DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/What to Watch on Wall Street: Grocers, Restaurants Provide Food for Thoughthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/17/wall-street-watch-facebook-darden-fedex-kroger-disney/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/17/wall-street-watch-facebook-darden-fedex-kroger-disney/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/17/wall-street-watch-facebook-darden-fedex-kroger-disney/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MENLO PARK, CA - APRIL 04: A Facebook employee holds a phone that is running the new
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You can never know in advance what news will move the market in a given week, but some things you can see coming. From a mysterious media event unveiling at the world's most popular social networking website to a struggling restaurant operator's latest opportunity to impress investors, here are some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Facebook Sends a Friend Request: There was no shortage of tech giants with major announcements last week, but now Facebook (FB) wants some time in the spotlight. The world's largest social networking website operator is inviting tech journalists to a press event at its Menlo Park headquarters.

"A small team has been working on a big idea," read the invitation. "Join us for coffee and learn about a new product." Is Facebook introducing its own coffee? If you think that, you probably read the invitation the wrong way. It's always fun to speculate on what Facebook is cooking up, but it's more than likely a new way to monetize its more than a billion active users.

2. When You're Here, You're Family: Things haven't been going so well at Darden Restaurants (DRI).
The parent company of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse has been struggling. Same-restaurant sales of the three flagship chains clocked in 4.6 percent lower than a year earlier in the company's most recent quarter.

Consumers have been moving away from casual dining. They're either trading up to more upscale fare or trading down to the fast casual eateries that provide quality food at lower prices without having to wait. We'll see if Darden is bouncing back on Friday with its next quarterly report.

3. Delivering the Goods: Analysts see Darden posting a decline in profitability this week -- and that's not a surprise -- but it is stunning to see FedEx (FDX) also expecting to post lower earnings this time around.

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FedEx reports quarterly results on Wednesday, and Wall Street's bracing for net income of $1.96 a share -- surprising given that the speedy delivery service generated a profit of $1.99 a share a year earlier during the same period. Despite the recent decline in fuel costs, FedEx is slipping. Making matters worse, FedEx has actually missed analyst estimates in its two previous quarters, so maybe $1.96 a share is overly ambitious.

4. Monsters Ball: Disney's (DIS) Pixar has been a hit factory in the realm of computer animation, but the last time that the studio went for a sequel -- "Cars 2" -- critics panned the production. "Monsters University" -- a prequel to Pixar's popular "Monsters, Inc." -- opens on Friday. The original movie raked in $562.8 million in ticket sales worldwide.

Disney has already had a successful year at the box office. It has 2013's two highest grossing movies so far in "Iron Man 3" and "Oz The Great and Powerful." Given the way Disney can turn its animated features into merchandising goldmines, it's naturally hoping to land another big winner here that it can exploit through its theme parks, stores, and cable properties.

5. Groceries Check Out: Supermarkets have historically been all-weather investments. In good times and bad times, people have to eat. And when the economy hits those rough patches, more consumers switch to cheaper store-brand generics that actually deliver higher margins for grocers.

However, many supermarket investors have been burned lately. Some grocery store operators have slashed dividends, suspended payouts, and even sold off assets as their financial performances are slipping.

That hasn't been the case with Kroger (KR). The supermarket chain has been able to serve up consistent growth, delivering dividend increases along the way. Kroger reports on Thursday, and analysts see another period of top- and bottom-line growth.

Gallery: 5 Companies Getting Burned By Facebook



Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Facebook, FedEx, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Darden Restaurants, Facebook, and Walt Disney. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>Darden RestaurantsearningsFacebookFedExKrogermarket watchPixarWall Streetwall street this weekWalt DisneyRick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 17 Jun 2013 13:25:00 ESTSony, Microsoft Face Off; Investors Sour on Lululemonhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/sony-microsoft-gaming-lululemon-CEO-steps-down/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/sony-microsoft-gaming-lululemon-CEO-steps-down/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/14/sony-microsoft-gaming-lululemon-CEO-steps-down/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

sony e3 microsoft xbox gaming consoles lululemon restoration hardware apple
Jae C. Hong/APSony Computer Entertainment executive Andrew House introduces the new PlayStation 4 at the Sony PlayStation E3 press briefing in Los Angeles on Monday.
Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a home furnishings retailer turning heads with a huge burst in store-level sales to a yoga apparel chain losing its CEO, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world.

Sony (SNE) -- Winner
You don't often see the struggling consumer electronics giant taking victory lap, but Sony deserves it after putting Microsoft (MSFT) in its place during this week's E3 showdown.

Sony and Microsoft will be facing off this holiday shopping season as the PS4 and Xbox One hit the market.

Microsoft seemed to have the early momentum, unveiling a $499 price point and November availability. However, Sony followed a few hours later with a $399 price tag for its PS4. Sony also took jabs at Xbox One's online requirement for disc-based games and the potential restrictions in trading used games.

Sony won the gamers this week, and that's half the battle.

Lululemon Athletica (LULU) -- Blunder
Investors don't like abrupt resignations, especially when CEOs are doing so well.

Shares of upscale yoga apparel retailer Lululemon plunged 18 percent Tuesday after CEO Christine Day announced she was leaving the company for personal reasons. She's also stepping down from the board.

Despite Lululemon's challenges in recent months the chain's market cap popped sixfold during her five-year tenure. A change at the top is only welcome when a company's going the wrong way.

Restoration Hardware Holdings (RH) -- Winner
Results have been mixed for many retailers this earnings season, but there's no doubt about Restoration Hardware's blowout performance.

The chain that sells high-end home furnishings reported a 41 percent increase in same-store sales for its latest quarter late Thursday. Think about that. The average store rang up 41 percent more in sales than it did during the same three months a year earlier.

Restoration Hardware is also naturally raising its guidance. Investors looking for a smart way to play the housing boom may have it here. As real-estate sales pick up new home buyers are turning to Restoration Hardware to give their new digs a personal touch.

Apple (AAPL) -- Blunder
Microsoft and Sony tried to hog the spotlight at E3, but Apple didn't have to share at its own WWDC event for developers.

As expected, Apple announced the update of its iOS mobile platform and introduced its music streaming service, iTunes Radio. The only real head-turning announced was the cylinder-shaped Mac Pro, but that wasn't enough to win over Wall Street.

Shares took a hit after Apple's keynote presentation. Innovation-hungry investors hoping for bigger iPhones or bolder entries into wearable computing and smart televisions will have to wait a while longer.

Comcast (CMCSA, CMCSK) -- Winner
Like Sony, Comcast is a company that doesn't get invited to the winner's circle too often these days. The country's largest cable television provider continues to lose video customers, and its reputation for customer service isn't exactly something to brag about.

However, Comcast announced that it will be beefing up its Internet service by giving customers using its routers an additional signal for enhanced connectivity. Xfinity Internet customers will have access to a "xfinitywifi" signal that is completely independent from the home's own WiFi signal. It will give customers running a lot of wireless devices on a Comcast router an extra signal to get connected.

It won't be very useful if the Internet itself goes out, but that's the curse of any broadband provider.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Lululemon Athletica. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Microsoft.

Gallery: If You Only Know 5 Things About Investing, Make It These

1. Compound interest is what will make you rich. And it takes time.2. The single largest variable that affects returns is valuations -- and you have no idea what they'll do3. Simple is usually better than smart4. The odds of the stock market experiencing high volatility are 100%5. The industry is dominated by cranks, charlatans and salesmen

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]]>Applechristine daycomcastInvestingIOSipadiphoneiPodloserslululemonMicrosoftrestoration hardwareSONYstockswinnersxboxRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 14 Jun 2013 12:00:00 ESTWhy is Pandora Buying a Radio Station ... in South Dakota?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/13/pandora-buying-radio-station-south-dakota/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/13/pandora-buying-radio-station-south-dakota/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/13/pandora-buying-radio-station-south-dakota/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Pandora
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In the 1994 film "Airheads," a rock band takes over a lowly radio station to get heard.

Now we find Pandora (P) taking over a small radio station for a very similar reason.

The company behind the leading music streaming service turned heads on Tuesday with its move to acquire South Dakota's KXMZ-FM. What's a company with more than 70 million active users doing with a tiny terrestrial radio station?

Well, there's a method to Pandora's madness. Radio station operators that run streaming websites pay lower royalties per online song than Pandora. It's an inequity that Pandora has tried to rectify legally -- taking its case all the way to Congress last year, but to little avail.

If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em

Pandora's legal counsel believes that the acquisition will now qualify Pandora for the lower royalty rate that all but four of the 20 largest Internet radio services currently enjoy.

It's a gutsy move, but Pandora doesn't feel that it has much of a choice. It's at a disadvantage to most of its rivals if it has to pay out more per song than Clear Channel's (CCO) iHeartRadio and other fast-growing music apps.

Apple Interference

It also didn't help that Apple (AAPL) introduced iTunes Radio the day before Pandora announced the purchase of KXMZ.

When Apple's new service rolls out later this year it will be eerily similar to Pandora. Music fans will be able to enjoy free personalized radio if they're willing to put up with ads. They can also pay $25 a year -- less than Pandora's $36 a year Pandora One subscriptions -- for ad-free streaming.

