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U.S. car sales in March are expected to rise to 1,477,000 units, a 1.7% gain from a year ago . The pace is not the sort the industry came to expect in 2012 and 2013. However, the dealer traffic damage done by the poor winter weather has probably ended. According to Edmunds, a small number of the major brands will account for the improvement. First among these is Chrysler Group LLC, the ownership of which is controlled by Italian manufacturer Fiat. It has been – and still is — the smallest of The Big Three. In March it is expected to well outperform its two rivals Edmunds expects Chrysler sales to rise 11.1% from March 2013. It is the only one of the major brands which is predicted to have a double digit improvement. Unit sales are expected to reach 190,684. That will put its performance relatively close to Japanese juggernaut Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM), whose sales are expected at 207,531 units, up only 1.1%. This March had 26 selling days compared to 27 in March 2013. The top two spots will continue to be held by the traditional industry leaders. General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) sales should rise 0.5% to 247,101. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) sales are expected to rise 1.6% to 239,423. Industry laggard Volkswagen AG will continue to struggle with sales off 4.2% to 48,825. VW vies with GM and Toyota each year for the spot as the world’s largest car company by units sold. It is the leading car company in Europe, and competes for that title with China–the world’s largest car market. Without a strong foothold in the United States — the world’s second largest market – it will be nearly impossible to overtake either GM or VW. Chrysler’s improvement is especially impressive for two reasons. The first is the its does so poorly in customer satisfaction studies. In the latest J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, Chrysler ranked well below average, and its Jeep and Dodge brands did even worse. Chrysler also has a more modest model line than other large car companies. Its flagship division has two mainstays – -the 300 and 200. Jeep competes in a market packed with other SUVs. And its Dodge sports division competes with both U.S. sports line-ups and popular products from both Europe and Japan. Despite these barriers, Chrysler’s growth in March will be the envy of the industry
Shares of VMware (VMW), the virtualization infrastructure provider increased more than 20% this year thanks to several catalysts enjoyed by the company. In addition, the wide customer base of VMware's parent EMC's (EMC) and growing suite of solutions is also positive indicator for VMware investors who can expect the company's outperformance to continue. Going forward, VMware should continue to perform robustly with the continued growth in data consumption across the globe and growth of virtualization. Growth areas VMware is very well positioned to allow its customers to transition to the cloud. It allows IT teams to release resources from their client-server environments, and build the mobile cloud infrastructure to help them drive their businesses with its portfolio of solutions that range from the desktop, to the data center, to the cloud going forward. Its customers have great confidence in its ability to help them address IT requirements of both today and tomorrow as indicated by a robust performance in the fourth quarter and in 2013. VMware targets on three strategic priorities, and is executing well to accelerate growth and deliver in the long run. There's strong acceptance for SDDC (Software Defined Data Center) of VMware. NSX which is VMware's network virtualization platform is being adopted by Global brands such as McKesson (MCK), Starbucks (SBUX), Medtronic (MDT), Best Buy (BBY), and China Telecom (CHA) to make their networks more agile and efficient. IT management is an important component of SDDC, and it is growing quickly and also gaining share. The new cloud management capabilities added to the portfolio of VMware is allowing IT teams to move at a faster pace to support the requirements. The solid performance of VMware is driven by the launch of vCloud Hybrid Service in May last year, followed by general availability in the U.S. in September and beta availability in the U.K. in December. The hybrid cloud solutions of the company are received positively by the customers. Key acquisitions and other strategies VMware recently entered into an agreement to acquire AirWatch, a provider of enterprise global management and security solutions. This acquisition would improve VMware's end user computing group. Moreover, VMware's long-term growth will increase significantly by delivering a complete and proven enterprise-class solution for empowering the mobile workforce with the addition of AirWatch. Additionally, VMware became a key provider of desktop as a service (DaaS) solutions the acquisition of Desktone. There are positive result of this acquisition, with a rapid growth in partner community, including tier one service providers, and a robust pipeline of customers modernizing and shifting their desktop infrastructure to the cloud. VMware is witnessing good traction and revenue growth with its solutions allowing customers to minimize their costs for their existing IT environments, along with building out the mobile cloud infrastructure to power their businesses in the future. This can be seen from the fact that VMware's total bookings in Q4 in the EMEA region increased in double-digits. VMware also furthered its strategic relationship with customers. It enhanced its ability to sell more products, and expanded its portfolio, leading to increased demand for NSX and vCloud hybrid service coupled with robust demand for vCloud Suites, management, automation, and EUC products. An excellent performance of VMware is due to the vCloud Suite and vSphere with operations management which should continue in the future. VMware's fastest-growing product groups include Management and automation. The license bookings growth of over 40% last year was mainly driven by the Cloud management and automation. The path to the software defined data center is believed to go through management and automation, according to VMware and is expected to continue to drive its growth in 2014 and beyond. VMware seems expensive looking at the trailing P/E above, but its forward P/E ratio of 25.94 indicates healthy growth in earnings for the future. Both, quarterly revenue and quarterly earnings growth are quite impressive, and the excellent forecast for the next five years signifies that investors can expect robust long – term returns from the stock. Conclusion VMware has recorded impressive growth this year and is expected to continue the same in the future as well. The growth in software defined networks and hybrid cloud has enabled VMware to outperform and its suite of product offerings should ensure it to celebrate good times going forward. Further, it has reported impressive earnings growth so far and the projection for the future also seems to be quite positive. Therefore, investors should definitely invest into VMware to benefit from the growth in cloud and virtualization. | Currently 0.00/512345 Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes) | |
