priceline

6 Stocks to Buy Before Black Friday

Mikey Rox — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 10:00:07 +0000

Thinking about playing the stock market to take advantage of the holiday uptick? Consider investing in these stocks to boost your gift-shopping budget. Or, just scrap it all and go on vacation. Merry Christmas to you!

1. UPS

It makes perfect sense that global-shipping giant United Parcel Service [NYSE: UPS] would see a surge in stock prices as the height of shipping season approaches. A recent survey conducted by comScore reveals that online shopping will increase this year — to nobody's surprise — and that only means more business for UPS. According to independent trader and investor Tela Holcomb, UPS stock has risen from early November to early December for nine out of the last 10 years. Given data that even more packages than ever before will crisscross the country this year, 2016 should be a boon for business as well. She notes, however, that stock trends are based on historical data and should not be taken as investment advice; your personal decision on whether to invest should be supported by current stock charts.

2. Amazon

Amazon [NASDAQ: AMZN] has given department stores a run for their money and their stock price shows it. Like UPS, Amazon's stock has a trend of rising from early November to early December, nine out of the last 10 years, with the highest increase being over 11%, according to Holcomb.

3. eBay

If Amazon doesn't have what you're looking for when shopping for gifts, eBay [NASDAQ: EBAY] probably does — which is why each of these platforms continues to perform at peak levels during the holidays. Vic Patel is a professional trader and investor with over 20 years' experience in the Stock, Futures, and Foreign Exchange Markets, and he's particularly bullish about eBay in the short term going into Black Friday.

"Last year, eBay posted a healthy 4% gain from early November leading into Black Friday; I see a similar seasonal tendency for the stock this year as well," he says. "This is especially likely given that the stock has been beaten down a bit over the last few months and is ready for a bounce upwards."

4. Priceline

The holiday period has a stronghold on many industries, including restaurants, retail, and travel. Which is why it stands to reason that during the most traveled period of the year — the day before Thanksgiving through New Year's — travel sites like Priceline [NASDAQ: PCLN] start climbing.

"Analyzing changes in Priceline's stock price shows the stock has a trend of going up the last two weeks of November into the beginning of December," Holcomb says. "With Thanksgiving being the day before Black Friday, it's no surprise their stock is up around this time."

5. Big 5 Sporting Goods

In a year that saw one of the biggest sporting goods store in the United States — Sports Authority — go belly up, it's a surprise (or maybe not, thanks to less competition) to see Big 5 Sporting Goods [NASDAQ: BGFV] projecting gains. But the company, with an e-commerce platform and brick-and-mortars limited to the western U.S., is dazzling investors. In fact, Forward View, an investment research provider, moved the company from a sell rating to a buy rating while increasing its target price to $20, up from $15, based on new modeling.

6. A Few Things You've (Maybe) Never Heard Of

The election of soon-to-be President Trump sent the market into a tailspin leading up to the results, but the Dow bounced back to post a six-day winning streak, closing at a record high despite a tech fall, according to CNBC, with Goldman Sachs [NYSE: GS] and UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] contributing the most gains. Before the election, however, GoBankingRates predicted a few stocks poised to grow, including Applied Materials [NASDAQ: AMAT], Edwards Lifesciences [NYSE: EW], ARRIS [NASDAQ: ARRS], Lam Research [NASDAQ: LRCX], and Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC]. These stocks represent a wide range of industries — from entertainment and communication technology (ARRS) to aerospace and defense tech (NOC) — none of which are tied to the holidays outright. It's sometimes wise to look beyond the obvious.

The General Consensus

Invest in seasonal or holiday-driven companies to make the most out of this time of year. Get in and get out.

"Chances are if you're spending more than usual during the holidays, so is everyone else," says financial expert Dustin Jacobs, VP for marketing at BrightStar Credit Union. "Use this to your advantage by buying stocks in companies that are most profitable during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's like airlines including JetBlue, retailers like Target and Amazon, and transportation companies such as UPS and FedEx. Do it before the 'January Effect' kicks in and you'll be ready to ring in the New Year with a champagne toast to a temporary bull market."

This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

7 Expensive Stocks That Are Totally Worth It

Tim Lemke — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:10 +0000

So, you want to buy shares of stock from a familiar company, but are surprised to realize that shares are selling for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars. As it turns out, some of the priciest stocks may also turn out to have the best value in the long run.

