Investors Look for Strong Week on Wall Street Despite Negative Jobs Report
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Stocks continued to rally for a third day as a rise in commodities, and faster than expected growth in manufacturing, offset disappointing sales at Wal-Mart Stores and an unexpected rise in jobless claims. A report from the Labor Department released on Thursday showed there were 473,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Feb. 13, up 31,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised 442,000. Oil prices fell for the first time this week as the dollar rose against the Euro and the Pound.
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We are reviewing two well known brands in this week's review, one with an exceptional management team and one without. Our Bullish pick this week is a popular fast food establishment that has been growing in market share and popularity for the last 3 years and doesn't look to slow down anytime soon. As Americans look for healthier substitutes for the usual burger joint, this franchise delivers much better food at competitive prices. Our Bearish pick has never been a popular tech company but the loss of its top client to its top rival is really bad news. Aside from that negative development, mounting product criticism and a tougher competitive landscape are serious hurdles for this company. |
 Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) -
Chipotle has been a consistent deliverer of good news, continuously setting investors up to expect less and delivering more. The franchise is set up like a fast food restaurant, but the ingredients are healthy and nutritious. In an age where people are becoming more health conscience, Chipotle is becoming a favorite destination of today’s modern consumer. The company has had significant growth and looks to continue that trend. Healthy, convenient and inexpensive, with a great management team and a great balance sheet, what else can you ask for?
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 Symantec Corp (SYMC) -
Aside from being one of the most negatively looked upon stocks in the technology sector, Symantec has serious problems when the dollar picks up. More than half its revenue is from international business accounts, decreasing the value of overseas profits when the dollar ticks up, as has been happening recently. Symantec is bracing for a big hit as rival McAfee is expected to take away one of its biggest accounts. Hewlett Packard, the world’s biggest PC maker currently a $200 million a year contract is said to be leaning towards McAfee with a decision likely to come in late March.
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