Diedrich Coffee, a leading fine coffee roaster and wholesaler, reported impressive revenue and profit figures for the first quarter 2010 (ended September 16, 2009). Total quarterly revenue increased 52% over the same quarter last year, going from $10.4 million to $15.8 million. The jump was led by a 66%, $5.8 million, increase in the sale of Keurig K-Cups, the popular one-serving coffee pods that users can pop in a coffee maker and discard. Diedrich Coffee is one of only four roasters under license to produce K-Cups for Keurig Incorporated’s top-selling single-cup brewing system.

First quarter gross margins were also up, increasing from 21% in the same quarter last year to 26% this year. Price increases helped, but other factors include a higher machine utilization, lower temporary help and overtime costs, reduction of scrap and waste due to better inventory controls, lower outbound freight costs, plus the ability to leverage fixed manufacturing

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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) reported third quarter earnings of $0.36 per share, in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Earnings were up 112% year-over-year. Net sales increased by a strong 61% year-over-year to $190.5 million, driven by strong gains from the Keurig business, which shipped approximately 439 million Keurig brewers, a 187% increase compared to the prior-year quarter. GMCR has reported 27 consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth and 12 consecutive quarters of overall top-line growth of above 39%. Organic sales of Green Mountain Roasters increased 39% driven by strong shipments (40%) of Green Mountain K-Cup coffee, tea and hot cocoa. In addition, the newly acquired Tully’s business also contributed positively to the top-line with a 5.5% increase in sales. Furthermore, the introduction of Café Escapes and the continued expansion of the distribution network and sales channels, targeting the at-home consumer also generated strong results....

In a market like this one, it pays to note the subtle differences between ostensibly similar assets. For example, there are car stocks and then there are car stocks. (Yes, I am writing about cars again, but not for the whole column, honest!)

Right now you can buy shares of General Motors (GM:NYSE) with a most unusual provenance: They used to belong to GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, GM North America President Troy Clarke, GM Vice Chairman Thomas Stephens, and Group Vice Presidents Gary Cowger, Carl-Peter Forster and Ralph Szygenda.

You Can’t Fix Stupid

Now I know we are supposed to think of stock shares as perfectly fungible. And it’s quite impossible to know for a fact that the shares you might be buying today actually came from some GM exec’s personal hoard.

Still, there is a touch of something – I’m not quite sure what: irony? fraud? despicable

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