Dave S. Goodboy's  Instablog

With the technical picture reviewed, let's take a closer look at the company.  Founded in 1991, RF Micro Devices designs and manufactures radio frequency components and compound semiconductors in the United States and internationally. The company provides integrated circuits, including gain blocks, LNAs, PAs, receivers, transmitters, transceivers, modulators, demodulators, attenuators, switches, frequency synthesizers and voltage-controlled oscillators. It also offers multi-chip modules comprising PA modules, switch-filter modules, active antenna products, VCOs, phase-locked loops, coaxial resonator oscillators, active mixers, variable gain amplifiers, hybrid amplifiers, power doublers and optical receivers. 

The stock price has been knocked down due to several upsetting remarks from the company's head of its multi product group, Robert Van Buskirk.  Buskirk warned that the companies revenue may be at the low end of the estimates due to Nokia (NYSE: NOK) transitioning to Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Window's Phone 7. In addition, Buskirk is nervous about a slowdown in China affecting the company.  He points at Taiwan's Meditek, who partners with RF Micro Devices, and whose revenue fell 40%, as a possible precursor to things to come.  However, an analyst at D. A. Davidson just reiterated a buy rating with a $10 per share target.  The analyst believes that the market has overly punished the stock and it’s ready for a rebound. 

Combining the analyst's view with the technical picture creates a strong bullish case for RF Micro Devices.

In this time of financial turmoil, imagine a bank with 11 straight years of record earnings.  Not to mention being the largest U.S. bank to refuse government bailout funds, as well as paying a 5.4% dividend.   Sounds like one of those dreams I have during a very deep sleep in the early hours. Well, this is no dream.  The bank is Hudson City Bancorp (Nasdaq: HCBK). 

Although a surprise earnings miss beat the stock down in January, and shares yesterday dropped sharply again after a several-week recovery, Hudson City looks amazing with a small caveat I’ll mention later.  Let’s take a closer look.  Founded in 1868, this is certainly not a fly by night operation.  The company operates as the bank holding company for Hudson City Savings Bank that provides a range of retail banking services. It offers a range of deposit accounts, including passbook and statement savings accounts, interest-bearing transaction accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and time deposits, as well as IRA accounts and qualified retirement plans. The company’s loan portfolio primarily comprises one-to four-family first mortgage loans for residential properties; multi-family and commercial mortgage loans; construction loans; and consumer loans, such as fixed-rate second mortgage loans and home equity credit line loans, as well as collateralized passbook loans, overdraft protection loans, automobile loans, and secured and unsecured commercial lines of credit. As of December 31, 2009, it operated 95 branches located in 17 counties throughout the State of New Jersey; 10 branch offices in Westchester County, nine branch offices in Suffolk County, one branch office each in Putnam and Rockland Counties, and six branch offices in Richmond County; and nine branch offices in Fairfield County, Connecticut. 

These guys avoided the crazy loans that got many of their brethren in trouble.  Now, it looks like Hudson City is having the last laugh. 

Technically, the bank is approaching support at $10.80 per share.  Although it’s below the critical 200-day simple moving average, it’s a screaming technical buy at this level due to the solid support near the current price.  Traders need to watch this level very carefully for a bounce or break.   

Fundamentally and technically this bank says buy, so what’s not to like?  Well, I don’t like the massive bullish sentiment.  A survey by the Motley Fool indicated that 94% of their members commenting are wildly bullish.  Combining the Fool’s survey with a quick check across the web that confirmed this full bore bullish feeling, makes me very nervous.   I am a natural contrarian, meaning when everyone takes one side, I take the opposite.  Although this tendency has served me well in the past, time will tell with this one.  To me it’s a clear sell signal despite the solid picture.  Good Trading!

In the last couple weeks, oil prices have spiraled out of control; some places in the United States saw more than $4 per gallon gasoline before the Libyan tensions eased.  The Middle East is a powder keg of political strife ready to explode at any moment.  Given that this region is the main supplier of oil, it’s just a matter of time before supply fear disruptions hit the newswires again sending oil on another surge higher.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could produce enough oil domestically as not to worry about what happens in the Middle East?  Better still would be able to find away to profit from domestic oil exploration, production and sales. 

Well, our focus company today, Delta Petroleum Corp. (Nasdaq: DPTR) fills this critical need and is on the move higher.  Let’s take a closer look.

Founded in 1984, Delta Petroleum and its subsidiaries engage in the exploration, acquisition, development, production and sale of natural gas and crude oil primarily in the Rocky Mountain and onshore Gulf Coast regions. The company owns interests in developed and undeveloped oil and gas properties in federal units offshore California, near Santa Barbara, as well as owns developed and undeveloped oil and gas properties in the continental United States. It also engages in contract drilling operations, as well as providing moving services for third-party drilling rigs in the Casper, Wyoming, area. As of December 31, 2009, the company’s proved reserves were comprised of approximately 126.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and 4.5 Mmbbls of crude oil.

Delta Petroleum just reported third-quarter net income of $13.9 million, this is an incredible improvement over the $96.8 million loss same time last year.  These results have attracted investor interest in a big way.  Shares are trading at record volume in a sharp up trend.  Price is well above both the 50 and 200 day moving averages.   Savvy traders will watch this one very closely!