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New Era of Stability in Some African Countries: Christopher Welch
2012-01-13 23:30:00
The Gold Report: Most of your coverage universe at Ocean Equities consists of precious metals juniors with exploration- or development-stage projects. Why do you cover these types of companies? Christopher Welch: It’s the end of the market where our expertise has the biggest effect, particularly since my colleagues and I are either geologists or experienced industry professionals. We can look at ground where we know it’s going to be prospective. We can look at the very early-stage exploration results and know if they are encouraging. We still cover some big, producing companies. One of our biggest companies under coverage is Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. (KGI:TSX), which is a growing intermediate producer. But we’ve had such an effect on . . . → Read More: New Era of Stability in Some African Countries : Christopher Welch

This Reader Made 550% on Silver? Could It Happen Again?
2012-01-13 19:00:00
Our inboxes have been overflowing following our recent talk aboutr silver. At last count, 1,565 readers requested more information, or otherwise wrote in to ask questions or make comments. There's definitely something about the bullish case for silver that gets peoples' attention. To recap… We think silver is a bargain right now. In fact, I've been telling my Scarcity & Real Wealth subscribers that I believe a sharp move in silver could be in store for investors. By some estimates, at current usage rates all known silver reserves will be mined out in less than three decades — or much sooner if anticipated new usages and increased demand from emerging markets come to fruition. [For . . . → Read More: This Reader Made 550% on Silver … Could It Happen Again?

Like Clockwork, Another Year Brings Calls for Another Housing Market ?Botto
2012-01-13 16:37:00
What was one of the best performing sectors in late 2011 … and the first several days of 2012? Would you believe HOUSING?? The Philadelphia Housing Sector Index, or HGX plunged to 73.65 in October. But then it started rising, ultimately tagging 109.65 this week. That’s a gain of 49 percent in just a couple months. Some individual stocks in the sector performed even better. Leading home builder Pulte Group (PHM), for instance, more than doubled. So what’s going on? Is the recent string of decent U.S. economic data foretelling better times ahead? Is Wall Street awash in optimism about the upcoming spring home buying season? Does the move reflect hope about Washington’s latest whiz-bang plan to save . . . → Read More: Like Clockwork, Another Year Brings Calls for Another Housing Market ?Bottom?
More About: Real Estate

Eurozone Sentiment Buoyed Ahead Of Italian Debt Auction
2012-01-13 10:00:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD GBP 0.36 EUR 0.27 JPY 0.03 CHF -0.08 EURUSD has rallied well in the last 24 hours, prompted by the decent showing at Spain?s debt auction yesterday and the ECB press conference failing to fuel Eurozone pessimism. Central bank governor Mario Draghi acknowledged the challenges facing the economy going forward, but also pointed to ?signs of stabilisation? which sounded a lot more optimistic than many had expected him to be in the… Read More …
More About: Auction , Italian , Debt

EUR Sees Gains Following Spanish Bond Auction
2012-01-13 08:50:00
Source: Forex Yard EUR Sees Gains Following Spanish Bond Auction The euro pared recent losses against its main currency rivals on Thursday, following a successful Spanish bond auction. The EUR/USD climbed well above the 1.2700 level, while the EUR/JPY saw steady gains throughout the day. Today, US news is forecasted to generate some market volatility. Traders will want to pay attention to the US Trade Balance and Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment figures for clues as to what direction the markets will take to close out the week. Economic News USD – Dollar Stages Downward Correction against Euro The EUR/USD turned bullish on Thursday, as the combination of a successful Spanish bond auction and the European Central Bank's decision not . . . → Read More: EUR Sees Gains Following Spanish Bond Auction

Renewable Energy Stocks that Deliver: John McIlveen
2012-01-12 23:01:00
The Energy Report: John , what is your current investment thesis? John McIlveen: Safety is still the dominant concern with small-cap companies, which are high-risk by definition. I mostly stick with power generators. High-yield Independent Power Producers (IPPs) returned over 20% in 2011, whereas manufacturing was slammed as many sectors entered cyclical lows. The generators have 20-year contracts, which provide highly predictable cash flow. To buy the manufacturers, you really have to understand the cycles. TER: What’s the relationship between conventional energy prices and renewable energy stocks? Do higher conventional energy prices trigger a bounce in renewables? JM: Optimally, it would be better for renewables if conventional energy prices were higher. However, the reality is that renewable prices do . . . → Read More: Renewable Energy Stocks that Deliver: John McIlveen
More About: Finance

