4 Platinum/Palladium ETFs That Could Glitter in 2012

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Investors looking to cash in on precious metals can look beyond the lure of gold and silver — platinum and palladium have become new objects of their affection. Investing in "P&P" used to be as difficult as investing in any other physical asset, such as gold or silver. But exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have emerged as a more convenient way to gain exposure to these commodities. Platinum and palladium ETFs have traded on European exchanges for years but are relative newcomers to U.S. markets. Several funds were launched within the past couple of years, so they don't bring the extra assurance of a long track record. But to all precious metals, there is a time and a season. These twin white metals (they're actually "sister" elements in the platinum family) soared last year as nightmares of the 2009 supply glut gave way to a resurgence of demand for both commodities. But the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan interrupted their comeback season. A little background: Platinum is the upgrade to gold in jewelry, but palladium is important to jewelry, too.

Netflix’s Reed Hastings Still Doesn’t Get It

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace This year certainly offers many worthy candidates for the worst CEO. They include MF Global's Jon Corzine, the co-CEOs of Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM ), as well as the former leader at Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ), Leo Apotheker. And of course, there’s the CEO of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ), Reed Hastings. As a sign of the mess he has created, the stock is down about 75% since July. Interestingly enough, he would have actually been a good candidate for the best CEO of 2010. Keep in mind that he was the visionary who saw the potential for streaming video and created a megabrand. But this year, Reed looked like he was the CEO of Blockbuster. For example, he proposed the concept of splitting the DVD-by-mail and streaming businesses. But didn't he realize it would be expensive and create lots of customer confusion? Consider that he wanted to call the DVD business "Qwikster." After a huge uproar, Reed was quick to kill the idea. Then he had the interesting proposal to boost prices. Somehow, he thought this was reasonable. But customers didn't think so. Roughly 800,000 subscribers ditched the service in the third quarter. So what's the solution? Well, Reed is going to show some sacrifice. For 2012, he'll only take $1.5 million in stock options, which is down from $3 million. Huh? I'm sure many shareholders would say: Why does he need any options? He already owns 2.8 million shares, or 5.2% of the outstanding stock. He’ll also

Gold, Silver Shares Post Modest Gains, XAU Rises 0.3%

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DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold and silver shares traded modestly higher Friday despite mixed action in precious metals, as the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (XAU) rose 0.3% to 184.67 this afternoon. COMEX gold futures dipped$3.80 to $1,606.80 per ounce while silver inched higher by $0.04 to $29.09 per ounce. With its advance, the XAU returned to positive territory this week – by a scant 0.7% – and looked to snap a two-week losing skid. Among gold producers, two of the top performers were Newmont Mining (NEM) and Yamana Gold (AUY).

Holiday Treat, Put This Stock On Watch Immediately

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tdp2664 Penny Stock Live Get LQMT on your radar today and keep it on watch. I don’t care if you buy the stock or not – just get LQMT on your watch list today. Tuesday at 8:09 a.m. EST I told you I would buy LQMT, see the watch list to verify. Tuesday night in class I told 100 plus attendees exactly where I’m looking to bid 5 stocks heading into 2012 and LQMT was one of them. This information normally only goes out to paid subscribers. Then I put LQMT on my watch again Thursday morning…a few hours later my bid filled 100,000 shares at $.125 and alerted my subscribers. Today we are up 20% on LQMT but I’m swinging this one into next week because I think there’s more to be had here. Which is why I want you to watch. Yes LQMT is thin, trust me I know how to trade. In this situation I knew we could catch shorts off guard and we did. Not only that but LQMT has a deal with Apple, Swatch and Materion – I think it could run in 2012 if we get some news. So get LQMT on your watch because the only other alert I’ve shown free subscribers was JVA around $7 and within two weeks it was up 100% at around $14. Check the date and the chart here for proof – this was emailed to free subscribers. How many examples do I have to provide before you’ll trust my alert service? Just last week I told all of you to watch BPAX in my free watch list. Several days later I alerted premium subscribers after I bought at $.42. The next day BPAX was up 21% at $.51 and it’s still at $.48 today. Click here for proof . This from Andre who just signed up this week. Good day Jason, I want to thank you for the reason of my first successful investment with BPAX from .42 cents to .50 cents. I am now looking into 2012 with a confident heart to be do well to the coming possibilities that you will offer me, and hopefully one day to be able to play in the bigger leagues like you. Merry Christmas to you and your family. André For my real-time trade alerts by chat, text and email click here to sign up . Happy Holidays, The Swing Trader! Jason Bond