It's bad enough that Apple is going to build iTunes Radio into iTunes, but now the company that's best known for its premium consumer electronics is undercutting Pandora's premium platform on price? Pandora can't seem to catch a break. But even if the new royalty rate results in saving just 1 percent of its revenue it could make a big difference for a company that has struggled with profitability.

Big Music, Little Profit

Pandora is coming off of back-to-back quarterly losses. Folks love the platform. They gravitate to Pandora's ability to serve them relevant tracks fine-tuned to every individual listener's preferences. The problem is that Pandora can't get those music fans to pay up.

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Just 2.5 million of the service's 70.8 million active listeners are premium subscribers. The vast majority of its users are willing to accept ads, usage limits, and the inability to skip as many songs as they would like.

It remains to be seen if Apple's presence will help or hurt Pandora. It may hurt initially, but Apple entering the market may also educate consumers into paying for streaming music. Pandora wouldn't mind losing millions of its freeloaders if it meant increasing its Pandora One subscribers.

Turn it Up

For now, Pandora is as popular as ever. There were 70.8 million active listeners last month, a huge 33 percent uptick from the 53.3 million that were tuning in a year earlier. Listener hours are up 22 percent to 1.35 billion, and that could be problematic.

If listener hours aren't growing as quickly as active listeners it means the average listener is tuning in less.

Pandora's still the undisputed champ, and those 1.35 billion hours served up last year would be good enough to command 7.29 percent of the total U.S. radio listening market.

Taking control of a radio station may have been a silly idea. It certainly seemed that way when characters portrayed by Adam Sandler, Steve Buscemi and Brendan Fraser stormed a radio station in "Airheads." However, when something isn't fair -- and those in control aren't doing anything about it -- you sometimes have to take matters into your own hands.

Rock on, South Dakota.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple.

Gallery: 16 Big Bubbles That Are Getting Ready To Burst

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]]>AppleInternet radioitunesmusic royaltiesPandorapandora radioSouth Dakotastreaming musicRick Aristotle MunarrizThu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:00 ESTCan the Man of Steel Save Walmart?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/11/man-of-steel-walmart-cool-factor-young-shoppers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/11/man-of-steel-walmart-cool-factor-young-shoppers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/11/man-of-steel-walmart-cool-factor-young-shoppers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Superman
Time Warner
Maybe the "S" on Superman's chest stands for savings.

This week's theatrical debut of "Man of Steel" promises to be a big deal for Time Warner (TWX), the media giant that owns DC Comics and is putting out the movie. However, there's another company also hoping the superhero flick will be a smash.

Walmart (WMT), the world's largest retailer, is grabbing on to Superman's cape-tails in a novel promotion that it hopes will lure young movie fans into its stores.

You see, Walmart is the exclusive seller of movie tickets for advance "Man of Steel" screenings at 2,379 theaters. These specail early shows will take place on Thursday night. The movie then kicks off its cinematic run with midnight showings on Friday morning.

It was certainly an usual -- if not outright risky -- choice to entrust a discount department store chain with exclusive rights to sell tickets for more than 2,000 screenings. But Walmart needed to do something to get shoppers back into its its 3,700 stores.

Searching for Superpowers

Walmart has historically thrived in good and bad markets. It's just natural that country's top discounter draws traffic from folks with money to spend when the economy's expanding, and woos shoppers who want to stretch the value of their money when the economy's contracting.

However, the juggernaut that Sam Walton built is starting to look pretty vulnerable these days. Walmart posted a decline in comparable-store sales in its latest quarter, and that wasn't the first time the chain had failed to top the prior quarter's sales at the store level. It only comes as a shock to those who have painted a mental picture of the department store chain operator as being invulnerable.

It turns out that Walmart is mortal. And it's showing it.

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Most recently the company has been fighting back with a new ad series -- detailing "The Real Walmart" -- that rolled out last month, starring employees and suppliers singing the retailer's praises. This marketing campaign wouldn't be necessary if the discounter wasn't a popular target for union-backed attacks on its relatively stingy employee benefits. Walmart has also come under fire for some allegedly iffy practices overseas -- among them, bribery.

In the end -- despite the seemingly unbeatable prices it manages to offer thanks to its low markups, heavy turnover, and economies of scale -- Walmart has failed to woo young shoppers.

This week's "Man of Steel" promotion hopes to start reversing that.

Youth is Walmart's Kryptonite

Walmart has an unfortunate history of miscues in targeting young shoppers. Unlike smaller rival Target (TGT) with its "cheap chic" panache, Walmart is merely "cheap cheap" in the eyes of teens and young adults.

Walmart hasn't helped make its own luck.

There was the short-lived School Your Way shopping hub it rolled out in 2006. Walmart launched the social networking site during the back-to-school season that summer, hoping to get high school students to begin sharing the things that they wanted to buy at Walmart. It failed, and Walmart shuttered the site a few weeks later.

Around that same time, Walmart was called out in regards to a pair of bloggers who were traveling around the country visiting Walmarts and chronicling their parking lot adventures. Press quickly turned negative when it was revealed that the bloggers were being compensated for their efforts.

Walmart just hasn't really connected with youthful shoppers, and that may explain why it closed down its MP3 store two years ago at a time when music downloading was as popular as ever.

Enter Superman.

It will be largely a teen and young adult audience that wants first dibs on catching "Man of Steel" on Thursday. If they have to go through Walmart for their tickets, maybe they'll realize that the stores aren't so bad after all.

Most people know the retailer well. Walmart claims that 60 percent of the country shops at its stores at least once a month. The hope is that wooing a fashion-forward audience by pitching tickets to a hot premiere will make it easier to reach out to the other 40 percent.

One Last Shot at Slaying the Villain

Walmart is hoping that the ticket purchases will lead to repeat visits. Ticket buyers will receive codes to preorder the Blu-ray, DVD, or digital download through Walmart when the movie hits the home retail market in a few months. Perhaps more importantly, these Walmart-specific releases will have exclusive additional content.

Walmart's trying. There is no shortage of critics of the company, but if this movie's debut is as big as Walmart and Time Warner hope it will be, Walmart will be the one looking to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>cheap chicentertainmentMan of SteelmoviesSupermanTime WarnerWalmartRick Aristotle MunarrizTue, 11 Jun 2013 12:15:00 EST5 Things to Watch This Week: WWDC, E3, Taxes, Beauty and Netflixhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/10/watch-this-week-wwdc-e3-taxes-beauty-netflix/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/10/watch-this-week-wwdc-e3-taxes-beauty-netflix/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/10/watch-this-week-wwdc-e3-taxes-beauty-netflix/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

H&R Block
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From new iProducts to a tax giant's biggest quarterly report of the year, there will be plenty of news waiting to break in the coming days. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Apple on the Spot: Shares of Apple (AAPL) have shed more than a third of their value since the iPhone 5 hit the market last year, but now the class act of Cupertino gets a strong opportunity to win back investors.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place this week. The five-day event for developers kicks off in San Francisco on Monday, and it won't be just coders and programmers watching. Apple has historically used WWDC to show off updates to its operating system and occasionally new product lines. It's widely expected that Apple will introduce a new streaming music service, but the real news could derive from any fresh insights we get into the consumer tech titan's next smartphones and tablets.

2. Game On, Gamers: The annual E3 conference takes over the massive Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday for three days of bliss for video game fans.

The expo is often entertaining and enlightening, but it promises to be a bit more attention-worthy this time around. Sony (SNE) and Microsoft (MSFT) are introducing new video game systems later this year, and this week's expo gives the two giants and developers making games for Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One a chance to show off what gamers should be saving up for ahead of this important holiday shopping season. After more than three years of declining sales the video game industry can't afford to slip again with two new consoles hitting the market.

3. Taxing Results: There aren't too many companies posting quarterly results this week, but one of them will be H&R Block (HRB).

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Being a tax preparer is a seasonal business, and this past quarter included the April 15 tax filing deadline. This is without a doubt H&R Block's most lucrative reporting period, and analysts see it earning $2.61 a share when it reports on Wednesday. Despite a few hiccups earlier this year that delayed the tax filing season, Wall Street's sees significant bottom line improvement from the $2.04 a share that H&R Block earned a year earlier.

4. Playing the Cards That You've Been Dealt: "House of Cards" was a big hit for Netflix (NFLX) in February, but the Kevin Spacey-helmed political drama won't be limited to the service's subscribers anymore.

The entire season becomes available on DVD come Tuesday. Netflix did pay up for exclusive streaming rights, but there was nothing keeping the producers from cashing in by releasing it on DVD a few months later.

The good news for Netflix is that the entire season on DVD costs about as much as three to four months of Netflix's $7.99 a month streaming service. The optical disc release could even be interpreted as a case for the value proposition of Netflix itself. There's also the possibility that non-Netflix subscribers may sign up to the service to stream the second season next year.

5. Beauty is in the Eye of the Certified Beautician: Vanity is always in fashion, and that's why we stock up on beauty products and don't cut our own hair.