Health Care ETFs Poised to Repeat Good 2011
2012-01-12 19:44:00
The final numbers are in, and 2011 was officially a “flat” year for the S&P 500. Without dividends, the large-cap stock index was actually down a fraction. With dividends, it gained only 2.1 percent. Today we’ll look at some interesting patterns in last year’s sector action — which was quite different from the broad market. Then I will make an observation about the way 2012 is starting off. Little Sectors Win the Year Standard & Poor’s classifies every individual stock into one of ten primary sectors. They then publish specific indexes for each sector (as well as dozens of sub-sectors within the ten primaries). So let’s see how each sector performed. Some were above-average while others lagged. . . . → Read More: Health Care ETFs Poised to Repeat Good 2011
More About: Health Care

2 Upstart Stocks with 50% Upside
2012-01-12 19:00:00
It's so hard for new companies to gain traction in a mature industry. A few big players typically control most of the market share, so when upstarts come along with a better set of products or services, they often get acquired by the big players anyway. Yet despite long odds, every year brings a new set of companies that are largely unfamiliar to investors. These companies push hard to boost sales at a fast pace, and once the revenue base hits a certain level, they can suddenly get a much bigger following on Wall Street. If successful, these companies can get swept up in a virtuous cycle of bullish research reports, increased hedge-fund interest, and analysis from folks . . . → Read More: 2 Upstart Stocks with 50% Upside

Pakistan to Produce Gas ? by Burning Underground Coal
2012-01-12 18:32:00
As we start a new year, consider the miserable plight of the average Pakistan i electricity consumer. With about 50 per cent less electricity generation capability than the actual demand, Pakistan’s National Grid is facing more than a 5,000-megawatt shortfall in power generation, leading to blackouts in both urban and rural areas of the country. Due to unscheduled shortages by the National Power Control Center, urban areas are facing unscheduled minimum 8-hour power blackouts each day, while in rural areas the blackouts can last as long as 14 hours. The situation is equally miserable in the country’s compressed natural gas (CNG) sector, which is now facing three days per week suspension of gas deliveries, the country’s textile sector . . . → Read More: Pakistan to Produce Gas – by Burning Underground Coal
More About: Energy

India: Land of Energy Opportunity
2012-01-12 17:28:00
By Marin Katusa, Casey Research Quick, what country is the economic engine that will power world growth? If you answered “China,” you’re far from alone. But there’s another country that deserves as much attention and better yet, is much friendlier to investment: India , home to 1.2 billion people. To electrify all those houses, power the industries that keep all those people employed, and fuel the vehicles that more and more Indians own, India’s energy needs are shooting skyward. First question to consider: what kind of energy does India need? Just about every kind, really. India encompasses significant reserves of coal, oil, and gas, but each year it has to import more and more to meet its rapidly rising demand. . . . → Read More: India: Land of Energy Opportunity

EURUSD Weighed Ahead Of Today?s ECB Decision
2012-01-12 10:01:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD CHF 0.17 JPY 0.11 GBP -0.14 EUR -0.23 Asian equity markets have kicked off the day in a rather subdued fashion, with modest losses across most major indices. The Nikkei is down -0.7%, Hang Seng -0.3%, and Shanghai Composite -0.1%. EURUSD has remained under pressure in the last 24 hours, as risk sentiment has waned and the market awaits the ECB monetary policy meeting later in the day. While consensus estimates are looking for no… Read More …
More About: Today , Decision

EUR Once Again Bearish Ahead of Debt Auctions
2012-01-12 08:41:00
Source: Forex Yard EUR Once Again Bearish Ahead of Debt Auctions Ahead of a key European interest rate announcement scheduled for later today, the EUR once again has turned bearish following comments from a from a leading credit agency which highlighted just how vulnerable the currency is. With Spanish and Italian debt auctions scheduled to close out the week, traders can count on heavy volatility throughout the day today. Economic News USD – Return to Safe-Havens Turns USD Bullish The US dollar recouped many of its losses from earlier in the week yesterday, as traders once again abandoned riskier assets in favor of safe-haven currencies like the greenback. The move brought the EUR/USD just shy of its 16-month low, . . . → Read More: EUR Once Again Bearish Ahead of Debt Auctions

