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Profit in the Investment Ecosystem: Catherine Austin Fitts
2012-02-10 23:00:00
The Gold Report: According to your website, your mission is to provide the “deeper intelligence” investors need to succeed in this environment. From your perspective, what are the top two or three issues that most investors don’t understand because they don’t have that deeper intelligence they need to make better investment decisions? Catherine Austin Fitts: Our goal is to help readers, subscribers and clients build family wealth. We believe that the success of the family depends very much on the success and the building of community wealth. In other words, it’s very difficult for people to build wealth if everybody is making money in ways that destroy the greater economy. So we focus both on family wealth and on . . . → Read More: Profit in the Investment Ecosystem: Catherine Austin Fitts

This Biotech Stock Could Double
2012-02-10 19:00:00
A key challenge in the pharmaceutical industry these days is the staggering amount of drugs losing their patent protection. Back in November 2011, Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) Lipitor — the company's all-time best-selling drug, which reported annual sales in excess of $10 billion at its peak — lost its patent protection. In 2012, least branded drugs with $20 billion in 2011 sales will face competition from generic drugs. The vast majority of pharma companies face significant headwinds to replace this lost revenue. With every loss of a drug that achieves more than $1 billion in annual sales, companies must find a new one just to stay even. For most in the industry, this has meant taking a step backward, . . . → Read More: This Biotech Stock Could Double

European Finance Ministers Reject Greece Proposal
2012-02-10 09:37:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD JPY -0.18 CHF -0.27 EUR -0.38 GBP -0.40 After initial optimism that Greece’s political parties had finally reached an agreement on austerity measures yesterday, Eurogroup members subsequently rejected the proposals late in the evening, and demanded Greek Finance Minister Venizelos return to Athens to procure deeper cuts. It appears that EU policymakers are not yet willing to sign off on the deal until Greece shows a deeper commitment… Read More …
More About: Ministers

Positive Greek News Leads to Boost in Risk Taking
2012-02-10 08:00:00
Source: Forex Yard Positive Greek News Leads to Boost in Risk Taking The euro had a bullish day yesterday, after news was released that Greece had reached an austerity deal led to a spike in risk taking. The EUR/USD spent much of the day at or above the 1.3300 level after dropping to 1.3220 a day earlier. Today, traders will want to continue monitoring any announcements out of the euro-zone as they are likely to give clues as to where the markets will be heading. In addition, trade balance reports from both the US and Canada are likely to generate market volatility. Economic News USD – USD Retreats vs. Riskier Currencies, Sees Gains against JPY The US dollar . . . → Read More: Positive Greek News Leads to Boost in Risk Taking

What?s Next for Potash Producers: Jaret Anderson
2012-02-09 22:30:00
The Energy Report: You last spoke with The Energy Report in June 2011. What has transpired in the fertilizer and potash business since then, both in Canada and in Brazil’s emerging market? Jaret Anderson : The tail end of 2011 saw a period of weak demand for Canadian potash. Fourth-quarter shipments at Potash Corp. (POT:TSX; POT:NYSE) dropped by about one-third year over year (YOY). General concern over the economy gave dealers an incentive to avoid stocking up their warehouses, resulting in soft shipments, higher unit operating costs and quarterly earnings below expectations. However, Potash Corp. posted a 68% gross margin in its potash segment during the quarter, making it one of the most profitable publicly-traded businesses of this scale. . . . → Read More: What’s Next for Potash Producers: Jaret Anderson
More About: Finance

ETF Stats for January 2012: Trading Activity Continues to Slow
2012-02-09 19:21:00
January’s new ETF activity hit the highest level in seven months.  After ten days of no introductions, the pace jumped to more than one a day with 23 launches in the last 21 calendar days of the month.  So far the new rollouts have been limited to ETFs rather than ETNs.  Month-end totals stood at 1,189 ETFs and 203 ETNs for a total of 1,392 ETPs.  Two of the new listings are actively-managed funds, pushing their count to 41.  No products closed in January. ETF/ETN assets under management climbed 8.4% to $1.15 trillion, most of which came from market gains rather than new investments.  The largest product, SPDR S&P 500 (SPY), ended the month with more than $99 billion in . . . → Read More: ETF Stats for January 2012: Trading Activity Continues to Slow
More About: January

