Paul's Stock Picks

My New Site

2008-10-23T12:38:00.001-05:00

Hi, I'm not posting here anymore. Please visit my new site. Funny name, but a good money blog.

Invisibility Cloak and Tech Stocks

2008-08-11T09:59:00.000-05:00

Today I was reading about an Invisibility Cloak that is becoming a reality, and I really started to think about how tech really is the future in this country. The companies that will lead growth stocks, in my opinion, are tech stocks. Some of my favorites right now are Google, Qualcomm and Cisco. Who do you guys like?

Citigroup Q2 Loss Narrows..Buy Citigroup?

2008-07-21T09:16:00.000-05:00

So Citigroup Q2 loss was narrower than forecast. Their net loss was 54 cents per share. Compare that to a year earlier profit of $1.24 per share, and you would think that things were bleak. However this was widely expected as Citigroup is part of the mortgage meltdown and this was bound to happen. Now, I'm not saying anyone should run out and buy Citigroup, but they aren't going anywhere. And at these prices, I think that in a few years a lot of people are going to kick themselves for not buying shares below $20 a share.

10 Banks that Could Go Under

2008-07-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

From Consumerist comes a list of banks of bad loans. Their ratio is higher than 1oo, which is come up by dividing the bank's bad loans by the sum of its tangible equity capital and loan loss reserves or "Texas-ratio." Any bank with a ratio higher than 100 means they have more bad loans on the books than money to pay for them. The good news is that all the banks are FDIC-insured.

A Perfect Storm

2008-07-11T09:59:00.002-05:00

Unless you have been living in a cave, you know how expensive oil and in turn gas has been. Just read the news today and see how worse it might get. I think it's more important then ever to look at non-traditional ways of getting oil, and the energy stocks that are on the leading edge. Specifically the oil sands stocks. If there is any kind of military action against Iran, oil will shoot up and up and up. I think there is going to be even more interest in the oil sands stocks than there is now.

General Electric: Is it a bargain?

2008-07-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

Over at BloggingStocks, Steven Halpern believes that GE is a bargain at these multi-years lows. And I agree, because of the diversity of GE's business. The fear among investors is that their financial division is going be bad for the company. I can see that, but they have a wide range of other products and services. And they are trying to expand into China. For the long term investor GE is where it's at.

Alberta Oil Sands on CNN

2008-07-07T09:54:00.000-05:00

As I was getting ready for work this morning I overheard their financial analyst talking about Alberta Oil Sands. It proves that people are thinking about oil sands as an alternative to pumping it out of the ground. And with oil prices the way they are, I would say that oil sands is going to be worth the money to process it. This is good news for oil sands stock owners.

Technorati

2008-07-01T10:27:00.001-05:00

I've added my blog to Technorati, for those wanting to check it out, here is my Technorati Profile.

Oil Sands Quest Looking Up

2008-07-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

Oil Sands Quest(BQI), has been gaining ground as the high price of oil is leading to costlier ways of extracting oil. With $100 a barrel oil looking cheap these days, I see no reason why BQI won't continue to show promise, as I've stated earlier. Right now, they have started the initial drilling of two projects in Northern Saskatchewan in Canada and has bought rights to more propery. Top talent has been added to management and operations. Time will tell how things pan out, but BQI has moved between a low around $2 and a high today near $7 in the last year. Keep an eye out.

Motorola to Split Itself in Two

2008-03-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Motorola is finally going to split itself in two following more bad news about it's cell phone business. They just can't get a handle on a successful follow-up to the Razr. The good news is that their set top business and two way radio business is doing very well. Overall I would say this is good for investors who already own the stock. I won't be buying however.

Mastercard Rallying

2008-03-25T09:49:00.003-05:00

MasterCard (MA) opened at 222.30. So far today, the stock has hit a low of 222.00 and a high of 230.00. MA is now trading at 226.38, up 6.00 (2.70%). The stock hit its 52 week high of 228.93 today and set its 52 week low of 105.75 in March.

MA has been on fire over the past year, and like other stocks has been rising as investors continue to be excited by the news that JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is in talks to boost its offer for Bear Stearns (BSC) to $10 a share from $2.

Also encouraging is the strong housing report and excitement over the Visa IPO. I remain bullish on this stock, but it is getting pricey, so I would wait for a fall back.

