Will Recent News Affect General Electric?

With shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE) trading around $26, is GE an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

General Electric is a diversified industrial, technology, and financial services company that operates worldwide. The products and services of the company range from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, and household appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing, and industrial products. General Electric's segments are Energy Infrastructure, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions, and GE Capital. General Electric is a leading provider of a wide range of products and many are essential in daily lives of consumers and companies around the world.

General Electric announced that it will close an electrical capacitor facility in northern New York that employs around 200 persons. The company advised workers that it will follow through on plans announced in September to shut its plant 45 miles north of Albany, and transfer operations to an existing manufacturing site in Clearwater, Florida. The plant located close to the Hudson River will not close prior to September 2014.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

General Electric stock has been trending higher over the past several quarters. The stock is currently trading near highs for the year and looks poised to continue. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, General Electric is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of General Electric options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
General Electric options	17.81%	0%	0%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a small amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
December Options	Flat	Average
January Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

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On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on General Electric’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for General Electric look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	11.11%	3.45%	17.24%	8.72%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	-1.46%	-3.50%	-0.49%	3.57%
Earnings Reaction	3.52%	4.61%	-4.05%	3.47%

General Electric has seen increasing earnings and decreasing revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have had conflicting feelings about General Electric’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Average Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has General Electric stock done relative to its peers, United Technologies (NYSE:UTX), Phillips (NYSE:PHG), Siemens (NYSE:SI), and sector?

	General Electric	United Technologies	Phillips	Siemens	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	27.78%	36.02%	34.06%	21.87%	30.93%

General Electric has been an average relative performer, year-to-date.

Conclusion

General Electric is a globally diversified industrial, technology, and financial services company. The company announced that it will close an electrical capacitor facility in northern New York that employs around 200 persons. The stock has been trending higher over the past several quarters and is currently trading near highs for the year. Over the last four quarters, earnings have been rising while revenues have been decreasing, which has produced conflicting feelings among iinvestors. Relative to its peers and sector, General Electric has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what General Electric does this quarter.

5 Stocks Set to Soar on Bullish Earnings

DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Short-sellers hate being caught short a stock that reports a blowout quarter. When this happens, we often see a tradable short squeeze develop as the bears rush to cover their positions to avoid big losses. Even the best short-sellers know that it's never a great idea to stay short once a bullish earnings report sparks a big short-covering rally.

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This is why I scan the market for heavily shorted stocks that are about to report earnings. You only need to find a few of these stocks in a year to help enhance your portfolio returns -- the gains become so outsized in such a short time frame that your profits add up quickly.

That said, let's not forget that stocks are heavily shorted for a reason, so you have to use trading discipline and sound money management when playing earnings short-squeeze candidates. It's important that you don't go betting the farm on these plays and that you manage your risk accordingly. Sometimes the best play is to wait for the stock to break out following the report before you jump in to profit off a short squeeze. This way, you're letting the trend emerge after the market has digested all of the news.

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Of course, sometimes the stock is going to be in such high demand that you risk missing a lot of the move by waiting. That's why it can be worth betting prior to the report -- but only if the stock is acting technically very bullish and you have a very strong conviction that it is going to rip higher. Just remember that even when you have that conviction and have done your due diligence, the stock can still get hammered if The Street doesn't like the numbers or guidance.

If you do decide to bet ahead of a quarter, then you might want to use options to limit your capital exposure. Heavily shorted stocks are usually the names that make the biggest post-earnings moves and have the most volatility. I personally prefer to wait until all the earnings-related news is out for a heavily shorted stock and then jump in and trade the prevailing trend.

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With that in mind, here's a look at several stocks that could experience big short squeezes when they report earnings this week.

Infoblox

My first earnings short-squeeze play is automated network controller player Infoblox (BLOX), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Infoblox to report revenue of $63.50 million on earnings of 9 cents per share.

Just recently, Needhamanalyst Alex Henderson raised his price target on shares of Infoblox to $49 from $47 ahead of the quarter, saying he expects the company to post another 20%-plus quarterly sales gain when it reports. "We expect Infoblox to report another strong quarter, with strong revenue growth, firm gross margins and expanding operating margins," Henderson wrote in a research report.

>>3 Stocks Spiking on Big Volume

The current short interest as a percentage of the float Infoblox is stands at 4.3%. That means that out of the 47.38 million shares in the tradable float, 1.89 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 8.5%, or by about 148,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of BLOX could rip sharply higher post-earnings as the bears rush to cover some of their short positions.

From a technical perspective, BLOX is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has just started to trend back above its 50-day moving average of $43.17 a share. That move is quickly pushing shares of BLOX within range of triggering a big breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on BLOX, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $46.30 to its all-time high at $48.97 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 786,755 shares. If that breakout hits, then BLOX will set up to enter new all-time-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $55 to $60 a share.

I would simply avoid BLOX or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below a key near-term support level at $39.81 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then BLOX will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $37.26 to $34 a share. Any high-volume move below those levels will then put its 200-day moving average at $30.99 into range for shares of BLOX.

Golar LNG

Another potential earnings short-squeeze trade idea is Golar LNG (GLNG), a midstream liquefied natural gas company engaged in the transportation, regasification and liquefaction, and trading of LNG. Golar LNG is set to release its numbers on Wednesday before the market open. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect the company to report revenue $16.87 million on earnings of 8 cents per share.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Golar LNG is pretty high at 10.8%. That means that out of the 79.62 million shares in the tradable float, 4.60 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 10.3%, or by about 429,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a bullish quarter, then shares of GLNG could surge sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts jump to cover some of their trades.

From a technical perspective, GLNG is currently trending below its 50-day moving average and just above its 200-day moving average, which is neutral trendwise. This stock has been downtrending for the last few weeks, with shares moving lower from its high of $40.37 to its intraday low of $36.21 a share. During that move, shares of GLNG have been consistently making lower highs and lower lows, which is bearish technical price action.

If you're in the bull camp on GLNG, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 50-day moving average of $37.52 a share to more near-term resistance at $38 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 559,383 shares. If that breakout hits, then GLNG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its 52-week high at $41.55 a share. Any high-volume move above that level will then give GLNG a chance to tag $45 a share post-earnings.

I would simply avoid GLNG or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below its 200-day moving average at $35.62 a share to more near-term support at $34 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then GLNG will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $32 to $30 a share.

TiVo

One potential earnings short-squeeze candidate is developer and provider of DVR set-top boxes Tivo (TIVO), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Tivo to report revenue of $81.33 million on earnings of 6 cents per share.

This company reported a profit last quarter, after registering two straight quarters of losses.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for TiVo is notable at 5.1%. That means that out of the 118.13 million shares in the tradable float, 6.01 million shares are sold short by the bears. If this company can deliver the earnings news the bulls are looking for, then shares of TIVO could rip sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts jump to cover some of their positions.

From a technical perspective, TIVO is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been trending sideways for the last month, with shares moving between $13 on the downside and $14.25 on the upside. Any high-volume move above the upper-end of its range post-earnings could trigger a big breakout trade for shares of TIVO.

If you're bullish on TIVO, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $13.72 to $13.91 a share, and then once it clears its 52-week high at $14.25 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 2.81 million shares. If that breakout hits, then TIVO will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $17 to $20 a share.

I would avoid TIVO or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $13 to its 50-day moving average of $12.96 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then TIVO will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 200-day moving average of $12.11 to $11 a share.

Tilly's

Another earnings short-squeeze prospect is specialty retailer of West Coast apparel, footwear and accessories Tilly's (TLYS), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Tilly's to report revenue of $132.59 million on earnings of 21 cents per share.

