hiatus, Rocket Stocks are back and ready to take on earnings season. The week of Oct. 9 (Stockpickr’s last round of Rocket Stocks picks) ended on a high note, with stocks closing at their highest levels yet for 2009. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average each closed at a one-year high that Friday, as two stocks gained for every one that fell. All told, the week was the best since July. Fast forward to this week, and the market’s looking like it could reset some of those records. We’re smack-dab in the middle of third-quarter earnings season, and with that comes investor excitement as companies announce whether they’re going ... Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:16:31 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1965/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 20, 2009 As earning season kicked off, it may have seemed last week that investor focus was dead set on quarterly numbers. On Thursday, the markets reacted wildly after companies such as Goldman Sachs (GS) and Citigroup (C) reported their profits, and on Friday, stocks took a tumble as Bank of America (BAC) revealed a quarterly loss. As investors reacted to company news, a handful of stocks were raising their dividends. Increasing a dividend is a big deal for any company, but it’s a particularly significant event in the midst of a recession. Historically, companies that pay dividends materially outperform those that don’t, and when the market turns bearish, dividends could be the o... Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:04:56 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1964/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 19, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Bond ETF Plays: This Barron's article says that bond ETFs have become an attractive alternative to traditional fixed-income mutual funds. Among the ETFs mentioned are iShares Barclays TIPS Bond ETF (TIP), SPDR Barclays Capital Convertible Bond ETF (CWB) and SPDR Barclays Capital International Treasury Bond ETF (BWX). Undervalued Leaders: Barron's talks with Todd McCallister, managing director and portfolio co-manager of the $1.4 billion Eagle Asset Management Fund (HMCAX). McCallister looks for companies that are undervalued but in a posi... Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:24:25 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1963/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 16, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, market bears make up excuses to scare investors out of stocks. The bears have been screaming to sell the market as the Dow's soared past 7,500, 8,500, 9,500 and now 10,000, said Cramer. Cramer said no matter if it's oil prices or gold prices or fears of higher interest rates or rising jobless claims, the bears always find a reason to tell investors to get out of stocks. Don't blame the bears, he said. It's just the way they operate. Cramer pointed out that the bears failed with their macro attacks on the market. And when those tactics didn’t work, they started to attack individual companies like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM). ... Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:55:29 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1962/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 9, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, housing stocks are the key to this market. Cramer pointed out that the charts of the housing stocks are showing that the group is the weakest area in the markets. Why is this happening? One potential explanation could be that housing stocks are tracking employment and news flow, and both are very bearish. Another reason could be the $8,000 first-time home tax credit, which has yet to be renewed. Cramer doesn’t think the tax credit is as important as the historically low mortgage rates. However, he said the key to the housing bottom is for homebuilders to combine or falter. Right now Cramer thinks the latter is occurring. What’s even more important ... Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:51:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1961/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 8, 2009 While health care has been the hot topic on the news for the past few months, the industry certainly hasn’t been an attractive industry for investors. The health care sector’s valuation has jumped only 21.6% between the first and second quarters, compared with a 40% average jump across all industries. The biggest reason for that underperformance is health care reform. Investors are nervous -- and rightfully so -- that new governmental regulations on the health care industry could make health stocks a tough sell. And while that makes health care stocks a scary place for investors hanging on until sentiment swings, it also makes select stocks excellent short-squeeze candidate... Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:20:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1960/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 8, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” noted on Tuesday that the markets moved higher due to a decision by the Australian central bank to raise interest rates. Tim Seymour said the rally in the U.S. was fueled by Australia and by rumors that Saudi Arabia was conspiring with other petro-producing countries to switch out of the dollar for a new currency in the pricing of crude oil. Seymour told viewers he expects the dollar to break lower, and as a result the U.S. stock market rally should continue to show strength. Joe Terranova said that investors who think this is an inflation story are wrong. He believes the real story is about fighting deflation. Terranova pointed out t... Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:32:16 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1959/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 6, 2009 Stocks Raising Dividends Are Fewer, but Worth the Hunt," declared the headline of a Wall Street Journal article yesterday. It's something we’ve known for quite some time here at Stockpickr. With the kickoff of earnings season this week, companies have started making dividend declarations at an increasing pace. From just a couple of companies raising their dividends in weeks past to more than half a dozen this week, it’s time to expect a flurry of dividend activity in the coming month. And those dividend-increasers are definitely worth watching. Consistent dividend-raisers, as the Journal points out, tend also to be well-positioned in the market and boast strong cash f... Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:01:42 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1958/ By Roberto Pedone Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Baby Boomer Plays: This Barron's article says that baby boomers are a growing force at 77 million, and companies that ignore this group will be doing so at their own peril. Among the stocks mentioned are Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Target (TGT) and Walt Disney (DIS). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week, there are bullish stories on Peabody Energy (BTU), AVI BioPharma (AVII) and Assured Guaranty (AGO). 'Speaking of Dividends': T... Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:53:45 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1957/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Oct. 5, 2009 Stocks opened higher Monday after a four-day losing streak that pushed the S&P 500 down 1.84%. But this week, with third-quarter earnings season on the horizon, investors are willing to be bullish once again. Earnings season kicks off on Wednesday, when steel giant Alcoa (AA) releases its quarterly earnings to the investment public. While expectations remain high going into earnings, the past couple of unimpressive investment weeks show that investors are still nervous about a rally that’s seemingly come from nowhere. Solid numbers will be needed this quarter to sustain the trend. That’s not to say that all stocks tumbled last week. If you’d been following our w... Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:32:13 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1956/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Oct. 1, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, investors are confused by the markets because a case can be made for both the bulls and the bears. Cramer pointed out that the confusing pattern is happening all over the market. For example, Cramer told investors to watch Nike (NKE) and Darden Restaurants (DRI) for a read on consumer spending. Earlier this week, Nike reported a great number that sent the stock up sharply, but Darden reported an in-line number that sent shares down. The confusion doesn’t stop with the consumer. Cramer said the problem can also be seen in housing. Housing inventory is down, which is good for the bulls. However, Wall Street is focused on foreclosures and the expiring new-ho... Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:14:53 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1955/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 30, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” continue to be surprised by the strength in the stock market. On Monday’s “Fast Money” show, Joe Terranova said he’s seeing maximum frustration in the markets. He thinks investors are confused and don’t know if they should stay in or get out of stocks. Guy Adami reminded viewers he has been waiting for stocks to pull back, which just hasn’t happened. He mentioned that he’s still bearish and that the recent pickup in M&A activity could be signaling a top for the markets. Dennis Gartman, author of The Gartman Letter, said the market has been trading on very low volume. He... Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:11:31 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1954/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 30, 2009 Sometimes there’s little rhyme or reason to the way Wall Street operates. That’s because in the stock market, trading activity sets prices, not logic. When astute investors grab for chances to profit from that disconnect, some pretty exciting profit opportunities can ensue. That’s why this week, we’re looking at uptrending stocks for short-squeeze potential. In 2009, the market has certainly turned the tables on the massive selloff that took place just one year ago. In the trailing 10 months, the Dow Jones has rallied 13.8%, yet despite the upward momentum we’re seeing from a technical perspective, short-sellers haven’t let up on a select few ... Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:28:01 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1953/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 29, 2009 While blue chip companies have been largely absent from the dividend hikes of the past, with the exception of Philip Morris (PM) two weeks ago, several blue chips made a comeback this past week, announcing that they were increasing shareholder payouts in the coming months. Those announcements came as news percolated that we may indeed be through with the recession that’s gripped the world economy officially since December 2007. And with more economic news on the way today, in the form of updated Case-Shiller Home Price Index and Consumer Confidence numbers, and even more economic metrics updated throughout the rest of the week, there should be plenty of opportunities for stocks ... Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:52:13 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1952/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 28, 2009 Last week marked the busiest week of Wall Street IPOs since 2007, the largest being A123 Systems (AONE), a Massachusetts-based battery maker. The company raised $379 million in its offering, with shares appreciating 45% on their first trading day, a feat that IPO-tracker Renaissance Capital noted “is welcome news to many VCs and startups that have poured lots of money into the alternative energy space.” But elsewhere in the market, things weren’t quite so upbeat. The S&P 500 index shed 2.24% last week after an update from the Fed and a number of economic metrics sank in. Still, our Rocket Stocks managed to fare better than the market once again, with an average s... Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:23:12 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1951/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 28, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, selling stocks makes sense here, and investors should prepare their portfolios for lower prices in the market. Cramer sees a fast sharp pullback coming for the markets that will take the Dow to 9000. He said one of the problems that could hit the market is the anti-stock-market actions from the leaders in Congress. Cramer mentioned that everything he hears out of Congress is very negative for the U.S. economy. If the market does experience a selloff, which stocks should you look to buy? On Wednesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, Cramer said investors should connect the dots and recognize the strength in the mobile Internet stocks such as Apple (A... Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:50:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1950/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 24, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” are split on which way they think the market will move in the near future. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” TV show, Pete Najarian told viewers that a large number of put options are trading. He said the market will continue higher because there’s just too much protection in place for the bears to gain any ground. Guy Adami continues to express a bearish view of the current market rally. He said investors should enjoy the ride while it lasts because it never does. Joe Terranova said the market is overbought but that that doesn’t mean stocks will pull back. He thinks there’s a possibility of a... Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:47:12 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1949/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 23, 2009 It’s no surprise that investors have been wary of financial stocks lately. After all, since 2007 we’ve seen major financial stocks such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers melt down, shares of stalwart banks such as Citigroup (C) tumble catastrophically, and rumors of big investment firms such as Goldman Sachs (GS) controlling the market through program trading. There are plenty of reasons to stay away from the financial sector, but there’s an even bigger reason to look at just a few key financial names: their huge short squeeze potential. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted company starts to look attractive again to investors... Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:22:51 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1948/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 23, 2009 Last week, several funds and stocks raised their dividends, a shift from the sparse dividend increases of the previous two weeks. Increasing a dividend is a big deal for any company, but it’s a particularly significant event in the midst of a recession. Dividends are so significant because historically companies that pay dividends materially outperform those that don’t, and when the market turns bearish, dividends could be the only semblance of return that investors see for a while. That’s why every week Stockpickr reviews recent dividend declarations and compiles a portfolio of dividend-increasers. These stocks represent some of the most enticing investments on the... Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:34:54 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1947/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 21, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Bullion Buys: This Barron's article says a pullback in gold of 10% to 20% could happen in the near term, but gold bulls think the yellow metal could double in the coming years as the deficit widens, the dollar falls and inflation arrives. Among the stocks mentioned are Gold Fields (GFI), Newmont Mining (NEM), Yamana Gold (AUY) and Goldcorp (GG). Range-Bound Player: Barron's talks with Vitaliy N. Katsenelson, director of research and portfolio manager at Investment Management Associates. Katsenelson believes that the market is going to st... Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:41:20 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1946/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 21, 2009 Stocks hit new highs for 2009 on Friday after ending higher in nine of the last 11 trading sessions. That streak could find another stumbling point today, as the market opens slightly in the red. But the rest of the week could hold a markedly different message for investors. On Tuesday, the Federal Open Market Committee begins its meeting on interest rate policy, and though most analysts don’t expect any groundbreaking announcements to stem from the meeting, a good message from the Fed could signal investors to turn bullish once again. Our weekly Rocket Stock list has done very well lately, outperforming the S&P by 22.5% over the course of the trailing nine weeks, but last ... Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:19:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1945/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 21, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, the recent industrial production numbers tell a good story. He pointed out that business segments such as corrugate boxes, caustic soda and chlorine, which are building blocks for basic infrastructure, are starting to look bullish. Another area that Cramer sees bullish activity in is the makers of bricks such as Vulcan Materials (VMC) and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM). This would indicate that demand is picking up for the building of roads and new homes. Also, the Federal Reserve numbers show that we are still destocking inventories, which makes Cramer believe that a W-style recovery isn’t in the cards and a U-style is. All of these pickups in early ec... Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:10:51 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1944/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 17, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” believe that institutional and retail investors don’t want to miss out on the current stock market rally. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” TV show, Tim Seymour told viewers that stocks were boosted by comments out of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, who said the recession was near the end. Karen Finerman said the market move seems like the type of action where money managers are just chasing returns. She explained that investors who manage money for a living can’t afford to miss out on gains. Guy Adami said he was intrigued by the Master Trust data. He mentioned that banks such as JPMorgan Chase (JPM) ... Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:15:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1943/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 16, 2009 The recession is "very likely over," claimed Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday during a speech at the Brookings Institute. The comment certainly caught investors’ attention, pushing the stock market to new highs for 2009 -- nearly 17% higher than January’s levels. That positive sentiment is just what investors need to profit from the next short-squeeze play. And right now’s as good a chance as any to “squeeze the shorts.” A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted company starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and more of the short investors buy shares to cover their positions, share prices ... Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:16:16 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1942/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 15, 2009 On Monday, President Obama addressed the nation about his plans to reform the financial system that has left so many investors disillusioned. The move, which calls for the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, was greeted with mixed feelings by Americans. But while all eyes were on Washington, a few companies were letting investors know that not all stocks got stomped in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008. In fact, two companies actually boosted their dividends in the last week, much to the excitement of their investors. Increasing a dividend is a big deal for any company, but it’s a particularly significant event in the midst of a recession. Dividends ... Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:45:06 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1941/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 14, 2009 It may be hard to believe, but it was an entire year ago that once-fabled investment banking giant Lehman Brothers crumbled on the national stage. Now, 12 months later, investors are looking at a very different stock market. While the year may have been brutal for companies around the world, in the last week, the S&P 500 managed to deliver another set of gains for 2009, eking out a 1.34% improvement over the course of the last five trading days. And once again, Stockpickr's Rocket Stocks, our weekly list of beaten-down stocks that have both short-term catalysts for growth and long-term investment potential, fared much better than the market. In fact, if you’d invested in ea... Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:12:51 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1940/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 14, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Advertising New Order: This Barron's article contends that the advertising market is starting to bottom and money is flowing again, but not into the traditional formats such as newspapers and broadcast TV. The new winners will likely be in alternative advertising like search engines, digital media and subscription TV. Among the stocks mentioned are Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO) and Time Warner (TWX). High-Yield Powerhouses: This Barron's article says that electric utilities could offer investors returns of 10% or more in the coming year, ... Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:35:11 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1939/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 10, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, there’s too much good in the market to be bearish. Cramer thinks the smart move for investors is to continue to buy the dips. He cited reasons such as too many upgrades and too much bullish news flow, such as increased traffic at retailers and strong sales chatter out of mobile handheld makers. Cramer said he likes the increase in mortgage applications and the ability of American homeowners to refinance out of their toxic adjustable-rate mortgages and into new mortgages at some of the lowest rates in history. Cramer believes that home prices are starting to stabilize and that that will help drive bank stocks higher. Cramer also mentioned that Wall Street... Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:19:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1938/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 10, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” are noticing some bullish activity in stocks despite the negative sentiment swirling around Wall Street. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” TV show, Guy Adami told viewers that he’s been clearly wrong about the direction of the markets. Adami said the market is defying gravity, and despite the fact that he doesn’t trust the move, it seems that stocks want to trade higher. Joe Terranova mentioned that there’s still a large amount of bearish sentiment in the market and that institutional money managers have to put money to work. As a hedge fund manager, Karen Finerman echoed those thoughts. F... Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:33:08 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1937/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 10, 2009 For dividend investors, the past week was a quiet one, with only a few companies increasing their dividends. That's no huge surprise given the fact that nearly 70 companies have already slashed their dividends in 2009. But while the week remained relatively quiet for stock dividends, a slew of funds upped their payouts to shareholders, proving that there’s always a bull market somewhere. Dividends are so significant because historically companies that pay dividends materially outperform those that don’t, and when the market turns bearish, dividends could be the only semblance of return that investors see for a while. That’s why every week Stockpickr reviews recent... Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:51:05 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1936/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 9, 2009 Earnings season can be one of the biggest catalysts for a short squeeze. When heavily shorted companies post impressive earnings numbers, it’s easy for long investors to profit when shares skyrocket. But even with earnings season behind us, there are still potential plays to be made. After all, almost any piece of news can serve as the catalyst to push stocks into short-squeeze range. Of course, some companies have more short-squeeze potential than others. Here’s everything you need to know to profit from a post-earnings squeeze. A short squeeze is the buying frenzy that ensues when a heavily shorted company starts to look attractive again to investors. As more and mo... Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:05:08 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1935/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 8, 2009 The S&P 500 changed its modus operandi this week, closing lower for the first time in a while. The broad-based index shed 1.22%, closing at 1,016.40 on Friday after a last-ditch attempt to finish the week in the black. But once again, Stockpickr's Rocket Stocks fared much better than the market. In fact, if you’d invested in each of last week’s picks, you’d have outperformed the S&P by 4.1%. And as of this week, our Rocket Stock picks from the past eight weeks have outperformed the S&P 500 by 19.9%. Here’s a look at how last week’s Rocket Stocks fared. Last week’s top gainer was payment processing company VeriFone (PAY). ... Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:04:07 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1934/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 8, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Top 10 Stock Picks: Barron's conducts a survey of the 10 top strategists and investment officers to see if they are bullish or bearish. The top stock pickers think that equities will make only limited progress between now and year end. Among the stocks mentioned are Sohu.com (SOHU), Morgan Stanley (MS), Amazon.com (AMZN) and Marvell Technology (MRVL). Best Retail Bets: Barron's talks with Deborah Weinswig, managing director and retailing analyst for Citigroup Investment Research. She believes that investors must be selective as retailers ... Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:25:22 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1933/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 4, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, market players should continue to look for more selling in the stock market. Cramer thinks the sellers aren’t done yet and that the shorts are looking to press their bets. He also believes that the market could be setting up for a selloff that goes beyond 5.8%, which had previously been the largest drop since the bottom in March. Cramer is concerned that the market isn’t rallying off of good news any longer. He’s also worried that the bear market in China is far from over. Cramer has been telling investors to move into defensive sectors and sell materials, banks and minerals. However, one growth area of the market that has continued to imp... Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:33:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1932/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Sept. 2, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” think the U.S. stock market is setting up to trade lower after negative sentiment ruled the day on Tuesday despite relatively strong economic data. Guy Adami told viewers that stocks don’t lie -- people do. He said Tuesday’s bearish action in the stock market is just a prelude of things to come. Adami set a price target for the S&P 500 of 970, possibly even 905. Tim Seymour mentioned that the selloff was significant because it happened on a day when the volume was heavy and the ISM manufacturing index exceeded Wall Street expectations. Joe Terranova was surprised that the market didn’t see asset a... Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:32:38 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1931/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 2, 2009 Recent rallies off of historic lows. Waning investor confidence. Blue chips not so blue any more. Now more than ever, we’re looking at a perfect setup for some potentially profitable short-squeeze plays. One of the best places to look is retail. Retail stocks have been absolutely decimated in the last year, as consumer spending fizzled in reaction to the recession. But now, with increasing evidence that the economy may be turning around and, more important, with analyst-beating earnings numbers coming out for many companies last quarter, could the bears be wrong in thinking that retail has further to fall? That’s where the short squeeze comes in. A short squeeze is the... Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:12:26 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1930/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Sept. 1, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Bank of America (BAC): Bank of America wants to repay some of the bailout funds it received as part of the TARP program.... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:53:24 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1929/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted on Sept. 1, 2009 Over the past 35 years, dividend-paying S&P 500 stocks have outperformed nonpayers by more than double. And in 2008, when the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 39% and 34%, respectively, dividends proved to be the only silver lining to a very serious financial storm. But that doesn't mean dividends have been easy to come by over the course of the last year. In 2008, 62 companies reduced or completely eliminated dividends in light of a significantly tougher economic environment. And in 2009 -- a year that’s been markedly better for investors -- nearly 70 more companies have had to cut payments to shareholders. Dividend-slashers have seen their share prices trim... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:14:44 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1928/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 31, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Hudson City Bancorp: FBR raised its price target on Hudson City Bancorp to $16 from $15 after Hudson City management sp... Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:32:46 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1927/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 31, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Peak Gasoline: This Barron's article contends that America's demand for gasoline may have peaked in 2007, when the nation used 400 million gallons a day. That could be bearish for oil refiners who do most of their business in the U.S. Among the stocks mentioned are Tesoro (TSO), Sunoco (SUN) and Valero (VLO). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish stories on a variety of stocks. We present summaries of those stories in this portfolio. This week there are bullish stories on Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and Exp... Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:45:29 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1926/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted at 11:47 a.m. EDT on Aug. 31, 2009 In the last two months, the S&P 500 has jumped 14.3%, leaving investors scrambling to pick up whatever gains they could. But if you’ve been following our weekly Rocket Stocks list, you’ve had the chance to do even better. In fact, in the past seven weeks, our lists have returned 19.5%, a full 5.2-point outperformance. Last week’s five Rocket Stocks were no exception. The previous five trading sessions marked a week of meager gains for the S&P 500. But while the broad index of the 500 stocks gained just 0.27%, our biggest gainer, American International Group (AIG), shot up 52.91% in just five days. The beleaguered insurer made its move... Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:48:17 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1925/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 28, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. AIG (AIG): AIG continues to surge, lately up another 2%. Meanwhile, CEO Robert Benmosche said he could wait up to thre... Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:22:53 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1924/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 28, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, the Doug Kass market-top call is wrong. Kass thinks that stocks are set to fall due to problems with residential and commercial real estate, a leveraged consumer balance sheet and the growing federal deficit. Kass also believes that earnings cycle isn’t as strong as many believe due to the fact that companies have been employing cost cutting and job reductions to make their numbers. On Wednesday’s “Mad Money” TV show, Cramer told viewers not to dismiss Doug’s call and the market will likely only drop 3% to 5% before resuming its uptrend. Cramer is in the camp of the dip-buyers and he would use any weakness to accumulate stocks. ... Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:44:00 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1923/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 27, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Boeing (BA): Boeing has predicted a late-2009 first flight for its 787 Dreamliner, already about two years behind sched... Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:43:18 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1922/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 26, 2009 A number of the traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” believe that the current market rally is deceptive. Guy Adami said that Tuesday’s market action was bearish. He believes the market is setting up to go lower this week and possibly into next week. Steve Cortes agreed with Adami. He expressed concern about the housing data, which he said is seeing most of the gains at the low end while the high end continues to struggle due to problems in the jumbo loan market. Joe Terranova thinks it’s significant that the market didn’t trade up even though President Obama tried to talk the market up with his comments on the reappointment of Fed Chairman Ben B... Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:39:38 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1921/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 26, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. AIG (AIG): A unit of AIG based in the Philippines has purchased a 51% stake in rival Ayala Life Assurance. In an Aug.... Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:25:57 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1920/ By Fred Fuld Posted on Aug. 26, 2009 TheStreet.com's Lauren Tara LaCapra declared Aug. 5 the "Day of the Short Squeeze," referring to the steep rise seen that day in American International Group (AIG), Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE). The recipe for this short squeeze? Simple: "Take a few zombie stocks that are heavily shorted, add a cup of fundamental improvements, a pinch of potentially rosy quarterly results and a dash of speculation, and you've got yourself a short-squeeze mess." But a stock doesn't need to be a "zombie" -- a name bestowed on AIG, Fannie and Freddie due to the high level of government ownership in the companies -- to be a short-squeeze opportunity. A short squeeze take... Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:02:52 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1919/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 25, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Home Depot (HD): TheStreet.com Ratings upgraded Home Depot to buy and awarded it a financial strength score of 9.9 out ... Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:20:38 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1918/ By Fred Fuld Posted on Aug. 25, 2009 One of Jim Cramer's top five rules for playing the markets defensively is that dividends limit downside risk. He advises that investors seek out stocks with consistent dividend growth, a welcome mat for new investors and a sign that the stock's dividend is safe. David Peltier, portfolio manager of the Dividend Stock Advisor, agrees that investors should "focus on companies that are raising their dividends." With that in mind, every week Stockpickr reviews the recent dividend declarations and compiles a portfolio of dividend-increasers for the week. A recent big dividend-raiser was Lorillard (LO), the cigarette and tobacco company, which increased its quarterly dividend by 8.... Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:56:22 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1917/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 25, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. Innovative Value Managers: Barron's talks with Larry Coats, David Carr and Christy Phillips, co-managers of the $68 million Oak Value Fund (OAKVX). They have an interesting take on value investing. Instead of running lots of companies through a valuation screener and then choosing the ones they like best, they first pick companies they like and then look at their valuations. Among the stocks in their portfolio are Monsanto (MON), Apollo Group (APOL) and Coach (COH). Bullish and Bearish: Each week, Barron's publishes bullish and bearish st... Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:39:34 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1916/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 24, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Nokia (NOK): Cellphone maker Nokia will expand its product line to include a 2.8-pound netbook, the Nokia Booklet 3G, wh... Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:38:52 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1915/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted at 11:47 a.m. EDT on Aug. 24, 2009 Despite a shaky start for stocks last Monday, last week closed with a respectable gain for the market, with the S&P 500 up 2.71% and the Dow up 2.57%. And Stockpickr's Rocket Stocks portfolio fared even better. The Rocket Stocks portfolio is our weekly list of beaten-down stocks that have both short-term catalysts for growth and long-term investment potential. And this week, we’re looking back to rocket stocks as a way to outperform the market. First, though, let’s take a look at how last week’s picks performed. Bringing in top gains last week was Sketchers (SKX). The shoemaker’s shares gained 7.95% over the last five trading sessions.... Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:45:40 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1914/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 21, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Caterpillar (CAT): Caterpillar and Navistar (NAV) are negotiating a joint venture in China to manufacture heavy trucks... Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:50:02 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1913/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 21, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, nat gas stocks are trading like the market knows something major is about to happen in Washington. That something could be a major change to the energy bill, or something else that will justify the continued decline in nat gas. Cramer said nat gas stocks such as Ultra Petroleum (UPL) an Chesapeake Energy (CHK) would be down much more if there wasn’t something positive going on underneath the surface. With so much uncertainty in the nat gas sector, Cramer has turned his attention toward the banking stocks. On Thursday, he noted that a new American banking giant is quietly emerging. Cramer said Banco Bilbao (BBV) could be the winner off the huge failure of Texa... Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:49:01 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1912/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 20, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Sears (SHLD): Sears lost $94 million, or 79 cents a share, in the second quarter, down from a profit of $65 million, or... Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:24:27 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1911/ By Fred Fuld