Blue Gatr

2008-03-01T22:35:00.000-06:00

Blue Gatr

Thompson Creek Metals Company a Buy

2008-02-08T09:04:00.000-06:00

I've been looking to jump into a gold mining company of late because I don't feel the party is over quite. However during my research, I found Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. Thompson Creek is the second-largest publicly traded producer of molybdenum, which increases the corrosion resistance of stainless steel in industrial processes and keeps oil and natural-gas pipelines from fracturing in super cold temperatures. It is also used in catalysts that lower the sulfur levels of fuel.

Australia's Macquarie Research projects molybdenum prices will climb about $2 a pound, or 6.5%, in 2008. and Thompson Creek is lowering costs. In 2006, the company spent about $6 to produce a pound of molybdenum. It cost them more than $7 in 2005.

The stock currently trades around $15, way off of both it's 52 week high and low.

Coach: Time to Buy?

2008-01-24T13:50:00.000-06:00

I wonder if now would be a good time to buy Coach(COH). It's far from it's 52 week high, and has been climbing as of late. Take into account that government rebate checks are coming, which like it or not, people are going to be using to buy luxury goods. Also Spring is right around the corner, which means it is time for a new handbag for many women out there. I see upside for Coach, how about you?

Don't Panic

2008-01-22T23:19:00.000-06:00

Things are looking tough right now in the market, but I think if you are in it for the long term, many years to retirement, it may be time to buy. If you are close to retirement, I mean very close, you should probably have a lot in bonds and CD's, but if not, you may want to look at them.

Starbucks a Buy?

2007-12-19T22:17:00.000-06:00

If you are a contrarian, then you may want to look at Starbucks, who in my opinion, will see a comeback next year if the economy improves. I believe it will, how about you?

Auto Wholesale Stock Pick

2007-09-10T19:32:00.000-05:00

Bob, over at Stock Picks Bob's Advice likes LKQ CORP a maker of wholesale auto parts. He thinks that they have had a good quarter that beat the streets, and its p/e and PEG is better than most. I think one of the most important aspects is that there are a lot of shares out short. He assumes that there will be buying demand down the road, and I have to agree. The stock is worth taking a good look at.

Acusphere - Good micro cap play?

2007-09-06T11:32:00.000-05:00

ACUS:Acusphere, Inc. has been a strange story. . Wall Street doesn't think the company's drug Imagify is going to get approved. Yet, doctors are excited about the drug, and think it will be used as soon as it is approved...In the meantime, cash burn is a concern and management is going to have to figure out how to raise money yet again in 2008. So who's right? The stock is currently under $1.50 a share. Is it time for a speculative play?

Syntax-Brillian Goes Big with a Olevia 65-inch LCoS HDTV

2007-09-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

Syntax-Brillian(BRLC) is going to be unveiling it's 65″ high-def television next month at the CEDIA Expo in Denver. The LCoS television works similar to DLP except it uses liquid crystals instead of reflective mirrors to produce the picture. This tech will allow for higher resolution images than from LCD or plasma, and at a lower cost to the manufacture.

I've been following this company for a while. They are very popular because of the lower prices on LCD's they offer. I think that at current price it may be a good buy. I would wait for somewhere around $6 to pull the trigger however. If this new television takes off, as I think it will, investors will be rewarded.

Oil Sands Stock

2007-02-14T20:41:00.000-06:00

BQI has been looking pretty good lately under $4. I'm looking for some more weakness before buying however. I think this company has a lot of potential and worth at least watching.

Palatin Looking Up

2007-01-31T20:46:00.000-06:00

Palatin Technologies is looking up on news that AstraZeneca (AZN) has signed an obesity drug deal with Palatin Technologies (PTN). The deal could earn Palatin up to $300 million. Palatin is also developing an inhaled drug for sexual dysfunction for men and women. I mentioned this company a while back and I still feel strongly about this stock.

Small Oil Sands Stock

2007-01-21T16:31:00.001-06:00

Oilsands Quest Inc. (AMEX: BQI), has begun drilling in northwest Saskatchewan, right next door to oil sands heavy Alberta. As a matter of fact where they are drilling is on the same extention of the oil bearing sands that are in Alberta. How much oil is there? Time will tell, but company insiders were buying up the stock recently. Remember to do your due diligence. but I would look at buying below $4.75.

Mastercard still going strong

2007-01-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

Mastercard(MA) is still strong after weeks of being above $90 a share. I bought this shortly after ipo at around $45 a share. Speculation among message boards is that it is heading to $150 a share. I have to say that this was a stock pick of mine from 2006 and is a 2007 stock pick as well. Are shares going to split? Time will tell.

