BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Estee Lauder looks interesting after making new 52-week highhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/16/estee-lauder-looks-interesting-after-making-new-52-week-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/16/estee-lauder-looks-interesting-after-making-new-52-week-high/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/08/16/estee-lauder-looks-interesting-after-making-new-52-week-high/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL), whose colleagues include Avon Products (NYSE: AVP) and Revlon (NYSE: REV), ended the week on a great note. The stock rallied to a new 52-week high of $52.04 on Friday during the intraday session, and closed only several cents below that price at the end of the day. The catalyst for this stellar stock performance can be traced to the beauty company's earnings report, which was released earlier in the week.

According to SmartMoney, Estee Lauder saw top-line growth of 14% during the company's fiscal fourth quarter, with revenues coming in at roughly $2 billion. The bottom line increased 36% to $0.61 per share. Wall Street was only counting on $0.56 per share. So that's a nice $0.05 per share beat. The revenue number also went beyond expectations.

I like the results, and I like that Estee Lauder has been a particularly strong stock. According to the AOL Finance snapshot taken at the time of this writing, the stock has been up for every time frame (1-month, 1-year, etc.). Putting this fact together with the fundamental results of the quarter yields a situation that should be looked at. I don't like that gross margins declined, but I do find the stock appealing considering how bad the market has been.

Question is, of course, has Estee Lauder already had its run? It's possible. But I think the company has a decent chance of reporting good numbers in future quarters. I'm not sure I'd buy the stock immediately once the market opens on Monday, however. I'd want to at least be a little patient and wait for a pullback. Then, if all the due diligence checked out, one could consider entering a position. The market has been so volatile that every potential purchase must be evaluated carefully. That being said, Estee Lauder does seem interesting.

Disclosure: I don't own any company mentioned; positions can change at any time.

 

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]]>AvonAVPbeauty suppliesconsumer productsearningsELestee lauderREVRevlonSteven Mallas2008-08-16T12:40:00+00:00Avon's Q1 earnings were fetching (except for the cash flow)http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/30/avons-q1-earnings-were-fetching-except-for-the-cash-flow/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/30/avons-q1-earnings-were-fetching-except-for-the-cash-flow/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/30/avons-q1-earnings-were-fetching-except-for-the-cash-flow/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Avon (NYSE: AVP) delivered not a bag of cosmetics to Wall Street, but a batch of growing earnings. Total revenues for the first quarter were up beautifully, rising 14% to $2.5 billion. Earnings per diluted share likewise did the double-digit-increase dance, rocketing 26% to $0.43.

Now, I would have liked the report a lot more if the company had indicated in its cash flow statement that everything was positive -- unfortunately, that was not to be, as operational cash flow was, in fact, negative. Avon needed to use $41 million for its operating activities during the quarter. Well, one thing I can say is that it's a lot less than the cash needed to fund last year's operations -- Avon burned through over $160 million in the comparable period. A check of the latest 10K shows that, while operational cash flow has been decreasing over the last few years, it has remained positive, so since this is the first quarter of the new fiscal year, we can wait to see how cash flow shapes up as the quarters go by.

Avon competes with companies like Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), Revlon (NYSE: REV) and Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL). As I've stated in the past, Procter & Gamble is more my kind of consumer-products business, but I'll give Avon its due since it does have a good product portfolio backing its brand and a devoted base of users. The stock is not too far off from its 52-week high as of this writing, and so long as it can keep sales growing and fight inflationary pressures, it should be a decent long-term bet.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any of the companies mentioned; positions can change at any time.

 

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]]>Avon ProductsAvonProductsAVPbeauty productsBeautyProductsELEstee LauderEsteeLauderPGProcter GambleProcterGambleREVRevlonSteven Mallas2008-04-30T10:36:00+00:00Revlon's reverse split won't make the stock attractivehttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/12/revlons-reverse-split-wont-make-the-stock-attractive/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/12/revlons-reverse-split-wont-make-the-stock-attractive/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/12/revlons-reverse-split-wont-make-the-stock-attractive/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Revlon (NYSE: REV) issued a press release concerning its plans for a reverse split as well as some preliminary quarterly results. The reverse split will be based on a 1-for-10 ratio. Well, the company may increase the share price via this method, but it won't make much of a difference in terms of Revlon's potential as an investment.

