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Indonesia: Economic "sweet spot"
2009-12-21 14:00:00
"I continue to recommend adding exposure to Asian equities," says global expert Yiannia Moustrous. In The Silk Road Investor, he adds, " Indonesia is one of my favorite markets in the region.""The reelection of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the presidency last July has proved to be a big positive; the newly formed government appears determined to move forward with its efforts to revitalize the economy."Besides revamping the judicial system and other institutions, the government is also moving ahead with plans to improve the country’s infrastructure. "If the market deems these efforts sincere, stocks should have sufficient support to move up a leg."At present analysts believe the government is on track to address $150 billion of infrastructure needs, 31% of which will come from government spending -- the private sector will make up the difference. Execution is the key now."That being said, the Indonesian economy remains in a ...
More About: Sweet , Spot , Economic

Melco Crown (MPEL): Gamble on Macau
2009-12-21 14:00:00
"Asian gaming region Macau is on the upswing and Melco Crown Entertainment (NASDAQ: MPEL) has a large slice of the Macau revenue pie," suggests China stock specialist Jim Trippon.In his The China Stock Digest, he explains, "The company has delivered industry-beating revenue growth in the booming Macau gaming, entertainment and hospitality industries.""Ever since the monopoly on gambling in Macau was broken in 2002, this Special Administrative Region of China has become a gambling Mecca like no other. Macau’s casinos have already surpassed the entire Las Vegas strip in terms of total revenues."Simply put, the Chinese people love to gamble, and the combination of their new freedoms and new wealth have uncorked a gusher of revenue. We like Melco Crown Entertainment in particular (the company recently changed its name from Melco PBL Entertainment in a complex demerger transaction)."In the span of a few short months the company’s key as...
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Ride the rails with Norfolk Southern (NSC)
2009-12-21 14:00:00
"If, as I anticipate, we do see increasing consumer spending in the first quarter, one industry that stands to benefit immediately is the railways," says Tom Slee.The contributing analyst with Internet Wealth Builder explains, "I like the outlook for Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC), a major freight railroad operating on the U.S. eastern seaboard with lines into Ontario. It should do well next year.""With roots back to 1827, the modern Norfolk Southern was formed in 1982 through a merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and the Southern Railway Company. "Based in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states as well as the District of Columbia and Ontario."The bulk of Norfolk's revenues still come from the transportation of coal, coke, and iron ore, although intermodal traffic is now a growing factor. In 2008, revenues totaled $10.6 billion (all dollar amounts are in U.S. currency) and generated a profit of $1.7 bill...
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Aberdeen Asia-Pacific (FAX): Income down under
2009-12-18 14:00:00
Congratulation to Amy Calistri on the launch of an exceptional new advisory: The Daily Paycheck; the service is designed as a step-by-step guide for investors seeking an ongoing stream of income.One dividend-payer featured in her inaugural issue is Aberdeen Asia -Pacific Income Fund (AMEX: FAX). She notes, I've owned this fund for years. And like The Little Engine That Could, this little workhorse churns out reliable income, month after month.""Times appear to be particularly good for this fund right now. Australia's economic resilience during the global recession has been called a "miracle recovery" and the "wonder down under."  While many countries' economies are still contracting, Australia has already posted two successive quarters of positive GDP growth."Believing its economic recovery to be well in hand, Australia's central bank raised its main interest rate for the second consecutive month in early November.&nbs...

SkyWest (SKYW): A value flight?
2009-12-17 14:00:00
In The Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Letter, value investor J. Royden Ward suggests, "SkyWest (NASDAQ: SKYW) is undervalued based on the teachings of Graham."  Here, his review."SkyWest is one of the largest regional airlines with service to 207 cities in the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Connecting flights are operated as Delta Connection and United Express."Delta and United control SkyWest's scheduling, ticketing and price, and receive a percentage of revenues. SkyWest is reimbursed for most fuel costs."Demand for air travel remains subdued, although a slight pickup is no underway as evidenced by SkyWest's 9.3% increase in October passenger revenues."SkyWest has over $14 per share in cash ready to expand its operations, and we expect the company to add new agreements with additional major carriers."We foresee major changes in the airline industry that will favor small carriers such as SkyWest. After enduring an extended do...