Stock Market Correction Coming

2007-01-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

So say Marc Faber, who predicted the U.S. stock market crash in 1987, said global assets are poised for a "severe correction'' and it's time to sell. He goes on to say that investors should sell, buy in a panic and hold onto gold and stocks in Vietnam.

How Long will Digg Stay Private?

2007-01-08T09:48:00.000-06:00

According to Forbes, Digg has raised another $8.5 million, and will use the money to buy companies and hire more staff. Digg.com is turning into quite the powerhouse in the internet sector, and I believe will be one of the first social networking sites to go public. Although I can't see that happening until at least next year, they are growing extremely popular.

Google Top Stock Pick for 2007

2007-01-04T09:06:00.000-06:00

Bloomberg.com reports that analyst Safa Rashtchy of Piper Jaffray & Co., has picked Google as it's top pick for 2007. Evidently he likes the way Google has lured more customers to use its products. Google is obviously the 300 pound gorilla in the internet group of stocks. These days, Google would be the only internet stock I would put money into.

Orexigen Therapeutics IPO

2006-12-27T13:47:00.000-06:00

San Diego-based Orexigen Therapeutics, developing one of the most promising new obesity drugs, filed for an IPO on December 19th. Their drug is hailed as a breakthrough by the Daily Mail.

Tech IPOs for 2007

2006-12-26T13:57:00.000-06:00

So what's new for tech IPOs in 2007? Well the horizon isn't exceptionally terrific. There aren't any Googles on the agenda. The IPOs that are trying to go public are wiMax provider ClearWire and glu mobile, developer of mobile games. A bright spot may be Aruba. Aruba enables companies to transform their wired Intranets into WANs.

Stay tuned to see who makes the leap.

Is the USA Insolvent

2006-12-19T13:36:00.000-06:00

Good article regarding the recenlty released Treasury/OMB report entitled Financial Report of the United States Government. The report is scary enough to give me pause about the long term financial health of the nation.

Creating Wealth

2006-12-18T14:33:00.000-06:00

Money has a good article on creating wealth. The wealth creating tips aren't anything new of course. The top tip in my opinion is start investing as early in life as possible, and put it in mutual funds, unless you really enjoy researching stocks. Another money tip I found interesting was subtracting your age by 120. That's the amount you should have invested in stocks. I would go so far as saying subtract your age by 125. Stocks will always be your top money maker.

Life Sciences Named to 2006 Scientific American 50

2006-12-05T09:49:00.000-06:00

Good news for CuraGen(CRGN). Life Sciences, majority owned by CuraGen, as been named to the 2006 Scientific American 50. CuraGen is one of my long term stock picks.

Shutterfly not growing yet

2006-12-05T09:43:00.000-06:00

Shutterfly(SFLY) hasn't moved much since it's IPO, but I'm holding out hope that there are some moves in the future. I believe this is one of the best and well known online printers out there.

529 College Savings Plans

2006-11-27T10:11:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine was bemoaning the cost of college these days and how bad his investing has been going. Not everybody knows this, but there is a college savings plan called 529, which are created to help families save for college tax free. It can be used to pay for tuition, room and board, text books and required supplies at accredited colleges, universities and vocational schools.

Earnings on the 529 are tax deferred, which is always helplful. The 529 allows asset allocation funds. You are in charge of the assets and can contribute up to $12,000 a year, $24,000 for married couples, per student without any federal gift-tax consequences. That's pretty sweet, considering you get nailed for anything over $10,000 normally.

By the way, my recommendation of Mastercard(MA) continues to play out as it hit a high of $105 a share. I would really like to see it go down a little before buying more shares however.

US Dollar Falls

2006-11-25T12:09:00.000-06:00

The Dollar plunged against major currencies on Friday and the Euro soared. What this means for your investments is that we will likely see a lot of volatility for the next couple of months. I see a correction coming since stocks have been rising for quite a while now. For short term investors, this may mean a run for safe havens. For short term investors, this may mean a buy on great stocks that have been beyond reach.

Stock-picking behind Bill Gates' Charitable Efforts

2006-11-12T16:20:00.000-06:00

From the article, "For Cascade Investment LLC and manager Michael Larson, the road to overseeing the personal wealth of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates got off to a bumpy start. "Read more

A good read.

Evaluating Stocks Based on Dividend Growth

2006-10-23T18:14:00.000-05:00

Smart Capitalist has a great article on evaluating stocks on Dividend Growth. Their argument is, that stocks with a strong history of dividend payouts are superior to stocks that do not. These companies are usually more stable and responsible. This can especially be said of many of the technology companies of the past ten years. When you look at great companies over the long haul you see companies like GE, Johnson & Johnson, etc. The great companies always pay a dividend.