The stock closed on Friday at $0.99 per share. Let me repeat this -- the stock closed on Friday at $0.99. We are thus talking about a highly speculative equity. Interestingly, if you take a look at the preliminary results, you might believe that Revlon is on the right path. Revlon's management expects a slight dip in terms of net revenues -- the top line will see about $320 million in the quarter versus nearly $329 million in the year-ago period. There will be a net loss of about $5 million this time around versus a net loss of over $35 million last year. Doesn't sound so bad, I suppose, especially when you consider that operating income should come in at $30 million -- that's ten times better than 2007's first quarter. So, would I buy Revlon?

No. I actually owned Revlon stock a few years ago, and I think I essentially broke even when I decided to get the heck out. Revlon has a long way to go before proving to me that it's got a handle on all its problems and that it can get its brand equity back on track. And this reverse stock split means nothing to me, as it doesn't alter the underlying fundamentals. Revlon faces tough competition from other brands, such as Avon (NYSE: AVP), Estee Lauder (NYSE: EL), and products from Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), so the company has its work cut out for it.

Disclosure: I don't own shares in any of the companies mentioned here; positions can change at any time.

 

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]]>AvonAVPELEstee LauderPGREVRevlonSteven Mallas2008-04-12T09:40:00+00:00Thursday earnings recap: GPS, KSS, REV, DELL, NOVL, FRE, AIG, DLM, XMSRhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/28/thursday-earnings-recap-gps-kss-rev-dell-novl-fre-aig-dl/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/28/thursday-earnings-recap-gps-kss-rev-dell-novl-fre-aig-dl/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/28/thursday-earnings-recap-gps-kss-rev-dell-novl-fre-aig-dl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Here are highlights of some other earnings reports from Thursday:

 

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]]>AIGDel MonteDellDLMearningsearnings reportsFannie MaeFNMFREFreddie MacGapGPSKohlsKSSNovellNOVLREVRevlonXMXMSRTrey Thoelcke2008-02-28T19:10:00+00:00What would you do with a 'blank-check'?http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/08/what-would-you-do-with-a-blank-check/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/08/what-would-you-do-with-a-blank-check/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/01/08/what-would-you-do-with-a-blank-check/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As the leveraged buyout market (LBO) tightens amid the backdrop of more expensive debt, deal makers are looking to ride new investment vehicles to make their minions money.

We've seen a surge in popularity in what's called a "Special Purpose Acquisition Company," or SPAC. Bloomberg had a good article this morning on advent of the SPAC and what's happening in the industry as a whole. These companies, also called blank-check companies, are IPO'd after raising their funds. Once public, the founding management team needs to make an acquisition in a given time-frame. Shareholders decide on an individual basis whether they like the deal or not. If they like it, great. If not, they tender their shares and receive their money back.

Essentially, it's a hedged bet on management that their industry expertise will lead to a smart acquisition.

Bloomberg says that since the start of 2003, 144 blank-check companies have sold shares, raising $18.1 billion, with 13 of the deals coming before 2005, according to SPAC Analytics.

Some upcoming SPACs:
Nelson Peltz, who's known for putting pressure on the managements of companies including ketchup-maker H.J. Heinz Co. (NYSE: HNZ) to improve shareholder value, is seeking $750 million for New York-based Trian Acquisition I Corp. The IPO is scheduled for Jan. 21. Peltz, 65, separately won clearance from regulators last week to buy a stake of New York-based insurance broker Marsh & McLennan Cos. (NYSE: MMC)

Bloomberg also mentions Ronald Perelman, the 65-year-old chairman of skin-care company Revlon Inc. (NYSE: REV) who has filed to raise $500 million for MAFS Acquisition Corp. The New York-based investor also brokers deals through his closely held holding company, MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., and M&F Worldwide Corp., which trades publicly.

Some SPACs of note:
GLG Partners (NYSE: GLG): the $528 million Freedom Acquisition Holdings Inc., took New York-based hedge-fund manager GLG Partners public on Nov. 2. GLG units rose 31 percent since the deal was announced in June.

Hicks Acquisition Company (AMEX: TOH) Thomas Hicks, the leveraged buyout pioneer and owner of the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball, raised $552 million for Hicks Acquisition Co. I in September.

Jamba Juice (NASDAQ: JMBA): Services Acquisition Corp. International, sponsored by former Blockbuster Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steven Berrard, raised $138 million in June 2005 in an IPO underwritten by Broadband Capital Management LLC. In March 2006, the SPAC said it would buy juice-smoothie retailer Jamba Juice Co.