The World Has to Have this Resource? But There Simply Isn?t Enough of It
2012-02-09 19:00:00
How would you like to own a company that is GUARANTEED to sell everything it can produce? You could charge any price for your product and it wouldn't matter. The world is so desperate for what your selling it will pay ANYTHING to get its hands on it. For most companies, the idea is merely a fairy tale… If Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) tried to sell you a 20 oz for $10.00, then you'd probably laugh as you went to grab a regular priced Pepsi. But Coca-Cola doesn't sell uranium… and a nuclear power plant operator can't just switch to an alternative fuel source as easily as we can find a different beverage — making demand for the . . . → Read More: The World Has to Have this Resource… But There Simply Isn’t Enough of It
More About: Stocks

Defend Yourself from the Fed with These New Inflation ETFs
2012-02-09 18:20:00
Inflation can be deadly to your investments. It’s a silent killer, too — one that reduces your “real” asset value even when the “nominal” worth looks higher. As my colleague Mike Larson said just a few weeks ago, the Federal Reserve and other central banks are printing money at a faster and faster rate. A weak global economy is letting them get away with it — for now. But eventually they will run out of ink. The good news is that you and your investments aren’t helpless against the money-printing presses. And today, I’ll tell you about some new Exchange-Traded Funds that offer you a terrific chance to hedge yourself against monetary manipulation. How to Measure Inflation? Inflation . . . → Read More: Defend Yourself from the Fed with These New Inflation ETFs
More About: Inflation

3 Turnaround Stocks You Should Buy NOW
2012-02-09 14:30:00
The appeal of investing in turnaround stocks is very compelling. Some companies look to revamp products to re-invigorate sales growth. Others find ways to slash expenses and unlock major profit-margin gains. Still, others look to clean up a debt-laden balance sheet, which is often a key reason for investors to disregard a stock.  No matter the plan, long-depressed shares can get a new life as these moves pay off. A portfolio filled with turnaround candidates is a bad strategy. Even the best turnaround plans often go askew. Still, stocking your portfolio with one or two potential rebound candidates can help you beat the market averages.  Here are three potential turnaround stocks I'm watching closely. Some of these . . . → Read More: 3 Turnaround Stocks You Should Buy NOW

FX Traders Bet On Imminent Resolution To Greece Talks
2012-02-09 09:52:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD EUR 0.17 CHF 0.16 GBP 0.07 JPY -0.24 Greece failed deliver on yet another deadline yesterday, leaving bailout talks and bond swap negotiations still without an official conclusion. However, markets appear to have given Greece the benefit of the doubt that discussions are entering their final stages, and that an announcement could be forthcoming after today?s Eurogroup meeting. Looking at the price action from the euro (now trading… Read More …
More About: Traders

UK, Euro-Zone Interest Rate Decisions Set to Impact Markets
2012-02-09 09:30:00
Source: Forex Yard UK, Euro -Zone Interest Rate Decisions Set to Impact Markets The EUR/USD spent much of yesterday range trading, as investors were fearful of opening fresh buy positions ahead of possible Greek news. The market place is not forecasted to be nearly as quiet today, as euro-zone and British interest rate decisions and press conferences are forecasted to generate significant volatility. Should any of the news turn out to be negative, investors are likely to revert back to safe-haven assets which could cause the euro and GBP to drop. Economic News USD – US Unemployment Claims may Boost Dollar The US dollar spent much of the day yesterday range trading against most of its main currency rivals, including . . . → Read More: UK, Euro-Zone Interest Rate Decisions Set to Impact Markets

Earn up to 8% Yields with these 3 Old-Fashioned Telecoms
2012-02-09 02:30:00
With all of the media buzz that surrounds next-generation smartphones and their new apps, it's hard for investors to get too excited about good old-fashioned telecoms these days. That's a shame, since these companies can be a rich source of dividends for income investors. Many pay 5% yields, and some yield as high as 9%. Most of these high-yielding telecoms were founded decades ago to provide local and long-distance landline telephone services to rural communities. You may think these providers are becoming extinct — after all, the number of landline connections is contracting roughly 10% a year — but that's simply not the case. Instead of shrinking, these companies are offsetting eroding landline revenue with revenue from . . . → Read More: Earn up to 8% Yields with these 3 Old-Fashioned Telecoms