Yahoo and Social Networking

2006-10-18T22:22:00.000-05:00

Yahoo (YHOO) took a major hit as advertising revenue dropped due to the continuing rise in popularity of social networking sites. Of course many experts were stating that this was going to happen, so wise investors got our early. I would like to think that Yahoo will get it together, so Yahoo at around $20 or below would make the stock look attractive.

Web 2.0 Financial Sites

2006-10-14T11:50:00.000-05:00

There's a new breed of interactive financial sites out there. Here are a few of the all new Web 2.0 financial sites:

SquawkLive.com: SquawkLive examines over 8,500 stocks every minute of every trading day, including before and after market hours. They also have a nice industry screener for stock research.

ValueWiki: ValueWiki is a free investment wiki where users write & compile research on stocks and mutual funds. It also offers free investor chat, message boards, and blogging.

Wikistock: A wiki site aimed at making financial information free and open. Similar to ValueWiki.

FiNTAG: A provider of tag information for financial instruments, FiNTAG is now also the leading Hedge Fund website run by Hedge Fund professionals.

That's it for now, more later.

Did you notice how Mastercard blew away estimates? I bought this stock shortly after IPO. I believe Americans are going to continue building up debt, and Mastercard(MA) is well positioned for cash less society. I believe it's a strong buy after a pullback.

Bally Worth a Look?

2006-10-09T23:47:00.000-05:00

Bally(bft), the health club chain, received a $280 million loan to refinance existing debt on which it was in danger of defaulting recently. Is this the news investors have been waiting for as shares have steadily declined in the last year? I would consider picking some shares around $2.

Shutterfly Goes Public

2006-09-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

Shutterfly(sfly) went public today at $15.50 a share. SFLY is profitable since 2003, and keeps it's costs down. I'll be putting it on my radar. As of this posting it up at $16.06 a share.

Small Cap Biotech Pick

2006-09-28T13:42:00.000-05:00

As an investor you have to love an article like this one. The Motley Fool wonders if CuraGen is "Hiding a Genomic Gem" in the race to find the $1000 genome. Which is important, because it helps with making designer drugs for individual people. At around $3.50, Curagen is worth a look if anything.

TINY - Harris & Harris Group, Inc. - Google Finance

2006-09-15T14:11:00.000-05:00

TINY - Harris & Harris Group, Inc. is a venture capital firm investing in nano technology companies. My interest has been sparked of late due to a rise in price in the stock and numerous news articles naming nano technology as the big thing for the future. This is the only pure play in the sector, and a very very long long term play, which may make you rich some day.

Restored

2006-08-29T10:40:00.000-05:00

I've always been a fan of Restoration Hardware, just not it's stock. This may change with me however now that it has posted a nice profit in it's last quarter. According to my research, the company seems to have found traction with new products and looks to have a great Christmas. Have a look at this article at Motley Fool. I'm adding Restoration Hardware to my watch list.

Four Mental Mistakes to Avoid Now

2006-08-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

I picked this article up from digg. It's four mental mistakes investors are making from Jonathon Clements Getting Going at WSJ. His main complaint is that people aren't saving enough, or at all. This is a good read.

How to get Rich

2006-08-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

Felix Dennis, publishing tycoon, has written a guide to becoming a multi-millionaire. Take a read. But basically his advice is to have a strong work ethic, tough skin and that the only thing to fear is fear itself.

5 Stock Picks Under $10

2006-07-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

Here are five stocks under $10 that I've been researching, and you should consider looking into yourself.

First off is Cosi(COSI). Cosi is a restaurant on the order of Panera Bread. Although they only have 99 franchies right now, they are expected to add 400 by 2009. However, there are signs that earnings could be hurt by the expansion.

Seachange(SEAC) makes video on demand possible. The upside is the great potential in this field, where Amazon is expected to launch a download site next month. The negative is that earnings aren't really great right now, so there could be some waiting for tech to get hot again.

Design Within Reach(DWRI) is like a high end Pier One. Mostly catering to the wealthy, they have done well in recent years due to real estate market. I believe they will continue to do well, even though an earnings miss destroyed share price recently, and their CFO just resigned, however there has been some inside buying, always a positive sign.

Interstate Hotels and Resorts(IHR) manages hotels. They have seen incredible growth lately, and their shares have great relative strength. These shares keep peaking above $10 lately, so try to catch it under $10.

