Europe's fiscal mess continues to dominate the headlines. Late Wednesday,
stocks sold off sharply after fresh warnings surfaced over the potential impact
of the euro zone's debt crisis on the global economy and banking system. The
markets further dipped Thursday on concerns about French and Spanish bond
yields. Ratings agency Fitch cautioned that U.S. banks could be "greatly
affected" if Europe's debt crisis is not resolved quickly. That news caused
traders to dump bellwether financials such as Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ),
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM ), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS ) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:
MS ). But it's not just U.S. banks that could begin to feel the wrath of
Europe's debt debacle. If the debt mess prompts the region to roll over into
recession, it could wreak havoc on U.S. companies who rely heavily on revenues
generated from European exports. According to Standard & Poor's, companies in
the S&P 500 Index saw about $1.36 trillion in European sales last year, which is
approximately 30% of all overseas sales. That makes Europe the largest market
for U.S. goods. That number is significant, but it might be even greater, as
many companies don't break down their foreign sales by region. What this means
is that any substantive decline in Europe's ability to buy goods from U.S.
companies almost certainly will have a negative effect on many corporate bottom
lines. So, what stocks are most vulnerable to a debt-induced euro zone
recession? The most obvious answer is companies that have a lot of European
exposure. In a Nov. 8 note , Citigroup Research said that "deeply cyclical"
industries would be most affected, but the note also said defensive sectors were
particularly susceptible to a European slowdown. On the cyclical front, we have
companies like Ford (NYSE: F ) and General Motors (NYSE: GM ). GM recently
reported that its third-quarter net profit dropped 15% due to losses in Europe,
so we're already starting to see companies stuck in European muck. Defensive
giants such as Coco-Cola (NYSE: KO ), Philip Morris (NYSE: PM ) and Kraft Foods
(NYSE: KFT ) all have significant exposure to Europe, and all rely heavily on
sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa for a significant portion of their
respective revenues. Other companies with heightened exposure to Europe include
gold and copper giant Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM ), chemical maker DuPont (NYSE:
DD ) and even fast-food behemoth McDonald's (NYSE: MCD ). Tech is vulnerable,
too especially firms like diversified enterprise storage and software giant EMC
Corp. (NYSE: EMC ). To put a twist on a popular phrase, what happens in Europe
doesn't stay in Europe. If a recession hits the euro zone, investors holding
the aforementioned companies might want to duck and cover. (And to protect your
portfolio from Europes problems, check out these two homegrown sectors with
healthy U.S. companies that do all their business domestically.) As of this
writing, Jim Woods did not own a position in any of the aforementioned stocks.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Google Alert - antiques coin
| ||
| Buyers seek coins, other items at Modesto show Modesto Bee The International Gold, Silver and Diamond Buyers will be in Modesto to buy coin collections, gold, silver and diamonds, as well as antiques, vintage toys, ... |
Tip: Use site restrict in your query to search within a site (site:nytimes.com or site:.edu). Learn more.
Delete this alert.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
This Stock Is Literally a Cash Machine
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace Next time you’re in a convenience store, take a close look at the small free-standing ATM near the door. Maybe hang out a little while and “enjoy” a hotdog or bag of chips so you can take a close look at who’s using those machines and how often. You may learn something that can make you some real money. Those little cash machines are currently churning out big profits for shareholders of Cardtronics (NASDAQ: CATM ). If you ever wondered who’s willing to pay the "big fees" for withdrawing money from these machines, you may want to take a long look at the debit card in your wallet. Cash machine companies are offering low-cost or no-fee products to consumers that could knock debit cards off their perch as the leading way to pay for retail transactions. The market for this kind of access to cash is large, profitable and growing, and the biggest player in this part of the "fringe-banking" sector is Cardtronics — our pick for buyers looking for growth in today's market. In the near term we expect investors to push into the stock partially because of all the bad news coming from the big debit card issuers like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ). Although it seems that the big card issuers are backing away from some of the recent fee increases, they’re actually just pushing those debit card charges into less obvious places . For example, if you need to replace a lost card, BofA will now charge you $20 to get one quickly. We don't expect this kind of thing will fool consumers for very long. Cash is a close second to the most popular way to pay for retail transactions, and if debit cards are cost-prohibitive, ATMs become even more important to consumers. CATM not only operates the largest ATM network in the U.S., it also has products consumers can use for no-fee access to ATMs around the country. These days the adage of "cash is king" has never been truer. The stock popped nicely on third-quarter earnings earlier this month and has since consolidated into a classic pennant formation. In the chart below, you can see what the stock looks like right now and where we would expect prices to go in the near term if we get the breakout to the upside we’re expecting. Our short-term target would net investors 23%, and it could be much more if momentum takes the stock further. Click to Enlarge The technicals and fundamentals for this stock look good, and growth prospects are high in the short term. If you’re looking for a way to turn the missteps and bad news of the traditional banking industry to your advantage you might want to look at CATM, which is steadily emerging as the more attractive alternative for consumer payments. Options Alternatives CATM is a small-cap stock with a thinly traded chain sheet. That isn't a reason not to buy a call option, but it does change how the trade is set up. In a situation like this, we recommend looking at the longer-term expirations and using a limit order to split the bid/ask spread. For example, the March 2012, 25 strike calls traded on Thursday in between the bid/ask at $3.20 per share. This creates a lot of leverage that could seriously ramp up gains if the stock rallies in the short term.
Todays Gold Price Per Ounce Spot Gold Price Per Gram; Silver Price Per Ounce Spot Rates; Mid Day Investing News
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
dow2664 Gold and silver contract price per ounce rates dropped lower in noteworthy fashion. Last session, precious metal gold and silver contract rates closed red across the board. Gold contract closed lower by 54.10 at 1720.20 per troy ounce. Silver contract finished the last session lower by 2.33 at 31.50 per troy ounce. The winds of change blew through however and early morning trends today reveal more positive trend-line movement for precious metal gold and silver prices. Prior to opening bell today, spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per ounce trend-line action moved on the positive side of break-even. It appears that gold’s safe haven appeal remains attractive in the midst of the European debt crisis. The dollar lost strength last session as well which is also helping precious metal acquisitions increase. Overall however, gold wins out in the global marketplace right now due to economic uncertainty. Debt default potentials are high for numerous countries and investors’ fears relevant to these potentials, not to mention the escalating debt crisis in the eurozone, continue to drive investor choice. Safe haven’s like gold remain in favor during times like these. Today, as the trading session reaches the mid-day mark in the U.S., precious metal gold and silver contracts were trending higher. Gold contract for December delivery was green by .45 percent at 1728 per troy ounce and silver contract for December delivery was green by 2.45 percent at 32.27 per troy ounce. Spot gold per gram was trending lower at this pint though. Spot gold was lower by .12 at 55.19 per gram. Spot silver price per ounce was higher by .36 at 31.85. Camillo Zucari
Wal-Mart’s Woes, Boeing’s Wows! — Friday’s IP Market Recap
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace This week on Wall Street saw the world's largest retailer continue a years-long struggle and one of the world's biggest names in aerospace in defense rewrite the history books. Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT ) watched its third-quarter profits slip to $3.34 billion compared to $3.44 billion in 2010, dampening what could have been a cheerful earnings report Tuesday that included the company's first period of increasing U.S. same-store sales in 10 quarters. The report sent WMT stock down 2.5% of the day, and Wal-Mart limped out down 3.3% on the week at $57.22. The retailer has struggled for years despite the seeming appeal of its lauded deep discounts in a down economy — however, lower-cost companies like Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) and Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ) have continued to cut into Wal-Mart's market with great bargains, as has warehouse giant Costco (NASDAQ: COST ). Also problematic for Wal-Mart on the other side of the price line is more trendy retailer Target (NYSE: TGT ). The country's No. 2 retailer took the spotlight from WMT with its third-quarter earnings report, which had the company beating analyst estimates with profits of $555 million, up from $535 million a year ago. Target got a momentary boost on the news but finished the week flat at around $53. Target recently has gone on the aggressive, teaming up with credit card company American Express (NYSE: AXP ) in offering prepaid debit cards — a direct answer to the Green Dot-powered Visa (NYSE: V ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA ) cards that can be found in Walmart stores. Still, Wal-Mart remains the stronger competitor , with its prices offering consumers much more protection against
Whatever Gold Price Downside Risk Remains Here Is Peanuts Compared to the Triple of Quadruple Upside
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold Price Close Today : 1,724.70 Gold Price Close 11-Nov : 1,787.50 Change : -62.80 or -3.5% Silver Price Close Today : 3241.3 Silver Price Close 11-Nov : 3467.1 Change : -225.80 or -6.5% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 53.210 Gold Silver Ratio 11-Nov : 51.556 Change : 1.65 or 3.2% Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01879 Silver Gold Ratio 11-Nov : 0.01940 Change : -0.00060 or -3.1% Dow in Gold Dollars : $ 141.39 Dow in Gold Dollars 11-Nov : $ 140.54 Change : $ 0.84 or 0.6% Dow in Gold Ounces : 6.840 Dow in Gold Ounces 11-Nov : 6.799 Change : 0.04 or 0.6% Dow in Silver Ounces : 363.93 Dow in Silver Ounces 11-Nov : 350.52 Change : 13.41 or 3.8% Dow Industrial : 11,796.16 Dow Industrial 11-Nov : 12,152.93 Change : -356.77 or -2.9% S&P 500 : 1,215.65 S&P 500 11-Nov : 1,263.73 Change : -48.08 or -3.8% US Dollar Index : 78.081 US Dollar Index 11-Nov : 76.906 Change : 1.175 or 1.5% Platinum Price Close Today : 1,593.30 Platinum Price Close 11-Nov : 1,643.20 Change : -49.90 or -3.0% Palladium Price Close Today : 606.10 Palladium Price Close 11-Nov : 660.95 Change : -54.85 or -8.3% The GOLD PRICE failed in its second try at $1,800. Reached for it on Monday, but fell back to $1,760 – $1,765 and traded sideways through Wednesday. Once it broke $1,740 on Thursday, gold tumbled all the way to $1,711. Can’t interpret that as anything but a breakdown. This should be the second and final leg down we’ve been waiting for. How far will it run? Support remains at $1,705, and below that at $1,675. The GOLD PRICE caught this week at the 50 dma (1,715.80) but next week might reach $1,675. If that holds not, then look at $1,600, $1,536, and $1,475. Today the GOLD PRICE gained $4.90 to close Comex at $1,724.70, a flat wee bounce after falling $54.00 yesterday. In view of the unsolved European crisis and the ripeness of this gold correction, I am ready to start buying by averaging down. Buy some at $1,705, $1,675, $1,605, etc. BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THIS WILL START BUT I AM CONFIDENT GOLD REMAINS IN A BULL MARKET WITH FAR MORE UPSIDE. Whatever 10% or even 20% downside risk remains here is peanuts compared to the triple or quadruple upside. The SILVER PRICE was taken to the same woodshed as gold. Once it broke 3350c on Thursday, silver never stopped until it hit 3088c. Today it rebounded, but not with anything more than a dead cat bounce to 3250c. To gainsay this breakdown, silver would have to close above 3250c then rapidly above 3400c. Down below several landing zones appear possible. 3000c is one, then 2850, and finally 2600c. Lower prices are possible, but not likely. I expect to see most of the metals’ downside in the next two weeks, if not sooner. DON’T MISS THIS: Right now, when every timid heart, including your own, is trembling, audacity and a cool head will pay off. Now is the time to buy, not when all the silly media cheerleaders have discovered a strong upward trend and prices are running away to the upside. GOLD SILVER RATIO swappers should mark that my commentary yesterday contained an error. I meant to recommend you swap silver for GOLD, not vice versa. Ratio is rising, which means silver is growing cheaper against gold, and we always swap from the dear metal into the cheap. If you swapped silver for gold in the spring at any level lower than 42:1, you can swap gold for silver now and realize gains in silver ounces above 28.5%. Me, I would scoop those ounces off the table and into my lap. SWAPPERS who swapped higher than 42:1 keep on waiting for a 57.5:1 ratio, which may come soon. Delude not thyself, neither listen to siren voices blaring that the precious metals bull market has ended. It has not, and will run to yet greater heights in the next 3-10 years. I don’t know what happened and can’t find out yet, but my commentary for 17 November was not sent out or posted to the website (there was none for 16 November). Whenever they’re not posted at www.the-moneychanger.com you can also check at www.goldprice.org , where they are also posted. The week was not kind to the little things, or to anything else, except the US dollar index. Ever-volatile silver and palladium took the deepest wounds, but stocks didn’t lag far behind. Never mind the two bank-owned shills who seized power in Greece and Italy, markets are not satisfied. That fear and uncertainty is churning all markets, and will until some real solution is brought forth. By the way, “real solution” includes not “haircuts” for the banks, but “eviscerations.” A debt jubilee. Debt is so huge that it can’t be paid without perpetual debt slavery. This crisis snowball is fast rolling down hill, and soon will speed out of control, I fear. Before I say anything, I want y’all to know I’m tearing the tops off the charts and reading out whatever they say, good or bad. If y’all don’t like it, don’t shoot the messenger. Stocks this week fell down out of an even-sided triangle at 11,950 and gives the Dow an initial target of 11,250, below the 50 day moving average (11,523 today). Now looks as if the Dow will NOT make any final push up after all. All this is a breakdown after a Jaws of Death has formed, a most reliable top formation. Bad vibes. Bad karma. Bad juju. Today the Dow gained 25.43 (measly 0.22%) to close at 11,796.16. S&P, on the other hand, dropped 0.48 (0.004%) to 1,215.65, while the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 both closed slightly lower. That argument signals bewilderment in the market, and bewildered markets don’t rally, generally. Stocks — somebody (not I) might be able to pick winners in the next 4 years, but there’ won’t be many. Most will be mauled by the bear. US DOLLAR INDEX dropped 20.1 basis points today (0.26%) to 78.081, but look, folks, it jumped in one week 117.5 basis points 1.5%. Money fleeing Europe is driving it, and will drive it. It is rallying, and could reach 83.15. The Japanese Nice Government Men will have to tame the rambunctious yen, and right soon. Without exports, Japan will become an island of unsalable parked cars. They’ve hit it twice since the earthquake, but every time it comes right back — lots of scared money out there looking for a refuge. They must hit it again soon. Today at 129.98c/Y100 (Y76.93/$1). The world is so scared of the Euro that it has gapped down twice in the last two weeks and will continue to fall toward 1.2000. Closed today 1.3515, up 0.39%. We have a beautiful glowing red-orange fall sunset here this evening, better than fine wine. Y’all enjoy your weekend! Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt — – Gold and silver must be bought. – Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com © 2011, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including electronically, without our express permission. To avoid confusion, please remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest with the primary trend. Gold’s primary trend is up, targeting at least $3,130.00; silver’s primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66; stocks’ primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate bubble has burst, primary trend down. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and warned: Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don’t intend them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not as a timing service for futures. NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps. NOR do I recommend trading futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not for the inexperienced. NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or with debt. What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your own hands. One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose.
