Third week is climax of the battle between theta and gamma

Option expiration week ushers in some fascinating dynamics when it comes to option pricing. And when we get into pricing that means you have to address theta and gamma, two of the Greeks that every options trading investor should know. Understanding these Greeks as you head into expiration week can mean the difference between a winning trade and a big hit to your wallet.

And is it a coincidence that in ancient Athens the Theta symbol was used as an abbreviation for death? After all expiration is a kind of death with a lot of strikes leaving this world. For that matter, a lot of options trading investors who hold bad trades die a little every day until expiration.

Let��s look at how these two Greeks impact expiration and option pricing. For my examples, let��s consider we are discussing the behavior of at-the-money strikes.

THETA

Theta

Theta measures the rate of time decay of an option per day. It can be either positive or negative. Option buyers acquire negative theta because their position loses value as time passes. Option sellers acquire positive theta because their position makes money as time passes. The rate of time decay is not linear, but rather exponential. That means it speeds up as expiration approaches.

That��s why traders are drawn to selling short term options which lose value at a quicker rate than long term options. Put simply — Why sell an option losing $5 a day when you can sell one losing $25 a day? This explains the built-in incentive for traders to utilize short-term options when seeking positive theta.

Be careful though. There are other forces at work that should temper your enthusiasm for aggressively selling short-term options! . Many t raders learn the hard way that having a one-variable mind in a multi-variable world is a recipe for disaster.

GAMMA

Gamma has always been a property of options I��ve found easier understood through experience rather than reading an article. By definition it is the rate of change of delta per $1 move in the underlying stock. Gamma can also be positive or negative. Option buyers acquire positive gamma while option sellers acquire negative gamma.

Gamma

Gamma rises as expiration approaches which causes some interesting problems to option sellers going into expiration week. An adverse move in the stock can cause losses to rapidly mount.

A position with positive gamma is one that will see its gains accelerate and losses decelerate. Think of a long call or a long straddle. A negative gamma position is one that will see its gains decelerate and losses accelerate. Think of a covered call or an iron condor.

Positive Gamma = Long Call/Long Straddle

Negative Gamma = Covered Call/Iron Condor

The absolute worst example of negative gamma risk killing a trade that I��ve seen is when a buddy of mine was short September call spreads on the Russell 2000 Index (.RUT) in 2008. With two days until expiration the RUT was sitting at 676, placing my friend��s 740 – 750 call spreads 11% out-of-the-money. Given the elevated volatility of the time there was still about $.75 of premium in the spread. That tempted him to hold the spread the last few days to exploit the rapid time decay. After all, what are the odds the RUT would move 11% in two trading sessions?

Well, never say never because the small cap index proceeded to do just that. In fact ! the sett lement value for September options came in at 771, or 14% higher than where the RUT was two days prior.

That $.75 gain turned into a $10 loss. Due to the huge negative gamma going into expiration a small gain turned into a monumental loss. You want to know the worst part?? The RUT was back down to 676 within one week!

Gamma Catch-22

Gamma brings to traders a Catch-22 of sorts. On the one hand holding short options close to expiration offers quick rewards due to high time decay. On the other hand these short options expose traders to the potential to quickly accumulate losses — often referred to as gamma risk.

Traders that insist on riding their short option positions all the way to expiration in an attempt to capture the last few bucks from a trade often justify their approach by pointing out the elevated rates of time decay eating away at their short. But they forget the elevated gamma risk they face.

For as many times as they enjoy the additional and oft times quick profits they rake in from riding a short into expiration, they will inevitable have to deal with the occasional horror show where the market makes a kamikaze run for their short options.

In the long run, the extra few bucks accumulated from riding to expiration unscathed typically pale in comparison to what��s forked out to pay the piper when those ��cheap�� short options come back to bite you.

Expiration week is a difficult time for most traders, both the hard-boiled veterans and the guy that may do only a few trades a month. It is almost inevitable that the expiring strikes will mean losses during a trader��s life time. But understanding and applying the Greeks like Theta and Gamma can help reduce those losses and build the gains.

Follow Tyler Craig on Twitter@TylersTrading.

Related Articles:

Fulsome Volume Stock at NYSE - GDI

Ra mbus Shares Popped: What You Need to Know

Tags: Bank Stocks ,Gardner Denver ,GDI ,Great Bank Stocks To Buy ,Great Stocks To Buy ,Great Stocks To Buy In 2012 ,NYSE:GDI ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal invests $300M in Twitter

Last week��s IPO of social gaming company Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) certainly was a disappointment — at least for public investors. The stock broke its offering price by 5% and is down another 4% in Monday trading. This is not an isolated case. Other hot social companies, such as Pandora (NYSE:P) and LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD), also have seen large drops since their IPOs.

But these flops don’t seem to matter to big-time private investors. Just look at Prince Alwaleed bin Talal (part of the Saudi royal family), who just agreed to invest $300 million in Twitter.

This type of investment really is chump change for Alwaleed, who, according to Forbes, is worth almost $20 billion. Prince Alwaleed is known as a long-term investor who focuses on large global brands, like News Corp. (NASDAQ:NWSA) — and even has a long-standing business relationshipwith CEO Rupert Murdoch. He also likes tech plays, as evidenced by investments like Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).

No doubt, Twitter has a tremendous global brand and has become a force in politics (especially in the Middle East). At the same time, it is a key platform for social media marketing, with more than 100 million active users.

Despite all this, Twitter has been a mediocre revenue generator — the buzz is that revenues are around $140 million to $150 million this year. But Prince Alwaleed still was willing to invest at a whopping $10 billion valuation. That’s $2 billion more than Zynga, which is profitable and is expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenues for 2011.

Interestingly enough, the! valuati on of Twitter was $8 billion in August, when the company raised a hefty $800 million. All in all, Twitter has privately raised more capital than Zynga has from its IPO!

With such a huge slug of cash, Twitter really has no incentive to go public anytime soon. Like Facebook, the company is likely to continue focusing on building its user base and finding revenue opportunities. And in light of 2011′s social IPOs, it��s probably a good idea for Twitter to hold off, anyway.

Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog ��IPOPlaybook,�� a site dedicated to the hottest news and rumors about initial public offerings. He is also the author of ��All About Short Selling�� and ��All About Commodities.�� Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not own a position in any of the aforementioned stocks.

Related Articles:

Hong Kong Stocks Fall, Pare Weekly Rise, as Europe Tempers China Oil Gains

Lock down some options profits from a coming trend change

Tags: 1109 ,5 ,Best Bonus Stocks ,Best Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Best Stocks To Watch ,Best Stocks To Watch 2012 ,HSCEI ,HSI ,VHSI ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Medco Health Solutions Inc. posted a Year Record Price - NYSE:MHS

Medco Health Solutions Inc. (NYSE:MHS) achieved its new 52 week high price of $66.38 where it was opened at $65.87 UP 8.05 points or +14.43% by closing at $63.83. MHS transacted shares during the day were over 70.98 million shares however it has an average volume of 3.24 million shares.

MHS has a market capitalization $25.52 billion and an enterprise value at $27.16 billion. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 0.33 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 6.20. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 2.16% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 3.80%.

The company made a return on asset of 9.66% in past twelve months and return on equity of 31.55% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $66.68 billion gaining $155.99 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 4.30% holding 3.90% quarterly earnings growth.

According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $171.10 million cash in hand making cash per share at 0.43. The total of $5.03 billion debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 139.78. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 0.91 and book value per share was 9.00.

Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 22.87% where the stock price exhibited up beat from its 50 day moving average with $56.08 and remained above from its 200 Day Moving Average with $59.44.

MHS holds 399.80 million outstanding shares with 397.29 million floating shares where insider possessed 0.09% and institutions kept 76.60%.

Related Articles:

A Perfect World? In Name Only

Exchange-traded funds aren't a small, ! vanilla lot anymore

Tags: 2012 Japan Stocks ,Best Japan Stocks ,Best Stocks For 2012 ,Best Stocks To Buy For 2012 ,PWRD ,SINA ,SOHU ,TTWO ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Investors Needn¡¯t Fear a Double-Dip Recession

A new report contains some very good news for investors: Double-dip recessions are very rare.

That means that a drop back into recessionary conditions looks less and less likely even as unemployment creeps higher and has crossed the 10% threshold for the first time in a quarter century.

After reviewing U.S. economic history all the way back to the 1850s, Deutsche Bank AG (NYSE: DB) economists found that double-dip recessions are exceedingly rare: There have only been three episodes in which the economy has fallen back into recession within a year of a previous recession ending. And that��s out of 33 recessions that have taken place since 1854.