BHP Billiton (BHP): The 'big fish' in natural resources
2009-12-17 14:00:00
"To beef up our already strong collection of natural resource plays, we’re adding Australia’s BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) to the mix," says long-term growth stock expert Stephen Leeb.In The Complete Investor, he explains, "This $175 billion company is the largest mining company in the world and makes up some 14% of Australia’s market index. It’s truly the big fish in resource-rich Australia’s ocean-sized pond.""With more than 100 operations in 25 different countries, BHP produces a huge array of commodities and has a geographically diverse footprint to boot."Sales are concentrated in Asia (43%) and Europe (25%), with more than 20% of revenues generated from China alone. China’s appetite for iron ore has pushed that commodity to BHP’s top product, accounting for just over 20% of the company’s $50.2 billion (in U.S. dollars) in fiscal 2009 sales. "Metallurgical coal (used as a fuel in smelting steel) ...
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Temporary help: Profits in staffing
2009-12-17 14:00:00
"Many companies survived the downturn by cutting staff, and these businesses are hesitant to hire back full-time employees until they are more certain about future revenues," explains George Putnam.In The Turnaround Letter, he suggests, "A likely beneficiary of this caution is the temporary staffing and outsourcing sector." Here are four ideas from his review of the temporary staffing and outsourcing sector."As activity begins to pick up, many slimmed-down businesses will need more manpower, and the cautious ones will turn to the temporary staff providers first, rather than adding permanent employees."Even with this fundamental boost on the horizon, many of the staffing stocks have not performed particularly well recently, as investors have focused on weak results from the last few quarters."While these stocks have all rebounded at least a little from their lows, they are all still well below their levels of mid-2008, and most of them are...
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iShares Turkey (TUR): Emerging potential
2009-12-16 14:00:00
"International and emerging markets are the coolest kids at the ETF party right now," says Brandon Clay.In Invest with an Edge, he explains, "Investors can use dozens of country-specific ETFs to gain exposure to compelling emerging markets that don't always grab headlines: one such play is iShares MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index (NYSE: TUR).""Emerging markets ETFs are favored in a big way over U.S. equity ETFs.International ETFs saw $5 billion in new inflows in November."The investment thesis surrounding Turkey is worth considering. Given Turkey's geographic proximity to both Europe and Asia, opportunities for trade are bountiful."JP Morgan recently upgraded Turkish equities to 'overweight', saying that Turkey's exporters will benefit from an economic recovery in Europe and the Middle East."Ratings agency Fitch followed that with an upgrade of its own, raising Turkey's credit rating to just two notches below investm...

Home Inns (HMIN): Sleep out in China
2009-12-16 14:00:00
In his The Oberweis Report, small cap expert Jim Oberweis, Jr. looks to China 's Home Inns & Hotel (NASDAQ: HMIN), which operates a "rapidly expanding network of economy hotels.""Having become one of the best-known economy hotel brands in China, Home Inns caters to the fast growing population of value-conscious individual business and leisure travelers who demand clean, comfortable and convenient lodging."Home Inns was founded in 2002 and today operates 583 hotels in 113 different cities across China, after opening 36 hotels during their latest reported September quarter."Approximately two-thirds of their hotels consist of leased-and-operated hotels, with the rest being franchised-and-managed hotels."In the company’s latest reported third quarter, net revenues increased approximately 37% to $100.1 million from $73.1 million in the third quarter of last year. "Home Inns reported earnings per share of $.16 in the late...
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Schaeffer's options: Trading against pessimism
2009-12-16 14:00:00
Options expert Bernie Schaeffer combines fundamental, technical and sentiment-based metrics to select his specific trades.In his latest The Options Advisor, he looks at a trio of diverse trades on out-of-favor stocks: Barrick Gold (NYSE: ABX), Ford (NYSE: F), and RadioShack (NYSE: RSH)."Pessimism dominates Barrick Gold at the moment. The stock’s Schaeffer’s put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) stands at 0.74, which is higher than 86% of all those taken during the past year."In other words, short-term options players have been more pessimistically aligned toward the shares only 14% of the time during the prior 52 weeks."What’s more, the ISE 10-day put/call volume ratio for ABX arrives in the 93rd percentile of its annual range. This wealth of skepticism among options players comes as the shares have rallied more than 107% during the past 52 weeks."Technically speaking, the equity is in the process of bouncing off short-term sup...
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Oakmark (OAKLX): Back on top
2009-12-15 14:00:00
"After tanking in 2007, Oakmark Select (OAKLX) is now riding at the top the pack in 2009," says fund expert Walter Frank in MoneyLetter. Here's his review of the value-focused fund."The fund languished within the bottom half of its peer group from 2003 to 2007. In part, it was the fund's avoidance of energy on the one hand, and its investment in financials, on the other, that held it back."The biggest contributor to its 14% loss i 2007 was Washington Mutual. Fund manager Bill Nygren was attracted by the bank's growing deposit base and over time the bank accounted for mor than 15% of assets. Utlimately, WaMu imploded under the burden of bad loans."In 2008, the fund lost 36%, which was less than the S&P. And through the end of November, the fund's more than 49% gain places it in the top 1% of its peers. As with many funds, some of 2008's worst performers are leading the way up this year."Oakmark is well known as a value s...
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Healthy outlook for Pfizer (PFE)
2009-12-15 14:00:00
"I'm boosting my stake in Pfizer (NYSE: PFE); its merger with Wyeth created a firm with one of the broadest and deepest portfolios in the drug industry," says Ian Wyatt in The Recovery Portfolio."Like many of its peers, Pfizer faces massive patent losses on key drugs in coming years. Most notably, Lipitor, which is the largest selling anti-cholesterol drug in the world, loses U.S. patent exclusivity in 2011."But the addition of Wyeth's drug portfolio, coupled with an estimated $4 billion in merger synergies, should help Pfizer offset this loss. "And Pfizer's current share price already reflects the major risks faced by the company. Trading at only 8x estimated 2010 earnings, Pfizer's valuation is among the lowest in the entire pharmaceuticals universe. "The company's generous 3.6% dividend yield should also provide support for the stock, especially if 2010 turns out to be a listless, sideways-trending market."Finally, ...
More About: Outlook , Healthy

