PowerShares DB US Dollar Index (NYSE: UUP) is a rules-based index composed solely of long USDX(R) futures contracts. The USDX(R) futures contract is designed to replicate the performance of being long the U.S. Dollar against the following currencies: Euro, Japanese Yen, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swedish Krona and Swiss Franc. UUP closed at $22.51. UUP November option implied volatility is at 15, December is at 13; near its 26-week average of 15 according to Track Data. UUP total option volume on November 4 was 403,534 contracts, according to Track Data. UUP average daily volume is 70,830 contracts according to IVolatility.

Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) is recently trading at $59 in pre-open trading, above its close of $57.61. RIMM authorized a share repurchase of up to $1.2B. RIMM is expected to report Q3 EPS on December 17. RIMM November option implied volatility is at 48, December is at 57; verses its 26-week average of 51, according to Track Data, suggesting larger December price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: PowerShares DB US Dollar Index Nov-Dec call spreaders active originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) to Buy from Hold based on valuation. The firm, which has a $50 target on the stock, believes Tysabri PML cases are reflected in shares.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) to Buy from Hold as it finds the valuation attractive and believes the company's sales are benefiting from stabilization in California and share gains. Deutsche raised its target on shares to $45 from $36.
• RBC Capital upgraded Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) to Outperform from Sector Perform and raised its target to $39 from $36 citing valuation and views it as a low risk option on a global economic recovery.
• Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Citigroup.
• Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at RBS.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CMCSA, CS, JWN, RCL, RIMM, YUM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: CMCSA, CS, JWN, RCL, RIMM, YUM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An article in Barron's suggests that Motorola (NYSE: MOT) is on the verge of regaining some of its former mojo. The company recently offered a solid outlook for the remainder of the year, and it could garner new business after debuting two smartphones featuring Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system -- namely, the Droid and the Cliq.

The author cites analyst Ed Snyder of Charter Equity Research, who believes Motorola is on the cusp of "an extended upswing in handsets ... over the next several quarters." Snyder believes that the firm's ailing handset division could achieve break-even results as soon as the second quarter of 2010.

Continue reading Barron's, Citigroup bet on a comeback for Motorola

Barron's, Citigroup bet on a comeback for Motorola originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Where do you tweet? When? More important, what's normal? Are you some kind of freak?

A recent Gadgetology study by Retrovo.com, a consumer electronics shopping site, seeks to ascertain where the line in the sand is in regards to social media use (and overuse). If you're 35 or younger, regular use of sites such as Twitter and Facebook is common (big shock, right?). It looks to Retrovo like a new addiction may be taking root.

Continue reading Do you tweet after sex?

Do you tweet after sex? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Shazam: iPhone startup gets a slug of funding

Shazam: iPhone startup gets a slug of funding originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Piper Jaffray upgraded Viacom (NYSE:VIA) to Overweight from Neutral to reflect the improving ad market and better ratings at key cable networks. The firm raised its target on shares to $35 from $29.
  
• Baird upgraded Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) to Outperform from Neutral on valuation as it views the recent weakness as a buying opportunity. The firm keeps an $84 price target on shares.
  
• Jefferies upgraded Usana (NASDAQ:USNA) to Buy from Hold as it believes direct selling companies have been gaining momentum. The firm raised its target on shares to $44 from $37.
• AK Steel (NYSE:AKS) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
  
• First Merit (NASDAQ:FMER) was upgraded to Perform from Underperform at Oppenheimer.
  
• Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Neutral at Goldman.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: VIA, RIMM, ARO, JPM, BMY originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) remains one of best long-term investment plays on the smart phone tidal wave," says growth expert Toby Smith in his ChangeWave Investing advisory.

"The stock recently fell sharply after issuing a solid, but not blowout, earnings report last night. In my view, the selloff created a buying opportunity.

