Today's Movers:
IGT +9.2%
MGI +8.9%
FSL +5.9%
04/20/2006
Three of our recommended
companies released quarterly earnings reports that exceeded
Wall Street's expectations.
Slot machine maker International
Game Technology Inc. (IGT) reported that second-quarter
profits jumped 32% with international shipments surging
50%. The quarterly results pushed IGT's stock up 9.2% for
the day. IGT was added to our Bear
Market Portfolio eleven months ago and has produced a
total return of 41.5% in that time. Our Bear Market Portfolio
has an annualized return of 20.8%.
MoneyGram International
Inc. (MGI) beat expectations yesterday by reporting
an 11% increase in quarterly profits, causing the global
payment services company to boost its full-year 2006 estimates.
Today research firm Jefferies & Co. upgraded MoneyGram
from "hold" to "buy." This was another
example of Wall Street analysts being indecisive: the same
research firm had downgraded MoneyGram in January. Investors
who had moved out of the stock in January would end up missing
out on a a 39.5% gain from January to April. On Thursday,
MoneyGram's stock rose 8.9%. The company has provided our
Primary
Stock Portfolio with a return of 106% since being added
to the portfolio 18 months ago.
Freescale Semiconductor
Inc. (FSL) also reported better-than-expected quarterly
results. After the market closed yesterday, the chipmaker
reported
that quarterly profits surged nearly 150%, from $85 million
to $212 million. This caused the stock to jump 5.9% today,
pushing its gain to 79.4% since being added to our Primary
Stock Portfolio 13 months ago. There's a good chance that
Freescale's momentum will carry over tomorrow.
***
-Rex M. Jacobsen
Sr. Editor
|