High prices may be intimidating, but there's no need to fear them. Let's take a look at some of the most expensive stocks, and outline why they may still be worth buying.

1. Alphabet [NASDAQ: GOOGL]

Just one share of the company formerly known as Google will set you back more than $800. But don't look away from a company that has seen shares rise 16% in the last year, and now rivals Apple for the largest company on Earth. Alphabet's price-to-earnings ratio is 30, which is on the high side, but not outlandish for a company with strong revenue growth.

2. Priceline [NASDAQ: PCLN]

Years ago, Priceline shares underwent a reverse split in order to avoid being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Now, shares are nearly $1,500 a pop. The popular travel booking company also owns Booking.com and Kayak, among others. Shares are up 12% this year, with analysts indicating the price could top $1,700 a piece.

3. NVR [NYSE: NVR]

At more than $1,500 a share, this homebuilder has one of the highest stock prices around. But shares are actually down about 10% just in the last three months, so a rebound may be in order. The consensus from analysts is that NVR could trade closer to $1,700 by year's end.

4. Amazon [NASDAQ: AMZN]

The world's leading online retailer consistently gets called out for its small profits, and is often deemed overpriced by analysts who look at its eye-popping price-to-earning ratios. But these proclamations have historically been followed by significant run-ups in share price. At more than $800, a share of Amazon isn't cheap. But would you bet against Amazon entering the holiday shopping season?

5. Berkshire-Hathaway [NYSE: BRK]

Do you have $210,000 laying around that you'd like to invest? That's what a single one of Berkshire's Class A shares will cost you. Class B shares are available for mere mortals like us for a mere $144. Is Berkshire too expensive? Buffett has missed some bets over the years, but shares are up about 9% this year, and have averaged a more than 11% annual gain in the last decade.

6. Apple [NASDAQ: APPL]

At more than $117 a share, Apple isn't cheap. And many observers do wonder about the company's path in the post-Steve Jobs era. But this is still the company that makes the most popular smartphone in the world, and no company has a larger market capitalization.

7. Chipotle [NYSE: CMG]

There has been a lot of negative press around Chipotle after e-coli and norovirus outbreaks that sickened hundreds of people. The news sent share prices reeling, but but the company is working its way back. The company is trading at about $395 per share, a relative bargain compared to a year ago, when shares were well above $700. USA Today reported in September that there was "still plenty of upside left in the stock." Assuming the company has a handle on its food safety issues, there may be a profit opportunity with Chipotle.

This article is from Tim Lemke of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Buy Stocks, Priceline-Style

Carlos Portocarrero — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:07 +0000

When Priceline burst onto the scene in 1998, it stood out because it offered would-be travelers a new, cheap way to book airline tickets.

By allowing users to name their own prices, Priceline turned the online-travel world upside down. Instead of scouring the web trying to find the best price, you could set your own price for a flight, cross your fingers, and hope you’d get “filled” at that price.

People loved the idea of being able to set their own price for something as expensive as a plane ticket.

But can this model work in other parts of life, like buying and selling stocks? Say a stock you love is priced at $25, but you want to buy it at $20. Wouldn’t it be great if you could put in an order at $20 and have it filled if the price dipped down to that level?

That’s possible — it’s called a limit order, and it basically says “buy this stock if/when it hits $20.” But if it takes months or years for the stock to come down, you’re wasting valuable time. Plus it’s boring.

Enter options.

Options allow you to make the same trade with one exception: You can make money each month that the stock doesn’t hit your price. You’ll still have to wait for the price to come down, but you’ll get paid while you wait.

It’s like Priceline sending you a check for $30 every month that they can’t find you a flight to LA at your $500 price.

The downside, of course, is that you never know when you’ll get to go to LA. You might never go because the price may not fall that low, but at least you’ll get paid to wait.

That’s how the "cash-secured put" strategy works — you name your own price, and you get paid while you wait. There are a bunch of other options strategies out there, but this one is a personal favorite.

For investors looking to buy a stock at a specific (lower) price, the cash-secured put is a popular way to use one of the advantages of options to make a stock trade.

