Thursday, January 31, 2013

Facebook Reports 4Q'12 Results

Facebook (FB) reported 4Q'12 results after the market closed yesterday (02013.01.30). Today, FB opened down ~6.1% at $29.15. It appears as though Facebook exceeded expectations, but they did not exceed the exceeded expectations. My favorite headline seen so far comes from Minyanville.com: "Stock Downgrades: Facebook Defriended All Over Wall Street". I came up with my own headline: "Wall Street to Facebook: Where's the Dislike Button?"

FB closed yesterday (02013.01.30) at $31.24. 52-week range: $17.55 - $45.00.

[update::02013.01.31] FB closed at $30.98, down 0.83% for the day. Volume was 3-times the trailing-three-month average. Intra-day low as $28.74.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Amazon.com Reports 4Q'12 Results

Amazon.com (AMZN) spiked to a new 52-week/all-time high of $284.79 after the company reported 4Q'12 results. I wasn't going to blog about this, but today I found the following Minyanville.com headline interesting: "Like Keith Richards, Amazon Can't Be Killed by Conventional Weapons".

I've written about this before, but I like the way Amazon.com reports quarterly results. First comes cash flow, followed by shares outstanding, then sales, and lastly income.

Here is what CEO/founder Jeff Bezos said in the 4Q'12 press release.

"We’re now seeing the transition we’ve been expecting. After 5 years, eBooks is a multi-billion dollar category for us and growing fast – up approximately 70% last year. In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17 years as a book seller, up just 5%. We're excited and very grateful to our customers for their response to Kindle and our ever expanding ecosystem and selection."

Today (02013.01.30) Amazon.com announced they are establishing three fulfillment centers in Texas that will initially create 1,000 jobs.

AMZN closed yesterday (02013.01.29) at $260.35. 52-week range: $172.00 - $284.72.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Yahoo! Reports 4Q'12 Results... Yahoo!

Yahoo! (YHOO) reported 4Q'12 results after the market closed yesterday (02013.01.28) and I think the company had a solid quarter. Two notes from the Yahoo! press release.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments in marketable debt securities were $6 billion at December 31, 2012 compared to $2.5 billion at December 31, 2011, an increase of $3.5 billion.

During the fourth quarter of 2012, Yahoo! repurchased 80 million shares for $1.5 billion. During the year ended December 31, 2012, Yahoo! repurchased 126 million shares for $2.2 billion.

YHOO closed yesterday (02013.01.28) at $20.31. 52-week range: $14.35 - $20.52. Pre-market trading today (02013.01.29) hints that a new 52-week high is a possibility.

[update::02013.01.30] YHOO spiked to a new 52-week high yesterday (02013.01.29) of $20.88. YHOO closed at $19.70, down 3% for the day.

After the market closed yesterday... Headline seen at Bloomberg.com: "Yahoo Japan Surges on Higher Profit Target, Buyback". Yahoo! owns about 35% of Yahoo Japan.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

DJIA and S&P 500 Nearing Record Highs, But NASDAQ...

There been lots of "news" recently about the DJIA and S&P 500 nearing their all-time highs. It's true. On Friday, 02012.01.25, the DJIA closed at 13,896. Its record high was 14,164 hit on 02007.10.09. Also on Friday, 02012.01.25, the S&P 500 closed at 1503. Its record high was 1565 hit on 02007.10.09.

What about the NASDAQ?

NASDAQ closed at 3150 on Friday, 02012.01.25. Its record high was 5048 hit last century on 03.10.02000. In other words, the NASDAQ needs to increase by roughly 60% in order to make a new all-time high.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Bottom Stocks of the GDT::Portfolio

Investing in the future is hard. Here is a quick review of the bottom of the GDT::Portfolio.

StemCells (STEM) and Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM), the two stem cell stocks, are underwater.

Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI) and Axion Power Intl. (AXPW), the two battery stocks, are underwater.

Spire (SPIR), the solar stock, is underwater.

NeuroMetrix (NURO), a medical instruments stock, is underwater.

Mace Security Intl. (MACE), the mace stock, is underwater. I consider MACE an investment in the now (more so than the future).

iParty Corp. (IPT), the party stock, is underwater. I consider IPT an investment in the now (more so than the future).

Friday, January 25, 2013

Red Hat Up 7.5% In Three Days--Why?

This is my 3rd posting today (02013.01.25). I am not a fan of multiple daily postings because that posting rate is not sustainable, but I needed to make an observation about Red Hat (RHT). Right now (02013.01.15 at 10:18am EST) RHT is at $56.47 up $2.00 (~3.7%). Three days ago (02013.01.22) RHT hit an intra-day low of $52.53 and that makes RHT up ~7.5% in three days. If only that rate of change was sustainable.

