The Senate passed legislation yesterday requiring the production of ethanol used in auto fuel to increase to billion gallons a year by 2022. The final production level would increase the level of ethanol production seven times the current level. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a widely covered press conference, proclaimed, “This bill starts America on a path toward reducing our reliance on oil.”
Best Buy (BBY) Looking at Capital Allocation and China Expansion
Best Buy (BBY) Chief Financial Officer Darren Jackson publicly speculated yesterday about how the company allocates capital. The discussion has increasing relevance in light of this week’s announcement of Home Depot (HD) share-repurchase program.
Wal-Mart (WMT) Enters the Consumer-Banking World
Wal-Mart (WMT) plans to enter the consumer-banking world with around 1,000 Wal-Mart MoneyCenters in stores across the US by the end of 2008. The chain will also sell prepaid Visa debit cards. This will provide lower-income shoppers, who may not have access to conventional banking, a way to participate in cashless transactions.
PowerOptions WeBlog Ideas return 4.2 to 5.9% in June
A number of our potential trades from last month ended up returning solid potential profits for the month of June. Today in the PowerOptions weblog, we will take a retrospective look at these companies and look for nice trading options in the coming months.
Burger King Stock Turns One – A look at how the stock is performing since its May 2006 IPO
Burger King (BKC) went public in May 2006 and has seen a doubling of its stock price since August of 2006. If you were paying attention to our blog in 2006, you might recall the article “Burger King (BKC) – Whopper Covered Calls”. The stock has gained over 50% since we wrote the article.
FTC Investigates Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google Merger Deals with Web-ad Companies
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating a total of three online-advertising potential mergers. The three antitrust reviews involve merger deals Microsoft, Yahoo and Google are proposing with three web-advertising firms.
Option Trades Based on Jim Cramer’s Recommendations
Today on the PowerOptions blog, we’re going to take a quick look at the stocks Mad Money’s Jim Cramer finds most appealing. Then, we will cover how the average investor, using tools available from PowerOptions, can find the most lucrative and attractive options trade on these stocks. (Note: Jim Cramer does not endorse any of the option strategies based on his stock selections illustrated in this article or on blog.poweropt.com)
Microsoft, NBC and GE Show Interest in Dow Jones and Co.
General Electric (GE) and Microsoft (MSFT) have recently held internal discussions about buying the Dow Jones Company (DJ) and combining it with some parts of NBC/Universal. However, the media reports state the two entities have not reached a point where they are ready to submit a bid.
Ameritrade (AMTD) Looks for Partner – Bank of America (BAC)? E*Trade (ETFC)?
Ameritrade’s (AMTD) owners want the company to partner with “one of its industry peers.” Two heavily invested hedge funds, JANA Partners and S.A.C Capital Advisors, are calling for the change. Their combined ownership amounts to about 8.5%, or around 50 million shares, of the company’s outstanding stock.
What do Health Food Supermarkets and Satellite Radio Have in Common? The FTC, Mergers, and Option Investing Opportunities
Although the tie may seem somewhat tenuous, natural grocer Whole Food’s (WFMI) proposed merger with rival Wild Oats (OATS) may have more in common with the XM (XMSR) and Sirius (SIRI) merger than you think. Both companies have to get past a reluctant Federal Trade Commission.