Indeed, when these double-dip downturns do occur, they happen under circumstances quite different from today's situation.

Two of the three double-dips happened in the years prior to World War II �C in 1913, and again in 1920. The more relevant example was the double-dip recession of the early 1980s, which was driven by the fight against double-digit inflation rates.

U.S. President Jimmy Carter imposed credit controls in March 1980, which resulted in a sharp but short-lived recession before the economy expanded again for 12 months. Then U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul A. Volker hiked short-term interest rates to 20% in the summer of 1981, as he pushed the economy back into recession but dealt a death blow to inflation.

With deflation just as likely as inflation at the moment, a repeat of the 1980s just isn't in the cards, as the Fed is set to keep rates at very low levels until the end of 2010.
Tom McClellan of the McClellan Market Report has some more potentially good news. As you can see in the chart above, the level of employment tends to follow stocks on a 12-month lag. It's not a perfect match: The red numbers show the actual lags of important turning points over the last forty ! years. B ut the correlation is strong enough to provide one more piece of evidence that the "turn" in employment is perhaps four months or so in the future.

So while the public will continue to be preoccupied by a still rising unemployment rate and political chatter over the perceived failure of the Obama administration's stimulus package – the market will continue to anticipate the improvement just over the horizon.

One final note: The economists at ISI Group note that outside of the United States, employment already started to grow in 11 economies. These include Japan, Canada, Singapore, Brazil, Russia, Sweden, and Taiwan. Stocks have sniffed out the fact that a global employment turn is already happening. The U.S. economy just isn't fully participating yet, but it will.  

Related Articles:

Zagg Inc crossed 52 Week High Price - NASDAQ -ZAGG

Energy, publishing, retail companies are top payout performers

Tags: 2012 Top Performing Stocks ,NASDAQ:ZAGG ,Top Performing Energy Stocks ,Top Performing Stocks To Invest In ,ZAGG ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Gold Stock Pressure, With Or Without Gold Prices (EGO, RGLD, IAG, GSS, GLD, GDX, ABX)

We covered last weekend about how the $1,000.00 gold was at an inflection point and looking as though it was either poised to pop to $1,200.00 on the speculation of fear or that it was likely to fall back towards $800.00 as reality prevails as the world didn’t flatten and proceed to roll off the edge into the abyss.? What is interesting is that even as gold was hitting highs, many of the miners, particularly the speculative miners, were well under highs and have seen even worse pressure this week on gold’s pullback.

When Eldorado Gold Corporation (AMEX:EGO) withdrew its planned offering of common stock on Tuesday, its shares and those of competitor miners fell sharply. Eldorado opened the day at $9.34 and closed it at $8.19, off more than 12%. Royal Gold Corporation (NASDAQ:RGLD) fell from $44.85 to $41.22, down about 8%; IAMGold dropped from $8.74 to close at $7.66, down more than 12%; and Gold Star Resources, Ltd. (NYSE:GSS) dropped from $1.40 to $1.16, off about 17%.

Two gold ETFs, SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD) and Market Vectors Gold Miners (NYSE:GDX) both fell sharply as well, but both have recovered some as of yesterday’s close. Gold Shares invests in bullion and Gold Miners invests in mining stocks. Gold Shares is down about 5% as of yesterday’s close, while Gold Miners is down about 9%.

Miners, especially the smaller ones like Eldorado and Royal Gold, will continue to struggle with liquidity as the economy remains sour. Mining ETFs like Market Vectors Gold Miners will follow along because the large gold miners like Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX) included in the fund are also struggling to lower costs and increase production.

Gold bullion investors, like SPDR Gold Shares, will follow the economic news. Bullion fell sharply yesterday to close just above $940/ounce, down from about $945/ounce the previous day. European and Asian markets are lower today, so gold has recovered a bit to about $958/ounce. When inflat! ion fear s rise, bullion rises sharply, as it did last week, when it closed above $1,000/ounce.

Paul Ausick
February 27, 2009

Related Articles:

Pfizer - Nestle, Danone Looking to Buy Baby Food Group

How to Buy Bonds in King Harald's Norway - SmartMoney.com

Tags: Best Performing Silver Stocks ,Best Performing Stocks 2012 ,Best Performing Stocks To Buy For 2012 ,DANOY ,NSRGY ,PFE ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (ARO, AAPL, CIEN, CSCO, EMC, FNSR, JASO, GOOG, MSFT, NTAP, TLAB, YHOO)

Tech seems to be dominating the analyst calls this Thursday based on new coverage of the sector at Wells Fargo.? There were many other calls that did not make the cut as a result as a “top analyst call.”? These are some of this Thursday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen from Wall Street research calls:

Aeropostale, Inc. (NYSE: ARO) Cut to Neutral at Stern Agee.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN) Cut to Hold at Auriga.
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) Cut to Perform at Oppenheimer.
EMC Corp. (NYSE: EMC) Started as Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
Finisar Corp. (NASDAQ: FNSR) Cut to Hold at Auriga.
JA Solar Holdings Co. (NASDAQ: JASO) Raised to Buy at Auriga.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) Started as Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTAP) Started as Outperform at Wells Fargo; Cut to Neutral at Merriman Curhan Ford..
Tellabs Inc. (NASDAQ: TLAB) Maintained Buy, but Target Cut to $9 at Auriga.
Yahoo! INc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) Started as Market Perform at Wells Fargo.

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

JON C. OGG

Related Articles:

But the run is far from over, and profits are still to be had

Gold Prices Stall Despite Weak Dollar (Update 2)

Tags: 2012 Best Stocks ,Best Stocks To Buy ,Best Stocks To Buy For 2012 ,Best Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,F ,PCLN ,Rising Stocks ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

3 Principles of Personal Finance We Can Learn from The Greatest Generation

Fact: Our grandparents and great-grandparents were better at saving money than we are.

Photo Credits

While there are many reasons for their success, there are three core principles of personal finance that we can learn from them. These principles are tried and true, and something that many of us have lost sight of.

Economic trends may come and go, but saving money never goes out of style. Let��s take a moment to rediscover three principles of personal finance that have withstood the test of time:

Ingenuity

Our grandparents were shrewd and they were frugal. While it��s easy to joke about this generation being full of ��cheapskates,�� ingenuity goes beyond just being resourceful: It is at the crossroads of creativity and dexterity.

How we can apply this to our lives today:

-If something breaks, try to fix it yourself.

-If a newer and ��better�� version of something comes out, wait to buy it until your current model no longer works.

-Put away the checkbook and try to solve problems creatively.

-Teach yourself skills that expand your practical knowledge.

Accountability

The Greatest Generation took control of their finances because they were accountable for every penny they spent. The popularity of credit cards has diminished the need to keep track of every expense, as it has created a ��swipe and reconcile later�� attitude. Our grandparents were attached to their money because spending it was a tangible experience.

How we can apply this to our lives today:

-Use real-time tracking to keep your budget under control.

-Analyze your spending on a daily basis. Looking at credit card statements that are 30 to 45 days old will not help you take control of your finances today.

-Only ask or accept credit when it is truly necessary; learn to live within your means.

Humility

Because The Greatest Generation lived through The Great Depression, they learned to ! be truly grateful for everything that they had. Experiencing disastrous financial times made them painfully aware of the potential for future hardships. Our grandparents combined their grateful attitude with an unwavering work ethic and then used those skills to gain financial security and independence.

How we can apply this to our lives today:

-Drop the self-entitlement attitude: You only deserve what you have worked hard for.

-Be thankful for what you already have.

-Carefully analyze your ��wants�� versus ��needs��.

-Combine a grateful attitude with an unwavering work ethic.

-Pay attention to your emotional attachment to spending money. Ask yourself, ��Will purchasing this item really make me happy?��

While our grandparents and great-grandparents may have been better at saving money than most of us, it��s not too late to follow in their footsteps. With a little foresight and consciousness, we can begin down the path towards financial wisdom.

Related Articles:

Gingrich's Tax Plan Takes Ax to Revenues

4-Star ETFs Poised to Pop: iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend

Tags:   ,Cheap Stocks ,Great Cheap Stocks ,Great Stocks To Own 2012 ,Great Stocks To Own In 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Fewer And Fewer Make Timely Mortgage Payments

It makes sense. Unemployment for February could hit 8%. It could move closer to 9% by the end of April. That does not include people who have been out of work for extended periods and are not looking now.

Along with jobs cuts, fewer people are getting raises and many are taking pay cuts.

The number of people who cannot pay their mortgages is spiking up.

According tothe FT, “The percentage of loans that were in foreclosure or at least one payment past due rose to 11.93 per cent in the fourth quarter, the highest since the MBA began keeping records in 1972 and a jump of almost 2 percentage points since the third quarter.”

