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Market Review
Stock Market Today: January 17, 2012
Wall Street got back to work today following Monday’s holiday, and it was the bulls who had the upper hand. Generally positive economic developments in Europe, Asia, and the United States set the table for strong rally early, although share prices came off their best levels in afternoon trading.
Stock Highlight
Coverage Initiation: TransDigm Group (TDG)
Value Line has initiated coverage of TransDigm Group (TDG). The company is a major designer and manufacturer of a wide variety of aircraft components. Its products can be found on most commercial and military planes.
Stock Highlight
From the Survey: BancorpSouth
BancorpSouth (BXS) is a financial holding company with $13.2 billion in assets. Over the years, it has grown through acquisition as well as via the opening of new branches and offices.
Commentary
The Seaway Pipeline Reversal: The Potential Impact and Broader Implications for the Industry
Enbridge Inc. (ENB) and Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) recently announced plans to reverse the Seaway pipeline to flow south from Cushing to the Gulf Coast. The project has broader implications for the industry.
Commentary
The Goods And Services Deficit Increased In November - January 13, 2012
The nation's international trade deficit in November was well above the consensus forecast, increasing to $47.8 billion for the month from $43.3 billion in October. The gain of 10.4% in the deficit on a month-to-month basis, was the largest such increase since last May.
Commentary
Is This a Good Time to Buy Financial Stocks?
Financial stocks are inexpensive for a number of reasons. But does that make the group attractive for the average investor, or is the sector still too speculative for most?
Stock Highlight
Using a Value Line Report: Alcoa versus Merck – January 13, 2012
Alcoa (AA) and Merck (MRK) are in vastly different industries and, right now, their stocks are moving in close to opposite directions. Is one a better investment? It might depend on your time frame.
Stock Screen
Stock Screen: Best & Worst Performing Industries - January 11, 2012
Among the many features found in each week’s issue of Value Line’s Selection & Opinion service is a list of the seven best and worst performing industries over the past six weeks. These rankings can be found on the inside back cover of Selection & Opinion. A quick review of the industries on our best/worst performer list can usually provide some insight into the underlying trends driving the broader market. Readers can also use our Best/Worst list as a starting point for identifying individual stocks that may be worthy of further investigation. Among the stocks that readers may want to take a closer look at include Cemex (CX), USG Corp. (USG), McClatchy Co. (MNI), Beazer Homes USA (BZH).
Commentary
New Capital Requirements for Banks and the Impact on Lending
With Basel III around the corner, and the prospect of more-stringent capital requirements for banks, what impact may this have on lending?
Stock Highlight
Stock Selection: Dean Foods - Ripe for a Turnaround
Dean Foods (DF), based in Dallas, Texas, is the largest dairy processor in the United States, with over 25,000 employees and annual sales of around $13 billion. The company, dating back to 1928, has been formed through a series of acquisitions, most coming in the past 20 years. It currently has two principal divisions: Fresh Dairy Direct-Morningstar and WhiteWave-Alpro.
Stock Market Today: January 13, 2012
It was a somewhat disappointing finish to a rather mundane week on Wall Street. By the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ, and the broader S&P 500 Index had shed 49, 14, and six points, respectively.
Performance of the Model Portfolios: November, 2011
The pessimism that investors exhibited prior to Thanksgiving was largely offset by the spate of renewed optimism in the wake of the four-day holiday, and Value Line’s Model Portfolios finished the month of November riding the upswing.
Earnings Season
Earnings season is the four times a year, celebrated several-week stretch from early January to early February, from early April to early May, from early July to early August, and from early October to early November in which the vast majority of the nation's corporations report their quarter's sales and earnings--hence the name earnings season.
Industry Analysis: Medical Supplies Invasive and Non Invasive
The Medical Supplies Industry is essentially a growth industry. Value Line divides the group into Medical Supplies Invasive and Medical Supplies Non Invasive. Medical Supplies companies manufacture and distribute a broad range of items, from surgical and dental instruments to elective laser surgery equipment to orthopedic products. The two major classes of customers served are hospitals and doctors offices.
Sector Analysis - September 30, 2011
Investors who want to look at the “big picture” often start by examining the state of economy and the stock market in general, and then look, in order, at market sectors, at industries within a sector, and then at companies within a given industry.