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The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Tilly's is notable a 3.2%. That means that out of the 10.28 million shares in the tradable float, 324,000 shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 2.3%, or by about 7,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of TLYS could rip sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of their bets.

From a technical perspective, TLYS is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last three months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $12.44 to its recent high of $15.80 a share. During that uptrend, shares of TLYS have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of TLYS within range of triggering a big breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're bullish on TLYS, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance levels at $15.67 to $15.80 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average action of 49,179 shares. If that breakout hits, then TLYS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at its 52-week high at $17.35 a share to its all-time high at $19.57 a share.

I would simply avoid TLYS or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below its 200-day moving average of $14.68 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then TLYS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at $14 to $13.50 a share. Any high-volume move below those levels will then put its next major support level at $12.44 into range for shares of TLYS.

Analog Devices

My final earnings short-squeeze play is semiconductor player Analog Devices (ADI), which is set to release numbers on Tuesday after the market close. Wall Street analysts, on average, expect Analog Devices to report revenue of $688.46 million on earnings of 58 cents per share.

This company has been profitable over the last eight quarters, but it has seen net income drop over the past four quarters by an average of 2% year over year. The worst quarter was the first quarter, which saw a 6% drop in net income.

The current short interest as a percentage of the float for Analog Devices stands at 1.7%. That means that out of the 307.38 million shares in the tradable float, 5.18 million shares are sold short by the bears. The bears have also been increasing their bets from the last reporting period by 1.9%, or by about 95,000 shares. If the bears get caught pressing their bets into a strong quarter, then shares of ADI could easily spike sharply higher post-earnings as the shorts rush to cover some of their positions.

From a technical perspective, ADI is currently trending above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which is bullish. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares moving higher from its low of $45.28 to its recent high of $50.79 a share. During that uptrend, shares of ADI have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. That move has now pushed shares of ADI within range of triggering a big breakout trade post-earnings.

If you're in the bull camp on ADI, then I would wait until after its report and look for long-biased trades if this stock manages to break out above its 52-week high at $50.79 a share with high volume. Look for volume on that move that hits near or above its three-month average volume of 1.74 million shares. If that breakout hits, then ADI will set up to enter new 52-week high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that breakout are $55 to $60 a share.

I would avoid ADI or look for short-biased trades if after earnings it fails to trigger that breakout and then drops back below some key near-term support levels at $48.80 a share to its 50-day moving average of $48.22 a share with high volume. If we get that move, then ADI will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major support levels at its 200-day moving average of $46.34 to $45 a share. Any high-volume move below those levels will then put $43.50 to $41 into range for shares of ADI.

To see more potential earnings short squeeze plays, check out the Earnings Short Squeeze Plays portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

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Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

3 Big Stocks Close To New 52-Week Highs With Still Single Digit P/E's

The markets are at all time highs and the valuations are getting increasingly more expensive, as measured by earnings multiples. Not all stocks are highly priced. There are still quite a few opportunities with a single P/E multiple.

Today I would like to show you those stocks that are close to new 52-Week-Highs and having a single earnings multiple at the same time. In order to reduce the results, I observed only companies with a market capitalization over $10 billion.

Ten stocks fulfilled my criteria of a very low forward P/E and a stock price up to 3% below new highs. All ten have a current buy or better rating.

Here are the biggest results:

BP (BP ) has a market capitalization of $136.37 billion. The company employs 85,700 people, generates revenue of $388.285 billion and has a net income of $11.816 billion. BP's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $39.891 billion. The EBITDA margin is 10.27 percent (the operating margin is 5.08 percent and the net profit margin 3.04 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 16.26 percent of BP's assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 41.21 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 10.07 percent was realized by BP. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $8.07. Last fiscal year, BP paid $1.98 in the form of dividends to shareholders. Forward P/E: 8.16.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 5.37, the P/S ratio is 0.35 and the P/B ratio is finally 1.17. The dividend yield amounts to 4.98 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 1.48.

Eni (E) has a market capitalization of $87.84 billion. The company employs 77,838 people, generates revenue of $176.203 billion and has a net income of $6.761 billion. Eni's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $39.104 billion. The EBITDA margin is 22.19 percent (the operating ma! rgin is 11.67 percent and the net profit margin 3.84 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 17.52 percent of Eni's assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 41.32 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 7.32 percent was realized by Eni. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $1.75. Last fiscal year, Eni paid $2.96 in the form of dividends to shareholders. Forward P/E: 9.97.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 27.65, the P/S ratio is 0.50 and the P/B ratio is finally 1.09. The dividend yield amounts to 5.98 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 1.15.

Ford Motor (F) has a market capitalization of $69.06 billion. The company employs 171,000 people, generates revenue of $134.252 billion and has a net income of $5.664 billion. Ford Motor's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounts to $13.338 billion. The EBITDA margin is 9.94 percent (the operating margin is 4.68 percent and the net profit margin 4.22 percent).

Financial Analysis: The total debt represents 55.13 percent of Ford Motor's assets and the total debt in relation to the equity amounts to 658.79 percent. Due to the financial situation, a return on equity of 36.58 percent was realized by Ford Motor. Twelve trailing months earnings per share reached a value of $1.52. Last fiscal year, Ford Motor paid $0.20 in the form of dividends to shareholders. Forward P/E: 9.93.

Market Valuation: Here are the price ratios of the company: The P/E ratio is 11.54, the P/S ratio is 0.51 and the P/B ratio is finally 4.34. The dividend yield amounts to 2.28 percent and the beta ratio has a value of 2.01.

Take a closer look at the full list of cheap large cap stocks close to New 52-Week Highs. The average P/E ratio amounts to 13.02 and forward P/E ratio is 9.18. The dividend yield has a value of 3.47 percent. Price to book ratio is 1.33 and price to sales ratio 0.6! 2. The op! erating margin amounts to 14.36 percent and the beta ratio is 1.62. Stocks from the list have an average debt to equity ratio of 1.59.

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American Express Income Grows on U.S. Strength

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) today reported third quarter results after markets closed Wednesday night. The financial services company reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.25 on revenues net of interest expense of $8.3 billion. In the same period last year the company reported EPS of $1.09 on revenues of $7.86 billion. The consensus estimate called for EPS of $1.22 on revenues of $8.19 billion.

Currency translation effects cost Amex 1% of revenues. The company's loss provisions totaled $492 million at the end of the third quarter, up 3% from $479 million a year ago due to lower releases from loss reserves and a benefit from lower write-offs this year.

Net income from the U.S. card services segment rose 12% to $782 million and international card services net income fell 13% to $142 million. Net income also rose in the global commercial services segment (+43%) and the global network and merchant services segment (+9%).

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The company's CEO said:

Despite an uncertain environment, we generated a healthy increase in revenues and stronger Card Member spending across all regions this quarter. Spending on our global network rose 7 percent (9 percent adjusted for currency translations) and Card Member loans continued the modest growth rates we have been seeing for the past several quarters. Credit quality indicators remained at historically strong levels. And, year to date, we are delivering on the annual targets we set to contain operating costs.

For the 2013 fiscal year, consensus estimates call for EPS of $4.88 on revenue of $32.89 billion. The consensus fourth-quarter estimates call for EPS of $1.24 on revenues of $8.5 billion. Today's report from American Express did not offer any guidance.

Shares rose about 0.2% to $76.45 in after-hours trading Wednesday. The 52-week range is $53.02 to $78.63. Prior to today's release Thomson/Reuters had a consensus price target of around $79.40 on the company's shares.