Despite the Administration’s new mortgage rescue plan, the figure?is likely to go higher. More people will lose jobs. More homeowners will find that their home loans are much larger than the equity of their houses. As home prices fall, that ratio will get even worse. A home is simply becoming an awful long-term investment.

No matter how much assistance goes into the system to help “worthy” people keep their houses, the number of people who cannot wait to turn in the keys or have lost work will continue to rise.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Related Articles:

Nasdaq Short Interest - Sellers Flee Big Tech

More Price Pressure On OPEC

Tags: 2012 Gold Stocks ,Gold Stocks For 2012 ,Growth Gold Stocks ,Growth Stocks of 2012 ,Growth Stocks To Buy For 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Occupy Wall Street Goes to Washington: Occupy Congress Set for Jan. 17

Protesters affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement have filed paperwork with the National Park Service seeking permission to demonstrate on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on January 17 in an event being billed as “Occupy Congress.”

The application was filed by Tuesday by “Occupy Congress and Occupy DC,” listing McPherson Square as the group’s address and “Peaceful 1st Amendment demonstrations, including holding signs and group speaking” as its purpose.

About 50 Occupy D.C. protesters took to Capitol Hill on December 6 to protest in what they called “Take Back the Capitol.” Occupy D.C. organizers are hoping for at least 2,000 marchers for the “Occupy Congress” event next month.

In its application, the group requests permission to demonstrate from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on the day Tuesday following a national holiday — Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. However, whether or not the group’s permit is approved may be irrelevant. Protesters living in the McPherson Square encampment since early October have never had a permit to stay, and have yet to be evicted as has been the case with so many other encampments around the country, including Occupy Wall St. in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park.

��Submitted. .?.?. approved or not we��re coming. This will just make it easier to provide some basic necessities and structure to this event,�� reads an update posted to the ��Occupy Congress January 17, 2012�� Facebook page.

To contact the reporter on this story: Emily Knapp at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

Related Articles:

Collapse of Mayan Civilization Bears Lessons for Toda! y

Dumping Dead Beats–American Express (AXP) Buys Out Members

Tags: 2012 Best Stocks ,2012 UnderValue Stocks ,Best Stocks To Hold In 2012 ,Best UnderValue Stocks To Hold ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Frightened? Suddenly, The Bears Gain Some Traction, But Losses Just Over 1%

Remember those spinning newspapers in ’60s-era television shows that filled viewers in on key pieces of plot detail? That hokey device would be spelling out ”Wall Street Suffers Its Worst Loss In A Month” in 24-point type if it were being employed today.

And even though it’s true – banks stocks came undone and bears took advantage of one of their rare opportunities to play offense – the losses still didn’t amount to a full percentage point. The S&P 500 (GSPC)retreated 12 points on the day,nicking just overone percent out of the blue-chip indicator. So even on Wall Street’s worst day in a month – even with stocks up a ripe 50% off the March lows – there’sonly so much the bears can do.

Financials took a bruising, with MBIA (MBI)helping set the pace on the declines after JPMorgan lowered its rating on thebond insurer, which tumbled 14% in the session. American International Group (AIG), which moved up in four consecutive trading sessions coming into Tuesday’s action, declined, giving up 14%; still the stock hasdoubled over the course of the last month.

Meanwhile, the banking sector suffered broad-based declines after Dick Bove, the influential banking analyst at Rochdale Securities, said that the gains the sector has enjoyed have come thanks to improving psychology, not fundamentals. The prospect of what the Federal Reserve is going to do on Wednesday at the conclusion of its latest policy meeting – a meeting that is not expected to result in a change in monetary policy – also weighed on the stocks.

Bank of America (BAC)lost 4% on the day, Citigroup (C)fell 5%, and Wells Fargo (WFC)dropped 5%, as well.

In all, though, what shaped up as a disappointing session – one that featuredan episode ofWall Street’s rare willingness to surrender on back-to-back trading sessions – pr! oved to be something short of keenly frightening. Certainly, it’s difficult to make the argument that stocks are prepared toenter a period of pronounced consolidation, despite the oversold conditions in the market.

Related Articles:

American Standard Energy Corp. (ASEN) Updates Investors on Oil and Gas Activity in the Permian Basin

Pioneer Natural Resources Net Profit Margin Remained More Than 20 % - NYSE:PXD

Tags: 2012 Small Stocks ,ASEN ,Growth Small Stocks To Invest In ,Growth Stocks To Invest In ,Growth Stocks To Watch 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Media Digest (1/13/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg

TPG may invest $1 billion in troubled Olympus. (Reuters)

President Obama to ask for a $1.2 trillion increase in the national debt ceiling. (Reuters)

China's foreign currency reserves drop to $3.18 trillion, a sign that exports have slowed enough to change monetary policy. (Reuters)

Novartis?(NYSE: NVS) will cut 2,000 jobs in the U.S. (Reuters)

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stops iPhone sales in China when crowds become unruly. (Reuters)

Several buyers, including?Delta (NYSE: DAL) and US Air (NYSE: LCC), may approach American Airlines parent AMR?about a buyout. (Reuters)

Yields fall at Italy and Spain debt sales. (Reuters)

Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) may have retained Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) to look at strategic alternatives. (Reuters)

The Fed may force Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to leave a number of businesses and some areas of the country. (WSJ)

Goldman Sachs approaches federal officials about buying the troubled bond portfolio of AIG (NYSE: AIG). (WSJ)

A strategic review of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) by its board likely will not prompt the firing of its CEO, Indra Nooyi. (WSJ)

China sets new rules to make it easier for foreign investors to put capital into the country. (WSJ)

A Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) shareholder files suit about a possible donation the company made to a university in Macau. (WSJ)

Low retail sales raise concerns about the pace of the recovery. (WSJ)

An agency of the U.S. government pressures AMR to keep its pension plans intact. (WSJ)

Eurozone factory output drops in November, based on year-over-year numbers. (WSJ)

The government probes potentially illegal financial activities at Diamond Foods (NASDAQ: DMND). (WSJ)

Several lenders to Sears Holdings' (NASDAQ: SHLD)?suppliers?want faster payments?to those suppliers. (WSJ)

BMW and Mercedes increase production in the U.S. (WSJ)

Peugeot?would like to form a broad alliance with another car company. (WSJ)

International bond in! vestors largely believe a deal on Greek debt will be done, but not on the terms Greece expects. (WSJ)

China may invest some of its foreign reserves in stocks to get better returns. (WSJ)

Corn prices fall on new, higher estimates of U.S. production. (WSJ)

Members of the 2006 Fed did not anticipate the housing collapse. (NYT)

CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) pays $5 million for charging too much for some drugs. (NYT)

Target (NYSE: TGT) will set up small Apple stores inside its retail locations. (NYT)

The creditworthiness of U.S. companies fell over the past 30 years, according to S&P. (FT)

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and LG discuss a new TV project. (Bloomberg)

Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK) approaches Citigroup (NYSE: C) for capital it might use as part of a bankruptcy. (Bloomberg)

Douglas A. McIntyre

Related Articles:

Investing in 2012 - Resolve to keep it simple

It’s The Last Day of The Month

Tags: 2012 Silver Stocks ,Great Silver Stocks To Hold ,Great Stocks To Hold 2012 ,Great Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Survey: Some delaying or holding off on buying an iPad

Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL stock news items for Wednesday:

Kindle Fire Holds Back Potential iPad Customers: A new survey conducted by RBC Capital Markets and ChangeWave found that Amazon‘s (NASDAQ:AMZN) new Kindle Fire tablet already is starting to impact Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad sales. According to an Apple Insider report detailing the survey results, 26% of the 2,600 respondents said that the Kindle Fire has caused them to delay purchasing the iPad. Five percent of respondents said they already had pre-ordered Amazon’s tablet or planned to purchase it soon. A similar survey conducted prior to the iPad 2′s release last March found that just 4% of respondents had already pre-ordered the device or planned to buy it in the near future.

Adobe No Longer Making Flash Mobile: In a way, Apple won its war against Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) on Wednesday. The media-editing app maker announced via its official blog that it is ceasing development of its Flash media platform for mobile devices like those powered by Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android operating system. The company will instead “more aggressively” develop resources for HTML5. Flash vice president Danny Winokur wrote that the universal support of the new web standard, which allows web app designers to build video and interactive content directly into a website, is the reason for the change. Apple famously barred Flash from working on its iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, pushing HTML5 instead.

