Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Wednesday Stocks to Watch

The market is in a see-saw battle between the bears and bulls. The bull is running in a upper hand right now. The key is to hold on to the gain today and stay above yesterday's closing level for the next few sessions. Hopefully this is just a correction for us to see. I still would not buy or short right now until the dust settles.

Advancers:
(STTX) - take-over candidate?
(RVSN) - profiled by IBD
(AMSC) - new order for its wind power products, risky for me
(CHL) - recovered from yesterday's massive sell-off
(FMCN) - Chinese stock recovered from yesterday's massive sell-off

Decliners:
(ORA) - bad guidance forward
(BITS) - missed earning, can be shorted on a bounce
(JOYG) - earning missed
(PRAI) - bad earning and downgrade

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Market is Tanking

With the recent gains without much correction, today's news from China's market down fall is just afterburner for the US to collapse. The Nasdaq is currently down almost 3%, DOW and NYSE is down over 2%. All exchanges experienced higher selling volumes. Nasdaq and NYSE both on track to break its 50-day moving average for the first in many weeks. Decliner is overwhelming the advancers by the margin of 8-to-1 on NYSE and 5-to-1 on Nasdaq. Probably this is the first phrase of correction coming. Most of the strong stocks are tanking without any reasons. This is due to the fact valuation is a concern for many traders now. I would stay on the sideline for now. No buying is recommended now.

Decliners: (To see how bad the market is, mostly are China related or alternate energy)
(FSTR)
(CEA)
(SHFL)
(USAP)
(TSL)
(HMIN)
(YZC)
(FTEK)

Monday, February 26, 2007

Monday Stocks to Watch

The market reverse course on Monday afternoon. It was up in the morning at the open. The gain faded away after the former FED chairman Greenspend predicted US recession at the end of 2007. Will his prediction come true? That would be anyone's guess. I believe this can be true if the following can be happening in the coming months:
1. price of oil is continuing above $65 per barrel
2. War with IRAN
3. Major terrorist attack on the US turf
Otherwise, I would think the US economy is still growing at a slower pace. Even though the market is down, but the Nasdaq volume is lower than the typical days. NYSE on the other hand, it is on track to be higher than normal. The action is still on the Nasdaq tech market.

Today's Advancers:
(ITRI) - buying competitor
(IGLD) - good earning report
(OMRI) - up on no news, but earning is coming in early March
(TSL) - no news, continuation from last week's major advance
(ASTI) - same industry as (TSL), small stock play with no news

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Stocks to be Watched Next Week

Important events to be watched next week from Yahoo.

Earnings Preview for the week of Feb 26th - Mar 2nd :
Monday: ABBI, CRDN, ETM, JAKK, MVL, RMIX, XMSR, BRCD, COGT, FMCN, GSF, MRVL, MOBE, MRT, NTES, JWN, RIMG, URI, and WSSI...
Tuesday
: ASTE, AZO, BBI, CBS, CMED, DYN, EP, FD, FST, FTO, HANS, HET, SIRI, TGT, TXU, VNO, ADBL, ADSK, DECK, DWA, LEAP, NVTL, and WYNN...
Wednesday: BRL, DLTR, WOLF, HSP, JOYG, KG, MSO, HAWK, SLXP, S, STN, VPHM, TFSM, LTD, NKTR, PETM, SONS, TRMA, and UHS...
Thursday
: AACC, BNT, CALP, CKP, CDL, CTB, XXTI, XTEX, DISH, HLS, PLUG, BID, SHOO, VIA.B, JOBS, CBEY, CMOS, DELL, FLR, GPS, KSS, NOVL, SGMS, and PAY...
Friday
: HRZ and METH