Ulta Beauty (ULTA) is living proof. The 550-unit chain of beauty salons that also sell signature products is growing nicely these days, and investors will get a glimpse when the retailer of salon services reports on Tuesday. Wall Street sees double-digit revenue and earnings growth.

Now that's beautiful.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Netflix, and Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>AppleApple Worldwide Developers ConferenceCosmeticsE3earningsHouse of CardsHR BlockiPhoneMicrosoftNetflixSonyUltaWall StreetWWDCRick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 10 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST5 Winners and Losers of the Week in Businesshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/business-world-winners-losers-week/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/business-world-winners-losers-week/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/business-world-winners-losers-week/#commentsFiled under: ,

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 25: The Microsoft Windows 8 operating system is unveiled at a press conference on October 25, 2012 in New York City. Windows 8 offers a touch interface in an effort to bridge the gap between tablets and personal computers. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a software giant making big concessions to shoulder its way into the booming tablet market to a social gaming leader going through with layoffs at a bad time, here's a rundown of the week's smartest moves and worst misses in the business world.

Microsoft (MSFT) -- Winner

The world's largest software company has been struggling lately as consumers turn to iOS and Android solutions for their basic computing needs. Last year's rollout of Windows 8 for PCs and tablets has failed to revive the desktop and laptop markets, and Microsoft remains a non-factor in tablets and smartphones.

Microsoft intends to do something about that, confirming this week that it's lowering prices for Windows RT and Windows 8 licenses for makers of small tablets. Microsoft is also allowing manufacturers to include Microsoft Office at no additional cost.

Those moves may seem desperate, but they're the right call. Microsoft can't afford to become irrelevant in tablet market as folks flock to either cheaper Android tablets or more desirable iPads. Microsoft has a long way to go, but offering these price breaks on tablets smaller than 10.1 inches -- protecting the pricing of its 10.6-inch Surface devices -- is the right first step.

Zynga (ZNGA) -- Loser

Zynga had a problem holding onto its executives last year. This year, it's cutting loose many of the employees who chose to stick around.

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The leading social gaming company behind "FarmVille" and "Words With Friends" is scaling back. Zynga's confirming that it will dismiss 520 of its employees in a move that should shave as much as $80 million in annualized cash operating expenses.

Zynga's bookings are slipping, but it's not as if it needs the money. It's still flush with cash from its late 2011 IPO. It may be time for a new game at Zynga: Morale Building With Co-Workers.

General Motors (GM) -- Winner

It's been four years since a government bailout and bankruptcy reorganization led to the country's largest automaker being booted from the S&P 500. Now GM is pulling back into the once-familiar driveway. The S&P 500 had a vacancy with the Warren Buffett-led buyout of H.J. Heinz, and GM will be filling the void.

GM has bounced back with strong sales and growing profitability. Let's hope it doesn't shift into reverse again.

Quiksilver (ZQK) -- Loser

Retailers have been posting mixed results this earnings season, but Quiksilver's report on Thursday afternoon has proven to be one of the more disappointing performances.

It's all about expectations. Analysts were forecasting a small profit on a 3 percent uptick in sales. That may not have seemed all that ambitious, but the retailer of extreme sports apparel and accessories actually posted a sharp quarterly loss on a 7 percent dip in net revenue.

Quiksilver's negative showing is the handiwork of weakness at its overseas stores, but it's still a miss on both ends of the income statement. Shareholders may appreciate Quiksilver's appeal to extreme sports enthusiasts, but they don't appreciate seeing the company's financials this extreme.

Amazon.com (AMZN) -- Winner

Parents of kids frustrated that "Dora the Explorer," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and other Nickelodeon shows are exiting the streaming catalog of Netflix (NFLX) last month can now turn to Amazon for a solution.

Amazon struck a multiyear deal with Viacom (VIA) that will bring 3,900 episodes from 250 different seasons of shows from Nick, Nick Jr., MTV, and Comedy Central to its Amazon Prime Instant streaming service. The offering is included at no additional cost to customers paying $79 a year for free two-day shipping of Amazon-warehoused goods.

It's slick timing on Amazon's part, which next month will also become the only place you can stream season three of "Downton Abbey."

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, General Motors, and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Netflix.

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]]>AmazonAndroidGMMicrosoftMTVNetflixQuiksilverSP 500streaming videoViacomWindows 8Windows RTZyngaRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 07 Jun 2013 11:35:00 EST'Free Doughnut Day': Padding Our Waistlines -- and Investors' Walletshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/free-doughnut-day-investing-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/free-doughnut-day-investing-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/07/free-doughnut-day-investing-marketing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Free donuts
Dunkin' Donuts Facebook
Fans of free doughnuts have been circling June 7 on their calendar for some time, as Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts gear up for a day of doughy freebies.

Sure, it's called National Donut Day at Dunkin' Donuts and National Doughnuts Day at Krispy Kreme. But however you spell it, you still get a free sugary treat when you show up at participating stores. At Krispy Kreme, there are no strings attached. Walk in, pick a doughnut and go. Dunkin' Donuts requires you to buy a beverage. It's safe to say that both chains will be as crowded as IHOP is during National Pancake Day, when it serves up free short stacks.

Fans will no doubt hoist up their sticky rings in a show of success, like Gollum's "precious" from "Lord of the Rings."

Padding Waistlines -- and Wallets

Let's face it, people love doughnuts, even if they are unhealthy in nearly every incarnation. Krispy Kreme's signature original glazed packs 11 grams of fat -- a pittance compared with the New York Cheesecake variety at 21 grams. And that can't hold a candle to the 39 grams of fat tucked inside Dunkin's chocolate coconut cake donut.

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While all that fat may pad people's waistlines, it's also padding investors' wallets. Krispy Kreme stock soared 31 percent last week after blowout quarterly results. Revenue climbed 11 percent over the past year and adjusted earnings grew even faster. The chain has posted positive same-store sales for 18 consecutive quarters.

Dunkin' Donuts has also been a winning investment. The 10,500-unit chain went public at $19 a share less than two years ago, and the stock has gone on to more than double.

The chains are not giving away doughnuts because they need the business. They're doing it to honor a tradition they've been keeping since 1938, when Free Donut Day started. They also have plenty to gain by bringing in customers who may not normally frequent the stores.

Come for the Free Doughnut, Come Back for the Bacon Sandwich

Dunkin' has plenty of new things to show off. It just rolled out a new line of seasonal flavors featuring lemonade and key lime pie donuts; Krispy Kreme introduced its own key lime doughnut back in April.

However, the concoction that will truly turn heads is the new breakfast sandwich that Dunkin' Donuts introduced this week. A glazed doughnut is split in half like a bagel to make an egg and bacon sandwich. (There are already plenty of gourmet burger joints serving up hamburgers on doughnut rolls. What took the country's largest doughnut chain so long?) It may be easy to ridicule, but Dunkin' is surely hoping temptation will strike visitors once they get in the store.

Gollum was right all along. Those golden rings are precious.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

Gallery: Taco Bell's Cool Ranch Dorito Taco is Just the Latest 'Frankensnack'

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]]>Dunkin Donutsfood and drinkfree doughnutsFreebieskrispy krememarketingrestaurantsRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 07 Jun 2013 05:00:00 ESTMarket Movers This Week: Wintry Earnings and iRadio Buzzhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/market-movers-this-week-apple-iradio-vail-earnings/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/market-movers-this-week-apple-iradio-vail-earnings/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/06/03/market-movers-this-week-apple-iradio-vail-earnings/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

iradio from Apple
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There's no guessing everything that will move the market this week, but there are some pieces of news we know will break in the coming days, from a fast-growing mattress retailer uncovering its financials to raft of fiscal details from retailers. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Turn up the iRadio: Apple (AAPL) has been surprisingly absent from the streaming music revolution, but that may be about to change. Investors kicked off the new trading week with reports that Apple finally negotiated a deal with Warner Music, paving the way for the long overdue rollout of Apple's iRadio service.

Initial reports suggest that Apple isn't likely to announce anything this week. It has its annual developers conference next week, and that will likely be the moment when the consumer tech giant makes its streaming music service official.

However, you can probably expect a week of speculation about the service. Will it be free? Will it be only available through a paid subscription? Will Apple be able to strike deals with all of the major labels in time? June is going to be an important month for Apple, and it all starts now.

2. Tuesday Goes for Blackjack: Last week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 1.2 percent lower during the holiday-shortened trading week, but the market still managed to move higher on Tuesday. That's important because it means that the Dow has now closed higher for 20 Tuesdays in a row.

Yes, that's an unusually long streak. You actually have to back to 1968 -- when the Dow moved higher for 24 consecutive Wednesdays -- to find the last time that the market kept closing higher for more weeks on the same weekday.

This week will be a challenging one. The late May selloff and the "sell in May and go away" crowd may be working against the market's favorable momentum. If the popular index that tracks 30 blue chips closes lower on Tuesday it will be the end to a pretty impressive streak that's unlikely to be repeated anytime soon.

3. Getting a Good Night's Sleep: With new home sales up and low refinancing rates motivating homeowners to spruce up their properties, home improvement industries are thriving: So if you're making your house more comfortable in other ways, how about replacing your lumpy old mattress?