Apple is World’s N0. 4 Green Electronics Manufacturer: Greenpeace released its 2011 Guide to Greener Electronics and placed Apple as the No. 4 cleanest electronics maker on the planet, according to a Wednesday report at Fortune. This is a huge step up for Apple which, back in 2007, was second only to Panason! ic (NYSE:PC) as the dirtiest electronics manufacturer. Apple received accolades for its recycling programs and for meeting or exceeding Energy Star requirements.

As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at?@ajohnagnello?and?become a fan of?InvestorPlace on Facebook. For previous Apple rumors and news, click here.

Related Articles:

Go From 0 to Retirement in 3 Simple Steps

Here's the campaign. Where are the ads?

Tags: FDO ,LECO ,SSRI ,SWN ,Top Performing Stocks 2012 ,Top Performing Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Top Performing Stocks To Own ,XRAY ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

The Home Depot, Inc made New 52 Week High Price - NYSE:HD

The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) achieved its new 52 week high price of $38.75 where it was opened at $37.65 down -0.23 points or -0.60% by closing at $37.84. HD transacted shares during the day were over 11.80 million shares however it has an average volume of 10.91 million shares.

HD has a market capitalization $59.19 billion and an enterprise value at $67.78 billion. Trailing twelve months price to sales ratio of the stock was 0.87 while price to book ratio in most recent quarter was 3.28. In profitability ratios, net profit margin in past twelve months appeared at 5.23% whereas operating profit margin for the same period at 9.06%.

The company made a return on asset of 9.19% in past twelve months and return on equity of 19.09% for similar period. In the period of trailing 12 months it generated revenue amounted to $68.78 billion gaining $42.79 revenue per share. Its year over year, quarterly growth of revenue was 4.20% holding 14.30% quarterly earnings growth.

According to preceding quarter balance sheet results, the company had $2.55 billion cash in hand making cash per share at 1.63. The total of $10.78 billion debt was there putting a total debt to equity ratio 59.10. Moreover its current ratio according to same quarter results was 1.45 and book value per share was 11.62.

Looking at the trading information, the stock price history displayed that its S&P500 52 Week Change illustrated 3.36% where the stock current price exhibited up beat from its 50 day moving average price $35.59 and remained above from its 200 Day Moving Average price $34.92.

HD holds 1.56 billion outstanding shares with 1.55 billion floating shares where insider possessed 0.11% and institutions kept 71.30%.

Related Articles:

Apple's New TV May Be Closer Than You Think

Weekly Top Ins! ider Buy s: FAST, NIHD, CIM, RATE

Tags: 2012 Cheap Stocks ,AAPL ,BBY ,GOOG ,SNE ,Top Stocks 2012 ,Top Stocks To Own ,Top Stocks To Own For 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Ford's Latest Bold Move

From the perspective of last week, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the 2012 version of Ford's (NYSE: F  ) popular Fusion sedan. The midsized mainstay had seen its sales grow solidly over the past few years -- largely at the expense of the longtime segment mainstays, the Toyota (NYSE: TM  ) Camry and Honda (NYSE: HMC  ) Accord.

In fact, despite being a few years old, the Fusion had its best sales year ever in 2011, ranking third in U.S. car sales behind the Camry and Nissan's Altima.

But that was last week.

On Monday, Ford took the wraps off its new Fusion -- and as was widely rumored, it's visually stunning, a stylistic home run reminiscent of sleek ultra-luxury Aston Martin coupes. But it's not just a pretty face: Ford's new Fusion comes with a big surprise -- one that might turn out to be a game-changer.

A welcome failure to play it safe
Automakers don't typically reinvent their best-selling vehicles from generation to generation. Look at the last few Camrys and you'll see a series of minor styling tweaks and incremental improvements over time -- but the current car isn't that different from the one Toyota was selling a decade ago.

The new Fusion, though, expands on the best features of the current model while breaking with it in several ways. The car's look is striking and dramatic, its lines a departure from recent Ford practice that other models are expected to follow in coming years -- and one that will be seen around the world, as this car, like the Fiesta and Focus, will be a global model. The hybrid version is expected to get 47 mpg -- a solid improvement on the current Fusion Hybrid's 41, and high enough to beat the latest hybrid entries from Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia.

! And in a surprise, there's a full-blown plug-in hybrid version, dubbed the Fusion Energi, set to debut later this year. Ford says that it expects the Fusion Energi's "miles per gallon equivalent," an EPA standard rating used for cars that can run entirely on electricity, to exceed those of General Motors' (NYSE: GM  ) Chevy Volt and the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius.

Ford has so far been coy about details like the Fusion Energi's pricing and range, not surprising for a model that won't hit dealers for almost a year, but an aggressively priced plug-in entry in this class could end up being quite popular.

But while we won't know for sure until on-road reviews (and initial sales numbers) start to roll in, I think the new Fusion is likely to be quite popular no matter what.

A bold step forward in a conservative segment
With the new Fusion (and its overseas twin, called the Mondeo), Ford looks set to gain more sales ground on the Camry and Accord, both of which suddenly look a little stale in comparison. While the Accord is in fact somewhat stale -- Honda, which is scrambling to perk up its product line, has hinted that a new version will arrive late this year -- the latest edition of Toyota's Camry is only a few months old.

But that doesn't mean that gains will be easy for Ford to find. Despite its incremental, evolutionary design, the new Camry is selling quite well so far -- and strong entries in the segment from Hyundai and Kia, a renewed effort from Volkswagen, and GM's refreshed Chevy Malibu will add to the competitive pressures on the Fusion.

But as last year's two new Fords -- the Explorer and Focus -- have shown, the Blue Oval's recent products can compete with just about anyone on quality, value, and fuel efficiency. Add in class-leading "infotainment" features and bold styling, and Ford may have another hit product on its hands.

Ford's dividend will be bac! k in a f ew months, but you don't have to wait to put the power of reinvested dividends to work in your portfolio. In a special new report, Motley Fool analysts identify "11 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks," all great additions to a long-term investor's portfolio. This new report is completely free for Fool readers -- get instant access.

Related Articles:

Top picks 2012 - BroadSoft

What's in Store for Annaly in 2012?

Tags: 2012 Growth Stocks ,Growth Small Stocks To Own ,Growth Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Growth Stocks To Own ,Small Stocks ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Economists Weigh In on Markets and Election

Pundits? Who needs them? If you’re wondering who will be taking the oath of office for the presidency next January, economists say you can get a pretty good idea, not by following the politics so much as by following the markets. Not to mention that you can also sort of predict market behavior by what is going on in politics. Sound confusing? Read on.

David Kelly, chief strategist of J.P. Morgan FundsDavid Kelly (left), chief market strategist for J.P. Morgan Funds, pointed out that the election this November will be about much more than which party ends up occupying the Oval Office. In a statement, he said it "will likely determine the pace of deficit reduction over the next few years with implications for both economic growth, in general, and the Treasury market in particular." He added, "In addition, who gets elected president will likely impact the mix of tax increases and spending cuts employed to achieve this deficit reduction."

But that’s not all. Watching politics in the coming week, he said, could give investors a good idea of what might be in store for markets, as well, since the outcome of the Iowa caucuses and early primaries could indicate which way the wind might blow for Republicans.

Kelly said, "A drawn-out fight on the Republican side might require the candidates to placate the more extreme elements of the party, whereas an early putative nominee could put some pressure on Republican members to compromise in a year where the public has little patience left for intransigence." He continued, "This is particularly important given the 60-day deadline to come up with a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut and extended unemployment benefits."

While Kelly expected the first few indicators of 2012 to be positive–anticipating modest gains, he said, for both the ISM Manufacturing Index and the Non-Manufacturing Index, with light vehicle sales also showing a general up trend, the big numbers to watch are the unemployment figures and the jobs report. The former could fall back after last week’s numbers, which were higher than expected. The latter is expected to show solid gains, based on demand, confidence and labor market indicators.

Still, if unemployment numbers are revised upward after last month’s surprising drop, and should last month’s numbers also be revised upward, that could tell a different story. And, of course, there are China and the eurozone crisis to consider–both weighing in on our economy as well.

So is the dog wagging the tail or the tail wagging the dog? Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist

at S&P Capital IQ, said that if 2012 turns out to be a normal presidential election year, the S&P will record gains in seven out of 12 months, and in all four quarters, but with substandard quarterly and full-year rises. The first 10 months of the year would reflect unsettled markets as investors stress over the election results, and then markets would post gains for the last two months once things have been decided.

But January could be the decider of how things will go for the rest of the year. Said Stovall in a statement, "If there’s one thing presidential election years are good at, however, it’s predictability. The January Barometer was correct eight of eight times in forecasting positive calendar-year performances, while the frequency with which the S&P 500 has risen during the presidential election year has been comforting at 75%. In addition, the market has been successful more than 85% of the time in predicting whether the party in power will remain in power or be replaced." If it goes up, it might mean good news for Obama.