Zack Miller is the managing editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund. Author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.

 

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]]>glgheinzhickshnzjamba juiceJambaJuicejmbammcrevrevlonspactohZack Miller2008-01-08T15:57:00+00:00No wonder Revlon (REV) trades for $1http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/no-wonder-revlon-rev-trades-for-1/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/no-wonder-revlon-rev-trades-for-1/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/08/08/no-wonder-revlon-rev-trades-for-1/#commentsFiled under: ,

Revlon (NYSE: REV) is changing hands at $1.15 in early trading. That's up 10%.

The big rise does not keep the cosmetics company from being one of the most mismanaged public companies going.

In the quarter, revenue grew to $349.2 million from $321.1 million. The company's net loss was $11.3 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $87.1 million, or $0.20 per diluted share.

All of the earnings figures were the good news. The company quoted ACNielsen statistics to show that it market share was down across most of its brands.

Because the company did a bit better than expected, its share are getting a bit of a goose.

Over the last five years, Revlon's share price is down 70%. The shareholders are probably out of sorts, but let them eat lipstick.

Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

 

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]]>cosmeticscosmetics stocksCosmeticsStocksREVRevlonRevlon earningsRevlonEarningsDouglas McIntyre2007-08-08T10:40:00+00:00Liveblogging Revlon's Q1 resultshttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/liveblogging-revlons-q1-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/liveblogging-revlons-q1-results/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/liveblogging-revlons-q1-results/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This morning Revlon Inc (NYSE: REV) reported their first quarter earnings and the company put up some pretty nice numbers. Revlon matched analyst estimates for the quarter with -$0.07 per share and showed improvements in overall sales as their restructuring plan is moving along as planned.

The company is going to be hosting a conference call starting at 9:30 AM EDT this morning and I am going to be liveblogging the call in its entirety so be sure to refresh your page frequently for up to the minute details on the call.

9:20am- Listening to a little soft music and getting ready for today's call. The call should be getting under way in about 10 minutes.

9:25am- This morning's call should be getting started in about 5 minutes from now. Currently the stock is trading up 4.6% in the premarket. We will periodically check in on the current price through the call and see how traders are reacting to what they are hearing.

9:32am- Still waiting.. seems to be getting a little bit of a late start. Announcer just came on the line to say that the call will start shortly. Stock is trading up 3.1% 3 minutes into the trading session.

9:37am- Finally getting started here. Abby Goldstein going over some compliance issues and getting us started

9:39am- David Kennedy getting us started - going over the numbers: Net revenues of $328 million, up slightly from $325.5 million. Earnings came in at a loss of $35.2 million which as a good improvement from $58.2 million last year first quarter.

9:42am- International growth a result of strong growth in the Revlon brand.

9:43am- Market share demand in the Revlon brand reflected falling share in older Revlon products, but new products are gaining share. color stay soft and smooth lifesaver, and also limited collection edition. across the portfolio there are other new strong performers such as Almay Smart Shader, Smart Solid, Almay Hydocolor.

9:46am- Excluding Vital Radiance the company maintained the level of product support that the company had during first quarter 2006. Company continues to build and leverage core brands. In second half of 2007 we can expect to see more new product launches such as Revlon 3D Extreme, Revlon Age Defying Primer, and Almay Smart Shade line extensions.

9:48am- Company is intensely devoted to new product development and creating a new leadership team to overlook new product development.

9:49am- Recently hired two new artists to the strong lineup of super model lineup promoting the Revlon brand. New artists include Jessica Alba and Beau Garrett back in April.

9:50am- Very pleased with strong profitably growth internationally. This growth is being fueled by the Revlon brand. Results this quarter benefited from improvements related to recent restructuring program and expect to see these improvements remain stable.

9:52am- Net sales increased 60 basis points year over year. In the US net sales fell 2% due to lower shipments of color cosmetics in the Revlon. Excluding currency impacts international net sales advanced 5.5%. Quarterly gross margins were 61.6% compared to 64% last year first quarter.

9:54am- Earnings loss of 7 cents per share was a narrower than first quarter last year when the company lost 15 cents per share on a diluted scale. $4.3 million restructuring costs incurred during the quarter.

9:56am- Capital expenditures in the quarter were 2.7 million verse 4.8 million last year. For the full year 2007 they expect to see total capital expenditures of 20 to 25 million which is in line with previous years.