Conference/Events Calendar for the week of February 26 - March 2:
Monday:
BAC Investor Day; JPMorgan Philly Tech Day; BMY, LLY, MRK, PFE, SGP at BioNetwork East 2007; CAH at HIMSS 2007 Conf; FCS at APEC 2007; HON Investor Conf; ITRI, VSH at JPMorgan SMID Cap Conf; SCKT, PSEM, ITRA, LNUX, QUIK at SRA 3rd Annual Winter Technology & Healthcare Conf; WCBO, PRWT, VNBC, PSBC, BMRC at Wunderlich Securities West Coast Bank Conf; Fed: Bies speaks on Basel II...
Tuesday: BAC Investor Day; ADI, HPQ, FIS, NSM, EMC at Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposium; AMT, AUDC, ECIL, LVLT, PALM at Merrill Lynch Communications Forum; Credit Suisse Group Networking, Comm. Equipment & Opticals Conf; DDDC at Comptel Plus Spring 2007 Convention & Expo; FNM Announces Scheduled Filing of Form 12b-25 and Investor/Analyst Conference Call; ISLN at RBC Dain Rauscher 2007 Northwest Investor Conf; VMC, GVA, RMIX, NPO at Davenport & Co. Infrastructure and Basic Industry Conf; WLP, CELG, HNT, EYE, GPRO at Bear, Stearns Healthcare Conf; YUM, CAKE, EAT, CHS, IGT at Bear, Stearns 13th Annual Retail, Restaurants and Consumers Conf.
Wednesday: HD Analyst Meeting; CAI Analyst Meeting; UTX Analyst Meeting; ADCT, JNPR, TKLC at Merrill Lynch Communications Forum; AF, ALAB, BOH, ASBC, HBAN at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc Regional Bank Conf; BTU, WMB, DUK, SE, NU at UBS Natural Gas & Electric Utilities Conf; CHK at Seventh Annual Simmons & Company International Energy Conf; CSCO, STX, WDC, ADBE, RNOW at at Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposi; EFX, KFRC, GKSR, GPX, NCI at Robert W. Baird & Co. Business Solutions Conf; FLWS at Jefferies & Company Third Annual Internet Conf; NVLS will provide its mid-quarter update for Q1 2007 in a conference call; RI, RCII, MCD, ANF at Bear, Stearns 13th Annual Retail, Restaurants and Consumers Conf; TTEK, MWA, HSC at Present at the Davenport & Co. 2007 Infrastructure and Basic Industry Conference, New York, NY; VPRT, ADBL, KNOT at Jefferies Internet Conf; Fed: Geithner speaks on financial systems...
Thursday: CVS February Sales Release; F February Sales Release; COF Annual Investor Conf; ADLS, VPHM, MHS, SGEN, IMGN at SIGnificant Investment Options in Healthcare Conf; ALDN, ALLT, GILT, RRST, SFUN at CIBC World Markets 11th Annual Israeli Technology Equities 1-on-1 Conf; D, ETR, DYN, NI, WEC at UBS Natural Gas & Electric Utilities Conf; ETN, CAT, CVGI, CMI at Credit Suisse Truck Builders Conf; FIS, COCO, HURN, HEW, RECN at Robert W. Baird & Co. Business Solutions Conf; JCP, IHP, WYNN, MAR, PZZA at Bear, Stearns 13th Annual Retail, Restaurants and Consumers Conf; LEN, RYL, BZH, DHI, TOL at Wachovia Securities 2nd Annual Homebuilding Conf; MBRX, ALTU, ARRY, GB, EPIX at C.E. Unterberg, Towbin Healthcare & Technology One-on-One Days; NSIT, WDC at Prudential Equity Group Midwest Semi & Semi Cap Equipment Day; PHRM at Pacific Growth Equities One on One Sessions 2007: Oncology; PHTN, GNSS at USDC and Needham & Co 2007 Displays & Emerging Electronics Investment Conf; SONS, LXK, AMAT, CA, JDSU at Goldman Sachs Technology Investment Symposium; WL, FBC at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc Regional Bank Conf...
Friday: CTX, SPF, MDC, KBH, MTH at Wachovia Securities 2nd Annual Homebuilding Conference; PGR Investor Relations Conference Call; TKLC at C.E. Unterberg, Towbin Healthcare & Technology One-on-One Days; Fed: Bernanke speaks at Stanford.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Friday Stocks to Watch

The market is making some minor correction on Friday. Trading volumes on NYSE and Nasdaq are about even as compared to yesterday's volume. No concern for the bull yet. The uptrend is still intact.

Advancers:
(VRGY) - Massive volume on earning
(CNLG) - speculative stock on major contact announcement, volume is massive
(UCTT) - upgrade from a brokerage firm
(KLAC) - stocks buy back by the company, it is in a good semi industry
(PAAS) - Silver play? Analyst upgrade

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Thursday Stocks to Watch

With the exception of the DOW, the market is trading slightly down in the afternoon. The down tick reversed from the earlier gain was contributed to the uptick in price of oil after Iran refused to shut down its nuclear weapon program. I think this is expected by the street. Who does not want to own the powerful nuclear program is a fool. I believe this is just another excuse for the traders to take some profits after the recent surge of prices in stocks. The uptrend is still intact.