I have plans sell some RHT at $67.48 (the "Accidental Quadruple" price).

RHT closed yesterday (02013.01.24) at $54.47. 52-week range: $46.13 - $62.75.

New 52-Week Highs Beget New 52-Week Highs?

Yesterday (02013.01.24) was a good day for the GDT::Portfolio because five stocks made new 52-week highs. Amazon.com (AMZN) hit $276.65; Bruker (BRKR) hit $17.35; Cray (CRAY) hit $18.86; Trimble Navigation (TRMB) hit $63.83; and, Yahoo! (YHOO) hit $20.52. The day before yesterday (02013.01.23), US Airways (LCC) hit a new 52-week high of $15.64. Today (02013.01.25), Google (GOOG) and Hanger (HGR) are both less than 3% away from new 52-week highs.

There's an old Wall Street adage that goes something like this: New 52-week highs and lows are frequently followed by new 52-week highs and lows. Right now I hope this adage holds true and that it holds true for a nice chunk of time.

iRobot Gets FDA Clearance For Telemedicine Robots

iRobot (IRBT) spiked up 9+% yesterday (02013.01.24) closing at $23.06. 52-week range: $16.25 - $38.33. Volume was about three times the trailing-3-month average. iRobot issued a press release titled "FDA Clears First Autonomous Telemedicine Robot for Hospitals". Key phrase: "FDA clears".

Xconomy.com::iRobot Sees Big Future in Remote Communications

"iRobot’s interest in the medical domain has a lot more to do with learning the technological interface with doctors and nurses," Angle says, "and ultimately, putting this technology into the home." via Xconomy.com

IRBT closed yesterday (02013.01.24) at $23.06, which well below its 52-week high of $38.33.

[update::02013.01.25] Via Geek.com's Facebook... iRobot seeking to advance 3D printing market with all-in-one 3D printer

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Sold Some CRAY At 6 $Pi ($18.85)

Cray (CRAY) continues to do well and today (02013.01.24) I sold some of our CRAY shares at $18.85. The sale price was arbitrarily chosen to be 6 times $Pi. 6 * Pi ~= 18.84955590, which when rounded to the nearest penny is 18.85. 6 times $Pi ~= $18.85. I will sell more CRAY shares when they hit 7 times $Pi (i.e. $21.99).

It was exactly one month ago today when I Sold Some CRAY At 5 $Pi ($15.71).

Apple Reports 4Q'12 Results

Apple (AAPL reported 4Q'12 results yesterday (02013.01.23) after the market closed. Today (02013.01.24) at 9:42am EST, APPL is at $451.00, down $63.01 (12.26%) on volume of 11 million. AAPL 52-week range: $443.14 - $705.07.

AAPL is not a GDT::Portfolio stock, but ~68% of AAPL shares are owned by "Institutional & Mutual Fund Owners." AAPL is a NASDAQ stock and at 9:42am EST The DJIA was up 0.29%, while the NASDAQ was down 0.60%.

From Ycharts.com: "[Apple has] $137 billion of cash, short- and long-term investments on its balance sheet as of December 29, roughly 30% of its market cap." $137 billion seems like a lot of cash to me.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Google Reports 4Q'12 Results

Google (GOOG) reported 4Q'12 results after the market closed yesterday (02013.01.22). 4Q'12 results in a nutshell:
During the last three months of 02012, Google Inc. had free cash flow of $3.65 billion; capital expenditures (mostly computer equipment/data center construction) of $1.02 billion; and, increased its Google workforce by almost 4% (1,426 new hires). Google Inc. ended the year with $48.1 billion in cash.

Seems like a decent quarter to me.

GOOG closed yesterday (02013.01.22) at $702.87. 52-week range: $556.52 - $774.38.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Cray Hits a New 52-Week High

Cray (CRAY) spiked to a new 52-week high of $18.31 yesterday (02012.01.17). CRAY closed at $17.87. 52-week range: $6.55 - $18.31. CRAY ended 02012 at $15.95. CRAY has moved up on heavier than average volume.

Cray.com issued the Germany's Meteorological Service DWD Awards $23 Million Contract to Cray press release on 02012.01.15 (the 15th). CRAY closed at $16.45 on the 14th.

I have a good-till-cancel order to sell some CRAY at 6 $Pi (i.e. $18.85).

iRobot Might Never Make It To Great

iRobot (IRBT) closed yesterday (02012.01.17) at $20.61. 52-week range: $16.25 - $38.33.

The wording of the hyperlink caught my attention... Is iRobot Destined for Greatness?.