Last but not least Vaalco Energy(EGY). Vaalco drills for oil off of the coast of Africa. They are a small but growing company with a huge amount of cash. A good bet for those seeking a growth pick in the oil sector. Some analysts think the company will eventually be bought up by a larger company.

Remember to do your DD on any stock before buying.

Inflation and your Investments

2006-07-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

What is inflation and how should it affect my investing? is a good question these days. I did a little research for investing in times of rising inflation. Here are few good articles I found:
inflation and Investments
TIPS
Where to Invest

50 Small-Cap Stocks Picks

2006-07-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

FORTUNE/CNN online has 50 Small-Cap Stocks to Watch. It's a nice list from some of the best money managers around. Some of the stocks on the list don't seem to be panning out, however Coinstar, one of my favorite stocks, is on the list as are many other great companies. The list is worth a look.

OPWV Still not a Buy

2006-07-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote that OPWV - Openwave Systems Inc. was looking attractive at $11 but I felt that shares would go down to at least $9. Well due to a major earnings miss, shares are below $8 today. Hopefully readers took my advice and didn't buy at $11.

So are shares attractive now? I say no. I've seen this sort of thing before. Earnings were way off, and there is still an options semi-scandal hanging over the company. I am waiting until I see some inside buying, especially from the CFO. That would be my buy signal. The only reason the stock is still on my radar is because of the strong growth I see coming in the mobile market, and the part this company could end up playing.

Top 25 money Tips

2006-07-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

The actual article from Canadian Business says The top 25 money tips of all time, which of course can be argued, however there are some great money tips in the article. It's worth printing out and hanging by your desk.

'Vonage the Dog' bites back

2006-06-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

From CNET News.com, it seems Jim Cramer has now started calling Vonage, Vonage the Dog. For good reasons of course. Now Vonage's CEO is saying that the ipo was successful because it raised funds. Yeah sure, but soon cable companies will begin offering voip with cable internet access. Skype and Yahoo are free, and the company is being sued. Doesn't look good for Vonage. I would stay away from the stock.

Cosi, Inc.

2006-06-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping any eye on Cosi,Inc.(COSI) lately. Cosi is a restaurant in the order of Panera Bread. They are growing at an amazing pace, but their shares have been dow because of a missed quarter. However, they have improved restaurant effectiveness of late, and plan to open serveral hundred new restaurants in the next few years. Cosi is worth a look.

Cramer: Catch the Openwave

2006-06-22T14:53:00.000-05:00

As Jim Cramer says, Catch the Openwave(OPWV). However I would wait a while before jumping in. I think this high potential stock has some bottoming out to go with the options semi-scandal hanging over it's head. Down to almost $11 today, I could see in going down another $2 at least. That, in my opinion, makes it a bargain.

Finance Sites: Yahoo Leads, Google Lags

2006-06-17T09:02:00.000-05:00

Not a big surprise that when it comes to finance information, Yahoo Leads, Google Lags. Link from PC World.

How to Profit From a Cooling Real Estate Market: Why the Rich Get Richer - Yahoo! Finance

2006-06-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Robert Kiyosaki has a great article on investing in today's cooling real estate market, in his Why the Rich Get Richer series.

Personally, I've been putting off buying a new house in my area because of the, to me, outrageous prices on homes. I'm hopeful that some of my dream homes will come down in price to something I can afford to pay on every month. But on the flip side, my house will probably have an even harder time selling in a buyer's market, so it may not even matter. A cooling real estate market will bad for just about everyone.

High inflation and Stocks

2006-06-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Recent news of rising inflation has been flaming stocks today, however I ran across a good article from Marketwatch regarding how higher inflation doesn't have to be bad for stocks - MarketWatch.

From the article - "Investors who sell stocks when inflation rears its head are implicitly assuming that companies have no pricing power, and hence that their earnings growth rates don't change with inflation. But history shows that this is not the case, according to a study by Harvard economists John Campbell and Tuomo Vuolteenaho. They found that real (or inflation-adjusted) earnings growth, when measured over several-year periods, was relatively constant, and that nominal earnings growth fluctuated with inflation."

Finisar Gets Slammed

2006-06-10T14:33:00.000-05:00

Finisar fell around 30% after releasing earnings this week. Estimates were in line with expectations, but investors were expecting a blowout quarter and shares were pummeled. I still believe the company is a good investment for the long term as mobile operators build out their network with 10-Gbit and Metro products. I see a good buying op if the shares dip below $3 in the coming weeks.