He concluded, "Therefore, whatever the S&P 500 doesn’t provide in absolute return this year, it will likely make up for in predictability."

Related Articles:

Tax gap - IRS comes up $385 billion short

Obama Turns His Attention to Where the Money Is: William Pesek

Tags: Gas Stocks ,Top Stocks 2012 ,Top Stocks To Invest In ,Top Stocks To Watch ,Top Stocks To Watch In 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Why the Dollar's Rebound Will Be Short-Lived

Decorating your home for the holidays is a tradition that sets the stage for a festive feel, indoors and out. Left unmanaged, holiday decor can also eat into your holiday budget before you��ve even started to shop for gifts. (A recent LivingSocial deal for a holiday light installation package was recently offered for a whopping $399��marked down from the standard price of $799!) Here are some scrooge-free decorating ideas that will deliver a warm and festive holiday feel, while going on easy on your budget and the environment.

Add outdoor oomph

Even though the effect is beautiful, showcasing holiday lights outside your home can be a pricey endeavor. If you choose to hang lights, make sure to use the LED version. Not only are they durable (the string won��t go out when bulb burns), they are more energy-efficient (using about 0.04 watts per bulb) when compared to traditional incandescent lights, which use as much as ten watts per bulb. Seek out local recycling programs at hardware stores and grocery stores, like Whole Foods, that will recycle your old lights for you. You can even find savings through sites like HolidayLEDs.com, which offers a 25% off coupon to shoppers who mail in old lights for recycling. Home Depot also has a limited-time recycling program early in the holiday season that rewards customers with a store coupon.

Planning your outdoor light display in advance can help maximize the visual impact, while minimizing the impact on your budget. Instead of decorating every tree, shrub and structure, you can conserve money and energy by featuring one focal point with LED icicle lights and then support the glow with a strand or two of LED lights as an accent. Plan non-lighted d��cor in tandem, so that your lights showcase all of your decorations, but aren��t left to do all the heavy lifting. Set an automatic timer so your lights will power off when the neighborhood has gone to bed. The reasoning behind this is to protect the safety of your home, maximi! ze cost- efficiency, and to save energy.

Bob and Cortney Novogratz, from HGTV��s Home by Novogratz, suggest creating your own outdoor display with items you find around the house. Spray metal planters and cans with green paint and fill them with branches that you have sprayed red, silver or gold. Garden gnomes can easily be transformed into elves with silver spray, too. Buy giant ornament balls and hang them on a small outdoor tree for a holiday statement that does not require illumination.

Bring warmth indoors

The Novogratz duo says that creating holiday magic indoors can also be easily executed with just a can of gold and silver spray paint.? Pick a single item, like pinecones, fruits, rocks, or leaves, spray each, and fill different glass containers with them. Display the containers around the house and on mantels. They also suggest shredding sheet music (either original or printed from the web) into paper ribbons and adding to hurricane glasses or clear vases that you have sprayed with shimmery paint for a classic holiday touch.

Becky Mallar, innkeeper and decorator of The 1785 Inn & Restaurant in New Hampshire, says the key to a lush holiday mantle is creating depth. Start with lots of greens (preferably ones that you��ve gathered from outside or from the trimmings of your tree). Build three layers of greens and secure them to the mantle. Place a mirror that you have adorned with an inexpensive accent, like glittery holiday wired ribbon, above the mantel to add fullness. Adorn with energy-efficient flameless LED candles for a warm glow and sprinkle in creative adornments like pine cones, ornament balls, candies and nuts. If you prefer to use ��real�� candles, choose those made of soy, beeswax or a vegetable base.

Interior designer Christine Schwalm recommends using your wrapped holiday gifts to serve as double-duty d��cor by placing them in a basket that will provide a pop of holiday color. Stick to solid color and chic stripes so you can use the leftover ! paper fo r occasions other than the holidays, and try to find paper made of recycled materials. Cut out images from old holiday cards for hand-made gift tags.

Tablescapes

If you��re hosting, you can also create your own tablescape using resources from the outdoors��and your produce section. Gina Samarotto of Samarotto Design Group?suggests using artichokes, apples, pears and pomegranates tucked into a few evergreen branches and displayed on a cake plate. Not only is it a visually appealing, it’s an eco-friendly way to spruce up your table and you can eat later! Schwalm suggests placing a small wreath flat on a cake stand, placing a large pillar candle in the center and dressing it up with ribbons for an instant centerpiece.

If kids are attending your holiday gathering, the Novogratz team recommends tapping into their creative energy with an interactive tablescape. Ask your butcher for a large piece of butcher paper that will cover the kid’s table for an instant giant coloring sheet. Fill containers with holiday colored crayons and sparkly markers so they can design their own holiday scene. For inspiration they can draw from, fill little present bags with pictures of holiday items and holiday words.

Related Articles:

World of Warcraft Heading to Consoles? (ATVI, MSFT, SNE, GME)

How to Create a Holiday Glow When Your Budget is Low

Tags: 2012 Consumer Stocks ,Great Consumer Stocks To Invest In ,Great Stocks of 2012 ,Great Stocks To Own For 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Nordstrom Earnings & Outlook: When Bad Is Good Enough (JWN)

Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) reported terrible earnings.? Interestingly enough, the report from the high-end retailer? is looking “good enough” when you consider the state of many retailers.

Nordstrom earned $0.31 EPS, a drop of nearly two-thirds on a net earnings basis.? It revenue were down 8.5% to $2.30 billion.? First Call consensus estimates were $0.30 EPS and $2.28 billion in revenue.? Same store sales for the quarter were off by 15.8%.? Imagine the day that we say that is good news.

The guidance for 2009 is certainly not great.? But it is within the range of estimates and may actually be looking better than some peers.? Same-store Sales are expected to be down 10% to 15%, and the company is targeting $1.10 to $1.40 EPS? 2009 based upon 219 million shares.? Other metrics seen for the year are a Gross Profit drop of 150 to 250 basis points, a cut in SGA of $100 to $175 million for 40 to 70 basis points, a finance increase of $55 to $60 million with an increase in interest expenses of $20 to $25 million increase; and it sees an effective tax rate of 39.4% to 39.7%.

What is interesting is that the Thomson Reuters (First Call) estimates for fiscal January 2010 are $1.22 EPS).? The $1.10 to $1.40 is right in line there.? Just keep in mind that the same consensus estimate was $1.54 less than 90 days ago.

Nordstrom closed down almost 5% at $11.33 today, but shares are up 12% at $12.70 in the after-hours session.

Jon C. Ogg
February 23, 2009

Related Articles:

Terex Wins Twice (TEX, ASVI)

Alcoa Shares Drop 2.5% After Price Target Drop, EMC, Medtronic Monsanto Show Strength

Tags: 2012 Chinese Stocks ,Top Chinese Stocks 2012 ,Top Stocks To Invest In ,Top Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

How Much Should I Tip? Your Money Questions Answered

Should you rent or buy a home? How much should I tip the delivery person? Will money make me happy?

Ask ten different people, and chances are you��ll get ten different answers. Those are the type of questions where everyone seems to have their own opinion or philosophy.? That��s exactly what makes them a great fit for Mint.com��s new feature, Mint Answers.

We launched Mint Answers a few weeks ago to give consumers a platform to voice their personal finance and investing questions. Since then, hundreds of you have asked �C and many more have chimed in with responses. (At Mint Answers, your questions are answered by experts, as well as by other community members like you.)

Below are three of the most popular questions for the past week. Find and ask (or answer) more at answers.mint.com.

Rent or buy a home?

Every day I read blogs about this sort of thing and there are pros and cons of both. With the housing market where it is today, which do you advocate?

1. There are aspects of this question that go well beyond the financial, but purely in terms of money, you can’t beat the New York Times’s buy vs rent calculator. In my market, it says rent. Yours may vary.

2. Oh man, I may be the only financial blogger here that wants to go BACK to renting…Financial costs aside, it really messes with your freedom. When you own a place you can’t just pick up and move whenever you feel like it – or if worst case you lose your job.

If you’re totally cool with settling down in one spot for 4+ years, then disregard this comment.? But if you’re a roamer/military kid, then really THINK about this before you sign away…there’s no shame in renting at all ;) ? And you can still build up your net worth in plenty of other ways too.

3. [You're] not the only one :) ! We are currently selling our house so that we can rent. We consider owing anyone money a burden that we do not wish to partake in anymore.

