Is Facebook an Attractive Investment?

With shares of Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) trading around $53, is FB an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? 

Facebook is engaged in building social products in order to create utility for users, developers, and advertisers. People use Facebook to stay connected with their friends and family, to discover what is going on in the world around them, and to share and express what matters to them with the people they care about. Developers can use the Facebook platform to build applications and websites that integrate with Facebook to reach its global network of users, building personalized and social products. Advertisers can engage with more than 900 million monthly active users on Facebook — or subsets of its users — based on information they have chosen to share.

6 Cars Sporting Brilliant Super Bowl Ad Teasers

Super Bowl ads are legendary for their way of making even the dullest game enjoyable. Whether you prefer Willem Dafoe starring as the devil or the city of Detroit starring for Chrysler (FIATY.PK), car commercials of the last few years have lived up the hype. The NFL’s Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2 has automakers’ creative teams presenting their work on TV’s biggest stage. Here are six automobiles already sporting teasers worthy of top billing.

1. Kia K900

Kia (KIMTF.PK) is making a strong play on the U.S. auto market with the K900 sedan, a rear-wheel-drive cruiser that brings spacious luxury to the table at a reasonable price. The only way to back such a bold move is with a Super Bowl commercial.

U.S. Energy Rigs Unchanged at 1,777, Baker Hughes Says

Rigs targeting oil and natural gas in the U.S. were unchanged this week at 1,777, according toBaker Hughes Inc. (BHI)

Oil rigs rose by eight to 1,416, data posted on the company’s website show. The gas count fell by nine to 356, the Houston-based field services company said. Miscellaneous rigs rose by one to five.

Where Will McDonald’s Go Post-Earnings?

With shares of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) trading around $95, is MCD an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY?

McDonald’s franchises and operates McDonald’s restaurants in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America — so just about every part of the world. Its restaurants offer various food items, soft drinks, coffee, and other beverages, as well as breakfast menus. The products provided by McDonald’s fulfill cravings at competitive prices in convenient locations worldwide. The McDonald’s craze shows no signs of slowing, so the company has continued its expansion to just about every nation on the globe. As consumers continue to enjoy McDonald’s products, look for it to see rising profits.

McDonald’s today announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2013, reflecting higher revenues and earnings per share for both periods compared with the prior year. ”Around the world, consumers want a satisfying meal at an affordable price from a brand they trust. At McDonald’s, delivering a consistent customer-focused restaurant experience continues to be our top priority,” said McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Don Thompson. “While 2013 was a challenging year, we begin 2014 with a renewed focus on the global growth priorities that are most impactful to our customers. We are uniting consumer insights with innovation and consistent execution to optimize our menu, modernize the customer experience and broaden accessibility to Brand McDonald’s.”

McDonald’s stock has traded sideways in the last couple of years. The stock is currently trading mid range for the year and may need time to consolidate. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, McDonald’s is trading below its rising key averages, which signal neutral to bearish price action in the near-term.

Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on McDonald’s’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for McDonald’s look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?

McDonald’s has seen increasing earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been optimistic about McDonald’s recent earnings announcements.

McDonald’s is a well-recognized company that fulfills cravings and demand for quick and delicious food choices that many consumers across the globe enjoy. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings that left investors optimistic. The stock has been trading sideways in the last couple of years and may need time to consolidate. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been rising which has left investors optimistic about recent earnings announcements. Relative to its peers and sector, McDonald’s has been an average year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what McDonald’s does this quarter.