Vimpel-Com (VIP): Ring up Russia
2009-12-15 06:00:00
"I expect Vimpel-Communications (NYSE: VIP) -- Russia 's major mobile phone operator -- to perform strongly over the next couple of months," says international expert Nicholas Vardy.In his Global Bull Market Alert, the advisor explains, "VimpelCom's fundamentals are strong and improving." Here's his bullish outlook on the shares."The company increased its mobile subscribers by 1.7 million between the second and third quarters, bringing its total number of subscribers to 65.4 million. That's 13% more than last year. "The company also doubled its profit in the third quarter -- to 42 cents per ADS. But those impressive results still narrowly missed a consensus estimate of 44 cents. VimpelCom's stock price dropped sharply, offering a good entry point."Second, VimpelCom, whose primary focus has been the rapidly maturing Moscow metropolitan area, is expanding rapidly into Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and a host of other countries in Cen...
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Cabot eyes online innovators
2009-12-14 14:00:00
"Remain bullish, but realize that the stock market has become more selective," notes Mike Cintolo. Meanwhile, in The Cabot Market Letter, he is bullish on two leading online players."The days of every stock and sector being lifted up by the market’s tide are gone. This is to say the bull market is close to an end."Although the first divergences are popping up, our indicators are bullish and the big-cap leading stocks are still in firm uptrends. Thus, the goal is to get into new leaders at attractive entry points … and then watch them with a close eye."Even before Cyber Monday, Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced that November up to that point was the best-ever month of sales for the Kindle. The Kindle is also the top-selling product across all categories, and is the most wished-for and gifted product on Amazon. "And every Kindle sold leads to what is effectively a stream of recurring revenue as users buy e-books a...
More About: Eyes , Online

Value at Price Small Cap (PRSVX)
2009-12-14 14:00:00
"We include Price Small Cap Value (PRSVX) in all five of our Master portfolios as well as our Best Buy model portfolios," says Mark Salzinger.In his The No-Load Fund Investor, the fund expert suggests, "Overall, we consider this fund to be an excellent core holding for small-cap exposure." Here's his bullish overview."The fund lost just 28.6% in 2008, vs. anearly 37% loss for the average small-cap-value fund. In 2009, though, that has reversed a bit: Price Small Cap Value has gained 19.6% to its average peer’s 22.7% gain."Two reasons for the sluggish performance this year are rooted in the fund’s basic composition. "One, large caps have generally done better than small caps, and growth has done better than value. Price Small Cap Value is, through no fault of its own, on the wrong end of both of those spectra."Two, manager Preston Athey typically populates his portfolio with stocks of higher quality companies. Since more specula...

