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  Monday, 13 May 2013 | 2:59 PM ET

Where Do AIG Shares Go Now? Depends on the Buyback

Posted By:
Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Shares of American International Group are up more than 25 percent year to date. Where the stock goes from here may depend on how quickly AIG starts returning capital to shareholders, analysts say.

After earnings in early May, AIG CEO Robert Benmosche told CNBC that the company's priority was to deal with its debt in order to ensure it maintains a strong credit rating. After that, it will look at a dividend and then potentially a stock buyback.

"As we continue to work on our capital plan and work with the Federal Reserve, our next priority would be to put a dividend on the stock, because we think that will increase the potential buyers," Benmosche told CNBC. "We're also looking at potential stock buybacks, as we progress through the year."

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  Monday, 13 May 2013 | 2:17 PM ET

Virgin America Cuts Losses and Sees IPO

Posted By: Ted Reed | TheStreet.com Transportation Reporter
Getty Images
Virgin Group's Sir Richard Branson during the April launch of new nonstop service from LAX to Las Vegas McCarran International.

Virgin America said its losses are declining and it could stage an initial public offering as early as next year.

The San Francisco-based carrier, which is adding two new routes this month, has reduced losses after restructuring debt owed to the British company Virgin Group, and could stage an IPO in late 2014 or 2015, CEO David Cush said in an interview with The Associated Press.

In a filing with the U.S. Transportation Department, Virgin America said its 2012 net loss widened 45 percent to $145.4 million. However, its fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $25 million from $30.8 million in the same quarter a year earlier. In the first quarter of 2013, the loss narrowed to $46.4 million from $76 million.

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  Monday, 13 May 2013 | 11:26 AM ET

Will Netflix Go to $65...Or $325? Analysts Debate

Posted By:
Playing the Netflix Surge: Analysts
A bull and bear play on the movie streaming company, with Michael Pachter, Wedbush Securities analyst; and Barton Crockett, Lazard Capital Markets analyst.

Netflix is the year's best-performing stock in the S&P 500, but some analysts couldn't disagree more about the company's valuation. Two top analysts squared off Monday on CNBC on where they think the stock is headed.

"Our thesis on Netflix is that this company is a television network company, and if you believe that, their margins are going way up over the balance of this decade, the earnings per share will be going way up. The market is starting to understand that," said Barton Crockett, analyst at Lazard Capital Markets. Crockett holds a $325 price target on the stock with a "buy" rating.

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  Monday, 13 May 2013 | 5:20 AM ET

Frontline Bulls Hope to Steam Higher

Posted By: David Russell | Writer, OptionMonster
Getty Images

Frontline has been falling for the last three years, but the bulls took the helm on Friday.

OptionMonster's monitoring systems detected heavy call volume in the oil-tanker company, with some 2,700 of the June 2 contracts purchased against previous open interest of just 205. Premiums started at $0.15 and then doubled to $0.30 as the shares advanced.

Calls lock in the price where investors can buy stock, and they can deliver significant leverage because they're so cheap to buy. Traders often uses them to keep a trade from running away from them while reducing the amount of capital at risk.

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  Sunday, 12 May 2013 | 6:44 AM ET

Click: Time to Change the Channel on Media Stocks

Posted By:
Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Big media stocks have been riding high this year as companies have been able to find ways to get paid for content despite a weak economy. But with the sector sporting a nearly 30 percent gain in 2013, it may be time to change the channel on some.

"What makes great dominant media companies good investments and good businesses is their ability to implement price increases given their competitive advantages," said Jaison Blair, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group. "Our view has been in a slow-growth environment these companies can still implement price increases."

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  Friday, 10 May 2013 | 4:18 PM ET

Three Tech Earnings to Watch

Posted By: Robert Weinstein | TheStreet.com Contributor
Getty Images

During the week of May 13, Applied Materials, Brocade and Cisco report. All three are dividend payers, they each possess market-moving potential, but not all three are buys. In a high-unemployment economy, Cisco continues to benefit from business' investment in efficiency. Applied Materials struggles under the weight of cheap energy. Analysts expect little change in Brocade's year-over-year results.

Don't forget that as the reporting date nears, option premium typically increases, making it difficult to profit from buying options. Instead, look to sell premium through covered calls and credit spreads. All else being equal, credit spreads can provide hedging opportunities while also allowing investors to benefit from the increased option premium.

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  Friday, 10 May 2013 | 1:07 PM ET

Aggressive Overseas Expansion Ahead: Priceline CEO

Posted By:
Priceline CEO: 'First Priority' to Build Business
Jeffery Boyd, Priceline.com president and CEO, defends his company's business model to grow and improve the performance of its brand.

Despite underwhelming guidance, Priceline.com's international prospects drove the stock higher Friday and overseas expansion will be a key focus of investment for the company, President and CEO Jeffery Boyd told CNBC on Friday.

"We were able to maintain robust international growth in our franchise business, and that's really what drives the franchise moving forward," Boyd told "Squawk on the Street."

"We think we're in a very attractive space and we think we have got the resources and the talent to aggressively expand."

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  Friday, 10 May 2013 | 9:14 AM ET

These 4 Companies LOVE Wedding Season

Posted By: Laurie Kulikowski | TheStreet.com Small Business Reporter
Jamie Grill | Getty Images

Springtime means the official start of wedding season, that glorious spell extending roughly from April to October when beaming brides-to-be get a shine in their eye for all things wedding-related.

Market research specialist IBISWorld puts the size of the wedding industry and related services at a whopping $50.6 billion. As consumers expand their disposable incomes again, the wedding industry is expected to grow by 2.3 percent over the next five years, IBISWorld forecasts.

From dresses to engagement rings, to household registries and honeymoon vacations, this means big business for the companies that cater to this industry, fostered by shows like Say Yes to the Dress on Discovery Communications' TLC channel and Pinterest wedding boards (a growing number of single females are even creating "secret" boards dedicated to weddings and baby).


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  Friday, 10 May 2013 | 6:29 AM ET

Bears Want to Bury ConAgra

Posted By: David Russell | Writer, OptionMonster
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images
ConAgra Foods products

ConAgra Foods has been dead in the water for the last month, and yesterday the bears stepped in.

OptionMonster's tracking programs detected heavy buying in the May 35 puts, with large blocks initially pricing for $0.15. Volume continued to build, ending the session at almost 11,300 contracts—more than 18 times previous open interest at the strike.

Puts lock in the price where shares can be sold in the food company, which gives them a strong inverse correlation. They can also generate significant leverage from even a small drop in the share price.

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  Thursday, 9 May 2013 | 5:43 AM ET

Coal Rally Draws Buyers to Peabody

Posted By: David Russell | Writer, OptionMonster
Harald Sund | Getty Images

Coal miners dominated yesterday's market gains, and bulls clambered for exposure to Peabody Energy.

OptionMonster's market scanners detected huge volume in the St. Louis-based company, with more than 36,000 contracts changing hands. That was almost quadruple its daily average.

The first big trade that caught our attention entailed the purchase of 2,500 January 25 calls for $1.32 and the sale of an equal number of January 19 puts for $1.92. Owning calls locks in the price where shares can be sold, while selling puts can make money if the stock climbs or holds its ground.

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The CNBC Stock Blog is a cross-section of expert opinions and insights from our TV and Web site coverage. This blog includes posts written by and about top analysts and strategists, super-investors and CNBC's own market mavens. You'll find stock picks, news about publicly-traded companies, commodities, hot sectors, ETFs and the latest options action.