Markets

Every Friday, I take a look at

seven companiesthat are projected to post year-over-year
drops in quarterly profitability the following week.

You'll find them everywhere that retail sales numbers are
reported: "same-store sales." You might not think too much
about the term, but it's important to understand what it's
telling you.

I did not think it possible for
American Science & Engineering (Nasdaq:
ASEI) to thrill me again,

as it did earlier this year.

Welcome to week 65 of my

stock-picking throwdownwith Mr. Market. Let's get right
to the numbers:

The most recent quarter was something of a good-news,
bad-news affair for cable kingpin
Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA). While video
subscriber numbers continue to shrink, the company
nevertheless watched its net income increase by 22% year over
year.

Sadly, there's no such thing as

an ultimate buy signalwhen it comes to investing in
stocks. Identifying companies with the wind at their back
takes time, patience, and a good dose of due diligence.

Sadly, there's no such thing as

an ultimate buy signalwhen it comes to investing in
stocks. Identifying companies with the wind at their backs
takes time, patience, and a good dose of due diligence.

When a stock hits a fresh high, it can mean that it’s on its way to greatness
-- or that it has run its course. Even with the risk of the latter,
searching for these outperformers can reveal companies that are doing
something right, much to their investors' delight.

When a stock's share price is lower than the mercury in a
North Dakota thermometer in February, investors tend to give
it the cold shoulder. But as the market warms to a stock's
prospects,

its price can heat up in a hurry. Alas, you can rarely
tell that a stock is melting investors' hearts until
afterit has made that leap up.

Welcome back to Growthsville,
Blue Nile (Nasdaq: NILE).