From TheStreet.com Network

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

Cramer on BloggingStocks: All I'm asking for is rigor originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Even the cheap stuff gets cut when jobs are scarce. Burger King (NYSE: BKC), the second largest burger chain, saw fiscal first quarter profit fall 6% year-over-year, as diners opted to make their own meals at home.

Another part of the problem, though, is that competitors have cut their prices aggressively in order to bring customers through the door, a move that can have an upside for market share but doesn't always restore revenue lost to a recession.

Continue reading Burger King profit falls, misses the Street

Burger King profit falls, misses the Street originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A lot of earnings reports were issued last week. The market was busy sorting them all out. I'm going to take a fast look at several of the issuing companies.

American Express (NYSE: AXP): Don't leave home without it. Good advice for the card, perhaps, but what about the company? Should your portfolio leave home and forget this stock? I'd say so. It's not that American Express lost the earnings game. On the contrary, Bloomberg reported a beat. American Express earned 44 cents per share from continuing operations, adjusted. This was six pennies ahead of forecasts. Okay, I applaud such performance. And shares are way off the single-digit 52-week low. Thing is, I'm in love with another card business. Visa (NYSE: V). As I've stated before, I enjoy the beauty of Visa's lower-risk model. It doesn't have to put up with loan risk. Yes, the situation at American Express might be improving, but I'm not going to buy this one.

Continue reading Quick opinions on some quarterly earnings: AXP, MRK, MCD, NYT, UP ...

Quick opinions on some quarterly earnings: AXP, MRK, MCD, NYT, UP ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• AirTran Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AAI) reported its third consecutive quarterly profit and will increase capacity.
• Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares soared after it reported very strong Q3 numbers.
• Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) reported stellar Q4 results, driven by the popularity of Macs and iPhones.
• BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) Q3 earnings soared, due in part to a tax benefit, and assets managed grew.
• Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) revenue surged sequentially but note the would be flat going forward.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) beat Q3 earnings expectations and shares rose though revenue slumped.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, Hershey, McDonald's, UPS ...

Earnings highlights: Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, Hershey, McDonald's, UPS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: DJIA component earnings lift market (EBAY, HTE, MI, MCD, MMM)

Closing Bell: DJIA component earnings lift market (EBAY, HTE, MI, MCD, MMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ray Kroc did not start McDonald's (NYSE: MCD). But he was the one that had the vision and energy to turn it into a global powerhouse.

Back in 1977, Kroc wrote a book about his story, called Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's. The title is appropriate. You see, he did not get involved in McDonald's until he was 52 (in 1954).

What I like about Kroc's book is that he has some simple advice for building a successful business. And, it's always a good idea to look at the fundamentals. So, here are some of the takeaways:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Fundamental business lessons from McDonald's Ray Kroc

Entrepreneur's Journal: Fundamental business lessons from McDonald's Ray Kroc originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Investors not given proper credit

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Investors not given proper credit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

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

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

Continue reading Where should granny put $50,000?

Where should granny put $50,000? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BKC) announced plans Wednesday to overhaul its 12,000 locations worldwide. The fast-food giant is seeking a sleeker, futuristic look that includes LCD-screen menus, rotating chandeliers, and corrugated metal and brick accents (see pictures at the above link) on the inside, as well as metal canopies and additional signs on the exterior.

The new upscale design, called 20/20, is expected to cost franchisees between $300,000 to $600,000 per restaurant. Some 60 locations have already been remodeled, including in Miami, Mexico City, Edinburgh, and Shanghai, and 75 more are expected to be completed by the end of 2010. All new restaurants will be built using the 20/20 design.

Continue reading Coming soon: The Burger King of the future

Coming soon: The Burger King of the future originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), which competes with McDonald's (NYSE: MCD), Burger King (NYSE: BKC), and Wendy's/Arby's Group (NYSE: WEN) for the right to feed consumers on the go around the world, issued a Q3 report after the bell on Tuesday that was decent in many respects. Earnings per share on an adjusted basis increased over 20% to 70 cents. This performance absolutely embarrassed the analysts, who were looking for a mere 58 cents per share according to our earnings preview.

So, that was one of the decent parts. Actually, I'd say it was a little more than decent. But, unfortunately, the top line didn't grow. Total revenues actually declined 2%.

Continue reading Yum! Brands beats estimates in Q3, but Pizza Hut is not so yummy

Yum! Brands beats estimates in Q3, but Pizza Hut is not so yummy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On the surface, I suppose the market is telling you that Yum! Brands would indeed make a good earnings trade. Not only is the stock up nicely this afternoon, but it isn't too far from a 52-week high.

Continue reading Buy Yum! Brands ahead of earnings?