Top 10 Small Cap Stocks with Most Analyst Upgrades: HMA, LCC, TLEO, LEAP, UNFI, ZQK, ATHN, EZCH, WNR, STP (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the top 10 Small Cap stocks with most analyst upgrades in the past
four weeks. Sentiment on these stocks is turning more positive. One Chinese
company (STP) is on the list. Health Management Associates, Inc. (NYSE:HMA) has
the 1st most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2
brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 15 of the
24 analysts covering it. US Airways Group, Inc. (NYSE:LCC) has the 2nd most
analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage
analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 12 of the 16
analysts covering it. Taleo Corporation (NASDAQ:TLEO) has the 3rd most analyst
upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in
this period. The stock is rated positively by 12 of the 21 analysts covering it.
Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ:LEAP) has the 4th most analyst
upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in
this period. The stock is rated positively by 11 of the 29 analysts covering it.
United Natural Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNFI) has the 5th most analyst upgrades in
the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period.
The stock is rated positively by 8 of the 15 analysts covering it. Quiksilver,
Inc. (NYSE:ZQK) has the 6th most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was
upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively
by 7 of the 10 analysts covering it. athenahealth, Inc (NASDAQ:ATHN) has the 7th
most analyst upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage
analyst(s) in this period. The stock is rated positively by 7 of the 24 analysts
covering it. EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ:EZCH) has the 8th most analyst
upgrades in the past four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in
this period. The stock is rated positively by 6 of the 8 analysts covering it.
Western Refining, Inc. (NYSE:WNR) has the 9th most analyst upgrades in the past
four weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock
is rated positively by 6 of the 11 analysts covering it. Suntech Power Holdings
Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) has the 10th most analyst upgrades in the past four
weeks. It was upgraded by 2 brokerage analyst(s) in this period. The stock is
rated positively by 6 of the 42 analysts covering it.

Overall, Not a Bad Week at All

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace The final numbers on U.S. third-quarter GDP showed growth was slower than originally estimated. But with fourth quarter almost over and signs that economic activity has picked up over the past few months, investors are looking past that data. Now, they’re focused on another positive jobs report showing new claims for unemployment falling yet again . And who can forget Tuesday’s rally? That 335-point surge on the Dow was borne on the backs of two distinctly different, yet encouraging reports. First, Spain was able to once again sell bonds at a very attractive rate (for it), essentially completing its needed refinancings for the year. The beleaguered country was able to sell three-month bills at 1.74%, compared to 5.11% just a month ago, and six-month bills at 2.44%, rather than the 5.227% offered in the last auction. Not to throw cold water on this, but let's not forget these bonds extend out for only three and six months. This isn't a long-term fix, though it does give Spain a bit of breathing room. Second, U.S. housing starts numbers jumped to a 19-month high in November. Issuance of permits also rose sharply. It's been said that for every 100,000 new units of housing, 250,000 jobs are created. That would be a welcome gain for workers here. The overall housing market remains deeply troubled, which is evident due to the revisions to home sales data since 2007 showing the crunch was even worse than originally reported. Inventories are down, which augurs higher prices as demand picks up. But a big backlog of yet-to-be-foreclosed properties — and those which sellers have been reluctant to list — is hanging over the market. Still, on the bright side, the housing market is in recovery mode, however slow. With the Dow jumping 2.9% on Tuesday, and following through with a tiny gain Wednesday and Thursday, and solid bounce (though on thin volume) on Friday. The Dow and S&P 500 both ended the week 3.6% higher. The Dow is once again above its 200-day moving average. Many technicians look at the 200-day average as a signpost, and the Dow was solidly above this marker for a year until dipping in early August. Since then it's made brief appearances above water. The pundits are out in force, as you might expect given it’s the end of the year. So, along with everyone else with an opinion, I thought you might be amused by this little "find" of mine concerning inflation: Investors have been asking, “Will we see global inflation in 2012 or massive deflation?” Barron's , in back-to-back stories this week, has "experts" in one story claiming we'll see "face-ripping" inflation in 2012 as government printing presses begin operating overtime, while another duo predicts global deflation on the backs of loan defaults, asset write-downs and a huge contraction in spending by consumers, businesses and governments. Remember this: They can't both be right — but they could both be wrong. Heading into December’s close, we're getting the typical year-end slump in trading volumes, and while no one is willing to predict a Santa Claus Rally this year, the low volumes and decent economic news could indeed push prices at least a bit higher in the closing trading days after Christmas.

