Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Industry Analysis.

Description:  Starbucks late Thursday launched a broadside at Green Mountain Coffee, announcing the development of its own single-cup brewing system, the heart of Green Mountain’s success. Green Mountain’s stock tumble is a cautionary sign, Jack Hough reports on Mean Street.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: 03/09/2012

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/coffee-stocks-look-shaky/19D47C83-88D2-4332-AADA-23B838DAC9FD

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain the coffee industry in general terms.
  • Are the companies that are named good investments at this time?

Posted by & filed under Market Analysis.

Description:  MarketWatch’s David Callaway introduces Fantasy Earnings Trader, a free game from our Virtual Stock Exchange platform. Test your stock-picking talents against our experts during earnings season and win a $750 Apple gift card. The game begins April 9.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: 03/09/2012

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/fantasy-earnings-trader-play-for-free/20498B8E-8147-4F59-927B-EC767DF71004

Questions for discussion:

  • What is your overall thinking about stock picks at this time?
  • What is your initial selection of stocks? Explain your choices.

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: Birinyi is an unusual (and successful) brand of contrarian – and he’s feeling relatively bullish these days.

Source:  Fortune.com

Date: 03/09/2012

Link: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/03/09/laszlo-birinyi-market-bull/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the opinions presented by Laszlo  Birinyi.
  • Do you agree with his views?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description:   When patients arrive at Woods Pharmacy & Prescription in Mountain View, Ark., pharmacist Dana Woods greets them by name. In a town of 3,000, where Woods has owned the $2 million pharmacy and soda fountain for 26 years, he usually also knows their parents, their children, and their medications.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: 03/08/2012

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-03-08/end-of-days-for-independent-pharmacies

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the retail pharmaceutical industry and the changes taking place.
  • Do you think this merger will be good or bad for small retailers?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description:  Anurag Chadha had one thing to say after flight disruptions at billionaire Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. (KAIR) curtailed his holiday plans.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 03/09/2012

Link:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-09/kingfisher-air-passenger-says-never-again-as-cash-crunch-disrupts-flights.html

Questions for discussion: 

  • What are the reasons for this firm’s cash flow problems?
  • What are the consequences?
  • How typical is this scenario for other firms dependent on continuous supply of key items such as fuel?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description:   Shares in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc (GMCR.O) tumbled 14 percent on Friday, on fears that it may lose its near monopoly in the U.S. single-cup coffee market after partner Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) outlined plans to launch a rival coffee and espresso machine.

Source:  Reuters.com

Date: 03/09/2012

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/us-greenmountaincoffeeroasters-shares-idUSBRE8280MF20120309

Questions for discussion:

  • Why have share values of the firm fallen?
  • How would you expect this part of the industry to develop?
  • What strategic thinking would you suggest?

Posted by & filed under Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description:  If you think tweets are worthless, you’re wrong. A professor has developed a program that uses tweets to predict where markets are headed.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 02/21/2012

Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2012/02/20/mkts_twitter_markets.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the basis for the predictive model.
  • Why do you think it makes sense to some analysts?
  • How does it resemble other technical tools?
  • Would you have faith in its predictive value?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Governments & Regulators, Growth & Valuation, Industry Analysis.

Description: Fortune’s Allan Sloan says Facebook’s IPO is full of the same hypocrisy, hype and arrogance found in most Wall Street offerings.

Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 02/17/2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/16/t_sloan_facebook_ipo.fortune/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the opinions presented by Allan Sloan.
  • Do you agree with his views?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial Planning, Growth & Valuation.

Description:  Copper traders are the most bullish in two months on speculation that demand will strengthen from the U.S. to China at a time when stockpiles monitored by the world’s biggest metals exchange are at a 2 1/2 year low.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: 02/24/2012

Link:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-24/copper-traders-most-bullish-in-two-months-as-hedge-funds-buy-commodities.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain the price movements in commodities and the investing strategies described.
  • How would you approach this market?

Posted by & filed under Company Analysis, Financial analysis, Growth & Valuation.

Description:  Q: Lately I have been watching the TV show “Shark Tank” and really like it. What always amazes me is that the people whose products I don’t like often get money and those that I do like get nothing. Why is that? — Jaime

Source: USAToday.com

Date: 02/20/2012

Link:  http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/strauss/story/2012-02-19/shark-tank-small-business-steve-strauss/53138174/1

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the highlights of the report.
  • How would you evaluate the dollar-value of a partnership with one of these entrepreneurs?