Short squeeze on GMCR's earnings

As I am writing, the shares price of Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR) soared by over 22%  to $65.81 following its earnings release yesterday.

The once enamored star had been brutally attacked, not the least, by a high profile bashing of the renowned hedge fund manager, David Einhorn in October, sending the shares plummet from over $100 to as low as $37.

Yesterday, the company's announcement of a 102% rise in sales and a stunning 526% increase in operating income seemed to have garnered some confidence. The call did sooth the nerves of investors who were worried about the growth potential of the Keurig system and K-cup pack sales.

The Keurig system and K-cup did not seem the least bit losing momentum. "Our brewer sales in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 were above our expectations, with approximately 4.2 million brewers sold by the combination of GMCR and our licensed partners. That total is more than half of the 6.5 million brewers sold in all of our fiscal year 2011," said Blanford, the CEO of GMCR. Taking away the effect of the acquisition of Van Houtte that contributed 13% increase in K-Cup pack sales, the company managed to raise the price point of K-cup by as much as 21% (talk about pricing power) and brought in a whopping 81% rise in sales volume.

The inventory was cited by critics as an issue. According to the management, it was a deliberate effort to meet the increase in demand. In the quarter ended December 31, 2011, inventories were $606.7 million compared to $269.1 million at December 25, 2010. However, more than half of the increase was due to a 266% increase in raw materials, most notably from an increase in green coffee volume and a 44% average green coffee cost increase. Combined with the growth in sales, a $162.4 million increase in finished goods inventory was hardly a sign of slowing sales.

With a current market in the mode to chase "growth", GMCR, with "growth" written all over its head, is back to the game. This is not all without caveats though. The management guided a 60-65% growth in net sales for the fiscal year of 2012. Given a 102% growth in the first quarter, investors who was looking for super growth above the company's past 3 years (75% compound annual growth rate) could very well be disappointed.

Disclosure: I do not have any position of GMCR in our personal account.

It's time for a uranium rebound?

Source: Press Release from Paragon Financial Limited – Wed, Jan 25, 2012 8:20 AM EST

"The Global X Uranium ETF, which holds over 20 uranium stocks, has surged more than 25 percent over the last month as positive guidance from some of the industry's largest players has renewed investor optimism in the sector. In addition, recent remarks from Chinese Prime Minister, Wen Jaibao have highlighted the country's intentions to focus on nuclear energy and limit its use of coal......................

China's primary economic planning agency, The National Development and Reform Commission, estimates that China can expand its current nuclear capacity of 10.8 gigawatts to between 70 and 80 gigawatts by 2020. According to the U.S. Energy Information's International Energy Outlook for 2011, China intends to add 106 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035. China plans to have 40 reactors by 2020 and, by 2030, enough additional reactors to generate more power than all 104 reactors in the US. In early 2011, following the tragic meltdown of the Fukushima Energy Plant, the Chinese State Council temporarily halted the construction of 27 nuclear power plants declaring the need for new safety regulations. During the delay, China re-assessed the safety of its planned and approved Generation-II reactor projects. "

My watch list: URS, URZ, URRE, USU, CCJ, DNN


My notes: I am not a chartist but these stocks' charts look stretched in the very short term. The risk/reward of entering the play now is not favorable. However,  this is a policy change that is important enough to lift a relatively small sector, thus worth noting and finding opportunities for building some small positions.

Disclosure: I do not have any position of the above stocks in my personal account.

Stocks and the Economy: Economic Slowdown?

Stocks and the Economy: Economic Slowdown?: "July manufacturing and non-manufacturing survey released by the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) pointed to a worrisome outlook of the ..."