Halliburton (HAL - option chain) stock is trading lower after the company said Tuesday that reduced activity by major Mexican customer Petroleos Mexicanos will reduce HAL's Q4 EPS by 2 cents. Analysts previously had expected 0.28 EPS from HAL in the fourth quarter. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on HAL.

Wednesday, HAL opened at $29.95. In early trading, the stock hit a high of $30.05 and a low of $29.30. As of 11:10, HAL was trading at $29.76, down $0.70 (-2.3%). The chart for HAL looks neutral and S&P gives HAL a neutral 3 STARS (out of 5) hold ranking.

Continue reading Halliburton (HAL) warns of weaker Q4 earnings

Halliburton (HAL) warns of weaker Q4 earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) was upgraded at Jefferies to Hold from Underperform following Q3 results. The firm believes the Wavecom acquisition integration is progressing better than expected and finds the valuation attractive at current levels. The firm raised its price target to $10 from $5.
• Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank to reflect the company's recapitalization and better-than-expected occupancy. The firm raised its target to $69 from $46.
• Wyndham (NYSE: WYN) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at FBR Capital after the shares sold off following the company's Q3 results. The firm raised its target to $23 from $15.
• Human Genome (NASDAQ: HGSI) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan. Target was raised to $25 from $14.
• Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) was upgraded to Overweight from Market Weight at Thomas Weisel as they expect a "meaningful sales and earnings improvement in Q4." Target was raised to $39 from $32.
• Methanex (NASDAQ: MEOH) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS, citing improved methanol demand following the Q3 report. Target was raised to $19.50 from $17.
• Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ: BWLD) was upgraded at Raymond to Market Perform from Underperform.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, HAL, GCI, GT, IMAX, URBN ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: ADBE, HAL, GCI, GT, IMAX, URBN ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• American Express (NYSE:AXP) was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at FBR Capital, as the firm sees limited near-term downside in the stock. The firm raised its target price on the shares to $37 from $25.
  
• RBC Capital upgraded Estee Lauder (NYSE:EL) to Outperform from Sector Perform. Target to $44 from $34. UBS upgraded Nestle on expectations the company will begin returning cash to shareholders via buybacks and dividends.
  
• Piper Jaffray raised Dicks Sporting (NYSE:DKS) to Neutral from Underweight following positive channel checks and raised its target on the shares to $28 from $18.
  
• Sohu.com (NASDAQ:SOHU) was upgraded to Neutral from Sell by Pali Capital.
  
• Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) was raised to Buy from Hold by Natixis.
  
• Sunpower (NASDAQ:SPWRA) was upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Macquarie.
• China Automotive (NASDAQ:CAAS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Merriman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, HAL, EL, MAT, CAT....

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, HAL, EL, MAT, CAT.... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You can tell the oil market's in rough shape when companies are drilling more to pull in smaller profits. This is the situation in which Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) finds itself, with lower energy prices pushing down the cash that comes through the door.

So, its revenue was up for the most recent quarter, but earnings were down. The $262 million that came to the bottom line is 61% lower than the profit for the same quarter the year before.

Continue reading Halliburton earnings plunge 61%

Halliburton earnings plunge 61% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY

Some big names setting new highs today: STAR, GG, PIR, EBAY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS) posted a smaller-than-expected Q2 net loss as steel prices rise.
• Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE: BSX) posted a better-than-expected Q2 profit on strong overseas sales.
• Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) shares jumped after it beat earnings, missed revenues, and offered guidance.
• DuPont (NYSE: DD) shares declined after it posted a higher-than-expected profit but lower revenue.
• Eaton Corp. (NYSE: ETN) disappointing results were a sign that the bulls are in charge, said Jim Cramer.
• General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) Q2 earnings and sales declined, dragged down by finance and NBC units.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Caterpillar, DuPont, GE, Halliburton, Texas Instruments ...

Earnings highlights: Caterpillar, DuPont, GE, Halliburton, Texas Instruments ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading What are Halliburton's earnings numbers telling us about the economy?

What are Halliburton's earnings numbers telling us about the economy? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Many experts believe that oil prices are at unsustainably low prices now, and they expect a sharp rise in the commodity price as supply and demand come back into line again," says turnaround expert George Putnam.

In The Turnaround Letter, he suggests, "If oil does begin to rise again, the oilfield service stocks could rebound sharply." Here, he takes a look at large cap plays on a rebound within the oilfield services sector.

"We all know that oil prices have fallen dramatically from their highs in the summer of 2008. But different types of oil-related stocks have reacted quite differently to the price change in the underlying commodity.

"For example, while oil itself has dropped nearly 70% from its 12-month high, the stock of the largest integrated oil company, Exxon-Mobil (NYSE: XOM), is down only 26%, less than the stock market as a whole.