We are not making this decision without a plan though. Starting in 2011 our 4-5 year plan to save money to buy the house we want to live in will begin. When I say buy I mean the 100% down plan.

Renting for 5 years is not the worse thing one could do, especially when the reward is a paid for house. When your house is paid for there is not a recession anywhere that will render you homeless. (Unless you don’t pay your taxes that is.)

My answer is: Rent until the purchase of a home, whether with debt or not, is a blessing. (If you have an emergency fund with at least 6 months of expenses set aside, have an additional 20% to avoid PMI ,and buy well within your means it will be more of a blessing than a burden. It’s also not a bad idea to save yourself a lot of money by getting a 15 year mortgage instead of a

More answers to this question>>

What do you normally tip for food delivery?

We ordered Indian food the other night and the bill came out to $35…my instinct said to tip $5, but then I wondered if take out is different than, say, sit-down service.? Twitter friends came in with $3-$8 — I ended up tipping $6. Am I crazy?

1. I usually tip 20% no matter what but I used to work in a restaurant. ?I haven’t typically used a flat rate to tip.

2. For delivery, I usually tip 10% to 15%. If it’s a small order, I’ll tip a higher percentage because the delivery person still had to make a trip out. I tip towards 20% if the food is still warm when it gets to my apartment.

3. I tip $3, standard, for anything under $20, and $4 for anything over $20, with an extra $1 for particularly fast service or for?inclement weather.

More answers to this question>>

Will money make me happy?

1. If money ! has the ability to truly make people happy, how come there are so many miserable rich people?

It’s a question that requires more clarification. Money is often attributed as causing happiness, but only because it allows one to afford either necessities or luxuries of life. You would be hard pressed to find someone happy with bricks of gold if they were stuck on an island like Tom Hanks in Castaway.

I met a man once who was a multi-millionaire while I was working for a top US Bank. He was trying to leverage some of his real estate for more real estate. This man was 80 years old, and even though he had more money than he knew what do with, he was still trying to build wealth through deals as he did in his youth. He explained to me that even though he was well-off now, he was only really happy when he was making deals, working hard, and risking for a greater prize. Not exactly the picture of contentment.

In the end, you can’t take it with you. You won’t be lying on your death-bed thinking about stock quotes and the previous year’s rate of return. Money is a great tool. But it is a fleeting tool that more people have made themselves unhappy over than have become rich.

2. If you have no money and are struggling with every day needs, money will make you much happier. If you have some money and get more money, the money will probably make you a little happier, but not nearly by the margin that it did before. If you are a billionaire and you just got another billion, you might be happier because you are now another billion ahead of other billionaires, but I’d venture to say that happiness is fleeting. But what do I know. I have no billions. ;)

More answers to this question>>

Do you have a money question that you feel has no black-or-white answer? Go to Mint Answers and ask away! While you��re there, feel free to answer questions ! from oth er community members. Come back often, as we introduce new enhancements to this feature.

 

Related Articles:

Terex Wins Twice (TEX, ASVI)

Ireland Continues to Fall Apart

Tags: 2012 Chinese Stocks ,Top Chinese Stocks 2012 ,Top Stocks To Invest In ,Top Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Don't Get Too Worked Up Over Microchip Technology's Earnings

It takes money to make money. Most investors know that, but with business media so focused on the ��how much,�� very few investors bother to ask, "How fast?"

When judging a company's prospects, how quickly it turns cash outflows into cash inflows can be just as important as how much profit it��s booking in the accounting fantasy world we call "earnings." This is one of the first metrics I check when I'm hunting for the market's best stocks. Today, we'll see how it applies to Microchip Technology (Nasdaq: MCHP  ) .

Let's break this down
In this series, we measure how swiftly a company turns cash into goods or services and back into cash. We'll use a quick, relatively foolproof tool known as the cash conversion cycle, or CCC for short.

Why does the CCC matter? The less time it takes a firm to convert outgoing cash into incoming cash, the more powerful and flexible its profit engine is. The less money tied up in inventory and accounts receivable, the more available to grow the company, pay investors, or both.

To calculate the cash conversion cycle, add days inventory outstanding to days sales outstanding, then subtract days payable outstanding. Like golf, the lower your score here, the better. The CCC figure for Microchip Technology for the trailing 12 months is 119.5.

For younger, fast-growth companies, the CCC can give you valuable insight into the sustainability of that growth. A company that��s taking longer to make cash may need to tap financing to keep its momentum. For older, mature companies, the CCC can tell you how well the company is managed. Firms that begin to lose control of the CCC may be losing their clout with their suppliers (who might be demanding stricter payment terms) and customers (who might be demanding more generous terms). This can sometimes be an important signal of future distress -- one most investors are likely to miss.

In this series, I'm most interested in compar! ing a co mpany's CCC to its prior performance. Here's where I believe all investors need to become trend-watchers. Sure, there may be legitimate reasons for an increase in the CCC, but all things being equal, I want to see this number stay steady or move downward over time.

anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FY = fiscal year. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Because of the seasonality in some businesses, the CCC for the TTM period may not be strictly comparable to the fiscal-year periods shown in the chart. Even the steadiest-looking businesses on an annual basis will experience some quarterly fluctuations in the CCC. To get an understanding of the usual ebb and flow at Microchip Technology, consult the quarterly-period chart below.

anImage

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Dollar amounts in millions. FQ = fiscal quarter.

On a 12-month basis, the trend at Microchip Technology looks less than great. At 119.5 days, it is 2.2 days worse than the five-year average of 117.4 days. The biggest contributor to that degradation was DIO, which worsened 7.3 days when compared to the five-year average.

Considering the numbers on a quarterly basis, the CCC trend at Microchip Technology looks OK. At 138.7 days, it is 29.9 days worse than the average of the past eight quarters. Investors will want to keep an eye on this for the future to make sure it doesn't stray too far in the wrong direction. With both 12-month and quarterly CCC running worse than average, Microchip Technology gets low marks in this cash-conversion checkup.

Though the CCC can take a little work to calculate, it��s definitely worth watching every quarter. You��ll be better informed about potential problems, and you'll improve your o! dds of f inding the underappreciated home run stocks that provide the market's best returns.

  • Add Microchip Technology to My Watchlist.

Related Articles:

Trucker rides higher as HYC takeover looks kaput

KKR Kills $500 Million IPO–A Sign Of The Times

Tags: 2012 Hot Stocks ,Call Options ,Hot Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Hot Stocks To Own ,Options Activity ,Put Options ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Puyallup Locksmith

The locks on your vehicle are made to prevent others from gaining access to your automobile. Unfortunately, if you happen to lock yourself out, these complex devices may prevent you from gaining entrance additionally. A qualified automotive locksmith has the knowledge and tools needed to quickly unlock your doors without causing harm to your locking mechanisms or your car.

If you feel yourself locked out of your automobile, do not try to break in. Using sharp objects to take the locks can cause costly damage to your vehicle. In these kind of cases, many insurance companies might decline claims of damage as resulting trying to gain access to your locked car. Car security systems are even more advanced than they used to be. The old coat hanger trick do not work on most modern vehicles.

Resist the urge allowing helpful strangers to help you out break into your car. Not only can that be dangerous, they can severely damage the mechanisms of your lock or other components of your vehicle.

It is never good to separate your car window to be able to retrieve your keys. Shattering glass might cause bodily injury to people and spectators standing close by. This will result in a costly window replacement additionally.

Many people feel an immediate sense of panic and fear when they realize they may have locked their keys of their vehicle. While these are natural reactions, it is extremely important to remain calm. It is a good idea to keep a locksmith’s phone number in your phone for emergency situations like this. That way, if you do lock yourself out, you can call for help at once. Most locksmiths are available round the clock and offer quick response times for emergencies.

Be sure that the locksmith you telephone is fully licensed and insured. Look at the company’s website to find out more about the training they feature their technicians. Ask your friends and relations for a recommendation. A professional locksmith comes with years of training together with practice in ! opening auto locks for a number of make and models associated with vehicles. He should have the different necessary tools and skills needed to get the job done quickly and without harm to the vehicle.

Most reputable companies will be able to give you an estimate of the amount of the service will cost prior to the technician arrives. There are some disreputable locksmith companies that can try to benefit from stranded motorists by increasing the price. If you receive a great estimate that sounds uncommon, hang up and test calling another reputable corporation. Most legitimate locksmiths will be pleased we could an estimate before the service begins.

The locksmith may require your driver’s license or proof vehicle ownership. Do not be insulted. He must ensure that he is truly party to potential criminal behavior.