Gold Volatility Breeds Equity Opportunities: Mike Niehuser
2012-01-11 22:30:00
The Gold Report: What was your prediction for gold prices in 2011 and how did last year’s investment ideas work out? Mike Niehuser: Depending on how you want to spin it, we were a little conservative in some respects, but for year-end 2011, we nearly hit it right on the nose. Our forecast for 2011 included the price of gold ranging from $1,300/ounce (oz) to $1,500/oz with the potential with some catalyst to go over $1,600/oz by year-end. In reality, gold traded up to $1,500/oz for the first half of the year making us look smart, then exploded to $1,900/oz and retreated back to where we thought we would end up at year-end at $1,600/oz. So very close . . . → Read More: Gold Volatility Breeds Equity Opportunities : Mike Niehuser
More About: Finance

Writing Covered Calls For Consistent Profits
2012-01-11 19:03:00
Writing covered calls for income has been a popular investment strategy for investors since standardized option contracts were first introduced in 1973. Many investors are happy with a modest rate of return, as long as it’s fairly predictable and consistent. Or, if you’re a risk loving investor seeking extraordinary returns, it is also possible to use covered call writing more aggressively. Writing Covered Calls The Conservative Way Playing it relatively safe with covered calls means choosing underlying stocks with these attributes: Large market cap. There are 508 stocks with market caps over $10 billion. That’s a good place to start. Even some mid-cap might be okay (if they are not ‘story’ stocks or momentum stocks). But conservative investors should . . . → Read More: Writing Covered Calls For Consistent Profits
More About: Writing , Options

This Retail Stock is in Deep Trouble
2012-01-11 19:00:00
When it comes to stocks, it's unwise to depend on hearsay. A reporter from a media outlet may be relying on dubious sources, or an analyst's conjecture may simply be "thinking out loud." Still, I pay close attention when a report emerges about a company I really know. And I think I have a duty to weigh in if that report doesn't fully explain the issue.   So when I awoke Wednesday morning (Jan. 11) and read an article in the New York Post alleging deep troubles at retailer American Apparel (NYSE: APP), I knew I could make the issue more comprehensible to readers. Here's what's going on… Back in mid-November, I suggested bankruptcy was looking like . . . → Read More: This Retail Stock is in Deep Trouble

Dovish Fed Speakers & Eurozone Concerns Weigh On Risk Sentiment
2012-01-11 09:57:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD CHF 0.17 JPY 0.11 GBP -0.14 EUR -0.23 Yesterday was a strong day for equity markets, with European bourses posting healthy gains and US indices also trading higher before the bout of Fed speakers started. Most of the rhetoric from US policymakers struck a dovish tone, with Cleveland Fed President Pianalto noting that inflation would dip below 2% in the first six months of this year, and that the US still ?needed to get its fiscal… Read More . . . → Read More: Dovish Fed Speakers & Eurozone Concerns Weigh On Risk Sentiment

EUR Sees Mild Gains in Slow News Day
2012-01-11 08:43:00
Source: Forex Yard EUR Sees Mild Gains in Slow News Day Riskier currencies like the euro saw mild gains in trading on Tuesday, as investors eagerly await euro-zone news set to be released on Thursday and Friday. Debt auctions from Italy and Spain, as well as the European Central Bank's interest rate decision are forecasted to generate heavy volatility for the rest of the week. Economic News USD – USD Falls against Riskier Currencies The US dollar took slight losses against most of its main currency rivals on Tuesday, as investors continue to unload some of their short USD positions following an increase in risk-taking. This is largely due to meetings between European leaders which many are hoping . . . → Read More: EUR Sees Mild Gains in Slow News Day

I?m Spending $7,000 on my Latest Stock Idea
2012-01-11 02:00:00
I like to strike while the iron is hot. That's why I've wasted no time committing cash from my $100,000 real-money portfolio in short order. To recap… I bought $12,500 worth of Ford Motor (NYSE: F), which I think is poised for great things in 2012, thanks to fresh car designs, a burgeoning cash balance and rebounding demand for automobiles. I committed a smaller stake to my second pick, Alcoa (NYSE: AA), just before the aluminum maker released year-end results and issued an outlook for 2012. [You can read my take here.] But sometimes, it pays to wait. I wanted to parse Alcoa's results and confirm my opinion that investors would begin to look forward to the . . . → Read More: I’m Spending $7,000 on my Latest Stock Idea

