Tag - Dd

Stocks traded downward today with fresh worries about the economy. Stocks put in their steepest decline in six weeks with nearly all industries getting pulled down on investor concerns of consumer reluctance to spend. Indeed, American consumers have closed their wallets so tightly that the personal savings rate, as released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, was over 5% at the end of Q2 2009. This contrasts to 1% at the beginning of the economic downturn.

The Dow closed down 186 to finish at 9,136 with Alcoa (NYSE:AA), American Express (NYSE:AXP), Caterpiller (NYSE:CAT), and DuPont (NYSE:DD) the leaders in the declining stock prices in the index.

The Nasdaq finished the trading session at 1,931, down 55 points and the S&P 500 finished at 980, down 24 points.

The Russell 2000, a composite of leading small-cap stocks, ended the day at 548, down 16 points.

Small-cap price leaders today include Align Technology (Nasdaq:ALGN), up 29%; Protalix BioTherapeutics, (Amex:PLX), up 11%; and CryoLife (NYSE:CRY), 10%.
 
*****30 Hour work week the new normal

Economic analysts were out in full force last week as headline data pointed to a recovery in employment. Although people may have started finding jobs, we question the quality of work being found by new workers.

After the Japanese financial crisis in the late 1980s, many of Japanese workers ended up working on temporary jobs that didn't have good salaries and benefits. Perhaps the U.S. is entering a similar phase.

Over the past year and a half companies have slashed budgets and expenses. Businesses are more likely to hire low cost temporary help until the economy starts to show significant changes. Part-time jobs usually have lower pay and part-time jobs don't have many of the benefits that full-time jobs have.

In past recessions, businesses would hang onto valued employees and many times increase their salary levels. This recession has proven different. There is a large number of highly educated people competing for menial jobs. This has given businesses an opportunity to hire skilled workers at bargain rates.

*****An insider's look at the housing numbers.

Inside Mortgage Finance sponsored a nationwide survey of 1,556 real-estate agents in mid-June. Their results bring up important data that contradicts many of the figures we have been reading in the past few weeks.
They unanimously acknowledge that the low end of the market is cranking. This area of the market is primarily driven by foreclosures, first-time buyers, and investors. The numbers show that near 43% of homebuyers are first-time homebuyers, 29% are current homeowners, and another 29% are investors. 
Unfortunately, their findings show that the high end of the market is dead. This area of the real estate market remains very weak because sellers are still in denial, existing homeowners aren't trading up, and there are fewer foreclosures and forced sales at the high end.

For those who already own houses, "affordability" is not a particularly meaningful measure of housing-market health. The main reason is because existing home owners cannot sell their current property at break-even levels, let alone a little profit.

*****No Inflation

Last week CPI came in about as expected. Although prices are rising slightly, CPI remains negative taking into account year over year changes.

A sign of confidence that U.S. inflation should remain under control is that foreign governments have been switching out of shorter-term U.S. government bills and into longer-dated bonds. Last week, when the U.S. government issued $75 billion in new bonds, 10-year notes made up the largest percentage since 2005.

*****Managed America

So there's where we are: shorter work weeks (read: less take-home pay), home values gone bust, homeowners stuck in their homes, and inflation initially non-existent. These are some of the themes I recently shared with investors in my Managed America: Investing in the New Economic Reality. During the presentation I shared with investors some of our top holding for the new economy and the strategies we'll employ for profits in the months and years ahead. The presentation is in replay mode and is open access (free): click HERE to watch now.

Regards,

Ian Wyatt
Editor
Small Cap Investor Daily

 

Small-cap stocks pushed higher Tuesday, shrugging off record low consumer confidence as investors scavenged for bargains on beaten down bank and financial shares, hoping that President Obama’s pick to lead the Treasury will make quick moves to bolster bank balance sheets and mop up toxic assets. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed higher for the third consecutive session, gaining 5.53, or 1.23%, to 455.58. The Russell is still down 8.8% for the year, while the Dow is off 6.8% and the S&P 500 is down 6.3%.

Timothy Geithner – Obama’s nominee to head the Treasury Department – was finally confirmed by lawmakers late Monday and investors are hoping he will move rapidly to utilize government funds to help out banks. Obama himself even said today that the government will need to step up to help out banks with troubled assets, which was the original purpose of the TARP bailout plan before getting sidetracked during the waning days of the Bush Administration. The prospect of a “bad bank” set up to absorb troubled assets was back in play today, with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd saying the idea made “some sense.”

