I’m not a pack rat, but I saved the October 6, 2008 issue of The New Yorker magazine. Only weeks earlier, the investment bank Lehman Brothers had failed and the markets were spiraling downward. As always, the magazine had its signature… Read More

When I first heard about this company, my first thought was, “Well, it sure ain’t sexy.” My second thought was: “It doesn’t have to be.” Today, I’d like to introduce you to a Chicago-based company in the health-care arena that has, frankly, a remarkably… Read More

Among the biggest winners in Wednesdays’s early trading are Pactiv (NYSE: PTV), Advance America (NYSE: AEA), Visa (NYSE: V) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA).  Top Percentage Gainers –Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Gain 52-Week High 52-Week Low Pactive (NYSE: PTV) $29.46 +5.6% $29.71 $19.64 Advance America (NYSE: AEA) $6.20 +5.7% $7.45 $3.48 Visa (NYSE: V) $6.20 +4.1% $97.19 $58.00 MasterCard (NYSE: MA) $2.84 +2.1% $269.88 $155.51 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. Read More

Among the biggest winners in Wednesdays’s early trading are Pactiv (NYSE: PTV), Advance America (NYSE: AEA), Visa (NYSE: V) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA).  Top Percentage Gainers –Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Gain 52-Week High 52-Week Low Pactive (NYSE: PTV) $29.46 +5.6% $29.71 $19.64 Advance America (NYSE: AEA) $6.20 +5.7% $7.45 $3.48 Visa (NYSE: V) $6.20 +4.1% $97.19 $58.00 MasterCard (NYSE: MA) $2.84 +2.1% $269.88 $155.51 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of 11:00AM Eastern Standard Time. Click on ticker symbols for up-to-the-minute price quotes and percentage gain data. Signs of Continued Consumer Distress are Pushing these Stocks Higher Advance America (NYSE: AEA) and BJ’s Wholesale (NYSE: BJS) are both up nearly +5% in Wednesday trading, highlighting the fact that consumers remain under duress. Advance America offers cash advances to credit-constrained consumers, and often sees business spike when the economy is in a funk. BJ’s, like other discounters, is posting solid results with its no-frills low-prices… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Wednesday’s early trading are Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS), Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) and Cost Plus (Nasdaq: CPWM).    Top Percentage Losers — Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) $12.21 +13.7% $16.57 $7.46 Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) $6.08 +9.8% $10.78 $4.48 Cost Plus (NYSE: CPWM) $4.80 +10.7% $5.98 $0.95 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Wednesday’s early trading are Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS), Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) and Cost Plus (Nasdaq: CPWM).    Top Percentage Losers — Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) $12.21 +13.7% $16.57 $7.46 Solarfun (Nasdaq: SOLF) $6.08 +9.8% $10.78 $4.48 Cost Plus (NYSE: CPWM) $4.80 +10.7% $5.98 $0.95 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of 10:30AM Eastern Standard Time. Click on ticker symbols for up-to-the-minute price quotes and percentage gain data. Retailers’ Slump Presents Opportunity for Chico’s Investors often get spoiled. Once they see a company repeatedly blow past estimates, they expect more of the same. So when Chico’s FAS (NYSE: CHS) simply met first quarter profit forecasts on Wednesday, shares were dumped to the tune of -8%. Investors had only recently chased up shares of retailers on expectations of sustained sales and profit growth. But that retail trade has evaporated: shares of Chico’s, in particular,… Read More

Throughout the recent economic slump, investors began to wonder if the world’s oldest billion-dollar corporation would even survive. Think about that. A hallmark of American industry on the brink. . . Sound familiar? So what was this ‘mystery’ company? General Electric (NYSE: GE)? Nope. General Motors? Not… Read More

The Greek debt crisis sent the world’s financial markets reeling, particularly across the so-called “PIIGS” nations in Europe — Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, five European countries considered to be in the most questionable financial shape. The fear is that… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Tuesday’s early trading are Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK), Fidelity National Info (NYSE: FIS) and Netease.com (Nasdaq: NTES). Top Percentage Losers — Tuesday, May 18, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK) $1.27 -13.7% $3.39 $0.51 Netease.com (Nasdaq: NTES) $30.39 -5.5% $28.54 $18.02 Fidelity National (NYSE: FIS) $27.67 -4.2% $30.78 $18.25 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All… Read More

Among the biggest losers in Tuesday’s early trading are Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK), Fidelity National Info (NYSE: FIS) and Netease.com (Nasdaq: NTES). Top Percentage Losers — Tuesday, May 18, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Loss 52-Week High 52-Week Low Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK) $1.27 -13.7% $3.39 $0.51 Netease.com (Nasdaq: NTES) $30.39 -5.5% $28.54 $18.02 Fidelity National (NYSE: FIS) $27.67 -4.2% $30.78 $18.25 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of 11:14AM Eastern Standard Time. Click on ticker symbols for up-to-the-minute price quotes and percentage gain data. Ambac’s Pain Spells Opportunity for Rival As we noted a week ago, bond insurer MBIA (NYSE: MBI) is on the ropes, creating an opportunity for rival Assured Guaranty (NYSE: AGO). Investors failed to heed that advice, as AGO’s shares have fallen roughly -10% since then. Well, another data point just underscored the bullish investment thesis for AGO. Rival Ambac Financial (NYSE: ABK)… Read More

Yes, I know the global market looks weak… Yes, I know the Euro could collapse… Yes, I know that the employment picture for the United States looks bleak for months to come. And, yes, I know that most investors are looking for opportunities to sell. Which is precisely another reason… Read More

As investors, we are inundated with so much information that great ideas sometimes get lost amid the noise. Sometimes we become so intrigued by a company that we completely ignore the fact that there may be other entities supporting the company that may be even better investments. Read More

Among the biggest winners in Friday’s early trading are American Superconductor (Nasdaq: AMSC), Tivo (Nasdaq: TIVO) and Deer Consumer Products (Nasdaq: DEER). Top Percentage Gainers — Monday, May 17, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Gain 52-Week High 52-Week Low Deer Consumer Products (Nasdaq: DEER) $8.51 +10.5% $18.97 $5.09 American Superconductor (Nasdaq: AMSC) $33.01 +6.6% $43.95 $21.31 Tivo (Nasdaq: TIVO) $10.75 +5.8% $18.93 $6.41 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are… Read More

Among the biggest winners in Friday’s early trading are American Superconductor (Nasdaq: AMSC), Tivo (Nasdaq: TIVO) and Deer Consumer Products (Nasdaq: DEER). Top Percentage Gainers — Monday, May 17, 2010 Company Name (Ticker) Intra-Day Price Intra-Day % Gain 52-Week High 52-Week Low Deer Consumer Products (Nasdaq: DEER) $8.51 +10.5% $18.97 $5.09 American Superconductor (Nasdaq: AMSC) $33.01 +6.6% $43.95 $21.31 Tivo (Nasdaq: TIVO) $10.75 +5.8% $18.93 $6.41 *Table includes companies with minimum market capitalizations of $200 million and three month trading volumes of at least 100,000 shares. All percentage returns are listed as of 12:15PM Eastern Standard Time. Click on ticker symbols for up-to-the-minute price quotes and percentage gain data. China’s Deer Consumer Products raise Outlook, plans Buyback Shares of China-based Deer Consumer Products (Nasdaq: DEER) are up nearly +11% after management made moves to highlight the apparently low valuation of the company’s stock. Deer makes a wide range of kitchen appliances for both the domestic market, as well as brand-name U.S. manufacturers such as Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK). During the past six months, Deer has continually raised sales and… Read More