 Subscribe via Email  Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: More GuruFocus Links | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | RSS Feed  | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool |  MORE GURUFOCUS LINKS | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | | RSS Feed | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool | VMW STOCK PRICE CHART  93.16 (1y: +41%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='VMW',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1372050000000,65.93],[1372136400000,65.53],[1372222800000,67.2],[1372309200000,67.65],[1372395600000,66.99],[1372654800000,66.78],[1372741200000,65.6],[1372827600000,65.59],[1373000400000,66.51],[1373259600000,65.58],[1373346000000,66.13],[1373432400000,67.14],[1373518800000,71.28],[1373605200000,70.5],[1373864400000,71.01],[1373950800000,72.02],[1374037200000,71.77],[1374123600000,71.7],[1374210000000,70.63],[1374469200000,69.9],[1374555600000,71.28],[1374642000000,83.2],[1374728400000,84.04],[1374814800000,82.36],[1375074000000,83.06],[1375160400000,82.55],[1375246800000,82.19],[1375333200000,82.1],[1375419600000,82.17],[1375678800000,82.58],[1375765200000,82.57],[1375851600000,82.87],[1375938000000,84.95],[1376024400000,84.99],[1376283600000,86.02],[1376370000000,85.88],[1376456400000,85.69],[1376542800000,83.96],[1376629200000,83.97],[1376888400000,83.36],[1376974800000,83.44],[1377061200000,84.31],[1377147600000,85.46],[1377234000000,87.8],[1377493200000,86.52],[1377579600000,83.39],[1377666000000,83.82],[1377752400000,84.86],[1377838800000,84.15],[1378184400000,84.63],[1378270800000,84.97],[1378357200000,84.9],[1378443600000,84.81],[1378702800000,87.08],[1378789200000,88.78],[1378875600000,88.37],[1378962000000,87.95],[1379048400000,87.63],[1379307600000,88.32],[1379394000000,87.51],[1379480400000,89.16],[1379566800000,88.89],[1379653200000,87.51],[1379912400000,85.33],[1379998800000,83.19],[1380085200000,83.23],[1380171600000,83.8],[1380258000000,82.63],[1380517200000,80.9],[1380603600000,82.04],[1380690000000,82.44],[1380776400000,79.85],[1380862800000,81.06],[1381122000000,80.7],[1381208400000,78.06],[1381294800000,78.93],[1381381200000,79.52],[1381467600000,80.44],[1381726800000,80.28],[1381813200000,77.91],[1381899600000,79.66],[1381986000000,78.74],[1382072400000,81.43],[1382331600000,82.65],[1382418000000,85],[1382504400000,83.54],[1382590800000,84.78],[138267720! 0000,83.39],[1382936400000,82.26],[1383022800000,81.85],[1383109200000,81.44],[1383195600000,81.28],[1383282000000,80.75],[1383544800000,81.32],[1383631200000,80.52],[1383717600000,81.65],[1383804000000,80.66],[1383890400000,79.28],[1384149600000,80.32],[1384236000000,80.66],[1384322400000,79.58],[1384408800000,77.24],[1384495200000,78.96],[1384754400000,78.22],[1384840800000,78.29],[1384927200000,78.42],[1385013600000,80.99],[1385100000000,81.3],[1385359200000,80.33],[1385445600000,80.84],[1385532000000,80.79],[1385704800000,80.63],[1385964000000,79.51],[1386050400000,80.06],[1386136800000,83.7],[1386223200000,84.16],[1386309600000,86.48],[1386568800000,87.1],[1386655200000,86.62],[1386741600000,85.6],[1386828000000,86.26],[1386914400000,85.62],[1387173600000,86.49],[1387260000000,86.72],[1387346400000,87.54],[1387432800000,87.35],[1387519200000,90.18],[1387778400000,88.9],[1387864800000,89.44],[1388037600000,88.85],[1388124000000,88.96],[1388383200000,89.15],[1388469600000,89.71],[1388642400000,89.5],[1388728800000,89.42],[1388988000000,89.07],[1389074400000,94.71],[138
 Getty Images I remember meeting her like it was just yesterday. She lured me in with promises of free T-shirts and water bottles emblazoned with the logo of my favorite sports team. As a poor college student, it only made sense to accept her trinkets. She also promised that I could buy whatever I wanted. Dinner out after I'd been in grueling classes all day ... sure why not! A handful of new CDs (I realize I'm dating myself here) after a tough week ... by all means! A nice spring break trip because the semester has been a beast ... indulge! We had a good run (or so I thought). I was able to live a life of relative luxury while in college thanks to my plastic mistress. Sadly, other than the loads of mostly replaceable junk she provided, all I had at the end of the romance to show for my commitment was a bruised ego and nearly $25,000 in credit card debt. Like many another disillusioned lover, I now was left with hatred towards my ex. My Rocky Past With Credit Card Debt It would be easy to blame my troubles on my ignorance, or that I went to college prior to the CARD Act of 2009, which -- among its many consumer-protective features -- prevents credit card companies from aggressively market to students on college campuses. However, that would only be shifting blame. But regardless of where the problems lay in the relationship, when I graduated, I broke up with credit cards for good ... or so I thought. Buried under the rubble of my debt, I still needed to climb out. That climb required a number of things. I had to recognize that misusing credit cards creates nothing but debt. I had to make the serious effort to put myself on the path toward financial literacy, and get on a budget, so I could make strides toward killing my credit card debt once and for all. While these were some dark times for me personally, I am thankful I went through them; that period ingrained in me the solid financial habits that I still follow today. On the other hand, even once I was out from under my debt, I still carried hatred in my heart towards credit cards, and disgust with myself for what I'd done. And that was something I needed to get over. My Turning Point Paying off my credit card debt was one of the greatest feelings in the world. My plastic mistress was out of my life for good (or so I thought). But I soon learned that I still needed her. While I'd been steering clear of credit cards during my debt-paydown period, I needed to start using them again to grow and maintain good credit. But wisely this time. I started out with one card that had a low limit. I used it a few times a month and paid off the balance in full every month. Instead of viewing credit as play money that I could spend however I wished, I recognized that I should only use it for convenience, to buy what I could already afford at that moment. If something wasn't in the budget, then neither cash nor plastic would come out of my wallet to purchase it. That lesson about control was a big thing I hadn't learned during in my tryst in college -- I was enslaved to spending. I allowed it to control my life, constantly giving in to my desire for more stuff instead of being satisfied with what I had, or could afford. That may seem simple to you -- and in retrospect, maybe it is. But embracing it was a vital turning point in my financial life. Gaining the Upper Hand Today, my wife and I actively churn credit cards. We have used credit card rewards to travel for free and get considerable cash back on our spending. You may think an endorsement of that lifestyle sounds a bit ridiculous coming from someone who battled for five years to pay off his credit card debt. It's an opinion I hear often. But at base, credit card is a tool. Yes, if you hit yourself with a hammer, it's going to hurt. But there's nothing better when you have problem involving a nail. The same can be said of credit cards. Used correctly, they're a fine addition to your financial management toolbox. While I got a few free things at the start of my initial credit card tryst, I am much better now at getting things for free -- without the attached debt. I use our everyday spending to earn rewards and meet the minimum spending requirements on new credit cards that offer lucrative sign-up bonuses. Points funded a trip for my birthday a few months ago, and we have several more such trips planned next year. And we're still maintaining a credit score of over 800. So yes: I've changed my view on credit cards again. While I used to love them, and then hated them, I now love them again (albeit more wisely) because they can get me the things I want. If you struggle with the temptation to spend more with credit cards or have debt, then churning credit cards is not for you. That said, credit cards are easy to demonize, but if you use them wisely they can offer some great benefits.