Advancers:
(JADE) - what a move by the stock in the recent days. It is up another 9% down from the earlier up 15% this morning. If you bought it yesterday after my blog mentioning, you would still make money on it. I believe it still have strength until it hits $15. Trade with care.
(WOOF) - Beats estimates this morning.
(MR) - massive up volume on the stock without news.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Wednesday's Stocks to Watch

The market recovered from earlier loses on the Nasdaq, while the DOW is still on red. The down side was contributed to the release of higher than expected CPI numbers. Overall the market still looks calm and maintain its uptrend.

Advancers:
(JADE) - Mentioned on last Thursday. It is breaking out again with massive volume up about $1.5 on a $10 stock. What a move?! It was up over 100% this year. If you keep this stock on your watch list and bought it. You could at least up 30% in a few days. I believe this stock still has more upsides until earning or $15.
(NICE) - great earning report
(CBLI) - up momentum continues on this one.
(CECE) - analyst upgrade.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Tuesday Stocks to Watch

The market fell a bit in the morning, but it then went back up later in the day. Good news is price of oil did not stay over $60 per barrel for too long. No major news is out today. Bull is still under control.

Advancers:
(VDSI) - massive volume with new high after earning report. Buy point is here now.
(ONXX) - continuation from last week's strength. It is a bit over extented now.
(LCRD) - contract from MasterCard
(BABY) - Raised 2007 view
(UTHR) - great earning.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Next Week Events to Watch

The following events should be watched in the coming week from Yahoo.
Conference/Events Calendar for the week of February 19-23: :
Monday:
Washington's Birthday: All markets closed; TGT Mid-Month Pre-Recorded Sales Conference Call; SSYS, UWN, ADZA, FCGI, FRPT at Roth 19th Annual OC Conference...
Tuesday:
EDS Securities Analysts' Meeting; UFI Analyst Meeting New York; DOW, CE, LYO,ANR, MON at Morgan Stanley Basic Materials Conf; GIS, KFT, HSY, HNZ, DLM at Consumer Analyst Group of New York 2007 Conf; GNSS, CBAK, PSTA, RENT, TUNE at Roth 19th Annual OC Conf; BOJ Policy Meeting; Fed: Bies speaks at Duke...
Wednesday:
HUN Analyst Meeting; CBE Investor Day; CIBC World Markets 2007 Whistler Institutional Investor Conf; CPB, FLO at Consumer Analyst; Group of New York 2007 Conf; DD, BCON ,SPWR, AMAT, CSIQ at Piper Jaffray Second Annual Solar & CleanTech Symposium; MZT, SDIX, DIO, SUPX, TLEO at Roth 19th Annual OC Conf; PLAB, SRX, BLKB, TYL, BBBB at Bank of America Technology Conf; Prudential Equity Group Washington Healthcare Conf; RBC Capital Markets Communications, Media and Technology Conf; ROH, POT, SEO, EMN, MOS at Morgan Stanley Basic Materials Conf; Fed: Kohn talks on financial stability; FOMC Minutes Released; Yellen speaks on the economy...
Thursday:
BOOT Analyst Meeting; ESLR Investor Day; ETFC Analyst Day 2007; FCS Investor Conference; ABP, AEZ, ATPG, NGAS, PETD at In the Cross Hairs: The 3rd Annual C.K. Cooper & company Small-Cap Oil & Gas Conf; AKAM, S at Pacific Crest's Digital Media & Entertainment Forum; CBLI, WPTE, NPLA, AIXD at Roth 19th Annual OC Conf; CIBC World Markets 2007 Whistler Institutional Investor Conf; Credit Suisse Global Forest Products Conf; CRUS, TUNE at CIBC 4th Annual Vail Semiconductor Summit; FDRY, CSCO, TECD, RSYS, ENTG at Bank of America Technology Conf; JPMorgan Private Homebuilder Conf; KO, PEP, ENR at Consumer Analyst Group of New York 2007 Conf; LZ, AL, SON, FCX at Morgan Stanley Basic Materials Conf; PHTN, UTEK, PLAB, SYNA, ESIO at D.A. Davidson 5th Annual Technology Conf; TOC at RBC Capital Markets Communications, Media and Technology Conf; UFI Analyst Meeting California (San Francisco-Tentative)...
Friday:
ETFC Analyst Day 2007; PGN 2007 Analyst Meeting; CA at Wharton Technology Conference 2007; CIBC 4th Annual Vail Semiconductor Summit;CIBC World Markets 2007 Whistler Institutional Investor Conf; CL at Consumer Analyst Group of New York 2007 Conf; RBC Capital Markets Communications, Media and Technology Conf; UFI Analyst MeetingCalifornia (Los Angeles-Tentative); VLTR, RSYS, CDNS at D.A. Davidson 5th Annual Technology Conf; Fed: Yellen talks on the economy.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Thursday Stocks to Watch