Top-Performing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 23, 2011)

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tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the latest top-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA) is the best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 7.2% on the day. ASIA's upside potential is 130.3% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $17.44. It is trading at 33.0% of its 52-week high of $22.91, and 21.9% above its 52-week low of $6.21. SINA Corporation (USA) (NASDAQ:SINA) is the second best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 4.1% on the day. SINA's upside potential is 88.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $105.37. It is trading at 37.9% of its 52-week high of $147.12, and 19.1% above its 52-week low of $46.86. Country Syl Ckng Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (NYSE:CCSC) is the third best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 3.7% on the day. CCSC's upside potential is 61.0% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $12.12. It is trading at 28.4% of its 52-week high of $26.50, and 14.1% above its 52-week low of $6.60. Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) is the fourth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.6% on the day. QIHU's upside potential is 106.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $34.07. It is trading at 45.6% of its 52-week high of $36.21, and 15.5% above its 52-week low of $14.30. ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the fifth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.3% on the day. HOGS's upside potential is 85.5% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $15.92. It is trading at 40.7% of its 52-week high of $21.07, and 30.0% above its 52-week low of $6.60. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the sixth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.0% on the day. BIDU's upside potential is 56.1% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $183.86. It is trading at 71.0% of its 52-week high of $165.96, and 22.0% above its 52-week low of $96.53. China Lodging Group, Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:HTHT) is the seventh best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 1.9% on the day. HTHT's upside potential is 59.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $21.82. It is trading at 55.9% of its 52-week high of $24.47, and 14.1% above its 52-week low of $12.00. Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL) is the eighth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 1.5% on the day. TSL's upside potential is 74.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $13.07. It is trading at 24.1% of its 52-week high of $31.08, and 42.0% above its 52-week low of $5.28. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the ninth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 1.1% on the day. MPEL's upside potential is 62.0% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $15.37. It is trading at 58.8% of its 52-week high of $16.15, and 54.8% above its 52-week low of $6.13. 51job, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JOBS) is the 10th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 1.0% on the day. JOBS's upside potential is 45.3% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $64.50. It is trading at 63.6% of its 52-week high of $69.80, and 21.2% above its 52-week low of $36.62. CNOOC Limited (ADR) (NYSE:CEO) is the 11th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.9% on the day. CEO's upside potential is 25.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $221.93. It is trading at 64.8% of its 52-week high of $271.94, and 24.8% above its 52-week low of $141.27. New Oriental Education & Tech Grp (ADR) (NYSE:EDU) is the 12th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.8% on the day. EDU's upside potential is 46.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $35.30. It is trading at 69.3% of its 52-week high of $34.77, and 16.8% above its 52-week low of $20.61. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) is the 13th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.8% on the day. CHL's upside potential is 4.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $49.97. It is trading at 91.9% of its 52-week high of $51.98, and 9.8% above its 52-week low of $43.51. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the 14th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.7% on the day. CYOU's upside potential is 83.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $42.88. It is trading at 44.9% of its 52-week high of $52.00, and 12.7% above its 52-week low of $20.71. Phoenix New Media Ltd ADR (NYSE:FENG) is the 15th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.6% on the day. FENG's upside potential is 94.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $10.67. It is trading at 36.4% of its 52-week high of $15.09, and 30.7% above its 52-week low of $4.20. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (ADR) (NYSE:SNP) is the 16th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.5% on the day. SNP's upside potential is 14.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $122.20. It is trading at 95.4% of its 52-week high of $111.92, and 29.4% above its 52-week low of $82.50. Huaneng Power International, Inc. (ADR) (NYSE:HNP) is the 17th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.5% on the day. HNP's upside potential is 9.1% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $23.32. It is trading at 89.3% of its 52-week high of $23.94, and 38.3% above its 52-week low of $15.45. Ambow Education Holding Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:AMBO) is the 18th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the day. AMBO's upside potential is 15.1% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $8.00. It is trading at 48.3% of its 52-week high of $14.40, and 52.4% above its 52-week low of $4.56. PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 19th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the day. PTR's upside potential is 23.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $150.67. It is trading at 76.6% of its 52-week high of $158.83, and 9.3% above its 52-week low of $111.29. Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (ADR) (NYSE:SCR) is the 20th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the day. SCR's upside potential is 26.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $9.98. It is trading at 57.5% of its 52-week high of $13.75, and 11.0% above its 52-week low of $7.12.

