DrStockPick.com Stock Report!

Monday August 17, 2009

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Acushnet Company, the golf business of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), announced that on August 14, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted the company’s request for a new trial and issued other favorable decisions in its patent dispute with Callaway Golf.

Petroleum Development Corporation (Nasdaq: PETD) announced today that it has closed its public offering of 4,312,500 shares of common stock, including 562,500 shares issued upon full exercise of underwriters’ over-allotment option, at a price to the public of $12.00 per share. The net proceeds from the offering were approximately $48.6 million (after deducting underwriting discounts and

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – July 28, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the latest Industry Outlook. Today’s outlook from Zacks Equity Research analyst Ian Gilson discusses the Consumer Electronics sector. Highlighted stocks include: Best Buy (BBY), LG (LPL) and Corning Glass (GLW).

Here is the latest on the Consumer Electronics sector:

The TV market is picking up. Volume has grown significantly and unit sales at retail look good. However, much of the retail demand is driven by deep discounted sales of smaller screen sizes, with 32" being pushed. Best Buy (BBY) had good results in TV, notebook PCs and cell phones in the first quarter and we believe this has continued in the second quarter.

LG (LPL), the second largest FPD maker after Samsung, has announced a capacity increase of an 8G plant (the latest technology plant is 11Generation)

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The manufacturing build up in China for the consumer electronics (CE) 2009 Xmas season has started. Inventory drawdown from last year had an impact in the fourth quarter 2009 and the first quarter of this year so product volume in the major areas was down year to year.

However, it appears that the worst is over as demand for computers and Flat Panel Display TVs is showing more strength than would be expected on a seasonal basis. But the problems of the worldwide recession had caused some companies to reduce production and some shortages will occur over the next few months. These include DVD and CD drives (since optical pick-up heads are in short supply); HDD drives for notebooks and LCD glass panels.

PC demand is picking up in the consumer notebook area, which includes the new netbook category. The Macbook is particularly strong. Business demand for PC remains weak as business

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The manufacturing build up in China for the consumer electronics (CE) 2009 Xmas season has started. Inventory drawdown from last year had an impact in the fourth quarter 2009 and the first quarter of this year so product volume in the major areas was down year to year.

However, it appears that the worst is over as demand for computers and Flat Panel Display TVs is showing more strength than would be expected on a seasonal basis. But the problems of the worldwide recession had caused some companies to reduce production and some shortages will occur over the next few months. These include DVD and CD drives (since optical pick-up heads are in short supply); HDD drives for notebooks and LCD glass panels.

PC demand is picking up in the consumer notebook area, which includes the new netbook category. The Macbook is particularly strong. Business demand for PC remains weak as business

...

The manufacturing build up in China for the consumer electronics (CE) 2009 Xmas season has started. Inventory drawdown from last year had an impact in the fourth quarter 2009 and the first quarter of this year so product volume in the major areas was down year to year. However, it appears that the worst is over as demand for computers and Flat Panel Display TVs is showing more strength than would be expected on a seasonal basis. But the problems of the worldwide recession had caused some companies to reduce production and some shortages will occur over the next few months. These include DVD and CD drives (since optical pick-up heads are in short supply); HDD drives for notebooks and LCD glass panels. PC demand is picking up in the consumer notebook area, which includes the new netbook category. The Macbook is particularly strong. Business demand for ...

Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) reported relatively healthy 1Q09 results. Recurring FFO [funds from operations] increased 7% in the quarter compared to 1Q08. Most operating metrics were positive in the company's core markets. It is clear that office and retail fundamentals are getting worse, and operations will deteriorate as 2009 progresses.Occupancy has started to slip and will continue to fall due to soft office and retail demand. However, we think VNO at a discounted price represents good long-term value. The company recently sold equity and has been buying back debt in an attempt to strengthen the balance sheet. VNO now has plenty of cash and enough liquidity to address 2009 and 2010 debt maturities. The company will pay 60% of its 2009 dividend in stock to conserve cash.We continue our Buy rating, although expect volatility in the entire office sector in the coming months. VNO ...

Japan’s gold exports have doubled this year as individual investors locked in profits after gold prices soared earlier in the year, but retail demand for bullion has been picking up steadily over the past few months.

Industry sources say the rise in retail demand for gold may turn Japan into a net importer again, but that may not happen immediately as many players are still looking to unload their gold holdings when prices recover.

Japan was a net importer of gold in October for the first time this year as investors bought on a plunge in prices, but exports exceeded imports again in November, finance ministry data showed on Friday.

In the eleven months to November, Japan’s exports of unwrought solid gold, gold bars and sheet totalled 393.9 tonnes, up from 174.9 tonnes in 2007.

In November alone, Japan exported 47 tonnes of gold, rising more

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Gold sold off gently in thin Far East trading on Monday morning…and the bottom was in a couple of hours before Hong Kong closed. From there, gold rose until about 10:00 a.m. in London, and although it tacked on about another ten bucks during Comex trading in New York, it had given all that back by the Comex close.

As for the silver price, it bottomed at the same time as gold and was off to the races shortly after London opened. The top was was in shortly after 10:30 Eastern time when it appeared that the about-to-become-parabolic rally drew the attention of the boyz. From that point on, the silver price didn’t do too much.

As would be expected, volume in gold on the Comex Friday was pretty heavy; but somewhat lighter yesterday. In silver, volume was heavier yesterday than it was on Friday…which stands to reason when you consider the

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Gold demand increased by 45% from the second quarter to the third. So why are gold prices falling? Mike Caggeso says frantic de-leveraging by hedge funds outweighed record retail demand for the precious metal. But he says the inflationary impact of the government’s bailout bonanza will be the catalyst for soaring gold prices in 2009.

This from Money Morning:

“Gold’s universal role as a store of value has shone through during this quarter helping attract investors and consumers to all forms of gold ownership,” James E. Burton, chief executive officer of the World Gold Council.

However, if you’d just looked at gold’s performance alone, you’d never be able to tell demand was so strong. Indeed, in the third quarter alone, gold prices tumbled almost 6% – and were actually down as much as 20%, until a mid-September rebound narrowed that loss.

Then came “Black October.”

The worldwide financial crisis continued to

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