The market is absorbing yesterday's massive gain. All markets are trading slightly higher. No major news for the market to digest today. Slowing to safe landing for the US economy is good news for the market.

Today's advancers:
(JADE) - good outlook with more stores to be opened in China
(NTRI) - beats the estimate by a mile
(FCN) - good outlook
(SPAR) - great earning report this morning
(SSYS) - good earning
(AVCI) - great earning report, still "underweight" by an analyst, wonder why?

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Wednesday Stocks to Watch

The market marched forward with massive volumes after the Applied Material (AMAT) report last night and tame inflation report from the FED chairman Ben Bernanke. This just another excuse for the market to get back the bull move after the recent minor sell-offs.

Advancers:
(FALC) - continuation from yesterday's move as well as good earning report after close yesterday.
(MICC) - good report this morning
(LMS) - positive commentary from Cramer
(VSEA) - upgrade and smooth sailing from (AMAT)
(SNCR) - no news, but volume is very high
(ANST) - good earning report and good outlook

Decliners
(DATK) - short seller's dream came true

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Earnings and Event to Watch Next Week

From Yahoo news, here are the events to be watched:
Earnings Preview for the week of Feb 12th-16th: :
Monday: ASF, BRO, CEM, CRK, CTRP, LTR, MEND, NTE, VAL, CEPH, FWRD, HIMX, IRBT, QGEN, RADN, RMKR, SNDA, VECO, and YUM.
Tuesday: EYE, CCE, ENTG, ENZN, KBH, MNTA, NDAQ, OMC, PXR, TEVA, WWE, WYN, MDRX, ANST, AMAT, CCRT, FSLR, FOXH, GPRO, MVSN, NVDA, SPSS, WTW, and XTO.
Wednesday: LEND, KO, DAKT, GRMN, GENZ, JNY, KEA, MGM, ODP, PGN, RIG, ZBRA, BIDU, GES, DISK, NTAP, NTRI, PLAB, RJET, and NCTY.
Thursday: A, BHI, BIIB, BBW, EXPE, FCN, LTM, TAP, ZEUS, POOL, ULBI, AMMD, AQNT, BOBE, BFAM, CAPA, CMG, IM, NANO, NTGR, RADS, and ZGEN.
Friday: ALE, GT, HRL, SJM, SRP, and RNIN.