The Best Stock in the Aircraft Leasing Industry

To cut costs and keep their options open, more airlines are choosing to lease planes, rather than buy them. This strategy helps airlines avoid the expenses of actually owning jets, and gives them more freedom to change the size and makeup of their fleets as needed. In the booming aircraft leasing industry, Air Lease (NYSE: AL) looks like your best investment option, for five compelling reasons.

1. A young fleet
One of the characteristics of the aircraft leasing industry is the regular churning of aircraft. As new aircraft with higher fuel efficiency and capacity are introduced in the market, aircraft companies prefer to replace the old fleet with the new ones. A relatively younger fleet would allow the company to charge more for leasing those planes.

Air Lease's fleet has a weighted average age of 3.5 years, compared to 10.7 years for Aircastle (NYSE: AYR  ) and 5.1 years for AerCap Holdings (NYSE: AER  ) . As a result of this advantage, Air Lease is currently trading at a price-to-book value (P/BV) of 1.17, compared to 0.8 and 0.95 for Aircastle and AerCap Holdings, respectively.

2. A strong growth pipeline
Air Lease has a robust pipeline of 325 aircraft to be delivered over the next 10 years, at a cost of $23.4 billion. As these new aircraft come into operation, the resulting revenue and bottom-line growth will  likely translate into higher share value.

On the other hand, AerCap Holdings has a new aircraft pipeline of 44 aircraft with a total cost of $1.9 billion, while Aircastle does not have any new aircraft headed its way. Air Lease's more robust expansion plan gives it better odds of outperforming its peers.

3. High revenue visibility
As of the second quarter of 2013, Air Lease had an average remaining lease term of 7.1 years. This means the company has a good idea of what its revenue will look like for the next few years; unless a sharp economic downturn drives airline companies to cancel their lease contracts, Air Lease can count on that money coming in. In contrast, AerCap Holdings had a relatively higher lease term of 6.9 years, while Air Castle has a remaining lease term of only 4.7 years.

As Air Lease takes delivery of new aircraft for its fleet, and begins signing new leases for those jets, its average remaining lease term will increase, further boosting its exepected revenue and earnings. Better yet, those new aircraft will like have a higher annual lease rate than the relatively older ones. 

4. A comfortable debt position

All aircraft leasing companies have significant debt on their books, since they fund most of their purchases with debt. Aircastle scores higher its peers in terms of leverage, with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 5.2, compared to 6.9 and 7.3 for Air Lease and AerCap Holdings, respectively.

However, Aircastle has a higher cost of debt at 5.54%, compared to 3.53% of Air Lease and 3.6% for AerCap Holdings. As a result, the EBITDA interest coverage ratio for the company -- the ratio between the rough estimate of the cash it's bringing in and the annual cost of the paying the interest on its debt -- stands at 2.8, compared to 3.9 and 3.4 for Air Lease and AerCap Holdings respectively.

While leverage-backed growth is certainly not a negative in and of itself, Air Lease's comfortable debt position gives the company greater financial flexibility to fund its growth, compared to its peers.

5. Attractive valuations

For a company involved in the aircraft leasing industry, the best valuation parameters would be free cash flow and operating cash flow per share. The table below shows these trailing-12-month ratios for Air Lease and its competitors. 

 Metric Air Lease Aircastle AerCap

Price/FCF	-18.2	-3.3	-3.8
Price/OCF	4.8	5.3	5.7

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Source: Company reports.

Air Lease looks the most attractively valued in terms of Price/OCF. The Price/FCF metric per share is significantly negative for Air Lease, primarily due to its high level of investment -- it's plowing all its cash back into growing its operations. This is also positive, since its high capital expenditures are likely to translate into robust cash flows in the future.

Conclusion

The airline industry will continue to boom, and the air leasing players will be one of that trend's key beneficiaries. Air Lease's making big investments now to capitalize on that boom, and right now, it looks more appealing than its two biggest rivals.

4 Stocks Spiking on Unusual Volume

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DELAFIELD, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- Professional traders running mutual funds and hedge funds don't just look at a stock's price moves; they also track big changes in volume activity. Often when above-average volume moves into an equity, it precedes a large spike in volatility.

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Major moves in volume can signal unusual activity, such as insider buying or selling -- or buying or selling by "superinvestors."

Unusual volume can also be a major signal that hedge funds and momentum traders are piling into a stock ahead of a catalyst. These types of traders like to get in well before a large spike, so it's always a smart move to monitor unusual volume. That said, remember to combine trend and price action with unusual volume. Put them all together to help you decipher the next big trend for any stock.

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With that in mind, let's take a look at several stocks rising on unusual volume today.

Deere

Deere (DE) manufactures and distributes agriculture and turf equipment and construction and forestry /////// .equipment worldwide. This stock closed up 2% to $84.52 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 8.69 million

Three-Month Average Volume: 2.95 million

Volume % Change: 173%

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From a technical perspective, DE gapped higher here back above its 200-day moving average of $84.51 with above-average volume. This move briefly pushed shares of DE into breakout territory, since the stock flirted with some near-term overhead resistance levels at $84.75 to $85.16. Shares of DE closed just below those breakout levels at $84.52. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if DE can take out Wednesday's high of $85.49 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in DE as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $84.18 or above its 50-day at $82.87 and then once it sustains a move or close above $85.49 with volume that hits near or above 2.95 million shares. If we get that move soon, then DE will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $88 to $89. Any high-volume move above $89 will then give DE a chance to tag its next major overhead resistance level at $92.74.

Western Gas Equity Partners

Western Gas Equity Partners (WGP) owns, operates, acquires and develops oil and gas properties. This stock closed up 2.3% at $41.11 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 169,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 73,109

Volume % Change: 136%
P/>>>5 Big Stocks to Trade Big Gains

From a technical perspective, WGP spiked modestly higher here right above some near-term support at $40 with above-average volume. This move briefly pushed shares of WGP into breakout territory, since the stock flirted with some past overhead resistance at $41.33. Shares of WGP closed just below that breakout level at $41.11. Market players should now look for a continuation move higher in the short-term if WGP can manage to take out Wednesday's high of $41.90 to its all time high at $44.27 with strong volume.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in WGP as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $40.16 to more near-term support at $39 and then once it sustains a move or close above $41.90 to $44.27 with volume that's near or above 73,109 shares. If we get that move soon, then WGP will set up to enter new all-time high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $50 to $52.

Acadia Healthcare

Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) develops and operates a network of behavioral health facilities, providing premier psychiatric and chemical dependency services to its patients. This stock closed up 2.2% at $44.97 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 360,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 216,898

Volume % Change: 57%

From a technical perspective, ACHC spiked modestly higher here into new 52-week high territory with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last six months, with shares moving higher from its low of $30.70 to its intraday high of $44.38. During that uptrend, shares of ACHC have been consistently making higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ACHC as long as it's trending above support at $43 or at $42 and then once it sustains a move or close above its new 52-week high at $45.38 with volume that's near or above 216,898 shares. If we get that move soon, then ACHC will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $50 to $52.

CBOE Holdings

CBOE Holdings (CBOE) is engaged in the trading of options on individual equities, market indices and exchange-traded funds. This stock closed up 3% at $52.92 in Wednesday's trading session.

Wednesday's Volume: 920,000

Three-Month Average Volume: 518,163

Volume % Change: 80%

From a technical perspective, CBOE spiked higher here and broke out above some near-term overhead resistance at $52.02 with above-average volume. This stock has been uptrending strong for the last two months, with shares soaring higher from its low of $44.58 to its intraday high of $52.97. During that uptrend, shares of CBOE have been making mostly higher lows and higher highs, which is bullish technical price action. This move on Wednesday' also pushed shares of CBOE into new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish.

