Fast Money Misses Ratigan And Macke

One of my favorite shows to watch on CNBC was Fast Money. The show always aired right at 5PM on Mondays to Fridays. I enjoyed watching the show for trading ideas and the witty back and forth exchanges. Well, CNBC’s Fast Money still airs but I haven’t tuned in to watch like I used too. Apparently, I am not alone. The show’s ratings are down -28% over the last quarter.  The show’s target demographic has dropped from 75,000 to 54,000. So, why the drop in ratings?

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Is The Dow Going To Fall Below 1,000?

Is the Dow Jones Industrial Average going to drop 90% and fall below 1,000?

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CNBC Recommends Chicago Bridge & Iron

Today on CNBC’s Strategy Session, Patty Edwards recommended a longtime favorite stock of BuylikeBuffett. Chicago Bridge & Iron is an often overlooked stock in the construction and engineering space. I have been buying shares of Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) over the last year. Chicago Bridge & Iron is a nice mid-cap play with a decent balance sheet and solid growth potential. This is a long term holding which should maximum appreciation over the next 5 years. Shares trade at just 9 times next year’s earnings which seem cheap based on the projected EPS growth rate of 11.5%. Investors looking for a nice infrastructure play may want to take a look at CB&I.

Nuance Communications

I picked up shares of Nuance Communications (NUAN) at $16.70. Nuance Communication is a computer software company that specializes in developing voice recognition applications. Nuance has been investing heavily in mobile voice technology. They recently struck a deal with Ford to offer their voice command software in Ford vehicles. Nuance also recently purchased SpinVox’s potentially lucrative voicemail to text service for 102 million dollars. Nuance offers its voice enabled applications on the iPhone and iPod through their Dragon Dictation and Dragon Search software.

On CNBC David Kestenbaum, director of equity research and managing director of Morgan Joseph, believes that Nuance is solidly positioned for growth. Kestenbaum stated that “Hospitals will be able to use it for health care to cut costs. On the mobile side, there’s real opportunity because some states may pass regulations against texting, so we think voice recognition becomes even more compelling.”

I like the long term growth story for the voice recognition provider. Since 2005 the company has grown EPS from .22 per share to $1.03 per share. Nuance has grown EPS over 40% the last five years and has a projected long term EPS growth of 17.5%.  The forward P/E for 2010 is 13.1 which is very reasonable for a tech company in the computer software industry. The 2010 average EPS estimate $1.27. Price to Earnings Growth is 0.8. Nuance’s main competitor is Google Voice which is certainly a formidable foe. But Nuance should perform well if the company sticks to its operating plan. Nuance’s core customers are the mobile phone carriers whereas Google Voice is focused on offering its services directly to consumers. Google Voice is more of a threat to landline phone companies than to Nuance.

Yum! Yum! Good!

I started a small position in YUM! Brands (YUM) at $33.60 for my long term stock portfolio. I have had YUM! on my radar for awhile and it piqued my interest when I heard Karen Finerman discussing YUM! on CNBC’s Fast Money. She discussed how YUM! was trading at a cheaper valuation than other casual dining chains like Cheesecake Factory. YUM! is trading at 15 times earnings for the current fiscal year. While I don’t think that YUM! is expensive at $33 per share, I don’t think the shares are a steal either. YUM!’s shares appear fairly valued based on current earnings expectations of $2.09 per share.

I think that YUM! is attractive based on its long term growth prospects. YUM is the largest quick service restaurant chain in the US owning KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver and Wing Express franchises. The story for YUM! is in its international growth where YUM! is growing in the high teens overseas especially China. For the 2nd quarter YUM! grew earnings per share (EPS) by 10%. This is in the midst of a recession that has caused same store sales to decline 1% domestically and 4% internationally. Despite decreased sales YUM! was able to improve profitability. Net income increased by 35% due to higher margins on sales.

YUM! is proving that it can operate efficiently in a challenging economic environment. YUM! is tempering expectations by revising earnings downward and forecasting 0% EPS growth year over year. I think the long term story is still in tact for YUM. In the short term as consumers trade down from higher priced restaurants brands like KFC and Taco Bell should directly benefit. Longer term as foreign economies improve YUM! should see greater top line growth in the form of increasing sales and comps internationally. US growth should be moderate in the single digits and overseas growth should be robust in coming years. The company also pays a decent dividend of 2.3%. While McDonald’s is my favorite company in the restaurant industry; I think that YUM! Brands is a solid investment opportunity as well.

CNBC Special on Warren Buffett

CNBC will be airing a special on Warren Buffett at 10pm called Warren Buffett: The Billionaire Next Door.

