Saturday, October 30, 2010

5 Stocks to consider -- 10/30

These are 5 stocks that came up on my Barchart New High screener:

EPE  -- Enterprise Group -- 100% Barchart technical buy signal -- 18 new highs and up 11.11% in the last month -- Relative Strength Index 85.98% and rising

ALX -- Alexander's -- 96% Barchart technical buy signal -- 18 new highs and up 19.13% in the last month --- Relative Strength Index 79.48% and rising

MORN -- Morningstar -- 64% Barchart technical buy signal -- 18 new highs and up 10.28% in the last month -- Relative Strength Index 71.72% and rising

GLRE -- Greenlight Reinsurance -- 96% Barchart technical buy signal -- 17 new highs and up 15.44% in the last month -- Relative Strength Index 75.31% and rising

VRTU - VirtUSA -- 100% Barchart technical buy signal -- 17 new highs and up 43.61% in the last month -- Relative Strength Index 92.60% and rising

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Weekly Market Recap -- W/E 10/29

This week, really the last month has had so much volatility that each day it was hard to see if the market was going up or down.  Every hour, every press release seemed to start a trend in a new direction.  Let's step back and use Barchart to mine the data for our 3 standard market momentum yardsticks.  No single yardstick tells the whole story and none are correct all the time.

Value Line Index -- Contains 1700 stocks so its much broader than the narrow S&P 500 or very narrow Dow 30 -- A very slight upward trend
  • Barchart technical buy signal of 64%
  • Up .12% for the week
  • Up 3.71% for the last month
  • Closed Friday at 2601.09 which is above its 50 Day Moving Average of 2460.56
  • Relative Strength Index of 62.00% and slightly falling
Barchart Market Momentum -- Contains approximately 6,000 stocks -- The percentage of stocks closing above their Daily Moving Averages for various periods -- Above 50% is always good -- Still positive but weaker than in the last week and month
  • Friday 58.49% closed above their 20 DMA, 78.56% closed above their 50 DMA, 81.67% closed above their 100 DMA
  • Last week 67.48% closed above their 20 DMA, 81.65% closed above their 50 DMA, 83.30% closed above their 100 DMA
  • Last month 79.33% closed above their 20 DMA, 82.01% closed above their 50 DMA, 77.87% closed above their 100 DMA
Ratio of stocks hitting new highs/new lows for various time periods -- 1.0+ bullish, 1.0 neutral, under .99 bearish -- positive for all periods
  • 1 month new highs/new lows -- 614/426 = 1.44
  • 3 month new highs/new lows -- 473/99 = 4.78
  • 6 month new highs/new lows -- 310/68 = 4.56
Summary and Investment Strategy -- The market trend is not strong but it is upward.  I will still trim stocks that aren't performing and will not be afraid to buy new ones. We have been in an upward trend since September and I see no reason why that won't continue.  For those of you that have been in the market -- Good Job! For those of you that are still sitting on the sidelines I think it's time to start dollar cost averaging back in.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.




Disclosure: No specific stocks mentioned in this blog.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Don't Spit Into the Wind - An interview of Jim Van Meerten by Forbes

Don't Spit Into the Wind

Recently I was interviewed again by Forbes on how momentum investing works.  They asked me to use my Barchart tools and rank 5 popular tech stocks: Apple (APPL), Cisco (CSCO), Dell (DELL) Google (GOOG) and Intel (INTC).

Please read the article (link provided above) and share it with your friends.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

National - Oilwell - NOV - S&P 100 pick

National-Oilwell (NOV) is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of machinery and equipment and in the distribution of maintenance, repair and operating products used in oil and gas drilling and production. The Company's machinery and equipment include drawworks, mud pumps and power swivels, which are the major mechanical components of rigs used todrill oil and gas wells. Many of these components are designed specifically for applications in offshore, extended reach and deep land drilling.

As the world wide recovery happens all energy companies should be poised to benefit.

NOV has a 100% Barchart technical buy signal hitting 15 new highs and an increase in price of 17.60% in the last month.  The stock trades around 51.99 which is above its 50 day moving average of 43.04.  The stock has a Relative Strength Index of 74.25% and is rapidly rising.

Wall Street brokerages have 23 buy and 6 hold reports published and their brokers are pushing the expected 5 year annual EPS growth projections of 7.20% to their clients.