 President Barack Obama's 2015 budget proposal has targeted one of the best retirement income planning tools on advisers' shelves: Social Security-claiming strategies. Buried on the 150th page of the 214 page, $3.9 trillion budget for 2015, which was released on Tuesday, is a sentence spelling out the plan to prevent duplicative or excessive benefit payments through the disability insurance program and Social Security. “In addition, the budget proposes to eliminate aggressive Social Security-claiming strategies, which allow upper-income beneficiaries to manipulate the timing of collection of Social Security benefits in order to maximize delayed retirement credits,” the budget reads. The proposal, if it could be passed in the present divided Congress, could throw a monkey wrench at advisers who are crafting retirement income plans for their clients. Essentially, Social Security provides retirees with a guaranteed stream of income for the remainder of their lives without any of the complexity or hassle of an annuity. (Don't miss Mary Beth Franklin's take on the fate of claiming strategies) It's also income that can grow if the client is able to delay receipt of those Social Security benefits. If you claim at 62, you get 75% of your benefits. If you wait until the retirement age of 66, you collect full benefits. By delaying until 70, the income stream grows by 8% per year for the four years after 66 — a rate that advisers won't be able to duplicate with any product. Lo and behold, there's a growing demand for tactics on maximizing those Social Security income streams. For instance, there's the “claim now and claim more later” strategy: The older spouse takes advantage of the delayed retirement credits that boost his income stream by waiting until 70 to claim Social Security. His wife, who is a few years younger, then claims a spousal benefit for several years until she reaches age 70. At that point, the wife then claims the income stream she is entitled to, which will be based on her own work history. The Social Security Administration appears to have become hip to these strategies and their growing popularity. The administration already has eliminated a provision that allowed “do-overs,” where someone would claim at 62 and receive the income. At age 70, that person could change their mind, repay the benefits received without interest and take on the higher income stream they would receive at age 70 — as if they hadn't filed the previous claim. (More: Don't get greedy with Social Security strategies) The phrasing of the provision in the budget is vague enough that there is no clear procedure by which the Social Security Administration would eliminate these claiming strategies. As a result, policy experts differ on whether the administration could use institute an internal rule change or if it would have to go through Congress. The administration used an internal rule change to curtail use of “do-over” strategies, and it could do the same for what it d! eems aggressive claiming strategies, noted Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and former principal deputy commissioner at the Social Security Administration. “I don’t think they need Congress to do this,” he said. On the other hand, Jason Fichtner, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and a former deputy commissioner for Social Security, believes the proposal is specifically targeting spousal claiming strategies. Any change to the formula for spousal benefits would require congressional approval. “I’m inferring they’re going after the spousal benefit, and they can do that through a legislative change,” said Mr. Fichtner. “I'm sympathetic with the administration's concern that the claiming strategies have become the purview of financial planners,” said Alicia H. Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. “The people who use it are high-income people with the flexibility to game the system to their benefit.” “That thwarts the basic intent of the program,” she added. “We are all in it together, and you put money into it when you work, and you get money when you retire.” The reaction among financial advisers was mixed. On the one hand, Social Security factors into the income plans they draw up for clients. “Social Security is something advisers need to be aware of,” said Judson Forner, a senior analyst for investment services at ValMark Securities Inc. “The majority of clients that the planners want are baby boomers who are going into that phase and planning for Social Security.” On the other hand, others recognize that Social Security is in need of reform. “I'm in favor of strengthening Social Security, even if it involves raising taxes,” said Joseph A. Tomlinson, an actuary and adviser at Tomlinson Financial Planning. He added that, ideally, however, it wo! uld be be! tter to combine any tweaks to the program with other steps like raising taxes that would make Social Security stronger overall. From a planning perspective, it's still up in the air whether this provision becomes a reality or how it'll be executed. But in the meantime, Mr. Tomlinson believes that single-premium immediate annuities can step in if clients become unable to use their claiming strategies. “It's still a good deal, but not a super deal,” he said. “Social Security is a little bit of a government giveaway — you'd like to take advantage of it for your clients. The annuity is almost priced at a fair-market rate, and the Social Security delay is giving you an above-market rate.”
DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.
>>5 Stocks With Big Insider Buying
Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."
Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.