Platform Technologies Promise Big Payoffs: Juan Sanchez
2012-02-09 01:30:00
The Life Sciences Report: Have any of the proposals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Critical Path Initiative begun to collapse timeframes or make drug development more efficient and less capital-intensive? Juan Sanchez: When the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative first came out in 2004, it made a lot of sense. Back then, there were conversations on Wall Street about different parties and the FDA working together. That led to unique collaborations and kind of a different culture. But I’m not sure you can quantify the success of an initiative like that because you are, after all, at the mercy of biology as well as higher regulatory standards. The FDA is still approving 22?30 new drugs every . . . → Read More: Platform Technologies Promise Big Payoffs: Juan Sanchez

Gold Prices Driven Higher by Europe and China: Greg Weldon and Grant Willia
2012-02-08 22:00:00
The Gold Report: Recent headlines continue to focus on the debt crisis in Europe as more countries are having their debt downgraded. Greg, you have diagnosed the problem as credit addiction and said that the European Union won’t be able to recover until leaders take painful measures necessary to kick their addiction. What does this mean for commodities and commodity equities? Greg Weldon: It’s critical for asset prices across the globe. It is a debt addiction, debt refinancing and deficit financing problem, not only in Europe, but also in the U.S. and Japan. Austerity is the real answer to the fact that there is too much debt, and austerity measures in an economic sense are not positive. My . . . → Read More: Gold Prices Driven Higher by Europe and China: Greg Weldon and Grant Williams
More About: Finance

The Real Truth Behind the New Jobs Numbers
2012-02-08 21:16:00
Even though you know that trading the headlines is a sucker’s game, plenty of people who continually miss that memo wind up driving stocks up or down based on what they think the day’s headlines really mean. The bad news isn’t just that your positions can get hurt if stocks go down but, moreover, that they can get driven up artificially based on false optimism … which can cause them to crash even harder when the real news comes out, or when the next batch of headlines isn’t as positive (even if only in perception) as the last. The good news, however, is that you can easily become far more-informed than these trigger-happy buyers and sellers, simply by . . . → Read More: The Real Truth Behind the New Jobs Numbers
More About: Commentary

American Gridlock, Part 2
2012-02-08 20:11:00
Today we dive into Part 2 of Woody Brock’s notes from his new book, American Gridlock (www.amazon.com/gridlock). He looks at what we can do in the future to prevent another crisis like we had in 2008, why we need to change, how we bargain with China (will be very controversial, in China at least!), what capitalism really is, and then he addresses the thorny issue of what it means to distribute wealth fairly. What can be said to those concerned with the top 1% of the population owning a grossly disproportionate share of the nation’s wealth? You can learn more about Woody and his economic services at www.SEDinc.com, as well as see some of his previous essays. You can . . . → Read More: American Gridlock, Part 2
More About: Analysis

The Fed Resumes Printing
2012-02-08 19:08:00
By Bud Conrad, Casey Research The Federal Reserve recently announced important policy changes after its Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. Here are the three most important takeaways, in its own words: The Committee decided today to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and currently anticipates that economic conditions ? including low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation over the medium run ? are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014. The Committee judges that inflation at the rate of 2 percent, as measured by the annual change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures, is most . . . → Read More: The Fed Resumes Printing
More About: Government

Hepatitis C and Orphan Diseases Driving Big Biotech Potential: Geoff Meacha
2012-02-08 18:15:00
The Life Sciences Report: Geoff, what is your current theme? Geoff Meacham: We were very bullish on the biotech group in 2010 and 2011. Fundamentals are still very good, but I would say we’re more cautious on the performance of the group for all of 2012. One of the things we pointed out in our 2012 Global Biotech Outlook is that the tone of the group before 2012, literally last fall, was very negative. We offered a couple of ideas of what could change the sentiment very positively. It turns out that a lot of that stuff actually happened. Deals happened like the Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY:NYSE) $2.5 billion (B) acquisition of Inhibitex Inc. (INHX:NASDAQ). That caused a lot of . . . → Read More: Hepatitis C and Orphan Diseases Driving Big Biotech Potential: Geoff Meacham