Buy Yum! Brands ahead of earnings? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Short City Update: McDonald's: hold short; Fortune Brands: cover short

Short City Update: McDonald's: hold short; Fortune Brands: cover short originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late Thursday, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) announced a 10% increase to its cash dividend. The fast-food firm will now shell out 55 cents per share each quarter, bringing its total quarterly dividend payout to roughly $600 million. The increase will cost McDonald's about $220 million per year. This most recent dividend hike continues a long-term trend for Mickey D's, which has raised its quarterly payout every year since 1976.

In other MCD news, Bernstein initiated coverage of the stock with an "outperform" rating. The brokerage firm likes McDonald's because of its broad global footprint, with Bernstein noting that restaurants more heavily dependent on the sluggish U.S. market could struggle.

Continue reading McDonald's dividend rises, but stock's still stagnant

McDonald's dividend rises, but stock's still stagnant originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Many entrepreneurs have attempted to appropriate McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) brand recognition to benefit their own businesses; witness MacJoy, McMunchies, McAllen, McSleep, and McChina Wok Away to name but a few. But the burger chain will have none of that and has aggressively pursued the protection of its trademark and name.

McCurry of Malaysia, however, has finally succeeded in convincing a local court to allow it to continue to sell its food under the McCurry name, as long as its menu remains distinct from that of McDonald's. The ruling marks the end of an eight-year legal battle.

Continue reading McDonald's forced to swallow McCurry

McDonald's forced to swallow McCurry originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're trying to get your head around some stock strategies for the upcoming fall trading season, you might want to consider dividend yields. Volatility could increase since we've had such a run-up in many equities, so thinking about payouts is probably advisable.

I was looking around for some higher-yielding blue chips and became interested in McDonald's (NYSE: MCD). As of last Friday's closing price, McDonald's yields almost 3.6% on an annual basis. It pays out 50 cents per share per quarter according to its corporate website.

Continue reading McDonald's: Interesting yield?

McDonald's: Interesting yield? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Not that long ago, Coinstar (NASDAQ: CSTR) was a sleepy business. Its retail kiosks helped with the mundane tasks like coin counting, money transfers, and so on.

However, the company has redefined its vision -- considering itself a big player in the automated retail category. And, it looks like the key to the strategy is its DVD rental kiosk platform, Redbox.

As seen with the latest quarterly results, Redbox is propelling growth. Revenues spiked 43% to $314 million, with profits going from $2.7 million, or $0.09 per share, to $7 million, or $0.23 per share. For the year, Coinstar expects revenues of $1.225 billion to $1.3 billion. Profits are forecasted at $0.80 to $0.86 per share.

Continue reading Coinstar: Red hot with Redbox

Coinstar: Red hot with Redbox originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fast-food behemoth McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) came in with earnings that were in line with consensus Street estimates; however, revenues for the restaurant stock fell slightly short of expectations for the quarter.

The restaurant said it earned $1.09 billion, or 98 cents per share, compared with $1.19 billion, or $1.04, in the year-earlier quarter.

Revenue, including results from franchised outlets, fell to $5.65 billion, which was below the Street's estimate of $5.7 billion.

Continue reading Bellwether stock #7: McDonald's (MCD)

Bellwether stock #7: McDonald's (MCD) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although the headlines are screaming about how companies are beating their earnings estimates, little newsprint is being devoted to this quarter's real story.

That story is that revenues for many corporations are way down year over year, and more importantly, their top-line revenues are often coming in below Street estimates.

To be certain, there have been some real success stories so far in Q2, and we'll be talking about some of those in a moment. Moreover, it is always a good sign when companies beat their earnings estimates.

Continue reading The real earnings story behind 10 bellwether stocks

The real earnings story behind 10 bellwether stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded General Electric (NYSE: GE) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $15 from $13 citing reports that U.S. House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank has indicated regulatory reform will not require a separation of GE Capital.
• Syntel (NASDAQ: SYNT) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform by Wells Fargo. The firm upgraded the stock following the company's much better than expected Q2 EPS.
• Canaccord upgraded USANA (NASDAQ: USNA) to Outperform from Market Perform citing the strong Q2 report and earnings momentum. The firm has a $40 target on the stock.
• Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was upgraded to Equal Weight from Underweight at Barclays.
• Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at FBR Capital.
• Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DIS, GE, MCD, MON, USNA, YUM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: DIS, GE, MCD, MON, USNA, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With unemployment skyrocketing, many people are thinking of starting a new business. However, the risks can be high (many new businesses die within the first couple years).

So, to help boost the odds of success, another option is to get a franchise. After all, there is already a system in place to get started quickly. Also, you will get the support from the brand, advertising, and leverage with suppliers.

But, before you do this, it's a good idea to consider the following:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: What about starting a franchise?

Entrepreneur's Journal: What about starting a franchise? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.