Think Defensively in a Chutes and Ladders Economy
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace It could have been worse — and for a while Thursday, it was. At one point in mid-afternoon, the Dow was off 229 points. However, in the last half-hour of trade, stocks bounced back a bit as investors clung to the hope that somehow the U.S. economy can skirt recession in 2012, even if Europe slides into an abyss. Today, the market continues to waffle — a sight all too familiar given recent volatility. It would seem as if hope and fear are the two major factors driving the market as of late. Truth be told, that same hope has propped up a bunch of markets recently, not just stocks. Just look at the oil price. Until Thursday, crude was climbing relentlessly, crossing $100 a barrel Wednesday. It reminds me of May 2008, when oil traders were jubilating over $147 a barrel and salivating at the prospect of $200 (promised in a famous Goldman Sachs forecast). The economy was already in trouble then. Within four months, the financial crisis exploded to dimensions unprecedented since the Great Depression. By February 2009, West Texas Intermediate was changing hands at $34. I’m not saying we’re looking at a replay of those events now. However, it seems clear to me that too many U.S. investors are naively ignoring the storm on the other side the Atlantic. On Thursday, yields on both Italian and Spanish 10-year bonds traded, for a time, above 7%. Although they are now below this major threshold, in a world where the United States and Germany are paying just 2% on similar maturities, a 7% yield is still shocking for one major European sovereign, let alone two. And France might not be far behind! I continue to believe that the current relief rally for stocks, which began Oct. 4, will carry into December, lifting the S&P 500 Index as high as 1,300 or slightly above. Given the looming risks, it’s imperative these days to “think defense first” when making your investment moves. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid stocks entirely. But you should confine your new purchases to stocks that offer strong defensive characteristics — such as a generous (and preferably increasing) dividend. One to consider right now: Baxter International (NYSE: BAX ). On Tuesday, the Chicago-based medical supplier raised its dividend 8% — a nice, solid number reflecting strong confidence by management in the company’s 2012 earnings outlook. Besides throwing off $534 million of cash dividends, BAX has bought back $1.41 billion worth of stock year to date (through Sept. 30). Indeed, I expect dividends and buybacks to take up essentially all of Baxter’s free cash flow in 2011. This is an outfit that believes in sharing the wealth with its owners!
Windows Opens up Qualcomm to Continued Growth
Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM ) which designs, develops, manufactures and markets
digital telecom products and services
digital telecom products and services
Investments You Can Make in Good Company
Lest I be accused of hero worship, I'll spare readers another Warren Buffett
lovefest article. Yes, Buffett is a living legend, and yes, he is arguably the
best investor of all time. But these facts are nothing new, and more articles
than I can count already have been written about the man and his methods over
the years. Buffett has been elevated to something akin to a demigod in the minds
of many value investors, and the art of investing like Buffett is a subject that
has been thoroughly beaten to death by the financial press. With all of this as
a caveat, I'll let readers in on a little secret: I do like to keep tabs on
what Buffett is buying or selling. It never is a good idea to blindly ape the
trades of another investor even one with a track record like Buffett's.
Because of the time lag in reporting with the SEC, an investor you follow might
very well have sold the position you are copying by the time you buy it. And
what makes sense in that investor's portfolio might make no sense at all in
yours . Still, given Buffett's penchant for long investment time horizons,
he's a little easier to follow than most. And, again, his track record over
the years make him a man worth watching. Imagine my pleasure when I saw
Berkshire Hathaway 's (NYSE: BRK.B ) updated portfolio holdings for the third
quarter of 2011 (see Warren Buffett's portfolio ). Three out of Buffett's
five new additions were Sizemore Investment Letter recommendations. Warren
Buffett initiated positions in SIL recommendations DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV ), Intel
(NASDAQ: INTC ), and Visa (NYSE: V ). His other two additions were pharmacy
chain CVS (NYSE: CVS ) and defense contractor General Dynamics (NYSE: GD ).
While I was not invited to Buffett and partner Charlie Munger's strategy
sessions before these purchases were made (I'm sure my invitation was lost in
the mail), I have a pretty good idea of what Warren Buffett sees in DirecTV,
Intel and Visa. Each is a leader in its respective industry, and all three
benefit from durable, long-term macro trends. Let's start with DirecTV, the
world's largest provider of paid satellite television. Given that
TV-over-Internet options like Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) and Hulu are increasingly
crowding the turf of traditional paid TV and given that the paid TV market in
the United States already is saturated Buffett's choice here might raise a
few eyebrows. I can assume that Buffett's rationale was the same as my own:
DirecTV is a direct play on rising living standards in the fast-growing markets
of Latin America, where it already has 11.1 million subscribers (vs. 19.8
million in the United States). Latin American revenues were up 46% in the third
quarter, thanks primarily to subscriber growth. But even in the United States
where everyone already has paid TV service in one form or another revenues were
up 8%. Not bad, given the precarious financial situation of the average
American. DirecTV also is very reasonably priced at just 10 times expected
earnings. Moving on to Intel, my only question to Warren Buffett is "What took
you so long?"
lovefest article. Yes, Buffett is a living legend, and yes, he is arguably the
best investor of all time. But these facts are nothing new, and more articles
than I can count already have been written about the man and his methods over
the years. Buffett has been elevated to something akin to a demigod in the minds
of many value investors, and the art of investing like Buffett is a subject that
has been thoroughly beaten to death by the financial press. With all of this as
a caveat, I'll let readers in on a little secret: I do like to keep tabs on
what Buffett is buying or selling. It never is a good idea to blindly ape the
trades of another investor even one with a track record like Buffett's.
Because of the time lag in reporting with the SEC, an investor you follow might
very well have sold the position you are copying by the time you buy it. And
what makes sense in that investor's portfolio might make no sense at all in
yours . Still, given Buffett's penchant for long investment time horizons,
he's a little easier to follow than most. And, again, his track record over
the years make him a man worth watching. Imagine my pleasure when I saw
Berkshire Hathaway 's (NYSE: BRK.B ) updated portfolio holdings for the third
quarter of 2011 (see Warren Buffett's portfolio ). Three out of Buffett's
five new additions were Sizemore Investment Letter recommendations. Warren
Buffett initiated positions in SIL recommendations DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV ), Intel
(NASDAQ: INTC ), and Visa (NYSE: V ). His other two additions were pharmacy
chain CVS (NYSE: CVS ) and defense contractor General Dynamics (NYSE: GD ).
While I was not invited to Buffett and partner Charlie Munger's strategy
sessions before these purchases were made (I'm sure my invitation was lost in
the mail), I have a pretty good idea of what Warren Buffett sees in DirecTV,
Intel and Visa. Each is a leader in its respective industry, and all three
benefit from durable, long-term macro trends. Let's start with DirecTV, the
world's largest provider of paid satellite television. Given that
TV-over-Internet options like Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) and Hulu are increasingly
crowding the turf of traditional paid TV and given that the paid TV market in
the United States already is saturated Buffett's choice here might raise a
few eyebrows. I can assume that Buffett's rationale was the same as my own:
DirecTV is a direct play on rising living standards in the fast-growing markets
of Latin America, where it already has 11.1 million subscribers (vs. 19.8
million in the United States). Latin American revenues were up 46% in the third
quarter, thanks primarily to subscriber growth. But even in the United States
where everyone already has paid TV service in one form or another revenues were
up 8%. Not bad, given the precarious financial situation of the average
American. DirecTV also is very reasonably priced at just 10 times expected
earnings. Moving on to Intel, my only question to Warren Buffett is "What took
you so long?"
Whatever Gold Price Downside Risk Remains Here Is Peanuts Compared to the Triple of Quadruple Upside
Gold Price Close Today : 1,724.70 Gold Price Close 11-Nov : 1,787.50 Change :
-62.80 or -3.5% Silver Price Close Today : 3241.3 Silver Price Close 11-Nov :
3467.1 Change : -225.80 or -6.5% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 53.210 Gold Silver
Ratio 11-Nov : 51.556 Change : 1.65 or 3.2% Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01879 Silver
Gold Ratio 11-Nov : 0.01940 Change : -0.00060 or -3.1% Dow in Gold Dollars : $
141.39 Dow in Gold Dollars 11-Nov : $ 140.54 Change : $ 0.84 or 0.6% Dow in Gold
Ounces : 6.840 Dow in Gold Ounces 11-Nov : 6.799 Change : 0.04 or 0.6% Dow in
Silver Ounces : 363.93 Dow in Silver Ounces 11-Nov : 350.52 Change : 13.41 or
3.8% Dow Industrial : 11,796.16 Dow Industrial 11-Nov : 12,152.93 Change :
-356.77 or -2.9% S&P 500 : 1,215.65 S&P 500 11-Nov : 1,263.73 Change : -48.08 or
-3.8% US Dollar Index : 78.081 US Dollar Index 11-Nov : 76.906 Change : 1.175 or
1.5% Platinum Price Close Today : 1,593.30 Platinum Price Close 11-Nov :
1,643.20 Change : -49.90 or -3.0% Palladium Price Close Today : 606.10 Palladium
Price Close 11-Nov : 660.95 Change : -54.85 or -8.3% The GOLD PRICE failed in
its second try at $1,800. Reached for it on Monday, but fell back to $1,760 -
$1,765 and traded sideways through Wednesday. Once it broke $1,740 on Thursday,
gold tumbled all the way to $1,711. Can't interpret that as anything but a
breakdown. This should be the second and final leg down we've been waiting for.
How far will it run? Support remains at $1,705, and below that at $1,675. The
GOLD PRICE caught this week at the 50 dma (1,715.80) but next week might reach
$1,675. If that holds not, then look at $1,600, $1,536, and $1,475. Today the
GOLD PRICE gained $4.90 to close Comex at $1,724.70, a flat wee bounce after
falling $54.00 yesterday. In view of the unsolved European crisis and the
ripeness of this gold correction, I am ready to start buying by averaging down.
Buy some at $1,705, $1,675, $1,605, etc. BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THIS WILL
START BUT I AM CONFIDENT GOLD REMAINS IN A BULL MARKET WITH FAR MORE UPSIDE.
Whatever 10% or even 20% downside risk remains here is peanuts compared to the
triple or quadruple upside. The SILVER PRICE was taken to the same woodshed as
gold. Once it broke 3350c on Thursday, silver never stopped until it hit 3088c.
Today it rebounded, but not with anything more than a dead cat bounce to 3250c.
To gainsay this breakdown, silver would have to close above 3250c then rapidly
above 3400c. Down below several landing zones appear possible. 3000c is one,
then 2850, and finally 2600c. Lower prices are possible, but not likely. I
expect to see most of the metals' downside in the next two weeks, if not sooner.
DON'T MISS THIS: Right now, when every timid heart, including your own, is
trembling, audacity and a cool head will pay off. Now is the time to buy, not
when all the silly media cheerleaders have discovered a strong upward trend and
prices are running away to the upside. GOLD SILVER RATIO swappers should mark
that my commentary yesterday contained an error. I meant to recommend you swap
silver for GOLD, not vice versa. Ratio is rising, which means silver is growing
cheaper against gold, and we always swap from the dear metal into the cheap. If
you swapped silver for gold in the spring at any level lower than 42:1, you can
swap gold for silver now and realize gains in silver ounces above 28.5%. Me, I
would scoop those ounces off the table and into my lap. SWAPPERS who swapped
higher than 42:1 keep on waiting for a 57.5:1 ratio, which may come soon. Delude
not thyself, neither listen to siren voices blaring that the precious metals
bull market has ended. It has not, and will run to yet greater heights in the
next 3-10 years. I don't know what happened and can't find out yet, but my
commentary for 17 November was not sent out or posted to the website (there was
none for 16 November). Whenever they're not posted at www.the-moneychanger.com
you can also check at www.goldprice.org , where they are also posted. The week
was not kind to the little things, or to anything else, except the US dollar
index. Ever-volatile silver and palladium took the deepest wounds, but stocks
didn't lag far behind. Never mind the two bank-owned shills who seized power in
Greece and Italy, markets are not satisfied. That fear and uncertainty is
churning all markets, and will until some real solution is brought forth. By the
way, "real solution" includes not "haircuts" for the banks, but "eviscerations."
A debt jubilee. Debt is so huge that it can't be paid without perpetual debt
slavery. This crisis snowball is fast rolling down hill, and soon will speed out
of control, I fear. Before I say anything, I want y'all to know I'm tearing the
tops off the charts and reading out whatever they say, good or bad. If y'all
don't like it, don't shoot the messenger. Stocks this week fell down out of an
even-sided triangle at 11,950 and gives the Dow an initial target of 11,250,
below the 50 day moving average (11,523 today). Now looks as if the Dow will NOT
make any final push up after all. All this is a breakdown after a Jaws of Death
has formed, a most reliable top formation. Bad vibes. Bad karma. Bad juju. Today
the Dow gained 25.43 (measly 0.22%) to close at 11,796.16. S&P, on the other
hand, dropped 0.48 (0.004%) to 1,215.65, while the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq
100 both closed slightly lower. That argument signals bewilderment in the
market, and bewildered markets don't rally, generally. Stocks -- somebody (not
I) might be able to pick winners in the next 4 years, but there' won't be many.
Most will be mauled by the bear. US DOLLAR INDEX dropped 20.1 basis points today
(0.26%) to 78.081, but look, folks, it jumped in one week 117.5 basis points
1.5%. Money fleeing Europe is driving it, and will drive it. It is rallying, and
could reach 83.15. The Japanese Nice Government Men will have to tame the
rambunctious yen, and right soon. Without exports, Japan will become an island
of unsalable parked cars. They've hit it twice since the earthquake, but every
time it comes right back -- lots of scared money out there looking for a refuge.
They must hit it again soon. Today at 129.98c/Y100 (Y76.93/$1). The world is so
scared of the Euro that it has gapped down twice in the last two weeks and will
continue to fall toward 1.2000. Closed today 1.3515, up 0.39%. We have a
beautiful glowing red-orange fall sunset here this evening, better than fine
wine. Y'all enjoy your weekend! Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and
silver must be bought. - Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com
© 2011, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including
electronically, without our express permission. To avoid confusion, please
remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest
with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least
$3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66;
stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one
ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate
bubble has burst, primary trend down. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and
warned: Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend
them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them
for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not
as a timing service for futures. NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver
Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one
or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me
paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps. NOR do I recommend trading
futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not
for the inexperienced. NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or
with debt. What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your
own hands. One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose.
-62.80 or -3.5% Silver Price Close Today : 3241.3 Silver Price Close 11-Nov :
3467.1 Change : -225.80 or -6.5% Gold Silver Ratio Today : 53.210 Gold Silver
Ratio 11-Nov : 51.556 Change : 1.65 or 3.2% Silver Gold Ratio : 0.01879 Silver
Gold Ratio 11-Nov : 0.01940 Change : -0.00060 or -3.1% Dow in Gold Dollars : $
141.39 Dow in Gold Dollars 11-Nov : $ 140.54 Change : $ 0.84 or 0.6% Dow in Gold
Ounces : 6.840 Dow in Gold Ounces 11-Nov : 6.799 Change : 0.04 or 0.6% Dow in
Silver Ounces : 363.93 Dow in Silver Ounces 11-Nov : 350.52 Change : 13.41 or
3.8% Dow Industrial : 11,796.16 Dow Industrial 11-Nov : 12,152.93 Change :
-356.77 or -2.9% S&P 500 : 1,215.65 S&P 500 11-Nov : 1,263.73 Change : -48.08 or
-3.8% US Dollar Index : 78.081 US Dollar Index 11-Nov : 76.906 Change : 1.175 or
1.5% Platinum Price Close Today : 1,593.30 Platinum Price Close 11-Nov :
1,643.20 Change : -49.90 or -3.0% Palladium Price Close Today : 606.10 Palladium
Price Close 11-Nov : 660.95 Change : -54.85 or -8.3% The GOLD PRICE failed in
its second try at $1,800. Reached for it on Monday, but fell back to $1,760 -
$1,765 and traded sideways through Wednesday. Once it broke $1,740 on Thursday,
gold tumbled all the way to $1,711. Can't interpret that as anything but a
breakdown. This should be the second and final leg down we've been waiting for.
How far will it run? Support remains at $1,705, and below that at $1,675. The
GOLD PRICE caught this week at the 50 dma (1,715.80) but next week might reach
$1,675. If that holds not, then look at $1,600, $1,536, and $1,475. Today the
GOLD PRICE gained $4.90 to close Comex at $1,724.70, a flat wee bounce after
falling $54.00 yesterday. In view of the unsolved European crisis and the
ripeness of this gold correction, I am ready to start buying by averaging down.
Buy some at $1,705, $1,675, $1,605, etc. BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHERE THIS WILL
START BUT I AM CONFIDENT GOLD REMAINS IN A BULL MARKET WITH FAR MORE UPSIDE.
Whatever 10% or even 20% downside risk remains here is peanuts compared to the
triple or quadruple upside. The SILVER PRICE was taken to the same woodshed as
gold. Once it broke 3350c on Thursday, silver never stopped until it hit 3088c.
Today it rebounded, but not with anything more than a dead cat bounce to 3250c.
To gainsay this breakdown, silver would have to close above 3250c then rapidly
above 3400c. Down below several landing zones appear possible. 3000c is one,
then 2850, and finally 2600c. Lower prices are possible, but not likely. I
expect to see most of the metals' downside in the next two weeks, if not sooner.
DON'T MISS THIS: Right now, when every timid heart, including your own, is
trembling, audacity and a cool head will pay off. Now is the time to buy, not
when all the silly media cheerleaders have discovered a strong upward trend and
prices are running away to the upside. GOLD SILVER RATIO swappers should mark
that my commentary yesterday contained an error. I meant to recommend you swap
silver for GOLD, not vice versa. Ratio is rising, which means silver is growing
cheaper against gold, and we always swap from the dear metal into the cheap. If
you swapped silver for gold in the spring at any level lower than 42:1, you can
swap gold for silver now and realize gains in silver ounces above 28.5%. Me, I
would scoop those ounces off the table and into my lap. SWAPPERS who swapped
higher than 42:1 keep on waiting for a 57.5:1 ratio, which may come soon. Delude
not thyself, neither listen to siren voices blaring that the precious metals
bull market has ended. It has not, and will run to yet greater heights in the
next 3-10 years. I don't know what happened and can't find out yet, but my
commentary for 17 November was not sent out or posted to the website (there was
none for 16 November). Whenever they're not posted at www.the-moneychanger.com
you can also check at www.goldprice.org , where they are also posted. The week
was not kind to the little things, or to anything else, except the US dollar
index. Ever-volatile silver and palladium took the deepest wounds, but stocks
didn't lag far behind. Never mind the two bank-owned shills who seized power in
Greece and Italy, markets are not satisfied. That fear and uncertainty is
churning all markets, and will until some real solution is brought forth. By the
way, "real solution" includes not "haircuts" for the banks, but "eviscerations."
A debt jubilee. Debt is so huge that it can't be paid without perpetual debt
slavery. This crisis snowball is fast rolling down hill, and soon will speed out
of control, I fear. Before I say anything, I want y'all to know I'm tearing the
tops off the charts and reading out whatever they say, good or bad. If y'all
don't like it, don't shoot the messenger. Stocks this week fell down out of an
even-sided triangle at 11,950 and gives the Dow an initial target of 11,250,
below the 50 day moving average (11,523 today). Now looks as if the Dow will NOT
make any final push up after all. All this is a breakdown after a Jaws of Death
has formed, a most reliable top formation. Bad vibes. Bad karma. Bad juju. Today
the Dow gained 25.43 (measly 0.22%) to close at 11,796.16. S&P, on the other
hand, dropped 0.48 (0.004%) to 1,215.65, while the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq
100 both closed slightly lower. That argument signals bewilderment in the
market, and bewildered markets don't rally, generally. Stocks -- somebody (not
I) might be able to pick winners in the next 4 years, but there' won't be many.
Most will be mauled by the bear. US DOLLAR INDEX dropped 20.1 basis points today
(0.26%) to 78.081, but look, folks, it jumped in one week 117.5 basis points
1.5%. Money fleeing Europe is driving it, and will drive it. It is rallying, and
could reach 83.15. The Japanese Nice Government Men will have to tame the
rambunctious yen, and right soon. Without exports, Japan will become an island
of unsalable parked cars. They've hit it twice since the earthquake, but every
time it comes right back -- lots of scared money out there looking for a refuge.
They must hit it again soon. Today at 129.98c/Y100 (Y76.93/$1). The world is so
scared of the Euro that it has gapped down twice in the last two weeks and will
continue to fall toward 1.2000. Closed today 1.3515, up 0.39%. We have a
beautiful glowing red-orange fall sunset here this evening, better than fine
wine. Y'all enjoy your weekend! Argentum et aurum comparenda sunt -- -- Gold and
silver must be bought. - Franklin Sanders, The Moneychanger The-MoneyChanger.com
© 2011, The Moneychanger. May not be republished in any form, including
electronically, without our express permission. To avoid confusion, please
remember that the comments above have a very short time horizon. Always invest
with the primary trend. Gold's primary trend is up, targeting at least
$3,130.00; silver's primary is up targeting 16:1 gold/silver ratio or $195.66;
stocks' primary trend is down, targeting Dow under 2,900 and worth only one
ounce of gold; US$ or US$-denominated assets, primary trend down; real estate
bubble has burst, primary trend down. WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. Be advised and
warned: Do NOT use these commentaries to trade futures contracts. I don't intend
them for that or write them with that short term trading outlook. I write them
for long-term investors in physical metals. Take them as entertainment, but not
as a timing service for futures. NOR do I recommend investing in gold or silver
Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs). Those are NOT physical metal and I fear one day one
or another may go up in smoke. Unless you can breathe smoke, stay away. Call me
paranoid, but the surviving rabbit is wary of traps. NOR do I recommend trading
futures options or other leveraged paper gold and silver products. These are not
for the inexperienced. NOR do I recommend buying gold and silver on margin or
with debt. What DO I recommend? Physical gold and silver coins and bars in your
own hands. One final warning: NEVER insert a 747 Jumbo Jet up your nose.
Google Alert - antiques coin
| ||
| West Seattle Coins billboard installed off WS Bridge, a sign of ... Westseattleherald.com By Steve Shay The loud jingling of gold coins and jewelry, the ticking of antique gold pocket watches, and even chatter over the occasional loose gold tooth ... |
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Delete this alert.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Continues iTunes Spread
It has been reported that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will open its online music
store in Brazil before Christmas. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Continues iTunes
Spread According to weekly magazine Epoca, the US based smartphone maker giant
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will open the music section of the iTunes Store in
Brazil next month. Epoca's society columnist Bruno Astuto said, "Apple Inc.
