Jutia Group

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

That Ticking Noise You Hear in Your Wallet is a Credit-Card Time Bomb
2008-05-15 20:15:00
For those holding out hope that the American economy can miraculously avoid a long and deep recession, consumer credit is often viewed as the wonder drug that can cure all manner of economic ills. As such, last week?s report showing that consumer credit grew by $15 billion was widely heralded as proof of America?s economic strength and resilience. The reality is very different, however: We?re already suffering from the after-effects of too much debt, meaning that our salvation cannot be found in more of the same. Death by a Thousand Charge Slips Credit card debt, which now stands at whopping $957 billion nationally…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "That Ticking Noise You Hear in Your Wallet is a Credit-Card Time Bomb", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/15/that-ti cking-noise-you-hear-in-your-wallet-is-a- credit-card-time-bomb/" });

Is Brazil ?Investment Grade? for Investor?s Money, Too?
2008-05-15 19:30:00
Brazil is a lot like a person who gets a new job, pays off some of his debts, and has his credit score upgraded. In pretty short order, all the charge-card companies boost his credit limits, cut the interest rates he?s paying on his outstanding balances, offer him new credit lines - and even make him eligible for various “rewards” programs that give him all sorts of freebies for spending money. Brazil finds itself in that situation because uber-debt-rater Standard & Poor?s just boosted the country?s credit rating to “investment grade” in recent weeks, moving its rating from BB+ to BBB-. Why…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Is Brazil ?Investment Grade? for Investor?s Money, Too?", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/15/is-braz il-%e2%80%9cinvestment-grade%e2%80%9d-for -investor%e2%80%99s-money-too/" });
More About: Petrobras

Home Foreclosures Continue to Rise, But Biggest Jump Still to Come
2008-05-15 16:48:00
Foreclosure filings hit an all-time high with a 65% year-over-year increase in April and a 4% increase from March, RealtyTrac reported yesterday (Wednesday). RealtyTrac Chief Executive James J. Saccacio said the 243,353 foreclosure filings last month was the highest since his firm began tracking the data in January 2005, The Wall Street Journal reported. “Although only about 2% of households nationwide are in foreclosure, these properties contribute to already bloated inventories of homes for sale, and put downward pressure on home values,” Saccacio noted. Nationwide, one in every 519 households received a foreclosure notice. California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona were the hardest-hit states.…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Home Foreclosures Continue to Rise, But Biggest Jump Still to Come", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/15/home-fo reclosures-continue-to-rise-but-biggest-j ump-still-to-come/" });

Consumer Prices Moderate in April but Soaring Food Prices Steal the Show
2008-05-15 16:40:00
U.S. consumer prices rose less than forecast in the month of April , assuaging some inflation fears, but food prices experienced their biggest jump in 18 years. The consumer price index rose 0.2% in April after edging up 0.3% the month prior, the Labor Department said yesterday (Wednesday). Core prices, which exclude food and energy, rose 0.1%. Energy prices stagnated after soaring 1.9% in March, but that?s expected to change as both oil and gas have notched a series of record highs this month. Food prices were perhaps the report?s biggest eye-catcher, climbing 0.9% for the month, the biggest upsurge since January…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Consumer Prices Moderate in April but Soaring Food Prices Steal the Show ", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/15/consume r-prices-moderate-in-april-but-soaring-fo od-prices-steal-the-show/" });

Investors Leaving India?s Market Aren?t Thinking Long-Term
2008-05-13 19:38:00
Of the emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, China and India ) nations, India?s stocks are priced the cheapest as government measures to curb inflation have turned away investors, Bloomberg News reported using its own compiled data. Making matters worse, India has the fewest natural commodities of the four-nation bloc - meaning it?s paying a premium to provide for its soaring population. Year-to-date, the price-to-earnings ratio for India?s market has dropped 33%. And for the first time since 2000, foreign investors turned net sellers, Bloomberg reported. Last Friday, India?s government released data that showed that the country?s annual inflation rate rose to a near four-year…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Investors Leaving India?s Market Aren?t Thinking Long-Term", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/13/investo rs-leaving-india%e2%80%99s-market-aren%e2 %80%99t-thinking-long-term/" });
More About: Investment Ideas , Infosys