Conference/Events Calendar for the week of February 12-16:
Monday: ELY Analyst Meeting; FMD Analyst Meeting, ACET, AHOM, OMI, PRSC, UHS at UBS Annual Healthcare Conf; AEZS, VICL, CELG, DCGN, SUPG at BIO CEO & Investor Conf 2007; BZH, PHM at Goldman Sachs Housing Conf; CKNN, FCN, RNOW, ACLI, CNQR at Deutsche Bank Securities 2007 Small Cap Growth Conf; ERIC, BRCM, NOK, ZICA at 3GSM World Congress 2007; KFS, HCC at NYSSA at 11th Annual Insurance Conf; ONH, PBIO, TLF, UGHO at RedChip Small-Cap Investor Conf; ROST, VFC at Citigroup 2007 Retail Field Trip and Conf; Second Annual Stem Cell Summit.
Tuesday: NWL Analyst Day; BTH Investor Q&A Call; ACAP, SIGI, MLAN at NYSSA at 11th Annual Insurance Conf; AKAM, FTGX, CCOI, DIVX, EQIX at Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. -- IP Video 2007 Conf; ALL, TMK, GNW, AOC, PHLY at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; ASGN, USPH, WLP, AMSG, WOOF at UBS Annual Healthcare Conf; CDNS, ORCC, SY, WEBX, MENT at Merrill Lynch Internet, Software & Services Conf; COF Conf; Call; CPO, DOW, MOS, UAPH at Goldman Sachs 11th Annual Agricultural Biotech Forum; CRGN, PARD, PCOP, SGEN, ONXX at BIO CEO & Investor Conf; HTLD, SNMX, VTNC, MINI, VSEA at Deutsche Bank Securities 2007 Small Cap Growth Conf; KNXA, KRON, SAP, SUMT, TLEO at CIBC Human Capital Management Software 1-on-1 Conf; KWK Analyst Conf; KYPH, IART, NUVA, RGBI, VITA at First Albany Capital's 2nd Annual Orthopedics Conf; PLCE, JCP, AZO at Citigroup 2007 Retail Field Trip and Conf; STM at 3GSM World Congress 2007.
Wednesday: ZMH Analyst Meeting; ADS, INFA, TLEO, BBBB, DRIV at Merrill Lynch Internet, Software & Services Conf; ALNY, CEGE, MITI, ANDS, CADX at BIO CEO & Investor Conference 2007; COH at Citigroup 2007 Retail Field Trip and Conf; Credit Suisse Digital Media, Memory & Storage Conf; GWR, REST, UTIW, ISLE, WW at Deutsche Bank Securities 2007 Small Cap Growth Conf; HTRN, HUM, AGL, CRVL, HYTM at UBS Annual Healthcare Conf; LI, R,WERN, YRCW, JBHT at BB&T Capital Markets Transportation Services Conf; Moody's LF Monthly Teleconference: Gaming & Environment; Piper Jaffray 5th Annual Aircraft Summit; PL, XL, PFG, PRU, ACGL at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; Fed: Bernanke testifies at Senate on policy.
Thursday: ARIA Investor & Analyst Day; ASD Analyst Meeting; CHKP Analyst Meeting; OMTR Analyst Meeting; SGXP Analyst Meeting; SYK Analyst Meeting; SIVB Management Access Day; ADSK, CNQR, SCUR, BOBJ, LWSN at Merrill Lynch Internet, Software & Services Conf; AFL, AIZ, CNA, MET, MBI at Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conf; HERO, ATW, DWSN, NTG, PKD at EnerCom Incorporated Oilservice Conf V; PACR, HBG, BNI, ACLI at BB&T Capital Markets Transportation Services Conf; Piper Jaffray 5th Annual Aircraft Summit; TUNE at Credit Suisse Digital Media, Memory & Storage Conf; Fed: Poole speaks to analysts; Bernanke testifies at Senate on policy..
Friday: ATPG, CRR, VQ, CSSV at EnerCom Incorporated Oilservice Conf; CHRW, EGLE, QbMAR, RAMS, UPS at BB&T Capital Markets Transportation Services Conf; Piper Jaffray 5th Annual Aircraft Summit; Early close for financial futures & option pits at 1 EST.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Bullish Call On Sigma Design

Sigma Design (SIGM) looks very bullish right now. Here is the quote from Down Jones News Wire:
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Nothing beats a monopoly. And life is even sweeter when simultaneously cozying up to a company that has a monopoly.

Just ask Sigma Designs Inc. (SIGM). In the area of Internet protocol television, or IPTV, Sigma enjoys an enviable position: a close relationship with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), which has the dominant IPTV platform. Sigma supplies 75% of the chips that go into IPTV set-top boxes worldwide and its chips are, for now, the only ones that work with Microsoft's platform. Meanwhile, IPTV, the technology that allows phone carriers to offer TV service on their networks, has gotten a huge amount of interest as carriers look for
ways to boost growth. In the last two years, shares of the Milpitas, Calif.,
company have practically tripled. The stock doubled in 2006, hitting an all-time high of $29.12 in December. Despite Sigma's strong move up, Wall Street is still quite bullish about the company.
Sigma "right now benefits from a unique position ... the company has been the sole supplier of technology that is in high demand," said Tristan Gerra, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. Gerra, who rates the stock at outperform, has no conflicts to report.
Sigma's stock has taken a bit of a breather in 2007, declining $3 amid concerns about the backdating of stock options. The company's investigation into backdating, which is still ongoing, delayed financial filings in December. Pundits fear possible management upheaval as a result of the investigation. The company also faces emerging competition. And because Sigma is dependent on a limited number of major customers - a single customer in Asia accounted for a quarter of total net revenue in fiscal 2006 - the company is subject to the delays and whims of a few.
But with the strategic outlook of the company, and IPTV, largely upbeat, analysts believe the company's stock price still has room to grow. At $27, Sigma shares are, on an absolute basis, at historical highs, but since the company's earnings have also improved, valuations are not necessarily rich.
Sigma is now trading at about 20 times Gerra's estimated fiscal 2008 earnings of $1.34 a share. That puts Sigma at the higher end of valuations within its group, which includes companies such as Broadcom Corp. (BRCM) and STMicroelectronics NV (STM). Analysts say Sigma's above-average gross margins and fast-growing top and bottom line justify its steeper price. Moreover, the company's valuation is within the 20-times to 30-times range that the group historically trades in.
Gerra has a price target of $30, or 22 times estimated fiscal 2008 earnings, while Jeff Schreiner at American Technology Research has a target of $34, or 25 times estimated fiscal 2008 earnings.