If you want to test out a cash-secured put or any other options strategy, a great way to go about it, especially for beginners, it is to try it in a virtual trading account. Online brokers like OptionsHouse* offer virtual trading free of charge. In a virtual account, you are able to try trading with real stocks and prices, but with virtual dollars. Once you’ve learned the ropes and gained the confidence, you can try the cash-secured put for real.

One thing to remember: The “cash-secured” part implies that you’ve got the money available to buy the stock at the discount price you want. If you are waiting for that stock to hit $20, and you’d like to buy 100 shares, you’d need to set aside $2,000 for if/when the stock hits your target price.

If you do wind up owning the stock, you’ll take on the same risks as owning any other stock — gains are unlimited if the shares rally, but the stock can also go down to zero.

Think of the cash-secured put as the “Priceline of options strategies,” without the William Shatner endorsement.

* Disclaimer: I am an employee of OptionsHouse and do not have a position in or endorse Priceline as a company or a stock. The views and opinions expressed on this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of OptionsHouse, LLC or any of its affiliated companies. Check out more cash-secured put examples on the OptionsHouse blog.

This article is from Carlos Portocarrero of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

If It’s Not Sunny In Philadelphia, It’s Free!

Linsey Knerl — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:15:31 +0000

Looking to book a trip through Priceline? Do it now, and you can be eligible for their Sunshine Guaranteed offer . Here are the details on this “rain or shine” promotion:

What’s it good for? By booking your summer vacation package (for departure between July 1^st, 2008 and September 7^th, 2008) now, you can get in on this deal! Get your trip to over 100 vacation destinations finalized before July 17^th, and be sure that it is between 3-8 days long (travel dates included.) You must also be sure to book at least 12 days in advance.

What’s the Guarantee? If it rains more than ½ inch total accumulation on each of at least half the days of your vacation, your trip is free! So if you are vacationing for 3 days, you must have rainfall on 2 days. If you are traveling for 8 days, it must rain on 4. (Get it?) Your cost of airfare, hotel stay, rental car, attractions booked through Priceline, and all taxes and fees are included in the refund.

Who keeps track of the weather? Priceline, of course. And while you can use your own rain gauge or a trusty meteorologist to keep score, Priceline will keep tabs on the rainfall (provided by the National Weather Service) for your destination. Rainfall will be updated periodically via a special link, and if the moisture measures up, your refund will be automatically sent to you.

Is Seattle included? Were you going anyway? I wouldn’t make a special trip in hopes of getting something for free (it’s been a wacky year, after all.) But if you’re headed somewhere special and can’t decide on an online booking provider, this may be the way to go. Getting rained out is no fun, but even a week stuck in a hotel can be relaxing if it’s free!

For a complete list of destinations (which include Seattle, Key West, Toronto, and Philadelphia – plus too many to mention), visit Priceline’s guarantee page. (And try not to be too disturbed by Shatner's karate chop.)

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This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Find the cheapest hotel in seconds

Paul Michael — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:02:53 +0000

Let's cut to the chase; when you're shopping around for hotels, you want the best location, the best star-rating and the best service for the lowest possible price. Usually, that means opening up about 10 browser windows and comparing the deals. Well, not any more. A new search-engine I've just discovered does it all for you in seconds.

The website, according to Mike Elgan of Computerworld , is basically using Google Maps technology. It mashes it up with a hotel-finder to give you a complete list of hotels in the area you choose, ordered by price. It's called, wait for it, Map Channels Hotel Directory. Thankfully, the service it provides is way better than the uninspired name.

When you first get to the site , you put in your destination, check-in date and number of nights. The radar on the map to your right begins spinning and shortly thereafter, a list of hotels starts appearing on the page. Give it time to work, as it finds cheaper hotels it slots them in until you get a complete list of what's available, the rating and the price.

I also suggest changing the listing to DETAILED, which gives you a complete write-up of each hotel and pictures. That can be really helpful because some of these bargain hotels look right at home in a horror flick. But others, well, you'll be surprised at how cheap the good hotel rooms can go for.

IMAGE GALLERY is an even better option if you're a visual shopper. This basically gives you photos of the hotels with a room rate beneath. And, you can also order your lists by rating or name, and change the currency, too.

Give it a try, let me know how it works out for you. But I know I'll probably leave Hotels.com, Priceline, Travelocity and Orbitz alone for a while. This saves me a lot of time and trouble. Happy travels.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: