Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) is a big company with big profits and a big following. Their principal business is energy, involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas, manufacturing of petroleum products and transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products. XOM is a major manufacturer and marketer of basic petrochemicals, including olefins, aromatics, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics and a wide variety of specialty products. XOM is engaged in exploration for, and mining and sale of coal, copper and other minerals.

I look at XOM as a triple play. Since they purchased XTO, one of the largest natural gas companies they have a triple whammy in oil, natural gas and plastics. If natural gas prices recover and industries complete their planned conversions to NG some good profits could fall to the bottom line.

Buying XOM is almost like buying an energy commodity ETF but better. The stock came under my notice when it recently hit 10 new highs in the last 20 sessions and earned a 100% Barchart technical buy signal. This behemoth went up 5.42% in the last month and recently traded around 62.19 well above its 50 day moving average of 60.75. The stock has a 14 day Relative Strength Index that is 61.43% and still rising.

For a stock this big the Wall Street brokerage firms have some aggressive increases in sales and earnings projected. The analysts have 9 buy and 10 hold reports published and predict sales will increase 22.60% this year and 10.60% next year. The EPS projections are even better with projected increases of 43.10% for this year, 10.30% next year and a 5 year annual growth rate of 11.87% expected.

I like that short interest is shrinking. The smart money was shorting 98 million shares back on 5/14 and that has dropped to only 33 million shares recently. That's a good sign when short shares keep getting covered.

This big company has a big following and general investor interest is high. On Motley Fool the CAPS members vote 7,294 to 482 that the stock will beat the market and the All Stars agree 1,668 to 76. Articles on the stock were positive 26 to 3.

My thinking is that as the world economies recover they will consume more energy making XOM's world wide position in oil, natural gas and plastics a good place to be positioned.

My buy points are:

1 - Great world wide placement in energy and plastic in a recovering economy
2 - Recent price appreciation in 50% of the last 20 trading sessions
3 - Wall Street analysts still recommending accumulation based on double digit projections of increases in sales and earnings
4 - A wide and positive general investor interest.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Comments: View Comments |  Thursday September 30, 2010

Apple (AAPL) is a stock that everyone seems to have an opinion about. If there is anyone on the planet that hasn't heard of Apple the company designs, manufactures and markets personal computers and related personal computing and communicating solutions for sale primarily to education, creative, consumer, and business customers.

I once heard Mrs.Fields say she didn't sell cookies, she sold warm memories of your childhood and the smells coming from your Grandma's kitchen. To say Apple is a computer company also isn't enough. When I go to the mall and pass the Apple store the place is packed and everyone, young and old is standing in a line to get a hands on experience.

All other companies just produce lap tops, computers and PCs -- Apple produces MACs and I-Pods and all sort of devices with wonderful sounding names that you've just got to have before anyone else has one. Other companies are just the present; Apple has the mistique of being the future.

OMG have the Apple worms crawled in my ears and are now controlling my mind like they've done to all the other cult members? Is there any way I can plug my ears to the songs of the Apple sirens and write an honest and objective view of this stock?

Let's get the popular stuff out of the way. To say Apple has a following is an understatement. On Motley Fool the CAPS members vote 22,413 to 2,018 that the stock will beat the market and the All Stars are similarly in a trance by a vote of 4,787 to 236. Even the Wall Street columnists Fool follows have written positive articles 46 to 0.

The Wall Street brokerages are not immune to the hype. There are 43 firms with published recommendations and their analysts have 25 strong buy and 22 buy reports published. For you math buffs I know that doesn't sound right but several of the firms have the stock classified in multiple categories and have more than one analyst following it. The consensus estimates are very aggressive with sales expected to increase 73.60% this year and 24.70% next year. Earnings per share are expected to increase 59.10% this year, 21.90% next year and continue at a 20.19% annual rate for at least 5 years.

Even the old staid and very objective Value Line thinks the stock is a timely acquisition for your portfolio.

Let's step back and look at raw numbers using Barchart. I note that there are 12 of the 13 Barchart technical indicators on a buy signal for an overall 96% buy rating. The stock hit 19 new highs in the last 20 sessions including 5 in the last 5. Last month alone the price climbed 17.75% and recently traded at 288.62 well above its 50 day moving average of 258.20. The 14 day Relative Strength Index is 80.79% and rising.

For those of you who follow my blogs you know I try to be objective and not follow the crowd. Just because Citi is one of the most widely traded and reported stock has not swayed me into buying that dog. Here with Apple it looks like the real deal. Here's what its got:

1 - The stock has a very wide an positive following by the general investing public
2 - Wall Street brokerage analysts have released buy recommendations based on solid fundamentals and expect high double digit increases in sales and earnings
3 - Wall Street columnists are giving the stock strong and positive press coverage
4 - Barchart confirms recent positive and consistent upward price momentum.

