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Are Elan's Margins Missing the Grade?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 22:18 by Seth Jayson

 Margins matter. The more Elan (NYSE: ELN) 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 Elan's competitive position could be.

 

Welcome to the Big Leagues

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 22:06 by Buck Hartzell

 With a current market capitalization in excess of $9 billion, Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) is stepping into the big leagues. All revolutionary companies must make this transition before becoming a true Rule Maker. Unfortunately, the transitionary period is dangerous ground. 

 

Is Transocean Earning Enough for You?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 21:59 by Seth Jayson

  Margins matter. The more Transocean (NYSE: RIG) 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 Transocean's competitive position could be.

 

Do You Trust the Earnings at Broadcom?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 21:57 by Seth Jayson

 Although business headlines still tout earnings numbers, many investors have moved past net earnings as a measure of a company's economic output. That's because earnings are very often less trustworthy than cash flow, since earnings are more open to manipulation based on dubious judgment calls.

 

Marginal Performance at Qualcomm

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 21:54 by Seth Jayson

 Margins matter. The more Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) 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 Qualcomm's competitive position could be.

 

Why Should Investors Care About Computer Sciences?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:36 by Anders Bylund

 The stock chart for Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE: CSC)looks a lot like a StairMaster machine. Right now, the company is taking a breather on the climb back from hitting rock-bottom back in August.

 

Concur Technologies Shares Plunged: What You Need to Know

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:33 by Matt Koppenheffer

 Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

How Expensive Is Golden Star Resources' Stock by the Numbers?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:24 by Anand Chokkavelu

 Numbers can lie -- but they're the best first step in determining whether a stock is a buy. In this series, we use some carefully chosen metrics to size up a stock's true value based on the following clues:

 

Is Sherwin-Williams' Stock a Bargain by the Numbers?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:19 by Anand Chokkavelu

 Numbers can lie -- but they're the best first step in determining whether a stock is a buy. In this series, we use some carefully chosen metrics to size up a stock's true value based on the following clues:

 

Is This Company Sitting on a Time Bomb?

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:16 by Rich Duprey

 The regular "one-time, non-recurring" infusions of cash that Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK) passes off each quarter as asuccessful turnaround strategy are bad enough, but it's getting harder to ignore the time bomb ticking away in its underfunded pension plan.

 

4 Stocks for Your Watchlist

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 12:03 by Roger Friedman

 A well-crafted watchlist is critical to smart investing: It can help you find attractive buying opportunities, and it can save you from bad decisions. After all, investors can be their own worst enemies. When we overreact to the day's news, we make rushed decisions driven by emotion.

The True Cost of 12b-1 Fees

Fri, 12/11/2010 - 11:57 by Amanda B. Kish

 Here at the Fool, we've written quite a bit in the past few weeks about the use of 12b-1 fees in many mutual funds. 12b-1 fees are marketing and distribution expenses that fund shops charge investors. These fees are used to pay for advertising and marketing efforts, including commissions paid to financial advisors for recommending the shop's funds to clients.