Top Oversold U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 23, 2011)

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tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the latest oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. LDK Solar Co., Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:LDK) is the most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 5.7% on the day. LDK's upside potential is -9.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $4.48. It is trading at 33.0% of its 52-week high of $14.97, and 93.7% above its 52-week low of $2.55. ReneSola Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:SOL) is the second most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 5.6% on the day. SOL's upside potential is 71.3% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $2.86. It is trading at 12.6% of its 52-week high of $13.25, and 15.2% above its 52-week low of $1.45. Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI) is the third most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 4.2% on the day. HOLI's upside potential is 87.0% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $13.13. It is trading at 38.7% of its 52-week high of $18.15, and 54.6% above its 52-week low of $4.54. Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) is the fourth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.8% on the day. STP's upside potential is 91.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $4.43. It is trading at 21.3% of its 52-week high of $10.83, and 35.9% above its 52-week low of $1.70. E-House (China) Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the fifth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.7% on the day. EJ's upside potential is 150.5% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $10.97. It is trading at 27.0% of its 52-week high of $16.25, and 4.0% above its 52-week low of $4.21. iSoftStone Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:ISS) is the sixth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.6% on the day. ISS's upside potential is 111.6% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $17.20. It is trading at 35.9% of its 52-week high of $22.63, and 43.6% above its 52-week low of $5.66. Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the seventh most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.8% on the day. CTRP's upside potential is 91.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $44.30. It is trading at 45.8% of its 52-week high of $50.57, and 3.6% above its 52-week low of $22.33. 7 DAYS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED(ADR) (NYSE:SVN) is the eighth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.4% on the day. SVN's upside potential is 113.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $24.03. It is trading at 47.0% of its 52-week high of $24.00, and 3.3% above its 52-week low of $10.91. Jiayuan.com International Ltd (NASDAQ:DATE) is the ninth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.3% on the day. DATE's upside potential is 141.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $15.22. It is trading at 39.0% of its 52-week high of $16.12, and 14.4% above its 52-week low of $5.50. CNinsure Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CISG) is the 10th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.3% on the day. CISG's upside potential is 200.3% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $20.36. It is trading at 32.5% of its 52-week high of $20.88, and 28.4% above its 52-week low of $5.28. JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) is the 11th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.2% on the day. JASO's upside potential is 132.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $3.14. It is trading at 15.8% of its 52-week high of $8.57, and 11.6% above its 52-week low of $1.21. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT) is the 12th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.1% on the day. VIT's upside potential is 106.4% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $18.24. It is trading at 23.3% of its 52-week high of $37.99, and 42.8% above its 52-week low of $6.19. Mindray Medical International Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:MR) is the 13th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.0% on the day. MR's upside potential is 22.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $31.13. It is trading at 81.6% of its 52-week high of $31.21, and 19.9% above its 52-week low of $21.25. Yingli Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:YGE) is the 14th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.0% on the day. YGE's upside potential is 33.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $5.29. It is trading at 29.1% of its 52-week high of $13.59, and 43.6% above its 52-week low of $2.75. Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:HMIN) is the 15th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. HMIN's upside potential is 76.1% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $47.69. It is trading at 60.4% of its 52-week high of $44.86, and 22.6% above its 52-week low of $22.09. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME) is the 16th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. GAME's upside potential is 60.7% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $6.65. It is trading at 53.8% of its 52-week high of $7.70, and 19.7% above its 52-week low of $3.46. 21Vianet Group Inc (NASDAQ:VNET) is the 17th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. VNET's upside potential is 90.9% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $17.89. It is trading at 42.0% of its 52-week high of $22.33, and 12.8% above its 52-week low of $8.31. Focus Media Holding Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:FMCN) is the 18th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.8% on the day. FMCN's upside potential is 94.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $40.23. It is trading at 54.9% of its 52-week high of $37.58, and 134.9% above its 52-week low of $8.79. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 19th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.6% on the day. PWRD's upside potential is 112.2% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $24.00. It is trading at 38.9% of its 52-week high of $29.10, and 25.7% above its 52-week low of $9.00. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:SPRD) is the 20th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.5% on the day. SPRD's upside potential is 45.8% based on brokerage analysts' average target price of $30.58. It is trading at 70.0% of its 52-week high of $29.98, and 144.2% above its 52-week low of $8.59.

