Barclays Says Sell Seagate With Cost Cutting Near Conclusion
Barclays downgraded Seagate (STX) to Underweight, its equivalent of a sell rating, from Equal Weight. The company’s cost cutting initiatives have largely come to an end, while it is losing share to its rival, Western Digital (WDC), in the high margin hard disk drive market, Barclays believes. Furthermore, Western Digital looks increasingly like it could […]
Better Dividend Aristocrat: Johnson & Johnson Or Medtronic?
For investors looking for high-quality dividend stocks, the Dividend Aristocrats is a great place to begin your research. The Dividend Aristocrats Excel spreadsheet has 51 stocks with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases. Health care giants Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Medtronic (MDT) are both on the list. J&J is a member of an even more exclusive […]
Regrettable Eateries
Although I cover my retail stocks early this morning (M, JWN, DDS) I am still cheerfully short a different kind of “retail”, which are casual dining establishments (AKA places I would never, ever want to eat). Here they are……….Fiesta Restaurant Group: Brinker International………. And, home of the Grand Slam, Denny’s………..
The Logic Of A Modern Gold Standard
In last week’s Insight, I analyzed the current geopolitical situation and concluded that it was now in the interest of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to break from the US dollar completely, by establishing a new monetary and banking system. By linking the yuan and rouble to gold, the SCO’s principal currencies would be insulated from manipulation […]
Despite Yellen’s “Uncertainty”, VIX Crushed Back To A 9 Handle
US equity markets are ramping higher (aside from Small Caps) this morning as it appears the word “uncertain” – uttered ubiquitously by Fed Chair Yellen in the last two days – has a different meaning in stock-land… VIX hammered to a 9-handle, sending stocks soaring… Oh, and decliners are outpacing advancers… Headlines: Everything is […]
USD/JPY Rally Vulnerable Ahead Of U.S. CPI/Retail Sales
USD/JPY Daily Technical Outlook: USD/JPY responded to a key resistance range this week at 114.37/60. The pair is loaded with technical considerations into the 115-handle which include the 100% extension of the April rally, the 61.8% retracement of the 2017 range and the May high. The pullback is in focus with the broader outlook weighted to the […]
PPI Shows No Price Traction: Dear Econoday Parrot
The Producer Price Index (PPI) was up 0.1% month over month and 2.0% year over year, the latter down from 2.4%. The Econoday parrot was not happy. Inflation data, wherever one looks, are weak. Producer prices edged only 0.1 percent higher in June as did the less food & energy reading with year-on-year rates moving down noticeably, to […]
5 Stocks With Recent Price Strength To Enhance Your Returns
Every investor wishes to have a magical portfolio of stocks with a one way ticket to success. But this is easier said than done. And when the market is as volatile as it is now, things may take a turn for the worse any moment. No matter how disciplined and systematic investors are, equity market […]
In Effort To Regain ‘Cool,’ Tiffany Names Former Diesel Executive As New CEO
Shares of Tiffany & Co. (TIF) have jumped in early trading after the luxury goods retailer named a former Bulgari executive as its new chief executive officer. The newly appointed CEO will face challenges, including turning around sales and getting its “cool” reputation back. BOGLIOLO NAMED CHIEF: Tiffany said this morning that it has named […]
Yellen Sounding More Like Yellen Again
When it comes to the markets, the slightest change in the narrative can make all the difference at times. And based on the market action yesterday, this might be one of those times. I wrote on Wednesday that rising bond yields (if the move were to continue, that is) could become the next problem for […]