>>5 Bargain Bin Stocks to Buy in March With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently. Ardmore Shipping (ASC) is engaged in the seaborne transportation of petroleum products and chemicals for oil majors, oil companies, oil and chemical traders, and chemical companies worldwide. This stock closed up 8.9% at $13.65 in Wednesday's trading session. Wednesday's Volume: 544,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 71,777
Volume % Change: 675%
From a technical perspective, ASC ripped sharply higher here right off some near-term support at $12.46 with monster upside volume. This stock had been downtrending badly for the last two months, with shares dropping from its high of $15.73 to its low of $12.46. During that move, shares of ASC have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action. That said, this sharp spike higher on Wednesday now looks ready to push ASC out of its recent downtrend and into a new uptrend.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ASC as long as it's trending above $13 and then once it sustains a move or close Wednesday's high of $13.80 to its 50-day moving average at $14.17 with volume that's near or above 71,777 shares. If we get that move soon, then ASC will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $14.81 to $15, or even its 52-week high at 15.84. United Insurance (UIHC) operates as a property and casualty insurance holding company that sources, writes and services residential property and casualty insurance policies in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Texas. This stock closed up 6.8% to $15.05 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 761,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 134,280
Volume % Change: 479%
From a technical perspective, UIHC jumped sharply higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $15 with heavy upside volume. This move pushed shares of UIHC into new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if UIHC manages to take out Wednesday's high of $15.20 with strong volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in UIHC as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $14.16 or above its 50-day at $13.36 and then once it sustains a move or close above $15.20 with volume that hits near or above 134,280 shares. If we get that move soon, then UIHC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $18 to $20.
SohuFun (SFUN) operates a real estate Internet portal and a home furnishing and improvement Web site in the People's Republic of China. This stock closed up 11.6% at $93.77 in Wednesday's trading session.
Wednesday's Volume: 4.02 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 1.61 million
Volume % Change: 196%
From a technical perspective, SFUN exploded higher here right above its 50-day moving average of $82.32 with strong upside volume. This move blasted shares of SFUN higher and pushed the stock into breakout territory, since shares took out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $83.77 to $84.10. Shares of SFUN also flirted with its all-time high of $95.39, but the stock closed below that level at $93.77. Traders should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if SFUN manage to clear Wednesday's high of $96.23 with strong volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in SFUN as long as it's trending above $90 and then once it sustains a move or close above $96.23 with volume that hits near or above 1.61 million shares. If we get that move soon, then SFUN will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $100 to $110. To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.
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At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.
Zynga (ZNGA) is trying hard to turnaround. Although the company's share price has declined in 2014, it looks like a good investment, primarily because of its investments in mobile. Zynga is at the forefront of an entertainment revolution. The rapid consumer adoption of smartphones and tablets is expected bring unprecedented opportunity, and games are the number one time-based use case for consumers. In the next few years, more than 1.3 billion people are expected to be gaming on their mobile devices. By 2017, one-third the world's population is forecasted to be using smartphones and the tablet installed base is projected to cross 1 billion. Zynga is targeting this opportunity. Zynga's moves In addition to crossing 4 million installs, Zynga is seeing a number of early signs that FarmVille 2: Country Escape is resonating well with consumers. In the U.S., the game has achieved number one top free app and number one top free game on iPad. On iPhone, the game has achieved the top three positions in the free app and free game charts. Across the Apple platform, it has reached the number one top free app position in 20 countries, the number one top free game in 40 countries and has broken into the top 20 grossing chart on both the iPad and the iPhone in the U.S. The primary focus of the gaming major is to always achieve category leading engagement and retention. FarmVille 2: Country Escape is already showing strong player engagement metrics compared to other Zynga games. It has created a rich entertainment experience that matters to the mobile play patterns consumers want which is illustrated by the amount of time people are playing them. Strong engagement with users Zynga has witnessed strong engagement from these existing FarmVille web players, an encouraging number of new players are coming to the franchise for the first time because of Country Escape on mobile. This is believed to be an important milestone for it with focus on growing and sustaining its core franchises and demonstrates Zynga's ability to sustain its franchises over time and create mobile entertainment experiences that meaningfully engage and extend its games to new large – scale groups of consumers around the world. At the same time, Zynga expects to deliver both breakthrough consumer experiences and profitability as it continues to align its business around focus, quality and execution. In order to achieve this, it remains focused on doing more with less and achieving more operating leverage across the organization. Additionally, in the first quarter, Zynga reduced its technology spend by 15%, driven by restructuring and discontinuing one of its data centers. All of these changes have put Zynga in a stronger position to deliver growth in 2014 and beyond. Conclusion According to Yahoo Finance, the forward P/E ratio of 51.33 indicates that the stock is costly as compared to the industry's average of 17.41. However, it is better than Electronic Arts, which has a P/E ratio of 1,373.08. The PEG ratio of 5.13, above 1, depicts slower growth as compared to the industry's average of 1. Instead, its competitor Electronic Arts has an impressive PEG ratio of 0.80. The current ratio of 3.32 depicts healthy current assets. Therefore, apart from the weaknesses shown in the results above, the company is worth investing in seeing the impressive CAGR for the next 5 years of 30%, which is well above the industry's average of 18.57%. Hence, investors are advised to bet on this growth story and expect satisfactory returns in the long run. | Currently 0.00/512345 Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes) | |