Bernanke Defends Fed?s Liquidity Measures
2008-05-13 19:29:00
The U.S. Federal Reserve will make sure the global financial markets have sufficient liquidity to operate effectively and will increase the size of its government bond auctions if additional capital is needed, central bank Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said today (Tuesday). Speaking via satellite at the Atlanta Financial Markets Conference in Sea Island, Georgia, the Fed chairman said he sees some signs of improvement in the financial markets, but noted that “at this stage conditions in financial markets are still far from normal.” In his speech, Bernanke outlined the steps the central bank has taken to help mitigate a credit crunch that…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Bernanke Defends Fed?s Liquidity Measures", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/13/bernank e-defends-fed%e2%80%99s-liquidity-measure s/" });

Fuel Prices: More than one way to profit
2008-05-12 20:26:00
I am not above slummin? it. A few weeks ago, I was scheduled to take a trip to Bismarck. With a mid-day flight and some time to kill, I decided to check out the area?s mass transit operation. I paid my $1.60, stood behind the yellow line for twenty-two minutes and eventually boarded a small commuter train bound for the airport? I hoped. What I found once I got inside was pretty surprising. I had to actually search for a seat. Last time I hopped on this train, all four passengers had their own private cars, or so it seemed.…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Fuel Prices: More than one way to profit", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/fuel-pr ices-more-than-one-way-to-profit/" });
More About: Profit

VIDEO: The Next Oil Boom is Here
2008-05-12 20:00:00
No Related Post SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "VIDEO: The Next Oil Boom is Here", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/video-t he-next-oil-boom-is-here/" });
More About: Video , Media

Will This Week?s Retail Reports Help Investors Decode the Mystery of the U.
2008-05-12 18:16:00
The U.S. retail sector will be in the spotlight this week, as investors continue their efforts to gauge the health of the U.S. economy. Such key retailers as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), Macy?s Inc., JP Penney Co. Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) all are scheduled to report quarterly earnings. Then there?s the April retail-sales data, which will give economists and investors alike a good look at the mindset of the U.S. consumer. After all, consumer activity accounts for as much as 70% of the U.S. economy?s growth. With the retail-sales numbers, however, keep in mind that the steeply escalating…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Will This Week?s Retail Reports Help Investors Decode the Mystery of the U.S. Economy?", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/will-th is-week%e2%80%99s-retail-reports-help-inv estors-decode-the-mystery-of-the-us-econo my/" });

Dueling Views on Housing: Jim Rogers Sees More Pain to Come While Warren Bu
2008-05-12 17:28:00
When asked about their outlook for the crisis-ridden U.S. housing and financial-services markets, two U.S. financial experts provided outlooks that completely contradicted one another - once again underscoring how tough it is for investors to predict when the U.S. economy will turn around. Jim Rogers , a best-selling author who co-founded the famed Quantum Fund with George Soros back in 1970, told Bloomberg News Thursday that the global credit crisis caused by the subprime mortgage meltdown is nowhere near over. “I doubt that we?re half way through the financial crisis,” Rogers stated at a Barclays PLC (BCS) news conference Thursday in Singapore, where he…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Dueling Views on Housing: Jim Rogers Sees More Pain to Come While Warren Buffett?s Housing Expert Sees Rebound Under Way", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/dueling -views-on-housing-jim-rogers-sees-more-pa in-to-come-while-warren-buffett%e2%80%99s -housing-expert-sees-rebound-under-w...
More About: Warren Buffet

VIDEO: Best Oil Plays This Summer
2008-05-12 17:17:00
March 9, 2008 — Profiting from Oil Stocks: Apache (APA:NYSE) is on a roll! (0) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "VIDEO: Best Oil Plays This Summer ", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/video-b est-oil-plays-this-summer/" });
More About: Video , Media

ETF Investing: Protect yourself from the downside
2008-05-12 17:10:00
It is hard to believe until last week, it was nearly a month since the Dow last posted a losing week. Even with ominous forecasts of recession, consumer sentiment plunging, and oil prices seeming to rise just to rise, the equities market has managed to make headway. Well? it did manage. The good times are over. The Dow was in the red last week and it looks like more of the same this week. The only aspects that may keep us in the black are falling oil prices and a strengthening dollar. But my bet is we are in for a…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "ETF Investing : Protect yourself from the downside", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/etf-inv esting-protect-yourself-from-the-downside /" });