Vonage Holds Customers to IPO Pledge

2006-06-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

Vonage shares have taken a major smackdown since going public at $17. Now the internet phone company, whose stock has dropped more than 29 percent since its stock market debut, said late Wednesday that customers who agreed to buy into its initial public offering last week must follow through on their commitment to buy their shares.

I can see their point, but it kind of seems desperate to start threatening customers at this point. I really like Vonage but I wonder if this is going to go down as one of the worst ipo's ever. Time will tell.

Simple sounds make for sound investments -

2006-05-31T09:08:00.000-05:00

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

Microsoft in Talks To Acquire Ebay???

2006-05-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

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?

Alternative energy stocks, ETFs & mutual funds

2006-05-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

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).

Panacos Pharma Inc. - Buyout Target?

2006-05-21T18:39:00.000-05:00

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.

Sell ABTL maybe FNSR

2006-05-17T13:37:00.000-05:00

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.

Pain Therapeutics, small cap biopharma pick

2006-05-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

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.

Alternative Energy Stocks - Year To Date Price Breakouts

2006-05-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

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.

Kirk Report: :: The Big Picture

2006-05-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

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.

Ultralife Batteries, Coca Cola Inside Buying

2006-05-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

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.

Save Money On Gas::Improve Your Driving

2006-05-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

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

2006-05-07T11:40:00.000-05:00

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.

Finisar showing strength

2006-05-05T10:26:00.000-05:00

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.

DigStock

2006-04-30T17:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a heads up for an interesting website called DigStock. The reader votes on which investment articles make the front page.

Blogging Stocks

2006-04-28T00:06:00.000-05:00

AOL is in the blogging stocks game now. Their new site covers some of "America's most widely-held stocks deeply, analytically and obsessively." Don't look for any small cap stocks on that blog, they only cover eight stocks at a time, and all large well known names.

Palatin Technologies and The Viagra Killer

2006-04-24T11:18:00.000-05:00

Interesting read on Palatin Technologies, Inc.(PTN) new Viagra killer.

Palatin Technologies, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing melanocortin MC)-based therapeutics. I'll be adding it to my watchlist. It has jumped in price lately, but with added publicity to it's "sex spray," it might not see it's 52 month low again, or even trade in it's current range.

Ethanol Stocks

2006-04-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

Wired has a nice article on the risks involved in investing in the new alt fuel rage, Ethanol stocks. The author doesn't realize that these stocks are the hot thing right now and, at least in the short term, continue to reward investors. Long term though, I would be sticking with my pick ADM, who has the money and resources to be the king in this space.

Is Tivo a Buy?

2006-04-17T08:26:00.000-05:00

TiVo scored a patent win against EchoStar, being awarded $73.9 million in damages after finding that EchoStar infringed on patents held by TiVo for digital video recorders. This sent the stock higher on Thursday to a 52 week high. Now I would see this as a selling op for long term holders, but according to Barrons, Tivo is a buyout target, so does that mean you should get in now? I would say not, since the stock has already skyrocketed lately.

Biotech small cap pick

2006-04-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Acusphere, a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops new drugs and formulations of existing drugs using its proprietary porous microparticle technology in the United States, according to Yahoo Finance. According to their website, they have on project in phase III development and two others in I and II. All seem promising, but what really caught my attention was the amount of insider buying lately, as well as raising millinons of dollars lately. Maybe some big news is in store in the Phase III project? Who knows, I'll be adding this company to my watchlist before I buy, but all small biotechs are extremely risky, so do your research.

A step toward solar homes

2006-04-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

Cnet reports on a Start-up that is building homes with material that will convert solar energy to electricity. This is of course another attempt at alternative energy without solar power panels. Not a bad idea. If it takes off look for an ipo sometime in the near future. With all of these innovations, it isn't hard to be bullish on alternative energy stocks.

A Small Cap for the Future

2006-04-12T22:49:00.000-05:00

PLUG POWER INC, the fuel cell maker, just received around $217,000,000 from Russian investors. I am all for future wave stocks, especially alt energy, but it's going to be a while before the company starts making a profit, or even gets bought. I would be tempted to buy under $4.00 however.

With the world seeming to be in one crises after another, I would think that large sell offs may be coming in the market. Now is a good time to look at stocks you like but are too expensive today. A sell off will create some opportunities.