"The Street's dismay was due to the pre-announcement build-up by many analysts who anticipated a blow-out quarter. When the numbers and outlook failed to live up to their billing, the stock got whacked.

"In our view, this looks like a good buying opportunity for one of the dominant players in the smartphone sector -- and one of the hottest we've identified over the long-term.

Continue reading Research in Motion (RIMM): Selloff created opportunity

Research in Motion (RIMM): Selloff created opportunity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Corning (NYSE: GLW) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $19 from $18.50, citing the improved LCD supply-demand outlook and improved sell-through ahead of the holiday season in China.
• Credit Suisse upgraded Newfield Exploration (NYSE: NFX) to Outperform from Neutral and raised its target to $48 from $44 citing valuation and improved asset quality.
• Stifel upgraded Newfield Exploration and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE: UPL) shares to Buy from Hold based on strong fundamentals and a long-term positive view for the E&P sector. The firm has a $50 target on Newfield and a $58 target on Ultra Petroleum.
• TJX Companies (NYSE: TJX) was upgraded to Conviction Buy from Buy at Goldman.
• General Mills (NYSE: GIS) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley.
• Coca-Cola Femsa (NYSE: KOF) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at BofA/Merrill.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: BP, CMCSA, GLW, MAR, RIMM, TIF, TJX ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• A Serious Degradation in Employment
• AmEx Details New Direction

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Can't trust a market too good to be true

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Can't trust a market too good to be true originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Out of the chute this morning, the S&P/Case-Shiller index rose 1.2% in July and gave the market a nice uptick for a while. Then came the report from the Conference Board that its consumer confidence index for September fell to 53.1 from 54.5 in August. What was worse is that economists had estimated a rise to 57 for the month. The soft confidence number is almost certainly due to people worried about losing their jobs. Right now, it could be that traders are waiting for Friday's unemployment report before jumping one way or the other. The negative news won out and the indexes traded down most of the day.

The numbers:

Dow

S&P 500

Nasdaq

Continue reading Closing Bell: Housing, consumer confidence deliver lukewarm trading (CIT, C, BAC, ACS, XRX, SQNM & RIMM)

Closing Bell: Housing, consumer confidence deliver lukewarm trading (CIT, C, BAC, ACS, XRX, SQNM & RIMM) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Jobs, Unemployment Take Center Stage: Coming Week
• Decidedly Bearish: A Peek at the Week

TheStreet.com's Jim Cramer says a good shakeout on Monday would prepare us for a "fulcrum day" on Tuesday.

Could have been worse. With Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) (Cramer's Take) never lifting -- which was, by the way, wrong after a certain point -- and oil not rallying, you had no place to go. Last week we lost tech, banks, and oil. You can't even go up with just two of them, so to lose all three was dreadful.

I said last week that the calendar just didn't favor the bulls. The propensity to want to lock in gains ahead of the last weekend in September -- the one that is ended by the Yom Kippur holiday, which will always have thin trading -- is just too great.

Plus, don't forget that every month that is supposed to be bad gets tons of play for being bad: October! Ooooooo, scary! You know that's going to happen again.

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Setting up for Tuesday

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Setting up for Tuesday originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) shares rose after it reaffirmed its full-year earnings and sales outlook.
• Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NASDAQ: ADP) will have low double-digit EPS growth, predicts one analyst.
• AutoZone Inc. (NYSE: AZO) posted a decline in earnings but a small rise in sales, sending shares lower.
• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBY) posted better-than-expected Q2 earnings and higher revenue.
• CarMax Inc. (NYSE: KMX) rallied to a new 52-week high after topping analysts' Q2 earnings expectations.
• Carnival Corp. (NYSE: CCL) reported better-than-expected Q3 results and raised its full-year guidance.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ...

