I have had my problem with Starbucks (SBUX) CEO Howard "Schultzie" Schultz in the past, but his latest little stunt has really ticked me off.

First things first, I will enjoy the occasional cup of Starbucks coffee, but the price has put a venti mocha-frappa-latte-chino out of my budget so I have started making my own at home. The company's product is good, but its competitors -- namely McDonald's (MCD) and Dunkin' Donuts -- offer a comparable product at a fraction of the price. I have long thought that Starbucks' saturation business model has been its biggest fault, with Schultzie's leadership running a close second.

Continue reading Starbucks CEO gives himself $1.3 million: So that's why coffee costs so much

Starbucks CEO gives himself $1.3 million: So that's why coffee costs so much originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Imagine taking the personal connections and interactions that occur every day on the likes of Facebook and Twitter... and bringing them to bear on an education. To a large extent, this hasn't been done yet, but the potential is profound. In a new report by the Center for Community Survey for Student Engagement, two-year programs aren't taking advantage of the tools at their disposal -- plenty of growth is still possible. Kay McClenney, director of the CCSSE, says, "Colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could."

Continue reading Community colleges missing the social media boat

Community colleges missing the social media boat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We have seen what exports can do for fast food restaurants. Can the same happen with coffee stocks?

In some ways, it is already happening. Starbucks (SBUX) has made a big push overseas and many of its stores can be found in foreign markets. And a weak dollar is going to accelerate the trend greatly.

Continue reading Weak dollar winner #3: Starbucks (SBUX)

Weak dollar winner #3: Starbucks (SBUX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, under the guise of betting on America, Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) made an offer to buy all outstanding shares of Burlington Northern (BNI) for a significant premium.

In making the announcement, Buffett confidently claimed that rail would play a big role in the recovery of the economy. What he did not say was that this was a bet on the U.S. dollar.

Continue reading Five winners of a weak dollar: SBUX, PEP, AAPL

Five winners of a weak dollar: SBUX, PEP, AAPL originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) said its Q3 profit declined despite the popularity of Guitar Hero.
• Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) said Q3 revenue surged and its offered impressive cash flow numbers.
• Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) easily beat Q3 earnings estimates and raised its full-year guidance.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) lower Q1 results topped estimates and sent shares higher.
• Cognizant Technology Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: CTSH) was upgraded following its strong Q3 results.
• Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) received an analyst's upgrade following the Q3 results.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Cisco, Ford, Humana, MasterCard, Starbucks, Toyota ...

Earnings highlights: Cisco, Ford, Humana, MasterCard, Starbucks, Toyota ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Starbucks reports better than expected fourth quarter earnings

Starbucks reports better than expected fourth quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Earnings Preview: Starbucks

Earnings Preview: Starbucks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Company attitudes toward social media sites vary. Some swing the doors wide open, allowing employees to tend to their Facebook farms and update Twitter statuses throughout the day. Others lock 'em down, keeping non-business site access to a minimum.

A recent study found that, in the United States, 77% of employees with Facebook accounts check in with the community from the office. And, the amount of time they're spending in this part of the online world is growing. In the United Kingdom, another study found that 57% log in regularly from work, costing their employers 40 minutes a day.

Philip Wicks, a consultant at Morse PLC, a technology research firm in London, "It isn't just something you can do for half an hour during a lunch break but all through the day and because of that, it has a huge impact because people aren't necessarily concentrating on what they should be doing during the day." He estimates that this translates to lost productivity of $2.25 billion a year.

It seems like the obvious move would be to block the sites, but William Beers of PricewaterhouseCoopers disagrees. "Instead of trying to shut it down, I think we should try to embrace these technologies, put in a nice policy that governs it and explain to users the risks related to it, provide some training and then see what business benefits we can have from it," he said.

Continue reading Social media at work: not just a yes/no question any more

Social media at work: not just a yes/no question any more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) closed at $19.38. SBUX is scheduled to report Q4 EPS after the market close on November 5. SBUX November option implied volatility is at 48, December is at 42; verses its 26-week average of 47 contracts, according to Track Data.

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) closed at $30.15. TWX is expected to report Q3 EPS on November 4. TWX November option implied volatility is at 43; December is at 39; verses its 26-week average of 40, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: Starbucks November volatility at 48, December at 42 into EPS originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Once upon a time, retailers measured success by the number of people walking by in the mall, how many entered the store, the percentage they spent, and basket size. Now, a world of zeroes and ones has changed their perspective entirely. Social media is expected to be the star during the coming holiday season, with retailers pushing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter content to get in front of consumers and affect either online or in-store purchases. Smaller Christmas budgets are expected, so the fight is on to garner as large a share as possible of a shrinking pie.

Of course, nobody would come out and say, "Social media is nonsense, and I'm not getting anything for my investment." So, when the likes of Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), JCPenney (NYSE: JCP), and Target (NYSE: TGT) say that social media is connecting them with their customers and leading to more effective campaigns and product launches, do take it with a grain of salt. What can't be ignored, however, is that they're committing more resources to social media marketing, even though it's still far too soon to tell if it will be effective.