Bank on the luck of the Irish?
2009-12-14 14:00:00
"The financial crisis was not kind to the Irish economic miracle," says Mark Skousen. Yet, in his sepcialty service, The Turnaround Alert, he sees upside in Bank of Ireland (NYSE: IRE)."In Ireland last year, GDP dropped 7.4%, unemployment hit 12.6%, prices fell at a 6.5% rate, the government deficit reached 15% of GDP, and the property market virtually collapsed. "Not surprisingly, the Irish banks teetered on bankruptcy. Fortunately, the Irish voted on Oct. 2 to affirm membership in the European Union (EU), which allowed the European Central Bank to step in and bail out five major Irish banks. "Of the five, the largest Irish bank is worth buying: Bank of Ireland has a $2.7 billion market value and trades at an 80% discount to tangible book value. That's an incredible margin of safety.  "Before the crisis began, the stock was selling for $100 a share, and has lost 90% of its value and canceled its annual dividend. "...

Tidewater (TDW): A Ben Graham value buy
2009-12-14 06:00:00
In his Validea newsletter, John Reese assesses stocks using specialized screens based on the stated criteria of legendary stock market investors.One such screen -- which has resulted in his best-performing model portfolio -- is based on the value-oriented investment strategy of Benjamin Graham. Here, he looks at oil services firm Tidewater (NYSE: TDW), which scores 100% on his Graham-style model."Tidwater provides offshore supply vessels and marine support services to the offshore energy industry through the operation of offshore marine service vessels."As of March 31, 2008, the Company had a total of 430 vessels, of which 10 were operated through joint ventures, 61 were stacked and 11 vessels withdrawn from service."The company provides services supporting all phases of offshore exploration, development and production, including towing, transporting supplies and personnel, pipe laying, cable laying and three-dimensional (3-D) seismic work."According to the Graha...

Upgrade cycle boosts Dell (DELL)
2009-12-11 14:00:00
"There is a new game changer in the works: the Windows 7 release," says Toby Smith, who believes we could be in the early stages of a tech recovery. In his industry-leading ChangeWave Investing, he adds, "Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Windows 7 upgrade cycle.""In a recent speech, Dell CEO Michael Dell joined the chorus of top tech leaders when he said, 'I think there is a very powerful refresh cycle that is coming.'"Well, you don't have to believe the CEO of Dell. The ChangeWave Alliance (and its 25,000 members on industry's front line) has been telling us that the tech recovery is building momentum -- and it looks like we could just be in the early stages of a big blast. The Alliance's latest consumer PC survey showed planned computer buying had jumped to its highest level in nearly two years -- with more than a 15% increase in projected demand just in the past month, alone. "All ...
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Corrections Corp. (CXW): Prison profits
2009-12-11 14:00:00
"Corrections Corp. of America (NYSE: CXW) is one of the largest operators of private corrections facilities, has solid fundamentals and strong momentum," says Alex Kolb in Zacks Elite."The company operates 65 facilities, including 44 company-owned facilities, with a total design capacity of approximately 86,500 beds in 19 states and the District of Columbia."Corrections Corp. recently announced another strong quarter. After delivering above-expectations earnings in the second quarter, the company turned in more strong results in the third quarter. "Earnings per share of 33 cents topped last year’s 30 cents and exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3%. "Total revenue jumped 5.5% to $426.0 million from the previous year’s $403.8 million. The increase in revenue can be mostly attributed to a 4.5% increase in average daily inmate populations and a 1.3% increase in revenue per compensated man-day."Management said the company was able...
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Asia expert eyes General Steel (GSI)
2009-12-11 14:00:00
"China steel maker, General Steel Holdings (NYSE: GSI) is gobbling up another competitor," says Keith Fitz-Gerald, editor of New China Trader and author of the top seller, Fiscal Hangover."General Steel announced that it has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire a 60% controlling interest in Tangshan Baotai Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. (Baotai)."Upon closing the deal, GSI's aggregate production capacity would increase by 23% to 7.8 million metric tons. That would be an incredible boost to GSI's top line. But the benefit doesn't stop with just the increase in aggregate production and top line growth."GSI's potential acquisition of Baotai also affords GSI a geographic edge as the Baotai facilities are located just 100 kilometers from the Tangshen port. "The geographic advantage would give the GSI/Baotai venture access to high-quality imported iron ore at minimal transportation costs."It also speaks to one o...
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Potash Corp. (POT): Feed the world
2009-09-18 06:00:00
"Investing in the fertilizer business may not sound sexy, but the dynamics of the food sector will turn it into one of the most profitable sectors you could find," explains Tony Sagami.In The Asia Stock Alert he suggests, "Every farmer needs to use fertilizer, and the most important  is potash. And Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) is set to make a bundle supplying potash to the world.""There are approximately 6.6 billion people on our planet today, but that number is expected to grow to 8.2 billion by 2030. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. "Plus, the amount of food each mouth is eating is also increasing. The world’s population isn’t the only thing that’s growing. So are incomes in most parts of the world, especially China. "What’s the first thing you would buy if your income went from subsistence to middle class? A Mercedes? A Rolex? Probably not. For most people, it’s bette...
More About: World , The World , Feed

Teva (TEVA): A Ben Graham value
2009-09-18 06:00:00
The Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Letter selects stocks meeting the value criteria of the legendary investor. Here, J. Royden Ward looks to Teva Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ: TEVA)."Teva is based in Israel and develops, makes and sells generic and proprietary-branded (store brand) drugs. "The company is one of the largest generic drug-producing companies in the world and, in addition, sells active ingredients to other pharmaceutical companies."Teva’s aggressive acquisition and product development programs are driving strong sales growth. The company recently purchased U.S.-based Barr Pharmaceuticals for $7.5 billion. Barr will increase Teva’s generic drug sales signifi cantly in the U.S. and parts of Europe."The company's generic drug business is growing more rapidly worldwide because consumers are opting for the lower-priced generics. President Obama and Congress are working to craft a health plan that will favor the use of low-price...

Turnaround expert eyes Global Crossing (GLBC)
2009-09-18 06:00:00
"Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) was started in 1997 to build a worldwide fiber optic cable network, with the strategy, 'if you build it, they will come'," says George Putnam, adding, "But as the telecom bubble burst around 2000, nobody came."Now, in his always-excellent The Turnaround Letter, he suggests, "We think the current stock price gives you the opportunity to buy into a very valuable network at a tiny fraction of its original cost.""The new stock went as high as 36 shortly after it began trading after its bankruptcy. When it later dropped in price, several high-profile investors accumulated sizable positions."However, there was still considerable overcapacity in worldwide networks, and results continued to lag expectations. The stock hit a low of 5 earlier this year before beginning to recover."The network is still built – it connects 690 cities in 60 countries around the world – and it appears that t...
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Income from AllianceBerstein (AB)
2009-09-17 06:00:00
"Our latest high-dividend stock pick is AllianceBernstein (NYSE: AB), a leading global money manager," says Mark Skousen in his premium service, High-Income Alert."The company offers mutual funds, structured products, and managed accounts to corporations, endowments, institutions and government agencies."Of course, asset managers collect fees based on the quantity of assets under management. As asset values decline, so do net fees."And, needless to say, with the haircut that world bond and equity markets have taken during the past two years, sales and earnings at AllianceBerstein have fallen."However, the markets have rebounded sharply during the past six months. And yet shares of Alliance have not. Today, the stock trades at just a quarter of what it did two years ago."Yet, there are good reasons to believe that shares will soon be trading higher. For starters, $3.58 trillion is currently parked in U.S. money market funds. These investors are earn...

MarketWatch: Watching the charts
2009-09-17 06:00:00
"The third quarter ends in just a few weeks, and the market landscape is strikingly different today than when it started," says Michael Ashbaugh.In his top-notch The MarketWatch Technical Indicator, the advisor offers a technical assessment for the market averages as well as for a trio of global wireless stocks that now appear on his radar watch list."The major U.S. benchmarks are consistently pressing the year's best levels, with the S&P and the Nasdaq clearing major resistance."After breaking slightly higher last week, the S&P has thus far held the August peak as support. Its steep rally from the September low is constructive, improving the chances of further gains."Consider that each major U.S. benchmark has notched the following quarter-to-date performance: The Dow has rallied 1,126 points, or 13.2%, after finishing the second quarter at 8,500.The Nasdaq has gained 317 points, or 17.9%, after endin...
More About: Charts , Watching , The Charts , Marketwatch