For the day, bank stocks were up 3.3%, while financial shares gained 3.5%. But the upside progress wasn’t necessarily spread all around as retail stocks, airlines and some commodity groups struggled. The S&P Retail Index dipped 1.3%, with home-related retailers struggling. The AMEX Airline Index tumbled 6.9%, with Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL), the world’s largest carrier, going into a 20% tailspin after releasing crummy earnings.

Gold stocks also took a nosedive today, and commodities in general were struggling, even though the U.S. dollar was pretty much flat against the euro and yen. The Commodity Research Bureau Index fell some 3% on the day, powered by a big decline in crude oil prices. The market for “black gold” tumbled 9%, or $4.15 a barrel, to $41.58, pressured by worries about demand amid the recession and . . .

Small-cap stocks edged higher as earnings were a little better than feared (though still weak overall) and as investors are hoping for quick action from the Treasury Department now that the confirmation of Obama’s new Treasury leader has been wrapped up. However, soft readings on consumer confidence appeared to stall buying interest. At 10:05 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 2.34, or 0.52%, at 452.40.

The consumer confidence report came in at 37.7, below the forecast of 39, and which pulled equity markets slightly off the early highs. Earlier today, the Case-Shiller Home Price Index fell 2.2% in November from the previous month and was down 18.2% from year-ago levels, which marks a record decline in home values. The month-over-month decline was slightly worse than forecast, but the stock index futures seemed to weather the data well ahead of the opening. Although this data series looks gloomy, Monday’s existing home sales report came in above expectations and helped fuel a rise in equities. On Thursday, new home sales data will help provide further information about the housing market.

Some of the early rise in equities was tied to optimism that the Treasury Department will now act quickly to bolster bank balance sheets and fuel lending now that Timothy Geithner has been confirmed to the top post at the Treasury.

Earnings news this morning was mixed, with Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXI) missing the forecast, but the stock was holding steady shortly after the opening. Du Pont and Co. (NYSE:DD) lowered the 2009 outlook and was off about 1% this morning, while Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) basically met the forecast, but was down 5%. On the upside, United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:X) released strong results and rose 7%.

Crude oil futures fell about $2 a barrel shortly after the opening, pulled down by worries about growing inventories ahead of the weekly stockpile tally from the American Petroleum Institute this afternoon and the Energy Information Association on Wednesday. Oil stocks were a strong performer Monday despite sloppy . . .

U.S. stocks are expected to open modestly higher, with support tied to the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary while weak profits hamper buying interest. Stocks in Europe and Asia were mixed overnight, with Europe down on weak metals and chemical firms, while Asia was up on takeover optimism. The Dow was expected to open 40 points higher, while the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was seen up 0.5% near 452.00.

On the earnings front, Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE:TXI) missed the estimate after the closing bell Monday afternoon and DuPont and Co. (NYSE:DD) reported a loss and trimmed the 2009 forecast, which continues a gloomy earnings season.

Crude oil prices were off about $1 a barrel ahead of the stock market open, which could weigh on energy shares after that group was a major upside influence on Monday’s rally. Copper prices tumbled 5% in overseas trading last night amid ample supplies, which is a worrisome note for the global economy as copper is a key ingredient for building materials. The U.S. dollar was basically flat against both the euro and the yen this morning, while Treasury markets were modestly higher.

The chart picture for small caps shows that the market is trapped in a mini-range loosely defined by the inauguration day collapse. A decisive breach in either direction of that range (defined by 466.45 on the upside; 433.65 on the downside) . . .

Small-cap stocks unraveled in the final hour of trading as the weight of crumbling commodity stocks, a raft of sloppy profit reports and another batch of dreary economic data countered a sturdy performance in retail, homebuilder and bank stocks. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) closed down 14.23, or 3.14%, at 439.53, the sixth lowest daily close in more than five years. For 2008, the Russell is off 43%, while the Dow is down 37% and the S&P 500 is down 42%.

Energy shares were a major drag on the market today, with crude oil prices tumbling to the lowest level in nearly four years as energy traders fretted about a global recession which would continue to destroy the demand side of the equation. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund tumbled nearly 7%.

The story in commodities ran deeper than just the energy market, however. Copper prices – which are considered a key industrial metal and a proxy for economic health – slumped to the lowest closing price in more than three years, losing 5% during U.S. trading. The Commodity Research Bureau Index of 19 physical markets slipped 3.7% and made new bear market lows, a troubling development when stock market watchers are eagerly trying to find a bottom in equities. The CRB Index is now down 54% from the July peak and is at the lowest point in more than six years.

