Blog Posts by Chris Nichols

F5 Networks (FFIV) was having one of the worst sessions in its history Friday, plunging 19% after its second-quarter estimates irked investors by coming in well short of forecasts.

The Seattle-based networking technology company said after the previous close that revenue for the fiscal second quarter would be $350.2 million, below its expectation of $370 million to $380 million. Earnings, excluding items, likely will be $1.06 to $1.07 a share, under F5's guidance of $1.21 to $1.24 a share.

On average, analysts had been looking for an adjusted profit of $1.23 a share and revenue of $375.9 million, according to FactSet.

Shares of F5 sold off in response, dropping 19.2% to $73.10 in recent action. Volume was approaching seven times that of a normal trading day. At its nadir for the session, the stock plunged 20.4% to $71.95, a 52-week low. The last time it fell further in a day was January 2011.

"From a market perspective, Telco bookings were down sharply on both a sequential and

Panera Bread (PNRA) traded at an all-time high Thursday after word that Goldman Sachs raised its price target and said investors should be buying shares of the sandwich and soup seller.

The firm put Panera, one of the so-called fast-casual restaurants that are generally more expensive than fast-food chains like McDonald's (MCD) or Burger King (BKW), on its conviction buy list, saying it warrants a $215 price target. That's $30 ahead of its prior target and nearly 27% above Wednesday's finish.

Recently, Panera was up $6.23, or 3.7%, to $175.73. Earlier in the session, it reached $176.67, a record intraday level. The best close ever recorded was $173.10 last October.

Panera has paid off in terms of appreciation for its long-term holders. In the last half-decade, the stock has surged more than 300%, averaging about 35% annually, FactSet data show. Even so, Panera has flattened out in the previous 12 months, advancing only 6%. Thus far in 2013, through the most recent close, it's added

Conn's (CONN) was hitting its best levels in years Wednesday after the electronics and furniture seller's latest profit projection charged up buyers.

In recent trading, the retailer, which has most of its stores in Texas, was ahead by 7.2% to $38.67, putting it right at analysts' consensus target price of $38.62. Volume was about five times as heavy as a regular day. At its session peak, Conn's traded for $41.36, a gain of 14.6% from the last close.

The latest surge came after the company said it believes earnings for the current fiscal year will be $2.40 to $2.50 a share, well ahead of Wall Street estimates. The current consensus is $2.13. Conn's also is forecasting same-store sales growth of 3% to 8% and 10 to 12 new stores for the year.

Conn's, based in The Woodlands, Texas, hasn't closed above $40 since January 2006. From there, it slumped, and as recently as mid-2011 it was a $5-and-change stock. But helped in no small part by improved financial guidance along the way, the shares

The stories of how Apple (AAPL) just ain't what it used to be when Steve Jobs ran the shop are building again, this time following an apology from the company to Chinese customers centering on warranties and service.

Apple posted a notice in Chinese saying effectively that it's sorry for its behavior toward owners of the iPhone 4 and 4S in the world's most populous country. The letter, signed by Apple CEO Tim Cook, says the Cupertino, Calif., company has received "a lot of feedback" about its repair and warranty policy in China, meaning it's been negative, according to the English version produced by Google Translate. Reports indicate China's media have been ramping up their criticism of Apple in recent weeks, clearly putting it on the defensive, but the Associated Press said at least some Chinese users weren't putting too much stock in the anger.

Regardless, the company went on to acknowledge that a lack of communication has led to Apple being viewed as arrogant and unbothered by any

For around 16 months, Chef Wiley Bates III has done his work in a closely monitored, difficult-to-access test kitchen in Plano, Texas, one where research is conducted, where ideas are abandoned or advanced, and where product development is handled with care.

He's gone from culinary school to high-end restaurants and hotels to this place, where he was found after a nationwide search that eliminated his competitors and left him alone, as the executive chef of Pizza Hut.

It is near this kitchen, located within an attractive building in a suburban office park, that he and a set of his colleagues are seated around the newest product from the pizza seller, the Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza.

The name is a fair one, though perhaps only by seeing it in person can one truly appreciate it. This particular item relies on the hand-tossed crust, but it comes with an immediately noticeable difference -- rather than the slices ending in that familiar arc of baked dough, each piece of the Crazy Cheesy

The first quarter of 2013 clearly has been a good one for the equity market overall, and on Thursday, the S&P 500 reached its all-time closing high. According to FactSet, five stocks in the index have surged 50% or more since the beginning of the year, and to this point, movie renter Netflix (NFLX) is No. 1 overall.

Yahoo Finance data show that, as of the previous close, the S&P is better by 6.9% from the first trading day in January, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average is ahead by 8.3%. The Nasdaq Composite has added 5%.

However, those upward moves are, as always, going to be paltry compared with the biggest percentage-gaining shares. So far, the S&P's winners are led by Netflix and its increase of 106.8%.

Doubling a share price in a quarter is always impressive, but that said, the major part of Netflix's climb occurred over just a few days in January after it reported a strong holiday run for its business. The shares closed at $97.81 on Jan. 22, and by Jan. 25, they were at

For McDonald's (MCD), the biggest worry of the moment may be Doctor's Associates Inc.

No, that's not a medical organization. It's a business that owns a very large restaurant chain. While it's true you could be excused for not knowing them, you're almost certainly familiar with their well-known operating unit. That would be Subway, the Milford, Conn.-based submarine sandwich shop that's grown at an extraordinary rate and is approaching 40,000 restaurants worldwide. It's nearly doubled its store count since 2003, the year it reached 20,000 units.

Shouldn't the headaches for Ronald McDonald & Co. come mainly from Burger King (BKW) and Wendy's (WEN)? They without question pose their own challenges, but, according to a report this week in Advertising Age, Subway also appears to be prominent among the things that cause angst for the Oak Brook, Ill., burger giant, in particular with regard to its appeal to the millennial generation.

Citing an internal company memorandum it obtained, Ad Age

Imagine you're right out of high school, making more than $100,000 a year. Now picture yourself doing it by playing video games. It happens. Not every day, but it happens.

Last week, a group of the best video game players in the world gathered in Dallas to compete for their share of $170,000 in prize money. Some 15,000 fans paid at the door to watch them. Around the world, 2.6 million more tuned in via the Internet.

Sundance DiGiovanni

This was the Major League Gaming Winter Championship. If you know "League of Legends," "StarCraft II" or "Call of Duty," there's a decent chance you're at least familiar with competitive gaming. If not, you might be surprised to hear it exists. It does, and it has more in common with better-known competitions, or sports, than you may think: An incredibly dedicated fan base, professional commentary with live action, winners and losers, favorite players and teams, and of course, paychecks for the players themselves.

Behind the tournament was New York-based Major League