Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Simple sounds make for sound investments -

Nature.com has an interesting article that claims that easily pronounced stocks do better on the market. At least in the short term.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Microsoft in Talks To Acquire Ebay???

Article from Slashdot on rumors that Microsoft is about to acquire Ebay. I have serious doubts that this will happen. Ebay is a huge company, very successful all on it's own, but MSFT has billions to spend and it would make all of the sense in the world for it to get the big auction site. From the sounds of it though, regulators might have a hard time approving the sale. Any thoughts?

Monday, May 22, 2006

Alternative energy stocks, ETFs & mutual funds

Here's a nice list of Alternative energy stocks, ETFs & mutual funds
from cutoilimports.com. Although there are a lot of stocks on the list, most are unprofitable and specualtive at best. However there are some good ones like ADM, Ormat Tech, Evergreen Solar, and MPGI. A great way to play these alternative energy companies is of course mutual funds and PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW).

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Panacos Pharma Inc. - Buyout Target?

Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(PANC), is a development stage biotechnology company. Recently their CEO and CFO have bought larget amounts of shares amid rumors of the company's buyout. The officers bought shares in the mid $5 range. Right now shares are trading above $6. I'd like to see a pullback to below $5.90 before buying.

I'll add them to my buy list, since I always see CFO purchases as extremely positive for a company.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Sell ABTL maybe FNSR

Autobytel.com and Finisar keep permforming badly. I think it's time to let go of Autobytel.com in favor of Pain Therapeutics (PTIE). Autobytel.com, even with a load of money coming in from all of it's car sites, continues to lag. Finisar will remain on my long list, but lately the shares have really gone downhill quickly. I'll be keeping a close eye on this stock, and maybe sell on the next rally in the stock, maybe anything over $5.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Pain Therapeutics, small cap biopharma pick

Pain Therapeutics(PTIE) engages in the research and development of drugs for use in pain management. The interesting thing about this company is that they have two products in Phase III trials, including Remoxy, which is an anti-abuse version of oxycodone. The stock is also interesting because of inside buying lately, including it's CFO. I'll be adding it to my buy list today.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Alternative Energy Stocks - Year To Date Price Breakouts

The Energy Stock Blog has a nice chart of Alternative Energy companies, such as those producing Ethanol, Solar, etc. which have broken out over the past year. Although not the highest in gains, AMD remains my favorite in this field, although Ballard is worth a look as well.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Kirk Report: :: The Big Picture

The Kirk Report has a good opinion on why we may be on another downward slope in this long bull market we have been in for the past three years. Seeing his charts is quite convincing. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on the market yet, but I think it's going to start turning into a stock pickers market again. Time to examine the portfolio and throw out the weak stocks.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Ultralife Batteries, Coca Cola Inside Buying

Ultralife Batteries, Inc. is a global provider of high energy power systems for diverse applications. I like this company for the fact that it's last quarter was profitable, it's near it's 52 week low, it has seen inside buying lately, and it's supposed to get more orders from the military. Things seem to be looking up for the company, so I'm adding them to my watch list.

Speaking of inside buying, Coke has seen inside buying recently from one of it's long term directors. If you are looking for a good dividend paying company for your portfolio, then Coke might be worth a look. I'm adding Coca-Cola stock to my buy list.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Save Money On Gas::Improve Your Driving

We all need extra money to invest more in the stock market. So I thought I would post an article from Edmunds.com, who has a great article on saving on gas. We Test the Tips claim's that by changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

A Great Play in Oil Stocks

TGC Industries, Inc.(TGC) is engaged in the geophysical service business, primarily conducting three-dimensional (3-D) surveys for clients in the oil and gas business. Because of the need for new gas and oil fields, this company has shown huge growth, and it's share price has reflected the need for it's product. I see this as a way of playing the oil game without investing directly in oil and oil exploration companies. I am adding this to my buy list.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Finisar showing strength

Reiterating my buy on Optical Equipment maker Finisar. Shares have jumped in the past two days. I would still try to get it under $5.00 for now. This company in my opinion is best of breed for optical companies.