"Overall, we believe quality technology stocks offer above-average growth potential and attractive valuations," says Gregory Dorsey.

In Stephen Leeb's The Complete Investor, he explains, "International Business Machines(NYSE: IBM) has plowed ahead despite a daunting economic and business environment; we are adding the stock to our Growth & Income Portfolio."

"For prudent investors in this challenging economy, most of the major technology companies are financially solid, often with little or no debt and lots of cash on their books. This makes them good long-term vehicles even if the economy remains off the rails for a prolonged period.

Continue reading IBM (IBM): Growth and value

IBM (IBM): Growth and value originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP), yesterday was fairly eventful. Not only did the company announce its Q4 earnings but also a $1.5 billion deal to purchase rival storage maker, Data Domain (NASDAQ: DDUP). The transaction comes to $25 per share.

No doubt, NetApp needs to find growth, as CFOs tighten information technology (IT) budgets. Keep in mind that Q4 revenues fell 6.2% to $879.6 million.

Continue reading NetApp bulks up on a $1.5 billion deal

NetApp bulks up on a $1.5 billion deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 May 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) had a weak Q2. According to the earnings release that was issued on Tuesday after the close of trading, revenues declined 3% on an adjusted basis.

If you strip out currency effects, then you get a gain of 3% on the top line. Either way, I'm not excited. And here's something else that wasn't so thrilling. Earnings per share on an adjusted basis came in at 86 cents. Last year at this time, Hewlett-Packard generated 87 cents per share. Not a great comparison.

Continue reading Hewlett-Packard: Good for the long term?

Hewlett-Packard: Good for the long term? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) reported dismal Q1 numbers as same-store sales plunged.
• Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) dismal Q2 results were in line with analysts' expectations.
• Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE) reported lower earnings and revenue for Q1 and offered no guidance.
• Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE: BBI) earnings, revenue, and same-store sales all fell in the first quarter.
• Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) Q1 earnings declined but still topped analysts' expectations.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Walmart, JCPenney, Freddie Mac, Playboy, Whole Foods and more

Earnings highlights: Walmart, JCPenney, Freddie Mac, Playboy, Whole Foods and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 16 May 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Red Hat 'inevitably' a target -- stock jumps 8%

Red Hat 'inevitably' a target -- stock jumps 8% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 May 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) provides a good mix of rising earnings estimates, worldwide exposure and a safe dividend," says analyst Alex Kolb from Zacks Research.

"IBM was incorporated in the State of New York in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., changing its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924.

"And with the strength of its global on-demand model, IBM is experiencing strong revenue growth in all geographies, with robust growth in emerging markets worldwide.

Continue reading IBM: For stability and growth

IBM: For stability and growth originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 15 May 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) reported strong Q1 results easily beat expectations.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings, helped by home refinancing.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) reported its first quarterly loss since 1992 and cut its revenue outlook.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) posted Q1 earnings that were in line with expectations, but shares fell.
• eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings despite a decline in sales.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Bank of America, Amazon, Coke, eBay, UPS, Yahoo!, IBM, and more

Earnings highlights: Bank of America, Amazon, Coke, eBay, UPS, Yahoo!, IBM, and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), a company in the same league as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), IBM (NYSE: IBM), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), reported earnings for the third quarter on Thursday after the bell. The company was able to meet the expectations of analysts. Which is a good thing, since last quarter the iconic software business issued a miss.

On an adjusted basis, Microsoft made 39 cents per share. As I said in my earnings preview, analysts were looking for that precise amount. Although Wall Street always wants to see companies go beyond expectations, I suppose we can be at least a little happy over this result. Microsoft is hurting, after all.

Continue reading Microsoft squeaks by in Q3

Microsoft squeaks by in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• eBay Bid Up as Buyers Dig Results
• For Apple, the Beat Goes On

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: It's go with the flow on tech stocks

Cramer on BloggingStocks: It's go with the flow on tech stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Jefferies upgraded Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) to Buy from Hold on expectations expanding OEM partnerships, new products and entry into new markets will drive long-term growth. The firm's channel checks indicate the first phase of an IBM (NYSE: IBM) deal for ethernet products will be announced next week. Jefferies raised its target price on the stock to $6 from $3.50.
  
• JMP Securities upgraded Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) to Market Perform from Underperform citing the potential settlement with Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM). The firm said Broadcom has far more to gain than Qualcomm has to lose.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Air Products (NYSE: APD) and Praxair (NYSE: PX) to Buy from Hold on expectations that an improvement in customer operating rates will benefit gas companies. The firm raised its target price on Air Products to $70 from $55 and on Praxair to $79 from $63.
  
• Royal Bank of Scotland upgraded BP Plc (NYSE: BP) to Buy from Hold to reflect its dividend yield at current levels.
• Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) was raised to Outperform from Underperform at RBC Capital.
  
• T. Rowe Price (NYSE: TROW) was upgraded at Sandler O'Neill to Hold from Sell.
  
• Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) was lifted to Neutral from Underperform at Banc of America/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: QCOM, AAPL, IBM, BP, MS, VMW, TVA ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: QCOM, AAPL, IBM, BP, MS, VMW, TVA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is set to report third-quarter earnings today after the close of trading. Analysts expect the software giant, whose competitors include IBM (NYSE: IBM), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), to earn 39 cents per share. Let's hope for a beat since Microsoft generated several pennies more per share in the previous year's similar quarter.

I don't feel a lot of confidence about this quarter. I'm sure everyone remembers Q2 back in January of this year. Microsoft released its earnings earlier than expected, but it wasn't to report great news. Instead, the company missed on the bottom line. Plus, management announced some workforce reductions. It wasn't a pleasant sight. The stock sold off, and shareholders felt miserable.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Will Microsoft miss again?