Continue reading Retailers push social media, want bigger wallet share for Christmas

Retailers push social media, want bigger wallet share for Christmas originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Equity markets ended the third quarter with their biggest losses in four months, and we're now staring down the closing months of 2009. Half the quarter, of course, is dominated by holiday sales, which ups the stakes at the finish line and sets the tone for the bulk of 2010.

Even though company performances have been fairly strong through this reporting season, it's tough to shake the nerves associated with depressed consumer spending and high unemployment.

Continue reading The 2009 home stretch could be bumpy for stocks

The 2009 home stretch could be bumpy for stocks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"One of the guiding principles of our growth investing system is the concept that major trends tend to persist longer and go farther than originally expected," says Timothy Lutts.

In The Cabot Stock of the Month, he explains, "It's a principle that supports our current bullish market stance and our recommendation of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (NASDAQ: GMCR), even though the stock is already up more than four-fold since March."

"The business, of course, is coffee, a true global mass-market product. And while Starbucks' stock peaked in 2006 (ending a 14-year run), Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is younger and far less famous.

Continue reading Green Moutain (GMCR): A coffee revolution

Green Moutain (GMCR): A coffee revolution originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Via, the new instant coffee product from Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX), is making its debut Tuesday on the national stage.

The powdered java was already available in select markets, but the so-called ready brew is now being rolled out to all of the coffee chain's U.S. locations -- and CEO Howard Schultz promises it "will change the way people drink coffee."

Continue reading Starbucks rolls out Via nationwide with major marketing blitz

Starbucks rolls out Via nationwide with major marketing blitz originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since its start in 1979, ESPN has grown at a rapid clip -- turning into the most powerful brand in sports media. With close to 100 million subscribers, the company has a variety of channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, and so on), a magazine, stores, a radio channel, restaurants, books, and websites. If considered a standalone company -- it is now 80% owned by Disney (NYSE: DIS) -- it would probably have a valuation above $20 billion.

Despite all the success, the ESPN story has had little coverage, unlike many of the other great companies of the past generation such as Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT).

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Learn from the mega success of ESPN

Entrepreneur's Journal: Learn from the mega success of ESPN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the wake of last week's public offering of Dollar General, more IPOs are expected to be coming down the pipeline as private equity firms seek a monetary return on investments made during the boom years. Speculation is that Toys "R" Us and Dunkin' Donuts could be next.

Toys "R" Us Inc. is owned by Bain Capital, KKR, and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO). The world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer was a public company from 1978 until its acquisition by the private equity consortium in July 2005 for $6.6 billion. It has more than 1,500 stores in 33 countries, and its businesses include Babies "R" Us, eToys.com, and FAO Schwarz, the latter two acquired earlier this year. Main competitors include privately owned KB Toys, as well as big-box retailers Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT).

Continue reading Toys 'R' Us and Dunkin' Donuts in line for IPOs?

Toys 'R' Us and Dunkin' Donuts in line for IPOs? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The indefatigable Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) has made another strategic business decision ... it has decided to raise the price for some beverages and reduce the cost for others.

What is the line of demarcation? Complexity. Drinks that take more of a barista's time to make (such as Frappuccinos) will now be priced 10 to 30 cents higher, while simple drip coffee and lattes will be priced 5 to 15 cents lower.

Continue reading Good news, bad news: Starbucks adjusts drink prices

Good news, bad news: Starbucks adjusts drink prices originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bears are on vacation (AIG, GME, PETM, GOOG, SHLD, SBUX)

Closing Bell: Bears are on vacation (AIG, GME, PETM, GOOG, SHLD, SBUX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Interesting article from the Associated Press this morning, taking a look at how fast banks expanded during the past five years. The article states that banks added more than 10,000 full-service branches in the past five years, with nary a bank in the inner city (actually, one of every 10 was in a minority neighborhood).

The banks were "racing" to plant themselves in various parts of the country deemed exclusive or growing. The problem that the article looks at is the dearth of banks located in inner-city locations, which could lead to more charges for customers. This is a very real problem, and warrants the discussion; however, I want to take a look at the problem of overexpansion for the banking industry.

Continue reading Can banks resist the urge to overexpand?

Can banks resist the urge to overexpand? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook is making the biggest ad splash since Google, according to an article in the Financial Times.

More than four-fifths of the largest advertisers in the United States have turned to the social networking platform to promote their wares -- after several years of fearing these types of communities. The lure of Facebook must have been too much to resist, with 340 million monthly unique visitors. Now, it's not unusual to see the likes of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Nike (NYSE: NKE), and AT&T (NYSE: ATT) advertising in this world.

Continue reading Major brands buying up Facebook ads

Major brands buying up Facebook ads originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

On Tuesday, July 21, brewing behemoth Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) bested Wall Street earnings estimates for the second quarter. The Seattle-based coffee giant reported earnings of $151.5 million in the period, driven by cost-cutting efforts and the downsizing of underperforming stores. Starbucks has now closed at 676 U.S. locations and almost 100 abroad.

For years, Starbucks was the darling of Wall Street. It seemed to do no wrong. The shares vaulted from less than 70 cents a piece in 1992 to $40 by 2006. But Starbucks wasn't managing its growth very well, and they opened too many stores far too quickly. As a result, shareholders paid the price.

Continue reading Coffee stock #5: Starbucks (SBUX)

Coffee stock #5: Starbucks (SBUX) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.