David Vs. Goliath

Sigma Designs' outlook wasn't always rosy. The company, originally a maker of computer video and graphic boards, transformed itself into a chip maker seven years ago. Times were hard initially. IPTV didn't garner much interest and the company sold its product to small- to medium-sized telecommunications carriers.

"We had secured a strong position in the market but the market was small," said Ken Lowe, Sigma's vice president of strategic marketing.
The whole semiconductor industry came under pressure in 2001 and Sigma's shares plunged to the $1 and $2 range. But things started looking up when Microsoft got into the IPTV market a few years ago. Top carriers started paying attention; IPTV hit the big time.
Sigma's singular focus on media processing paid off. While larger chipmakers such as STMicroelectronics and Broadcom played in various parts of the semiconductor market, Sigma plugged away in its niche, refining designs and courting customers.
"It's a David and Goliath," said Schreiner. "This is the one thing Sigma does and does well." Schreiner, who has a buy rating, does not have any conflicts to report.
The cable and telecommunications industries have, in recent years, been gripped by a feverish desire to expand into new markets. In the U.S., cable's success with the "triple play" of phone, Internet and TV service inspired phone carriers to come out with similar bundles. In Europe and Asia, where IPTV rollouts are far ahead of the U.S., phone carriers have looked to IPTV as a way to grow in an otherwise mature market.
Sigma's early entry into the IPTV market gave it a window of opportunity. But the party is ending soon. STMicro, a chip maker much bigger than Sigma, says its 7109 chip will be in some Microsoft-based IPTV set-top boxes in the second half of the year.
"Within a year we will have a very strong market share in IPTV," said John Rossi, vice president of market development in STMicro's consumer business unit. STMicro has extensive experience with cable and satellite companies and is a market leader providing chips to those sectors, he said.
Sigma knows its current dominance won't last forever.
"The market will get split up a little bit," Lowe acknowledged, but "we have roadmap in place that has us bringing out next generation capabilities later this year." The company is also bracing for lower industry prices as competition emerges.
What the company offers is a depth of experience, Lowe said. Also, as the incumbent IPTV chip provider, Sigma has the upper hand. Swapping out chips is no easy task. Customers have to tailor a set-top box's software to make it compatible, which takes months. To want to switch chip providers, "there has to be a substantial reason," Lowe said.
Anticipating increased competition, Sigma is looking into new markets. It supplies many of the chips for new-breed Blu-Ray DVD players and sells chips that go into high-definition television sets. Both markets are heating up this year.
(Ellen Sheng covers the cable and satellite TV industries for Dow Jones
Newswires.)
-By Ellen Sheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5863; ellen.sheng@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Thursday Stocks to Watch

The market is down slightly after the retail sale report announced this morning. Overall the market is relatively quite. No major reaction to the report. It was down more in the morning. But it then recovered from its lows. For tech stocks, we will wait for Broadcom (BRCM)'s report after close tonight. It is expected to report inline as expected. The only question is "will it get the iPhone contract?" It could be big for the stock if it gets the iPhone deal.

