Jim Cramer Blog

Google (GOOG) is aggressively promoting its new Google Checkout online payment system over the holidays and into next year. Checkout made its debut in June, and already some merchants are using it more than online payment giant PayPal. More importantly, said analyst Scott Devitt of Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Checkout is helping to expand Google's stable of advertisers, boosting its online-ad dominance over rivals Yahoo! and Microsoft. "Checkout could be a game-changer," said Devitt, "and the competitors are doing nothing of the sort."
Source: The New York Times

Labels: GOOG, Google

Google's next move to sell advertising off line may be just weeks away, according to Donna Bogatin, a blogger at ZDNet. She posts that Google "is actively pitching Google Audio Ads and is claiming that it will be able to give advertisers access "to thousands of stations through Google's digital, automated platform." Google says its system talks to radio stations' traffic operations "to search for inventory that fits advertiser criteria," and will deliver information as ads are broadcast.
According to a slide from a presentation, posted by Bogatin, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG - News) has deals in place with 800 stations, with coverage in 19 of the top 25 markets. The slide identifies almost 700 outlets as "live."

Labels: GOOG, Google, Google Inc.

U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday, with major indexes falling by their biggest margin in months, amid concern about Google Inc.'s (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) valuation and doubts about holiday spending after a disappointing sales estimate from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research). In addition, downward pressure on the dollar for a fourth straight day hurt demand for U.S. investments, while a rise in crude oil prices above $60 a barrel added to concerns about consumer spending. The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 158.38 points, or 1.29 percent, at 12,121.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 19.02 points, or 1.36 percent, at 1,381.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 54.34 points, or 2.21 percent, at 2,405.92. For the Nasdaq, it was the biggest net point decline since September 24, 2003. The S&P 500 notched its biggest percentage decline since early June and the Dow fell its most since early July. Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) shares fell 4.2 percent, or 36 cents, to $8.16 on the New York Stock Exchange after it announced plans to borrow $18 billion by pledging assets as collateral to fund its restructuring. In another sign of investor worries, the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index <.VIX> jumped 14.6 percent on Monday. The indicator, also known as the VIX and the market's fear gauge, measures expectations of near-term volatility determined by the Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> options prices. Shares of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, fell 2.7 percent, or $1.29, to $46.61 on the NYSE after it estimated November sales fell 0.1 percent at U.S. stores open at least a year. Shares of Web search company Google fell 4 percent, or $20.25, to $484.75 and were the biggest drag on the Nasdaq after the report in Barron's.
The dollar's recent decline to a 20-month low against the euro of $1.3172 has raised questions about the attractiveness of U.S. stocks to foreigners. U.S. crude oil for January delivery climbed $1.08 to settle at $60.32 a barrel. Saudi Arabia's oil minister said OPEC may cut output further at a December 14 meeting. Shares of U.S. airlines fell on Monday, with Continental Airlines (CAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) down 7.3 percent, or $3.31, at $42.07 in Big Board trading, partly on rising oil prices. Shares of AMR Corp.(AMR.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the operator of American Airlines, slid 5.6 percent, or $1.90, to $32.20 on NYSE. Trading was active on the NYSE, with about 1.61 billion shares changing hands, matching last year's daily average of 1.61 billion, while on Nasdaq, about 2.00 billion shares traded, above last year's daily average of 1.80 billion. Advancing stocks outnumbered declining ones by a ratio of more than 4 to 1 on both the NYSE and the Nasdaq.
Source: Reuters.com

Labels: AMR, Continental, Ford, Google, Hot Stocks, Oil, Wal-Mart

The Nasdaq extended the day's declines, sliding 2 percent as investors sold Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) after Barron's newspaper said the stock was overvalued in a report published over the weekend. A disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) raised doubts about consumers' holiday spending, dragging down the blue-chip Dow average and weighing on the broad S&P 500. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 49.71 points, or 2.02 percent, at 2,410.55. The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 149.25 points, or 1.22 percent, at 12,130.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 17.20 points, or 1.23 percent, at 1,383.75.
Source: Reuters.com