Vita Nelson: A vote for Abbott (ABT)
2009-09-17 06:00:00
In her excellent The MoneyPaper, editor Vita Nelson looks to stocks offering dividend reinvestment plans. Here, she highlights Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT), a holding in her portfolio."Abbott is a diversified, multinational, health care firm.The shares have not responded to the recent stock market rallies in part due to the defensive nature of health care stocks. "Uncertainty regarding health care reform is also a factor in the static share price of recent months. ABT shares are now trading below 11 times 2010 earnings estimates, compared with about 15 for the S&P 500. "So the stock is trading at a discount of almost 30%. Historically, ABT shares have traded at a premium to the S&P."The firm enjoys a number of growth platforms and has moved into the #3 position in coronary stents, has a major product in the biologic Humira, and has developed a strong business in nutritionals in emerging countries. "The acquisition of an industry leading fra...
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Mylan (MYL): Patent pending profits
2009-09-16 06:00:00
"It has been estimated that $100 billion of branded drugs will go off patent over the next five years and Mylan (NYSE: MYL) is very well positioned to benefit," says growth stock expert Tom Bishop. In BI Research, he explains, "Mylan has not yet benefited much yet from the focus on healthcare reform, though generics are clearly part of the solution to lowering the cost of healthcare.""Mylan is predominantly a generic drug company that, in the wake of its acquisition of Merck Generics, has $5 billion in sales and 120 ANDA’s pending FDA approval targeting drugs with branded markets totaling $85 billion to fuel future growth."Of these 120 Mylan has thirty-five pending ANDAs that are potential first-to-file opportunities, representing $16.6 billion in annual brand sales."Meanwhile Obama’s healthcare plans call for expanding healthcare coverage to more Americans and making lower cost generic drugs more available. This incidentally includes d...
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Debt bets: Top picks in bond funds
2009-09-16 06:00:00
"There is never really a time to stop thinking about risk management and proper portfolio structure," says Keith Fitz-Gerald. In Money Map Reporter, he eyes a trio of bond funds."Among the more conservative positions we call our 'base builders' is Nuveen Quality Income Municipal Fund (NYSE: NQU). "This fund’s ability to demonstrate stability by continually delivering equal or increasing dividend payments through the current global economic mess is why we have it in our portfolio. It’s trading at a 1.98% discount to NAV and is currently yielding 6.10%. Another base-builder is PIMCO Strategic Global Government Fund (NYSE: RCS).  Diversification doesn’t just mean having several different stocks in your portfolio. It also means looking at different asset classes and different geographic regions. "And that’s exactly what RCS provides us. RCS is a bond fund of international holdings from Mortgage-backed secu...
More About: Bond , Debt , Bets , Funds

Chesapeake (CHK): A 'natural' in natural gas
2009-09-16 06:00:00
"If there was ever a stock we can hold for a few years, natural gas company Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) is it," says Ian Wyatt.In his Top Stock Insights, he adds, "The Obama administration is keen on achieving energy independence for the US. Natural gas is a good option for energy, since it is inexpensive, clean and domestic." Here's his review."Chesapeake Energy is the largest independent natural gas company and most active driller of wells in the US. Its operating activities include the onshore exploration and production of natural gas. "The Obama administration is keen on achieving energy independence for the US. Natural gas is a good option for energy, since it is inexpensive, clean and domestic. "I believe the administration will continue to push natural gas as an alternative to oil, and create incentives for the industry. "Chesapeake's natural gas assets are first class. The company has proven its ability to succ...
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Seven picks paying over 7 percent
2009-09-15 06:00:00
"If you focus on stocks that pay you to own them - you'll get your cut over and over and over again as you really won't have to worry or care what happens to the general market; and that will be true today, tomorrow, next month and next year," says Neil George.In his income-focused Stocks that Pay You, he says, "I have found seven picks that will pay you 7% or more to own them and are perfect for retirement income as well as just building up your portfolio's value."The seven fall into three categories: funds, minibonds and preferreds. But what makes them all fit together is that they have proven themselves to keep paying regardless of what the economy or the markets might throw at them - even the fiascos of the past several months."I'll start with one of my tried and true bond funds that invests in government and quality corporate bonds from around the world, giving you not just nice yield - but also a hedge against what the dollar or the US ...