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Mattress Firm (MFRM) is a leading seller of bedding products. As a publicly traded company in a highly fragmented niche, Mattress Firm has been snapping up smaller regional rivals to form an even bigger mattress merchant. It's been paying off. The stock has nearly doubled since Mattress Firm went public at $19 less than two years ago. Analysts see double-digit revenue and earnings growth when Mattress Firm reports on Tuesday.

4. Retailers on Parade: How did your favorite clothing or department store do last month? Many leading chains will be reporting their same-store sales for the month of May later in the week.

It won't be the only snapshot that we get about the state of retail. Several publicly traded retailers also happen to be reporting their latest quarterly results this week. Quiksilver (ZQK), Dollar General (DG), rue21 (RUE), and Francesca's Holdings (FRAN) are some of the specialty apparel companies reporting this week.

In concert, the reports will provide a fair overview of the retail industry because they do appeal to different demographics. Quiksilver sells outdoor sports apparel to a younger extreme sports crowd. Dollar General is a deep discounter. Francesca's and rue21 target fashion-forward women shoppers. Don't read too much into one hit or miss. Watch for the more important trend of where the chains combined are reporting updated financials that are better or worse than the market is expecting.

5. Hitting the Slopes: We're wrapping up what many ski resorts call mud season. This is the springtime shift as snow starts to melt, and many of the seasonal resorts wait for the slushy mud to turn to inviting lush greens for golfers, hikers, and other summer travelers.

This doesn't mean that investors should ignore Vail Resorts (MTN) when it reports its latest financials on Thursday. This is actually the Colorado ski resort operator's biggest quarter covering the snow-blessed months of February, March and April. Analysts see Vail Resorts posting 42 percent of its revenue and more than double its earnings for the entire fiscal year. Yes, Vail Resorts is expected to post a quarterly profit that is twice as large as its annual profit -- because historically, it has lost money during the two warm-weather quarters.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Vail Resorts. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>AppleDJIADollar GeneralDow Jones Industrial AverageearningsiTunesQuiksilverstreaming musicVail ResortsWarner Music GroupWednesdayRick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 03 Jun 2013 11:38:00 ESTWeird Week: Tesla's Green Cars Win, Trina's Green Energy Loseshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/31/wall-street-week-tesla-supercharger-trina-netflix/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/31/wall-street-week-tesla-supercharger-trina-netflix/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/31/wall-street-week-tesla-supercharger-trina-netflix/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This undated publicity photo provided by Netflix shows actress Jessica Walter, front right, and the cast of
Netflix, F. Scott Schafer, NetflixThe cast of "Arrested Development."
Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From the leading streaming video provider getting promoted to a popular market index to a profitless solar energy company being bid up ahead of a disappointing quarterly report, here's a rundown of the week's best and worst in the business world.

Netflix (NFLX) -- Winner

Netflix may have started out the week receiving mixed reviews for its "Arrested Development" revival, but it wrapped things up with a different form of respect.

NASDAQ announced on Thursday night that Netflix would be added the NASDAQ-100 index that tracks 100 of the most prolific stocks on the exchange. The market gauge may not be as high-profile as the Dow 30 or the S&P 500, but this is a significant win for the reinvigorated dot-com darling.

Shares of Netflix were actually booted from the NASDAQ-100 just five months ago, but the stock has gone on to become one of the market's biggest gainers in that time.

Nokia (NOK) -- Loser

As bad as things have gone for Nokia, at least it always had Finland.

Well, the Finnish company has now lost its spot as the top smartphone seller in its home country. Trend tracker IDC reported this week that South Korea's Samsung overtook Nokia during the first quarter.

Nokia is starting to bounce back on the strength of its Windows-powered Lumia phone line, but apparently even the folks in Finland can't resist that calling of Samsung with its Android-powered phones.

Tesla Motors (TSLA) -- Winner

Tesla's Model S sedans are cool, but they're certainly not cheap. However, relief may be coming for mainstream drivers hoping to bypass the gas pump with a trendy electric car. CEO Elon Musk said this week that Tesla may roll out a cheaper sedan in three to four years that will cost roughly half as much as the $70,000 Model S.

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That's not the only cool thing that Tesla had shared this week. The maker of electric cars announced on Wednesday that it will be tripling the size of its Supercharger network, the charging stations that allow Model S owners to recharge their cars relatively fast, and for free.

Musk's goal is to take his family from Los Angeles to New York City in a Tesla relying entirely on Supercharger stations. That reality may now be mere months away.

Trina Solar (TSL) -- Loser

Shares of Trina Solar popped 10 percent on Tuesday, ahead of its earnings report on Wednesday morning.

Why would shares of the Chinese solar products maker move higher before earnings? The company is losing money -- a lot of money -- and it had actually posted larger deficits than Wall Street was expecting in each of the previous four quarters. What happened on Wednesday? Well, the company posted a wider than expected loss and, predictably, the stock fell 11 percent.

Investors need to respect these trends. They're not always perfect indicators, but if a company disappoints for four consecutive quarters the smart money has to be on that streak stretching to five.

Groupon (GRPN) -- Winner

Groupon is getting some more skin in the credit card processing game. The company is joining American Express (AXP) in investing in SumUp, a fast-growing European company that allows merchants to take debit and credit card payments from their smartphones.

Yes, that's become a crowded market in the U.S. It seems as if everybody has a Square knockoff these days. However, Groupon's in a unique position. It has working relationships with tens of thousands of local merchants, and its thick Rolodex can be put to good use in promoting other merchant services -- it has already moved to offer cheaper credit card processing than traditional providers.

Groupon's flagship model of providing daily deals may have run into some resistance, but it's now cashing in on its valuable merchant relationships.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends American Express, Netflix, and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Netflix and Tesla Motors . Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>American ExpressArrested DevelopmentElon MuskGrouponNASDAQNetflix IncNokiaSamsungTesla MotorsTrina SolarRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 31 May 2013 16:05:00 ESTSomething Big is Eating Your Old Favorite Restaurant Chainshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/30/fast-casual-restaurant-chains-sales-figures/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/30/fast-casual-restaurant-chains-sales-figures/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/30/fast-casual-restaurant-chains-sales-figures/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Olive Garden
AP
If we're in an economic recovery, good luck trying to convince the country's largest casual dining chains -- they're sputtering.
  • Darden Restaurants (DRI) suffered a combined same-restaurant sales decline of 4.6 percent for Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse in its latest quarter, and analysts predict a sharp drop in earnings for its fiscal year that ends this week.
  • DineEquity (DIN) also posted negative comps at Applebee's and IHOP in its latest quarter. DineEquity is in the process of unloading company-owned Applebee's to franchisees, so it's not a surprise to see revenue falling sharply. But profitability is also sliding.
  • Ruby Tuesday (RT) checked in with a 2.8 percent drop in same-restaurant sales at its company-owned namesake eateries. Investors have been feeling the pain. The stock has been meandering about in the single digits for nearly two years.
And it's not as if hungry customers are flocking to cheaper fast food.

After nearly a decade of positive comps, McDonald's (MCD) saw its domestic same-restaurant sales decline last October. It wasn't a fluke. Comps have gone on to slip in three different months after that.

If casual dining establishments and fast food joints are smarting for traffic, where are people getting fed?

Kicking Burritos and Taking Names

Fast casual -- a hot niche where quality food is served quickly without a dedicated wait staff -- is what's eating into both the fast food and casual dining markets.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) and Panera Bread (PNRA) have become the new darlings of the dining scene. They're the poster children for fast casual, where diners can get a meal that may be slightly more expensive than fast food alternatives, but the food quality and perceived ambiance is also better.

At Chipotle, the burritos, tacos, and rice bowls are pieced together as they're ordered by a lightning-fast human assembly line. At Panera, fresh salads, soups, and sandwiches are ready within minutes of being ordered. There's no waiter to tend to your soda refill, but that also means that there's no need to tip the waitress or wait around for your check when you're done.

Industry tracker NPD Group estimates that fast casual sales rose 8 percent last year, compared to a slight decline at traditional table service restaurants.

The burrito-rolling and salad-tossing darlings will continue to gnaw away at the competition's market share. Analysts see Chipotle and Panera growing their revenue 16 percent and 14 percent, respectively, this year. Double-digit percentage growth is also projected for next year.

The Waitress Strikes Back

Casual dining isn't taking this lying down.

Earlier this year Applebee's began expanding a lunchtime platform where customers can order and pre-pay for their meals at a counter. Runners then deliver the food to their table. For now, the Express Lunch option is only available at roughly two dozen locations in the company's home turf of Kansas City. Other chains are trying to buy their way out. Ruby Tuesday acquired Lime Fresh, a small Chipotle-esque concept with a wider menu, last year.

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Casual dining giants are also reaching higher up the food chain, snapping up more upscale concepts that haven't suffered from the defection to fast casual. After all, someone hankering for a foodie hotspot or a fancy chophouse isn't going to trade down to a carnitas burrito at Chipotle. Darden is one of the operators going higher end, snapping up the fast-growing Yardhouse brewpub chain and expanding its own Seasons 52 concept.