Traders should now look for long-biased trades in CBOE as long as it's trending above Wednesday's low of $51.21 or above $50, and then once it sustains a move or close above its new 52-week high at $52.97 with volume that's near or above 518,163 shares. If we get that move soon, then CBOE will set up to enter new 52-week-high territory, which is bullish technical price action. Some possible upside targets off that move are $58 to $60.

To see more stocks rising on unusual volume, check out the Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume portfolio on Stockpickr.

-- Written by Roberto Pedone in Delafield, Wis.

RELATED LINKS:

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Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.

Roberto Pedone, based out of Delafield, Wis., is an independent trader who focuses on technical analysis for small- and large-cap stocks, options, futures, commodities and currencies. Roberto studied international business at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and he spent a year overseas studying business in Lubeck, Germany. His work has appeared on financial outlets including

CNBC.com and Forbes.com. You can follow Pedone on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zerosum24 or @zerosum24.

The Bullish Set-Up In Platinum

The last year hasn't been kind to the precious metals sector. As the recovery has taken hold, gold, silver and a host of other metals have lost their luster. Many of the factors that pushed them to lofty heights, higher inflation expectations, a weakling dollar etc., have materialized in the medium term. That prompted investors to flee the sector in spades. The popular SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:GLD) has seen its assets under management fall significantly since the start of the year.

However, the recent price drops could spell a bargain in at least one of the precious metals. That would be platinum.

Things are looking up for the platinum group of metals as a variety of conditions are pointing to a bullish time ahead. After the price drop, now could be the best time to snag up the metal and its producers.

A Huge Supply Deficit

Despite the recent price drop, there's plenty to be bullish about when it comes to rising platinum prices. Aside from its precious metal moniker, the platinum group metals (PGM) is more about industrial production than just being a store of value. Finding their way into everything from catalytic converters and coal emissions equipment to LCD monitors and hard disk drives, platinum demand is surging. According to precious metals refiner Johnson Matthey's (OTCBB: JMPLY) latest PGM review, gross demand for platinum could hit a record 8.42 million ounces this year. That's up 4.8% versus last year's demand. Investment demand alone is set to rise 68% to a record 750,000 ounces.

Meanwhile, things aren't looking too good from a supply stand point.

The bulk of the world's platinum- and its sister metal palladium- is mined in South Africa. Unfortunately, the nation is still undergoing various labor strikes at its PGM mines. Those strikes have been actually quite bloody, with riots and deaths being reported. With South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers preparing for a possible strikes against top producers- like Anglo American Platinum ! (OTCBB: AGPPY) and Impala Platinum (OTCBB:IMPUY) –analysts estimate that at least half of global output of platinum and palladium could be at risk.

These factors prompted Johnson Matthey to estimate that platinum will see a supply deficit of around 605,000 ounces. That's the third year of supply deficits and the largest since 1999. Meanwhile, the firm also predicts another year of deficits for the palladium market. Overall, these supply constraints in the face of rising demand should push prices up for platinum and palladium to $1580 and 815 an ounce, respectively.

Making A Platinum Play

Given that this is the third year of supply/demand issues for the metal, higher PGM prices could be coming to the market. More importantly, platinum's 24% drop since the beginning of the year offers a great entry point to play that rise. Investors may want to bet on the sector.

The easiest way to do so is though the physically backed ETFS Physical Platinum Shares (NASDAQ:PPLT). The exchange traded fund holds platinum bullion in a vault and allows investors to directly track the price of the white metal. PPLT charges just 0.60% in expenses and sit closer to its 52-week low than high. Likewise, fund sponsor ETF Securities also has a physical fund that tracks palladium- the ETFS Physical Palladium Shares (NASDAQ:PALL). Investors looking to use futures to get their platinum metals fix can use the iPath DJ-UBS Platinum ETN (NYSE:PGM).

Another interesting choice could be the Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust (NASDAQ:SPPP). As a closed-end fund (CEF), SPPP can trade at either premiums or a discount to its net asset value. Currently, the fund is at a 1.55% discount to underlying holdings of physical bullion. That means investors are able to buy platinum at even cheaper prices than spot.

Finally, as with gold and silver, investors can gain additional leverage by betting on the miners of platinum. For a broad bet, the First Trust ISE Global Platinum Index (NASDAQ:PLTM) can be used. However, North American Palladium (NYSE:PAL) and Stillwater Mining (NYSE:SWC) have seen their share prices dwindle as the precious metals fallout has taken place. Yet, the pair offer a chance to participate in the growth of the domestic mining sector- far away from the ills facing South African miners.

The Bottom Line

The recent precious metals rout has unearthed plenty of bargains. One of the biggest could be in platinum. Analysts predict another year of supply constraints in the face of rising demand. For investors, the time to pounce on platinum could be ! now. The previous picks make ideal choices to play the metals rise.

Disclosure - At the time of writing, the author did not own shares of any company mentioned in this article.

J.C. Penney shares whipsaw on new stock offering

Struggling J.C. Penney has begun a public offering of 84 million shares of its common stock in an apparent effort to bolster its cash reserves.

The beleaguered retailer also said it's granting underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 12.6 billion shares.

The company said it intends to use the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, Penney said in a statement after markets closed.

Based on Thursday's closing price of $10.42, the company would raise proceeds of more than $1 billion before expenses.

After a rough couple of days for the retailer, the shares had closed up 3%, but then plunged more than 5.1% in after-hours trading to roughly $9.89.

Separately, Penney said in a regulatory filing Thursday that Mark Sweeney, its senior vice president and controller, has left the company. Dennis Miler, senior vice president of finance, will serve as interim principal accounting officer.

The news is the latest in a rocky past few days for Penney, which is trying to recover from a failed turnaround attempt by former CEO Ron Johnson that led to disastrous results.

The department store chain released a statement Thursday morning that it was pleased with its turnaround efforts. CNBC cable financial news network also quoted Penney's CEO Mike Ullman as saying that he doesn't see conditions this year where "we'd need to raise liquidity."

Ullman's remarkr came after Penney shares fell to near 13-year lows on Wednesday.

Wednesday's free fall came a day after a gloomy analysis by Goldman Sachs, which began coverage of Penney's unsecured debt with an "underperform" rating. In the report, Goldman Sachs analyst Kristen McDuffy wrote she fears that Penney will be forced to tap into the debt markets for more cash. McDuffy also said that she believes that the current and fourth quarter will be difficult, with business likely showing a slower-than-expected improvement.

Reports have been swirling since late last week that Penney is looking t! o raise more money, possibly through a combination of debt and equity. J.C. Penney's reported search for more capital comes after it arranged a $2.25 billion loan this past spring with Goldman Sachs.

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The department store reiterated that it expects to see revenue at stores open at least a year rise toward the end of the third quarter and throughout the fourth quarter. The metric is a widely followed indicator of a retailer's health.

Penney said that it's seeing increased buying online and in its stores mostly because it has key items back in stock and sizes that shoppers are looking for. It also cited greater predictability in its performance across many areas.

Penney's board ousted Johnson in April after 17 months on the job and rehired Ullman, who had been CEO of the retailer from 2004 to late 2011. Under Ullman, Penney is bringing back sales events that had been ditched and restoring basic merchandise like khakis that were eliminated by Johnson

Contributing: USA TODAY's Paul Davidson and The Associated Press

Is Dish Network Poised to Move Higher?

With shares of Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH) trading around $46, is DISH an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework.

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Dish Network is a pay-television provider that offers a range of local and national programming, featuring more national and local high-definition channels than most pay-TV providers. A rising number of consumers are opting for satellite services due to the reduced costs and increased coverage offered. Dish Network is poised to capitalize on this rise in consumer interest as entertainment takes center stage for consumers in the United States.

Recently, Dish Network, working with the Federal Communications Commission, made some changes to its wireless spectrum that increased the value of the spectrum by $1 billion, according to analysts cited by The Wall Street Journal. Dish has been steadily acquiring wireless spectrum for several years as CEO Charlie Ergen seeks to take the company into the wireless phone industry.

Dish recently agreed to stop plans to use its spectrum for a TV broadcast service due to concerns that the plan would cause interference with other services. Instead, Dish is looking to make technical changes that could allow the spectrum to be used for the downloading of information, which would cause less interference and allow Dish to use a greater volume of the spectrum it owns.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Dish Network stock has been steadily trending higher in the past several years. The stock is currently pulling back from yearly highs, so it may need time before a retest. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Dish Network is trading above its rising key averages, which signals neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

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Source: Thinkorswim

Taking a look at the implied volatility and implied volatility skew levels of Dish Network options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Dish Network Options	31.72%	0%	0%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very small amount of call and put options contracts, as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
October Options	Flat	Average
November Options	Flat	Average

As of Tuesday, there is average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Dish Network’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Dish Network look like and, more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4	2012 Q3
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	-104.00%	-41.25%	-34.09%	-149.30%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	1.12%	-0.74%	-1.15%	-2.20%
Earnings Reaction	0.44%	-2.04%	-0.16%	3.35%

Dish Network has seen decreasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have had conflicting feelings about Dish Network’s recent earnings announcements.

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Dish Network stock done relative to its peers, DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV), Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), and Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and sector?

	Dish Network	DirecTV	Time Warner Cable	Comcast	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	26.95%	22.73%	15.57%	18.42%	21.76%

Dish Network has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Dish Network offers a television subscription service that provides national and local programming to consumers in the United States. The company has made positive changes to its spectrum that continue to produce great things for the company. The stock is currently pulling back from highs for the year, so it may need some time before it retests those levels. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been decreasing, which has produced conflicting feelings among investors in the company. Relative to its peers and sector, Dish Network has been a year-to-date performance leader. WAIT AND SEE what Dish Network does in coming weeks.

A 5-Point Plan to Keep Apple Great

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- With the option of replacing Tim Cook with an entrepreneurial and innovative CEO like Jack Dorsey off the table, here are five things, in no particular order, Apple (AAPL) can and should do to ensure it remains the greatest company in the world.

1. As I discussed earlier this year, Apple should protect its image and pull its products from soulless third-party retailers such as Walmart (WMT), Best Buy (BBY) and Target (TGT).

Buying Apple products should be an experience, similar to the one Apple's own retail stores provide. Brands that do little more than compete on price shouldn't be hawking iPads and iPhones down the aisle from bars of soap and boxes of cereal. It's bad enough that Apple lets these stores carry its products, it's even worse when it gives them permission to offer discounts.

Cook should view it as an embarrassment that, out of the gate, Walmart can discount iPhone 5s by 10 bucks. And he should put a stop to it. 2. Create new retail partnerships with higher-end names, but not electronics chains. Get the most high-end Apple devices in places such as Restoration Hardware (RH), Michael Kors (KORS) and Whole Foods Market (WFM). Nothing labeled "Apple" belongs anywhere within in spitting distance of inferior smartphones and tablets or Sharp television sets and such. It's all so hokey. It dilutes the image Apple should be obsessive over controlling and maintaining. 3. Never compromise on price. While it's great to see Tim Cook decide against going "cheap" with iPhone 5c -- in the spirit of iPad mini pricing -- trade-in programs and other gimmicks have no place at Apple. And find a way to sue people who go out and do them on their own. Vigorously defend your high-end image. Brands such as Porsche don't have to defend their images because, unlike Apple, they never compromised them in the first place. If anybody wants cheap they can buy an iPod Shuffle or iPhone 4S. 4. Give iWork away for free. To everybody. This seems to contradict the focus on preserving the high-end image, but it's not. Apple is not a leader in productivity software, but it could be. Microsoft's (MSFT) foothold with Office is too strong and Google's (GOOG) push with its cloud-based offerings is too aggressive. Apple needs to come harder at Microsoft than it did Tuesday. Before Apple makes iWork free across all iOS devices -- old and new -- it needs to improve the software. From there, it can make a proper consumer and enterprise push. If you think this is pie-in-the-sky thinking, consider what Apple did to Blackberry (BBRY). People who defended the artist formerly known as RIM to the death claimed Blackberry would never lose with businesses because of security. They said the IT guys would never let iOS in. My response was simple: IT guys are losers. The CEO and other executives give them orders. It's their job to implement management's wishes. End of story. That's what happened as the "bring your own device" movement took hold and Apple wiped out Blackberry. Just read the comments from the story where I claimed Apple could kill Office. They're loaded with people impressing themselves and their closest friends with their knowledge of IT. And they're making the same type of proclamations Blackberry people made as Apple was eating its lunch. Lofty technical statements that mean absolutely zilch in the real world. Microsoft will lose with businesses. Windows and Office will die. The only question is how will Google and Apple split the market. Or will Apple take any of it at all? If I'm Tim Cook I make it my mission in life to destroy Microsoft much in the same way Steve Jobs destroyed Research in Motion.

5. Conquer the living room.

Wouldn't it be something if Apple not only eliminated the Microsoft Office advantage, but took the one other thing Steve Ballmer actually has going for himself, Xbox, and beat that to shreds as well.

Microsoft has done an abysmal job at marketing Xbox. With the number of units sold, it's a travesty so many people still view Xbox as a weed-smoking, I live in my parent's basement gamer's toy. It doesn't matter how many people actually use Xbox as a broad family entertainment platform; the ether doesn't see it that way. This provides an opening for Apple.

While Apple could very easily go at it on its own, it would be interesting to see it make some big acquisitions in the gaming space, both console and mobile. Zynga (ZNGA) or privately-held Kabam come to mind. Or, better yet, convince Microsoft to spin Xbox off -- as it should anyway -- and sell it to Apple. Pipe dreams. Admittedly. So make inroads in gaming -- as Apple has with 64-bit processing on iPhone 5S -- and follow through, not with a smartwatch, but with a combined Apple television set and set-top box controlled by and synced with your iPhone and/or iPad. If Apple is working with cable/satellite and content companies on anything, it shouldn't be about licensing programming. A waste of time. The talks should focus on how to work out a structure where the old media subsidizes the cost of a full-fledged Apple TV, like the wireless carriers do with iPhone, and sells them in Apple Stores and online. Protect the image. Never go cheap. Kill Microsoft. Neutralize Google. And conquer the living room. If I'm Tim Cook, these are the things on my office cork board. Follow @rocco_thestreet --Written by Rocco Pendola in Santa Monica, Calif.

Rocco Pendola is a columnist and TheStreet's Director of Social Media. Pendola makes frequent appearances on national television networks such as CNN and CNBC as well as TheStreet TV. Whenever possible, Pendola uses hockey, Springsteen or Southern California references in his work. He lives in Santa Monica.

This Retailer Has Exited the Express Lane

In most economic environments, it would make sense to invest in an apparel company that targets twenty-somethings. This age group often dresses to impress, whether at work, in a social setting, or attending a special event. One of the top names in this slice of the retail sector is Express (NYSE: EXPR  ) , which largely owes its success to this key demographic. However, there is one big problem.

Recent results
If you look back to earlier in the year, to the first quarter, then you will see that Express had a moderate year-over-year sales increase of 3%, and a diluted earnings-per-share of $0.38, which was lower than the year-ago quarter's $0.47. Express pointed to external headwinds that have led to lower foot traffic in malls. By reading the 10-Q, you might be able to tell the company felt the outlook was bleak. Then, Express' second quarter report seemed a lot more optimistic.

In the second quarter, net sales jumped 7%, comps increased 6%, and diluted EPS improved 11% to $0.20. Express attributed this success to growth in e-commerce and trend-right products. The only real negative for the quarter was a decline in gross margin to 31.4% from 32.2% due to increased promotional activity and increased rental expenses for two new flagship stores in New York City and San Francisco.

Looking ahead, Express expects fiscal year comps to come in at the low to mid-single digits. This would be an improvement over last year when comps were flat. Fiscal year EPS guidance is for $1.52-$1.60. This isn't overly exciting, as the top end of this range would match last year's results.

Now ... getting to that one big problem. 

Twenty-somethings and the economy
This key demographic for retailers like Express has been hit particularly hard by the stagnant job market. The unemployment rate for ages 20-24 is approximately 13.3%. And in 2011, approximately 67% of college seniors had student loan debt of $26,600. It's no secret that this age group faces many headwinds. In some cases, these consumers must deal with college debt, which can take many years, if not decades, to pay off. College tuition prices have increased tremendously through the years, which has made this burden larger than in the past. As long as this debt exists, these consumers are less likely to spend extra on discretionary items.

Then there's underemployment. In the current economic environment, employers only pay skilled professionals well. The only way to become a skilled professional is via experience, so you're not going to find many twenty-somethings with a lot of industry experience, regardless of the industry. Therefore, they're not likely to be paid well. Of course, there will be exceptions to the rule, but it's not the norm. Most companies pay less than in the past because job seekers realize that jobs are difficult to come by and they will take whatever they can get.

The two above factors are headwinds for Express, and these headwinds need to be mitigated if Express is to build on the success it has had over the last few years

Express vs. peers
Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF  ) targets a similar consumer, perhaps slightly younger. Unlike Express, Abercrombie & Fitch is suffering from declining comps. In the second quarter, comps declined 11%, mostly due to competition. 

However, I would think that the brand's decline due to a recent social-media nightmare regarding what type of people the company caters to would also have something to do with it. I have been bearish on this stock for months since that incident. Regardless of the reason, Abercrombie & Fitch has disappointed in six consecutive quarters. Therefore, this is like an open-book test -- it's not likely to outperform its peers at any point in the near future.

Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN  ) is another similar player. However, it targets a wider array of consumers through its various brand stores, including Urban Outfitters (18-28 demographic), Free People (25-30), and Anthropologie (28-45). Like Express, Urban Outfitters is slowly expanding its store base. Also like Express, Urban Outfitters saw an impressive earnings improvement in the second quarter. In this case, EPS increased 21% to $0.51 thanks to optimized inventory and lower merchandise markdowns.

Conclusion
Express might have seen some recent improvements, and comps are expected to improve on a full-year basis. However, mall traffic isn't likely to improve, and Express' target demographic isn't suddenly going to turn around and begin buying discretionary items more aggressively. The American consumer needs wage gains and decent jobs for retailers like Express to see sustainable stock price appreciation. While Urban Outfitters isn't likely to be resilient either, it at least offers a little more diversification since it caters to a broader range of consumers.

 

Invest in winners
The retail space is in the midst of the biggest paradigm shift since mail order took off at the turn of last century. Only those most forward-looking and capable companies will survive, and they'll handsomely reward those investors who understand the landscape. You can read about the 3 Companies Ready to Rule Retail in The Motley Fool's special report. Uncovering these top picks is free today; just click here to read more.

DirectTV Sunday Ticket Subscribers May Want a Refund!

Service disruptions on DirecTV’s (DTV) website temporarily interfered with subscribers’ ability to stream National Football League (NFL) games online for the last two Sundays.

Subscribers who paid for NFL Sunday Ticket service through the satellite TV provider could still watch the games on their TVs and through DirecTV’s mobile app. However, since DirecTV prices its NFL Sunday Ticket Max, which includes website streaming, $75 higher than the non-online version, TVPredictions wonders if the company should offer a public refund for affected subscribers.

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The service interruptions on the website lasted about an hour on both Sundays.

TVPredictions noted that DirecTV will often offer partial refunds to customers who take the effort to complain about service problems. The company did not comment on any plans to offer a refund due to the NFL Sunday Ticket website issue.

Shares of DirecTV rose slightly in Tuesday morning trading.

Hey, Schwab, here’s how to increase the number of female advisers in your ranks

The Charles Schwab Corp. is looking for ways to boost the number of female financial advisers among its ranks after a survey found that 40% of its firms don't have a single woman advising clients.

The solution is not something quick, easy or particularly well-demonstrated by other financial firms. It's also something that Schwab's female financial advisers likely will have to lead.

Schwab has formed a task force to tackle the issue, but several female advisers attending the Schwab Impact Conference in Washington D.C. this week said the first step should be to get their male counterparts to recognize that they should have a woman on their team — and that they should make an effort to find one.

“We need to convince men that hiring a woman adviser can be a game changer for their business,” said Peggy Ruhlin, chief executive of Budros Ruhlin & Roe Inc.

Firms should demand that recruiters bring in qualified female candidates when they are looking to hire an adviser, she said. Many recruiters would have to up their game to do so, as only about 8% of client-facing advisers are women, according to Cerulli Associates Inc.

Another female adviser suggested that registered investment advisers try to hire “refugees” — the term she used for women who burn out while working for wirehouses and sometimes leave the industry altogether. These women should be targeted to join or start RIAs, she said.

Financial adviser Michelle Higgins said women need to be mentoring other women in the business and helping them advance their careers. She also said female advisers should be reaching out to financial planning schools to show female students that there are successful women in this industry.

Women also will have to discuss some of the cultural difficulties they face in the financial services business and debunk certain perceptions, including that clients don’t want financial help from women.

Female advisers at the Schwab conference told stories like a male colleague commenting, “I’d love to hire some gals” and of others who don’t want to hire a woman because she might get pregnant and take time off.

Ms. Ruhlin said it can be enlightening to a male colleague in certain circumstances when she suggests that he “think about if that were your daughter.” She asks him whether he would have considered certain decisions fair if someone else had done the same to his child.

Ackman Dumps Entire 17.7% Share of J.C. Penney

William Ackman too a huge stake in J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE: JCP) in the belief that its shares would soar on the basis of a turnaround. He helped bring in Ron Johnson from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to become chief executive. Ackman also had a hand in pushing Johnson out. His ongoing battle with the J.C. Penney board led to his eventual resignation from the body. SEC filings showed that Ackman had put his Pershing Square Capital in a position to sell its stock.

Today, the transaction was completed and Ackman lost hundreds of millions of dollars as he walked away.

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In an SEC filing, J.C. Penney reported:

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
The following table sets forth the number and percentages of the beneficial ownership of shares of our common stock by the Selling Stockholders, and reflects the sale of the shares registered for resale and offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement. We refer to all such shares, collectively, as the "offered shares."