The market started out the day on shaky footing, as several prominent companies either missed profit projections or lowered guidance. In addition, several firms announced plans for sizable layoffs, a chilling thought heading into Friday’s monthly employment report. DuPont (NYSE:DD) missed the forecast badly, and said it would cut 2,500 jobs, while AT&T (NYSE:T) said it would slash 12,000 jobs. Those sobering jobs reductions came into the teeth of today’s weekly report on unemployment claims. Even though the weekly figure was below projections, the number of Americans who are out of work and forced to file for extended unemployment benefits rose to the highest point in 26 years.

Despite all the dreary news afloat, small-cap stocks actually spent much of the session in positive territory before the final hour meltdown. Homebuilder stocks, retailers and financial issues staged solid rallies most of the day, which . . .

Small-cap stocks started out Thursday’s trading session in the red, but quickly bounded back into positive territory showing similar resilience to “bad” news that was seen during Wednesday’s rise. So far today, investors were juggling a raft of disappointing profit reports against the bullish scenario from a fresh batch of rate cuts around the world. At 10:03 a.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was up 7.20, or 1.59%, at 460.96.

Several big companies announced plans to reduce workforce numbers this morning, reinforcing the concept that the jobs picture will get uglier before it gets better -- a numbing thought ahead of Friday’s big monthly employment release. There was a bevy of companies that either missed the profit forecast this morning, or lowered the outlook, but the one that seemed to spark the biggest response in pre-market trading was E I du Pont de Nemours and Co. (NYSE:DD), as chemical manufacturer DuPont said it now expects to lose money this quarter versus a previous projection for a profit. In addition, DuPont said it would cut 2,500 jobs. AT&T (NYSE:T) said it would slash some 12,000 jobs.

Economic data on weekly unemployment claims came in better than feared, but the expectations were so terrible that the upside surprise on claims didn’t have much kick. After all, the headline figure still came in above 500,000, which is a big number historically. What’s more, the number of Americans extending unemployment insurance because they can’t find a job rose to the highest point in 26 years. Simply put, firms are laying off employees and they can’t find work. The factory orders report this morning came in at minus 5.1%, which was worse than the forecast for a drop of 3.8% and which was the biggest decline in more than eight years.

In overnight action, central bankers around the world were busy slashing interest rates to help bolster sagging economic activity. The European Central Bank sliced 100 basis points off their benchmark rate, bringing it down to 2%. Meanwhile, . . .

Small-cap stocks are expected to push lower on the opening, with support from a raft of rate cuts around the world overnight countered by concerns over profit outlooks and worries over monthly retailer sales tallies. Stock index futures were down about 1.5% in pre-market trading, which suggests the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) will open near 447.50.

European stocks were higher after European Central Bank officials slashed 75 basis points off their benchmark lending rate, which was more aggressive than expected. However, European shares slipped into the negative after El du Pont de Nemours and Co. (NYSE:DD) revised their profit outlook downward this morning. The DuPont news added to a dreary tally of fresh profit/outlook concerns from several companies, including Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq:CRUS), Intersil Corp. (Nasdaq:ISIL) and Jo-Ann Stores Inc. (NYSE:JAS).

Back to the rate cut news, the Bank of England, Sweden’s Riksbank, New Zealand authorities and even Indonesia cut lending rates overnight as central bank officials around the world strive to battle the economic downturn.

The weekly claims report this morning came in at 509,000, which is historically a big number, but which was actually below the forecast of 540,000. The four-week moving average on claims rose to 524,500 which was above 518,250 from . . .

Stocks are continuing to crumble midday after crude oil and the greenback hit records. Lackluster outlooks from juggernauts Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) and DuPont (NYSE:DD) also weighed down the market.

At 1:28 p.m. ET, the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) toppled 17.6 points, or 2.45%, to 700.04, while the Dow sunk 137.11 points, or 1.07%, to a level of 12,687.91.

Crude oil climbed to an intraday record of $120 a barrel, as the dollar hit a new low against the euro. The greenback climbed to $1.60 per euro for the first time after the European Central Bank signaled it will not slash interest rates due to inflation concerns Oil also spiked on a Nigerian supply disruption.

“Over the last 24 hours, four ECB speakers state that they’re concerned about inflation — one going as far as to say that they’re considering raising rates every month going forward,” Andy Busch, BMO Capital Markets global ethics strategist said. “This is part of why the U.S. dollar has come under so much pressure from the euro.”

In economic news, the National Association of Realtors said this morning that existing-home sales slid 2% in the month of March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.93 million from a level of 5.03 million in February. The sales number was . . .

