Daily - Go to TTD's Tape of  Stock Charts - Monday, April 30

Daily - Bullish Investors  - Go To TTD Pre-Market Opening Breakout Watch  List and Performance - Monday, April 30

Ticker Tape Digest

Monday - April 30, 2012

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 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 - 10

Overall Quality of Breakouts - Average

Stocks Screened - 8,300

Bull side - Good number of breakouts with some interesting plays. Bulls can be venturesome. Stock market holds in up trend with momentum still bullish on a daily basis.  (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 Bullish, Nasdaq Bearish

Market  (Monthly) - NYSE Bullish, Nasdaq Bullish 

Ticker Tape Digest's

Timely Breakout Stocks From Tape Action - April 30

(See Top Performing Breakout Stocks for 2011- 2012)

(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

Core Laboratories N.V. (CLB) - 137.33,  up 1.31 - Breakpoint 135.50

Hits New High, Profits to Climb 32% This Year, TTD Targets 160

     CLB, based in the Netherlands, provides geological services to the oil industries. Annual revenues: $935 million. CLB's stock breaks out today from a five-week flat base and hits a new all-time high. CLB is a leader linked to the oil sector.  So far today, CLB is trading 411,021 shares. Its average daily volume is 449,000 shares.    

  CLB's  10-minute chart shows the stock edging above its breakpoint in the prior session. On Monday morning, the stock spiked higher and pushed clear of its breakpoint.

  It gave a little ground in the afternoon. However, it held comfortably above the breakpoint.

  CLB's tape action shows the price for its recent big blocks climbing from $135.64 to a peak of  $137.60 Monday.

  A key bullish trade came late in the day when a block of 1,700 shares crossed the tape at $136.94. That was up from the prior block trade at $135.64.

  The tape action showed good institutional buying following some selling earlier in the day.

  CLB provides geological and environmental analysis and manufactures precise measurement equipment.

  The company does basic and advanced reservoir rock and fluid analyses and other geological services to the oil industry. It provides information that helps oil companies make decisions regarding the presence and amount of hydrocarbon accumulations.

 CLB's makes laboratory equipment used by the petroleum industry.  

  CLB's 12-month performance chart shows the stock appreciating 48% versus a 4% gain for the S&P 500 index.

  CLB's long-term chart shows the stock soaring from 5 back in 2003 to a peak of 77.75 in 2007. The stock then declined to 24 during the bear market. CLB bottomed in late 2008. Since then it has climbed sharply higher hitting an all-time high Monday.  The new high could draw in more buying on Tuesday from the new-high crowd.

  CLB's daily chart shows the stock in a flat base with upside resistance around 135.50.

 The stock edged slightly above the breakpoint on Friday. Today, it clears it with ease. The basing work was set up above a rising 50-day moving average line. That shows that the stock is in a strong up trend.

  The stock's TTD momentum indicator (top of chart) is strongly bullish and has been for some three months.

  The accumulation - distribution line (bottom of chart) is in an up trend. It actually broke out to the upside before the price of the stock. So, it was a good lead indicator. The strength of the AD line shows that there has been strong buying in the stock even as it based.

   CLB is poised to show an acceleration in quarterly earnings growth.  

  Net for the second quarter should climb 28% and then in the second quarter 40%. Accelerating earnings growth is often a key driver to send a stock higher.

 Net for the second quarter should climb to $1.16 a share from 90 cents a year ago. The highest estimate on the Street is at $1.18 a share. CLB tends to come in close to the consensus estimate.

 Going out to the third quarter, net should jump to $1.25 a share from 89 cents a year ago.

 For all 2012, analysts project a 32% gain in net to $4.78 a share from $363 in 2011.   The stock sells with a price-earnings ratio of 28. TTD sees that as attractive for value-growth investors.

 Looking ahead to 2013, net is expected to rise 19% to $5.69 a share from the anticipated $4.78 this year. .

  Strategy Opinion: TTD is targeting CLB for a move to 160.  A protective stop can be placed near 130 after a breakout.  

 With a solid earnings outlook, TTD rates CLB a good intermediate-term play.

Sponsorship: Good.  The largest fund holder is 3-star rated American Funds Growth Fund of America with a 4.5% stake. It has held its position steady. The largest fund buyer recently was Goldman Sachs Growth Opportunities Fund, 3-star rated, which purchased 106,285 shares. CLB has 47.5 million shares outstanding. Institutions hold 89% of the stock.

  Insider Activity: Bearish. Insiders have been steady sellers of the stock around $122 recently. None have been buyers. Nine analysts follow the stock, 2 have a buy, the same as three months ago.   

 Stock Performance Chart with Quarterly Earnings Markers

  Insider Activity - Buying in Green - Selling in Red

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 - 6

Stocks Screened - 8,300

Long-Term Environment for bears: Unfavorable.

Bear Side - Small list of breakdown stocks today but some interesting plays. Bears be selective. Stock market still in trading range.

List of Stocks To Sell or Short

TTD’s Feature Bear Play

Humana Inc. (HUM) - 79.85, down 7.97

Posts Lower Earnings, TTD Sees Drop to 68

  HUM, based in Louisville, Ky., is a health services firm. Annual revenues: $36.8 billion. HUM's stock falls sharply after the company reported lower earnings for the first quarter. The stock decline causes a breakdown below key technical support. So far today, HUM is trading 5.6 million shares, four times its normal daily volume of 1.3 million shares.

  TTD highlighted HUM as a short in our midsession video show Monday.

  HUM reported that earnings for the quarter fell to $1.49 a share from $1.86 a year ago. The consensus estimate was at $1.53. So, results were disappointing and the stock responded bearishly.

  HUM's stock gapped lower in the morning and continued South until the late afternoon. It hit an intraday low of $79.60.

  TTD's clip of the tape shows the recent big block trades.

  One can see the price for the blocks declining from $88.33 to $82.65. A key bearish trade came in the morning when a block of 25,000 shares crossed at $84. That was down from the prior big block of $87.82.

  HUM's products are marketed primarily through health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations that encourage or require the use of contracted providers. The company also offers specialty products to employers, including dental, group life and workers' compensation, and administrative services to those who self-insure their employee health plans.

  This year, analysts expect HUM's net to rise 2% to $8 a share from $7.82 a year ago. Net for the upcoming second quarter is expected to flat at $2.50 a year.

  HUM's daily chart shows the stock cutting below key technical support with expanding volume. The stock's TTD momentum indicator (top of chart) is now bearish. The accumulation - distribution line (bottom of chart) has resumed its down trend showing clear selling pressure.

   Strategy Opinion:  TTD is targeting HUM for a decline to 68 within the next few months, or sooner. A protective stop buy can be placed near 84.

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.

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.”

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(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.)