Continue reading Oilfield services: Four favorite turnarounds

Oilfield services: Four favorite turnarounds originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) Q4 profit rose on higher prices, and its forecast matched expectations.
• Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) Q4 earnings grew on cost cutting but revenue remained flat.
• Black & Decker Corp. (NYSE: BDK) shares tanked after the dismal Q4 report, and it announced job cuts.
• Carpenter Technology Corp. (NYSE: CRS) Q2 numbers resulted in a downgrade from one analyst.
• ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) reported a Q4 loss due to writedowns from recent acquisitions.
• DuPont (NYSE: DD) swung to a bigger-than-expected Q4 loss and its revenue fell as well.
• Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) swung to a Q4 loss on acquisition costs but reaffirmed its guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Ford, P&G, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, DuPont, Halliburton and others

Earnings highlights: Ford, P&G, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, DuPont, Halliburton and others originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's a quick look at some of Monday's earnings results:

Netflix Inc.'s (NASDAQ: NFLX) fourth-quarter earnings jumped 45% percent to nearly $23 million, or 38 cents per share, which surpassed analysts' estimates. Revenue in the period rose 19% to $360 million. The company ended 2008 with 9.4 million subscribers, a gain of 718,000 customers from the end of September. Shares fell $0.29, less than 1% Monday.

Amgen Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AMGN) fourth-quarter profit grew 15% percent to $961 million, or 91 cents per share, mostly due to lower expenses. Revenue was $3.75 billion about the same as last year. Results included $60 million in restructuring costs a year ago. Shares rose $1.22, or 2.3%, but fell in after-hours trading.

Continue reading Monday earnings recap: Netflix, Amgen, Halliburton, Wyeth, Tyson

Monday earnings recap: Netflix, Amgen, Halliburton, Wyeth, Tyson originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Stocks end higher after housing data; CAT, XOM, HAL, BCS, BRK.A

Closing Bell: Stocks end higher after housing data; CAT, XOM, HAL, BCS, BRK.A originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stocks in the news: PFE, WYE, BCS, CAT, MCD, PHG, WAG, SBUX, S ...

Stocks in the news: PFE, WYE, BCS, CAT, MCD, PHG, WAG, SBUX, S ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Stocks in the news: CVX, YHOO, KBH, BBY, COH, SBL, HAL, PALM ...

Stocks in the news: CVX, YHOO, KBH, BBY, COH, SBL, HAL, PALM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Toast: The Bush legacy

Toast: The Bush legacy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Futures higher ahead of election; BA, PEP, C, GM, MA, WMT, HAL, MOT, CSIQ ...

Before the bell: Futures higher ahead of election; BA, PEP, C, GM, MA, WMT, HAL, MOT, CSIQ ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We know that some of that money went to pay for plush resort vacations in California. But that is only the small amounts. The Administration just figured -- "Heh, it's not our money going out the door -- who cares what happens to it?"

It was the same thing with $44.5 billion worth of government contracts for Iraq -- give friends the billions and let them do with it what they want. This attitude led to the firing of an Army official who refused to authorize $1 billion in questionable charges to KBR, the unit of Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) that Dick Cheney formerly ran.

American International Group (NYSE: AIG) is not required to report how it's spending our money, but hints have surfaced about where some of it went: $18 billion to cover losses on AIG's securities lending -- where it lent out securities which then declined in value, and $13 billion to pay guarantees on Guaranteed Investment Contracts (GICs). I know I had nothing to do with these bad business bets so why am I paying for them?

Continue reading What happened to the $122.8 billion we gave AIG?

What happened to the $122.8 billion we gave AIG? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of a feature on companies and products that our bloggers think are in need of a makeover. See all 26.

Remember Dick Cheney? He hasn't emerged from his spider hole since shooting his buddy in the face at a quail hunt. But last time I was in Washington, I was walking along the street near George Washington University Hospital and suddenly all the cars disappeared and an armada of police cars and black suburbans whizzed by. I was later told that it was Cheney getting his stent checked up.

Prior to his stint in the administration of the 43rd president, It turns out that Cheney's heart beat for Halliburton (NYSE: HAL). In 2004, for example, taxpayers provided Halliburton's KBR subsidiary with $7 billion to provide services in Iraq while it took hundreds of millions of dollars in improper charges. With its 2% profit over costs, the more taxpayer money Halliburton spent, the higher its profits. Fortunately, Halliburton spun off that pesky KBR subsidiary in April 2007.

But it has other problems. The SEC is investigating Halliburton for paying bribes in Nigeria; its KBR subsidiary did a lousy job replacing bolts on an undersea pipeline that will cost Halliburton up to $220 million; the SEC investigated Halliburton for bogus contract revenue accounting; it settled asbestos litigation; a competitor of Hallburton accuses it of antitrust violations; and it received a $108 million judgment for dumping hazardous waste.

Continue reading Makeover needed: Halliburton

Makeover needed: Halliburton originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Ericsson AB (NASDAQ: ERIC) shares are rising over 18% in pre-market trading after it posted a better-than-expected third-quarter profit due to cost cut measures and a sales surge.
• Mattel Inc. (NYSE: MAT) reported third-quarter results this morning. Mattel's income rose, but not enough and it missed expectations.
• Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) reported a 14% drop in third-quarter profit, but it beat expectations.
• Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) swung to a loss in the third quarter, but managed to beat earnings expectations by a penny excluding charges. Revenue in the quarter rose 24%.
• SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK), American Express (NYSE: AXP) and Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) report third-quarter results after the closing bell.

Continue reading Before the bell: Stocks headed higher; ERIC, GM, MAT, SNDK, HAL, EXC, YHOO, AAPL, XOM ...

Before the bell: Stocks headed higher; ERIC, GM, MAT, SNDK, HAL, EXC, YHOO, AAPL, XOM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 08:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Sentiment can't measure this broken market

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Sentiment can't measure this broken market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Get serious John McCain, dump Palin now.

Get serious John McCain, dump Palin now. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.