Labels: GOOG, Google, Nasdaq

U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday as a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) raised doubts about consumers' holiday spending and Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped after Barron's newspaper said the stock was overvalued. In addition, downward pressure on the dollar for a fourth straight day weakened demand for U.S. investments, while a rise in crude oil prices added to concerns about consumer spending. Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) fell more than 2 percent after it announced plans to raise $18 billion in debt financing to fund its restructuring. Shares of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, fell 1.9 percent to $46.99 after it estimated November sales fell 0.1 percent at U.S. stores open at least a year. Customer foot traffic in stores over the long holiday weekend slipped from last year, the National Retail Federation reported, adding to worries about retailers' fourth-quarter performance. The S&P Retail Index <.RLX> was off 0.2 percent. Shares of Web search company Google fell 2.3 percent to $493.57 and were the biggest drag on Nasdaq after the report in Barron's. Ford's shares fell 2 percent to $8.33 after the car company announced the financing plan. The dollar's recent decline to a 20-month low against the euro has raised questions about the attractiveness of U.S. stocks to foreigners. Crude for January delivery was up 52 cents at $59.76 after rising as high as $60.20. Saudi Arabia's oil minister said OPEC may cut output further at a December 14 meeting. Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) were the top positive influence on the S&P 500, rising 0.7 percent to $72.91.
Source: Reuters.com

Labels: Exxon Mobile, F, Ford, GOOG, Google, Wal-Mart, WMT, XOM

U.S. stocks tumbled on Monday as a disappointing sales forecast from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) raised doubts about consumers' holiday spending and Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) dropped after Barron's newspaper said the stock was overvalued. In addition, downward pressure on the dollar for a fourth straight day weakened demand for U.S. investments, while a rise in crude oil prices added to concerns about consumer spending. Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) fell more than 2 percent after it announced plans to raise $18 billion in debt financing to fund its restructuring. Shares of Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, fell 1.9 percent to $46.99 after it estimated November sales fell 0.1 percent at U.S. stores open at least a year. Customer foot traffic in stores over the long holiday weekend slipped from last year, the National Retail Federation reported, adding to worries about retailers' fourth-quarter performance. The S&P Retail Index <.RLX> was off 0.2 percent. Shares of Web search company Google fell 2.3 percent to $493.57 and were the biggest drag on Nasdaq after the report in Barron's. Ford's shares fell 2 percent to $8.33 after the car company announced the financing plan. The dollar's recent decline to a 20-month low against the euro has raised questions about the attractiveness of U.S. stocks to foreigners. Crude for January delivery was up 52 cents at $59.76 after rising as high as $60.20. Saudi Arabia's oil minister said OPEC may cut output further at a December 14 meeting. Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) were the top positive influence on the S&P 500, rising 0.7 percent to $72.91.
Source: Reuters.com

Labels: Exxon Mobile, F, Ford, GOOG, Google, Wal-Mart, WMT, XOM

U.S. stocks closed slightly higher on Tuesday as cautious investors took few new positions before the Thanksgiving holiday, but shares of aircraft maker Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Web search leader Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) soared to record highs, offsetting a jump in oil prices. The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 2.88 points, or 0.02 percent, to end unofficially at 12,319.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 2.21 points, or 0.16 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,402.71. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 1.98 points, or 0.08 percent, to close unofficially at 2,454.70.
Source: Reuters.com

Labels: BA, Boeing, GOOG, Google, Oil

Here are 7 options to watch for today. This list comes directly from the TradingMarkets Options Indicators page. The list is created using OptionVue options analysis software.
Most Under Priced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:WYNN - News) Jan 90.0. WYNN's PowerRating is 2.
Most Under Priced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Southern Copper Corp. (NYSE:PCU - News) Jan 47.5. SHLD's PowerRating is 5.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
GoogleInc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - News) Jan 550.0. GOOG's PowerRating is 4.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:RIMM - News) Jan 110.0. RIMM's PowerRating is 2.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
Fording Canadian Coal Trust (NYSE:FDG - News)
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggestsan extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
None Today
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:HOV - News). PFE's PowerRating is 5.

Labels: FDG, GOOG, Google, HOV, PCU, Research in Motion Ltd., RIMM, Southern Copper, WYNN, Wynn Resorts Ltd.

Google Inc.'s stock flirted with the $500 mark Wednesday morning, and other search companies followed with minor rises, after an analyst forecast great gains from the search leader's newfound strength as a video sharing site.
Credit Suisse analyst Heath P. Terry reinstated coverage of Google with an "Outperform" rating and a price target of $600 per share, representing predicted growth of 22.6 percent over its closing price Tuesday of $489.30. In a note to investors, Terry emphasized the benefits of Google's roughly $1.65 billion acquisition of video sharing site YouTube.
"Successful monetization of YouTube traffic could add $160 million in revenue in 2007," Terry wrote. "However, as the company begins to take advantage of the amount of rich media ad inventory created by YouTube the potential revenue generation from the site likely to be more than 10 times that estimate."