(NASDAQ:AAPL) will open two offices in Sao Paulo next month, one dedicated to
Latin American operations and one exclusively focused on licensing Brazilian
music for iTunes." The company is hoping to capitalize on its dominant
position in the market before the spread of competitors products, such as the
recently launched Google Music, can affect sales. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
company shares are currently standing at 377.41. Price History Last Price:
377.41 52 Week Low / High: 304.69 / 426.7 50 Day Moving Average: 395.73 6 Month
Price Change %: 13.2% 12 Month Price Change %: 27.6%
store in Brazil before Christmas. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Continues iTunes
Spread According to weekly magazine Epoca, the US based smartphone maker giant
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will open the music section of the iTunes Store in
Brazil next month. Epoca's society columnist Bruno Astuto said, "Apple Inc.
(NASDAQ:AAPL) will open two offices in Sao Paulo next month, one dedicated to
Latin American operations and one exclusively focused on licensing Brazilian
music for iTunes." The company is hoping to capitalize on its dominant
position in the market before the spread of competitors products, such as the
recently launched Google Music, can affect sales. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
company shares are currently standing at 377.41. Price History Last Price:
377.41 52 Week Low / High: 304.69 / 426.7 50 Day Moving Average: 395.73 6 Month
Price Change %: 13.2% 12 Month Price Change %: 27.6%
This Stock Is Literally a Cash Machine
Next time youre in a convenience store, take a close look at the small
free-standing ATM near the door. Maybe hang out a little while and enjoy a
hotdog or bag of chips so you can take a close look at whos using those machines
and how often. You may learn something that can make you some real money. Those
little cash machines are currently churning out big profits for shareholders of
Cardtronics (NASDAQ: CATM ). If you ever wondered whos willing to pay the "big
fees" for withdrawing money from these machines, you may want to take a long
look at the debit card in your wallet. Cash machine companies are offering
low-cost or no-fee products to consumers that could knock debit cards off their
perch as the leading way to pay for retail transactions. The market for this
kind of access to cash is large, profitable and growing, and the biggest player
in this part of the "fringe-banking" sector is Cardtronics our pick for
buyers looking for growth in today's market. In the near term we expect
investors to push into the stock partially because of all the bad news coming
from the big debit card issuers like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ). Although it
seems that the big card issuers are backing away from some of the recent fee
increases, theyre actually just pushing those debit card charges into less
obvious places . For example, if you need to replace a lost card, BofA will now
charge you $20 to get one quickly. We don't expect this kind of thing will
fool consumers for very long. Cash is a close second to the most popular way to
pay for retail transactions, and if debit cards are cost-prohibitive, ATMs
become even more important to consumers. CATM not only operates the largest ATM
network in the U.S., it also has products consumers can use for no-fee access to
ATMs around the country. These days the adage of "cash is king" has never
been truer. The stock popped nicely on third-quarter earnings earlier this month
and has since consolidated into a classic pennant formation. In the chart below,
you can see what the stock looks like right now and where we would expect prices
to go in the near term if we get the breakout to the upside were expecting. Our
short-term target would net investors 23%, and it could be much more if momentum
takes the stock further. Click to Enlarge The technicals and fundamentals for
this stock look good, and growth prospects are high in the short term. If youre
looking for a way to turn the missteps and bad news of the traditional banking
industry to your advantage you might want to look at CATM, which is steadily
emerging as the more attractive alternative for consumer payments. Options
Alternatives CATM is a small-cap stock with a thinly traded chain sheet. That
isn't a reason not to buy a call option, but it does change how the trade is
set up. In a situation like this, we recommend looking at the longer-term
expirations and using a limit order to split the bid/ask spread. For example,
the March 2012, 25 strike calls traded on Thursday in between the bid/ask at
$3.20 per share. This creates a lot of leverage that could seriously ramp up
gains if the stock rallies in the short term.
free-standing ATM near the door. Maybe hang out a little while and enjoy a
hotdog or bag of chips so you can take a close look at whos using those machines
and how often. You may learn something that can make you some real money. Those
little cash machines are currently churning out big profits for shareholders of
Cardtronics (NASDAQ: CATM ). If you ever wondered whos willing to pay the "big
fees" for withdrawing money from these machines, you may want to take a long
look at the debit card in your wallet. Cash machine companies are offering
low-cost or no-fee products to consumers that could knock debit cards off their
perch as the leading way to pay for retail transactions. The market for this
kind of access to cash is large, profitable and growing, and the biggest player
in this part of the "fringe-banking" sector is Cardtronics our pick for
buyers looking for growth in today's market. In the near term we expect
investors to push into the stock partially because of all the bad news coming
from the big debit card issuers like Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ). Although it
seems that the big card issuers are backing away from some of the recent fee
increases, theyre actually just pushing those debit card charges into less
obvious places . For example, if you need to replace a lost card, BofA will now
charge you $20 to get one quickly. We don't expect this kind of thing will
fool consumers for very long. Cash is a close second to the most popular way to
pay for retail transactions, and if debit cards are cost-prohibitive, ATMs
become even more important to consumers. CATM not only operates the largest ATM
network in the U.S., it also has products consumers can use for no-fee access to
ATMs around the country. These days the adage of "cash is king" has never
been truer. The stock popped nicely on third-quarter earnings earlier this month
and has since consolidated into a classic pennant formation. In the chart below,
you can see what the stock looks like right now and where we would expect prices
to go in the near term if we get the breakout to the upside were expecting. Our
short-term target would net investors 23%, and it could be much more if momentum
takes the stock further. Click to Enlarge The technicals and fundamentals for
this stock look good, and growth prospects are high in the short term. If youre
looking for a way to turn the missteps and bad news of the traditional banking
industry to your advantage you might want to look at CATM, which is steadily
emerging as the more attractive alternative for consumer payments. Options
Alternatives CATM is a small-cap stock with a thinly traded chain sheet. That
isn't a reason not to buy a call option, but it does change how the trade is
set up. In a situation like this, we recommend looking at the longer-term
expirations and using a limit order to split the bid/ask spread. For example,
the March 2012, 25 strike calls traded on Thursday in between the bid/ask at
$3.20 per share. This creates a lot of leverage that could seriously ramp up
gains if the stock rallies in the short term.
Has GameStop Caught Lightning in a Bottle?
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace The video game business lives and dies by the holiday season. In October, when Nintendo (PINK: NTDOY ) reported a $258 million third-quarter loss , it was no big surprise. That company and many others in the industry are accustomed to taking a hit during the summer months when consumers spend more on activities than indoor entertainment. The fourth quarter, when big games release and retailers run big Black Friday-style sales, are when the profits roll in. What was unusual about the aforementioned earnings was that Nintendo cut its forecast for the full year, lowering its expectations to a loss of around $264 million — what would be the company’s first annual loss. For game-makers like Nintendo whose chief business is the sale of physical goods at retail, these days of increased digital sales are making for trying times. So imagine how video game retailers like GameStop (NYSE: GME ) are faring. Actually, don’t bother imagining. GameStop announced Thursday that, going into the holiday season, sales are not matching expectations . New game sales for the quarter ending Oct. 29 grew just 4.8%, and total sales grew 2.5% to just under $2 billion. Profits dipped to under $54 million, a year-on-year fall of about 1.5%. All of this crummy news led GameStop, which decreased its full-year forecast in August to 4.5% to 6.5% revenue growth, to lower guidance again Thursday — this time to 2% to 3% growth on expectations of flat to slightly lower same-store sales. CEO Paul Raines told The Wall Street Journal that he believes GameStop’s disappointing sales are due to “uncertain” consumers. The news sent GME shares down about 2.5% Thursday, though they since had regained their ground by midday Friday. However, there is a silver lining to GameStop’s earnings report. As in the August quarter, GameStop is continuing to see positive growth in sales of digital goods and services. In particular, the company sold 600,000 subscriptions to Activision Blizzard ‘s (NASDAQ: ATVI ) Call of Duty Elite service. Call of Duty Elite is a $50-per-year premium service offered by Activision Blizzard that gives players of the company’s hit series Call of Duty access to digital add-on content , as well as stat-tracking services for players. Think of it as the video game equivalent of ESPN’s fantasy sports services. That a retailer like GameStop was able to rack up approximately $30 million in sales of a purely digital service — which consumers just as easily could have bought directly from Activison Blizzard online — is promising for a company that is contending with an increasingly digital market. Sales of Elite were of course bolstered by sales of ATVI’s latest game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 , which itself racked up $775 million in its first five days on shelves this month. Of course, these Elite sales aren’t all gravy — they’ll go toward offsetting declines in its other subscription-based juggernaut , World of Warcraft . These sales would seem to indicate that GameStop can use digital goods sold in tandem with hit releases to offset declines in disc-based sales. However, the Call of Duty franchise is a cultural phenomenon at this point. Where Modern Warfare 3 sold 6.5 million copies in 24 hours, most games struggle to sell 1 million copies within a year of release. Simply put, GameStop can’t expect to make up for revenue losses with similar services on any sort of consistent basis. Still, the retailer’s overall digital operations are showing impressive growth. Total digital sales grew 69% year-over-year in the August quarter, with sales totaling $98 million. Those sales accounted for 42% of GameStop’s profits during the period. Even if services like Call of Duty Elite can’t be replicated, they can act as supplements to the company’s growing digital concerns. GME shareholders simply need to hope those digital sales grow fast enough before falling physical media sales kill the company. As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
“Apathy” in Gold Market to Lead to Next Rally?
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 With gold suffering its worst week since September 19-23, many investors have been left wondering if further downside lies ahead. The tepid performance of the yellow metal in recent months has led to a rising sense of "apathy" among gold investors, according to Forbes contributor Tom Aspray.
COMEX Gold Futures Post 3.5% Weekly Loss
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold futures settled fractionally higher on Friday, with the COMEX December 2011 contract rising $4.90, or 0.3%, to $1,725.10 per ounce.
Friday Apple Rumors — Mac on the Attack
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace Here are your daily Apple rumors and AAPL stock news items for Friday: Macs Make Up 5% of Global PC Market: Take that, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ). While Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) continues to empty wallets thanks to the popularity of its smartphones and tablets, the company continues to make modest gains in its traditional computer business, which many people thought would die during the 1990s. A Friday report at All Things Digital said that, according to Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf, Apple’s Mac desktop and laptop computers made up 5% of global PC shipments in the last quarter . Sales in Asian markets and with business clients are big contributors in the Mac line’s impressive growth. Mac sales grew 43.8% with businesses. The last quarter was the 22nd consecutive quarter that Mac shipments have increased. Big PC Companies Leave Tablet Market in 2012: In other news about Apple eating the PC industry’s lunch, a Friday report in Digitimes (via Apple Insider ) said many companies are preparing to cede the tablet market to Apple and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ). Citing industry sources, the report said that four of the biggest PC makers on the planet — including Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ), Asus and Acer — will exit the tablet market in 2012 . The reason? These companies can’t expect to make a profit on devices that sell as cheaply as Amazon’s Kindle Fire, and they can’t compete with the popularity of Apple’s iPad. The report, of course, runs contrary to recent comments made by HP CEO Meg Whitman regarding her company’s future in the tablet market. Apple May Lose Billions Fighting Motorola in Court: On Nov. 4, Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI ) won an injunction against Apple in Germany blocking Apple from selling its mobile products like the iPhone and iPad in that country. On Friday, a Bloomberg report (via 9 to 5 Mac ) said Apple stands to lose as much as $2.7 billion if it loses the patent case in question. As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
Wal-Mart’s Woes, Boeing’s Wows! — Friday’s IP Market Recap
This week on Wall Street saw the world's largest retailer continue a
years-long struggle and one of the world's biggest names in aerospace in
defense rewrite the history books. Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT ) watched its
third-quarter profits slip to $3.34 billion compared to $3.44 billion in 2010,
dampening what could have been a cheerful earnings report Tuesday that included
the company's first period of increasing U.S. same-store sales in 10 quarters.
The report sent WMT stock down 2.5% of the day, and Wal-Mart limped out down
3.3% on the week at $57.22. The retailer has struggled for years despite the
seeming appeal of its lauded deep discounts in a down economy however,
lower-cost companies like Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) and Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:
DLTR ) have continued to cut into Wal-Mart's market with great bargains, as
has warehouse giant Costco (NASDAQ: COST ). Also problematic for Wal-Mart on the
other side of the price line is more trendy retailer Target (NYSE: TGT ). The
country's No. 2 retailer took the spotlight from WMT with its third-quarter
earnings report, which had the company beating analyst estimates with profits of
$555 million, up from $535 million a year ago. Target got a momentary boost on
the news but finished the week flat at around $53. Target recently has gone on
the aggressive, teaming up with credit card company American Express (NYSE: AXP
) in offering prepaid debit cards a direct answer to the Green Dot-powered Visa
(NYSE: V ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA ) cards that can be found in Walmart stores.