Subscribe via Email Subscribe RSS Comments Please leave your comment: More GuruFocus Links | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | RSS Feed  | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool | MORE GURUFOCUS LINKS | Latest Guru Picks | Value Strategies | | Warren Buffett Portfolio | Ben Graham Net-Net | | Real Time Picks | Buffett-Munger Screener | | Aggregated Portfolio | Undervalued Predictable | | ETFs, Options | Low P/S Companies | | Insider Trends | 10-Year Financials | | 52-Week Lows | Interactive Charts | | Model Portfolios | DCF Calculator | | RSS Feed | Monthly Newsletters | | The All-In-One Screener | Portfolio Tracking Tool | ZNGA STOCK PRICE CHART 3.11 (1y: +9%) $(function(){var seriesOptions=[],yAxisOptions=[],name='ZNGA',display='';Highcharts.setOptions({global:{useUTC:true}});var d=new Date();$current_day=d.getDay();if($current_day==5||$current_day==0||$current_day==6){day=4;}else{day=7;} seriesOptions[0]={id:name,animation:false,color:'#4572A7',lineWidth:1,name:name.toUpperCase()+' stock price',threshold:null,data:[[1371704400000,2.855],[1371790800000,2.71],[1372050000000,2.575],[1372136400000,2.75],[1372222800000,2.8],[1372309200000,2.86],[1372395600000,2.78],[1372654800000,3.07],[1372741200000,3.27],[1372827600000,3.42],[1373000400000,3.43],[1373259600000,3.29],[1373346000000,3.34],[1373432400000,3.39],[1373518800000,3.54],[1373605200000,3.5],[1373864400000,3.55],[1373950800000,3.46],[1374037200000,3.46],[1374123600000,3.42],[1374210000000,3.36],[1374469200000,3.3],[1374555600000,3.27],[1374642000000,3.28],[1374728400000,3.5],[1374814800000,3.01],[1375074000000,3.02],[1375160400000,2.97],[1375246800000,2.98],[1375333200000,3.03],[1375419600000,3],[1375678800000,2.94],[1375765200000,2.92],[1375851600000,2.85],[1375938000000,2.87],[1376024400000,3],[1376283600000,2.94],[1376370000000,2.91],[1376456400000,2.97],[1376542800000,2.88],[1376629200000,2.9],[1376888400000,2.83],[1376974800000,2.75],[1377061200000,2.75],[1377147600000,2.81],[1377234000000,2.89],[1377493200000,2.895],[1377579600000,2.795],[1377666000000,2.88],[1377752400000,2.91],[1377838800000,2.83],[1378184400000,2.87],[1378270800000,2.925],[1378357200000,3.005],[1378443600000,3.02],[1378702800000,3.1],[1378789200000,3.03],[1378875600000,3],[1378962000000,3.02],[1379048400000,3.08],[1379307600000,3.09],[1379394000000,3.27],[1379480400000,3.27],[1379566800000,3.471],[1379653200000,3.485],[1379912400000,3.525],[1379998800000,3.61],[1380085200000,3.785],[1380171600000,3.61],[1380258000000,3.78],[1380517200000,3.671],[1380603600000,3.84],[1380690000000,3.82],[1380776400000,3.67],[1380862800000,3.76],[1381122000000,3.7],[1381208400000,3.54],[1381294800000,3.48],[1381381200000,3.53],[1381467600000,3.61],[1381726800000,3.55],[1381813200000,3.515],[1381899600000,3.59],[1381986000000,3.58],[1382072400000,3.67],[1382331600000,3.69],[1382418000000,3.64],[1382504400000,3.545],[1382590800000,3.535],[1382677200000,3.729],[1382936400000,3.78]! ,[1383022800000,3.69],[1383109200000,3.59],[1383195600000,3.581],[1383282000000,3.58],[1383544800000,3.735],[1383631200000,3.8],[1383717600000,3.705],[1383804000000,3.46],[1383890400000,3.46],[1384149600000,3.43],[1384236000000,3.51],[1384322400000,3.81],[1384408800000,3.91],[1384495200000,4.02],[1384754400000,3.839],[1384840800000,3.99],[1384927200000,4.27],[1385013600000,4.37],[1385100000000,4.38],[1385359200000,4.5],[1385445600000,4.46],[1385532000000,4.41],[1385704800000,4.35],[1385964000000,4.29],[1386050400000,4.09],[1386136800000,4.07],[1386223200000,4.01],[1386309600000,3.99],[1386568800000,3.99],[1386655200000,4.13],[1386741600000,4.05],[1386828000000,4.14],[1386914400000,4.11],[1387173600000,4.1],[1387260000000,4.14],[1387346400000,4.1],[1387432800000,4.06],[1387519200000,4],[1387778400000,4.08],[1387864800000,4.11],[1388037600000,4.
The Fed on Wednesday is expected to cut Unemployment and Growth forecasts, while raising its Inflation forecasts as the group prepares to raise rates in 2015, keeping in-line with the expectations of consistent tapering of $10 billion per month. For today though, the Street will be watching for the Fed to update its economic forecasts and policy guidance, offering a window for market participants to observe the key factors playing into the Central Banks' expected 2015 rate increase. The thesis going around the desks has been a delusion about the Fed seeking to carry out a planned agenda, as opposed to the private group being reactionary to the economic environment. The current data and winter weather impact assurdely the group cautious. The yield curve has been flattening and the inflection point is between the five and 10-year. Market makers Benzinga have spoken with in Chicago Fed Fund markets expect to see rates continue to drop. Over the past six months the 30- and 10-Year CMT have dropped, flattening the yield curve.  One problem out here has been a lower volatility environment constraining dealer profits, which has increased trading volumes. This has been happening across the fixed-income, equity and FX markets, as traders are trying to trade more in tighter ranges to maintain profitability.  The remaining trade will be in the Credit Default Swap market, with the big money running into alternative assets given the dynamics just stated with bond, equity, and FX markets and any remaining capital being used to fund the high-rate of M&A activity. As even in the most basic equity market, valuations are not following earnings, according to a note released Tuesday by Citigroup’s Matt King.  North American High Yield and Emerging market CDS indexes have increased roughly two percent since March 2014, while European, Asian and Japanese CDS indexes have contracted, according to data from Markit. CDS indexes have also been the locale for volatility traders, which may explain why Hedge Funds are going all in with their bets as a means to save face from continued poor quarterly performance.  