CHU Looks attractive with Redberry

2006-04-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

I have been fairly bullish on Chinese stocks lately, and I am feeling especially bullish on China Unicom, which is launching Chinese Redberry to complete with Blackberry, I have put the company on my radar for getting a leg up on it's competitors, primarily China Mobile, which is partnering with RIM this summer, to launch Blackberry services in China. The Redberry services are similar to Blackberry, and are months ahead of China Mobile in launching the product. RIM is suing CHU, so the possibility of the service being stopped some time is a cloud hanging over the new service.

Despite heavy competition, I like CHU for it fairly low P/E and dividend. It also has a high Relative Strength going for it. If the Redberry service takes off, I could see this stock going past $10 this year. This stock should be approached carefully however since it is a foreign investment and there is speculation about the the company being broken up by the government.

Gold Mining Stocks

2006-04-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

With a volatile world out there and possible rising inflation, it might be tempting to take a look at gold at this time, especially with gold over $590 an ounce. During times like these, gold does very well historically. And with reports of Bush thinking of nuking Iran's nuclear capability, gold may sky rocket even further. But instead of gold itself, you may want to look at gold mining stocks.

Now there are risks involved in purchasing gold itself, so to me a good mining company is a safer bet. If you are thinking of investing in gold mining stocks, then it would be wise to use the following sites for your research: Gold-Stocks.com, Kitco and Zeal. Personally, for a somewhat fair valued gold mining stock, I like Kinross. I'll be adding it to my watchlist today.

Update: Middle East Stock Picks

2006-04-08T19:10:00.000-05:00

From Forbes.com - Middle East Stock Picks: "our calls on stocks in Iraq's neighborhood--stocks which we thought would benefit from the still-elusive peace dividend. On average, those picks have risen 47% annualized since March 20, 2003, compared with a 16% gain for the S&P 500."

Some of the picks did pretty well, like Arab Bank Group and Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri. We'll see how things look going forward.

Form 4 Oracle Insider Trading

2006-04-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

Site Plug for those unaware of the insider trading tracker Form 4 Oracle Insider Trading. For me one of the best signs that a company is ready to make a big move is to watch the insider trades. Especially if the CFO is buying. This is because the CFO is the money guy. He isn't the CEO/Plug for the company who may buy just to pump the stock. The CFO is all about the bottom line, and usually only invests if things are looking good.

Autobytel.com is Worth a Look

2006-04-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

Today I'm adding Autobytel.com to my watch list. I'm still optimistic about the Internet Sector as a whole, but I also noticed that their has been some insider buying lately. Although it's the CEO and a Director (I like it when the CFO is buying) it's still a postive development. It leads me to believe that things are either looking up, or maybe a buy? Either way, this is a long term holding. I'm hoping it will go up as the car buying season begins.

GNBT Insider Buying

2006-04-03T16:47:00.000-05:00

A lot of negative has been said about Generex lately, but you can't deny the postive of Insider Buying by a couple of their Directors lately. I'm still holding out for this stock to go lower, but there must surely be something good going on with the company.

Ten Great Ways to Get Rich

2006-04-01T23:35:00.000-06:00

From Yahoo Alternative ways to make money. Although many of the ideas are over the top, there are some good suggestions like investing in champagne and wine, Canadian stocks and music memorabilia.

Very Cool!

2006-03-31T15:04:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share this. Completely off the topic, but hey, it's Friday.

Generex Breaks Lower

2006-03-31T09:22:00.000-06:00

Generex has broken downward this morning...and things were looking so much better yesterday. I think this stock is going lower. Anyone have any thoughts? Are we going to see $2.50 soon?

Generex Bouncing Back

2006-03-28T14:26:00.000-06:00

After a negative article at Smartmoney.com about Generex Biotech, the stock has bounced back slightly, up over $3.00 today. The article is quite damning, claiming that Generex is simply a company with joke clinical trials of it's oral insulin in Equador and very bad cash burn rate. I really want to like the prospects of this company's oral insulin product, and I predict, without anymore bad news this week, that shares should be over $3.50 by the end of the week. I can't recommend buying it until the dust clears however.

Technorati Tags: investing, finance, money

Cramer Bullish on gear!

2006-03-24T16:51:00.000-06:00

Jim Cramer of thestreet.com still likes Finisar, which he feels is going to gain due a build out on the part of telcos this year. In this article he tells people to stop trading! Go for Gear...

Technorati Tags: investing, finance, Jim Cramer

Vista Delay should help Apple

2006-03-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

A good article from Cnet explaining how computer users looking for the functionality and feel of Windows Vista should seriously consider buy a mac. I see this as postive for Apple going forward, as computer sales start to pick up towards the end of the year, and then the mad rush for either the new ipod phone and new ipod at Christmas time this year. I believe we'll see both by as early as next month.