Earnings highlights: AutoZone, Carnival, CarMax, ConAgra, General Mills, RIM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

DJIA: 9666.48 -40.96 (-0.42%)

NASDAQ: 2090.92 -16.69 (-0.79%)

S&P 500: 1044.44 -6.34 (-0.6%)

Continue reading Closing bell: No spark from consumer sentiment (RIMM, AAPL, UAUA, AMR)

Closing bell: No spark from consumer sentiment (RIMM, AAPL, UAUA, AMR) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• FBR Capital upgraded McAfee (NYSE: MFE) to Outperform from Market Perform after channel checks indicated the company's September quarter deal flow has been stronger than expected. FBR raised its target on shares to $50 from $41.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Adtran (NASDAQ: ADTN) to Overweight from Market Weight, citing increased wireless backhaul capex spending by Tier-1 carriers. The firm raised its target to $32 from $21.
• RBC Capital upgraded Brunswick (NYSE: BC) to Outperform from Sector Perform as the firm thinks the company no longer has liquidity risk and can generate significant profits by 2012. The firm set a $17 target on the stock.
• Bronco Drilling (NASDAQ: BRNC) was upgraded to Hold from Underperform at Jefferies.
• LSI Corp. (NYSE: LSI) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Deutsche Bank.
• UBS upgraded U.S. Airways (NYSE: LCC) and UAL Corp. (NASDAQ: UAUA) to Buy from Neutral.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, CL, DLTR, PG, RIMM, UAUA ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AXP, CL, DLTR, PG, RIMM, UAUA ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• Research In Motion Shares Fall on Sales Miss
• Cramer: My Mobile Internet Index

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: The fault lies with RIMM

Cramer on BloggingStocks: The fault lies with RIMM originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Before the bell: Futures point to a lower start after a decline in durable orders

Before the bell: Futures point to a lower start after a decline in durable orders originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM), the tech company most well-known for building the BlackBerry, is set to report quarterly earnings tomorrow after the close. Analysts expect RIMM to bank $1.00 per share in the period, 13 cents better than year-ago results.

In the past two reporting periods, RIMM has managed to surprise to the upside.

During the past few weeks as earnings approach, RIMM has seen action among call buyers, who are effectively driving up implied volatility. In the past month, at-the-money implied (or expected) readings have jumped from 41% to about 59%. The implied levels are looking fairly pricey here, especially when compared to historical readings.

Continue reading Options action ahead of Research in Motion (RIMM) earnings

Options action ahead of Research in Motion (RIMM) earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

By 2013, more than $4 billion will be spent on smartphone applications, according to a new study by the Yankee Group ... and the estimate is said to be conservative. With the average owner of one of these devices downloading around 20 applications a year, it's obvious that this market is getting ready to pop. Currently, only $343 million is spent in this space.

An increase in the number of smartphone applications available -- for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone, Reasearch in Motion's (NASDAQ: RIMM) Blackberry, and Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android -- and rising prices for these applications will push the total size of this market higher.

Continue reading Smartphone apps to spike, newspapers to miss it (again)

Smartphone apps to spike, newspapers to miss it (again) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Much of the focus this week will no doubt be on the FOMC meeting on interest rates and the subsequent decision, as well as on the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, were the agenda will include bonuses for bank executives among other things.

Things will be fairly quiet again on the earnings front as the next earnings season has yet to ramp up. However, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters do have high hopes for a handful of companies that will release results this week.

Continue reading The week in preview: Eye on AutoZone, ConAgra, KB Home, Research In Motion ...

The week in preview: Eye on AutoZone, ConAgra, KB Home, Research In Motion ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For Palm (NASDAQ: PALM), the future is really about one product: the Pre smartphone. And based on the latest quarterly report, it looks like things are going fairly well (the device was launched in June).

In fiscal Q1, Palm sustained a net loss of $161.1 million, or $1.17 per share. However, if you exclude certain items, the result was a loss of $13.6 million, or $0.10. This was much better than the Street's consensus of $0.24.

Continue reading Palm's Pre is looking smart

Palm's Pre is looking smart originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.