ONE-TWENTY TWO: Trading Financial Markets
Exploring the poetry in financial markets for students of money and economy since the year 2000.
At the heights of the stock market’s low-volume spring rally, Ambac Financial (ABK) soared 72% and the 105% on two consecutive days. ABK was up another 50% the next day before closing with a 28% loss. The upward surge was quite startling given ABK was pretty clear in its earnings report at the time about … Read more
Earnings excitement is one casualty of the current selling in the market. Several big cap stocks and multinational companies generated a lot of hype and attention from their earnings results this quarter. A number of those gains have been erased and then some. Four stocks have attracted my particular interest: Apple (APPL) – A market … Read more
MEMC Electronic Materials (WFR) manufactures silicon wafer solutions for the semiconductor and solar industries. WFR fell 19% on Friday in response to earnings despite the company’s reassurances that it is on track to meet full-year guidance targets (click here for the transcript from Seeking Alpha): “In the first quarter, revenue was ahead of our internal … Read more
My earnings play on First Solar (FSLR) unfolded much better than expected today. The post-earnings pop took FSLR directly to my standing $149/150 price target that represents a fill of the earnings gap from October. See chart below: *Chart created using TeleChart: I believe the biggest catalyst for today’s 18% move was FSLR’s tremendous boost … Read more
First Solar (FSLR) has made a good recovery from the selling following February’s earnings report. Two weeks ago, FSLR closed as high as 9% above its price before its previous earnings and completed a 40% run-up from February’s bottom. The recent highs also marked the post-earnings highs from October’s poorly received earnings report. The stock … Read more
Toll Brothers (TOL) has disappointed market participants with its earnings reports over the past 12 months. For example, December’s earnings generated a one-day drop over 7% that finished eliminating a strong gap up in response to November’s preliminary report. However, February’s earnings barely generated a yawn. A week later, the stock resumed an uptrend that … Read more
I had forgotten all about bond insurer Ambac Financial Group (ABK) – one of the many hobbled poster children of the recent financial panic. I sure did not realize the company is still limping along and even trading on the NYSE. So, imagine my surprise when I learned that ABK doubled on Monday to add … Read more
Over the past several quarters I have looked to Acuity Brands (AYI) as a potential signal of the earnings season to come, especially when it comes to commercial real estate. For several quarters, AYI has reported dour news about its industry and the economy. Sometimes traders and investors sold the news, sometimes they bought it. … Read more
Research In Motion (RIMM) reported no share repurchase activity in its latest earnings report. The amount spent on this program remains at $775M of the $1.2B total authorized. Perhaps it makes sense that RIMM has saved its powder given the stock has trended upward since last quarter’s repurchase activity. Although RIMM provided guidance that remains … Read more
Over the past two months or so, analysts have rolled out a series of positive commentaries on the prospects for Research In Motion (RIMM) and its upcoming earnings announcement (March 31). The table below shows the wide range of upgrades and bullish price targets from various analysts. In addition, at least four analysts have issued … Read more