 Posted on Aug. 20, 2009 "When it comes to managing your own money, nothing is more important than making sure you've got enough dough to retire," says Jim Cramer, and stocks that pay dividends are his "secret weapon." There are hundreds of portfolios at Stockpickr dedicated to dividend-paying stocks (to find them, just enter "dividend" in the search box). Some interesting examples include the High Beta Dividends portfolio, the Large-Cap Gold Stocks with Dividends portfolio and the Microcaps with Dividends portfolio. (To create your own portfolio, just sign up at Stockpickr.)

 David Peltier, portfolio manager of the Dividend Stock Advisor, sa... Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:12:04 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1910/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 20, 2009 The traders of CNBC’s “Fast Money” aren’t sure if the bull market is back after stocks rebounded for the past two trading sessions, following some heavy selling across the board on Monday. On Tuesday’s “Fast Money” show, Guy Adami reminded viewers that he remains cautious on stocks here. He mentioned that he doesn’t see a catalyst to take the market higher. Plus, the technicals are telling him that if the S&P 500 closes below 950, the market will trade down to 905 rather quickly. Joe Terranova told viewers that markets don’t just go up in a straight line. They work by finding support and finding resistance. He se... Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:06:15 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1909/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted at 1:18 p.m. EDT on Aug. 17, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Lowe's (LOW): Lowe's earned $759 million, or 51 cents a share, in the second quarter, down 19% from the... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:17:32 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1908/ By Jonas Elmerraji Posted at 10:40 a.m. on Aug. 17, 2009 Last week, the markets ended lower for the first time in quite some time. The S&P closed the week down 0.63%, while the Dow pared off 0.53%. But once again, we were able to eclipse the market with the performance of our Rocket Stocks, our weekly list of beaten-down stocks that have both short-term catalysts for growth and long-term investment potential. This week, after a month-long rally that’s pushed the S&P 500 up 15.2%, the market looks like it’s losing momentum -- and all eyes are turning to stocks. New economic data is going to be the biggest catalyst for positive price movements this week, and the stocks best-positioned to profit are the biggest c... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:41:30 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1907/ By Fred Fuld Posted on Aug. 17, 2009 "A short squeeze can drive a stock higher faster than anything else," says RealMoney's Tim Melvin. But short interest in a stock is just a "very good starting point," he cautions, and it's up to you to do the rest of your homework. Stockpickr has several resources for researching short squeezes, which take place when short-sellers quickly buy in shares of the stock, often on unexpected good news, in order to close out their positions, driving the price of the stock up sharply. There's the Answers forum, where Stockpickr members can ask and answer questions and where experts such as Scott Rothbort check in regularly to offer their insight. The Professional Portfolios are anoth... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:00:52 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1906/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 17, 2009 Editor's note: Welcome to "Barron's Roundup." Each weekend, Stockpickr presents portfolios related to articles in the latest issue of Barron's. 12 Quality Blue-Chip Stocks: This Barron's cover story argues that at a dozen blue-chip left out of the recent rally are worth buying and could rise 20% in the next year. Among the stocks mentioned are Microsoft (MSFT), ExxonMobil (XOM), Pepsico (PEP) and Safeway (SWY). Compelling Growth Stocks: Barron's talks with Joe Milano, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price New America Growth Fund (PRWAX). Milano's outlook for the short term is bullish, but he is much more cautious about the long term. Among the stocks in his portfolio are Medco H... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:18:21 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1905/ By Rebecca Corvino Posted on Aug. 14, 2009 Regardless of why a stock is in the news, it never hurts to hear what a professional investor has to say about it. The key is to gather as much information as you can in order to make the most informed investment decisions you can. As Jim Cramer often reminds, investors must do their homework. So what has Cramer had to say lately about today's headline-makers? At Stockpickr, we've combed through his recent RealMoney blog posts, "Mad Money" TV show recaps and "Stop Trading!" segments to find out what he thinks about some of today's newsworthy stocks. Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF): Abercrombie posted a loss of $26.7 million, or 30 cents a share, in the second quarter, d... Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:05:30 CDT http://www.stockpickr.com/problog/1904/ By Roberto Pedone Posted on Aug. 14, 2009 According to Jim Cramer, the market could be setting up to correct by 3% to 5%, because investor sentiment is just too bullish. Cramer believes if the correction does come, it will be shallow because the inflow of capital into mutual funds and hedge funds is gigantic. For example, mutual fund Alliance Bernstein took in about $20 billion last month. Cramer thinks that huge money will not stay on the sidelines for long if the market does see a correction. He told viewers that the hedge funds and mutual funds that have in been cash for much of the recent rally are now panicking to buy stocks and get in on the action. If these “late to the party” money managers fail to get in,... Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:18:42 CDT