Look for End of Debt Supercycle: Thoughts from the U.S. Global Investors 20
2012-01-11 01:30:00
John Mauldin: Instead of doing an annual forecast, I’m going to look out about five years, which may be five times more foolish. What I want to do rather than try and figure out where the stock market is going to be at the end of 2012 or what gold is going to do, is look at the choices we have around the world. In most cases, political events don’t change the economic world all that much. It’ll probably annoy partisans on both sides, but if Clinton had lost to George Bush senior the first time, we would have still had a bull market. We were already in recovery. Yes, we would have had different Supreme Court Justices, . . . → Read More: Look for End of Debt Supercycle: Thoughts from the U.S. Global Investors 2012 Forecast
More About: Finance

MVP Energy MLPs: John Edwards
2012-01-10 22:00:00
The Energy Report: A year ago, you forecast average returns of 10% with the yield spread between master limited partnerships (MLPs) and 10-year U.S. treasuries at 290 basis points. How accurate did your forecast turn out to be? John Edwards : It turned out fairly well. The actual performance for MLPs beat our original expectations by about 390 basis points. On the last trading day of 2011, we were looking at 13.9% total return. We targeted yields on the sector between 6% and 6.5% and it ended near 6.1% at the lower end of our targeted range. TER: What is the current yield spread? JE: The current yield spread is approximately 4.2%, 420 basis points. TER: Do you . . . → Read More: MVP Energy MLPs: John Edwards
More About: Finance

Solving Critical Rare Earth Metal Shortages: Dr. Michael Berry and Chris Be
2012-01-10 22:00:00
The Critical Metal s Report: In a presentation at the China Investment Conference in December, you said that over the last 20 years the U.S. government has mismanaged its supplies of critical metals to the point where it depends almost exclusively on foreign sources. How did this happen? Michael Berry : It’s just now starting to dawn on Washington that we don’t have a stockpile. We had a stockpile through World War I and World War II (WWII) that was necessary to our national security. The U.S. was the biggest producer of rare earth elements (REEs) in the 1970s and 1980s. But then we allowed China to undercut our prices and we shut down the Mountain Pass mine, which was one . . . → Read More: Solving Critical Rare Earth Metal Shortages: Dr. Michael Berry and Chris Berry
More About: Finance

Important Forecasts for the Stock Market in 2012
2012-01-10 20:15:00
Last week I told you why I continue to insist that most investments I recommend pay for themselves through steady income generation, and why capital appreciation is merely a natural byproduct of that philosophy. However, I didn’t get specific on particular investment areas to consider in the new year. So today, I want to take a deeper look at the stock market by telling you what areas were the best performers last year as well as what sectors may hold the most promise as 2012 gets underway. So let’s start with … A Look Back at the Stock Market in 2011 For the full year, the S&P 500 ended just a bit lower — .0028 percent, . . . → Read More: Important Forecasts for the Stock Market in 2012

Can the U.S. Economic Recovery Overcome Europe?s Drag?
2012-01-10 19:15:00
Positive reports are coming from all the crucial segments of the economy In an October column I wrote, “For the first time this year the trend of U.S. economic reports is potentially bottoming and turning positive. And after being bearish in the spring and summer, I like what I see in the technical charts of many markets. If only we could ignore Europe .” That pretty much still defines the situation as we enter the New Year. Our indicators did trigger a buy signal in mid-October, and the Dow is up 16.5% from its early October low. The U.S. economic recovery did indeed get underway, and has been gaining momentum impressively. More importantly, the positive reports are . . . → Read More: Can the U.S. Economic Recovery Overcome Europe’s Drag ?
More About: Commentary

2012 Investment Themes
2012-01-10 16:55:00
As my good friend Gary Shilling says, in leading off his piece on 2012 investment themes, which is this week’s OTB, “This year is just the first step in the long-run journey that will continue to be dominated by The Age of Deleveraging” – which also just happens to be the title of Gary’s latest book. Whether you call it that or call it the End Game, as I have, it shapes up as a profoundly different and challenging era for all of us. Gary identifies 9 causes of slow global growth in the years ahead: 1. U.S. consumers will shift from a 25-year borrowing-and-spending binge to a saving spree. This will spread abroad as American consumers curtail the . . . → Read More: 2012 Investment Themes
More About: Analysis , Outlook

