The results are in. The benchmark I created -- The Solin Random Stock Index (SRSI) -- to see if an index of stocks picked somewhat arbitrarily could outperform portfolios created by brokers and investment advisers, would have clobbered the competition in 2009. If it had been in existence then, that is. I described the SRSI in a recent blog post where I detailed my "methodology." All I did was take the letters of my last name and pick the first two U.S.-listed stocks that appeared on the DailyFinance search engine. Stocks included Sprint Nextel (S), Oracle (ORCL), Loews (L)...you get the picture. To see the full list of stocks, click here.

Continue reading Blogger's Dumb Luck Stock Index Would Rank in Top 1% of Mutual Funds

Blogger's Dumb Luck Stock Index Would Rank in Top 1% of Mutual Funds originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:00:00.

Filed Under: Investing

Perking for coffee giant Starbucks (SBUX) are its fiscal first quarter 2010 earnings, due to be reported Wednesday after the bell. All eyes are on the company's same-store sales, whose story over the past 12 months has been along the lines of "hey, we're not declining nearly as much as last year at this time!" The last quarter in which Starbucks experienced same-store sales growth was the first fiscal quarter of 2009, the three months ended Dec. 31, 2007.

Continue reading Do Price Hikes Bode Ill for Starbucks Results?

Do Price Hikes Bode Ill for Starbucks Results? originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:00:00.

Filed Under: Earnings, Starbucks

Expect US Bancorp (USB) to come in right at or slightly below Wall Street estimates of 29 cent per share. The sixth largest U.S. commercial bank is reaping the benefits of acquisitions made possible by the failure of 140 U.S. banks during the recent banking crisis. The bank was able to take advantage of the favorable terms the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. offered to have failed bank assets taken off its hands.

Continue reading Buying Spree Key to US Bancorp Earnings Strength

Buying Spree Key to US Bancorp Earnings Strength originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:30:00.

Filed Under: Earnings

Shares in Tyco International (TYC) looked intriguing even before Tuesday's news the company would make its first major acquisition in eight years. But now that it intends to buy Brink's Home Security (CFL), also known as Broadview Security, in a $2 billion deal that makes sense both strategically and financially, the stock appears too undervalued to ignore.

Continue reading Tyco Pulls a Brink's Job, Stock Looks Like a Steal

Tyco Pulls a Brink's Job, Stock Looks Like a Steal originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:50:00.

Filed Under: Company News, Investing, Tyco International, Stock Picks

Google (GOOG) may be caught up in an international spat with China, but in the United States the web giant continues its seemingly unstoppable climb upward in search market share, according December data released by internet research group comScore. Microsoft's (MSFT) Bing search engine saw a slight uptick as well, while Yahoo (YHOO) gave up ground.

Continue reading Google Ups Search Lead As Microsoft, Yahoo Await Deal Approval

Google Ups Search Lead As Microsoft, Yahoo Await Deal Approval originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:35:00.

Filed Under: Technology, Google , Microsoft, Yahoo

The Federal Reserve is giving up on the fight to keep some of its bank bailout dealings secret. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (pictured) sent a letter to the General Accountability Office inviting the congressional auditors to conduct a "full review" of the Fed's aid to struggling insurance giant AIG (AIG), according to a report from Bloomberg.

Continue reading Federal Reserve No Longer To Keep Its Secrets about AIG Bailout

Federal Reserve No Longer To Keep Its Secrets about AIG Bailout originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:15:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Investing, American International Group, INC.

The investing world on Wednesday will hear for the first time from newly minted CEOs at two banking giants -- Brian Moynihan of Bank of America (BAC) and James Gorman of Morgan Stanley (MS). Both will likely lay out their vision and talk to investors about their strategies as they confront an uncertain economic recovery.

Continue reading New BofA, Morgan Stanley CEOs Expected to Discuss Strategy, Vision

New BofA, Morgan Stanley CEOs Expected to Discuss Strategy, Vision originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:35:00.

Filed Under: Morgan Stanley , Bank of America, Wells Fargo & Co.

In another sign that the sector is leading the charge for the U.S. economic recovery, technology bellwether IBM (IBM) posted strong earnings results Tuesday, handily beating analyst expectations. Big Blue reported earnings per share of $3.59, beating the $3.47 per share Wall Street analysts had been expecting.

Continue reading IBM Beats Wall Street Expectations With Stellar Report, Strong Guidance

IBM Beats Wall Street Expectations With Stellar Report, Strong Guidance originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:05:00.

Filed Under: Earnings, IBM

On Tuesday, there was a modest setback on the housing front as the National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index unexpectedly. Dropping to 15 from its December rating of 16, the index reflected homebuilder concerns about the uncertain job market and the large inventory of foreclosed homes.

Continue reading Home Builder Confidence Falls to Lowest Level Since June

Home Builder Confidence Falls to Lowest Level Since June originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Real Estate

Remember that story last week about the new tax proposed by President Obama, which will be designed to recoup $90 billion in lost TARP money from the nation's largest financial firms? Well, there's a catch: The banks won't actually be repaying $90 billion. They'll only have to pay $58.5 billion, because the "Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee" will be tax deductible.

Continue reading TARP Tax Trickery: Banks Won't Really Pay Back All $90 billion

TARP Tax Trickery: Banks Won't Really Pay Back All $90 billion originally appeared on DailyFinance on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:55:00.

Filed Under: Economy, American International Group, INC., Taxes