Driving Value for Pharma and Biotech Companies: Insights from Biotech Showc
2012-02-08 18:15:00
In four years, the annual event went from 350 to 1,500 attendees with 858 companies participating, including 76 public companies, according to Sara Jane Demy, president of Demy-Colton Life Science Advisors and conference co-founder. The conference, which ran Jan. 9?11, gave small-cap and private biotech companies and investors a focused home during the busy J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. “This industry attracts really smart people who are trying to find ways to cure disease and, along the way, earn money for their investors. Their passion for finding cures and developing new therapies helps drive these companies forward even when times are challenging,” she said. They are delivering needed drugs?either on their own or in partnership with other biopharma companies. Several . . . → Read More: Driving Value for Pharma and Biotech Companies: Insights from Biotech Showcase 2012

A New Reason Gold Stocks Will Soar
2012-02-08 18:08:00
By Jeff Clark, Casey Research There are a number of reasons why many of us believe gold stocks will shoot for the moon before this bull market is over ? they’ve done so many times in the past? the gold price still has a long way to climb? and producers are generating record revenue and profits. But I think there’s another reason why gold stocks will soar ? one that hasn’t dawned on many in the industry yet. The premise for my theory first lies in how gold itself is viewed. Some investors see gold as strictly a commodity or the infamous “barbarous relic.” This group sees no compelling reason to buy the metal and so own little to . . . → Read More: A New Reason Gold Stocks Will Soar
More About: Commodities

After a 40% Surge, This Stock Could Give it all Back
2012-02-08 17:30:00
Last summer, when Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) was messing with its pricing plans, alienating its customers in the process, I spotted a clear opening for rival Coinstar (Nasdaq: CSTR), which runs a kiosk-based DVD distribution system. As I wrote then: "Thanks to Netflix, Coinstar's DVD business will thrive for even longer than some short sellers had predicted. This is because it's increasingly apparent that Redbox looks set to take some market share. Simply put, it's a better deal for customers." Six months later, Coinstar is now posting stellar results, and its shares are up more than 40%. In fact, a just-announced deal with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) to enter the streaming video market has led some to conclude that . . . → Read More: After a 40% Surge , This Stock Could Give it all Back

Euro Benefits From Greece Optimism
2012-02-08 10:11:00
Source: Advanced Currency Markets | G10 Advancers and Decliners vs USD EUR 0.09 GBP 0.08 CHF -0.06 JPY -0.26 The euro has rallied strongly over the last 24 hours as speculation mounts that Greece is close to resolving some of the outstanding issues standing in the way of securing further bailout cash. Yesterday afternoon, a Greek government spokesman announced that political leaders had scheduled to meet today and respond to the latest troika proposals by noon; a development which seems to suggest a… Read More …
More About: Euro

EU Debt Crisis Continues to Fuel Risk Aversion
2012-02-08 08:09:00
Source: Forex Yard EU Debt Crisis Continues to Fuel Risk Aversion The euro-zone debt crisis continued to fuel risk aversion in the market place yesterday, as poor news briefly brought the EUR/USD pair below the 1.3100 level. The pair staged a recovery later in the European session, after it was revealed that Greek leaders had begun finalizing a debt swap deal. Today, traders will want to continue monitoring the euro-zone situation, especially as it is becoming clear that Portugal will soon need a bailout to avoid defaulting on its debt. Economic News USD – USD/JPY Continues to Make Gains The US dollar extended its recent bullish run on the Japanese yen yesterday, with the pair reaching as high as . . . → Read More: EU Debt Crisis Continues to Fuel Risk Aversion

These Stocks Look Ripe for a Pullback
2012-02-08 04:00:00
As the market has crawled ever higher during the past three years, a clear theme has emerged: When the market slumps, investor pessimism gets carried to extremes; and when the market posts a strong rally, things are not as solid as they appear. Indeed, that's where I think we are right now. The markets are in the midst of another strong run, though considerable challenges remain. Sure, we've seen a slew of positive economic reports in recent days, but the U.S. economy is far from healthy. Perhaps of greater concern: companies are reporting that sales are rising faster than profits, a sure sign that profit margins are slipping back. So if the U.S. grows in the 2-3% . . . → Read More: These Stocks Look Ripe for a Pullback