I can't find anything not to like about the stock except one thing. It is in almost every ones buy list and is contained in almost all the recommended model portfolios. Except for some very narrow sector mutual funds it must be owned by an over whelming majority of every pension plnn and mutual fund in the known free world. And that's the butterfly in my stomach. If the sales or earnings estimates are not met the mass exodus will be worse than the panic caused by fire crackers at a South American soccer match.

If I were an investor in this stock I'd also buy some puts for insurance. This is a stock where sell stop just won't protect you.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Comments: View Comments |  Thursday September 23, 2010

I've added Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (SPH) to the Barchart Van Meerten New High portfolio. They are a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership engaged, through subsidiaries, in the retail and wholesale marketing of propane and related appliances and services. The Partnership believes it is the third largest retail marketer of propane in the United States. Suburban Propane Partners serves active residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers from customer service centers in over 40 states. The Partnership's operations are concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States.

This is not the propane company in Arlen, Texas and Hank doesn't work there. For those of you who don't live in the US propane users are a captive market. Propane is used for cooking and heating in homes plus many industrial users that are usually rural and far from the natural gas pipelines as well as in many portable appliances.

The stock is on a move with a 96% overall Barchart buy signal. The stock hit new highs in 19 of the last 20 sessions and has moved up 11.21% in the last month. The stock has a 14 day Relative Strength index of 76.01% and recently traded at 53.72 well above its 50 day moving average of 49.71.

This is basically a utility stock and should recover nicely. Wall Street brokerages have 5 buy reports published based on projections of increased sales and earnings for the next 5 years and a safe dividend coverage.

The general investor has noticed this stock and on Motley Fool the CAPS members voted 252 to 15 that the stock will out perform the market and the All Stars agree 97 to 3.

If you'd like a stock that is enjoying capital appreciation and still pays a 6.8% dividend while you wait this could be the stock for you.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Comments: View Comments |  Thursday September 23, 2010

I added ProShares Ultra Silver ETF (AGQ) to the Van Meerten New High portfolio, The ETF seeks daily investment results, before fees and expenses, that correspond to twice (200%) the daily performance of silver bullion as measured by the U.S. Dollar fixing price for delivery in London. This is a pure price play on the prices of precious metals and will be sold if it doesn't pan out.

If I look at the general sentiment as measured on Motley Fool the CAPS members think the ETF will outperform the market by a vote of 92 to 51 with the All Stars in similar agreement with a vote of 36 to 25. Not an overwhelming vote but positive none the less.

I'm really looking at the technicals over on Barchart. The 13 technical indicators give a 96% buy signal with the ETF moving up in 17 of the last 20 sessions. The ETF recently traded at 74.78 well above its 50 day moving average of 62.91. The price has moved up 30.10% in the last month and has a Relative Strength Index of 72.06% and rising.

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog.

Comments: View Comments |  Tuesday September 21, 2010

I added the Internet Capital Group (ICGE) to the Barchart Van Meerten Speculative portfolio this morning. ICGE is an Internet holding company actively engaged in business-to-business e-commerce -- B2B e-commerce -- through a network of Partner Companies. It provides operational assistance, capital support, expertise, and a strategic network of business relationships intended to maximize the long-term market potential of business-to-business e-commerce Partner Companies.

The capital structure is innovative. They own a major investing interests in 13 different B2B e-commerce companies then help them through both funding and management assistance. A little bit venture capital - a little bit holding company. I like this.

Wall Street brokerages like it to with 4 Strong Buy recommendations distributed to their clients based on projections of increases in sales of 24.30% this year and 9.00% next year. The consensus is that earnings will increase 116.70% this year and continue at an annual rate of 15.00% for the next 5 years.

There is very good price momentum at the present time. Barchart has an 80% buy signal. The stock is trading above its 20, 50 & 100 day moving averages and recently traded at 9.79 well above its 50 day moving average of 8.56. The stock hit 14 new highs in the last 20 trading sessions and increased by 23.13% in the last month. The 14 day Relative Strength Index is at 68.52% and rising.

The general investing public as measured on Motley Fool has faith in the stock and voted 49 to 12 that the stock will beat the market with their All Stars in agreement 13 to 1.