Small-cap stocks opened lower, and at 10:01 a.m. ET the Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down 9.43, or 1.31%, at 708.57. Small-cap issues paced the early slump in U.S. equities, as the Dow was only off about 0.6%.

The 10:00 a.m. ET release of Existing Home Sales data was on target with analyst forecasts and had very little immediate impact on the market.

The home sales was the first economic release so far this week, and given a dearth of economic data, the market has been focused on the never-ending run of quarterly earnings releases. From afar, the numbers haven’t really looked that great, but soft returns were expected, and so far the market is higher into the initial earnings push.

The latest batch of big-name earnings releases into today’s action served up a mixed bag, with Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) missing the forecast, while DuPont (NYSE:DD) beat the estimate. Texas Instruments was under selling pressure this morning, last down 4% after the chipmaker said the soft economy and sluggish demand for cell phones would hurt second-quarter results. DuPont’s strong earnings were fueled by agriculture products and overseas demand.

Commodity markets appear to be on a modest roll today, which could provide a boost to commodity-linked stocks if the trend remains in play throughout the session. Crude oil made new highs overnight and remains on a bid, lifted by civil unrest in producing state Nigeria, a refinery strike in Scotland and a Japanese tanker hit by rocket fire off the coast of Yemen. Gold and grains are also expected to hit the ground running in U.S. trading action this morning.

Financial shares in Europe were hit hard overnight, with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays down in the 4% range as those banks navigate through . . .

Small-cap stocks are expected to open slightly lower Tuesday, in line with mild declines in after-hours trading. The Russell 2000 (NYSE:IWM) was down about 0.3% overnight, which would translate to a cash opening near 716. Look for initial support for the Russell this morning at 714, then at 709 and 705. On the upside, resistance remains near 724, then at 731.

The market’s pullback Tuesday was confined to an inside session move, and was consistent with a mild overbought correction. As long as the market doesn’t sink through 709, it won’t endanger the advance from late last week.

Stock indices around the world were narrowly mixed overnight, with Japan’s Nikkei down 1%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng up 0.8% and Europe markets slightly mixed depending on the nation. The U.S. dollar was flat to soft overnight, crude oil remained bid amid strife in producing country Nigeria, a refinery strike in Scotland . . .

With asphalt additives, sealants and duct-tape supreme, Chase Corp. (AMEX: CCF) is keeping the edgy infrastructure in the United States from cracking up. There’s a lot to do and Chase is doing its share. Through acquisitions and efficient operations, Chase is forging a foundation of profit and revenue growth.

That’s what happens when you’re exploiting niches in an industry in need. Bridgewater, Mass.-based Chase, founded in 1946, has eight core product lines. These include the asphalt additives and joint sealants for paving roads and bridges, tapes for natural gas and oil pipeline repair, and tapes for electrical and telecom wire repair. It also makes coatings for printed circuit boards, durable papers for radio-frequency identification tags, custom printed labels and packaging materials. The company also has a smaller electronic manufacturing services division.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2008 ended Nov. 30, Chase reported this month an 11% gain to revenues to $34.6 million, compared to the same period the previous year. Diluted earnings per share increased 32% to $0.41, up from $0.31. The quarter’s success followed a similar 2007, when revenues increased to $127.5 million, up from $108.4 in 2006. Earnings per share were $1.22 in 2007, up from $0.77.

Chase’s power stroke is coming from highway and bridge construction products, and pipeline expansion and upgrades. Federal money earmarked for highways is driving spending on transportation infrastructure, and last summer’s bridge collapse in Minnesota also is likely to mark additional spending on repair and maintenance of bridges, says Robert Damron, analyst at 21st Century Equity Research, in an October report as he initiated coverage with a “strong buy” rating.

Higher energy costs also are spurring expansion and upgrades of national gas and oil pipelines, says Damron, the sole analyst covering the company. Management is consolidating and integrating many separately-run companies to increase cross-selling opportunities and reduce duplicate costs.

“Don’t use up all the hot water!”

If you’ve ever uttered this, and many of us have while impatiently waiting to shower in the mornings, then your torrid water saviour might well be LSB Industries, Inc. (AMEX: LXU), formed in 1968.

The Oklahoma City-based small cap has two core businesses: chemicals and indoor climate control, but the key to the company’s growth are water source heat pumps (WSHP) and renewable energy geothermal heat pumps (GSP). Sales of these pumps surged 58% to $134 million in 2006 from 2005 and so far in the first nine months of 2007 have grown 30% from 2006 levels.

