If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.
1. Ford tough
There's clearly pent-up demand for new cars, and the country's two largest automakers came through with double-digit percentage gains for the month of April.
Ford (F 0.17%) led the way with an 18% spike in sales, and even its once moribund Lincoln line managed to kick in a 21% surge in sales for the month of April.
The robust April comes on the heels of Ford's impressive $1.6 billion profit during the first three months of the year.
2. Turn up the radio
Sirius XM Radio (SIRI -1.29%) hit a five-year high this week after reporting mixed quarterly results.
The satellite radio provider actually missed Wall Street's top- and bottom-line targets for the first quarter, but investors shook that off as Sirius XM stuck to its earlier guidance and actually beefed up its free cash flow outlook.
The premium radio giant is now eyeing $915 million in free cash flow this year.
Sirius XM also revealed that it had spent nearly $500 million in buying back stock, and it's still less than a quarter of the way through with its share repurchase authorization. With Sirius XM showing comfort in its leveraged position it's safe to expect the aggressive buybacks to continue.
3. Sometimes you have to kiss a prince to get a frog
LeapFrog (LF.DL) came through with strong results during its seasonally sleepy post-holiday quarter.
Net sales rose 15% for the maker of electronic learning toys, comfortably ahead of Wall Street expectations. LeapFrog did post a loss -- that happens this time of year -- but the adjusted deficit of $0.04 a share was less red ink than what analysts were forecasting.
LeapFrog is reiterating its guidance for all of 2013, and its outlook for the current quarter is in line with where the pros are perched.
Yes, analysts are already at the generous end of LeapFrog's guidance, but we know that the toy maker's own guidance has proven woefully conservative in the past. LeapFrog has now beaten Wall Street's profit estimates for 12 consecutive quarters.
4. Setting blenders to whir
Jamba's (JMBA) finding that the proliferation of smoothies is actually helping its business.
The company behind the 820-unit Jamba Juice chain posted revenue growth in its latest quarter that clocked in twice as strong as analysts were expecting.
Systemwide comps rose 1.3% during the first three months of this year, and that's pitted against a difficult hurdle in the form of an 11.6% surge in same-store sales during last year's first quarter.
With so many burger joints and coffeehouse baristas offering icy fruit beverages, it seems as if the movement is educating the market more than actually eating into Jamba's potential sales.
5. Put on your rose-colored 3-D glasses
3D Systems (DDD 2.36%) was able to fire back at skeptics arguing that the hype over 3-D printing is overblown by delivering strong growth in its latest quarter.
Revenue climbed 31% for the period, fueled by an encouraging 81% surge in 3-D printer sales, and adjusted earnings rose 43% for the quarter.
Shares of 3D Systems skyrocketed 270% last year as investors were drawn to the prospects of the customized printing of physical objects. The stock came under bearish attack earlier this year, but the shares are now back in the black for 2013.
