Daily - Go to TTD's Tape of  Stock Charts - Friday, April 24, 2015

Daily - Bullish Investors  - Go To TTD Pre-Market Opening Breakout Watch  List and Performance - Friday, April 24, 2015

Ticker Tape Digest

Friday - April 24, 2015

By Leo Fasciocco -- TTD

      Ticker Tape Digest presents its daily stock market report containing stocks to go long as breakout trades, quick trades, or bargain trades. We also feature stocks under Significant Accumulation that are poised to breakout.

 The TTD report also contains stocks to short as  breakdown plays and as bargain (swing trade) shorts.

  Investors should  tend to try to go with a strategy that fits with the stock market's trend, unless there is a special situation play.

  TTD's Breakout Stocks - Long are most suitable for aggressive investors seeking ideal entry points into leading stocks, especially during bull markets. They can do extremely well in bull markets with gains of as much as several hundred percent.

 These stocks can also do extremely well during strong market rallies, or if they are in a industry group that is performing very well. They tend to have strong earnings outlooks and are near new-52 week, or all-time highs.

  TTD Quick Trade Stocks - Long These are leading issues that have pulled back in recent days, but could move higher soon. They are most suitable for Aggressive Investors willing to trade short term. These stocks will do extremely  well during market advances. They have about 74% win rate. During market rally sequences the win rate is even higher. The return is small 3% to 8% in just a few days.

 TTD's Bargain Buy Trades - Long - Long Term.  These are for conservative bullish Investors These long-term buys are ideally suited for entry into stocks on pull backs within overall up trend. These stocks can give a good return long-term especially during a bull market.

   TTD also presents Stocks To Sell or Sell Short. These issues are suitable for aggressive investors willing to take short positions both as trades or for longer-term plays. These stocks will do very well during bear markets or market pull backs.

  TTD's Bearish breakdown stocks to sell short. These issues have potential to fall sharply. They often show a technical breakdown and also some fundamental business problem such as weak earnings.  

 TTD's multi-media updates include a slide-show that presents charts and analysis at midsession. Some times TTD presents feature analysis on stocks and the market. TTD uses Windows Media Files. (WMV).

 TTD also presents a "Breakout Watch List" that is up dated daily. This list consists of key stocks in position to breakout. A close watch of this list can put you in the stock just as it breaks out. A good idea is to study the list and be ready to move into a stock quickly as it hits its breakpoint.

TTD often suggests using stop buy orders to enter. It is very important to buy a breakout stock as close as possible to the breakpoint. The idea is to get "elbow room" if the stock should follow through to the upside. This is very important in being successful in making big money with breakout stocks.

It is also essential to have a stop loss strategy for all stocks in which positions are taken. Not every stock will work as expected. It is important for investors to "police" their portfolios and avoid getting trapped in any bad positions.

 Quality rating of breakout  Two key factors: 1 - Stock near all-time high in price or near a 52-week high. 2 - earnings growth current year is strong. The ideal play is a stock with an Above Average Quality Rating. The stock is near a new high and will have strong earnings. TTD's other ratings are Average and Below Average.

TTD also has  special feature sections on  Educational Tips on Investing.

To email Mr. Leo Fasciocco  leo@tickertapedigest.com.For service, email Beverly Owen owen@tickertapedigest.com. TTD’s Tel: 1-480-926-1680.

  Breakout Stocks

Total Buy Breakouts so far today - 12

Overall Quality of Breakouts - AVERAGE

Stocks Screened - 8,300

Bull side - Breakout list large with some good looking plays. Bulls be selective. Earnings still rolling in.   