WSHP's are conventional cooling and heating units connected to a central HVAC system with a cooling tower and small boiler. They help move heat from zone to zone in a building and reduce both energy use and cost. LSB has a 43% U.S. market share for this pump.

Revenues for LSB Industries are split almost equally between the chemicals and indoor climate control segments: For the latter, LSB targets specialized niches of HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) building systems. The company enjoys a 41% U.S. market share in hydronic fans coils (air-handling units used in large commercial buildings). Its installed base of three million units includes placements in such New York City landmarks as Rockefeller Center and the Trump Tower.

In May 2007, Business Week named LXU one of its 100 hottest growth companies. The next month, the shares were added to the Russell 2000 and 3000 indices, making LXU a "must-have" stock for funds that track these indices.

With a growing emphasis on green energy, LSB is the nation's leading geothermal heat pump supplier with a 43% market share. Roughly 3/4 of the energy budget for a single-family house is consumed by heating, air conditioning and generating hot water. A geothermal HVAC system replaces a conventional source such as a natural gas furnace and dramatically reduces heating costs since the earth provides "free" energy.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) went into freefall and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) tumbled on fears of problems in the U.S. credit market. The small-cap index fell 23.76 points, or 2.84%, to 811.86, its biggest point drop since Feb. 27, to the lowest closing level since April 11, when it ended at 808.24. The Dow lost 226.47 points, or 1.62%, to 13,716.95.

Investors opted for the exits after poor quarterly earnings from key industry players sparked fears that the fallout from the sagging U.S. housing sector has spread beyond the subprime lending market.

Calabasas, Calif.-based Countrywide Financial Corp. (NYSE: CFC), which is the largest U.S. mortgage lender and a barometer of the state of the housing sector, started the day’s bearish mood when it reported that its second-quarter net income fell about 33%.

CEO Angelo Mozilo blamed softening home prices, rising delinquencies and defaults as borrowers struggled to repay loans taken out before the housing boom came to a halt in the second half of 2006.

The Russell 2000 (NYSE: IWM) has lost three times as much as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) as stocks drop on news of disappointing earnings and mortgage market concerns.

At 10:50 a.m. ET the Russell 2000 was down 13.19 points, or 1.58%, to 822.43. The Dow had lost 62.02 points, or 0.44%, to 13,881.40.

Calabasas, Calif.-based Countrywide Financial Corp. (NYSE: CFC), which is the largest U.S. mortgage lender and serves as a barometer of the state of the housing sector, reported this morning that its second-quarter net income fell to $485.1 million, or $0.81 per share, compared with $722.2 million, or $1.15  per share, a year earlier.

That’s below the consensus estimate of 14 analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who were looking for earnings of $0.95 per share.

The Russell 2000 futures have turned south and the small-cap index is likely to open in negative territory on concerns that credit problems could dampen corporate earnings.

With little in the way of economic news, investor sentiment is driven by earnings.

Wilmington, Del.-based chemicals company E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Comp. (NYSE: DD), better known as DuPont, reported flat second quarter earnings compared with a year earlier as the depressed U.S. housing sector lowered demand for paint and kitchen countertops.

A recent infusion of big-time talent has things looking up for a beaten-down microcap software play in the human resource management sector.

After years of largely profit-less growth, Burlingame, Calif.-based Workstream Inc. (Nasdaq: WSTM) could finally be poised to turn the corner under a recently revamped management team. In February, Deepak Gupta, the former general manager and founder of PeopleSoft’s On Demand software unit, was named chief executive of tiny $56 million Workstream. Prior to PeopleSoft, Gupta was the chief architect of Oracle Corporation’s (Nasdaq: ORCL) hosting business and the global leader for the software giant’s middleware line.

Since the hiring of Gupta, a string of heavy hitters from established enterprise software leaders have also joined Workstream’s executive ranks. This impressive group of new sales & marketing hires hail from Oracle, PeopleSoft, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) and Kronos among other well-known software companies. While it remains to be seen if Gupta can charge up Workstream’s top-line growth and lead this microcap software play to profitability, he certainly has attracted a high-caliber management team that has tasted success before.

Founded a little over a decade ago, Workstream has historically focused its efforts on selling compensation, performance and talent management solutions to large enterprises (over 2,500 employees). Workstream’s 400 customers include such brand names as Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN), Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (NYSE: DD), The Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), the American Red Cross and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. In a bid to significantly expand its market opportunity, Workstream unveiled last month three new on-demand solutions for mid-sized businesses (between 100 and 2,500 employees). Workstream’s software frees companies from having to manually manage human resources processes using spreadsheets and paper documents for tracking.