9:58am-Restructuring progress: Charges of $4.3 million in the quarter. Expect to show $7million in restructuring costs during the whole year 2007. Still expect to deliver total annual restructuring savings of around $55 million.

moving to question / answer portion of the call

10:00am- Bob @ CJS Securities: About re-focusing on the core Revlon brand; How long should it take before US market share data should be impacted? Wouldn't want to pin point a date on when the US Revlon share should start to improve. Bob trying to get them to at least give a ball-park estimate on how many quarters away we can see an impact... Still dodging this question. Looking for profitable share growth and would hope to see some progress going forward, but would not want to state a specific time table. -next question- What have competitors done to gain share, and can Revlon follow suit in their pursuit of share growth? They feel good, innovative products are the key to share growth. One reason why Revlon is so focussed on their new product development. Advertising and promotion is also a key, and they are working on that area as well. Refer back to the two new additions to the Revlon cover girl team.

10:05am- Bill @ Suntrust Robinson: Any way they can give us an inter-quarter progression on the Revlon brand? Virtually impossible to answer this question. But if you look at all the actions they are taking, the Revlon brand in the US market should be gradually improving, and they are working hard on the situation as they are investing in advertising, spokesmodels, etc.

10:11am- Kevin @ Goldman Sachs: Marketing spend for the quarter; since it was inline with the spending last year, do they think Revlon support was adequate? Yes, they think they are spending at competitive numbers. -next question- Are new products higher priced items? Limited edition products are slightly higher cost items, but the remainder of the items are basically in line with the rest of the companies products. Very healthy line-up of new products coming out this year.

10:15am- Caru @ Deutsche: In terms of Almay, what are the plans to improve that sector? They believe that Almay is a very well positioned brand. Will continue to bring out new products and extend product lines, and will basically continue to stick to the current plan in regards to Almay. In America and Internationally the strategy is working well.

10:20am- Philippe @ Credit Suisee: Anything special going on in UK? Seen strong numbers there from Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden and now Revlon... any reason? Just a strong market for cosmetics. Revlon has been working hard over the past couple of years in the area and are very pleased with their brand market share in the UK at this time. Are they having any impacts from rising energy costs, or the subprime mortgage concerns? No, they are not seeing any trends as of yet. They feel gasoline prices have been high for the past 2 years, but don't see that they are impacting business just yet

10:27am- Resa from Lehman Brothers: Is their fixed cost absorption basically a result of Vital Radiance? Production volumes are coming down and inventory has been lowered so we should see the numbers start to decline on a per volume basis. -next question- Any concern that Revlon share losses could result in loss in store shelf space which would create a cycle of lower shelf space creating lower market shares? They do not think think so. They are committed to the Revlon brand and are confident that they will continue to grow the brand which will ensure that they will continue to have sufficient store space moving ahead.

10:29am- Lance @ Concordia: What is precise share count? Amount of outstanding slightly above 477 million shares as of the end of March.

10:31am- Karen @ Bear Stearns: International is about 40% of sales. Can they comment on the International strategy? Strategy is the same they have been implementing over the past 5 years. Strategy is (1) leveraging Revlon brand (2) leverage and invest in multi-national brands they have around the world (3) controlling costs and investing in markets where they have good potential growth (4) creating the best business model for each individual market they are involved with around the globe. Leverage off of the Revlon brand coming out of the US around the world. Do some product adaptation depending upon what they understand knows and works in a particular market. Example- In Japan 30 or 40% products are adapted or locally developed products that are unique for the Japanese market. -next question- Has internation investment been at same level? Have maintained a healthy investment level and do not anticipate any major changes, they believe that the current system is working very well.

that's it for today's call. Revlon stock is now trading up 2.1% to $1.34 up $0.03.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last two years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

 

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]]>livebloggingMichael Fowlkes2007-05-08T09:19:00+00:00Revlon earnings paint a pretty picturehttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/revlon-earnings-paint-a-pretty-picture/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/revlon-earnings-paint-a-pretty-picture/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/08/revlon-earnings-paint-a-pretty-picture/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Yesterday I wrote an earnings preview for this morning's financial results from Revlon Inc (NYSE: REV). The numbers came in very nicely for the stock today.

