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Will Cameron International Whiff on Revenues Next Quarter?

Wed, 12/22/2010 - 12:04 by Seth Jayson

There's no foolproof way to know the future for Cameron International (NYSE: CAM) or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result. Rest assured: Even if you're not monitoring these metrics, short-sellers are.

Here's How Cal Dive International May Be Failing You

Wed, 12/22/2010 - 11:19 by Seth Jayson

Margins matter. The more Cal Dive International (NYSE: DVR) keeps of each buck it earns in revenue, the more money it has to invest in growth, fund new strategic plans, or (gasp!) distribute to shareholders. Healthy margins often separate pretenders from the best stocks in the market.  That's why I check on my holdings' margins at least once a quarter. I'm looking for the absolute numbers, comparisons to sector peers and competitors, and any trend that may tell me how strong Cal Dive International's competitive position could be.

Microsoft and Sentillion: A Progress Report on a Crucial Health IT Acquisition

Fri, 12/17/2010 - 10:56 by Robert Buderi

It was a big day last February when Sentillion, the Andover, MA-based provider of health care software, announced its acquisition by Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) was complete and that the company and its 110 employees (most of whom are in Massachusetts) would be folded into the technology giant's Health Solutions Group. The deal (exact terms of which have not been disclosed) is one of the largest health care acquisitions in Microsoft's history, and it plays a significant role in the Redmond, WA, software firm's overall strategy in health IT.

This Stock Is a Gamble, Not an Investment

Thu, 12/16/2010 - 09:52 by Anders Bylund

Cleantech power-plant builder FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq:FCEL) may be on the rebound, but it's nowhere near a safe bet yet.

Affymetrix Passes This Key Test

Fri, 12/10/2010 - 11:08 by Seth Jayson

 There's no foolproof way to know the future for Affymetrix (Nasdaq: AFFX)or any other company. However, certain clues may help you see potential stumbles before they happen -- and before your stock craters as a result. Rest assured: Even if you're not monitoring these metrics, short-sellers are.

 

These Tech Stocks Will Make Me Rich

Mon, 12/06/2010 - 11:39 by Tim Beyers

 Welcome to week 119 of my stock-picking throwdown with Mr. Market. Let's get right to the numbers.

 

GM to hire 1,000 with Volt out of the box

Wed, 12/01/2010 - 06:16 by Prince damin

Detroit -- U.S. automaker General Motors Co. said it would hire 1,000 engineers to ramp up its technical prowess as the first for-sale Volt rolled off the assembly line.

GM Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson announced the decision meant to cover the company's white-collar hiring in Michigan for the next two years after stepping out of GM's first production Volt, a battery-powered vehicle with a small gas engine that recharges the battery as it goes.

"We hope to cultivate the next generation of engineers who will build upon the Volt's innovative technologies," said Mark Reuss, GM's North America vice president.

"Every aspect of the Volt -- from its aerodynamic shape to its battery chemistry -- is a testament to the importance of math and sciences."

Mercadolibre Looks Weak

Tue, 11/30/2010 - 11:43 by Tim Beyers

 I'm a believer in growth stocks. As an analyst for our Motley Fool Rule Breakers service, I think you should be a believer, too. But even I have to admit some growth stories are bogus, hence this regular series.

 

In-car technology called dangerous

Tue, 11/30/2010 - 10:43 by Rakhi

New York -- New technologies in cars, from navigation screens to built-in Internet hot spots and voice-activated systems, are ultimately dangerous, U.S. safety experts say.

Critics say even when designed to help drivers keep both hands on the wheel, such technologies can cause "cognitive distractions" and are dangerous, LiveScience.com reports.

An example, critics say, is Ford's latest enhancement of its popular voice-activated SYNC in-car communications system, with a completely voice-controlled interface for entertainment -- AM/FM and satellite radio, HD, CD, MP3 -- as well as climate control, phone and navigation.

New Peas CD coming out in November

Wed, 10/27/2010 - 09:23 by Rakhi

Santa Monica, Calif. -- The Black Eyes Peas will release their sixth album "The Beginning" next month, the U.S. label Interscope Records announced Tuesday.

The CD is the follow-up to the group's blockbuster album "The E.N.D.," which has sold more than 11 million copies since it was released in June 2009.

The new album's title, "The Beginning," "refers to what is actually happening in the world right now," lead singer will.i.am said in a statement.

"'The Beginning' is symbolic of adopting new technologies, such as augmented reality, 3D and 360 video. It's also about being experimental and taking songs we've liked from the past and playing around with sick, crazy beats."

Copyright 2010 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).

Forecast: Moderate holiday sales gain

Wed, 10/06/2010 - 10:41 by Rakhi

Washington -- U.S. holiday retail sales are expected to post a modest gain of 2.3 percent over last year's figures, a leading retailers' trade group said Wednesday.

The National Retail Federation, based in Washington, said total holiday retail sales are expected to amount to $447 billion following "a ho-hum 2009 and a disastrous 2008." That would be slightly lower than the 10-year average holiday sales increase of 2.5 percent, but it would be substantially larger than the 0.4 percent increase of 2009 and the 3.9 percent decrease in 2008, the group said in a release posted on its Web site.

NRF President and Chief Executive Officer Matthew Shay said retailers were "hoping the holidays bring sustainable economic growth."

Quest for more computer memory ongoing

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 01:50 by Prince damin

New York -- U.S. scientists say new technologies may bypass barriers to the miniaturization of computer memory, vital to the consumer electronics revolution.

The limits of physics had loomed as a possible slowdown in the pace of miniaturization that has allowed the ability to pack ever more power into ever-smaller devices such as laptops, smart phones and digital cameras, The New York Times reported.

Now two emerging technologies could overcome that barrier, researchers say.

At Rice University, scientists say they have succeeded in building reliable small digital switches, essential to computer memory, that could be made at a significantly smaller scale than is possible using conventional methods.