Soaring Oil and Gasoline Prices Worry Cost Conscious U.S. Consumers
2008-05-12 16:51:00
The effects of soaring oil prices are finally trickling down to the pump and consumers are feeling the pinch. On Friday, oil futures hit a new record of over $126 per barrel. Prices jumped 7.4% last week, with crude oil for June delivery trading as high at $126.20 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. “Oil is a safe haven because of the weak dollar and how badly the financial sector has been doing,” Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research in Winchester, Massachusetts, told Bloomberg News. “There are also geopolitical concerns about places like Nigeria and Venezuela that are propping…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Soaring Oil and Gasoline Prices Worry Cost Conscious U.S. Consumers ", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/soaring -oil-and-gasoline-prices-worry-cost-consc ious-us-consumers/" });
More About: Featured

Weak Dollar Narrows Trade Deficit, but Inflation Blunts Consumer Demand
2008-05-12 16:27:00
The trade deficit narrowed significantly in the month of March, as developing markets took advantage of a weak dollar and stocked up on American goods. The gap shrank 5.7% from a revised $61.7 billion in February to $58.2 billion, the Commerce Department reported. Imports decreased 2.9% as the country experienced sluggish growth over the past six months, and according to some, slipped into a recession. It was the biggest drop in imports since December 2001. Exports dropped by 1.7%, but that decline followed February?s record high export total of $151.1 billion. March?s export total of $148.5 billion was the second biggest…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Weak Dollar Narrows Trade Deficit, but Inflation Blunts Consumer Demand", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/12/weak-do llar-narrows-trade-deficit-but-inflation- blunts-consumer-demand/" });
More About: Featured

A High Dividend Utility Stock: TRP
2008-05-12 04:31:00
In these uncertain times, it’s important to balance your portfolio with a good mix of high yielding stocks. I will avoid touching upon REITs and Financial stocks for the time being because I’m unsure as to whether the worst is over. I’m the kind of guy who’s not interested in pharmaceutical plays, such as Pfizer (PFE), since I highly doubt its 6.4% yield. Looks unsustainable to me, especially when you consider the fact that it has a payout ratio over 100%. Then, I turned to the utility sector and found TransCanada (TRP). And let me tell you — it’s an attractive…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "A High Dividend Utility Stock : TRP", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/11/a-high- dividend-utility-stock-trp/" });

REIT ETFs Comparison: China vs. US vs. Canada
2008-05-12 03:01:00
For investors who seek income and moderate long-term capital growth, Claymore/AlphaShares China Real Estate ETF (TAO) is far more attractive than the US Real Estate ETFs, such as VANGUARD SF REIT ETF (VNQ). Its PE of 18.5 is much more reasonable than VNQ?s 28; Price/Book of 1.3 is also lower than VNQ?s 2. As the US dollar continues to slide along its long-term downward trend, TAO might also give you benefit of Chinese RMB appreciation. However, both ETFs do not give investors much yield, which is the main reason most REIT investors are attracted to such investments in the first place.…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "REIT ETFs Comparison: China vs. US vs. Canada ", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/11/reit-et fs-comparison-china-vs-us-vs-canada/" });

Contrarian Takeaway: Prices in the ?Out-Months,? the Candlesticks, and the
2008-05-12 02:49:00
Since March 17, Gold has declined nearly 13%. So much for the ?inflation hedge? hypothesis. Whatever happened to the ?inevitability of $2,000 Gold because the fundamentals require it?? Proponents are noticeably quiet these days. Is Crude Oil headed for $200 per barrel? Maybe so; but maybe not quite yet. As in the case of Gold, there is no shortage of fundamental reasons why the price of Crude Oil must increase. What do those who are ?on the inside,? doing the actual trading with real money, think about the future price of crude oil? Yesterday?s closing prices of the crude oil futures contracts…SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Contrarian Takeaway: Prices in the ?Out-Months,? the Candlesticks, and the Indicators Suggest a Screeching Halt to the Rise in Crude Oil Prices", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/11/contrar ian-takeaway-prices-in-the-%e2%80%9cout-m onths%e2%80%9d-the-candlesticks-and-the-i ndicators-suggest-a-screeching-halt-to-th e-rise-in-crude-oil-prices/" });