Gauging a consensus view of the Fed commentary Wednesday afternoon will be futile if one only focuses on traditional assets. As highlighted previously, the big money that the Fed seems to believe will come back and fill the void left after taper is complete and has been benefiting from cheap money and volatility in alternative asset markets. The incentive to come back to traditional equity and bond markets does not exist and it won’t since the Fed has been so vocal about maintaining financial stability. According to comments from New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley in a speech last month, this is a topic the organization is so obsessed about that they have floated the idea of “gated” bond-fund holders along with a need to “blow bubbles because otherwise irrational investors get ‘carried away” and inevitably crash the markets.” Posted-In: Eurozone Rumors Futures Forex Federal Reserve Markets © 2014 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Most Popular Trulia Rumored To Acquire Move Why 'How To Train Your Dragon 2' Is Another DreamWorks Disappointment 5 Stocks To Consider During The 2014 World Cup UPDATE: Morgan Stanley Initiates Coverage On BlackBerry UPDATE: Morgan Stanley Reiterates On General Electric On News Of Siemens/MHI Offer Breakdown Of Amazon Phone Opportunity By SunTrust Related Articles () Fuel Cell Stocks Rally Amid Bullish Analyst Comments Benzinga's M&A Chatter for Wednesday June 18, 2014 Several Major Companies May Be Affected By Redskins Trademark Cancellation Jabil Moving Up On Top and Bottom Line Beats Red Hat Up 5% After Hours; Beats Q1 Street Views Analysts Battle Over Competing Bids For MICROS Around the Web, We're Loving... Abercrombie Stems Bleeding Sales in Key Brand A Pristine Trading Plan for Intra-Day Trading
 Shutterstock/Gunnar Pippel One of the most overlooked ways for Americans to save money is in the area of tax planning. The key is to understand how to leverage tax laws based on your individual circumstances. For example, money you contribute to a 401(k), 403(b) or SIMPLE IRA is taken out pre-tax. This means you get an up-front tax deduction just for contributing to your work retirement plan. In addition to your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might also qualify for a tax-deductible IRA. (If you don't have a company retirement plan at work, then you should definitely check out a tax-deductible IRA because the income limits are higher, and this might be one of the few ways to lower your tax bill.) However, most people don't know that they might qualify for an additional reward, just for being financially responsible and saving for the future. This credit is known as the Saver's Credit. What Is the Saver's Credit? The Saver's Credit is a tax break designed to help low- and moderate-income individuals and families. It's designed to reward your efforts as you save for retirement. While it can't actually provide you with a refund check, this tax break can reduce your tax bill and reduce what you might owe to the IRS. How Does It Work? The Saver's Credit will allow you to claim 10, 20, or 50 percent of the $2,000 you contributed to a qualified retirement account (this includes Roth IRAs and Roth 401ks) if you're an individual. For couples, you can claim a percentage of up to $4,000. How much you'll be allowed to claim when you file will depend on your modified adjusted gross income, or AGI. Which Retirement Accounts Qualify for the Credit? Contributions to traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs or employer-sponsored plans will count toward the Saver's Credit. Employer-sponsored plans are retirement accounts provided by your employer and could be a 401(k), 403(b), SARSEP or SIMPLE IRA. Do I Qualify for the Credit? Remember, the Saver's Credit is designed to help lower-income individuals and families who make saving a priority. You might not qualify if your income exceeds a certain point, and the percentage of your contribution that you can claim (10 percent, 20 percent or 50 percent) will also depend on your income. It's always best to check with your accountant regarding your specific situation, but here's a handy chart from the IRS to see if you qualify for the 2013 tax year:
| Credit Rate | Married Filing Jointly | Head of Household | Single, married filing separately, or qualifying widow(er) | | 50% of your contribution | AGI not more than $35,500 | AGI not more than $26,625 | AGI not more than $17,750 | | 20% of your contribution | $35,501 - $38,500 | $26,626 - $28,875 | $17,751 - $19,250 | | 10% of your contribution | $38,501-$59,000 | $28,876 - $44,250 | $19,251 - $29,500 | What this means is that if you're married filing jointly, your modified AGI must be less than $59,000 to qualify. If you file as head of household, your modified AGI has to be $44,250 or less, and if you're single, your modified AGI must be under $29,500. The important thing to keep in mind here is that these numbers reflect your modified adjusted gross income. Money that you save into an employer-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k) or a tax-deductible traditional IRA, can help you lower your modified AGI, which can help you qualify for the Saver's Tax Credit. If you're close to qualifying for a larger credit, you might want to see if you qualify for a tax-deductible IRA and make a prior year contribution before April 15. For example, if you're single and have a gross income of $19,500, but saved $1,000 for retirement in a 401(k) for 2013, your adjusted gross income would be reduced by $1,000, to $18,500, allowing you to claim a credit of 20 percent instead of 10 percent, for a total of $200. Here's another example: John and Mary are married and file their taxes jointly. They make $65,000 a year before taxes. They contribute 10 percent toward their 401(k) plans each year, which reduces their income by $6,500. Their modified AGI is now $58,500. (Notice how their large 401(k) contributions lowered their modified AGI, and they now qualify for the Saver's Credit). Because they're a couple, they can each claim $2,000 in contributions up to $4,000 (of the $6,500 in contributions that they made). Ten percent of their $4,000 contribution would qualify for a total credit of $400. See why this is my favorite tax credit? You're rewarded financially just for saving for retirement. What's favorite tax credit?