Advancers:
(SINA) - better than expected earning
(SLNK) - takeover by Polycom
(TTEC) - good earning
(EMC) - new IPO for its VMWare
(CTRN) - good comparable sale announcement. It looks weak to me on the chart

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Wednesday Stocks to Watch

The market is trading mixed in the afternoon. The DOW is down slightly, but Nasdaq and SP500 are both up. The tech market is helped by the earning of Cisco (CSCO) as well as a few of the semi cap equipment companies like (FEIC), (AEIS), and (BRKS). These small and mid cap stocks were up with over 10%. DOW is waiting for Disney (DIS)'s earning after the bell.

Advancers:
(AEIS) - expect good report after close?
(FEIC) - great earning report
(CSCO) - bellwether with great earning
(SWS) - financial company with great earning

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Tuesday Stocks to Watch

The market is making a comeback in the afternoon. It opened higher, then it sank, it came back. The sink is mostly due to the higher price of oil and natural gas due to colder winter in the recent weeks. The semi companies were taking some small hits today after National Semi (NSM) forecast lower revenue in the coming quarters.

The uptrend still looks very promising. The market is trading in very narrow range.

Advancers:
(NUAN) - better than expected earning
(GROW) - broke out of the $50 and traded above the recent trading range (mentioned yesterday)
(DWSN) - better than expected earning and in the good oil sector
(NOV) - better than expected earning and in the good oil sector
(IFOX) - no news, maybe better news is coming? Volume has doubled

Monday, February 05, 2007

Monday Stocks To Watch

The market is trading mixed in the afternoon. No major news came out today. Watch for Cisco (CSCO)'s earning after close Tuesday. I do not believe this is a major market mover any more since its year 2000 tech maniac days. But you should still keep your eye on the stock which may affect stocks likes (JNPR) and other networker as well as other semi stocks which supply components to the Cisco world.

Advancers:
(SIMO) - continue from last Friday's earning strength. I missed read from Sandisk (SNDK)'s terrible earning report, days before (SIMO)
(OMRI) - continues its recent uptrend
(CTSH) - great earning this morning
(GROW) - up from its declining trend. It brought its recent trading ranges, looks bullish right now.

Decliners (not to be in the shorting market right now)

Friday, February 02, 2007

Event To Watch Next Week

Info from Yahoo that is worth watching:

Earnings Preview for the week of Feb 5th-9th:
Monday: ATRS, CTSH, HERO, HUM, IPS,OSTK, PMI, APC, BLKB, EW, IKAN, LVS, QSII, RCII, SOHU, TZIX, and WMS.
Tuesday: ADP, RATE, ELNK, IACI, ISE, LFUS, NOOF, TYC, WWY, ACTS, CELL, BOBJ, CAKE, CSCO, XRAY, WIRE, GCOM, IVAC, RENT, TWTC, and TZOO.
Wednesday: ARXT, DTV, NRGY, ICE, MEDI, NSW.A, OSIS, SNWL, AKAM, ACL, ROCK, MOGN, PACR, and DIS.
Thursday: AUO, CSK, CXW, DO, ESRX, FLIR, RAIL, GCA, LCLT, MGAM, PMTI, PENN, PEP, Q, RAI, TRB, WMI, KAR, BMC, BRCM, CSTR, DRIV, DIVX, DRRX, EQ, ITMN, LPNT, NAPS, NEW, PNRA, PWAV, SIMG, SPRT, and VSTA.
Friday: ALU, CVH, MA, NNI, QMED, WY, and WLSC.