VIDEO - Bullish Symmetrical Triangles
2008-05-10 20:32:00
Leavitt Brothers’ tutorial on Bullish Symmetrical Triangles… VIDEO - Bullish Symmetrical Triangles April was a good month. In this week’s video, I do a summary of many of our stock and option set ups… VIDEO - April Archives Here’s a summary of ETFs… Report - ETF Summary Here are many of our favorite Jesse Livermore quotes… Report - Jesse Livermore Quotes http://www.leavittbrothers.com/ No Related Post SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "VIDEO - Bullish Symmetrical Triangles", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/10/video-b ullish-symmetrical-triangles/" });
More About: Video , News

VIDEO - April Archives
2008-05-03 20:24:00
April was a good month. In this week’s video, I do a summary of many of our stock and option set ups… VIDEO - April Archives Here’s a summary of ETFs… Report - ETF Summary Here are many of our favorite Jesse Livermore quotes… Report - Jesse Livermore Quotes http://www.leavittbrothers.com/ No Related Post SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "VIDEO - April Archives", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/03/video-a pril-archives/" });
More About: Video , News , April

VIDEO: Recession-Proof Stocks
2008-05-02 22:15:00
No Related Post ShareThis
More About: Video , Stocks , Proof , Recession

With Much Blood-Letting to Come, the U.S. Housing Finance System Needs Repl
2008-05-02 18:10:00
In much of the discussion about the collapse of the U.S. housing market, commentators have assumed that the massive run-up in property prices that preceded the subprime-mortgage meltdown were simply the result of a speculative frenzy that became a full-fledged market bubble. But that’s not the case at all. You see, the bubble and subsequent crash were inevitable under the current system of housing finance. Fundamental changes must be made. Standard and Poor’s recently projected the likely future loss rate on the $650 billion of subprime-mortgage-backed securities that are still out in the marketplace. From that we can estimate the losses S&P is projecting on the actual mortgages themselves. According to S&P, senior AAA-rated bonds will pay out about 60% of principal, junior AAA-rated bonds about 35%, AA-rated bonds about 5% and lower-rated bonds nothing at all. Since about 75% of subprime mortgage-backed securities were AAA rated, we can calculate that S&P thinks sub...
More About: Finance , System , Housing , Blood , Letting

VIDEO: Tax Rebate Conspiracy
2008-05-02 17:58:00
No Related Post ShareThis
More About: Video , Conspiracy , Rebate

The View From China: A World Case Study for Alternative Energy
2008-05-02 17:49:00
XI’AN, CHINA - For years, I’ve been telling hushed, incredulous audiences around the world that oil prices were headed higher - much higher. I consistently list three causes: Supply, demand, and interruption. The first is obvious - even though most folks still don’t want to believe it. Data suggests we’re burning through the world’s petroleum reserves four times faster than we’re finding new ones. We haven’t had a major new discovery of significance in 30 years. And, adding insult to injury, we still don’t have workable substitutes in place (alternative energy technologies such as fuel cells, for instance), even though we’ve had decades of warning to get our act together. The second, demand, is tougher to call. On one hand, higher prices are reducing demand in so-called first-tier countries. But when it comes to the rest of the planet, all bets are off. Here in China , for example, they’re using fuel at an accelerating rate. Part of that is the increasing relianc...
More About: World , Study , Energy , Alternative

VIDEO: Bullish or Bearish on the U.S. Economy?
2008-05-02 17:31:00
Click below to find out if this market veteran is bullish or bearish on the U.S. economy: April 29, 2008 — United States to the World: Be Careful What You Wish For (1) April 24, 2008 — United States Economy : Survival of the Unfittest (0) April 23, 2008 — U.S. Consumers Destined for a Future with Fewer Choices, Much-Higher Costs (0) January 21, 2008 — The Drivers Behind Global Growth: If the U.S. economy sneezes will China, Brazil and other emerging markets catch cold? (0) ShareThis
More About: Video , Bullish , Bearish