Earnings preview: Will Microsoft miss again? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Oracle Buys Sun in Data Center Land Grab
• IBM Stung by Currency Fluctuations

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Don't miss this moment in tech

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Don't miss this moment in tech originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IBM (NYSE: IBM), whose colleagues include Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), reported a very nice first quarter after the bell on Monday. To my way of thinking, at least. Wall Street was a little disappointed. In the after-hours session, shares were off well over 1%.

Don't look to earnings as the catalyst for the disappointment. IBM earned $1.70 per diluted share, and according to Reuters, that beat expectations by three pennies. The problem had to do with the top line. The same source said that the market was looking for $22.6 billion in net sales.

Unfortunately, IBM delivered only $21.7 billion in revenues. That represented an 11% drop if you don't exclude currency effects (excluding them gives you a decline of 4%, which sounds a lot better, certainly).

Continue reading IBM beats profit expectations, but misses on revenues

IBM beats profit expectations, but misses on revenues originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Today's announcement that Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) would acquire Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA) for $7.4 billion worth of cash left me scratching my head. The rationale? Something that Oracle's president calls non-GAAP earnings. Does this mean that Oracle's first acquisition of a hardware company makes strategic sense? I don't know.

I am not sure what non-GAAP earnings are, but it sounds like it is a special kind of accounting meant to justify a deal that would not look good on a GAAP basis. Safra Catz, Oracle's president, estimates that on a non-GAAP basis, the deal will add $1.5 billion in "non-GAAP operating profit" in the first year and $2 billion to that new measure in future years.

Continue reading Oracle pays $7.4 billion in cash for Sun Microsystems -- really?

Oracle pays $7.4 billion in cash for Sun Microsystems -- really? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Most investors consider Dell Computer (NASDAQ: DELL) a dog of a company. Since the firm's founder, Michael Dell, took over as CEO, his only real skill seems to be cutting costs. The firm has lost market share in the PC category and is behind companies like Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ) and International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) in the server business.

Continue reading Is the market wrong about Dell?

Is the market wrong about Dell? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Earnings prospects for companies in the information technology (IT) sector are surprisingly resilient, and one of the best-placed and most recession-resistant IT stocks is IBM (NYSE: IBM)," notes Elliott Gue.

In Personal Finance, he adds, "In the recession of 2001, tech stocks were among the hardest hit groups in the S&P 500, but that was mainly a hangover from the technology bubble of the late 1990s that saw many big-cap tech firms soar to unprecedented valuation levels.

"The tech sector today bears no resemblance to what it was in the early part of this decade. The S&P 500 IT sector now trades at a slight valuation premium to the S&P 500 as a whole, and many of the largest names have impressive, cash-heavy balance sheets.

Continue reading IBM: For tech gains, bets on Big Blue

IBM: For tech gains, bets on Big Blue originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded MF Global (NYSE: MF) to Outperform from Market Perform as it believes the company's liquidity position has improved and that it is well positioned to take market share. The firm raised its target on shares to $9.
  
• UBS upgraded Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $33 from $28 citing better than expected performance in Macau, valuation, and comfort with the balance sheet.
  
• Citigroup upgraded Brandywine Realty (NYSE: BDN) to Buy from Hold on valuation and believes progress on asset sales or financing could drive significant upside. The firm keeps a $4.50 price target on BDN.
• Joy Global (NASDAQ: JOYG) was raised to Neutral from Underweight at JP Morgan.
  
• Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) was lifted to Hold from Sell at Societe Generale.
  
• Cimarex Energy (NYSE: XEC) was upgraded at Banc of America/Merrill to Buy from Underperform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: MF, IBM, CSCO, RTP, BAC, C, ANF ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: MF, IBM, CSCO, RTP, BAC, C, ANF ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It seemed like a done deal. But in the high-stakes M&A game, things can easily fall to pieces.

Just look at IBM (NYSE: IBM). Over the weekend, the firm withdrew its $7 billion bid for Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA). It's yet another heart-breaker for beleaguered Sun shareholders.

Actually, according to the Wall Street Journal [a paid publication], it looks like IBM was the only company interested in a deal. So, even though Sun had little negotiating leverage, it acted as though it had a lot - that is, by holding out for a higher valuation and firmer deal protections (such as "change of control" clauses that provided Sun execs with lush payouts). Well, I guess IBM didn't need Sun that badly or if anything, was certainly willing to play hardball.

Continue reading IBM takes the nuclear option on the Sun deal

IBM takes the nuclear option on the Sun deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the Bell: When will the party end?

Before the Bell: When will the party end? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has walked out on its deal to buy Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA) -- or could just be using hardball negotiations to have its way on the price it is willing to pay. Word is that Sun's board is divided over the value of IBM's offer.

In either case, the value of Sun's stock is likely to go back to where it traded before the IBM buy-out rumor hit the street. That would be under $5. The stock closed at $8.49 on Friday.

According to Reuters, "The collapse of the talks, if final, would come as a surprise to Wall Street, which had seen the deal as a means for Sun's survival, as well as a way for IBM to compete more effectively against rivals like Hewlett-Packard." It would also leave Sun, one of the worst-managed tech companies in America, to fend for itself in a recession that has cut sharply into IT spending.

Sun has survived the last three years through cost cutting. In a good quarter over that period it has lost a modest amount of money. Since there are several larger companies competing with it for market share in the global server business, Sun's losses could grow considerably if another suitor does not come along. That is not likely. The only other company which could use Sun as a way to buy market share is Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), and it has not had any appetite for large acquisitions.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 24/7 Wall St.

IBM deal off: Sun's shares head back down to $5 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.