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Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says you can be bearish, but you have to admit when you're wrong.

Oh boy, I hit a nerve. My last two days of donning the bear suit and imitating the bears has brought on a cacophony of critics, all of whom think that I am attacking them personally! That's right, they think I have read them, seen them and heard them and that I am spoofing them or making fun of them.

Moreover, they think that I am wildly bullish and that I am mocking them for not wanting to buy things here.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Assigning blame after Friday's market plunge

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer wonders whether the big selloff was caused by anxious managers locking in profits.

What happens if it is was mostly lock-in action? What if the big themes that everyone so feared weren't so big, and that the selloff -- so ugly, with so much damage -- was just technical and remains that way?

Besides my oft-repeated statement that I don't expect a pullback to exceed 7%, I think this market didn't make a lot of sense last week.

Here were the big themes: dollar getting stronger, causing a decline in minerals and resources; industrials faltering; recession stocks roaring back.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Assigning blame after Friday's market plunge

Kellogg's Q3 top line not great, but bottom line beats projections

Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) didn't need a hearty breakfast to get its stock going today (although I'm sure it had one anyway). All it needed was a reasonably healthy earnings report. Judging by how the stock is performing, I think the company got one.

For the third quarter, Kellogg saw flat sales growth. However, take out currency effects and acquisitions, and you've got a 3% expansion rate on the top line. Well, that isn't so robust, either, but let's head to the bottom line. Earnings per share came in at 94 cents, representative of a 6% increase. Not so bad, and according to Mark Fightmaster's preview, that was a dime better than what analysts wanted to see.

Continue reading Kellogg's Q3 top line not great, but bottom line beats projections

General Mills is an uptrend

As expected, food producer General Mills (NYSE: GIS) is benefiting from the U.S.'s 'frugal consumer' trend, hence I'm Reiterating my Buy rating for company, first recommended on April 8, 2009 at a price of $50.81.

More U.S. consumers will continue to eat an increasing number of meals at home: for many American families, dinner out weekly is out; fresh meals prepared with natural foods at home are in.

Continue reading General Mills is an uptrend

Where should granny put $50,000?

One of my wonderful friends, Ms. P, asked me for some guidance on how she might allocate $50,000 currently earning peanuts in a money market account. Though she is decades from becoming a grandmother, after a brief discussion about her financial parameters, it became clear to me that she was looking for a "granny fund."

In reality, my recommendations would be suitable, and perhaps desirable, for many passive investors as well.

The $50,000 is a portion of money Ms. P has set aside to purchase a home, which might happen in six months, but could also be pushed out further, depending on the economy and her situation. Basically, she wants to cover all her bases because she might need the money at any time and does not want to be caught short, while at the same time she would like to generate some revenue without taking any big risks.

Continue reading Where should granny put $50,000?

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ...

Analyst upgrades:

  • UBS upgraded Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $19 from $18.50, citing the improved LCD supply-demand outlook and improved sell-through ahead of the holiday season in China.
  • Credit Suisse upgraded Newfield Exploration (NYSE: NFX) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $48 from $44 citing valuation and improved asset quality.
  • Stifel upgraded Newfield Exploration and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL) shares to Buy from Hold based on strong fundamentals and a long-term positive view for the E&P sector. The firm has a $50 target on Newfield and a $58 target on Ultra Petroleum.
  • TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Buy at Goldman.
  • General Mills (NYSE: GIS) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
  • Coca-Cola Femsa (NYSE: KOF) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ...

Morgan Stanley upgrades General Mills

How about a little upgrade with your Tuesday morning breakfast? Morgan Stanley thought it was a good idea, boosting General Mills (NYSE: GIS) to Overweight from Equal-Weight and added it was late in making the upgrade.

The brokerage cited valuation as the reason for the upgrade, noting that GIS is "one of the best positioned" companies in the realm of food. Morgan Stanley felt that this was not reflected in GIS's valuation, so it upped the food firm and raised its price target to $72 from $64.

Continue reading Morgan Stanley upgrades General Mills

Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ...

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

Continue reading Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ...

Pillsbury helps General Mills pop ... hehehehe

Those Cheerios commercials must be working. General Mills (NYSE: GIS) reported on Wednesday that its profit for the first quarter of its fiscal year spiked 51%, thanks to a hefty dose of product demand and lower costs for ingredients. Of course, this beat the hell out of analyst expectations. And, it caused General Mills to boost its outlook for the year.