Labels: Credit Suisse, GOOG, Google, IACI, Microsoft, MSFT, YHOO

Most Under Priced Calls: These are the most under priced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:WYNN - News) Jan 90.0. WYNN's PowerRating is 2.
Most Under Priced Puts: These are the most under priced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Explosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are under priced, this list finds the most under priced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely under priced.
Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD - News) Jan 165.0. SHLD's PowerRating is 5.
Most Overpriced Calls: These are the most overpriced calls of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of calls for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual calls. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
GoogleInc. (NASDAQ:GOOG - News) Jan 540.0. GOOG's PowerRating is 4.
Most Overpriced Puts: These are the most overpriced puts of all stocks in our database. While the Equities Implosion List finds groups of puts for individual equities that are overpriced, this list finds the most overpriced individual puts. Thus, the options listed here will tend to be more severely overpriced.
Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:RIMM - News) Jan 110.0. RIMM's PowerRating is 2.
Stocks with Abnormal Call Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual call option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Call Volume Alerts list suggests a possible takeover, extraordinarily good earnings report, or other news which may favorably affect the stock.
None today.
Stocks with Abnormal Put Volume: These are stocks which showed unusual put option volume not easily explained by arbitrage operations. The appearance of a stock on the Put Volume Alerts list suggestsan extraordinarily negative earnings report, or other news which may negatively affect the stock.
ONYX Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ONXX - News). ONXX's PowerRating is 5.
Abnormal Put/Call $ Volume: These stocks have the highest dollar put volume in relation to their call volume. These high ratios are indicative of extreme bearish sentiment in the underlying stock.
PfizerInc. (NYSE:PFE - News). PFE's PowerRating is 5.
PowerRatings are courtesy of PowerRatings.net

Labels: GOOG, Google, ONXX, ONYX Pharmaceuticals, pfe, Pfizer, Research in Motion Ltd., RIMM, Sears Holdings, SHLD, Wynn Resorts Ltd.

Google Inc. has set aside more than $200 million in its just-completed takeover of YouTube Inc. as a financial cushion to cover losses or possible legal bills for the frequent copyright violations on YouTube's video-sharing site.
Without elaborating in a late Monday statement, Google said it is withholding 12.5 percent of the stock owed to YouTube for one year "to secure certain indemnification obligations."
The Mountain View-based company disclosed the escrow account in an announcement commemorating the completion of its much-anticipated YouTube acquisition. As of Tuesday afternoon, Google representatives hadn't responded to requests for more details about the escrow account.
Source: AP

Labels: GOOG, Google, video sharing, YouTube

TiVo Inc. Tuesday unveiled plans to expand Internet video that can be shown on TVs through its DVRs.
Alviso-based TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO - News) said its TiVoCast system now has programming partnerships with CBS Interactive, part of CBS Corp. (NYSE:CBS - News) Reuters Group plc (NASDAQ: RTRSY - News) and business magazine Forbes to bring their video content to TV.
It will also offer a Home Movies Service, in partnership with Redwood City-based One True Media Inc., that allows sharing of home videos by sending them directly to TV sets.
TiVo's new service is expected to be offered by the end of the year, but requires an upgrade to the TiVo Desktop software. Some subscribers already use this to view photos from the Web and listen to Internet radio. It, will cost $24.95 for new users and will be a free upgrade for current users.
The service will only work with downloaded videos that are not copy-protected. It can't handle videos that use San Jose-based Adobe Systems Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ADBE - News) Flash technology, which is becoming the most common way to distribute video on the Internet.
San Bruno-based YouTube Inc., which has been acquired by Mountain View-based Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG - News), uses Flash for its popular video-sharing Web site.
Neither will the services reportedly be available to TiVos that are hooked up through DirecTV Group Inc.'s (NYSE: DTV - News) satellite service.
TiVo has 4.4 million subscribers but its growth has been slowed by competition from cheaper DVRs offered by cable and satellite services.
Published November 14, 2006 by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journa

Labels: ADBE, Adobe Systems, CBS, CBS Interactive, DirecTV, DTV, GOOG, Google, Reuters Group, RTRSY, Tivo