The number of shares beneficially owned by the Selling Stockholders is determined by SEC rules. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose. The percentage of shares beneficially owned before and after this offering is based on 220,455,870 outstanding shares of our common stock as of August 20, 2013. Since the Selling Stockholders may sell all, some or none of the offered shares, we cannot estimate the number of offered shares that will be sold or that will be owned upon completion of the offering. In the table below, we have assumed that the Selling Stockholders have sold all of the shares offered for resale by this prospectus supplement.

Beneficial Owner Shares beneficially owned prior to the offering
Number of shares offered hereby
Shares beneficially owned after the offering
Number Percentage Number Percentage
William A. Ackman(1) 39,075,771 17.7% 39,075,771 — —
Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P.(1) 39,075,771 17.7% 39,075,771 — —
PS Management GP, LLC(1) 39,075,771 17.7% 39,075,771 — —
Pershing Square GP, LLC(2) 13,644,593 6.2% 13,644,593 — —
Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. 8,718,176 4.0% 8,718,176 — —
Pershing Square, L.P. 13,369,366 6.1% 13,369,366 — —
Pershing Square II, L.P. 275,227 0.1% 275,227 — —
Pershing Square International, Ltd. 16,713,002 7.6% 16,713,002 — —
Total(3) 39,075,771 17.7% 39,075,771 — —

(1) Each of William A. Ackman, Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P. and PS Management GP, LLC beneficially own the shares held directly by
Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd., Pershing Square, L.P., Pershing Square II, L.P. and Pershing Square International, Ltd. pursuant to SEC rules.
(2) Pershing Square GP, LLC beneficially owns the shares held directly by Pershing Square, L.P. and Pershing Square II, L.P. pursuant to SEC rules.
(3) Represents the total number of shares offered hereby.

Is Toyota Motor Poised to Rise?

With shares of Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) trading around $129, is TM an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let's analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:

T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement

Toyota Motor is a Japan-based company mainly engaged in the automobile business and financial business. The company operates through three business segments: Automobile, Finance, and Others. Through its segments, Toyota Motor designs, manufactures, and sells vehicles as well as related parts and accessories; offers financial services related to the sale of its products; and is involved in the design, manufacture, and sale of housing, information and communication businesses. Vehicles and related products are seeing increased innovation and Toyota Motor is at the head of this trend. Toyota has been dominating the competition and has been first to provide new technologies so look for the company to continue innovating.

Toyota Motors, the world's largest automaker, reported that profit rose 70 percent during the quarter to $4.4 billion, causing Toyota to raise its full-year outlook. Toyota has been refraining from heavy spending and has benefited from the weak yen while its Japanese rivals are dealing with high expansion costs. Toyota raised its full-year net profit forecast to $16.95 billion for the fiscal year ending in March 2014, a figure that's close to Toyota's record yearly profit set six years ago. Toyota sold more vehicles than any other automaker in the world during the first nine months of the year.

T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Strong

Toyota Motor stock has been trending higher in the past year. The stock is currently trading near all time highs and looks poised to continue Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Toyota Motor is trading above its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bullish price action in the near-term.

(Source: Thinkorswim)

Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Toyota Motor options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.

	Implied Volatility (IV)	30-Day IV Percentile	90-Day IV Percentile
Toyota Motor Options	24.65%	0%	0%

What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very small amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.

	Put IV Skew	Call IV Skew
December Options	Flat	Average
January Options	Flat	Average

As of today, there is an average demand from call buyers or sellers and low demand by put buyers or high demand by put sellers, all neutral to bullish over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral to bullish over the next two months.

On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.

E = Earnings Are Mixed Quarter-Over-Quarter

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Toyota Motor’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Toyota Motor look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

	Top 10 Penny Companies To Buy For 2014 2013 Q3	2013 Q2	2013 Q1	2012 Q4
Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y)	69.77%	55.77%	113.50%	9.74%
Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y)	16.19%	-8.43%	-10.59%	-1.86%
Earnings Reaction	0.72%*	6.41%	3.12%	1.04%

Toyota Motor has seen increasing earnings and decreasing revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been pleased with Toyota Motor’s recent earnings announcements.

* As of this writing

P = Excellent Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector

How has Toyota Motor stock done relative to its peers, General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford Motor (NYSE:F), Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA), and sector?

	Toyota Motor	General Motors	Ford Motor	Tesla Motors	Sector
Year-to-Date Return	39.10%	28.17%	31.35%	357.20%	33.87%

Toyota Motor has been a relative performance leader, year-to-date.

Conclusion

Toyota Motor provides innovative vehicles and related products to consumers and companies worldwide. The company recently reported earnings that profit rose 70 percent which left investors happy. The stock has been trending higher in the past year and is currently trading near all time highs. Over the last four quarters, investors in the company have been happy, however, revenues have been declining while earnings have been rising. Relative to its peers and sector, Toyota Motor has been a year-to-date performance leader. Look for Toyota Motor to OUTPERFORM.

Poverty level doesn't budge: 50 million and counting

Food stamps helped lift 5 million out of poverty, according to a supplemental report on poverty released by the census bureau on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) The economic recovery hasn't done all that much for the poor.

But federal programs aimed at helping the poor are keeping some Americans out of poverty, according to a special "supplemental poverty measure" by the Census Bureau released Wednesday.

The poverty rate hasn't budged over the past two years, as nearly 50 million Americans, or 16% of the population, lived in poverty in 2012, according to the special report.

The special supplemental poverty measure suggests more are living in poverty than reported by what's considered the "official" poverty rate, released in September. The official 2012 rate shows that 46.5 million Americans, or 15% of the population, live in poverty. That rate is also unchanged over the past two years.

The special "supplemental poverty measure" differs from the official poverty rate because it takes into account more federal benefits, such as refundable tax credits, food stamps, government heating subsidies, and expenses such as child care and work-related items. It also reflects differences in the cost of housing, which vary depending on geographic area.

Many economists agree that the supplemental report reveals a more accurate picture of who is poor than the official poverty rate.

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The supplemental measure showed the importance of programs such as Social Security on the elderly. Without Social Security, some 54.7% of Americans age 65-plus would be in poverty, as opposed to 14.8%.

Refundable tax credits -- the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit -- proved the next most effective government benefit that keeps Americans out of poverty. It lowered the poverty rate by 3 percentage points.

  Buffett: Inequality is getting worse

Another program that helped lower poverty was food stamps, which reduced poverty by 1.6 percentage points. The report suggests that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pr! ogram the official name for food stamps, kept 5 million people out of poverty, according to Sheldon Danziger, an economist and president of the Russell Sage Foundation, which funds social science research.

Food stamp funding has become a lightning rod for lawmakers, as Republicans push to make it tougher for people to qualify for the program.

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"What I take away from the report is that the safety net works," Danziger said. "The report shows that programs, particularly like refundable tax credits, housing subsidies, school lunch subsidies and food stamps, take people out of poverty."

Where BlackBerry's ousted CEO went wrong

The tenure of former BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins was fraught with mass layoffs, huge quarterly losses and disappointing phone sales.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Ousted BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins inherited a mess of problems when he took over the troubled company last year -- and his eventual replacement faces an even more dire situation.

BlackBerry announced Heins' firing on Monday, when the company also revealed that it will no longer seek a buyer. Instead, BlackBerry's largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial, will invest $1 billion in the company.

And so BlackBerry finds itself both rudderless and leaderless, and worse off than it was when Heins took the helm in January 2012. His tenure was fraught with mass layoffs, huge quarterly losses and disappointing phone sales.

Experts say Heins made one, crucial, overarching mistake: He didn't prioritize BlackBerry's core business-focused customers. Instead, the company tried to replicate the mass consumer success of Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and Google's (GOOG, Fortune 500) Android.