Still, Wal-Mart remains the stronger competitor , with its prices offering
consumers much more protection against
years-long struggle and one of the world's biggest names in aerospace in
defense rewrite the history books. Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT ) watched its
third-quarter profits slip to $3.34 billion compared to $3.44 billion in 2010,
dampening what could have been a cheerful earnings report Tuesday that included
the company's first period of increasing U.S. same-store sales in 10 quarters.
The report sent WMT stock down 2.5% of the day, and Wal-Mart limped out down
3.3% on the week at $57.22. The retailer has struggled for years despite the
seeming appeal of its lauded deep discounts in a down economy however,
lower-cost companies like Dollar General (NYSE: DG ) and Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:
DLTR ) have continued to cut into Wal-Mart's market with great bargains, as
has warehouse giant Costco (NASDAQ: COST ). Also problematic for Wal-Mart on the
other side of the price line is more trendy retailer Target (NYSE: TGT ). The
country's No. 2 retailer took the spotlight from WMT with its third-quarter
earnings report, which had the company beating analyst estimates with profits of
$555 million, up from $535 million a year ago. Target got a momentary boost on
the news but finished the week flat at around $53. Target recently has gone on
the aggressive, teaming up with credit card company American Express (NYSE: AXP
) in offering prepaid debit cards a direct answer to the Green Dot-powered Visa
(NYSE: V ) and MasterCard (NYSE: MA ) cards that can be found in Walmart stores.
Still, Wal-Mart remains the stronger competitor , with its prices offering
consumers much more protection against
A Rare Opportunity to Bet on Rare Earth Minerals
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace After the euphoria fades from a sector, forward-thinking investors often have the chance to pick up some quality assets on the cheap. Right now, the commodities sector is full of such examples. Everything from copper to coal is currently trading down relative to the long-term picture for hard assets. One quite intriguing opportunity exists in the so-called rare earths, or strategic elements. Prices for these minerals, used in everything from TVs to lasers, have fallen in the face of slowing global growth. For investors, these often misunderstood materials could be an interesting, though volatile, bet. And perhaps the best way to do that is through the Market Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (NYSE: REMX ). But first, here’s some important background about rare earths. While neodymium, cerium and thorium aren't well known outside a chemistry classroom, these elements play an important part in modern living. They’re critical components of many electronic devices such as
Think Defensively in a Chutes and Ladders Economy
It could have been worse and for a while Thursday, it was. At one point in
mid-afternoon, the Dow was off 229 points. However, in the last half-hour of
trade, stocks bounced back a bit as investors clung to the hope that somehow the
U.S. economy can skirt recession in 2012, even if Europe slides into an abyss.
Today, the market continues to waffle a sight all too familiar given recent
volatility. It would seem as if hope and fear are the two major factors driving
the market as of late. Truth be told, that same hope has propped up a bunch of
markets recently, not just stocks. Just look at the oil price. Until Thursday,
crude was climbing relentlessly, crossing $100 a barrel Wednesday. It reminds me
of May 2008, when oil traders were jubilating over $147 a barrel and salivating
at the prospect of $200 (promised in a famous Goldman Sachs forecast). The
economy was already in trouble then. Within four months, the financial crisis
exploded to dimensions unprecedented since the Great Depression. By February
2009, West Texas Intermediate was changing hands at $34. Im not saying were
looking at a replay of those events now. However, it seems clear to me that too
many U.S. investors are naively ignoring the storm on the other side the
Atlantic. On Thursday, yields on both Italian and Spanish 10-year bonds traded,
for a time, above 7%. Although they are now below this major threshold, in a
world where the United States and Germany are paying just 2% on similar
maturities, a 7% yield is still shocking for one major European sovereign, let
alone two. And France might not be far behind! I continue to believe that the
current relief rally for stocks, which began Oct. 4, will carry into December,
lifting the S&P 500 Index as high as 1,300 or slightly above. Given the looming
risks, its imperative these days to think defense first when making your
investment moves. That doesnt mean you have to avoid stocks entirely. But you
should confine your new purchases to stocks that offer strong defensive
characteristics such as a generous (and preferably increasing) dividend. One to
consider right now: Baxter International (NYSE: BAX ). On Tuesday, the
Chicago-based medical supplier raised its dividend 8% a nice, solid number
reflecting strong confidence by management in the companys 2012 earnings
outlook. Besides throwing off $534 million of cash dividends, BAX has bought
back $1.41 billion worth of stock year to date (through Sept. 30). Indeed, I
expect dividends and buybacks to take up essentially all of Baxters free cash
flow in 2011. This is an outfit that believes in sharing the wealth with its
owners!
mid-afternoon, the Dow was off 229 points. However, in the last half-hour of
trade, stocks bounced back a bit as investors clung to the hope that somehow the
U.S. economy can skirt recession in 2012, even if Europe slides into an abyss.
Today, the market continues to waffle a sight all too familiar given recent
volatility. It would seem as if hope and fear are the two major factors driving
the market as of late. Truth be told, that same hope has propped up a bunch of
markets recently, not just stocks. Just look at the oil price. Until Thursday,
crude was climbing relentlessly, crossing $100 a barrel Wednesday. It reminds me
of May 2008, when oil traders were jubilating over $147 a barrel and salivating
at the prospect of $200 (promised in a famous Goldman Sachs forecast). The
economy was already in trouble then. Within four months, the financial crisis
exploded to dimensions unprecedented since the Great Depression. By February
2009, West Texas Intermediate was changing hands at $34. Im not saying were
looking at a replay of those events now. However, it seems clear to me that too
many U.S. investors are naively ignoring the storm on the other side the
Atlantic. On Thursday, yields on both Italian and Spanish 10-year bonds traded,
for a time, above 7%. Although they are now below this major threshold, in a
world where the United States and Germany are paying just 2% on similar
maturities, a 7% yield is still shocking for one major European sovereign, let
alone two. And France might not be far behind! I continue to believe that the
current relief rally for stocks, which began Oct. 4, will carry into December,
lifting the S&P 500 Index as high as 1,300 or slightly above. Given the looming
risks, its imperative these days to think defense first when making your
investment moves. That doesnt mean you have to avoid stocks entirely. But you
should confine your new purchases to stocks that offer strong defensive
characteristics such as a generous (and preferably increasing) dividend. One to
consider right now: Baxter International (NYSE: BAX ). On Tuesday, the
Chicago-based medical supplier raised its dividend 8% a nice, solid number
reflecting strong confidence by management in the companys 2012 earnings
outlook. Besides throwing off $534 million of cash dividends, BAX has bought
back $1.41 billion worth of stock year to date (through Sept. 30). Indeed, I
expect dividends and buybacks to take up essentially all of Baxters free cash
flow in 2011. This is an outfit that believes in sharing the wealth with its
owners!
“Apathy” in Gold Market to Lead to Next Rally?
With gold suffering its worst week since September 19-23, many investors have
been left wondering if further downside lies ahead. The tepid performance of the
yellow metal in recent months has led to a rising sense of "apathy" among
gold investors, according to Forbes contributor Tom Aspray.
been left wondering if further downside lies ahead. The tepid performance of the
yellow metal in recent months has led to a rising sense of "apathy" among
gold investors, according to Forbes contributor Tom Aspray.
COMEX Gold Futures Post 3.5% Weekly Loss
Gold futures settled fractionally higher on Friday, with the COMEX December
2011 contract rising $4.90, or 0.3%, to $1,725.10 per ounce.
2011 contract rising $4.90, or 0.3%, to $1,725.10 per ounce.
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Says Nexus Beats iPhone 4S
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has said that it considers the Galaxy Nexus a bigger
and better product than its rival, the Apple iPhone. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
Says Nexus Beats iPhone 4S Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) said its new Android phone,
the Galaxy Nexus, is bigger and better than its rival iPhone 4S. The company
will launch the phone in Canada within weeks. The Galaxy Nexus is larger than
iPhone 4S and its 13.5cms long, 7cms wide and 9mm depth. Google Inc.
(NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Android division vice president of engineering Hiroshi
Lockhheimer said, "One of the things we wanted to do was we wanted a large
screen but we didnt want it so large that it felt silly as a phone. Theres all
kinds of experiments and analysis that happens in terms of where is the sweet
spot in terms of how big of a screen do you want to go and how small can you
make the borders". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stocks were at 600.87 at the end
of the last days trading. Theres been a 14.7% change in the stock price over the
past 3 months. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion:
Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.18 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months
Ago: 1.27 Zacks Rank: 2 out of 30 in the industry
and better product than its rival, the Apple iPhone. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)
Says Nexus Beats iPhone 4S Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) said its new Android phone,
the Galaxy Nexus, is bigger and better than its rival iPhone 4S. The company
will launch the phone in Canada within weeks. The Galaxy Nexus is larger than
iPhone 4S and its 13.5cms long, 7cms wide and 9mm depth. Google Inc.
(NASDAQ:GOOG)'s Android division vice president of engineering Hiroshi
Lockhheimer said, "One of the things we wanted to do was we wanted a large
screen but we didnt want it so large that it felt silly as a phone. Theres all
kinds of experiments and analysis that happens in terms of where is the sweet
spot in terms of how big of a screen do you want to go and how small can you
make the borders". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) stocks were at 600.87 at the end
of the last days trading. Theres been a 14.7% change in the stock price over the
past 3 months. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Analyst Advice Consensus Opinion:
Moderate Buy Mean recommendation: 1.18 (1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell) 3 Months
Ago: 1.27 Zacks Rank: 2 out of 30 in the industry
Friday Apple Rumors — Mac on the Attack
Here are your daily Apple rumors and AAPL stock news items for Friday: Macs
Make Up 5% of Global PC Market: Take that, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ). While
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) continues to empty wallets thanks to the popularity of its
smartphones and tablets, the company continues to make modest gains in its
traditional computer business, which many people thought would die during the
1990s. A Friday report at All Things Digital said that, according to Needham &
Co. analyst Charlie Wolf, Apples Mac desktop and laptop computers made up 5% of
global PC shipments in the last quarter . Sales in Asian markets and with
business clients are big contributors in the Mac lines impressive growth. Mac
sales grew 43.8% with businesses. The last quarter was the 22nd consecutive
quarter that Mac shipments have increased. Big PC Companies Leave Tablet Market
in 2012: In other news about Apple eating the PC industrys lunch, a Friday
report in Digitimes (via Apple Insider ) said many companies are preparing to
cede the tablet market to Apple and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ). Citing industry
sources, the report said that four of the biggest PC makers on the planet
including Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ), Asus and Acer
will exit the tablet market in 2012 . The reason? These companies cant expect to
make a profit on devices that sell as cheaply as Amazons Kindle Fire, and they
cant compete with the popularity of Apples iPad. The report, of course, runs
contrary to recent comments made by HP CEO Meg Whitman regarding her companys
future in the tablet market. Apple May Lose Billions Fighting Motorola in Court:
On Nov. 4, Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI ) won an injunction against Apple in
Germany blocking Apple from selling its mobile products like the iPhone and iPad
in that country. On Friday, a Bloomberg report (via 9 to 5 Mac ) said Apple
stands to lose as much as $2.7 billion if it loses the patent case in question.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the
aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
Make Up 5% of Global PC Market: Take that, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT ). While
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) continues to empty wallets thanks to the popularity of its
smartphones and tablets, the company continues to make modest gains in its
traditional computer business, which many people thought would die during the
1990s. A Friday report at All Things Digital said that, according to Needham &
Co. analyst Charlie Wolf, Apples Mac desktop and laptop computers made up 5% of
global PC shipments in the last quarter . Sales in Asian markets and with
business clients are big contributors in the Mac lines impressive growth. Mac
sales grew 43.8% with businesses. The last quarter was the 22nd consecutive
quarter that Mac shipments have increased. Big PC Companies Leave Tablet Market
in 2012: In other news about Apple eating the PC industrys lunch, a Friday
report in Digitimes (via Apple Insider ) said many companies are preparing to
cede the tablet market to Apple and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ). Citing industry
sources, the report said that four of the biggest PC makers on the planet
including Dell (NASDAQ: DELL ), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ), Asus and Acer
will exit the tablet market in 2012 . The reason? These companies cant expect to
make a profit on devices that sell as cheaply as Amazons Kindle Fire, and they
cant compete with the popularity of Apples iPad. The report, of course, runs
contrary to recent comments made by HP CEO Meg Whitman regarding her companys
future in the tablet market. Apple May Lose Billions Fighting Motorola in Court:
On Nov. 4, Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI ) won an injunction against Apple in
Germany blocking Apple from selling its mobile products like the iPhone and iPad
in that country. On Friday, a Bloomberg report (via 9 to 5 Mac ) said Apple
stands to lose as much as $2.7 billion if it loses the patent case in question.