Going into today's first quarter announcement, analysts had been expecting to see the company show a quarterly loss of 7 cents per share -- what Revlon wound up with. This is exactly the sort of news the cosmetic giant has been needing lately, and Wall Street is definitely rewarding it in early morning trading. With a little over an hour to go before today's opening bell, the stock has been pushed up 8.4% by pre-market traders.

While we never like to see a company show a loss, Revlon has been in the middle of a restructuring program that does seem to be having a positive effect, and that is what is really going to give traders a reason to buy up the stock today. The company was able to lower its overall costs during the quarter while at the same time increase its overall sales. Compared to the first quarter last year when Revlon showed a loss of $58.2 million, this current quarters loss of $35.2 million is a nice improvement.

As for the company's sales... sales in America declined slightly but they were offset by international increases enough to push total sales up 1% in the quarter.

One thing that the company is sure to talk about this morning, is brand share. During the quarter the company saw a decline in brand market share as some older products lost ground while new product releases were able to make up some of the lost ground, but not all of it. I will be paying close attention this morning to which of these new products Revlon sees coming in strong during the remainder of the year.

This morning's conference call is scheduled to get under way at 9:30 a.m. EDT and I will be here liveblogging the entire call, so make sure to check back around that time for complete coverage of this mornings event.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last two years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

 

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]]>cosmeticsrevrevlonMichael Fowlkes2007-05-08T08:52:00+00:00Revlon Q1 earnings previewhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/revlon-q1-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/revlon-q1-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/revlon-q1-earnings-preview/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Revlon Inc (NYSE: REV) is going to be releasing its first quarter numbers tomorrow morning. Analysts are expecting to see the cosmetic maker post a small loss for the quarter of -$0.07 (edited, originally posted stating est. was -0.01) per share when the numbers are released.

Last week we saw two of Revlon's competitors put up good earnings, so hopefully this is a good indicator that this could be the quarter for Revlon to break out of its recent tough times. On Thursday both Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ: RDEN) and Lauder (Estee) Co (NYSE: EL) were able to see a nice move up in the market following their recent quarterly numbers.

If Revlon can follow the lead of ARDN and EL, the stock may finally be able to see some upside. REV is currently trading at $1.30 and has been stuck right around this level for the last nine months. The last three quarters Revlon has posted losses and the company could definitely use a dose of positive news to help it break out from its current range.

Last month Revlon added a couple of high-profile celebrities to its list of brand representatives. On April 20th the company announced that it had signed actress Beau Garrett, and then on the 23rd announced that it had added one of the hottest names in Hollywood, Jessica Alba, to the Revlon family. Garrett and Alba join a roster of elite celebrities that includes names such as Halle Berry, Sheryl Crow, and Eva Mendes.

The company will announce its earnings before the market opens tomorrow and will host a conference call starting at 9:30 AM EDT to discuss its quarterly results. We will be liveblogging tomorrow's conference call in its entirety, so join us tomorrow morning for complete coverage of the call.

Michael Fowlkes has worked as a stock trader for seven years and spent the last two years working as an analyst for the online investment advisory service Investor's Observer.

 

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]]>Elizabeth ArdenElizabethArdenMichael Fowlkes2007-05-07T14:41:00+00:00Today in Money & Finance - 5/7 - Tarnished American icons, ETFs vs. mutual funds & Katrina victims' financial painhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/today-in-money-and-finance-5-7-tarnished-american-icons-etfs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/today-in-money-and-finance-5-7-tarnished-american-icons-etfs/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/07/today-in-money-and-finance-5-7-tarnished-american-icons-etfs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the News:
-- Aluminum Giant Alcoa Offering $33 Billion for Rival Alcan
-- U.S. Gas Prices Reach Record Average of $3.07 Nationwide
-- Warren Buffett May Hire Up to 4 People to Succeed Him
-- Buffett Sets Sights on Buying a 'Huge' Business
-- Buffett Gets Blunt on Dow, Housing and CEO Compensation
-- Berkshire Hathaway's Annual Meeting More Like Theme Park
-- Motorola Showdown Today: Zander vs. Icahn
-- ABN Rejects $24 Million Offer for LaSalle Bank
-- Large Dow Jones Shareholder Strongly Opposes Merger With News Corp.
-- Advertisers Slow to Migrate to Supersmall Cellphone Screen
-- HBO Head Charged With Assaulting Girlfriend
-- 'Spider-Man 3' Shatters Box Office Records With $148 Million
-- 10 Most Common Used Passwords Online

