You love buying your shirts when they go on sale. And who can resist a buy-one-get-one-free offer? So when our stocks go on sale, why do we bemoan their low prices?
Smart investors like Warren Buffett or Marty Whitman love it when their stocks are suddenly selling at bargain-basement prices. For them, these companies become no-brainer buys.
The investors who populate the Motley Fool CAPS community also like a bargain, apparently. Below, you'll find five stocks whose shares are selling at least 50% below their 52-week highs, but which still earn top honors from our investor-intelligence database. Consider it a BOGO sale on stocks.
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Stock
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CAPS Rating
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% Off 52-Week High
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Clean Energy Fuels (Nasdaq: CLNE)
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*****
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57%
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Denbury Resources (NYSE: DNR)
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*****
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58%
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Diana Shipping (NYSE: DSX)
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*****
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58%
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GigaMedia (Nasdaq: GIGM)
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*****
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56%
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Spreadtrum Communications (Nasdaq: SPRD)
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*****
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53%
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Naturally, we want you to look a bit closer at these stocks before buying. You can get low-priced appliances in the dent-and-ding section of your home-remodeling superstore, but their quality might not be so good. Same thing here: Make sure there's nothing seriously wrong with the company before you plug it into your portfolio.
Take two, they're small
When one company catches a cold, it's always a good idea to see who else in the industry may be starting to sneeze. Sometimes that ripple effect can work in reverse, too, as a strong earnings report signals a lifting of all boats. So when Chinese Internet and online gaming services provider NetEase.com (Nasdaq: NTES) reported higher first-quarter earnings and revenue last month, buoyed by strong player support for its games, investors in GigaMedia might have expected their gaming specialist might to report strong earnings, too.
That wasn't the case, though: GigaMedia reported a 60% drop in profits. While analysts had low expectations to begin with, the company still missed by a penny, even though revenue came in higher than anticipated. Part of the problem centers on the poker and casino-software business it's trying to unload. Revenue fell 27% for poker, but rose 18% in the casino line, though the overall decline suffered as a result of the dollar gaining strength against the euro.
Investors should look for hope in the remaining online games business. While revenue was down year over year, it surged 33% sequentially on the strength of its FunTown-branded gaming platform. And with a passel of new games coming online this year, including Electronic Arts' (Nasdaq: ERTS) Warhammer Online and NBA Street Online, GigaMedia should be able to effectively compete against the World of Warcraft phenomenon.
The strength of GigaMedia's continuing operations, and its ability to cut costs, inspires confidence in CAPS member Disda:
I think this stock has been beaten down unfairly-culminating in the most recent quarterly report. They missed earnings by one cent a share, and said they have weathered the "bottom". A couple of things I'm hesitant on-there's a good article about whether or not they will be able to sell their Everest platform that has been consistently under performing. They did mention they are in "final round negotiations with two parties" regarding the sale. Regardless of that-I don't consider a one cent miss to warrant a 15% drop. On top of that-the quarter held a 33% revenue increase from it's Asian online gaming section (a business line I feel has alot room for growth). Couple that with this statement made in response to the earnings miss: "We have responded with a set of cost reductions and efficiencies which will protect the financial strength of the business, as well as prepare for a return to growth as a leaner, tighter organization." For me, this solidifies their position as an undervalued organization taking steps to come out of the downturn in a better position....
Chinese stocks remain strong, however, and the Shanghai Composite Index has risen 13% this month, while the 200 stocks in the CAPS China sector have gone up by 8% over the same time frame. GigaMedia, on the other hand, has fallen slightly.
Have half a mind
It pays to start your own research on these stocks on Motley Fool CAPS. Read a company's financial reports, scrutinize key data and charts, and examine the comments your fellow investors have made all from a stock's CAPS page.
Sign up today for the completely free service, and tell us whether these stocks are twice as good at half the price
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