If however, you get locked out of your vehicle, it is comforting to know that there are knowledgeable locksmiths available and ready to help. Doing some planning and research before you need a locksmith service is advisable to prevent unfortunate outcomes in the case of an emergency.

In an ideal environment, you would just adore to believe that every local locksmith company and program is reputable for all future emergencies. Driving home from work privately of the road isn’t where for checking out several companies, reading up on customer reviews, and making sure ALOA (Associated Locksmiths of America) membership. However, if you’re locked out and get no choice but to resort on the yellow pages or internet listings, watch out for these 5 indicators that you’re about to fall to get a locksmith scam. Locksmith scams are common from coast to coast.

Danger sign #1: No Company Name

The main dead giveaway is right after they answer your call. There are a wide variety of company names, the person answering your call may well only say, “Locksmith”, without even saying the company name. Locksmiths that are generally fraudulent use many false ! business names, addresses, and mobile that all feed into one remote call center.

Warning sign #2: Unusually Low Quotes

Suspiciously good deal quotes over the phone or in the ad are the next indicator. It’s a vintage bait and switch: a local locksmith company gives you what seems like a great quote so you admit the service good price. When the locksmith actually originates out, though, the initial quote turns out to cover the company call only. The actual labor tacks with another $50-$100 (or maybe more if the locksmith provides you on unnecessary solutions) to you’re definitely climbing bill.

If you sense any evasiveness as soon as you ask about pricing relating to the phone, trust your instincts together with try another locksmith that intend firm quotes. Written quotes are even better. You could end up paying into $300 range just have your car or truck door unlocked.

Warning sign #3: Unmarked Cars

Locksmiths who arrive in unmarked cars will be the next indicator. An unmarked car can be a major red flag because you will be dealing with a locksmith or Bob from down the road. Shady locksmith companies use remote call centers but hire local contractors who are of low quality or confident at precisely what they do, and likely uninsured. A technician that’s inexperienced and naive might cause serious damage to ones locks, doors, and home’s windows.

A local locksmith company in your neighborhood that provides its specialists with tools, uniforms, and marked cars is a much better bet, not only because you’re likely to enjoy better service, and because you can hold them along with the company accountable if everything goes wrong.

Danger sign #4: Talking Up The Amount

Locksmiths who talk up the price before even beginning to work on your lock could be the lowest of the low in the business. Ask about pricing before they begin to work on your fastener. If they’re already tacking on additional fees, you know you’re visiting be biting ! off a lo t more than you can afford to pay. Although you might be tempted to just accompany it, keep in mind that shady, inexperienced locksmiths can damage your locks and end up costing you even more money and time.

Remember: It’s not necessarily too late to dismiss this locksmith and telephone another.

Warning sign #5: Drilling Your Locks

Locksmiths who wish to drill your lock are definitely the final warning sign. While there can be cases in which your lock can not be picked and must end up drilled, they are relatively rare. Legitimate locksmiths view drilling as the last resort in acquiring a lock open. If a locksmith works on the lock for only some minutes before declaring which it needs drilling, he is lying back.

Drilling a lock means you’ll have to pay for installing a brand brand-new lock, on top with the initial charge. Get a second opinion instead could save you hundreds of dollars.

If you like to know about Puyallup Locksmith, Visit for more informaiton about Puyallup Locksmith

Related Articles:

Google Leads 5 Top Stocks Breaking Above 52 Week Highs

YM BioSciences Reports Updated Phase I/II Data for its JAK1/JAK2 Inhibitor CYT387 at ASH 2011

Tags: BMY ,GOOG ,Growth Asia Stocks ,Growth Stocks To Watch 2012 ,Growth Stocks To Watch In 2012 ,GSK ,LLY ,LMT ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Oh! Oh! Oh! Beware of These 3 Holiday Scams

The holidays are high season for scam artists. That��s because consumers like you are at your most vulnerable when you’re seeking gifts for your loved ones. (It��s the most wonderful time of the year, isn��t it?)

There are two kinds of scams, as I identify in my new book Scammed: How to Save Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals:

  • ��Lowercase�� scams, which are obvious rip-offs, like giving money to a nonexistent charity.
  • ��Uppercase�� scams, which are perpetuated by real businesses with a product. But, they attempt to defraud you by doing things like mislabeling a product as being ��on sale�� when, in fact, it��s been marked up.

Make no mistake, it��s open season on shoppers, and both kinds of scams are all around you. One recent survey estimated that the average American household spends $1,700 on holiday shopping. Some businesses earn a bulk of their revenue between Black Monday and New Year��s Day, while others spring up around that time?(only to?disappear afterwards).

Everyone �C including the scam artists �C are out in full force. Here are three common lowercase scams to look for. Next week, I��ll take a look at the uppercase scams.

Bogus Bell Ringers (and other Holiday Come-Ons)

While a vast majority of the bell ringers that stand in front of the department store are legit, it��s still worth paying attention to them. Are they with the Salvation Army, which sponsors the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign – i.e.-? the real deal? If not, you might want to take your money elsewhere, or just make your donation online. In one story that made the rounds a few years ago, thieves stole several bell-ringer jackets and officials feared they could pose as bogus bell-ringers. Be aware before making a donation. Just because some guy is dressed in a Santa suit doesn��t make him authentic.

The Gas Can Scam

This is a favorite! confide nce scam during the holidays, because it��s relatively easy to pull off in the parking lot of a busy mall. Here��s how it works: The scammer approaches you with a gas can and a tall tale about having run out of fuel. He��s desperate to get home to his family. Could you ��lend�� him just a few dollars? I��ve personally been approach by one of these scam artists during the holidays, a time when a lot of folks are feeling charitable. You��re better off phoning mall security, which is in a far better position to help a stranded motorist �C and much less likely to fall for a fraud.

Holiday Dot-Cons

Christmas is a time for online shenanigans, according to George Delta and Jeffrey Matsuura��s book, Law of the Internet. The level of fraud encountered by U.S. online retailers is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars each season, they note. In one cybercrime enforcement sweep, federal authorities charged approximately 135 people with various forms of Internet fraud, affecting 89,000 victims and inflicting about $176 million in damage. A few years ago in England, more than 1,200 sites were shut down during the holidays offering everything from designer goods to counterfeit jewelry. How to avoid them? Buy from someone you know and trust, and always, always pay with a credit card.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the perilous ��lowercase�� scams that lurk while you do your holiday shopping. But these are likely to affect consumers like you the most.

Give to a reputable charity, patronize businesses you trust and don��t believe everything a stranger tells you. I guarantee your holidays will be a lot happier if you do.

Related Articles:

Seven Tips to Help You Haggle

Swiss Stocks Are Little Changed; Swatch Advances as Holcim, Geberit Drop

Tags: ! Best Sto cks 2012 ,Best Stocks For 2012 ,Best Stocks To Buy ,Best Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Gold Stocks ,shopping ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Carrier IQ: We don't record keystrokes, but your phone does

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As the privacy fiasco that erupted around Carrier IQ continues smoldering, the finger pointing has intensified over the controversial software that sends data from individuals' phones back to their carriers.

This week, Carrier IQ concluded an internal investigation and released a report on its findings. The company's analysis confirmed that its software does not, by itself, record users' keystrokes. Instead, the report affirmed the Carrier IQ's prior suspicions that the recording is being triggered on the handset manufacturers' end.

Carrier IQ's investigation was a response to developer Trevor Eckhart's 17-minute YouTube video, which showed how the software secretly runs on his HTC EVO 3D Android phone and logs every key press, every text, and the full URL of every website he visits. It recorded that data even from websites that use security encryption designed to prevent that kind of tracking.

Carrier IQ's report said that what the Eckhart video displays is actually the result of separate tools put in place by the handset manufacturer.

The data recording was being done in what's known as a debug log. The log is intended to help software developers understand what happened if something goes wrong with an application. It stashes information in the phone's memory, which it remains stored until the device is powered down.

"It appears that the handset manufacturer software's debug capabilities remained 'switched on' in devices sold to consumers," Carrier IQ said in its analysis.

That debugger is supposed to be turned off unless a developer turns it on. It's also highly unusual -- and potentially insecure -- for an application to store so much data to the debug logger. A stolen phone that hasn't been turned off could be a gold mine for hackers, who would have access to literally everything a user has done or said on the device since it was last powered down.

Though Carrier IQ is installed on more than 150 million phones worldwide! , the de bug logging problem appears to only exist on HTC and Samsung smartphones. Those two manufacturers add a layer of their own software on top of the stock Google Android operating system, according to Dan Rosenberg, a consultant at Virtual Security Research who has extensively studied Carrier IQ's software.

HTC did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A Samsung spokesman confirmed to CNNMoney that Samsung was storing data in its phones' logs, but declined to say why the manufacturer had turned on that functionality or whether it is working on a fix for the problem.

Still, Carrier IQ isn't completely off the hook.

As part of its internal investigation, the company discovered that it had been accidentally sending users' text messages to carriers.

The problem was the result of a bug, which Carrier IQ says it has told the carriers how to fix. The texts were also encoded, so they weren't "human readable," the company claims.

The potential privacy breach caught the attention of the government regulators, who have launched a probe into the issue, according to The Washington Post. Senator Al Franken, D-Minn., has been asking pointed questions, and Rep Edward Markey, D-Mass., has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the practices of Carrier IQ.

Company spokeswoman Mira Woods said she was "not aware of an official investigation into Carrier IQ at this time."

In an attempt to get ahead of the probes, Carrier IQ this week sought meetings with the FTC and Federal Communications Commission to answer questions and present its side of the argument.

An under-the-radar company until recently, Carrier IQ is a small firm whose software is designed to help carriers run diagnostics on their phones and network. Its tools are intended to monitor boring, basic phone functions, like signal outages, battery life and website load times.

But there's a whole lot lurking under the hood of our smartphones. Carrier IQ's sudden thrus! t into t he national spotlight illustrates that even those who build, sell and service our phones may not know everything that's hiding inside Pandora's box.  

Related Articles:

China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources Inc. (SHZ) to Acquire Fluorite-Barite Mining Mineral Processing Companies

Sen. Harkin to DOL: Hold Retirement Plan Advisors to Strict Fiduciary Rules

Tags: 2012 Good Stocks ,Good Health Stocks ,Good Stocks To Buy For 2012 ,Good Stocks To Buy In 2012 ,SHZ ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Solar Surges: LDK, STP, JASO, CSIQ Rise Despite Deep Losses

Investors seem to be calling a bottom, at least for the moment, in the fortunes of solar energy technology providers, with the stocks rising nicely despite a slew of earnings this morning that fell short of expectations.

The combination of terrible results that were, however, somewhat foreshadowed by preannouncements, plus “guidance” that in many cases agrees with the Street’s diminished expectations, and the beaten-down state of the stocks, may be acting as a relief of sorts to some investors, suggesting to them the worst about the industry is on the table and priced in the stocks.?

SunTech Power Holdings (STP), based in Wuxi, China, reported revenue of$809.8 million and a loss of 64 cents a share. The revenue result was better than the expected $776 million,?but the net loss was worse than the 26 cents the Street was looking for. For the year, the company cut its outlook to a range of $3 billion to $3.1 billion in revenue from a prior range of $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion. That is in line with the $3.1 billion analysts have been modeling.?

STP shares are up 39 cents, or almost 18%, at?$2.62.

Zhabei, China-based JA Solar (JASO) also beat revenue estimates for its Q3, reporting $388 million versus ?$379 million expected, but reported a net loss of 36 cents, well below the 1-cent-per-share expected. The company cut its full-year solar cell and module shipment forecast to 1.6 gigawatts from a prior 1.8-gigawatt forecast.

JASO stock is up 3 cents, or 2%, at $1.55.

Canadian Solar (CSIQ), based in?Kitchener, Ontario, reported revenue of $499 million, above the $496 million expected, but delivered a net loss of $1.02 per share versus a consensus estimate for a 39-cent loss. The company reiterated its year shipment view, but also said it would cut its Q4 capital expenditure forecast by about a third.?

Canadian Solar shares are up 21 cents, almost 10%, at $2.41.?

And Xinyu, Chi! na-based LDK Solar (LDK) turned in revenue and earnings below expectations, reporting $472 million and a net loss of 87 cents a share, worse than the $499 million and 46-cent loss analysts were expecting. The company forecast Q4 revenue in a range of $440 million to $520 million, below the average $507 million estimate.?

LDK shares are up 19 cents, almost 7%, at $3.02.

Related Articles:

Bonds Explained

Gingrich Nabs Crucial Voter Traction

Tags: bonds ,China Stocks ,Great Stocks To Hold ,Great Stocks To Hold For 2012 ,Great Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,Investing ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Capella Education Company YTD Performance Remained Positive - NASDAQ:CPLA

Capella Education Company (NASDAQ:CPLA) shares were transacted unexpectedly with a volume of 1.87 million shares as compared to its average volume of 0.340 million shares. CPLA opened at $55.97 dropped -17.54% closed $52.23. Its 52 week price range is $51.66 - $98.01.

CPLA has earnings of $58.22 million and made $405.94 million sales for the last 12 months. Its quarter to quarter sales remained 25.66%. The company has 16.54 million of outstanding shares and 15.09 million shares were floated in the market.

CPLA has an insider ownership at 8.64%. Its return on investment (ROI) for the last 12 month was 30.06% as compare to its return on equity (ROE) of 31.69% for the last 12 months.

The price moved down 10.47% from the mean of 20 days, -13.83% from 50 and went down 26.57% from 200 days average price. Company��s performance for the week was -11.67%, -7.21% for month and yearly performance remained -34.79%.

Its price volatility for a month remained 3.48% whereas volatility for a week noted as 4.92% having beta of 0.55. Company��s price to sales ratio for last 12 months was 2.13 while its price to book ratio for the most recent quarter was 4.26 and its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) remained 107.09 million for the past twelve months.

Related Articles:

Emerging-Markets Stocks Decline to Three-Week Low on Signs of China Slump

Big Bank Ceos Walk Away With Big Bucks In 2011

Tags: 2012 Best Performing Stocks ,Best Performing Healthcare Stocks ,BUX ,Healthcare Stocks ,HSCEI ,JPM ,MXEF ,MXWO ,SHCOMP ,XU100 ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012

Whitney Wrong on Muni Market, to a Degree

Photo: APWhile Bloomberg continues to delight in Meredith Whitney’s bold “prediction-that-wasn’t,” The Wall Street Journal notes she might not be so far off. They admit she was wrong; the massive wave of defaults the famous analyst warned of in her Dec. 12, 2010 interview on “60 Minutes” never happened, but it’s really only a matter of degree.

“Debt issued by municipalities—a category that includes local governments and other affiliated entities like school districts—has returned 10.2% so far this year,” the Journal writes. “That beat out Treasurys, the second-best performer, with a 9.3% return. Riskier high-yield corporate bonds returned 4.2%.”

However, the paper reminds readers that Moody's Investors Service said in November that downgrades outpaced upgrades by a ratio of about five to one, “the highest ratio since the start of the financial crisis. The ratings firm also said it expected the downgrade trend to continue in the coming quarters, as deficit-cutting measures from states and the federal governments take hold.”

“Ms. Whitney and others who predicted munis' demise just had the wrong D-word," Dan Genter, chief investment and executive officer for RNC Genter Capital Management, told the paper. "People need to be focused on downgrades, not defaults," he said.

New issuers appear to have shaken off Whitney’s threat heading into 2012. The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association on Wednesday released its 2012 Municipal Bond Issuance Survey

Respondents expect total municipal issuance, both short- and long-term, to reach $402 billion in 2012, which the organization calls “a significant recovery” from their expectation of $342 billion in 2011.  Additionally, excluding short-term notes, long-term issuance is also expected to recover in 2012, with a forecast of $347 billion total in 2012 compared with $288 billion in 2011.   

“Despite fiscal difficulties at the state and local levels, the strong issuance forecast underscores the market’s appetite for municipal bonds,” Leslie Norwood, managing director and associate general counsel at SIFMA, said in a statement. “This is still highly dependent upon a number of market-effecting factors including the current fate of the tax-exempt status in current federal fiscal debates.”   

Other highlights from the survey include:  

  • Projected long-term, tax-exempt municipal issuance to total $303 billion in 2012, a 20.2% increase from the $252 billion estimated for 2011;
  • Projected long-term taxable municipal issuance is $35 billion in 2012, a 25% increase from the $28 billion estimate in 2011; 
  • Two-year Treasury note yield is expected to rise gradually from 0.25%  in December 2011 to 0.5% in December 2012; and
  • 10-year Treasury note is also expected to rise gradually in the second half of 2012, with yields projected to climb from 2% at the end of December 2011 to 2.5 % at the end of December 2012.  

Related Articles:

How Fairchild Measures Up With These 2 Metrics

These U.S. Companies Made Billions in Profits – And Received a Federal Tax Refund!

Tags: 2012 UnderValue Stocks ,FCS ,Great Stocks To Hold 2012 ,Great Stocks To Invest In 2012 ,IRF ,NXPI ,TXN ,Top Dividend Stocks 2012