Tough Times for Tarnished American Icons
These U.S. companies once dominated competitors and assumed an iconic place in the consumer landscape. But times change. See what's behind their fall and what the future holds for legendary U.S. companies Kodak, Ford, The Gap, Tootsie Roll Industries, New York Times, Revlon, Sara Lee, Harley-Davidson, Winnebago and more.
Photo Gallery: Going Cheap: American Icons Tough Times for Tarnished Icons


ETFs vs. Mutual Funds: A Close Race, a Surprising Finish
Exchange-traded funds are all the rage these days. New funds are being offered at a rate that outpaces regular mutual funds. Total assets have more than doubled to some $450 billion in less than three years. But do ETFs produce better returns for small investors than regular index funds?
A Close Race, a Surprising Finish - WSJ.com


How the Experts Eat
If you didn't know sushi should be eaten fish-side down, you may want to check in with these seven experts who share their secrets for properly savoring everything from cheese to chocolate.
How the Experts Eat - Portfolio.com


Pick Your Home Improvement Projects Carefully
Anyone who has ever owned a home knows that sooner or later you start thinking about ways to make it better. Before launching into any home improvement project you should carefully consider your motivations and goals. Bankrate's interactive guide can help you find the best project based on money, type of project and your skill level.
Find a project that fits your home, budget and skill - Bankrate.com
Also: 5 Most Popular Projects, 10 Best Resale Projects


Businesses Try to Make Money and Save the World
Hundreds of new businesses around the country demonstrate an emerging convergence of for-profit money-making and nonprofit mission.
Businesses Try to Make Money and Save the World - New York Times


Financial Pain Endures for Katrina Victims
Financial calamities continue to afflict residents of Louisiana and Mississippi as they struggle to recover from the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Debt is swelling and credit is suffering as residents deplete savings and take out loans to meet expenses. People of all income levels are affected, but the most desperate are those who had the least before Katrina hit.
For Katrina victims, financial pain endures - USATODAY.com


Avoid Overspending on Wedding Gifts
When your friends and family start walking down the aisle, the bills for wedding gifts can really add up. But you can keep costs to a minimum with this tried-and-true advice.
Avoid Overspending on Wedding Gifts - Kiplinger.com
Also: Thoughtful, Yet Inexpensive Gifts
Also: Wedding Facts: Most Popular Month to Propose, Average Wedding Cost Today and More

 

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]]>Allan Halprin2007-05-07T09:10:00+00:00Friday market rap: DELL, REV, GLW, CSCO, and AMZNhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/02/friday-market-rap-dell-rev-glw-csco-and-amzn/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/02/friday-market-rap-dell-rev-glw-csco-and-amzn/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/02/02/friday-market-rap-dell-rev-glw-csco-and-amzn/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Friday's jobs report showed 111,000 new jobs created and unemployment climbed from 4.5% to 4.6%. These may seem like contradictory numbers, more jobs and more unemployment, but it means more people entered the workforce. There was mildly bullish action in the markets today, with manufactured housing and residential construction up while diversified computer systems and copper weaker. Oil futures rose to $59 a barrel up almost $2.

Movers today included Revlon Inc (NYSE: REV) spiking up $0.18 (13%) to close at $1.49. Rackable Systems (NASDAQ:RACK) was tumbling $3.67 (-18%) to close at $16.69. Active stocks today include Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ:ORCL) up $0.37 (2.1%) to $17.42. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) fell $1.31 (-3.3%) to $37.39 on four times normal volume.

The NYSE had volume of 2.5 billion shares traded with 1,891 issues advancing while 1,359 declined for a small loss of 2.45 points to close at 9,325.24. On the NASDAQ, 1.9 billion shares were traded, 1,645 stocks advanced and 1,360 declined for small gain of 7.50 to 2,475.88.

Options on Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) were active with 31,000 contract of the February 22.50 calls (GLWBX) trading. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) saw heavy volume on the February 27.50 calls (CYQBY) with 36,000 contacts. This could be an earnings bet as CSCO reports Monday. Options on Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) were active again today with 49,000 of the February 27.50 puts (DLQNY) exchanged. Today's put/call option volume ratio was 0.93 with 3.1 million puts and 3.4 million calls crossing the tape.

Monday's market action will contain more earnings. KLA Tencor Corp. (NASDAQ:KLAC), Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) and Overstock.com Inc. (NASDAQ:OSTK) will all be reporting.