MLPs?Wall Street?s Best-Kept Secret: Yves Siegel
2012-02-08 00:30:00
The Energy Report: Yves, what can investors expect out of MLPs between now and the end of 2013? Yves Siegel: Steady as she goes. The yields for our group now are around 6%, and we expect distribution growth to be about 7%. If Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is true to his word, we’ll continue to expect an environment of low interest rates for the next two years. So if you combine the yield and the distribution growth, we think investors could see low double-digit returns. TER: How do distributions grow? YS: When contracts roll over on terminal assets, they typically roll over at higher rates because they’re competing with new facilities. In order for companies to get a . . . → Read More: MLPs—Wall Street ’s Best-Kept Secret: Yves Siegel
More About: Finance

Economic Recovery Surprises Continue
2012-02-07 19:24:00
Increasing momentum in the jobs picture may indicate the recovery is further along than previously thought I’ve been writing some quite optimistic and positive columns since October, quite a contrast to the negativism I was exuding last April in explaining why I expected a significant market correction during the summer months. There certainly has been reason for optimism since October. It wasn’t just that the stock market was about to enter its traditional favourable season, and was coming off a significant correction low that had the S&P 500 down 20% on October 3. It was that it was beginning to look like the economy was recovering after its stumble in the first half of the year. . . . → Read More: Economic Recovery Surprises Continue

This May be the Best Emerging Market to Own Right Now
2012-02-07 17:30:00
Many investors have rejected emerging markets, and I can't say I blame them. As a group, emerging markets really went sour in 2011, dropping nearly 19% and trailing the S&P 500's 2% gain by about 21%. Still, I urge those who feel these markets are nothing but bad news to reconsider. After returning 76% in 2009 and 19% in 2010, they were due for a pullback. But now, emerging markets have resumed their upward march, rising more than 14% so far this year, compared with about a 6% gain for the S&P 500. Now seems an especially good time for investors to jump into emerging markets, because their future once again looks bright. Assuming Europe's debt crisis continues . . . → Read More: This May be the Best Emerging Market to Own Right Now

ETFs Are Going BATS and Why You Should Care!
2012-02-07 17:15:00
BlackRock rolled out seven new single-country ETFs in late January.  Three are the first iShares products to individually target Denmark, Finland, and Norway.  Four others complement existing large cap offerings with small-cap exposure in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the U.K. January was a busy month for BlackRock, which rolled out a dozen new iShares-branded international ETFs in the month.  Even more interesting, the listings were done on three different U.S. stock exchanges. BlackRock’s first batch of new ETFs for 2012 went the traditional route through NYSE Arca, which typically gets the lion’s share of new ETF listings.  Two more iShares international ETFs emerged on the Nasdaq on January 19. The third wave, consisting of seven more single-country ETFs, were . . . → Read More: ETFs Are Going BATS and Why You Should Care !
More About: Bats

Simple Steps to a Better Retirement Plan
2012-02-07 16:13:00
In a couple days, I’ll be heading down to Orlando to attend the 2012 World MoneyShow. I always enjoy my time at this annual event because it gives me a chance to interact with other investors on a more personal level. I get to hear what they’re thinking about … to discuss the investments they’re using … and to talk more about the challenges and opportunities that they’re facing. For the third year in a row, I’ll also be sharing some of my big-picture ideas, strategies, and investing ideas in a special workshop. And if you’re planning on coming to the show, I hope you’ll attend! Of course, either way, I wanted to give you a . . . → Read More: Simple Steps to a Better Retirement Plan
More About: Personal Finance

Nine More ETFs Emerge
2012-02-07 15:15:00
The second wave of product launches for 2012 contains a pair of “breakeven inflation rate” ETFs, a small-cap emerging Asia-Pacific fund, two low volatility ETFs targeting emerging and developed international markets, new ETFs targeting the regional emerging markets of Latin America and EMEA, an actively-managed fund-of-funds with a global rotation strategy, and a German sovereign debt fund. ProShares 30 Year TIPS/TSY Spread (RINF) listed on 1/12/12 with an expense ratio capped at 0.75% (RINF overview).  The underlying Dow Jones Credit Suisse 30-Year Inflation Breakeven Index tracks the performance of long positions in 30-year Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) and duration-adjusted short positions in U.S. Treasury bonds of the closest maturity.  The difference in yield (or “spread”) between these bonds . . . → Read More: Nine More ETFs Emerge