Financial News

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares hit $25.02 today and are hanging out around $25.10 which means they are now just 9.4% away from its 52-week low, is this finally the bottom for MSFT and is this an opportunity to buy on the cheap?

The Masters get into it -- Flanders Style.

It's all over the news today - the unemployment report sucked. Out of all the pieces I've read today on the subject, here is the most blunt and sobering of them all, by Paul R. La Monica at CNN Money:

Jobs must lead, not lag, the recovery

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- It's time to put to bed this silly notion that the still weak labor market is nothing to worry about because jobs are a lagging economic indicator.

Fellow Masters, there's a million articles slamming Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) and its devices, but here's one from CNN's FOURTUNE that talks up why the UAE ban is a golden opportunity for BlackBerry.

The potential ban could also be an excellent jumping off point for the company's marketing strategy if it plays up its high-level security and reasserts its willingness to put user privacy ahead of the bottom line.

Today RIM (RIMM) shares are trading at $52.43, up 0.38% or 20 cents and volume is currently at 10,794,569 shares traded.

Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) shares are down 30% since March, from the $75 range to today's price of $52.69.  RIM down almost 1/3, really?

Sure the iPhone (AAPL) and Droid (GOOG) are stealing away the Blackberry's market share, but is that all really worth 1/3 of RIM's value?  Is the recent drop this week from the Blackberry Ban of Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and now possibly Indonesia going to hurt the company that bad? Its as if Beavis and Butthead both yelled fire and set the Blackberry on fire along with the company's stock.

The RIM Torch 9800 has already burned out according to the media (that would be the Buttheads), but when there is so much hate, there also lies opportunity.

Shares of GT Solar (SOLR) are up 14% today, on their earnings release from yesterday, and they raised guidance for FY 2011.

This comes as no surprise to us, as we've been tracking GT Solar in such articles as 3 Value stocks for DOW 12,000 (FRPT,SOLR,OMN).

Here's more on the news:

Solar equipment maker GT Solar International Inc (SOLR) posted first-quarter earnings that trumped analysts estimates on high demand, prompting it to raise its forecast for fiscal 2011.

For fiscal 2011, the company now expects a profit of 90 cents to $1 a share, on revenue of about $700 million to $775 million.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp (NYSE:FMCC) and Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNMA) may be nothing but crap penny stocks, however the loans they are offering at an incredible 4.49% for a 30 year fixed is downright cheap.  Combine that with decade low housing prices and you got yourself a great long term investment that one day you can give to your kids or cash out in 20 years and take it all to Vegas.

Fellow Masters, if you haven't bought a home or second home, get to it, seriously.

A headline that would even make BP Plc. (NYSE:BP) poster child Tony Hayward smile, too bad he's out as CEO.

Bloomberg today wrote - About 74% of the oil that leaked from BP Plc’s damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico has been eliminated or will soon be eaten by bacteria, according to a U.S. government report.

Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) blew away analyst estimates last month when the chip giant reported EPS of 51 cents on sales of $10.8 billion, beating the Street by 9 cents. The guidance was even better, a Q3 forecast of $11.6 billion when the Street was expecting $10.92 billion.

Intel helped rally the major indexes last month but after its own shares got up to $22, its stock price has cooled off close to 3% since July. INTC shares are trading at $20.73 today and if anything, its an opportunity to get in should the market begin to trade higher, not to mention it's a promising company.

Shares of Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) jumped 20% today on news of the company putting itself up for sale. Over the past 12 months Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS) shares have traded between $11.89 and its 52-week high of $28.78.  Barnes & Noble Inc shares are now trading with a P/E Ratio of 20.6 and EPS of 0.63.

The company is trading well below it's 52 week high. We believe the company could fetch a price of at least $20 a share. Here is more news from CNN Money:

Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) blew away analyst estimates last month when the chip giant reported EPS of 51 cents on sales of $10.8 billion, beating the Street by 9 cents.  The guidance was even better, a Q3 forecast of $11.6 billion when the Street was expecting $10.92 billion.

Intel helped rally stocks last month and after its shares got up to $22 its stock price has cooled off close to 3%.  INTC shares are trading at $20.73 today and if anything, its an opportunity to get in should the market begin to trade higher, not to mention it's a promising company.