PIMPING STOCKS

[Bretsky]

OK....maybe not a ton of interest on this stuff in here
But my guess is we have some savvy investors.

This thread is for making any cases for investing in certain companies......or posting articles on specific stock investments.

In retail, two of my more favorite stocks (I am long both) are UA (Under Armour) and LULU
I am in both long term. I invested in them equally hoping one of the two will hit a home run long term. Both have a market cap small enough for a lot of profit and growth over the next 20 years.

Here is a decent article on three of the most beloved retail stocks out there

http://beta.fool.com/madhudube/2013/...=TheMotleyFool

[Bretsky]

I think RDN is a great spec play with nice upside; huge provider of PMI. Rules...ratios tightening...with improved housing market it's one to ponder. Anybody else want to bring a few stocks to the table. This was the last one I bought as just shy of 12; hopefully I don't lose my @ss

[Patler]

I think RDN is a great spec play with nice upside; huge provider of PMI. Rules...ratios tightening...with improved housing market it's one to ponder. Anybody else want to bring a few stocks to the table. This was the last one I bought as just shy of 12; hopefully I don't lose my @ss

Radian Group Inc.?

Took a quick look. They have missed earning estimates for the last six quarters. It looks like they have missed significantly, too. Negative earnings since Q3 2011. Yet, a year ago it was a $4 stock, now $12. Not sure why. Usually companies that miss estimates badly suffer in the market, especially when they do it for a year and a half.

What's their story? Might they be primed for a price collapse?

[Freak Out]

LULU got it's ass beat the other day B. Did you buy after that?

[Bretsky]

LULU got it's ass beat the other day B. Did you buy after that?

I'm not sure what to do on LULU; their earnings were fine..........but IMO they had a fabulous CEO and she just resigned....or was let go. So I have a lot of concerns there.
Had she not resigned I think the stock would have been fine short term. They had some pants that came out last year that were partially see through and she recalled them all. I think that call was not liked by some at LULU. I am considering cashing in on LULU and rolling it toward Under Armour and a couple others.

[Bretsky]

Radian Group Inc.?

Took a quick look. They have missed earning estimates for the last six quarters. It looks like they have missed significantly, too. Negative earnings since Q3 2011. Yet, a year ago it was a $4 stock, now $12. Not sure why. Usually companies that miss estimates badly suffer in the market, especially when they do it for a year and a half.

What's their story? Might they be primed for a price collapse?

You have to buy into the story and the recovery of the housing market to be in a believer of RDN. It's the largest provider of PMI out there. They are cleaning up their books and the regulations for getting homes with PMI and tightening and things will be getting more conservative in 2014 as well for homebuyers. I have been looking at RDN and Genworth as two potential ways to benefit form the improved housing market. I think RDN is more speculative but also more of a gamble. I am looking forward to taking a very close look at their next earnings report.

[Bretsky]

Jim Cramer (who I find entertaining) had family night Friday and every couple years he recommends five stocks to buy and stick away for your kids and sleep well at night. On his list WERE Hasboro, Nike, McDonalds, Disney, and Apple

His new list is GAP (replaced NIKE) Dinsney, McDonalds, Disney, and Google as a FYI. I was watching thes how with my daughter and started jokingly chanting Under Armour to bump Nike. He later admitted he almost went with UA over Gap, but the growth and valuation was a bit too rich. He still recommends it as a buy......just rated it as the backup plan for kid portfolios

[call_me_ishmael]

Follow @PeterGhostine. Best stock guy on the web. My advice: Buy AAPL. You're paying 50 cents for something that is worth a dollar. Peter is getting very bullish about Apple. Me? I recently bought Panera on Pete's adviec at 165 and sold at 192. Nice little flip in two or three weeks. Peter has Apple hitting 550 is the next few months and 850 before the end of 2014. Fundamentally, it's the strongest company in the world with a PEG at .5ish. PE is dirt cheap, too. Technically, trading volume is picking up and the 50 day moving average is about to jump up significantly as the 300s are falling off the trend line. I'm bullish.

FB is fricking cheap. Peter has a target of 32 on it. Not sure if that still applies as they have been getting hammered + all the privacy stuff. 32 - 23 = 9. 9/23 is 40%. 40% gain is solid.

[Bretsky]

I have been bullish on AAPL but I'm taking a wait and see approch now. I would personally buy FB before AAPL; I have been pondering that one for a couple months and I think it offers huge upside

[Joemailman]

A bit off topic, but the Dow dropped over 2% today supposedly due to investors worried about the Fed's plan to wind down their stimulus program. If the Fed feels the economy has strengthened enough that they can wind down the stimulus program, shouldn't that be greeted as good news?

[MJZiggy]

A bit off topic, but the Dow dropped over 2% today supposedly due to investors worried about the Fed's plan to wind down their stimulus program. If the Fed feels the economy has strengthened enough that they can wind down the stimulus program, shouldn't that be greeted as good news?

Yes. That's why you should buy index funds immediately.
(Know any good index funds?)

[swede]

Think of the economy as the eponymous cadaver of "Weekend at Bernie's" fame and the fed's monetary policy of printing Monopoly money as the two guys holding him up.

If the two guys holding up Bernie have to let him go, he's sliding right down into the cheese log.

There are no new jobs, less wages, and almost no expansion of the manufacturing base. Corporations in the stock market have been cruising around Bernie's party and being profitable by reducing costs, not wanting to admit that the host isn't smelling too good, and not just because of the cheese.

[MJZiggy]

Think of the economy as the eponymous cadaver of "Weekend at Bernie's" fame and the fed's monetary policy of printing Monopoly money as the two guys holding him up.

If the two guys holding up Bernie have to let him go, he's sliding right down into the cheese log.