This Industry Giant?s Stock Could Gain 25%
2012-01-10 16:00:00
After a less-than-stellar performance for the S&P 500 in 2011, investors continue to scratch their heads as they try to figure out where to allocate capital for the New Year. Treasuries? Sure, if you want to pay too much, then take on more downside risk than you think and get paid next to nothing. The truth is, too many areas of the marketare stretched out like the cotton sweater I got from Target eight years ago that everyone in the house seems to borrow. But we can still find value out there. And one of my favorite stocks is pretty well known: a little fly-by-night outfit called International Paper (NYSE: IP). Why would I invest in . . . → Read More: This Industry Giant ’s Stock Could Gain 25%
More About: Stocks

Football Pitch-Sized Batteries Could Change the World of Renewable Energy
2012-01-10 15:55:00
2011 saw huge advances in solar, wind and other renewable energy sources, and these advancements will continue into 2012. In fact 2012 could be the year that renewable energy sources start to seriously compete with traditional fossil fuels, at least that is the hope in the battle to reduce carbon emissions and our dependence on dwindling oil stocks. However a major problem with renewable energy sources is that they can rarely provide consistent power levels, due to a myriad of factors outside of human control. Eric Wesoff, an industry analyst with Greentech Media, explains that, "A wind farm only works when the blades are spinning. It might have a nameplate capacity of 100 megawatts, but it never puts out that . . . → Read More: Football Pitch-Sized Batteries Could Change the World of Renewable Energy

The ONLY Way to Make Serious Money in 2012
2012-01-10 15:02:00
I’m a proud contrarian investor. So was my father, Irving Weiss. I began my career when I founded this company over four decades ago. He began his four decades before that. And from our combined experience, I can tell you flatly: Contrarian investing is the ONLY way to make serious money in 2012. If you follow the crowd, chances are you’ll lose; if you buck the crowd, the odds of winning will be greatly tilted in your favor. And even if I’m just half-way right about what 2012 will bring, contrarian investing could give you the opportunity for one of the greatest winning years ever. Myth #1: “Contrarian investors are perma-bears — always . . . → Read More: The ONLY Way to Make Serious Money in 2012
More About: Strategies

EUR Remains Vulnerable Following Small Gains Monday
2012-01-10 14:30:00
Source: Forex Yard EUR Remains Vulnerable Following Small Gains Monday Despite the small gains made by the euro in trading yesterday, analysts are quick to warn that the common currency still has room to fall if negative news continues to be released from the euro-zone. While there is a light news day today, traders will still want to watch out for any developments from the meetings between France and Germany which could affect euro pairs. Economic News USD – USD Takes Slight Losses but Remains Bullish Overall The US dollar took slight losses against its main currency rivals throughout the trading day on Monday, as fears that the dollar was becoming too strong dominated market sentiment. The EUR/USD came . . . → Read More: EUR Remains Vulnerable Following Small Gains Monday

China December Trade Surplus Boosts Risk Assets
2012-01-10 09:58:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD EUR 0.38 GBP 0.32 JPY -0.05 CHF -0.47 Asian equity indices have started the day strongly after Chinese trade data revealed a much higher than expected surplus for the month of December. Despite exports coming in precisely in line with expectations, imports came in significantly lower. We will have to wait until later in the month to see the breakdown of this figure, but if the drop turns out to be the result of lower demand for… Read More . . . → Read More: China December Trade Surplus Boosts Risk Assets

High Yield Stocks
2012-01-07 05:00:00
A popular screen for high yield stocks involves taking the Dow 30 industrial stocks, finding those with the highest dividend yield, and then sorting by P/E ratio. The idea is that by choosing high yield, low P/E, DJIA stocks you will be buying undervalued quality stocks. Then you can write covered calls against them. DJIA High Yield Stocks The top 16 highest yielding Dow 30 stocks today are: Company Symbol Dividend Yield AT&T T 5.8% Verizon VZ 5.1% Merck MRK 4.4% Pfizer PFE 3.7% General Electric GE 3.7% Johnson & Johnson JNJ 3.5% Dupont DD 3.5% Intel INTC 3.3% Procter & Gamble PG 3.1% Kraft Foods KFT 3.1% Chevron CVX 2.9% Microsoft MSFT 2.9% Travelers TVR 2.8% McDonalds MCD . . . → Read More: High Yield Stocks
More About: Options