Betting On Apple Earnings As the Stock Struggles to Hold Support

Apple (AAPL) reports earnings after market hours today (April 26, 2016). At the time of writing, the stock is barely holding onto support at its 50-day moving average (DMA) almost two weeks after a disastrous breach of 200DMA support. Source: FreeStckCharts.com The current sell-off sets up a great opportunity to play post-earnings upside. April is … Read more

LGI Homes Breaks Out on March Closings Report

LGI Homes (LGIH) has been trapped underneath its 200-day moving average (DMA) for the entire year of 2016. Earnings reports and closing reports could not re-ignite last year’s enthusiasm in the stock. Finally, the report on March closings did the trick. In response to the March closing report, LGIH soared 12.7% on almost three times … Read more

Rio Tinto Admits Severity of Commodities Collapse By Slashing Dividend

It finally happened. Rio Tinto (RIO), a major producer of commodities like iron ore, has started to back off its generous dividend payout policy. In its latest earnings statement, RIO announced its total dividend for 2015 will come to 215 U.S. cents per share, the same as it paid out in 2014. Over the past … Read more

ConocoPhillips: A Cautionary Tale from the Oil Patch

ConocoPhillips (COP) announced Q4 and full year 2015 financial results on the morning of February 4, 2016. The news included a capitulation to the on-going deterioration of business conditions in the oil patch: COP slashed its dividend by two-thirds: “ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) today announced it is taking actions to maintain its strong balance sheet in … Read more

Tri Pointe Group Puts Its Balance Sheet On the Line

In its Q3 2015 earnings report, TRI Pointe Group, Inc. (TPH) reported $97.0M in cash and cash equivalents. Thanks to real estate inventories, total assets come to $3.1B. Source: TRI Pointe Group, Inc. On January 27, 2016, TPH decided to put that balance sheet on the line by authorizing a buyback of $100M that is … Read more

LGI Homes Reports A Strong December And Takes the Edge off Recent Sell-Off

At the end of 2015, I wrote about the critical tests facing LGI Homes (LGIH). After another strong monthly closing report, LGIH seems more likely to pass the test of financial performance in coming earnings reports, but the technical test remains in place. LGIH reported record results for a single month in December, 2015: 433 … Read more

LGI Homes Faces Critical Tests As It Races to Reduce Dependence On Oil-Related Markets

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on December 29, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) In mid-September, I wrote “LGI Homes Is Now A Bit Hot To The Touch.” LGI Homes (LGIH) is down 18% since then. LGIH also hit an all-time high on December 1st … Read more

Little Cliffs Natural Resources Still Talks Like the 900-Pound Gorilla

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on November 3, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) reported earnings last week on the morning of October 29, 2015. {snip} Source: FreeStockCharts.com From my perspective, the always colorful commentary from Chairman, President, and CEO Lourenco … Read more

A Time to Buy Housing Stocks: Toll Brothers

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 27, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) Toll Brothers (TOL) had the misfortune of reporting its third quarter 2015 earnings in the middle of a severe market sell-off. {snip} Source: FreeStockCharts.com The selling in TOL plunged the stock … Read more