 Source: JupiterAscending.com The battle for the summer box office is about more than wracking up the biggest dollar total. The year's blockbuster movie season is an opportunity to put forth new films to added fanfare and an eager public. This means that new properties have the potential to enjoy an explosive launch, but the big budget, spectacle-heavy nature of the competition stage means that there is also the possibility for tremendous misfires. So far, the summer is looking disappointing for Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) . Warner's Godzilla revival may be turning in a respectable performance, but the rest of the company's original summer slate now looks problematic. The Tom Cruise-led, futuristic actioner Edge of Tomorrow looks to be one of the season's biggest underperformers, and the Wachowski's Jupiter Ascending has been pushed from its planned July 18 release to February. What does this blockbuster season mean for Warner Bros.? Starting with a bang and proceeding to fizzle The Warner Bros. studios kicked off the year's big movie season with Godzilla, a film that bowed to a $196 million opening weekend. Despite an explosive opening, the reptilian reboot has enjoyed less than monstrous legs. After a $93 million domestic opening, the film is still crawling to clear the $200 million mark. Godzilla currently has an international gross of approximately $440 million, after its recent Chinese opening scared up an impressive $36 million. A Japanese release is scheduled for July. The film's performance has been strong enough to guarantee a sequel, but its trajectory has dipped below the earnings path suggested by its initial international debut.  Source: EdgeofTomorrowMovie.com While Godzilla will wind up categorized as a win, Edge of Tomorrow looks unlikely to earn that distinction. After two weekends at the domestic box office, the film has nabbed approximately $57 million. Thankfully for Warner, overseas audiences were more receptive to the Tom Cruise outing. Tomorrow currently has a worldwide gross of approximately $240 million. The movie has a stated production budget of $178 million. So, once marketing is factored in, it looks like the movie will break even for Warner. That said, no one makes a massively budgeted summer blockbuster with the hopes of breaking even or generating a small profit when the product hits home viewing distribution. Was Jupiter Ascending on track to bomb on an interplanetary scale? Edge of Tomorrow's performance is undeniably a disappointment for Warner, but the recently delayed Jupiter Ascending may be the bigger problem. Pushing back a movie so close to its release date is nearly unheard of and is indicative of serious doubts on the part of the studio. Reports suggest that tracking for the film was abysmal, and people claiming to have seen screeners have indicated that the picture is something of a mess. Jupiter Ascending was planned as the first installment in a trilogy. Warner likely hoped to score another Matrix-like franchise from the Wachowskis, but the directing team's box office draw is looking seriously compromised after a series of underperformers and the bad buzz currently orbiting Jupiter. Wachowski weakness and questionable casting For a movie with a $175 million production budget, the handling of the film has many baffling elements. Channing Tatum looks to be building solid star power (as indicated by last weekend's 22 Jump Street from Sony (NYSE: SNE ) bowing to a $57 million opener), but casting Mila Kunis as the lead in what is supposed to be an epic sci-fi trilogy is a confusing move. The actresses' most notable big screen performance is still her supporting role in The Black Swan, and there has been little indication that she is capable of carrying a big budget action movie, let alone a trilogy. Warner's decision to push the movie to the wasteland of a February release suggests that hopes for a Jupiter sequel have descended. Warner still has strong properties While this summer's box office stretch looks to be disappointing for Warner, it still has strong properties in the pipeline. The Lego Movie was a big hit for the studio earlier in the year, and sequels and spinoffs are on the way. Additionally, the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy should score up good totals, even if it fails to match the incredible highs of the Harry Potter films. Then there are the studio's upcoming DC Comics films to consider.  Source: DCComics.com A case of the summertime blues? It's worth noting that Warner isn't the only studio enduring underperformers this summer. The overall box office performance has been somewhat soft, and big movie's like Sony's Amazing Spider-Man 2 have fallen well short of the mark. Twenty-First Century Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA ) and DreamWorks Animation's (NASDAQ: DWA ) How to Train Your Dragon 2 has also debuted to a softer than expected domestic performance, and will need a strong international presence and good legs to meet expectations. The pressure is on... With two massively budgeted new properties failing to land as planned, it's hard to feel good about Warner's summer showing. It may be too early to crown the studio as the blockbuster season's biggest loser, but the company is at the front of the pack in pursuit of that dubious honor. Warner's ho-hum summer isn't necessarily a bad sign for its future projects, but the underperformance does create added pressure to deliver on the big movies in its pipeline. Leaked: Apple's next smart device (warning, it may shock you) Apple recently recruited a secret-development "dream team" to guarantee its newest smart device was kept hidden from the public for as long as possible. But the secret is out, and some early viewers are claiming its everyday impact could trump the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad. In fact, ABI Research predicts 485 million of this type of device will be sold per year. But one small company makes Apple's gadget possible. And its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors. To be one of them, and see Apple's newest smart gizmo, just click here!
 Horizon International Images Limited / Alamy There is a lot of money -- billions of dollars worth -- hidden in cans, sock drawers, and boxes full of vacation photos. Money that if stumbled upon, most Americans would see as worthless due to the date on the calendar, and their current location. But enterprising people are going to find a way to collect these forgotten souvenirs and turn them into cash. One of them might be you, so let me fill you in on the details of how. In 2002, the euro replaced the sovereign notes and coins of 18 European Union states. After a short transition, marks, francs, lire, pesetas, guilders and other currencies were no longer accepted as legal tender. But let me let you in on a secret: Some of those bank notes and coins can still be converted into money you can spend. Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain will still convert their former currencies into euros without any fees. The Bundesbank -- the central bank for Germany, the biggest of these economies -- estimates that there are $13.31 billion in Deutsche Marks ($8.9 billion in U.S. dollars) in circulation. It they will convert any post-1948 Deutsche Marks to euros, for anyone, at a fixed rate of 1.96 DM per euro (the rate at the time of the 2002 switchover). You can even exchange your Deutsche Marks by mail. On the Trail of the Missing Cash Where are all those Deutsche Marks, and the rest of those pre-euro bills and coins? Though there are no studies nor hard evidence to prove it, my gut tells me that most likely the vast majority of that cash is in the United States. The provisions for the euro transition were established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, which meant that Europeans had 10 years before the conversion to adjust to the idea their native currencies would at some point no longer be welcome at the corner grocery store. In fact, those nations spent hundreds of millions of dollars in 2002 to education their populations about the need to exchange local currencies for euros. Common sense says that those people would have been the most aggressive in exchanging their money. They'd have had the most notice, the most convenient methods for conversion, and the most motivation. But even if you were to estimate that half the missing Marks are still in Europe, that leaves $4.23 billion still left unaccounted for. Outside of Europe, the United States is by far the largest source of tourism to Germany. In addition, it has the largest number of residents with German heritage outside of Germany, not to mention the largest foreign military presence in Germany. All those family members, servicemen and tourists were traveling to and from Germany, each time bringing back unspent pieces of that $4.23 billion. Even if 25 percent of those unspent travellers' Deutsche Marks went home with visitors from Asia and South America, you still end up with $3.23 billion somewhere in the U.S. It Takes a Village This begs the question of how to both find and gather this and other "obsolete" eurozone money, which is doubtless held in small amounts among millions of people, into large enough quantities to be profitable. And there is the rub. It is almost inconceivable to think that an individual could create a business that would be able to round up any serious fraction of that lost currency profitably. But, by using already established local and a national organizations, a lot of it might be able to find its way into charitable organizations. What if your local church, synagogue, school district, Kiwanis club or other charitable organization began a foreign money drive? Members could be encouraged to dig out those coins and bills, which are of virtually no value to them, and then using this "currency alchemy," create a windfall for a good cause. As of now, Portugal's redemption program is set to end in 2022 and the Netherlands' in 2032. Germany and the other European states listed above have stated that their redemption periods are "indefinite," but all have the right to end them without notice. If that happens, then those billions of dollars' worth of unaccounted for foreign currency will be worthless. The clock is ticking. More from Brian Lund
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DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.