As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the
aforementioned stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Announces Fellows Prize Winners
The Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Alumni Foundation has announced the
winners of the 2011 Integral Fellows Award. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Announces Fellows Prize Winners It has been reported that the Microsoft
Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Alumni Foundation has honored the nominees, finalists
and award-winning Microsoft alumni as the 2011 Integral Fellows. Through the
award, former Microsoft employees who used their talents, time, and resources to
make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of others were recognized. The
Integral Fellows Awards Program winners will receive an unrestricted $25,000
grant and access to the talents and skills. Marylou Brannan, Executive Director,
of the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Alumni Foundation, said that, As a
catalytic organization, the job of the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Alumni Foundation is to connect, inspire, and build a community of
philanthropists. We celebrate this years Integral Fellows winners and all the
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) alumni nominees for the work they and their
nonprofit organizations are doing. It is through their dedication and innovation
that they are helping to change peoples lives. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT)
stocks are currently standing at 25.54. Price History Last Price: 25.54 52 Week
Low / High: 23.65 / 29.46 50 Day Moving Average: 26.41 6 Month Price Change %:
5.6% 12 Month Price Change %: 1.0%
winners of the 2011 Integral Fellows Award. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Announces Fellows Prize Winners It has been reported that the Microsoft
Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Alumni Foundation has honored the nominees, finalists
and award-winning Microsoft alumni as the 2011 Integral Fellows. Through the
award, former Microsoft employees who used their talents, time, and resources to
make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of others were recognized. The
Integral Fellows Awards Program winners will receive an unrestricted $25,000
grant and access to the talents and skills. Marylou Brannan, Executive Director,
of the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Alumni Foundation, said that, As a
catalytic organization, the job of the Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Alumni Foundation is to connect, inspire, and build a community of
philanthropists. We celebrate this years Integral Fellows winners and all the
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) alumni nominees for the work they and their
nonprofit organizations are doing. It is through their dedication and innovation
that they are helping to change peoples lives. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT)
stocks are currently standing at 25.54. Price History Last Price: 25.54 52 Week
Low / High: 23.65 / 29.46 50 Day Moving Average: 26.41 6 Month Price Change %:
5.6% 12 Month Price Change %: 1.0%
Gold Shares Steady, “A Far Better Bargain than Bullion”
Gold shares held steady Friday morning as the AMEX Gold Bugs Index (HUI) traded
near unchanged at 561.16.
near unchanged at 561.16.
Has GameStop Caught Lightning in a Bottle?
The video game business lives and dies by the holiday season. In October, when
Nintendo (PINK: NTDOY ) reported a $258 million third-quarter loss , it was no
big surprise. That company and many others in the industry are accustomed to
taking a hit during the summer months when consumers spend more on activities
than indoor entertainment. The fourth quarter, when big games release and
retailers run big Black Friday-style sales, are when the profits roll in. What
was unusual about the aforementioned earnings was that Nintendo cut its forecast
for the full year, lowering its expectations to a loss of around $264 million
what would be the companys first annual loss. For game-makers like Nintendo
whose chief business is the sale of physical goods at retail, these days of
increased digital sales are making for trying times. So imagine how video game
retailers like GameStop (NYSE: GME ) are faring. Actually, dont bother
imagining. GameStop announced Thursday that, going into the holiday season,
sales are not matching expectations . New game sales for the quarter ending Oct.
29 grew just 4.8%, and total sales grew 2.5% to just under $2 billion. Profits
dipped to under $54 million, a year-on-year fall of about 1.5%. All of this
crummy news led GameStop, which decreased its full-year forecast in August to
4.5% to 6.5% revenue growth, to lower guidance again Thursday this time to 2%
to 3% growth on expectations of flat to slightly lower same-store sales. CEO
Paul Raines told The Wall Street Journal that he believes GameStops
disappointing sales are due to uncertain consumers. The news sent GME shares
down about 2.5% Thursday, though they since had regained their ground by midday
Friday. However, there is a silver lining to GameStops earnings report. As in
the August quarter, GameStop is continuing to see positive growth in sales of
digital goods and services. In particular, the company sold 600,000
subscriptions to Activision Blizzard s (NASDAQ: ATVI ) Call of Duty Elite
service. Call of Duty Elite is a $50-per-year premium service offered by
Activision Blizzard that gives players of the companys hit series Call of Duty
access to digital add-on content , as well as stat-tracking services for
players. Think of it as the video game equivalent of ESPNs fantasy sports
services. That a retailer like GameStop was able to rack up approximately $30
million in sales of a purely digital service which consumers just as easily
could have bought directly from Activison Blizzard online is promising for a
company that is contending with an increasingly digital market. Sales of Elite
were of course bolstered by sales of ATVIs latest game, Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 3 , which itself racked up $775 million in its first five days on
shelves this month. Of course, these Elite sales arent all gravy theyll go
toward offsetting declines in its other subscription-based juggernaut , World of
Warcraft . These sales would seem to indicate that GameStop can use digital
goods sold in tandem with hit releases to offset declines in disc-based sales.
However, the Call of Duty franchise is a cultural phenomenon at this point.
Where Modern Warfare 3 sold 6.5 million copies in 24 hours, most games struggle
to sell 1 million copies within a year of release. Simply put, GameStop cant
expect to make up for revenue losses with similar services on any sort of
consistent basis. Still, the retailers overall digital operations are showing
impressive growth. Total digital sales grew 69% year-over-year in the August
quarter, with sales totaling $98 million. Those sales accounted for 42% of
GameStops profits during the period. Even if services like Call of Duty Elite
cant be replicated, they can act as supplements to the companys growing digital
concerns. GME shareholders simply need to hope those digital sales grow fast
enough before falling physical media sales kill the company. As of this writing,
Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned
stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
Nintendo (PINK: NTDOY ) reported a $258 million third-quarter loss , it was no
big surprise. That company and many others in the industry are accustomed to
taking a hit during the summer months when consumers spend more on activities
than indoor entertainment. The fourth quarter, when big games release and
retailers run big Black Friday-style sales, are when the profits roll in. What
was unusual about the aforementioned earnings was that Nintendo cut its forecast
for the full year, lowering its expectations to a loss of around $264 million
what would be the companys first annual loss. For game-makers like Nintendo
whose chief business is the sale of physical goods at retail, these days of
increased digital sales are making for trying times. So imagine how video game
retailers like GameStop (NYSE: GME ) are faring. Actually, dont bother
imagining. GameStop announced Thursday that, going into the holiday season,
sales are not matching expectations . New game sales for the quarter ending Oct.
29 grew just 4.8%, and total sales grew 2.5% to just under $2 billion. Profits
dipped to under $54 million, a year-on-year fall of about 1.5%. All of this
crummy news led GameStop, which decreased its full-year forecast in August to
4.5% to 6.5% revenue growth, to lower guidance again Thursday this time to 2%
to 3% growth on expectations of flat to slightly lower same-store sales. CEO
Paul Raines told The Wall Street Journal that he believes GameStops
disappointing sales are due to uncertain consumers. The news sent GME shares
down about 2.5% Thursday, though they since had regained their ground by midday
Friday. However, there is a silver lining to GameStops earnings report. As in
the August quarter, GameStop is continuing to see positive growth in sales of
digital goods and services. In particular, the company sold 600,000
subscriptions to Activision Blizzard s (NASDAQ: ATVI ) Call of Duty Elite
service. Call of Duty Elite is a $50-per-year premium service offered by
Activision Blizzard that gives players of the companys hit series Call of Duty
access to digital add-on content , as well as stat-tracking services for
players. Think of it as the video game equivalent of ESPNs fantasy sports
services. That a retailer like GameStop was able to rack up approximately $30
million in sales of a purely digital service which consumers just as easily
could have bought directly from Activison Blizzard online is promising for a
company that is contending with an increasingly digital market. Sales of Elite
were of course bolstered by sales of ATVIs latest game, Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 3 , which itself racked up $775 million in its first five days on
shelves this month. Of course, these Elite sales arent all gravy theyll go
toward offsetting declines in its other subscription-based juggernaut , World of
Warcraft . These sales would seem to indicate that GameStop can use digital
goods sold in tandem with hit releases to offset declines in disc-based sales.
However, the Call of Duty franchise is a cultural phenomenon at this point.
Where Modern Warfare 3 sold 6.5 million copies in 24 hours, most games struggle
to sell 1 million copies within a year of release. Simply put, GameStop cant
expect to make up for revenue losses with similar services on any sort of
consistent basis. Still, the retailers overall digital operations are showing
impressive growth. Total digital sales grew 69% year-over-year in the August
quarter, with sales totaling $98 million. Those sales accounted for 42% of
GameStops profits during the period. Even if services like Call of Duty Elite
cant be replicated, they can act as supplements to the companys growing digital
concerns. GME shareholders simply need to hope those digital sales grow fast
enough before falling physical media sales kill the company. As of this writing,
Anthony John Agnello did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned
stocks. Follow him on Twitter at
Todays Gold Price Per Ounce Spot Gold Price Per Gram; Silver Price Per Ounce Spot Rates; Mid Day Investing News
Gold and silver contract price per ounce rates dropped lower in noteworthy
fashion. Last session, precious metal gold and silver contract rates closed red
across the board. Gold contract closed lower by 54.10 at 1720.20 per troy ounce.
Silver contract finished the last session lower by 2.33 at 31.50 per troy ounce.
The winds of change blew through however and early morning trends today reveal
more positive trend-line movement for precious metal gold and silver prices.
Prior to opening bell today, spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per
ounce trend-line action moved on the positive side of break-even. It appears
that golds safe haven appeal remains attractive in the midst of the European
debt crisis. The dollar lost strength last session as well which is also helping
precious metal acquisitions increase. Overall however, gold wins out in the
global marketplace right now due to economic uncertainty. Debt default
potentials are high for numerous countries and investors fears relevant to these
potentials, not to mention the escalating debt crisis in the eurozone, continue
to drive investor choice. Safe havens like gold remain in favor during times
like these. Today, as the trading session reaches the mid-day mark in the U.S.,
precious metal gold and silver contracts were trending higher. Gold contract for
December delivery was green by .45 percent at 1728 per troy ounce and silver
contract for December delivery was green by 2.45 percent at 32.27 per troy
ounce. Spot gold per gram was trending lower at this pint though. Spot gold was
lower by .12 at 55.19 per gram. Spot silver price per ounce was higher by .36 at
31.85. Camillo Zucari
fashion. Last session, precious metal gold and silver contract rates closed red
across the board. Gold contract closed lower by 54.10 at 1720.20 per troy ounce.
Silver contract finished the last session lower by 2.33 at 31.50 per troy ounce.
The winds of change blew through however and early morning trends today reveal
more positive trend-line movement for precious metal gold and silver prices.
Prior to opening bell today, spot gold price per gram and spot silver price per
ounce trend-line action moved on the positive side of break-even. It appears
that golds safe haven appeal remains attractive in the midst of the European
debt crisis. The dollar lost strength last session as well which is also helping
precious metal acquisitions increase. Overall however, gold wins out in the
global marketplace right now due to economic uncertainty. Debt default
potentials are high for numerous countries and investors fears relevant to these
potentials, not to mention the escalating debt crisis in the eurozone, continue
to drive investor choice. Safe havens like gold remain in favor during times
like these. Today, as the trading session reaches the mid-day mark in the U.S.,
precious metal gold and silver contracts were trending higher. Gold contract for
December delivery was green by .45 percent at 1728 per troy ounce and silver
contract for December delivery was green by 2.45 percent at 32.27 per troy
ounce. Spot gold per gram was trending lower at this pint though. Spot gold was
lower by .12 at 55.19 per gram. Spot silver price per ounce was higher by .36 at
31.85. Camillo Zucari
Royal Gold Makes a Move: Down 1.4%
Royal Gold Makes a Move: Down 1.4% Financial News Network Online - 2 hours ago
Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD), a company whose shares are moving quickly, is trading
1.4% lower to $76.77. The S&P is currently trading 0.5% higher to 1,222 and the
Dow Jones Industrial Average is ...
Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD), a company whose shares are moving quickly, is trading
1.4% lower to $76.77. The S&P is currently trading 0.5% higher to 1,222 and the
Dow Jones Industrial Average is ...