Kevin Kersten is an analyst with InvestorsObserver. DISCLOSURE NOTE: Mr. Kersten owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about.

 

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]]>Kevin Kersten2007-02-02T18:27:00+00:00Stocks with attitude CL, JNJ, PG, REV, CLX, AVPhttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/31/stocks-with-attitude-cl-jnj-pg-rev-clx-avp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/31/stocks-with-attitude-cl-jnj-pg-rev-clx-avp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/31/stocks-with-attitude-cl-jnj-pg-rev-clx-avp/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Companies start to believe their own PR hype. Investors push a stock past logical limits. A company seems about to break down or break out. These are just a few things that can signal a stock with attitude. And... that attitude can be good or bad for the stock price, since attitude always catches up with reality. At least on Wall Street, that is.

Colgate-Palmolive Co. (NYSE:CL) was up $0.71 (1.06%) yesterday to close at $67.42 on about three times its average volume. Investors bid up the stock after a solid earnings report before the open. The technicals for CL have been weakening lately but a continuation of the last two day's advances could change that. The company has an S&P 5 STAR (out of 5) strong buy rating. Out of the 14 other analysts who cover the stock, five give it a strong buy, one a moderate buy, and eight give it a hold. No sell ratings could be a good indicator for CL.

Except for short term dips in August and October, CL's stock has been on a steady uptrend since it hit a low of $53.56 on February 8, 2006. The shares worked their way up over 27% to a high of $68.03 on January 16, 2007. With the possibility of a market slow-down approaching, investors seem more interested in companies with growth prospects even in a flat economy.

With the exception of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and Revlon Inc. (NYSE:REV), other consumer products companies including Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE:PG), Clorox Co. (NYSE:CLX) and Avon Products Inc. (NYSE:AVP) dropped yesterday as investors may have been cycling holdings from these stocks to CL. The company's solid brands, wide domestic and international distribution and strong management should clearly place this company at the top of any investors buy list.

For a bullish hedged play on CL, I would consider an August covered call around the 70 level.

Vic Schiller is an analyst with attitude at Investors Observer.

DISCLOSURE NOTE: Mr. Schiller owns and/or controls diversified portfolios of long and short stock and option positions that may include holdings in companies he writes about.

 

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]]>avpclclxcolgatejnjpgrevrevlonVictor Schiller2007-01-31T09:02:00+00:00Cramer: look younger with Botox, IFF; Bare Escentuals old newshttp://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/23/cramer-hates-bare-escentuals-he-loves-international-flavors-and-f/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/23/cramer-hates-bare-escentuals-he-loves-international-flavors-and-f/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2006/10/23/cramer-hates-bare-escentuals-he-loves-international-flavors-and-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Jim Cramer, never one to rest on a single industry segment, discussed the quest for youthfulness tonight on his ever-popular MAD MONEY show.

If you want your body to look like a teenager's but your bank balance to scream "old fogey," Cramer advises that you avoid Bare Escentuals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BARE). He calls it a fad that isn't going anywhere, and says if you own it you should "ring the register." It was spun off by an LBO firm, but now it's too late; the company won't make you money. Cramer had regrets over this one: he didn't tell a caller on Friday to sell, and wished he had.

Better options if you want to capitalize on America's quest for eternal youth? Cramer likes Allergan, Inc. (NYSE:AGN) for its Botox and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation (NYSE:MRX) for its competing product. He counselled against the big, luxury names in the space: Avon Products Group (AVP), The Estee Lauder Co. (NYSE:EL) or Revlon, Inc. (NYSE:REV). Cosmetic companies are unreliable to Cramer.

Cramer did say International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) is a good alternative, even though it is close to a 52-week high. He thinks the company is much better with scents and steady end markets. Soon it will split into two businesses, he says, as it creates sweet ingredients that it sells to large companies like P&G. He said IFF only trades at 16x forward earnings and it has consistent 10% earnings growth. The best pick of the bunch? IFF, Cramer says.

[Photo Michael McCauslin]

 

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]]>avonavon productsAvonProductsbarebare escentualsBareEscentualsbotoxcosmeticcosmeticscramerescentualsesteeestee lauderEsteeLauderjim cramerJimCramerlaudermad moneyMadMoneymedicispharmapharmaceuticalsrevrevlonJon Ogg2006-10-23T18:29:00+00:00