Your local casual dining operator doesn't have much of a choice. The trend isn't its friend these days, and chains that fail to adapt will have to change their approach to lunch if it doesn't want nimbler competition to eat it first.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill, McDonald's, and Panera Bread. The Motley Fool owns shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Darden Restaurants, McDonald's, and Panera Bread. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

Gallery: America's Most Popular Stores

10. Target9. Taco Bell8. CVS7. Walgreens6. Wendy's

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]]>Applebeescasual diningChipotle Mexican GrillDarden RestaurantsDineEquityfast casual diningfast foodIHOPLongHorn SteakhouseMcDonaldsNPD GroupOlive GardenPanera BreadRed LobsterrestaurantsRuby TuesdayRick Aristotle MunarrizThu, 30 May 2013 09:55:00 EST5 Things to Watch: Costco, Kors, Krispy Kreme, Retail and Streakshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/28/market-watch-this-week-costco-kors-krispy-kreme-retailers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/28/market-watch-this-week-costco-kors-krispy-kreme-retailers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/28/market-watch-this-week-costco-kors-krispy-kreme-retailers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Costco
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From a maker of decadent doughnuts stepping up with its quarterly report to a surprisingly long streak of winning Tuesdays on the line, there will be plenty of news waiting to break in the coming days. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Tuesday Goes for 20: One of the market's oddest winning streaks will be tested when trading begins after the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The Dow has closed higher for 19 Tuesdays in a row.

It's a lucky fluke. There really hasn't been any rhyme or reason for what is now nearly five months of higher closes for the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Tuesdays. This is the longest streak since the Dow managed 24 consecutive positive closes on Wednesdays in 1968.

It won't be a lock to get to 20. The market itself proved mortal for all of last week. After four straight weeks of higher market closes, all of the major market indices closed lower last week heading into the holiday weekend.

2. Everything Counts in Large Amounts: Costco (COST) made warehouse clubs cool.

Exposed ceilings, stacks of merchandise packed on pallets, and bulk-sized packaging didn't seem very stylish until Costco helped usher in the movement of deep savings on groceries and other wares when packaged in large quantities. Costco is so popular that it was able to push through a 10 percent membership increase two years ago -- bumping its annual basic membership to $55 -- without skipping a beat.

The warehouse club darling also didn't lose a step when longtime CEO Jim Sinegal retired at the beginning of last year. Costco has been a steady producer, and that's exactly what the market expects when the discount retailer reports quarterly results on Thursday. Analysts see revenue clocking 8.5 percent higher for the period with earnings per share climbing twice as fast.

3. Time to Make the Doughnuts: Fans of doughnuts know the drill at Krispy Kreme (KKD). Whenever they see the "Hot Doughnuts Now" neon sign glowing, they can come in to grab some of the chain's signature original glazed treats as they are being made.

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Investors will be hoping for similarly sweet and tasty rewards when the company reports on Thursday. Wall Street's holding out for a profit of $0.17 a share, well ahead of the $0.14 a share that it posted a year earlier.

There's no denying that Krispy Kreme doughnuts aren't healthy. Trends are favoring healthier lifestyles. However, sweet indulgences of comfort foods may probably never go entirely away. Krispy Kreme certainly hopes that will be the case. There doesn't seem to be any plans to roll out fat-free doughnuts anytime soon.

4. Retailers on Parade: This is going to be a relatively light week on the earnings front, but there will be plenty of retailers stepping up to report their latest financials.

Unlike most companies, which end their fiscal years in December, retailers tend to close out their years in January to allow them to account for post-holiday returns within their most potent quarter.

We already went through the holiday quarter reports three months ago. Now we're dabbling into the fiscal quarters that ended in April for many retailers.

Chico's FAS (CHS), Tilly's (TLYS), DSW (DSW), and Express (EXPR) are some of the notable chains reporting this week. The bad news here is that just one of those four chains -- Chico's -- is expected to post year-over-year improvement in earnings.

5. Plotting a Course for Kors: Most people would never dream of paying as much as $3,500 for a purse, but then again most people aren't the target audience for Michael Kors (KORS).

The maker of luxury handbags and other accessories has given market leader Coach (COH) a run for its money lately. Net sales soared 70 percent at Kors in its previous quarter, proving that shoppers aren't flinching at the high prices in pursuit of the fashionable bags with the "MK" logo.

Kors reports on Wednesday, and Wall Street's betting on more heady growth. They see revenue climbing 44 percent and earnings per share shooting 77 percent higher. I guess that's more money for Kors to stuff into its handbags.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Coach and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool owns shares of Coach and Costco Wholesale.

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]]>bull market forecastChicosCostcoDJIAearningsInvestingkrispy kremeRick Aristotle MunarrizTue, 28 May 2013 13:50:00 ESTWinners and Losers of the Week: Cheap Chic, Cruises, Coffee and Morehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/24/wall-street-winners-losers-starbucks-xbox-target/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/24/wall-street-winners-losers-starbucks-xbox-target/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/24/wall-street-winners-losers-starbucks-xbox-target/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Xbox One
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Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a theme park operator making a big splash with its first quarterly report as a public company to a cruise ship operator hosing down its navigation skills, here's a rundown of this week's smartest moves and worst performers in the business world.

Microsoft (MSFT) -- Winner

The world's largest software company showed off its new game face this week. Microsoft unveiled Xbox One, the heir to the Xbox 360 when it rolls out next week. Gamers won't know how much they will have to shell out to buy one of these consoles, but it probably won't be cheap given the impressive specs.

Microsoft spent the first half of its media event discussing all of the non-gaming things that the new system will do. From Skype group video calls to voice-based controls of live television, Xbox One really does want to be the cornerstone of every home theater. After three years of sluggish video game sales, the industry could use a hero.

Target (TGT) -- Loser

It was a bad sign when Walmart (WMT) reported disappointing quarterly results last week on a surprising decline in same-store sales, but Target investors probably thought they would be immune from the apathy at the world's largest retailer.

"We're cheap chic," they may have said. "We're Tar-zhay!"

Well, apparently Target wasn't "cheap chic" enough. Shares of the trendy discounter slipped after posting a dip in same-store sales itself. Target is also lowering its earnings outlook for the entire year. Target and Walmart blamed the lingering winter weather and the hiccup in early tax return refunds on the stagnancy, but other retailers have been holding up just fine.

SeaWorld Entertainment (SEAS) -- Winner

It's always important to look good in your first quarter as a public company, and SeaWorld Entertainment lived up to the billing. The theme park operator behind the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens gated attractions posted a respectable 12 percent increase in revenue during the quarter.

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This is impressive because we're not talking about a 12 percent spike in turnstile clicks. Actual attendance climbed just 2 percent during the quarter. The real growth came from consumers willing to spend more to visit its parks and an increase in guest spending inside the park. That's a lot of "I survived" T-shirts and killer whale stuffed animals.

Carnival (CCL) -- Loser

SeaWorld had no problem getting more people to pay up for its engaging experience, but the same didn't hold true for Carnival. The world's largest cruise line warned that it will fall short of its earlier profit targets for the year.

As you can imagine, Carnival's reputation isn't at its best these days. It's had too many mishaps on its vessels since last year, and that makes it hard to get passengers to pay up for a cabin. Discounting and heavy marketing expenses are eating into profitability. Carnival now expects to earn $1.45 a share to $1.65 a share this year, well off its original outlook that modeled as much as $2.10 a share in profitability.

What can Carnival do to improve its image? How about moving up the midnight buffets by a half hour? Hey. At least that's something.

Starbucks (SBUX) -- Winner

No one would be surprised to hear that Starbucks opened 10 stores this week, but this time it was 10 Seattle's Best Coffee stores. Starbucks introduced 10 Seattle's Best Coffee standalone locations in Dallas this week, and they're different. They don't have any indoor seating or counters. Customers order coffee and a small selection of food items through the drive-thru or walk-up windows.

These coffee houses are also located in parking lots, and eight of them happen to be in Walmart parking lots. Yes, Walmart.

This may not seem like the Euro-style ambience that Starbucks cultivates at its namesake stores, but that's the point. Starbucks is going after the McCafes of the world that are gunning for the value-minded java sipper.

It's a smart move for Starbucks, tossing a brand that has stumbled at the retail level since Borders liquidated its stores two years ago.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

Gallery: 6 Money Leaks That Are Draining Your Finances

Overpaying for Your SmartphoneHidden Fees on Monthly BillsStorage Unit FeesBuying Instead of Renting EquipmentNot Bundling Services or Policies

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]]>Rick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 24 May 2013 12:05:00 ESTHousing Boom Leaves Some Stocks in the Dusthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/22/housing-boom-eldues-some-stocks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/22/housing-boom-eldues-some-stocks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/22/housing-boom-eldues-some-stocks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A sign overlooks the Toll Brothers' Spring Valley Estates in Buckingham, Pennsylvania, February 4, 2008. Photographer: Mike Mergen/Bloomberg News.
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The housing boom continues, but don't make the mistake of assuming that every company related to the sector is a great investment. Some stocks may be rightfully soaring, but other logical winners aren't cashing in on the trend.