 (Put mouse on Dow chart to see Nasdaq chart)

Long Term Environment for bulls:  Favorable

    Stock Market Momentum

Market (Daily) - NYSE Bullish, Nasdaq Bullish

Market (Weekly) - NYSE Bearish, Nasdaq Bullish

Market  (Monthly) - NYSE Bullish, Nasdaq Bullish 

Ticker Tape Digest's

Timely Breakout Stocks From Tape Action - Friday

(The “breakout List” gives all stocks breaking out of a base of five weeks or more. These stocks have a good chance to trend higher. However, a stop should be used to avoid those that do not work. They are ranked according to percentage change and classified as leaders or other. (Trading strategy: One should buy breakout stocks at breakpoint by using market order or stop buy)All Timely Breakout Stocks From Tape Action Today )  

Today's Featured TTD Breakout Stock

LHC Group Inc. (LHCG) - 36.06, up 1.33 - Breakpoint 35.32

Net to Rise 18% This Year,  TTD Targets 42

  LHCG, based in Lafayette, La., provides post-acute healthcare services. Annual revenues: $718 million. LHCG's stock breaks out today from a classic, nine-week flat base. The move carries the stock to a five-year high.

 So far today, LHCG is trading 107,626 shares, double its average daily volume of 59,000 shares.

  LHCG's 10-minute chart shows the stock edging higher in the morning.

  Around noon, the stock broke through its breakpoint line.

  It then edged a bit higher in the afternoon to finish near its high for the day.

 That is bullish.

  LHCG's tape action shows the recent block trades.

  One can see the price for the blocks climbing from $34.46 in the prior session to as high as $36.06 on Friday.

  A key bullish trade came in the morning when a block of 1,100 shares crossed the tape at $35.

  That was up from the prior block trade at $34.73 on 1,841 shares.

  The stock closed strong with a block 4,404 shares crossing at $36.06. That was up from the prior block at $36 on 2,119 shares.     

 LHCG provides post-acute healthcare services primarily to medicare beneficiaries in rural markets in the southern United States.

 The company uses home nursing agencies and hospices and facility-based services through their long-term acute care hospitals and outpatient rehabilitation clinics.

  LHCG's 12-month performance chart shows the stock appreciating 70% versus a 15% gain for the S&P 500 index.

  The chart shows LHCG's stock driving higher after the last earnings report.

  The company will be reporting first quarter earnings on May 6.

   LHCG's long-term chart shows the stock coming back in 2005 at $18. The stock has had a choppy history.

   LHCG rose to an all-time peak of 37.49 in 2010. The stock fell back to 12 by late 2011. However, since then LHCG's stock has been trending higher and is position to challenge its all-time high.   

  LHCG's daily chart shows the stock climbing from 24 back in November to a around 35 by March.

  The stock then put down a flat base. It attempted a breakout in early April but faded.

  Nevertheless the basing work remained above the rising 50-day moving average line. That showed the stock remained in an up trend.

  Friday's breakout clears the base and comes with strong volume.

  That could be a prelude to a good earnings to be reported in early May.

   Analysts are forecasting a robust 47% surge in LHCG's first quarter net to 35 cents a share from 24 cents a year ago.

  The highest estimate on the Street is at 40 cents a share. So, some expect a big quarter. The company topped the consensus estimate the past three quarters. (see table)

   Net for the second quarter is projected to rise 19% to 42 cents a share from  the 35 cents a year ago.

   Overall, profits for this year are expected to climb 18% to $1.64 a share from the $1.39 a year ago.

    The stock sells with a price-earnings ratio of 21. TTD sees that as reasonable.

  Looking ahead to 2016, analysts are projecting a 14% rise in net to $1.87 a share.

  Strategy Opinion: TTD is targeting LHCG for a move to 42 off this breakout. A protective stop can be placed near 33.50.

  TTD rates LHCG a good intermediate-term play provided earnings meet expectations.

  Sponsorship: Average. The largest fund holder is the 4-star rated Fidelity Low-Priced Stock Fund with a big 10.4% stake. It was a recent seller of 35,900 shares.

  Wasatch Small Cap Value Fund was the largest buy recently. The 3-star rated fund bought 146,948 shares as a new position.

  LHCG has 17.8 million shares outstanding. Institutions hold 81% of the stock and insiders 17%.