CNBC Blasted For Poor Financial Advice

CNBC: A Bunch Of Corporate Shills

Day after day CNBC hosts cry about free market capitalism, lower taxes and corporate bonuses. From Larry Kudlow to Dennis Kneale to Michelle Caruso Cabrera to Melissa Francis to Rick Santelli; they sit by and cheerlead for Wall Street excess. They are outraged when the government comes up with plans to try to keep people in their homes and prevent foreclosures. But when the government gives commercial banks and investment firms 750 billion dollars, that is just fine. CNBC is a cheerleader for Wall Street and Wall Street executives. Today, CNBC is complaining about a war on the rich because they will see a tax increase.

I listened to Francis, Kneale and Caruso Cabrera complain about CEO pay caps for banks that took TARP funding. They complained with a straight face about how does the government expect executives to live off $500,000 per year? This is ludicrous. The average American makes nowhere close to that type of money and is paying taxes so that these executives can stay in business after running their companies into the ground. No matter what lies banks tell; it is obvious that without government funding they were all bankrupt. All of the banks said that they didn’t need the money but has anyone given it back? No, and the truth is they can’t afford to right now because the US banking industry is insolvent.

I listen to Larry Kudlow call a stock market bottom day after day as the market sinks to new lows. He talks about stimulating the economy through business cuts and fails to acknowledge that Reaganomics started this deficit that we now have. Business tax credits and eliminating capital gains taxes only benefit the rich. According to NPR,” In 2006, the 400 richest Americans had an average income of $263 million, a 23 percent jump over the previous year, the Internal Revenue Service says. That same year, the very wealthy paid, on average, an effective tax rate of 17 percent — the lowest in 15 years.” Sometimes I wonder do rich people think that they should ever pay taxes?

What is CNBC’s solution to the auto industry? Let it fail. What about people who are losing their home? They need to be foreclosed on. How about an economic stimulus bill? That’s just more unnecessary spending. What about the banking industry? You have to bail them out because it imposes a “systemic risk” to the economy. What bout CEO’s paying executives huge bonuses or sponsoring stadiums and sporting events with taxpayer funds? You have to do that to keep your top talent. It’s class warfare pure and simple. If you help the middle class or lower middle class, that is called socialism. We are becoming Sweden or Cuba. If you help big business and wealthy executives, it is patriotic. You are doing the right thing for your country. i actually listened to an “economist” at CNBC argue that increasing unemployment benefits will cause many people to quit their jobs and just live off unemployment. Who can live a qualitative life off of unemployment in America in 2009?

The interviews with Wall Street CEO’s are a joke. They never ask any tough questions and then ask the CEO, what he or she thinks the government needs to do to help them? That’s like me burning my house down and then someone asking me what I think is the best way to rebuild my house. CNBC has no credibility. Recently CNBC tried to do an “objective: analysis of General Electric, the parent of CNBC. I own GE stock so I wanted to see what they would say. CNBC spent the entire time praising CEO Jeff Immelt for turning down his 12 million dollar bonus. CNBC did not mention that GE is expected to report a huge loss next quarter and the company has done nothing but go down since Immelt took over. This is just one example that shows how CNBC defends Wall Street while not caring at all about Main Street.

Photo by ohl@work

CNBC Childish Behavior

Charlie Gasparino vs. Dennis Kneale

Another example of childish behavior on CNBC. This type of behavior is becoming a regular occurrence on CNBC. Exchanges like this one can only hurt CNBC’s credibility in the business world. I have started watching CNBC with the volume muted so that I do not have to listen to such ridiculous exchanges. From the over talking of guests to the infighting, CNBC is becoming an entertainment channel. You know that things are getting bad when Larry Kudlow is the voice of reason.

CNBC breakdown

Has anyone else noticed that there is a lot more fighting and yelling on CNBC lately? CNBC used to be known for its quality financial news and business content. Today, CNBC falls into the category of business entertainment. Reporters are constantly arguing amongst each other and over talking guests that appear on their programs. Anchors and hosts are giving more personal opinion than financial news. CNBC has become too ratings driven and has stopped providing objective business news.

For years CNBC was busy championing the cause of Wall Street and its executives. CNBC would have guests telling investors to purchase a company because it was the “hot stock to own”. People watched for investment ideas on the next hot growth area. Once the bull market ended CNBC shifted focus and began its doom and gloom reporting. CNBC aired specials such as ”Is Your Money Safe” that helped to spread fear and anxiety among investors. The panic has led to more viewers and higher ratings.

CNBC has become financial entertainment. Exchanges like the one above are happening far too frequently. I still watch CNBC but for general market news and entertainment only.