Today's U.S. Earnings Reports

[setravis]

September 30, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
ACN-Accenture PLC (BEST earnings consensus $0.64),
MKC-McCormick & Co. (0.60),
MSCI-MSCI Inc. (0.35),
LWSN-Lawson Software (0.09),
RECN-Resources Connection (0.00),
AZZ-AZZ Inc. (0.71).

[setravis]

October 1, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap) n/a (BEST earnings consensus $0.00).

[setravis]

Monday, October 4, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
MOS-Mosaic (BEST earnings consensus $0.73).

[setravis]

Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
YUM-Yum! Brands (BEST earnings consensus $0.73),
WWW-Wolvering World Wide (0.66),
DMND-Diamond Foods (0.28),
TISI-Team Inc. (0.14).

[setravis]

Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
COST-Costco Wholesale (BEST earnings consensus $0.95),
MON-Monsanto (-0.05),
MAR-Marriott International (0.22),
STZ-Constellation Brands (0.49),
RPM-RPM International (0.51),
AYI-Actuity Brands (0.58),
BLUD-Immucor (0.30),
RBN-Robbins & Meyers (0.39),
HELE-Helen of Troy Ltd. (0.64),
RT-Ruby Tuesday (0.16).

[setravis]

Thursday, October 7, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
PEP-Pepsico (BEST earnings consensus $1.22),
AA-Alcoa (0.06),
MU-Micron Technology (0.40),
ISCA-International Speedway (0.26),
ANGO-Angiodynamics (0.08).

[setravis]

Friday, October 8, 2010
Today's U.S. Earnings Reports...

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
CATY-Cathay General Bancorp (BEST earnings consensus $0.05),
CMN-Cantel Medical (0.25).

[setravis]

Monday, October 11, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports
Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
GPN-Global Payments (BEST earnings consensus $0.69),
ZEP-Zep Inc. (0.38).

[setravis]

Tuesday, October 12, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports
Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
INTC-Intel (BEST earnings consensus $0.50),
CSX-CSX Corp. (1.04),
FAST-Fastenal (0.50),
LLTC-Linear Technology (0.66),
BLX-Banco Latinoamericano de Comer (0.44),
MG-Mistras Group (0.05).

[setravis]

Earnings Season: How to Watch Your Step...

Stories that involve good advice tend to get re-told, and the ones with real value pop up again and again.

One of my favorites is the story of the legendary admiral who has a lock-box in his stateroom. Every day before he takes the bridge, he opens the lock-box, takes out a small piece of paper, reads it and puts it back.

Over the years, this quirk is noticed by many people, and there's lots of speculation about what's on the paper: an inspirational quote, a personal sentiment or some gritty piece of military advice?

When the admiral dies, his executors open the lock-box and read the paper.

It says "Port is Left, Starboard is Right."

I've heard this story at least three times, and in one telling it was a merchant captain, in another an unnamed admiral, and in the third, a specific admiral of some fame.

But while the information on the slip of paper would undoubtedly be useful for a man in charge of a ship, I've never seriously considered that the story might be true. (Although I'd love to be wrong; let me know if you have any supporting evidence.)

As someone who plies the sometimes choppy waters of the stock markets, I know that there are similar sentiments that can help put things in perspective.

If I had to look at one little piece of paper every morning, I'd probably put:

"Remember: When markets are going up, you're not a genius. When markets go down, you're not an idiot."


Make no mistake about it. This has been a tough year for most investors—and it's not over yet, not by a long shot.

From what we are seeing now, the next 30 days could make the past year's volatility look like child's play.

The reason is simple:


With unemployment continuing to rise and real estate prices continuing to spiral south, it's clear the market's volatility is about to increase exponentially—especially headed into the November elections.

For these reasons, the next market move we see headed our way in the next 30 days could be the biggest shocker of 2010.

Surprisingly, investors are NOT talking about a MAJOR SELL OFF that the financial media is forecasting.

On the contrary, time-proven technical indicators are forecasting a MAJOR BREAKOUT ahead for a select group of stocks that continue to defy the collapse as our market data clearly shows.

Unfortunately, most investors will miss the next run-up as the financial media continues to scare you with story after story about the jobless recovery, the poor housing market, rising energy costs, and the many other forces that indicate that a double-dip recession is in your future...

all but ignoring the mounting scientific data that shows that in fact, yes, the economic picture is not only brightening but also offering you the opportunity to scoop up 30% to 50% gains by the end of the year.

The bottom line here is this:

You will never grab these kinds of breakout gains by following the financial media as they continually scream the sky is falling ... or relied entirely on fundamentals that almost never give a true and accurate picture of what is going on with the markets or the economy.