  Insider Activity: Slightly Bearish. Insiders have been light sellers in recent months around $32.

  Currently, 9 analysts follow the stock, 5 have a buy, the same as three months ago. LHCG has a book value of $18.44.

Stock Performance Chart with Quarterly Earnings Markers.

Charts of Selected Breakout Stocks

Ticker Tape Digest’s

Stocks To “Sell or Short”

Ticker Tape Digest’s Daily List of “Stocks To Sell or Sell Short” ranks stocks well timed to be sold immediately based on daily trading. The list can be used as an alert to reduce current long-term positions.

Shorts from tape action so far today - 8

Stocks Screened - 8,300

Long-Term Environment for bears: Unfavorable.

Bear Side - Financial results bring down several stocks. Bears can be venturesome. Stock market holding well.

List of Stocks To Sell or Short

TTD’s Feature Bear Play

Xerox Corp. (XRX) - 11.99, down 1.14

Lowers Profit Forecast, TTD Sees Decline to 9.50

   XRX, based in Norwalk, Ct. provides business process and document management solutions worldwide. Annual revenues: $19.5 billion. XRX's stock falls sharply Friday cutting below key technical support. The move triggers a TTD short.

 TTD highlighted XRX as a short at our midsession video show on the Web Friday.

  So far today, XRX is trading a heavy 41 million shares, six times its average daily volume of 6.3 million shares.

  XRX fell steadily in the morning after reporting disappointing results for the first quarter.

  The stock fell to an intraday low of 11.32 in the morning.

  XRX then lifted modestly to around 12 and trended sideways most of the day.

  XRX's tape action shows the recent block trades.

  One can see the price for the blocks falling from $13.15 in the prior session to as low as $11.54 Friday.

  A key bearish trade came in the morning when a block of 100,000 shares crossed the tape at $12.56.

  That was down sharply from the prior block at $13.14 on 1.1 million shares - which also came on a big block down tick.

  XRX  offers transaction processing, human resources, communication and marketing, and consulting and analytics services, as well as finance, accounting, and procurement services.

  It provides desktop monochrome and color printers, multifunction printers, copiers, digital printing presses, and light production devices; and production printing and publishing systems for the graphic communications marketplace and large enterprises.

  This year, analysts are forecasting a 4% decline in XRX's earnings to $1.03 a share from $1.07 a year ago. Net for the second quarter is expected to drop 7% to 25 cents a share from 27 cents a year ago.

  XRX's daily chart shows the gap drop on big volume. The stock's TTD momentum indicator (top of chart) is bearish.

Strategy Opinion: TTD is targeting XRX for a decline to 9.50. A protective stop buy can be placed near 13.

TTD takes no responsibility for trading by those using this information. The stocks presented in our report are those we deem the best looking "Day Trades" for the long side. We take no responsibility for the accuracy of this data, although every effort is made to present the information correctly. Copyright Ticker Tape Digest. - 2014

TTD columnist Leo Fasciocco has covered the stock market for over 20 years. His articles appear in many publications. He is also a speaker at the Intershow conferences. He has been on television and radio. He is author of many educational articles about stock investing and the book “Guide To High-Performance Investing.”

For information to subscribe to the Ticker Tape Digest Services call: Beverly Owen at 1-480-926-1680. Distributed by Corona Publishing Enterprises. Ticker Tape Digest Inc. P.O. Box 2044 Chandler, Az. 85244-2044. TTD “Professional Report” is available on the World Wide Web: $100 per month. Password needed. “TTD Professional“ Faxed is $200 per month. The TTD Daily Report is $39.95. Credit cards accepted.

(The information contained has been prepared from data deemed reliable but there is no guarantee of complete accuracy. Ticker Tape Digest Inc. is not affiliated with any broker, dealer or investment advisor. Nothing in this publication constitutes an offer, recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Further research is advised. This report is copyrighted and no redistribution is permitted with out permission.)