Toll Brothers (TOL) hit another 52-week high Wednesday after posting blowout quarterly results, but earnings reports out of the country's two leading home-improvement chains this week haven't been as inspiring.

Let's knock on some doors to spot the disparity.

As the Toll Tolls

The National Association of Realtors reported robust existing home sales Wednesday. The annual rate of existing home sales is closing in on 5 million properties, and that's the highest level since late 2009.

Naturally it's not just existing homes that are selling briskly. The demand for new construction is keeping residential developers busy, and investors saw that when Toll Brothers reported a 38 percent surge in revenue for its latest quarter.

The near future will be even rosier for the luxury homebuilder as new orders during the quarter clocked in at a seven-year high of 1,753 homes. That's a 36 percent increase during the past year, but higher selling prices are pushing the value of these new contracts up a whopping 57 percent.

It's not just Toll Brothers. Most of its peers have been posting similar blowout performances.

As My Orange Apron Gently Weeps

Snapping up new properties often calls for some domicile upgrades. The former owner's man cave may become a nursery. The cramped closet could use some organizers. That shag carpeting has got to go!

This would lead many to assume that Home Depot (HD) and Lowe's (LOW) are cleaning house -- literally and figuratively -- but that's certainly not the case.

Home Depot reported ho-hum results Tuesday. Revenue climbed 7 percent, but that was with the luxury of an extra week. Strip that away and sales would have clocked in only 4 percent higher than they did a year earlier.

Things get even worse for Lowe's, which, Wednesday, reported a 0.5 percent decline in revenue for its latest quarter.

The springtime cleaning that often boosts business at both hardware superstore chains failed to materialize in a manner reflecting the real estate boom.

Home on the Range

Just because Home Depot and Lowe's are struggling doesn't mean that home improvement is on the wane. Several weeks ago, wood-alternative decking leader Trex (TREX) and hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators (LL) posted strong quarterly results.

Trex and Lumber Liquidators saw their revenue climb 12 percent and 23 percent, respectively, and that makes sense.

Even if homeowners aren't calling out the moving trucks they are starting to spruce up their own digs. As real estate prices improve there are fewer homes with underwater mortgages, and that's the kind of breathing room that may inspire people to extend their outdoor living space with some Trex decking or to classy up their flooring with stylish hardwood.

It's not just the home improvement projects on the rise this week. Best Buy (BBY) and HHGregg (HGG) also reported quarterly results this week. Those reports weren't necessarily pretty. There's been a sharp drop in consumer electronics and televisions. However, both chains experienced big upticks in appliance sales.

That also makes sense. New homes require new appliances, and good luck standing in the way of someone that redoes a kitchen and wants new appliances that match then new design.

All of this does make the flattish sales at Home Depot and Lowe's a bit of a surprise. They sell appliances. They sell flooring. They sell decking and railing materials. But they just can't seem to get invited to the open-house party that nearly everybody else is throwing.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends HHGregg, Home Depot, Lowe's, Lumber Liquidators and Trex. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lumber Liquidators and Trex.

Gallery: These Are The Best Urban Cities To Retire

10. Nashville, Tenn.9. Tucson, Ariz.8. Louisville, Ky.7. San Antonio, Texas6. Oklahoma City, Okla.

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]]>consumer spendinghome buildinghome improvementInvestingretailstocksRick Aristotle MunarrizWed, 22 May 2013 12:46:00 ESTWhat to Watch This Week: Tools, Toons, Togs, Blogs and Stapleshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/wall-street-week-outlook/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/wall-street-week-outlook/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/20/wall-street-week-outlook/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

From the changing lineup at the world's largest streaming video service to an office supplies superstore chain that's unlikely to showing super earnings results, let's go over some items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

Home Depot
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1. Home Improvement is Where the Heart Is: It's been a good earnings season for the home improvement specialists. Leading hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators (LL) and Trex (TREX) -- the top dog in weather-resistant wood-alternative decking -- posted blowout quarterly results a few weeks ago.

Now it's time for Home Depot (HD) to report on Tuesday. Smaller rival Lowe's (LOW) reports a day later.

Having the two home improvement retailers step up with quarterly financials on back-to-back days will provide a great snapshot of an industry that's on the rise. The housing market is heating up, and that's good news for Home Depot and Lowe's as they outfit buyers with the tools for home improvement projects. Firming real estate prices also give existing homeowners the flexibility to invest in their properties.

Analysts see both companies posting healthy improvement in earnings.

2. Netflix Content Cuts Both Ways: Netflix (NFLX) has been busy promoting this weekend's debut of the long-awaited fourth season of "Arrested Development." The cult classic will stream exclusively on Netflix. However, content deals also expire. Something that hasn't been as widely publicized is that Netflix's streaming arrangement with Viacom (VIA) ends on Wednesday.

You may not miss MTV's "Jersey Shore," but good luck convincing young viewers that everything will be fine after many Nickelodeon favorites -- from "SpongeBob SquarePants" to "The Rugrats" -- leave Netflix's digital library.

As SpongeBob would say, "oh tartar sauce!"

3. Thrifty Retailers Have Something to Prove: Discount department store chains have historically been all-weather investments, but that thesis was rattled last week when Walmart (WMT) surprised investors with a decline in same-store sales. Walmart figured that shoppers would be spending their tax refunds and taking advantage of lower gas prices to indulge in more non-fuel purchases. If these things happened, they didn't happen at Walmart.
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Target (TGT) and TJX (TJX) report on Tuesday. Target is the "cheap chic" chain that is a distant second to Walmart in sales volume, but it has done a good job in recent years of attracting fashionable penny pinchers. TJX is the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Wall Street sees improving profitability at TJX, but it also sees Target posting a dip in earnings on flat sales growth.

4. Tumblr's No Stumbler: This past weekend proved to be a busy one with Yahoo!'s (YHOO) board agreeing to a $1.1 billion purchase of popular micro-blogging website Tumblr on Sunday. Tumblr has more than 100 million blogs, and users have posted more than 50 billion posts to the site. Online companies love user-generated content, and Tumblr certainly qualifies as one of the bigger players in that niche.

There will be some concerns. Can Tumblr be effectively monetized without alienating the user base? What about all of the risque content that's presently on the site? Which dot-com speedster will be bought out next? It will be an interesting week for watchers of Internet stocks as the major players jockey for position in light of this move.

5. There's No Easy Button Here: Despite encouraging signs on the economic front, Corporate America could be doing better. A great gauge of how things are going on that front will be available on Wednesday when Staples (SPLS) reports.

The country's largest office supply retailer reports its latest quarterly results. It probably won't be pretty. Its European operations have been a mess, and the turnaround has been slow closer to home. Analysts see sales and earnings dipping slightly at Staples. The key here will be if it provides an encouraging outlook. If Corporate America is back, how come companies aren't buying more toner cartridges and task chairs?

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Home Depot, Lowe's, Lumber Liquidators, Netflix, and Trex. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lumber Liquidators, Netflix, Staples, and Trex.

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]]>Rick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 20 May 2013 12:08:00 EST5 Winners and Losers of the Week in Businesshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/17/business-winners-losers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/17/business-winners-losers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/17/business-winners-losers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Walmart shoppers
AP
Companies can make brilliant moves, but often, things don't work out quite as planned. From a beverage company refashioning refrigerators to a CEO with some regrettable comments going viral seven years after they were originally said, here's a rundown of this week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world.

Walmart (WMT) -- Loser

The world's largest retailer has often been portrayed as an all-weather performer. When the economy's strong, folks go shopping. When the economy's weak, department store shoppers trade down to Walmart for the bargains. Well, what happens when the shoppers don't show up?

Walmart shares dipped on Thursday after surprising the market with a decline in same-store sales. The chain's guidance for the current quarter also wasn't very inspiring.

SodaStream (SODA) -- Winner

Shares of SodaStream hit a new 52-week this week after it hosted its annual Analyst Day. One of the company's revelations is that it's working on more refrigerators that feature SodaStream technology to serve carbonated water from their front dispensers. Its partnership with Samsung resulted in the first fridge with that functionality hitting the market recently.


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However, SodaStream promises that more models are on the way. It also discussed efforts to get SodaStream syrup incorporated into the refrigerators so users can get flavored soda right from that fridge's water dispenser.

J.C. Penney (JCP) -- Loser

Things aren't getting any better at the department store chain, which saw sales plunge 25 percent last year. J.C. Penney kicked off the new fiscal year with a steep deficit as same-store sales tumbled 16.6 percent. No one was expecting the retailer to turn things the instant it sent former-CEO Ron Johnson packing, but the company did seem to suggest that things were getting better in a recent ad that thanked customers for returning.

"We're happy to say you've come back to us," concludes the television commercial.

Disney (DIS) -- Winner

The family entertainment giant is giving live-streaming of its ABC network a shot. Between now and the end of June, residents of New York City and Philadelphia will be able to stream ABC shows as they air, either on their PCs or through the fittingly rebranded Watch ABC app for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices.