Unscrupulous CEOs, who we know can lie and cook the books, and the financial media, who can skew the news to sell ad space and commercial time, the charts simply can't lie.
They can tell you in precise details what's going on behind the scenes...as they track volume, pricing, options contracts, and short interest and the like.
In many ways, a technical system acts a lot like an advanced Doppler radar system that not only can show you where a storm has been but also where it's headed-and with pinpoint accuracy proven over the past 40 years.

That's why It can tell you that the latest selling pressure was simply another "fake out" designed to get weak hands to sell their stocks at fire-sale prices to savvy buyers who could see, beyond doubt, that a huge technical buying opportunity is at hand.

Don't Buy the Double-Dip BS!
If you do, you will miss out on the 30% to 50% run-up in select stocks that technical indicators are forecasting come November that will ultimately double investor's money by this time next year.
So, if you're thinking there's going to be a major October or November sell-off, forget it!


With earnings season just beginning - Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is the traditional first reporter, and it's announced results this past Thursday (October 7) after the NYSE closes - there will be plenty of both agony and ecstasy to go around. And that will make it even more important than usual to keep your emotional equilibrium.

I know that taking an earnings hit can be very painful. I've had personal holdings that dropped up to 25% after a disappointing earnings report. The stocks that have been the strongest (which means they had attracted the most hot money) usually drop farther and faster than more sedate issues. And I felt like an idiot for not taking profits the day before the earnings announcement.


So here are a few observations on earnings season to help you maintain an even keel as the news gaps stocks both up and down with no warning.

•   1) It's Not the Number, It's the Expected Number. If all companies had to do to stay in favor with investors was to keep growing revenue and earnings, quarterly reports would be a piece of cake. But investors pay close attention to the earnings estimates provided by analysts, who, in turn, get to set the bar where they think a company should perform. So a company can lose money and still "beat expectations" by losing less than analysts thought it would and investors will view that as a victory and bid the stock up. But even a 100% jump in earnings can kill a stock if analysts had predicted 101%.

•   2) Companies Make Predictions, Too. Even if a company comes up to the mark on revenue and earnings, it can get dinged because its projections for results in the next quarter (or year) are subpar. The result is often as bad as for an earnings miss.

•   3) Stormy Weather Is Expected. After the rosy Q2 results that put a booster seat under investors' confidence, advance guidance for the Q3 season has been running about two-to-one to the downside. Among S&P 500 stocks, pre-announcements now total 77 on the negative side and 34 on the positive side.

•   4) Don't Fight the Chart. A stock that disappoints on revenue or earnings or guidance or margins or anything and gaps down huge on above-average volume should probably be sold. Big damage that shows up in a stock's chart can take a long time to heal. You may be able to pick up a few points by waiting for the bounce that sometimes follows a big down day, but statistically, you're better off selling than waiting for the stock to get going again.

•   5) Catch a Rising Star. On the upside, a big gap up on volume typically gives a stock a head of steam that will continue to push the price higher. So don't let a big gain in a stock that soars on good results keep you from jumping on the bandwagon. Stocks get good mileage out of good results.

•   6) Keep a Razor Edge on Your Sell Disciplines. I've said this before, but it's too important not to repeat. When you buy a stock, you should calculate your 15% and 20% loss limits and write them down where you can see them. This will help you to keep your head when bad news hits. If a stock hands you a 20% loss from your buy price at the close of trading, kick it out!

Here's to a great earnings season with positive surprises in each and every one of your holdings (and mine, too, as long as we're ordering up good luck)!

[setravis]

Wednesday, October 13, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports

Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
JPM-JPMorgan Chase (BEST earnings consensus $0.88),
HST- Host Hotels & Resorts (-0.10),
APOL-Apollo Group (1.29),
ADTN-ADTRAN (0.43),
HCSG-Healthcare Services Group (0.21),
IGTE-iGate (0.21),
OZRK-Bank of the Ozarks (0.61),
UFPI-Universal Forest Products (0.52).

[setravis]

Earnings reports push stocks higher, Dow up 76
Surging prices for metals, oil lift industrial shares; JPMorgan, Intel and CSX top forecasts

NEW YORK (AP) -- Better than expected earnings reports from three corporate bellwethers helped push stocks to their fourth day of gains on Monday, even though the companies themselves didn't get to enjoy the rally.

Intel Corp. and JP Morgan Chase & Co. both fell by more than a percent despite announcing double-digit gains in profits. Their earnings reports, however, contained nuggets of hopeful news on the direction of the broader economy.

JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon predicted credit card defaults are likely to fall next quarter, which helped push shares of American Express up 1.9 percent and MasterCard up 3.9 percent. Intel predicted sales should remain consistent through the end of the year as customers switch from back-to-school shopping to the holiday season. That contributed to gains in Dell, which was up 1.5 percent for the day, and Microsoft, which was up 2 percent. CSX Corp, one of the country's largest railroad companies, saw a big jump in the shipment of cars and trucks.

"They were assuring," Andrew Ross, partner at First New York Securities, said of the earnings reports. "But they weren't inspiring, or disrupting."

One reason that the shares in the companies that announced earnings didn't jump was that some traders were expecting even higher gains. "With Intel especially, there were whisper expectations that were much higher than what the analysts had printed, and that helped push the stock up beyond estimates," said Jay Leupp, the president of Grubb & Ellis AGA mutual funds.

Those results allowed the market to continue the upward trajectory it has taken in recent weeks, Ross said. The Dow is up 2.9 percent in October, and closed Wednesday at its highest level since May 3. The Dow has been up for 22 of the 31 trading days since the end of August.

Commodities also jumped sharply. Gold touched another record and oil rose about 2 percent. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and Newmont Mining Corp. were among the biggest winners.

"In an improving (global) economy, everyone is going to consume more," said Christian Wagner, CEO of Longview Capital Management. "You need the basic materials."

Wagner said growth should remain strong in emerging markets, helping keep demand high for commodities like aluminum and other metals.

The Dow rose 75.68, or 0.7 percent, to 11,096.08. The broad Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 8.33, also 0.7 percent, to 1,178.10, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 23.31, or 1 percent, to 2,441.23.

Gold settled up $23.80 at $1,370.50 an ounce, the latest in a recent series of record highs. Benchmark crude oil rose $1.34 to $83.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Bond prices rose and interest rates rose slightly. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 2.42 percent from 2.43 percent late Tuesday.

Bond prices have been rising in recent weeks as expectations mount that the Federal Reserve will start buying Treasurys and take other measures to encourage lending. Minutes from the Fed's September meeting released Tuesday afternoon suggest that the central bank is nearing consensus on when and how to take more stimulus measures. Traders are hoping for more specific news after the Fed's meeting in early November.

In an odd twist, stocks have also benefited from the expected move by the Fed because they become more attractive investments over a longer period if bond yields continue to fall.

Freeport-McMoRan rose $3.95, or 4.15 percent, to $99.08, while Newmont jumped $1.18 to $63.18.

CSX shares jumped $2.40, or 4.2 percent, to $59.66.

JPMorgan Chase shares fell 56 cents to $39.84 and Intel slipped 53 cents to $19.24. Both rose earlier in the day.

Volume on the New York Stock Exchange came to 5.1 billion shares, with three stocks up for every one that fell.

[setravis]

Thursday, October 14, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports
Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
GOOG-Google (BEST earnings consensus $6.68),
PGR-Progresive Corp. (0.37),
GWW-WW Grainger (1.82),
SWY-Safeway (0.31),
AMD-Advanced Micro Devices (0.02),
CBSH-Commerce Bancshares (0.68),
VMI-Valmont Industries (1.09),
LSTR-Landstar System (0.49),
WABC-Westamerica Bancorporation (0.81),
CBST-Cubist Pharmaceuticals (0.42),
FCS-Fairchild Semiconductor International (0.39).

[setravis]

Friday, October 15, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports
Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
GE-General Electric (BEST earnings consensus $0.27),
SCHW-Charles Schwab (0.16),
MAT-Mattel (0.75),
GPC-Genuine Parts (0.76),
GCI-Gannett (0.50),
FHN-First Horizon National (-0.01),
WBS-Webster Financial (0.17),
KNL-Knoll (0.17),
WDFC-WD-40 Co. (0.38),
BRKL-Brookline Bancorp (0.12).

[setravis]

Monday, October 18, 2010...

Today's U.S. Earnings Reports
Earnings reports (confirmed releases, sorted by mkt cap)
AAPL-Apple (BEST earnings consensus $4.09),
IBM-International Business Machines (2.75),
C-Citigroup (0.06),
VMW-VMware (0.35),
HAL-Halliburton (0.56),
HAS-Hasbro (1.04),
CCK-Crown Holdings (0.83),
ZION-Zions Bancorporation (-0.50),
EDU-New Oriental Education & Technology (0.10),
STLD-Steel Dynamics (0.09),
BRO-Brown & Brown (0.28),
LNCR-Lincare Holdings (0.47),
PKG-Packaging Corp of America (0.59),
MMR-McMoRan Exploration (-0.22).