>>5 Stocks Poised for Breakouts
Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."
Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.
>>5 Huge Stocks to Trade for Huge Gains With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume recently. Cimarex Energy
Cimarex Energy (XEC) operates as an independent oil and gas exploration and production company primarily in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. This stock closed up 2.2% at $138.88 in Friday's trading session.
Friday's Volume: 1.65 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 1.04 million
Volume % Change: 59%
From a technical perspective, XEC bounced notably higher here with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares moving higher from its low of $92.14 to its recent high of $139.95. During that uptrend, shares of XEC have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This spike higher on Friday is starting to push shares of XEC within range of triggering a big breakout trade. That trade will hit if XEC manages to take out Friday's intraday high of $139 to its 52-week high of $139.95.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in XEC as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $134.07 or above more near-term support at $130 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 1.04 million shares. If that breakout kicks off soon, then XEC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $140 to $145, or even $150.
Lands' End
Lands' End (LE) operates as a multi-channel retailer primarily in the U.S., Europe and Asia. This stock closed up 5.8% at $30.50 in Friday's trading session.
Friday's Volume: 617,000
Three-Month Average Volume: 431,255
Volume % Change: 50%
From a technical perspective, LE spiked sharply higher here right above some near-term support at $28 with above-average volume. This spike higher on Friday is quickly pushing shares of LE within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit if LE manages to take out Friday's intraday high of $30.70 to some more near-term overhead resistance at $31 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in LE as long as it's trending above Friday's low of $29.10 or above some more near-term support at $28 and then once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that's near or above 431,255 shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then LE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $34.35 to its all-time high at $35.
To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.
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>>5 Health Care Stocks to Trade for Gains in June
Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.
So it’s come to this: Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) essentially begging shareholders to stand up Casablanca Capital and use management’s white proxy card to vote for its nine directors. From Cliffs’ letter to investors: As a shareholder of Cliffs, you will face an important decision regarding the future of your investment at our 2014 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which is scheduled to be held on July 29, 2014. As you may be aware, a hedge fund, Casablanca Capital, is seeking to elect a majority slate of six directors and to appoint a handpicked replacement CEO with virtually no relevant mining industry experience. If elected, we believe the dissident nominees will support Casablanca's potentially value- destructive proposals, which include a break-up of your Company. Shares of Cliffs Natural Resources have dropped 2% to $13.86 at 10:17 a.m. today–and yes, the damage is specific to Cliffs. Rio Tinto (RIO) has dipped 0.1% $51.56 despite getting downgraded today, while BHP Billiton (BHP) has gained 0.9% to $67.37.
The S&P 500 index reached another new high this week. On Monday, June 9 it closed at 1951.27. Year to date the index continues to be up, returning 4.75%. For the June 13 week however, the market lost some of its exuberance ending at 1936.16 with a one week return of -0.68%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also reached a new high this week. On Tuesday, June 10 it closed at 16,945.92. However, for the week it was also down with a one week return of -0.88%. Year to date it falls slightly behind the S&P 500 returning 1.2%. Weekly return leaders in the Industrial Average included Intel, Chevron and Merck. Intel had a weekly increase of 6.03% while Chevron and Merck returned 2.47% and 1.43%. Caterpillar continues to lead the Dow Jones Industrial Average year to date returning 18.9%. On Friday, June 13 the Commerce Department released its monthly report on producer prices which is one measure used to gauge the direction of price inflation in the U.S. The May Producer Price Index (PPI) reading showed a decrease of 0.2% seasonally adjusted. The Producer Price Index is a significant market moving news release and the worse than expected results likely had an effect on the market's downward turn for the week. The PPI's negative 0.2% reading is a signal of price deflation and means prices for goods and services demanded from producers in the U.S. were down 0.2% for the month of May. The last decrease in the PPI occurred in February 2014. Previous monthly readings were positive increasing 0.6% in April and 0.5% in March. Leading economists had estimated an increase in the May PPI of 0.1%. The month's lower index level brought the 12 month total for the PPI down to 2.0% from 2.1% in April. About the author:JulieYoung789Julie Young is a Chicago-based financial journalist with nine years of experience in the financial services industry. She primarily writes article publications on financial market news and economic trends. Julie holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from Boston College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Arkansas. | Currently 0.00/512345 Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes) | |
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GM's original whistleblower speaks out NEW YORK (CNNMoney) A corporate culture that stopped acknowledging problems is why General Motors is in its current predicament, according to a former quality manager for the automaker. 
Lawmakers grill GM's Barra in D.C. 
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