Disney is suggesting that it will likely require verification that those taking advantage of the streams have active pay TV accounts after the trail ends in June. Disney doesn't want to encourage cord cutting here, especially since it has ESPN and the Disney Channel to protect. It's still a smart move for a company that has always been a step ahead of the competition when it comes to embracing digital delivery.

Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) -- Loser

Something that Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO said in 2006 -- yes, 2006 -- has come back to haunt him.

"Candidly, we go after the cool kids," CEO Mike Jefferies said in a Salon interview seven years ago. "We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don't belong [in our clothes], and they can't belong."

He didn't stop there.

"Are we exclusionary," he asked rhetorically. "Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla."

The comments refer to Abercrombie & Fitch's decision to not stock XL sizes or pants beyond size 10. Jefferies is catching a lot of heat for those comments with activists encouraging boycotts, and this week, an aspiring director even pulled off a well-publicized stunt by buying Abercrombie & Fitch clothing and handing it out to the homeless.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney and SodaStream. The Motley Fool recommends SodaStream and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of SodaStream and Walt Disney.

Gallery: America's Most Popular Stores

10. Target9. Taco Bell8. CVS7. Walgreens6. Wendy's

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]]>Abercrombie FitchdisneyearningsFinanceJ. C. PenneyRon Johnsonsodastreamstreaming videoThe Motley FoolWalmartRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 17 May 2013 13:20:00 EST5 Stocks to Watch this Weekhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/13/5-stocks-watch-this-week/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/13/5-stocks-watch-this-week/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/13/5-stocks-watch-this-week/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Nokia phone
Getty Images
From the new Xbox gaming console to a struggling retailer's first chance to win back defecting shoppers and shareholders, there will be plenty of news waiting to break in the coming days. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Nokia May Be Finnish, but It's Not Finished: Finland's Nokia (NOK) has seen better days. It was the top dog in mobile handsets before the smartphone era raised the bar on what wireless customers can do with their devices.

Nokia has been firing back on the strength of its partnership with Microsoft (MSFT) to champion Microsoft's mobile operating system through its Lumia phone line.
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Nokia introduced the Lumia 928 -- a high-end Windows Phone device that will be available exclusively through Verizon Wireless -- last week. Nokia's just getting started.

"The Nokia Lumia Story Continues," reads an invitation to a media event in London scheduled for Tuesday. Naturally the handset pioneer will be making announcements about future smartphones in the Lumia family.

Windows continues to trail iOS and Android as the operating systems of choice for wireless customers, but Nokia's naturally aspiring to be the one that raises the bar this week.

2. Cracking Open the New Xbox: Microsoft isn't just peeling back to the curtain on Lumia phones. The software giant is also unveiling the new Xbox next week.

There's a lot riding on the new gaming console. The video game industry has been in a funk for more than three years, but the Xbox 360 has been the top-selling system in this country for more than two years.

In short, if the industry has a shot at a turnaround it will probably come at the hands of Microsoft.
There has been plenty of chatter leading up to the announcement. Will Microsoft embrace Blu-ray? Will the new Xbox really have to be connected to the Internet? A rumor even recently surfaced suggesting that Microsoft will subsidize the high price of the new console for those willing to commit to long-term subscriptions.

We'll see how this all plays out this holiday season, but on Saturday industry watchers and diehard gamers will get their first good glimpse at the box that may turn the video game industry around.

3. A Penney for Your Thoughts: J.C. Penney (JCP) is in trouble. Sales fell 25 percent this past fiscal year as shoppers reacted negatively to Ron Johnson's dramatic makeover of the struggling department store chain.

Clearly things didn't pan out, and Johnson was dismissed last month. Investors are braced for another bad quarterly report when J.C. Penney reports on Thursday. Sales will fall. Losses will widen. The real reason to tune in will be to hear what the new regime plans to do to woo shoppers back.

New television commercials hit the market two weeks ago with J.C. Penney apologizing for its recent mistakes. Shoppers may forgive -- but are they fickle enough to forget?

4. Google This, Developers: Google (GOOG) has its annual developers powwow coming up this week.

Google I/O runs from Wednesday to Friday, and it won't be just coders and programmers tuning in to the event. Google has plenty of moving parts, and it doesn't have a problem peeling back the curtain to let the public know what's coming in the near term. It also doesn't have a choice. Google needs developers to publicly buy into its future.

From Android updates to a rumored cloud-based gaming platform, Google will have the tech world's attention during the latter half of this week.

5. The Cisco Kid: It may seem hard to believe these days, but there was a brief moment in time when Cisco (CSCO) was the country's most valuable company in terms of market cap. Then the dot-com bubble popped and investors were no longer willing to pay a premium for the leading provider of networking gear.

From routers to switches, Cisco is still a bellwether for the tech and networking industries. The market isn't holding out for much when Cisco reports its latest quarterly results Wednesday. Analysts see revenue growing at a mere 5 percent clip, and they see earnings growing even slower. However, at least Cisco's top and bottom lines are taking baby steps in the right direction.

Cisco may never become the country's most valuable company again, but it can certainly become more valuable than it is now.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Cisco Systems and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google and Microsoft.

Gallery: Companies Paying The Most and Least Taxes

Companies Paying the Most in TaxesCompanies Paying the Most in TaxesCompanies Paying the Most in TaxesCompanies Paying the Most in TaxesCompanies Paying the Most in Taxes

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]]>Ciscogooglegoogle ioInvestingJcPenneyMicrosoftnokiaretailron johnsonstockstechnologywall streetxboxRick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 13 May 2013 12:05:00 EST5 Winners and Losers of the Week in Businesshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/on/winners-losers-tesla-comcast-green-mountain-carnival-disney/http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/winners-losers-tesla-comcast-green-mountain-carnival-disney/http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/winners-losers-tesla-comcast-green-mountain-carnival-disney/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tesla Motors
AP
Companies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From an electric car maker exploring self-driving cars to a cable giant finally nixing an unpopular service, here's a rundown of this week's smartest moves and biggest blunders in the business world.

Tesla Motors (TSLA) -- Winner
The one success story in electric cars continues to get better. Tesla Motors posted its first quarterly profit on Wednesday, blowing through Wall Street's revenue expectations along the way. Tesla's receiving orders for new Model S sedans at a faster clip than it can make them, and that's a good problem to have.

Earlier in the week Tesla made headlines when CEO Elon Musk revealed that he has talked to Google (GOOG) about the technology that powers Google Maps self-driving vehicles. Don't get too excited though. We're still several years away from cars that can go on autopilot becoming available at the retail level. However, it's not a surprise to see that the one company that's truly cashing in on the call for emission-free cars is also the one at the forefront of tomorrow's driving experience.

Comcast (CMCSK) -- Loser
The country's largest cable television provider is apparently not the Skype type.

Tech watcher DSLReports.com is reporting that Comcast will stop marketing a premium Skype service that it tried to sell for $10 a month to folks already paying big money for XFINITY triple play bundled services.

Comcast knows that Skype video calls are free to other Skype users, right? High-def webcams are pretty cheap nowadays. At a time when Comcast is shedding video customers, the last thing it needed was to come off as greedy by trying to squeeze another $10 a month out of its customers. It's not a surprise to see Comcast backing away from the service after just a year of availability.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) -- Winner
Skeptics were worried about the company behind the Keurig single-cup brewing system after two key K-Cup patents expired late last year. What would stop many of its partners from bypassing Green Mountain and putting out K-Cups on their own?

Well, Green Mountain got some beefy validation this week when it struck a deal with Starbucks (SBUX) that expands the existing arrangement between the two companies. Starbucks will triple the number of products it makes available for Green Mountain's K-Cup and Vue portion packs through at least the next five years. Cool beans!

Carnival (CCL) -- Loser
After three months of repairs in Alabama, the notorious Carnival Triumph set sail to Bahamas for some additional repairs. This should've been a good week as Carnival cast out the demons of that ill-fated February sailing where passengers were drifting at sea for five days on a disabled cruise ship.

However, now we get another horrific mishap on a Carnival ship. An Australian couple reportedly fell overboard on the Carnival Spirit on Wednesday night as the ship was making its way to Sydney.

Disney (DIS) -- Winner
As big as Disney is these days, the media juggernaut still managed to grow revenue and earnings in the double digits. The family entertainment giant posted strong quarterly results, sending the shares to a new all-time high this week.

Earlier in the week Disney had announced that it would be turning to Electronic Arts (EA) to develop new Star Wars games, a move that was widely expected after Disney scaled back its own interactive operations.

There's nothing goofy about Disney these days.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The Motley Fool recommends Google, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Starbucks, Tesla Motors , and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google, Starbucks, Tesla Motors , and Walt Disney. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

Gallery: 5 Things to Do Now That Warren Buffett Is on Twitter

1. Get blocked by Warren Buffett2. Get followed by Warren Buffett3. Set up a meeting with Warren Buffett IRL4. Get retweeted by Warren Buffett5. Hack Warren Buffett's account

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]]>carnivalCarnival Cruise LinesdisneyGreen Mountain Coffee RoastersstarbucksTeslaRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 10 May 2013 18:00:00 ESTInvest Like a Cicada: 5 Stocks to Buy and Hold Until 2030http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/07/stocks-buy-and-hold-cicadas/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/07/stocks-buy-and-hold-cicadas/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/07/stocks-buy-and-hold-cicadas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Cicadas
Getty Images
The cicadas are coming. Later this month, Brood II -- periodical cicadas that emerge from the ground every 17 years -- will invade the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic. They're largely harmless insects, but their mating chirps and the carcasses they leave behind after reproducing generally make them a nuisance.