Technorati Tags: apple, microsoft, vista, investing, finance

Jim Cramer likes FNSR

2006-03-23T11:26:00.000-06:00

A week ago or so I recommended readers to take a look at Finisar. I've been a little disappointed in the stock since then. I hasn't moved above $5, and the director of Finisar has sold quite a few shares lately. However I'm still bullish long-term, and Jim Cramer likes it. He recognizes that it has things going for it. I think the telcos will continue to expand, and at least short term it's good for Finisar.

Technorati Tags: investing, finance, stocks, Jim Cramer

Bad Move Microsoft

2006-03-22T15:55:00.000-06:00

I don't see how the recent news that Microsoft is delaying Vista to 2007 is good news for anyone, as they describe here.

Not only will people hold off on buying that new computer Christmas 2006, but people will go out and buy an Apple computer, tired of waiting for Microsoft to get their act together. For those who support it because of their "not ready for prime time" releases of the past, then fine, you have a valid point, but they have had years to perfect this thing. I don't believe this is going to be a good year for Microsoft investors, but it should be for Apple. Some would argue that Vista is mainly a ripoff of OSX anyway.

Technorati Tags: investings, microsoft, vista, apple

Sideload.com (iTunes competitor), Google Finance

2006-03-21T22:17:00.000-06:00

Today saw news about Google Finance's release, which I personally like very much. It has the usual flare of being able to keep your own portfolio on it, quotes and all of that usual stuff. However, news and comments are kept all on one page, and on top of that you get to see what bloggers are saying about the stock.

On another note, sideload.com was announced. I signed up for the service and really like it. It's basically another way to share music on the internet. You get a "music locker" and you can store any music you may find on the internet for free. I recommend going to the sideload.com site, getting the free locker, the free Firefox extension that allows you to download music right in your browser, and then going back to sideload.com and load up on music. I see this as a real competitor to Apple's iTunes if the RIAA can't get this shut down.

Google Finance

2006-03-21T09:20:00.000-06:00

Google has launched Google Finance today. I'm sure they were seeing all of the people typing in quotes into their search engine, and then having to bring them to Yahoo or MSN for the stock quote information. They now have their own finance engine. I think it's a great idea.

ERHC Energy: Attractive Penny Stock

2006-03-20T22:40:00.000-06:00

ERHE.OB is another oil and gas exploration company working off the coast of Africa. I'm a strong believer that these small oil companies can make big gains if they find a good basin of oil. ERHE is currently trading around .78. It is worthy of a look. I could see it rising well over $2 in the near future.

Introduction to Penny Stocks

2006-03-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

Great Article from HotStockMarket.com on what constitutes a penny stock. Penny stocks are not for people who are only passive investors. It takes research and all emotion must be taken out of investing in Penny stock companies, because you may have to move in and out very fast. But if you have the time to invest and the money to lose, then the penny stock game is a lot of fun.

Are You Getting Enough Fiber? Fiber Stocks that is...

2006-03-14T22:45:00.000-06:00

It's starting to feel like the 90's again. Fiber Optic stocks have been on a tear for the past year. JDSU and FNSR have both had breakout quarters, orders are up and so are their stocks. I started following FNSR a few weeks ago and it has really gone up. Today I put an order in to buy. I believe that this stock will continue to rise due to upgrade cycles in the storage and Ethernet LAN Markets. I do feel a little funny buying at it's 52 week high, but that company has some strong believers, including Jim Cramer. I won't wait long to take profit if it comes.

Google Stock from Google Insider

2006-03-11T13:14:00.000-06:00

Interesting read from a ex-Google employee on why you shouldn't buy Google stock. Plenty of people think Google is overpriced, but hey you're paying for growth. I don't disagree that Google is overpriced, but this guy has barely a clue on how the stock market works, and has very little knowledge of it's history. He compares Google to a car?!?!

Biodiesel Investing

2006-03-09T11:12:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting link to a stock list of Publicly Traded American Biodiesel Stocks.

Not all of them are currently investing in biodiesel, but plan to in the near future.

A Little Under the Weather

2006-03-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

The flu has finally caught up to me, just as the weather is starting to get warmer here. I was able to keep an eye on the bloodbath in the market today however. I see this as a buying opportunity. Especially for EGY, whose earnings have continued to rise as seen by the release of their earnings report today.