Intimidated by Inflation, Gulf States Consider Cutting Ties with Dollar
2008-05-02 17:22:00
Even with a bit of a rebound, of late, the dollar is down more than 7% against the euro in the past six months, 12% in the past 12 months and nearly 28% in the last 54 months. The decline has been so drastic countries that have pegged their currencies to the beleaguered greenback are beginning to consider alternatives. But Gulf States , particularly, have been torched by the dollar’s decline. About 18% of inflation in the United Arab Emirates is caused by the Gulf state’s currency peg to the dollar, Emirates Business 24/7 reported, citing the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s senior economist. The U.A.E.’s inflation rate is about 12%, the report said. Inflation has risen to 10% in Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s consumer prices rose 14% in the fourth-quarter, Bloomberg News reported. In an interview with Bloomberg, Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shimali acknowledged that several Gulf States are considering abandoning the peg even though the United Arab Emirates a...
More About: Dollar , Cutting

VIDEO: Top Energy Play
2008-05-02 17:05:00
January 30, 2008 — January Market Crash — This was just a prelude to the Global Crisis of 2009 (0) ShareThis
More About: Video , Energy , Play

Sink or Swim: Marine industry options play
2008-05-02 17:02:00
Sometimes it is hard not to get attached to an industry. As the economy slows and takes it to new lows, it can feel quite personal. If not properly managed, an intimate connection to an industry can be detrimental to a portfolio. It can also be a great moneymaking tool. All of my life, I have been connected to the boating industry. From the first time I shot across the bay in a 12-foot aluminum skiff to the day I finally backed my own sportfish into its slip, boating has been a major part of my life. So when I see some of the nation’s best boat builders and marine-industry manufacturers having a rough go of things, it hurts. But I also see lots of profit potential. Man the life rafts Almost everywhere I look, boaters are scrambling to get out of the water. Fuel prices are making it a rich-man’s sport. Boats are for sale. Docks are for rent. And the industry that supports it all is going under. One of the largest players in the boating industry is Brunswick (BC:NYSE). Wh...
More About: Industry , Play , Options , Swim , Marine

Agri-Biotech Giant Monsanto Moves into its Newest Venture: Biofuels From Pr
2008-05-01 18:20:00
Agricultural-biotech giant Monsanto Co. (MON) is already a global leader in the development of genetically engineered crop seeds. Now the St. Louis-based firm is exploring the potential for biofuels, one of the hottest sectors in the alternative energy realm. Monsanto and the Hayward, Calif.-based Mendel Biotechnology Inc. have joined forces to study how certain prairie grasses could ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Agri-Biotech Giant Monsanto Moves into its Newest Venture : Biofuels From Prairie Grasses", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/01/agri-bi otech-giant-monsanto-moves-into-its-newes t-venture-biofuels-from-prairie-grasses/" });
More About: Investment Ideas , Featured

Corn Rises for Eighth Straight Month, Pitting Ethanol Use Against Global Hu
2008-05-01 17:33:00
Against a backdrop of soaring worldwide food prices, riots over shortages and controversies about food crops being diverted for biofuels, U.S. corn prices jumped another 7% in April, the eighth-straight monthly advance. And the worst may be yet to come: Despite the rocketing price of corn and calls to step up production of corn-based ethanol, farmers ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Corn Rises for Eighth Straight Month , Pitting Ethanol Use Against Global Hunger", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/01/corn-ri ses-for-eighth-straight-month-pitting-eth anol-use-against-global-hunger/" });

Take-Two Banks on Gruesome ?Grand Theft Auto? Sales in Fending Off EA Bid
2008-05-01 16:55:00
The jury is still out on whether or not Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.?s (TTWO) “Grand Theft Auto IV” has met analysts? expectations in outselling Microsoft Corp.?s (MSFT) marquee “Halo 3,” a game that set sales records last September. But if “GTA4” does meet with the commercial and critical success that?s been so highly anticipated, it ...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Take-Two Banks on Gruesome ?Grand Theft Auto? Sales in Fending Off EA Bid", url: "http://jutiagroup.com/2008/05/01/take-tw o-banks-on-gruesome-%e2%80%9cgrand-theft- auto%e2%80%9d-sales-in-fending-off-ea-bid /" });
More About: Investment Ideas