For the quarter, General Mills posted $420.6 million in earnings ($1.25 per share). For the same quarter a year ago, earnings reached only $278.5 million ($0.79 a share). The company's profit was a tad higher when an expense related to commodity positions is excluded, pushing earnings per share up to $1.28. Analysts had expected earnings of $1.03 a share.

Continue reading Pillsbury helps General Mills pop ... hehehehe

General Mills posts strong Q1 numbers

General Mills First Quarter EarningsThis morning food maker General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS) reported its fiscal first numbers. The company posted better than expected earnings and lifted its forward guidance.

As I noted yesterday in the earnings preview, analysts had been expecting General Mills to post earnings of $1.03 per share, but the company surprised to the upside by reporting $1.25 per share. Excluding certain items, the company would have seen earnings of $1.28 per share.

Continue reading General Mills posts strong Q1 numbers

General Mills 1Q earnings preview

General Mills Earnings PreviewMinneapolis based General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS) will be reporting its fiscal first quarter results Wednesday morning before the market opens.

The last time that General Mills reported earnings was on July 1 when the company outpaced analyst estimates of 81 cents per share by posting actual earnings of 86 cents for its fiscal fourth quarter. This time analysts are expecting to see the company show earnings of $1.03 per share.

Continue reading General Mills 1Q earnings preview

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, GIS, MAR, S, TTWO, VZ ...

Analyst upgrades:

  • Deutsche Bank upgraded Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) to Hold from Sell as it believes the company's second half of 2009 is tracking better than expected due to retailer restocking. Deutsche raised its target on shares to $33 from $15 but thinks Garmin's long-term trends remain unfavorable.
  • Goldman upgraded Fortune Brands (NYSE: FO) to Buy from Neutral citing potential EPS improvement driven by the Home division. Fortune Brands price target to $49 from $45. Note that the firm downgraded General Mills to Neutral from Buy.
  • Oppenheimer upgraded FPIC Insurance (NASDAQ: FPIC) to Outperform from Perform to reflect the company's acquisition of Advocate MD and management's commitment to share repurchases. The firm set a $49 price target on the stock.
  • PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG) and Olin Corp. (NYSE: OLN) were upgraded to Neutral from Sell at UBS.
  • Synovus (NYSE: SNV) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at BofA/Merrill.
  • Take-Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, GIS, MAR, S, TTWO, VZ ...

General Mills is a 'frugal consumer' play

I'm Reiterating my Buy rating for General Mills (NYSE: GIS), first recommended on April 8, 2009 at a price of $50.81.

General Mills has not advanced as much as I expected since April, but the 'frugal consumer' / Americans eating more meals at home trend will continue, and how! Hence, if you haven't purchased shares of GIS already, now's the time.

Continue reading General Mills is a 'frugal consumer' play

General Mills (GIS): A pantry play

"Few investments have a proven track record of defying a sinking economy and stock market, but General Mills (NYSE: GIS) is among them," says Martin Weiss in his Safe Money Report.

He explains, "You probably have some of General Mills' products in your pantry or freezer. The Minneapolis-based food firm makes everything from Cheerios and Chex cereals to Fruit Roll-Ups, Bisquick pancake mix, and Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

"This broad consumer product line has helped it deliver solid single-digit earnings growth not only in good times, but also the worst quarters of the recession. Now, in its fiscal fourth quarter ended May 31, General Mills knocked the cover off the ball.

Continue reading General Mills (GIS): A pantry play

Kellogg's Q2 more nutritious than analysts thought

Kellogg (NYSE: K), the famous cereal concern that competes with General Mills (NYSE: GIS), distributed a box of Q2 earnings to the market yesterday. Were they as nutritious as one of the company's breakfast foods?

Everything turned out all right for shareholders. Sales weren't so hot: the top line decreased 3% on dollar pressures. Earnings per share saved the day, coming in at 92 cents, good for a 12% increase. The income amount also beat expectations by a very significant margin. Analysts wanted to see at least 83 cents for per-share profit, according to Earnings.com.

Continue reading Kellogg's Q2 more nutritious than analysts thought

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Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA-14.2810,318.16
NASDAQ-10.782,146.04
S&P 500-3.521,091.38

Last updated: November 20, 2009: 06:56 PM

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