These cicadas will be in for a different world than the one that their parents experienced in 1996. "Seinfeld" is over. No one's dong the "Macarena." And things have also changed dramatically on Wall Street.

Flashback to 1996

Investors were starting to fret about the upcoming Y2K threat. The two hottest growth stocks that year -- Viasoft (acquired) and Zitel (imploded) -- were largely seen as beneficiaries of the oncoming calamity. The dot-com bubble was just starting to inflate, though many of the Internet companies that investors flock to these days didn't even exist.

Predicting which stocks would rule the market over the next 17 years at the time would've been a tall order in 1996, but let's give it a shot now.

Here are a few companies that investors shouldn't have a problem buying and keeping underground for the next 17 years until the next wave of Brood II periodical cicadas emerge.

Gallery: Invest Like a Cicada: 5 Stocks to Buy and Hold Until 2030

FordAppleWalmartProcter & GambleDisney

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney and Ford. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Ford, Procter & Gamble, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Ford, and Walt Disney.

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]]>AppleBuy and HoldCarsFinanceFordiPadLucasfilmMarvel ComicsPixarProcter GambleSteve JobsStocks to buyThe Motley FoolwalmartWalt DisneyRick Aristotle MunarrizTue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 EST5 Stocks to Watch This Weekhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/06/stocks-market-outlook-disney-sodastream-tesla/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/06/stocks-market-outlook-disney-sodastream-tesla/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/06/stocks-market-outlook-disney-sodastream-tesla/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

AP
With the studio behind this weekend's biggest opening reporting quarterly results and an update from the company behind the world's best-selling video game franchise, there will be plenty of news breaking in the coming days. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week ahead on Wall Street.

1. Organic Growth: Whole Foods Market (WFM) is the undisputed champ among grocers specializing in whole and organic foods.

No, a trip to Whole Foods Market isn't exactly cheap, but customers haven't been flinching at the register. The high-end supermarket chain has been posting positive comps for a couple of years now.

Whole Foods Market reports quarterly results on Tuesday, and the market's ready for more growth. Analysts see the retailer earning $0.73 a share, well ahead of the $0.64 a share it rang up a year earlier. The retailer hasn't made any substantial acquisitions lately, so I guess you can call this organic growth in more ways than one.

2. Activision Blizzard Fires Again: The country's largest video game developer has been putting out new "Call of Duty" games every November for years, so it wasn't a surprise when Activision Blizzard (ATVI) announced that its next installment will hit gamers on Nov. 5.

However, the leading publisher isn't going to settle for another "Modern Warfare" or "Black Ops" entry this year. "Call of Duty: Ghosts" will be the name of the new combat simulator. Diehard gamers hungry for a glimpse will get a preview on May 21 when the new Xbox is unveiled.

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Investors hungry for more gaming news will get Activision Blizzard's quarterly report on Wednesday. Analysts see improving profitability and revenue for the quarter, but those same analysts see revenue and earnings declining for all of 2013. Call this quarter a battle that Activision Blizzard is winning -- but it's going to have to do better to win the war.

3. Stark Was the Spark: Everyone knew that "Iron Man 3" would kick off the summer box office season with a punch, and it did.

Disney's (DIS) superhero flick sold an estimated $175.3 million in admissions during the movie's U.S. opening weekend. Only one other movie has had a bigger opening -- "The Avengers," which coincidentally starred Iron Man last summer.

This is naturally good news for Disney, and investors will get a quick read on the family entertainment giant's reaction to the success of "Iron Man 3" when it reports quarterly results on Tuesday. Analysts see healthy growth at Disney.

4. Pop Star: SodaStream (SODA) has been turning fans of carbonated beverages into mixologists.
SodaStream's namesake beverage system that turns ordinary tap water into sparkling soda water has been a big hit all over the world, but the stakes are naturally greater here where soda consumption per capita tops any other country.

Things have been going well for SodaStream, and the Israeli company even invested in a Super Bowl ad this year. We'll see if the marketing push panned out when SodaStream discusses its first quarter on Wednesday. Analysts see revenue growing 29 percent for the period, making SodaStream a true master of pop.

5. Tesla Gets Charged Up: Electric cars haven't taken off the way that many environmentalists have hoped they would, but there's no denying that Tesla Motors (TSLA) is the star of the plug-in niche. Despite competing against most of the major auto manufacturers, Tesla's Model S sedan is the high-end car that's captured the attention of the market.

Tesla is widely expected to post its first quarterly profit when it reports on Wednesday. Investors will want to know if the black ink is sustainable, or if Tesla's fundamentals will run out of juice again.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney and SodaStream. The Motley Fool recommends Activision Blizzard, SodaStream, Tesla Motors , Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. The Motley Fool owns shares of Activision Blizzard, SodaStream, Tesla Motors , Walt Disney, and Whole Foods Market. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

Gallery: Fortune 500: America's Largest Companies

10. Ford Motor9. Valero Energy8. General Electric7. General Motors6. Apple

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]]>Activision Blizzardbox officeCall of DutyDJIAearningsFinanceIron Man 3sodastreamstock market todaystocks to watchTesla MotorsThe Motley FoolWalt Disneywhole foodsRick Aristotle MunarrizMon, 06 May 2013 12:30:00 ESTWall Street This Week: SunPower Rose Early, Car Sales on a Rollhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/03/wall-street-sunpower-earnings-car-sales-warren-buffett/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/03/wall-street-sunpower-earnings-car-sales-warren-buffett/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/05/03/wall-street-sunpower-earnings-car-sales-warren-buffett/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Solar panelsCompanies can make brilliant moves, but there are also times when things don't work out quite as planned. From a solar power company enlightening some shareholders prematurely to Warren Buffett tweeting ahead of his annual powwow in Omaha, here's a rundown of the week's best and worst performances in the business world.

Automakers -- Winners

Car sales continue to rev up. Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) posted double-digit percentage gains in auto sales for the month of April.

An improving economy and new cars that provide improved fuel efficiency and Bluetooth-enabled enhancements are leading drivers to trade in their old cars.

The auto industry doesn't mind that at all. After years of recessionary slumber, consumers are now comfortable enough to make big-ticket purchases. Ford's 18 percent spike in sales last month and GM's impressive 11 percent pop are leading the way for an industry that may actually approach 16 million cars produced this year.

SunPower (SPWR) -- Loser

Solar energy has started to show signs of life again, but sometimes the sun rises too early.

Materials from SunPower's earnings presentation leaked early on Thursday afternoon, tipping investors off on a blowout quarter with minutes left to go in the trading day.

SunPower was supposed to report after the market close.

Yes, the report was solid. SunPower's adjusted earnings of $0.22 a share on $575 million in revenue were well ahead of the profit of $0.10 a share on $510 million in revenue that Wall Street was targeting. However, the leaked financials gave some investors an unfair advantage.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) (BRK-B) -- Winner

"Warren is in the house," read the first tweet from @WarrenBuffett on Thursday. Yes, the great Warren Buffett is now on Twitter.

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Arguably the best investor of our time, Buffett picked a great moment to join the popular social media platform. His Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting kicks off this weekend. Word of Buffett's potentially chatty ways is spreading quickly. By Thursday night, Buffett's account had more than 215,000 followers.

Pitney Bowes (PBI) -- Loser

Shares of Pitney Bowes tumbled 16 percent on Tuesday after the company slashed its once generous quarterly dividend.

Metered mail isn't what it used to be, and investors spoiled by 30 years of annual payout hikes had to know that the good times couldn't last forever. Pitney Bowes has seen revenue decline for several years. It's not just the US Postal Service suffering from less mail going around.

In this age of email and overnight deliveries, it was naive to believe that a metered mail company could sustain its distributions.

Trulia (TRLA) -- Winner

Rising home prices and steady mortgage rates are breathing new life into the once-moribund housing market, and Trulia has benefited in a big way. The company behind the popular real estate website saw its quarterly revenue soar 97 percent this week, well ahead of what Wall Street was expecting.

No one should be surprised at Trulia's strength here. Consumers are flocking to well-trafficked websites and apps that provide detailed area information, and real estate professionals are paying up for premium access to reach out to potential home buyers.

The house always wins.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Ford. The Motley Fool recommends Berkshire Hathaway, Ford, and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway and Ford. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.

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]]>auto salesBerkshire HathawayDJIAearningsFinanceFord Motorhousing marketPitney Bowes IncPost OfficeSunPowerThe Motley FoolTruliaTwitterWall StreetWarren BuffettRick Aristotle MunarrizFri, 03 May 2013 12:45:00 EST