Todays Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA Index DJX DJI; S&P 500 Index; Nasdaq Index USA Stock Market Current Investing News Mid-Day
Prior to opening bell this morning, stock futures were posting on the greener
side of things. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, as well as the Nasdaq and the
S&P 500 futures were posting on the positive side of break-even. This
presentation comes just one day after an attention grabbing sell-off in the
latter half of Thursdays trading session in the U.S. Investors have observed
more negative than positive this week in the stock market, and many are hoping
the positive trends this morning hold through the remainder of the last days
trading session. It will be a challenge though as indicators across global
markets were weak. Primary indicators in the Asian marketplace were red across
the board The Shanghai Composite, Hang Seng and Nikkei finished todays session
red. European indicators were weaker as well. The CAC 40, FTSE 100 and DAX
closed red today as well. As the session reached the mid-day mark in the U.S.,
the primary index composites were on the negative side of break-even. The Dow
Jones Industrial Average was negative by .02 at 11,755.83. The Nasdaq was red by
.59 percent at 2572.88 and the S&P 500 index was red by .17 percent at 1214.10.
Trends in the U.S. are choppy but the negative weight of the global indicators
is sure to pull the indices in the U.S. lower to close the week. Frank Matto
side of things. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, as well as the Nasdaq and the
S&P 500 futures were posting on the positive side of break-even. This
presentation comes just one day after an attention grabbing sell-off in the
latter half of Thursdays trading session in the U.S. Investors have observed
more negative than positive this week in the stock market, and many are hoping
the positive trends this morning hold through the remainder of the last days
trading session. It will be a challenge though as indicators across global
markets were weak. Primary indicators in the Asian marketplace were red across
the board The Shanghai Composite, Hang Seng and Nikkei finished todays session
red. European indicators were weaker as well. The CAC 40, FTSE 100 and DAX
closed red today as well. As the session reached the mid-day mark in the U.S.,
the primary index composites were on the negative side of break-even. The Dow
Jones Industrial Average was negative by .02 at 11,755.83. The Nasdaq was red by
.59 percent at 2572.88 and the S&P 500 index was red by .17 percent at 1214.10.
Trends in the U.S. are choppy but the negative weight of the global indicators
is sure to pull the indices in the U.S. lower to close the week. Frank Matto
Gold, Silver, Miners Higher on Stronger Euro
Gold and silver were moving higher Friday morning as the euro strengthened
against the dollar. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.K. Prime Minister
David Cameron met and continued to agree to disagree about implementing a
financial transactions tax in the European Union, while the Conference Board
reported a greater-than-expected 0.9% rise in its Leading Economic Index for
October. Spot gold was around 0.25% higher at 10:15 a.m. Friday, while spot
silver was up about 1.36%. Spot gold was bid at $1,724.60 per ounce, with an ask
price of $1,725.60, up on the day so far but down around $20 per ounce during
the past 24 hours. The afternoon reference price fix was set at $1,719, and spot
gold traded as high as $1,731.40 and as low as $1,715 in New York, according to
Kitco market data . Spot silver was bid at $32.14 per ounce with an ask price of
$32.24. The morning high as of time of writing was $32.33, and the low was
$31.64. Mondays reference price was set at $32.25 in the London a.m. Gold and
silver trusts were moving higher to close out the week. The SPDR Gold Trust
(NYSE: GLD ) was around 0.9% higher. The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: IAU ) was
between 0.8% and 0.9% higher. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was up
between 2.6% and 2.75%. Gold and silver mining ETFs were recovering ground and
moving higher as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was up
around 0.8%. The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was between
0.4% and 0.5% higher. The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was up nearly
1%. Shares of gold miners were showing strong gains, NovaGold Resources (AMEX:
NG ) in particular. Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM ) was more than 1.4% higher.
Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX ) was nearly 1.6% higher. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) was
up 1.2%. Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM ) was some 0.2% higher. NovaGold
Resources was sharply higher, up around 4.3% Silver miners shares were heading
higher. Coeur dAlene Mines Corp. (NYSE: CDE ) was around 1.7% higher. Hecla
Mining (NYSE: HL ) was up between 1.5% and 1.8%. Pan American Silver Corp.
(NASDAQ: PAAS ) was about 1.3% higher. Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE: SLW ) was
nearly 2% higher. Silver Standard Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: SSRI ) was up over 2%.
As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not own a position in any of the
aforementioned stocks.
against the dollar. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.K. Prime Minister
David Cameron met and continued to agree to disagree about implementing a
financial transactions tax in the European Union, while the Conference Board
reported a greater-than-expected 0.9% rise in its Leading Economic Index for
October. Spot gold was around 0.25% higher at 10:15 a.m. Friday, while spot
silver was up about 1.36%. Spot gold was bid at $1,724.60 per ounce, with an ask
price of $1,725.60, up on the day so far but down around $20 per ounce during
the past 24 hours. The afternoon reference price fix was set at $1,719, and spot
gold traded as high as $1,731.40 and as low as $1,715 in New York, according to
Kitco market data . Spot silver was bid at $32.14 per ounce with an ask price of
$32.24. The morning high as of time of writing was $32.33, and the low was
$31.64. Mondays reference price was set at $32.25 in the London a.m. Gold and
silver trusts were moving higher to close out the week. The SPDR Gold Trust
(NYSE: GLD ) was around 0.9% higher. The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: IAU ) was
between 0.8% and 0.9% higher. The iShares Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was up
between 2.6% and 2.75%. Gold and silver mining ETFs were recovering ground and
moving higher as well. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was up
around 0.8%. The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was between
0.4% and 0.5% higher. The Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was up nearly
1%. Shares of gold miners were showing strong gains, NovaGold Resources (AMEX:
NG ) in particular. Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM ) was more than 1.4% higher.
Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX ) was nearly 1.6% higher. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) was
up 1.2%. Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM ) was some 0.2% higher. NovaGold
Resources was sharply higher, up around 4.3% Silver miners shares were heading
higher. Coeur dAlene Mines Corp. (NYSE: CDE ) was around 1.7% higher. Hecla
Mining (NYSE: HL ) was up between 1.5% and 1.8%. Pan American Silver Corp.
(NASDAQ: PAAS ) was about 1.3% higher. Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE: SLW ) was
nearly 2% higher. Silver Standard Resources Inc. (NASDAQ: SSRI ) was up over 2%.
As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not own a position in any of the
aforementioned stocks.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Improving Photo Capabilities
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has teamed up with Epson to print and share
holiday memories for their Picture Perfect Holiday Program. Microsoft
Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Improving Photo Capabilities Reports say that
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has inked a deal with Epson for the Picture
Perfect Holiday Program. During the busy holiday travel season consumers can now
visit participating locations in malls and airports across the U.S and take
pictures with Santa, printing them instantly using Microsoft Corporation
(NASDAQ:MSFT) photo editing tools and Epson Artisan all-in-one printers for the
holidays. Gregg Brunnick, group product manager, Epson America, Inc, said that,
We are delighted to join Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) to help create such
a fun and memorable experience for families traveling this holiday season.
Nothing captures the moment like a photo in hand and the Epson Artisan 730
all-in-one ensures holiday photos are ready for sharing, gift-giving and
more". Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) company shares are currently standing at
25.54. Price History Last Price: 25.54 52 Week Low / High: 23.65 / 29.46 50 Day
Moving Average: 26.41 6 Month Price Change %: 5.6% 12 Month Price Change %: 1.0%
holiday memories for their Picture Perfect Holiday Program. Microsoft
Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Improving Photo Capabilities Reports say that
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has inked a deal with Epson for the Picture
Perfect Holiday Program. During the busy holiday travel season consumers can now
visit participating locations in malls and airports across the U.S and take
pictures with Santa, printing them instantly using Microsoft Corporation
(NASDAQ:MSFT) photo editing tools and Epson Artisan all-in-one printers for the
holidays. Gregg Brunnick, group product manager, Epson America, Inc, said that,
We are delighted to join Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) to help create such
a fun and memorable experience for families traveling this holiday season.
Nothing captures the moment like a photo in hand and the Epson Artisan 730
all-in-one ensures holiday photos are ready for sharing, gift-giving and
more". Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) company shares are currently standing at
25.54. Price History Last Price: 25.54 52 Week Low / High: 23.65 / 29.46 50 Day
Moving Average: 26.41 6 Month Price Change %: 5.6% 12 Month Price Change %: 1.0%
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Passes Huge Android Milestone
Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has claimed that more than 200 million Android
devices have now been activated. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Passes Huge Android
Milestone The search giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced at the Google
Music live event that more that 200 million Android devices have been activated
to date. A report showed that more than 550,000 Android devices are activated
everyday. The company had said at the I/O conference six months ago that it has
100 activated Android devices. A Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesman said,
"More than 200 million Android devices have now been activated around the
world". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares are currently standing at 600.87.
Price History Last Price: 600.87 52 Week Low / High: 473.02 / 642.96 50 Day
Moving Average: 561.64 6 Month Price Change %: 15.4% 12 Month Price Change %:
4.8%
devices have now been activated. Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) Passes Huge Android
Milestone The search giant Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced at the Google
Music live event that more that 200 million Android devices have been activated
to date. A report showed that more than 550,000 Android devices are activated
everyday. The company had said at the I/O conference six months ago that it has
100 activated Android devices. A Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) spokesman said,
"More than 200 million Android devices have now been activated around the
world". Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares are currently standing at 600.87.
Price History Last Price: 600.87 52 Week Low / High: 473.02 / 642.96 50 Day
Moving Average: 561.64 6 Month Price Change %: 15.4% 12 Month Price Change %:
4.8%
Top 10 Fastest-Growing NASDAQ-100 Stocks: VMED, BIDU, WYNN, GMCR, ALXN, SIRI, PCLN, CELG, NFLX, AMZN (Nov 18, 2011)
Below are the top 10 fastest-growing stocks in the NASDAQ-100 index, based on
the average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts.
One Chinese company (BIDU) is on the list. Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ:VMED) is
the first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term
annual EPS growth is expected to be 71.0%. This number is based on the estimate
of 1 brokerage analyst. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the second
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 49.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of
15 brokerage analysts. Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) is the third
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 37.9%. This number is based on the average estimate of
5 brokerage analysts. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) is the
fourth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 37.2%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 6 brokerage analysts. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) is the
fifth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 37.1%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 12 brokerage analysts. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) is the sixth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 30.0%. This number is based on the estimate of 1
brokerage analyst. priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ:PCLN) is the seventh
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 27.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of
10 brokerage analysts. Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) is the eighth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 25.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of
15 brokerage analysts. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the ninth fastest-growing
stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected
to be 23.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 10 brokerage
analysts. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the 10th fastest-growing stock in
this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be
21.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of 16 brokerage analysts.
the average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts.
One Chinese company (BIDU) is on the list. Virgin Media Inc. (NASDAQ:VMED) is
the first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term
annual EPS growth is expected to be 71.0%. This number is based on the estimate
of 1 brokerage analyst. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the second
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 49.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of
15 brokerage analysts. Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) is the third
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 37.9%. This number is based on the average estimate of
5 brokerage analysts. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ:GMCR) is the
fourth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 37.2%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 6 brokerage analysts. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALXN) is the
fifth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 37.1%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 12 brokerage analysts. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ:SIRI) is the sixth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 30.0%. This number is based on the estimate of 1
brokerage analyst. priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ:PCLN) is the seventh
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 27.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of
10 brokerage analysts. Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ:CELG) is the eighth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 25.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of
15 brokerage analysts. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the ninth fastest-growing
stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected
to be 23.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 10 brokerage
analysts. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the 10th fastest-growing stock in
this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be
21.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of 16 brokerage analysts.
Gold & Silver Prices – Daily Outlook November 18
Gold and silver prices took a dive and along with other commodities such as
crude oil, the precious metals prices sharply declined yesterday; by doing so,
the rally of gold price during November was erased in a single day.
crude oil, the precious metals prices sharply declined yesterday; by doing so,
the rally of gold price during November was erased in a single day.
2 U.S. Sectors to Shield You From Europe
The recession goblins are invading Europe's shores, and the fear over a
eurozone takedown of global equity market s is beginning to become reality.
Stocks in the U.S. have slumped about 4% so far this week, while European stocks
have fallen approximately 5%. That decline was spurred in part by fresh warnings
over the potential impact of the euro zone's debt crisis on the global economy
and banking system. Ratings agency Fitch cautioned this week that U.S. banks
could be "greatly affected" if Europe's debt crisis isnt resolved quickly.
But if the region rolls over into recession, the impact will be felt in
multinational companies of nearly every stripe. In These U.S. Exporters Could
Get Stuck in Europe's Muck , I discussed some sectors and specific companies
that are particularly exposed to Europes woes. On the flipside, to insulate your
portfolio from a potential European debt shock, one good strategy is to hold
equities that have little or no European exposure. That means choosing good
old-fashioned U.S. companies that do all of their business right here at home.
Toward that end, here are two recession-resistant sectors investors should check
out. The first sector is deep-discount retailers. One of the best of breed here
is Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO ). It recently reported better-than-expected
earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter, with same-store sales jumping 5.6% and
earnings surging 18% year-over-year. Like other bargain-store retailers e.g.