This is a widely held general investor stock and the CAPS members on Motley Fool are voting 3,067 to 52 that the stock will beat the market.  The more experienced All Stars agree with a vote of 1,096 to 9.  The Wall Street columnists followed by Fool have written favorable articles 14 to 1.

This energy play has:
  • 100% Barchart technical buy signal
  • 15 new highs in the last month
  • Relative Strength Index of 74.25% and rising
  • Positive Wall Street and general investor sentiment
Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.




Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Carrol's makes my mouth water

I added CARROLS RESTAURANT GROUP, INC., (TAST) to the Barchart Van Meerten Speculative portfolio. The company is operating through its subsidiaries, including Carrols Corporation, and is one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States. The Company operates three restaurant brands in the quick-casual and quick-service restaurant segments with over 559 company-owned and operated restaurants in 17 states, and several franchised restaurants in the United States, Puerto Rico and Ecuador. Carrols Restaurant Group owns and operates two Hispanic Brand restaurants, Pollo Tropical (91 locations) and Taco Cabana ( 156 locations) . It is also the largest Burger King franchisee, based on number of restaurants (312 locations), and has operated Burger King restaurants since 1976.

Since junior high school when the Burger King opened on Sunrise Boulevard in Lauderdale the Whopper has been my favortie fast food burger.  I can remember some of the football team having feasts there and some guys ate 5 of those things.  I'll be down in Lauderdale for a few weeks and I'll make several stops at the Pollo Tropical on Oakland Park Boulevard for some of the best wings, chicken and pork with black beans I've ever had.

The stock came up on my Barchart New High screener with 17 new highs in the last month for a 3.47% price increase.  They have a 96% Barchart technical buy rating and currently trades around 6.59 well above its 50 day moving average of 5.21.  The stock has a Relative Strength Index of 76.66% and it's rising.

Wall Street brokerages have a taste for the company with 3 buy recommendations published.  Although sales are only expected to increase by 2.10% earnings are estimated to increase by 36.10% next year and continue for a 5 year compounded annual EPS growth rate of 10.00%.

Individual investors have spotted this stock too and the CAPS members on Motley Fool think the stock will out perform the market with a vote of 73 to 9 with the All Stars in agreement 31 to 1.  Fool notes that the last 3 articles by the Wall Street journalist they follow have all been positive.

I added this stock because:
  • I use their products and especially enjoy Pollo Tropical
  • 96% Barchart technical buy signal
  • 17 new highs in 20 sessions
  • Wall Street buy recommendations and positive articles
  • Small but positive retail investor following
Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email http://JimVanMeerten@gmail.com./


Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Synchronosstech - SNCR

SYNCHRONOSS TECHNOLOGIES (SNCR) was added to the Barchart Van Meerten New High portfolio.  SNCR is the premier provider of on-demand transaction management software to Tier One communications service providers. Synchronoss enables service providers to drive growth in new and existing markets while delivering an improved customer experience at lower costs. The company's flagship ActivationNow and ConvergenceNow software platforms automate, synchronize and simplify electronic service creation and management of advanced wireline, wireless and IP services across existing networks.

The company is on a roll with business partnership agreements from AT&T, Panosonic, Lenovo and Nokia.

The stock came up on my Barchart new high screener with 18 new highs in the last 20 sessions for a 17.68% price increase in the last month.  It has a 100% Barchart short term technical buy signal and trades around 20.90 which is above its 50 day moving average of 17.48.  The 14 day Relative Strength Index is 76.50% and rising.

Wall Street brokerages have double digit projections for both sales and earnings increases.  They have published 5 buy and 2 hold recommendations to their clients.  Estimates of sales increases of 27.80% this year and 24.00% next year are impressive.  The earnings projections of 15.80% this year, 31.80% next year and a 5 year compounded annual EPS growth rate of 25.00% are not to be ignored.

General investor sentiment as measured on Motley Fool is high with the CAPS members voting 429 to 26 that the stock will beat the market and the All Stars are in agreement 128 to 2.  Fool notes that the last 7 articles by Wall Street columnists have been positive.

The stock has:
  • Recent and consistent upward price momentum
  • 100% Barchart short term technical buy signal
  • Wall Street brokerage buy recommendations based on double digit projections of increases in sales and earnings
  • Positive general investor sentiment
  • Good press by Wall Street columnists
Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.