There are no new jobs, less wages, and almost no expansion of the manufacturing base. Corporations in the stock market have been cruising around Bernie's party and being profitable by reducing costs, not wanting to admit that the host isn't smelling too good, and not just because of the cheese.

But if profits are up, there is SOME health there. There are other indications too, like my house selling in 12 hours with two offers, each for $10k more than the asking price, and the fact that my company can't hire fast enough, nor can our colleagues.

[Patler]

But if profits are up, there is SOME health there. There are other indications too, like my house selling in 12 hours with two offers, each for $10k more than the asking price, and the fact that my company can't hire fast enough, nor can our colleagues.

You always have to be cognizant of the quality of any reported profits. Many companies achieve profits through accounting. There has been a lot of that recently.

It seems there are isolated pockets in the economy that are doing well, but overall it is unclear how healthy the economy really is. Much like real estate. In some areas prices seem to be recovering slightly, in other areas not so much. One resulting of tapering is likely to be an increase in mortgage rates, which could foster a decline in prices and/or slow down in sales.

Many investors are scarred of the stock market right now, with the experience of losing a lot of money just a few years ago. Many have sat on the sidelines during the last couple years, when good returns were relatively easy to achieve. Many who have gotten back into the market are leery of any change in the economy, and will sell because of a change without knowing if its good or bad. In short, there was some panic selling just because of the announcement. Panic selling means a decline in prices.

[MJZiggy]

Many who have gotten back into the market are leery of any change in the economy, and will sell because of a change without knowing if its good or bad. In short, there was some panic selling just because of the announcement. Panic selling means a decline in prices.

In other words, when that happens, buy index funds?

[Upnorth]

In other words, when that happens, buy index funds?

Buying an index fund is like saying I want to make slightly less than market returns. Either buy stocks or mutual funds whose managers have a history of getting higher than market returns after fee's.
As an aside once gold goes to 1250 I will start a small holding. I sold in July 2011 and prices are looking tempting.

Canadian REITs just went on sale and have attractive yields.

[Patler]

Buying an index fund is like saying I want to make slightly less than market returns. Either buy stocks or mutual funds whose managers have a history of getting higher than market returns after fee's.
As an aside once gold goes to 1250 I will start a small holding. I sold in July 2011 and prices are looking tempting.

Canadian REITs just went on sale and have attractive yields.

That's the problem with index funds. My goal is to do better than the market as a whole. You can do that with market segment funds, but only if you know the segment very well.

I did fairly well with some US REITS the past year or so. while their dividends are still appealing, their prices have stagnated the last month or two, so I sold all of mine. If their prices decline, the nice dividend returns are eaten up quickly.

Gold does look like it could be an opportunity, doesn't it?

[SkinBasket]

A bit off topic, but the Dow dropped over 2% today supposedly due to investors worried about the Fed's plan to wind down their stimulus program. If the Fed feels the economy has strengthened enough that they can wind down the stimulus program, shouldn't that be greeted as good news?

The idea being that when you stop cooking the books with federal tax revenue and government purchases of bonds, the stock market is primed for another H-U-G-E correction. All this printed money via "quantitative easing" has been flowing into the market, creating a false economic indicator the administration can point to to tell everyone that their policies are working despite an undead economy, stagnant unemployment which is much higher than reported if approach the number honestly, and growth that would embarrass a third world garbage dump.

Our economy is being manipulated the same way others have been in recent history, and it doesn't end well. I would think you're safe investing while this administration is around to provide enough smoke and mirrors to hide the Great Wall of China, but not any longer. The can hasn't been kicked down the road, it's been kicked off the end of the earth, and at some point, we will have to answer for it. When we do, there's going to be a lot of Americans that just lost literally everything to the shell game being played by our government and others with the market.

In other words, while I'm not alarmist enough to call the money man and tell him to move our investments 100% into foreign currency, preferably Muslim, I sure as shit wouldn't be dumping additional money into this market, unless you're prepped to lose 50% or more in a heartbeat. but then again, I'm no investor.

[3irty1]

The idea being that when you stop cooking the books with federal tax revenue and government purchases of bonds, the stock market is primed for another H-U-G-E correction. All this printed money via "quantitative easing" has been flowing into the market, creating a false economic indicator the administration can point to to tell everyone that their policies are working despite an undead economy, stagnant unemployment which is much higher than reported if approach the number honestly, and growth that would embarrass a third world garbage dump.

Our economy is being manipulated the same way others have been in recent history, and it doesn't end well. I would think you're safe investing while this administration is around to provide enough smoke and mirrors to hide the Great Wall of China, but not any longer. The can hasn't been kicked down the road, it's been kicked off the end of the earth, and at some point, we will have to answer for it. When we do, there's going to be a lot of Americans that just lost literally everything to the shell game being played by our government and others with the market.

In other words, while I'm not alarmist enough to call the money man and tell him to move our investments 100% into foreign currency, preferably Muslim, I sure as shit wouldn't be dumping additional money into this market, unless you're prepped to lose 50% or more in a heartbeat. but then again, I'm no investor.

I figured you for more of a canned goods and ammo type investor.

[SkinBasket]

I figured you for more of a canned goods and ammo type investor.

I got my thumbs in all kinds of pies. And honestly, the market is the one I feel worst about, because everyone knows it can't last. Everyone knows it's artificially inflated. But outside of stocks, which are also being pushed by government policies of low interest rates, there aren't a lot of options for 401k and some other money we have, some of which is tied up by tax implications - again by government regulation. So like the rest of the sheep, I still leave a chunk there, knowing damn well I'm going to regret it when the market corrects and loses 30-50% of it's fake value. I guess I'm kind of stupid that way.