The stock meet my 3 criteria for investment:

Recent positive and consistent upward price momentum
Wall Street buy recommendations based on estimated increases in sales and earnings
A positive general investor sentiment

Jim Van Meerten is an advisor to Marketocracy Capital Management who uses his model portfolios not only to manage their mutual funds but also their clients Separately Managed Accounts. You can read his blogs about those model portfolios and investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: Jim Van Meerten through Marketocracy Capital Management has an interest in the stocks mentioned in this blog..

Comments: View Comments |  Tuesday September 14, 2010

ZymoGenetics (ZGEN) was added to the Barchart Van Meerten Speculative portfolio this morning. They are an independent biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic proteins for the prevention or treatment of human diseases. They have also developed drugs and proteins that are used both during surgery and in post-op recovery to control bleeding and infection.

Wall Street brokerages have 6 buy and 3 hold recommendations based on projected increases of 15.80% in sales and 71.00% in earnings this year.

The general investing public as measured on Motley Fool thinks the stock will beat the market by a vote of 146 to 28 with the All Stars also voting 48 to 11.

I look for this to be a short term technical play. The price has appreciated 31.77% this month on 15 new highs in 20 sessions including 4 of the last 5. Barchart has 11 of 13 technical indicators positive giving an 80% buy signal. The 14 day Relative Strength index is 71.67% and rising. The stock recently traded at 5.41 will above its 50 day moving average of 4.43.

Jim Van Meerten is an investor who writes on investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: No positions in the stock mentioned at the time of publication

Comments: View Comments |  Friday September 3, 2010

This morning I added Pre-Paid Legal Services (PPD) to the Barchart Van Meerten New High portfolio. They underwrite and market legal service plans which provide for or reimburse a portion of legal fees incurred by members in connection with specified matters. At the present time they have over $1,500,000+ members many of who pay a monthly fee though an employee benefit deduction.

This is mainly a technical play because only minor growth in sales is expected but favorable savings in billing rate negotiations might mean a 31.00% increase in earnings.

Barchart has a 100% technical buy signal, The price has appreciated 15.58% in the past 20 trading sessions with 14 new highs. The 14 day Relative Strength Index is 73.45% and rising. The stock recently traded at 58.01 well above its 50 day moving average of 49.77.

Even though only one Wall Steed brokerage analyst follows this stock the CAPS members on Motley Fool have heard about it and vote 196 to 67 that the stock will beat the market including the All Stars who vote 55 to 27. Fool notes that all 4 articles written by the Wall Street columnists they follow have been positive.

Jim Van Meerten is an investor who writes on investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: No positions in the stock mentioned at the time of publication

Comments: View Comments |  Friday September 3, 2010

This morning I added NetSuite (N) to the Barchart Van Meerten New High portfolio. The company is a leading provider of on-demand, integrated business management software for growing and mid-size businesses. With thousands of customers globally using NetSuite's online products and professional services, companies are enabled to manage all key business operations in a single hosted system, including: customer relationship management; order fulfillment; inventory; accounting and finance, product assembly; e-commerce; Web site management; and employee productivity.

As the economy recovers new small and mid-sized start-ups will be buying business management software and existing businesses will be upgrading their software to be current and competitive. Businesses don't have time or the patience to deal with multiple vendors. They look for one stop shopping so NetSuite has a product line and a delivery system they might appreciate. What are the numbers on this stock?

There are 21 Wall Street Brokerages with published recommendations to their clients and 20 of them rate the stock as hold or better based on projections of double digit increases in sales and earnings. Sales are estimated to increase 13.90% this year and 16.60% next year. If their projections on earnings can be believed they look for increase in EPS of 140.00% this year, 83.30% next year and 27.00% annually for the next 5 years. Great numbers.

General investor awareness and sentiment as measured on Motley Fool is good. The CAPS members think the stock will out perform the market by a vote of 148 to 53 with the All Stars in step 33 to 9.

I really like the current price momentum. The stock has appreciated 32.28% in the last month by hitting 13 new highs in the last 2o trading session including all 5 of the last 5. Barchart's 13 technical indicators have 12 buy signals and the stock's 14 day Relative Strength Index is 72.34% and rising. It traded recently at 19.63 well above it's 50 day moving average of 15.47.

The stock looks promising based on:

1 - Positive price momentum
2 - 96% Barchart technical buy signal
3 - Wall Street is pushing their clients to buy based on projections of double digit growth of both sales and earnings
4 - General investor sentiment is positive.

Jim Van Meerten is an investor who writes on investing here and on Barchart Portfolio Blogs. Please leave a comment below or email JimVanMeerten@gmail.com.

Disclosure: No positions in the stock mentioned at the time of publication

Comments: View Comments |  Wednesday September 1, 2010