It's possible iRobot Corp. will be acquired before it becomes great.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Mace in Schools?

Mace Security Intl. (MACE) finally issued the press release that I was waiting for them to release. Twitter Tweet...
Enhance School Security Preparedness Right Now via @YahooFinance

Administrators in every school across the country can take a simple step to increase school security today by adding Mace pepper spray to their safety plan. -- Mace Security Intl.

MACE closed yesterday (02012.01.16) at $0.37. Today MACE hit a new 52-week high of $0.38. 52-week range: $0.12 - $0.38.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Facebook (FB) Has Recovered Nicely; Yahoo! Rising?

Facebook (FB) closed yesterday (02012.01.15) at $30.10. FB has had a nice bounce off of its all-time low of $17.55, but it remains well below its all-time high of $45.00. Our FB investment, thanks to dollar cost averaging, is above water.

Yahoo! (YHOO) looks like it might have a high volume day today (02012.01.16). YHOO closed yesterday (02012.01.15) at $19.52. 52-week range: $14.35 - $20.32. There is speculation that Alibaba is going to do an IPO this year and Yahoo! currently owns ~23% of Alibaba.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Illumina Dumps On Roche Reality

I had a posting on 20 December 02012 titled: "Illumina Spikes On Roche Speculation". Yesterday, on 7 January 02012, Illumina (ILMN) lost almost 8% of its market value because Roche said they are not interested in acquiring Illumina.

On non-Roche related news, yesterday Illumina issues a press release announcing they had acquired "Verinata Health, Inc., a leading provider of non-invasive tests for the early identification of fetal chromosomal abnormalities, for consideration of $350 million plus up to $100 million in milestone payments through 2015."

ILMN closed yesterday (02013.01.07) at $50.90. 52-week range: $28.72 - $57.00.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Amazon.com; Bruker; Cray

Amazon.com (AMZN) hit a new 52-week high ($269.30) today (02012.01.07). For AMZN each new 52-week high is a new all-time high.

Bruker (BRKR) is having a good day on a down day. Headline from Briefing.com yesterday (Sunday, 02012.01.06): "Bruker Corp. upgraded by ISI Group". BRKR right now (8:27am MST on 02012.01.07) is at $16.39. 52-week range: $9.91 - $17.10.

Cray (CRAY) is continuing to make new 52-week highs. In early trading today (02012.01.07) CRAY hit $16.91.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Spire (SPIR) Needs To Spire Upward in 02013

Spire (SPIR) needs to be strong stock for the GDT::Portfolio during 02013. The solar business is hard, but Spire appears to understand where the solar world is heading.

I did a check of SPIR insider transactions and saw the following.

Dec 18, 2012; LITTLE ROGER G; Officer; 500,000; Indirect; Acquisition (Non Open Market) at $0.69 - $0.78 per share. $368,000

I think the $368,000 approximates Roger Little's compensation.

There are approximately 8,560,000 SPIR shares. 500,000 is ~5.8% of 8.56 million.

SPIR was down ~5.7% during 02012 and it ended the year #25 (out of 31) on the GDT::Portfolio. SPIR needs to be a top ten portfolio stock in order for the GDT::Portfolio to be strong.

I have placed an order to buy some SPIR at $0.55. SPIR ended 02012 at $0.50. The stock is thin and the ask is $0.57.

GDT::Portfolio 02012 Year End Review

The GDT::Portfolio had an okay 02012. 17 stocks up; 4 unchanged; 9 down. Only one new stock, Facebook (FB), was added during the year. On the last day of trading for 02012 (02012.12.31), four GDT::Portfolio stocks hit new 52-week highs: Mace (MACE), Yahoo! (YHOO), Cray (CRAY), and Trimble Navigation (TRMB).

Stock markets for 02012: DJIA up 7.3%; S&P 500 up 13%; NASDAQ up 15.9%; Russell 2000 up 14.6%.

The top three performing stocks in the GDT::Portfolio were Cray (CRAY) up 151.6%, US Airways (LCC) up 134% and Nanosphere (NSPH) up 108.7%. The bottom three performing stocks were iRobot (IRBT) down 39.6%, Altair Nanotechnologies (ALTI) down 55.2% and NeuroMetrix (NURO) down 67.9%.

GDT::Portfolio standings at the end of 02012: Google (GOOG) was #1 followed closely by Cray (CRAY). Geeknet (GKNT) #3, iRobot (IRBT) #4, Red Hat (RHT) #5, Illumina (ILMN) #6, Yahoo! (YHOO) #7, Hanger (HGR) #8, Nanosphere (NSPH) #9, and Bruker (BRKR) #10.