Dollar General (NYSE: DG ), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ), 99 Cents Only (NYSE:
NDN ) and Big Lots (NYSE: BIG ) Family Dollar's revenue has steadily climbed
over the past several years as consumers still rattled by the Great Recession
continue looking for the best bang for their buck. Simply put, if Europe's
debt issues do indeed force the region into recession, a good place to seek safe
harbor will be homegrown recession-busting retailers. Another domestic sector
completely insulated from Europe, and that's also collecting big profits, is
energy/power generation companies. Standout names include American Electric
Power (NYSE: AEP ) Constellation Energy Group (NYSE: CEG ) and Duke Energy
(NYSE: DUK ). The thesis here is that no matter what the euro zone's GDP is
next quarter, Americans are still going to need the same amount of electric
power and natural gas as they've always needed, and perhaps more. Disclosure:
At the time of publication, Jim Woods held no positions in any of the stocks
mentioned in this article.
eurozone takedown of global equity market s is beginning to become reality.
Stocks in the U.S. have slumped about 4% so far this week, while European stocks
have fallen approximately 5%. That decline was spurred in part by fresh warnings
over the potential impact of the euro zone's debt crisis on the global economy
and banking system. Ratings agency Fitch cautioned this week that U.S. banks
could be "greatly affected" if Europe's debt crisis isnt resolved quickly.
But if the region rolls over into recession, the impact will be felt in
multinational companies of nearly every stripe. In These U.S. Exporters Could
Get Stuck in Europe's Muck , I discussed some sectors and specific companies
that are particularly exposed to Europes woes. On the flipside, to insulate your
portfolio from a potential European debt shock, one good strategy is to hold
equities that have little or no European exposure. That means choosing good
old-fashioned U.S. companies that do all of their business right here at home.
Toward that end, here are two recession-resistant sectors investors should check
out. The first sector is deep-discount retailers. One of the best of breed here
is Family Dollar Stores (NYSE: FDO ). It recently reported better-than-expected
earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter, with same-store sales jumping 5.6% and
earnings surging 18% year-over-year. Like other bargain-store retailers e.g.
Dollar General (NYSE: DG ), Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR ), 99 Cents Only (NYSE:
NDN ) and Big Lots (NYSE: BIG ) Family Dollar's revenue has steadily climbed
over the past several years as consumers still rattled by the Great Recession
continue looking for the best bang for their buck. Simply put, if Europe's
debt issues do indeed force the region into recession, a good place to seek safe
harbor will be homegrown recession-busting retailers. Another domestic sector
completely insulated from Europe, and that's also collecting big profits, is
energy/power generation companies. Standout names include American Electric
Power (NYSE: AEP ) Constellation Energy Group (NYSE: CEG ) and Duke Energy
(NYSE: DUK ). The thesis here is that no matter what the euro zone's GDP is
next quarter, Americans are still going to need the same amount of electric
power and natural gas as they've always needed, and perhaps more. Disclosure:
At the time of publication, Jim Woods held no positions in any of the stocks
mentioned in this article.
Gold Price Bounces as ECB Intervenes
GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price rebounded Friday, advancing $5.20 to $1,727
per ounce.
per ounce.
5 Small Caps Under $5 That Could Double For Friday November 18, 2011
Odyssey Marine Exploration ( NASDAQ:OMEX ) engages in the exploration and
recovery of deep-ocean shipwrecks worldwide. The company has a market cap of
$184 million which is in my $100m $300m target range. The 52 week range is
$1.80 $4.43. Technically OMEX has been roughly trading between $2.20 and $3.30
since July. I like this chart setup a lot, here are my thoughts. Yongye
International ( NASDAQ:YONG ) engages in the research, development, manufacture,
and sale of fulvic acid based liquid and powder nutrient compounds for plants
and animals, which are used in the agriculture industry in the Peoples Republic
of China. The company has a market cap of $245 million and a 52 week range of
$3.01 $8.65. Technically YONG has been roughly trading between $3.50 and $6.50
since March. Below are my thoughts on the chart. China TechFaith Wireless
Communication Technology ( NASDAQ:CNTF ) operates as an original developed
products provider that is focused on the original design and sale of mobile
phones in the Peoples Republic of China and internationally. The company has a
market cap of $92 million and a 52 week range of $1.56 $6.96. Technically CNTF
has been trending down since its May high of $6.96 and represents one of the
best opportunities in this list. Lets take a look at the chart. DragonWave (
NASDAQ:DRWI ) provides wireless Ethernet equipment for emerging Internet
protocol networks worldwide. The company has a market cap of $172 million and a
52 week range of $2.70 $9.20. Technically DRWI has etched a bull flag and is in
a consolidation phase right now. Here is what I like about the chart. Glu Mobile
( NASDAQ:GLUU ) engages in the design, marketing, and sale of casual and
traditional mobile games worldwide. The company has a market of $190 million and
a 52 week range of $1.80 $6.10. I have traded this stock a lot since starting
this service in March, here are my current thoughts on the chart.
recovery of deep-ocean shipwrecks worldwide. The company has a market cap of
$184 million which is in my $100m $300m target range. The 52 week range is
$1.80 $4.43. Technically OMEX has been roughly trading between $2.20 and $3.30
since July. I like this chart setup a lot, here are my thoughts. Yongye
International ( NASDAQ:YONG ) engages in the research, development, manufacture,
and sale of fulvic acid based liquid and powder nutrient compounds for plants
and animals, which are used in the agriculture industry in the Peoples Republic
of China. The company has a market cap of $245 million and a 52 week range of
$3.01 $8.65. Technically YONG has been roughly trading between $3.50 and $6.50
since March. Below are my thoughts on the chart. China TechFaith Wireless
Communication Technology ( NASDAQ:CNTF ) operates as an original developed
products provider that is focused on the original design and sale of mobile
phones in the Peoples Republic of China and internationally. The company has a
market cap of $92 million and a 52 week range of $1.56 $6.96. Technically CNTF
has been trending down since its May high of $6.96 and represents one of the
best opportunities in this list. Lets take a look at the chart. DragonWave (
NASDAQ:DRWI ) provides wireless Ethernet equipment for emerging Internet
protocol networks worldwide. The company has a market cap of $172 million and a
52 week range of $2.70 $9.20. Technically DRWI has etched a bull flag and is in
a consolidation phase right now. Here is what I like about the chart. Glu Mobile
( NASDAQ:GLUU ) engages in the design, marketing, and sale of casual and
traditional mobile games worldwide. The company has a market of $190 million and
a 52 week range of $1.80 $6.10. I have traded this stock a lot since starting
this service in March, here are my current thoughts on the chart.
Randgold Resources (GOLD) Showing Bullish Technicals With Support At $110.28
Randgold Resources (GOLD) Showing Bullish Technicals With Support At $110.28
Market Intelligence Center - 56 minutes ago Randgold Resources Ltd (NASDAQ:
GOLD) closed Thursdays trading session at $114.19. In the past year, the stock
has hit a 52-week low of $70.18 and 52-week high of $120.73. Randgold Resources
...
Market Intelligence Center - 56 minutes ago Randgold Resources Ltd (NASDAQ:
GOLD) closed Thursdays trading session at $114.19. In the past year, the stock
has hit a 52-week low of $70.18 and 52-week high of $120.73. Randgold Resources
...
Gold and Silver Sharply Fell Yesterday –Recap November 17
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Major commodities prices changed direction and sharply fell yesterday along with the rest of the markets including American stock markets: gold and silver prices sharply declined; crude oil prices also followed and plummeted; natural gas future prices changed direction and rose yesterday. Many currencies including Euro and AUD only slightly depreciated against the US dollar. Here is a summary of the price movements of precious metals and energy commodities for November 17th: Precious Metals Prices: Gold price sharply fell yesterday by 3.05% and reached $1,720.20; Silver price also took a dive and declined by 6.87% to reach $31.50. During November, gold price declined by 0.3%, and silver price decreased by 8.32%.
Top 10 Fastest-Growing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks: QIHU, YOKU, MPEL, DANG, BONA, BIDU, NOAH, NQ, SVN, EJ (Nov 18, 2011)
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 fastest-growing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks, based on the average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts. Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) is the first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 114.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Youku.com Inc (ADR) (NYSE:YOKU) is the second fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 56.9%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the third fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 56.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. E Commerce China Dangdang Inc (ADR) (NYSE:DANG) is the fourth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 53.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Bona Film Group Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:BONA) is the fifth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 50.4%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the sixth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 49.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of 15 brokerage analysts. Noah Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:NOAH) is the seventh fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 42.4%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. NetQin Mobile Inc (NYSE:NQ) is the eighth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 40.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. 7 DAYS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED(ADR) (NYSE:SVN) is the ninth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 33.9%. This number is based on the average estimate of 6 brokerage analysts. E-House (China) Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the 10th fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 33.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts.
7 Financial Stocks Mauled By the Mortgage Meltdown
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace The understatement of the century is that the mortgage crisis has been hard on banks. Investors should be painfully familiar with the damage done — from Lehman's bankruptcy to the downward spiral of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ) to a host of other financials. But particularly troubled are mortgage finance companies and "thrifts." Thrifts specialize in two areas of business: mortgages and savings. Unfortunately, old mortgages are frequently drags on the bottom line and new mortgages are rare. Also, many Americans have much less in savings accounts than they used to — either due to hardship or because those accounts yield next to nothing at today's rock-bottom rates. I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. And this week, I’ve got seven financial stocks mauled by the mortgage meltdown. Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets a "D" or "F" according to my research, meaning it is a "strong sell" or "sell." Astoria Financial Corp. (NYSE: AF ) is a unitary savings and loan association holding company. A 47% loss in 2011 has shareholders questioning their purchase of AF stock. First Niagara Financial Group (NASDAQ: FNFG ) is a provider of retail and commercial banking, along with other financial services. FNFG stock has dropped 37%, year-to-date, compared to gains by the broader markets in the same period. Hudson City Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: HCBK ) operated a bank involved with community- and consumer-oriented retail savings banks offering deposit products, residential real estate mortgage loans and consumer loans. Since the start of 2011, HCBK stock is down 56%. MGIC Investment Corp. (NYSE: MTG ) operates in the Unites States and is a provider of private mortgage insurance. MTG stock is down a stunning 72%, year-to-date. New York Community Bancorp (NYSE: NYB ) operates in New York City and produces multifamily mortgage loans primarily for apartment buildings. NYB stock has declined 36%, compared to a gain of 4% by the Dow Jones. Provident Financial Services Inc. (NYSE: PFS ) operates a community- and customer-oriented bank with 81 full-service branch offices. PFS rounds out the list, with a loss of 18%, year-to-date. Washington Federal Inc. (NASDAQ: WFSL ) is involved with non-diversified unitary savings and loan holding. Since the beginning of 2011, WFSL has watched its stock value decline 22%. Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly-traded stocks with Louis Navellier's Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock-rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.
3 Hot Stocks for a Cold November
XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF
tdp2664 InvestorPlace These three stocks can grow regardless of the economic environment and political problems at home and in Europe. This month, investors should sticking with the strategy of choosing companies that can weather any storm and have strong catalysts for future growth. Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT ) successfully acquired Varian Semiconductor (NASDAQ: VSEA ) after having received regulatory clearance in the United States and China. This will allow AMAT, the giant semiconductor equipment maker, to expand its already industry-leading broad product offerings by now being able to sell ion implant technology to its customers. Post-merge, the combined companies will sell at only 6 times enterprise value/earnings — an attractive valuation for a company that, while cyclical, has good growth prospects. Despite a slip in earnings results Wednesday, guidance from Intel (NASDAQ: INTC ) shows industry-wide semiconductor equipment orders could be on the upswing. GeoEye (NASDAQ: GEOY ) is a commercial provider of earth imagery via satellites. The company is once again at the center of takeover rumors, with a trade journal indicating management has hired a financial adviser to explore a potential sale of the company. The stock looks significantly undervalued at current prices, and a prospective buyer will not fail to notice that the amount of free cash flow generated by the company will expand considerably in 2013 after GeoEye2 is launched. True, the company has not posted great earnings as of late and sold off sharply at the beginning of November due to an EPS miss, but that's largely due to big capital expenditures incurred by new satellite launches. GEOY received a new deal with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in October that should bode well for the company going forward. Sinopec (NYSE: SNP ) hit a rough patch after the Chinese government announced a cut in gasoline prices. However, data showing improved October PMI figures for China should help as the company continues to expand overseas oil operations through acquisitions — an endeavor that offers plenty of room to grow. The impressive relative stability the stock showed in the May-to-October selloff demonstrates the great value it holds at current prices. SNP remains an outstanding low-risk way to play long-term future growth in China.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