'Philosophical' mistakes at the core of BlackBerry's issues: "You can look at certain missteps or specific decisions, but BlackBerry's problems are really philosophical and structural," said Steve Beck, managing partner at management consultancy cg42.

"BlackBerry faced disruption in the market. When that happens you can either focus on what your main consumer base wants, or mimic what your rivals are doing," Beck said. "BlackBerry chose curtain No. 2."

Finally, in September, BlackBerry (BBRY) said it would focus on corporate customers and "prosumers," and scale back its device offerings from six to four. But analysts think it was too little, far too late in Heins' tenure.

"I thought: 'As usual, BlackBerry, you're six months too late,'" said S&P Capital analyst James Moorman. "That type of delay was already the big problem with the company, and Heins just continued the trend."

  3 things to know about BlackBerry's woes

One specific example: Heins further alienated the core BlackBerry fan base by releasing the touchscreen-only Z10 phone as the first device on the BlackBerry 10 operating system, rather than one with a QWERTY keyboard, a main selling point for the BlackBerry faithful.

BlackBerry was forced to take ! a $1 billion writedown on unsold inventory of the Z10, and the keyboarded Q10 didn't come out until months later.

"[Heins] has got to take responsibility for that," Moorman said. "That was a big misstep, and it's one [BlackBerry couldn't] afford given how quickly rivals are releasing new smartphones."

Related story: BlackBerry's hometown vows to survive

BlackBerry's next permanent CEO -- former Sybase chief John Chen is serving in the interim -- will have to maneuver not only that competitive smartphone market, but also a years-long struggle that continues to play out in the public eye.

Beck, the cg42 partner, says the company needs a leader with both the passion to attack a huge turnaround project and the ability to make tough decisions.

"What BlackBerry really needs is someone who can look dispassionately at the core customer base and the company's assets, and do what needs to be done," Beck said. "That's not impossible: Apple and IBM were turnaround stories once, too."

Moorman, the S&P analyst, agrees that BlackBerry "still has a chance," but time is beginning to grow short.

"I think [Heins] had an opportunity and he did not take advantage of it," Moorman said. "It's a tough road when you're in a situation like BlackBerry, but the next CEO still has time to make big moves."

GTSO & Partners Plan Major Latin American Expansion (OTCBB:GTSO, OTCMKTS:CLNO)

Green Technology Solutions, Inc. (GTSO)

Today, GTSO has shed (-5.66%) down -0.0018 at $.0300 with 22,150 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 11:34AM EDT July 3, 2013), but don't let this get you down.

Previously after forging a new joint venture, Green Technology Solutions, Inc. and Chilerecicla are already hard at work identifying new Latin American companies and locales ideally suited to the partnership's ambitious expansion plans.

The partnership has targeted Latin America for expansion because it's a key emerging market in the booming global e-waste recycling and reuse services industry, which Transparency Market Research predicts accounted for more than $9 billion in 2012. The firm expects the worldwide e-waste market to reach $18 billion in 2017, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 13.2 percent from 2012 to 2017.

Green Technology Solutions, Inc. (GTSO) 5 day chart:

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO)

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (OTCMKTS:CLNO) (www.cleantechtransit.net ) through its Discovery Carbon subsidiary, develops emissions offset strategies for companies, municipalities, and countries. Today, CLNO has shed (-1.60%) down -0.004 at $.246 with  827,051 shares in play thus far (ref. google finance Delayed: 12:39PM EDT July 3, 2013). Earlier that same morning (July 3), this company hit as low as $.20 and as high as $.269. The fact that their is under a million shares in play today thus far and for the last 3 weeks plus their has been over a million shares in play only ignites the exciting potential growth this company might bring to the table along with active savvy investor interest.

FYI – (July 3) Cleantech Transit, Inc. Files DEF 14C http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9386382

Cleantech Transit, Inc. (CLNO ) 5 day chart:

What the FOMC Meeting Means for Currency Traders

While last week certainly had its share of risk events that helped move currencies, the major theme in currency trading was continued weakening/consolidation for the U.S. dollar.

This week, the weakening will be a key focus for us. We have some very weighty top-tier data events occurring in the next few days.

The key event on the economic calendar is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and rate announcement today (Wednesday). No one is considering there will be an actual rate change, but what traders and speculators are looking for is the U.S. Federal Reserve comments related to the much dreaded taper of economic stimulus.

This presents an opportunity for profits from currency trading...

Currency Trading on the Fed

When the Fed first discussed tapering quantitative easing in June of this year, it sent markets into a tailspin.

From June 18 to June 24, the S&P dropped its biggest consecutive-day loss on the year, from 1,651 to 1,573.

At that point Ben Bernanke came out to reassure the markets that all was well, and there was no need to worry. The S&P happily resumed its record-setting climb.

There were rumors that the Fed could announce a taper in September, although we knew that was highly unlikely... If indeed the Fed was going to be data dependent on their decision (as opposed to simply following a timing schedule), there was no way that the economy was ripe for any kind of stimulus reduction as the fall quarter began.

And as expected, such was the case, there was no taper and the U.S. dollar sold off, as you can see in this 4H Chart of the EUR/USD. The red vertical line represents the start of the week when the FOMC met. We had a gap open on Sunday, and the real move began on Wednesday.

It has continued unabated, as the euro has beaten the stuffing out of the dollar over the last month with a move up of 350 pips.

Currency Trading Ahead of the Fed

Here's what you should understand about currency trading on Fed meetings...

The QE taper won't be any time soon.

The U.S. economy data has failed to improve substantially - or consistently; we now have shutdown-related losses that aren't known, and September's nonfarm payroll report was abysmally poorer than forecast. Currently, Bloomberg economists seem to have their eyes set on a taper beginning March 2014.

However, we don't need an actual QE taper, as the market is inclined to price in certain volatile actions in advance.

So we have to begin thinking in terms of expectations for that event and not simply wait for its
arrival to see what may happen.

So as we look to the Fed speak out of this week's meeting, we are looking to see if there is any reason to consider a March date for the timing of the taper beginning. Such an acknowledgment will likely send the market reeling again.

This is what that would mean for currency trading:

A strong dollar trade would likely be hitting the markets.

Since we would be looking for the dollar to gain strength, we want to be in the right arena to make the trade. That means the currency trading opportunities appear to be with EUR/USD or the GBP/USD (British pound/U.S. dollar).

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Against all the major currencies, this is where we find the dollar to be the cheapest; we'll get the most bang for our buck with these pairs should the dollar start to strengthen.

But what if the FOMC is not all that interested in talking about the future of stimulus? What if they are concerned with the falling jobs numbers and the impact of government shutdown, which is only delayed, rather than resolved, by the recent congressional action. We'll see this this again before the end of the year.

What if the Fed hands us a forecast that implies they will have to maintain (or even increase) stimulus going forward? In that case, we want to be trading where the dollar is already very expensive...where it is already strong against the counter currency in the pair. That means the USD/JPY (Japanese yen).

As you can see from this weekly chart of the USD/JPY, we have been rising strongly in this pair, as the dollar has been beating the yen since January of last year. But we have been recently working into a consolidation triangle that is begging for a break out.

Should the Fed hand us any information that would look like a weakening dollar might be in the forecast, I would be looking to trade the USD/JPY to the downside, as it has so much potential room to run, nearly 2,000 pips from its current price of 97.67 to the recent swing low at 78.00.

Today's top story: New Rental Securitization Deal Likely Heralds Double Dip in Housing