The Apple Pre-Earnings Trade: October, 2015 Edition – An Important Juncture

At the timing of writing, Apple (AAPL) is up 0.6% for the year, essentially flat. When I last wrote about the Apple pre-earnings trade back in January, I looked back at the December 1, 2014 “flash dip” in AAPL’s stock as a lingering harbinger of more selling to come. As it turned out, AAPL sold … Read more

Meritage Homes Prepares for First-Time Homebuyers, Hopeful On Arizona

When Meritage Homes (MTH) lowered guidance on September 9, 2015, the nation’s seventh largest homebuilder blamed several factors: A delay in closing homes. This was the most concerning explanation because the company provided no further details on it. Increased labor costs. These costs impacted margins. The problem was particularly acute in MTH’s major markets of … Read more

Century Communities Earnings: All About Atlanta Now

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 17, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) After regional homebuilder LGI Homes (LGIH) produced stellar earnings results earlier this month, I had high hopes for Century Communities (CCS) as well. CCS’s results for its second quarter were good, … Read more

A Breakout Performance And Increased Guidance Send LGI Homes Higher As Texas Delivers

(This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on August 6, 2015. Click here to read the entire piece.) In previous pieces covering homebuilders and housing, I have noted that my favorite plays in the space remain the regional builders. Regionals tend to have lower valuations with execution and growth … Read more