Conference/Events Calendar for the week of February 5th-9th
Monday:
BBG Analyst Meeting; TXT Analyst Meeting; ELOS Investor Meeting; BBG, LNG at Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit; HIFN, WAVX, CTXS, SNWL at America's Growth Capital 3rd Annual Information Security Conf; MNKD, ISIS, NURO at Leerink Swann & Company Diabetes Roundtable Conf; ARRS, MSCC, GNSS, TSRA, CRAY at Thomas Weisel Partners 2007 Technology Conf; TMTA to Host Business Update Conf Call..
Tuesday: STT Analyst Meeting; SUNW Analyst Meeting- Sun Analyst Summit 2007 (SAS); FCS, MSCC, OIIM at Piper Jaffray Analog Summit; AVY, KNMT, JEC, COL, SEE at Lehman Brothers Industrial Select Conf; CRUS, VECO, MERX, SGTL, STAK at Thomas Weisel Partners 2007 Technology Conf; OMRI, THRX, IART, MATK, RDYN at Merrill Lynch Global Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device Conf; PCP, SINT, ATK, MRCY, NOC at Cowen and Company Aerospace/Defense Conf; PRB, TEC at IPAA Small Cap Oil & Gas Investment Symposia; WLL, CHK, CXG, D at Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit; Fed: Bernanke speaks on currencies; Moskow speaks local planning summit; Yellen talks on the the Asian financial crisis.
Wednesday: FFIV Analyst/Investor Meeting; WBSN Analyst Meeting; HOTT Sales Release; AEOS January Sales Results; BHI, END, FTI, HERO at Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit; COF, MS, NTRS, BAC, CME at Credit Suisse Group Financial Services Forum; COL, AH, SXE at Cowen and Company Aerospace/Defense Conf; CTXS, CRM, COGN, RHT, LNUX at Credit Suisse 2007 Disruptive Technology Conf; FEIC, IM, WDC, LDIS, MOSY at Thomas Weisel Partners 2007 Technology Conf; GDP, NGAS, ABP, FXEN, TEC at IPAA Small Cap Oil & Gas Investment Symposia; MNKD, BRL at Merrill Lynch Global Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device Conf; OPSW at RSA Conf 2007; PH, ARM, DD at Lehman Brothers Industrial Select Conf; PURE at Friedland Capital Life Sciences Conf; WTS, AME, AOS, BEZ, GGG at Gabelli & Company 17th Annual Pump Valve & Motor Conf; Fed: Plosser talks economic outlook.
Thursday: EK Analyst Meeting; SNWL Analyst Day; STJ 2007 Analyst Day; FDO Sales Release; ARO January Sales Release; TGT January 2007 Sales Release; LTD January 2007 Sales Release; CKR to Report Same-Store Sales Results for Period 13 of Fiscal Year 2007; ALKS, CAH, OSIP, IDIX, PPCO at Merrill Lynch Global Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Medical Device Conf; APC at Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit; FLS, RBN, CR, BEZ, PNR at Gabelli & Co 17th Annual Pump Valve & Motor Conf; GR, APD, ROK at Lehman Brothers Industrial Select Conf; SLM at Credit Suisse Group Financial Services Forum; TOL 2007 1st Quarter Outlook Conf Call; WBSN at RSA Conf 2007; WEBX at Credit Suisse 2007 Disruptive Technology Conf.
Friday: SNWL, CNQR at Credit Suisse 2007 Disruptive Technology Conf; USB, BSC, WFC, ICE at Credit Suisse Group Financial Services Forum; VQ, GW, BJS, RDC at Credit Suisse Group Energy Summit; Fed: Poole speaks to managers.

Friday Stocks to Watch

The market is mixed in the afternoon. While the DOW is down slightly, Nasdaq is up slightly, and S&P 500 is up slightly as well. Google (GOOG) continues its downtrend from yesterday's high volume sell-off. As I have mentioned before, I would not buy it until it holds its support at around $450.

Advancers:
(ISRG) - good earning report
(AVZA) - good earning report for this very small cap semi company. I would buy it when it is closed to its previous high. Otherwise it is very risky.
(ERTS) - decent earning. If you bought in before earning yesterday, you could make $1.5 per share today. It is a hold for now until it is close to your buying point. Stop at $51.
(OMRI) - new 52-week high at $36.80. One of my old time favorite. I got in at around $17 a few months ago if you track my old blogs. More upside can be seen soon.

Decliners - no need to mention, avoid losers.
(RACK) - if you bought it a month ago after it surged from its lows, you would have lose money again. Never buy weak stocks in a bull market.

Watch for Cisco (CSCO)'s earning report from next week. It is expected to beat the estimate. Have a buy stop at its 52-week high.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Thursday Stocks to Watch

The market is see-sawing all day. The DOW is making all time high, and Nasdaq is high and down throughout the day. Google (GOOG) did not advance even though the earning report was beating expectation. But it is not good enough with the valuation it has. I believe it may have more down sides for the stock. Maybe $450 -$460 is the support line. I would avoid buying and holding the stock for now.

Advancers:
(GILD) - blow-out earning and upgrades
(WEBX) - another good earning report
(SIMO) - expected good earning before open tomorrow? It is the same industry as SandDisk (SNDK). I would not bet with this one.
(REFR) - news on Hitachi is using its technology, highly risky small cap stock
(CRR) - Beat estimate

Amazon (AMZN) and Electronic Arts (ERTS) will announce after close tonight. (ERTS) maybe a better play than (AMZN).