Gold Futures Rise 0.5% This Week, U.S. Dollar Steady

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DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 Gold futures snapped a two-week losing streak despite a fractional decline on Friday. COMEX gold futures, per the February 2012 contract, settled lower by $4.60, or 0.2%, at $1,606.00 per ounce.

AOL Investors Ask: How Much Longer?

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace AOL (NYSE: AOL ) CEO Tim Armstrong has asked investors to be patient as he tries to turn around the struggling Internet media company. In 2012, the former Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) exec will have to show meaningful progress toward that goal because some investors are growing tired of waiting. Starboard Value LP, which The Wall Street Journal says owns 4.5% of the New York-based company' stock — is arguing that Armstrong’s strategy to establish a broad lineup of content sites, including The Huffington Post and TechCrunch is a failure. This big investor estimates that these "display assets" are losing $500 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the newspaper said. The article noted that Patch, a collection of about 800 local news sites, could lose $150 million this year on a paltry $20 million in revenue. Interestingly, Starboard doesn't call for the disposition of underperforming assets or for a sale of AOL. Perhaps, the firm plans to seek representation on AOL's board (the deadline to nominate directors is Feb. 25). A more likely scenario, though, is that Starboard, which wasn't available for comment, doesn't think all hope is lost. As Armstrong noted during the most recent earnings conference call, AOL had a great third — comparatively so — third quarter. The company posted earnings, excluding one-time items, of 16 cents, six cents better than Wall Street expected. Advertising revenue rose 8%, even though overall sales slumped 6% to $531.7 million. On the earnings conference call, Armstrong spared no superlative. "With our Q3 results, we now have three quarters in a row of global display growth and two quarters in a row of global advertising revenue growth," he said. "The trend has clearly improved after our 2010 year of restructuring. Total revenue, which was down 27% a year ago in Q3 is down 6% this year, the lowest rate of decline in five years." Still, Wall Street seems to have little faith in Armstrong. It's easy to see why. AOL has lost about $800 million since it was spun off from Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) in 2009. A slew of high-level executives have departed. Revenue is expected to keep sliding for the next two quarters. The average one-year price target is $17.69, about 16% higher than where AOL recently traded. But short of a buyout or a miracle, that price will be hard to realize. Shares have slumped more than 35% this year. Armstrong has failed to significantly boost traffic to AOL.com. The portal attracted about 66 million unique visitors in July, making it the Web's 35th most-visited site, according to data from Google.

Gold, Silver Prices Mixed On Hopeful Economic Data

Gold and silver prices were mixed higher Friday as new economic data on
personal income, personal spending, durable goods orders and sales of new
single-family homes provided impetus for a move higher across most asset
classes. Spot gold was off just 0.1% to $1,608.50 an ounce, while silver was up
0.9% to $29.25 an ounce. November disposable personal income increased by a
less-than-expected $8.5 billion, or 0.1% in November, as small gains were
registered in wages and salaries, and real personal consumption expenditures
also rose a less-than-expected 0.1% ($13.1 billion), the Commerce Departments
Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. New orders for durable goods increased
3.8%, the fourth increase in the last five months. New orders, excluding
transportation, rose 0.3%, while new orders, excluding defense, rose 3.7%.
Transportation orders had the largest increase 14.7% following decreases in
September and October. Sales of new single-family homes rose 315,000 in
November, a 1.6% month-over-month and 9.8% year-over-year gain,. The median
sales price was $214,900 and the average sales price was $242,000. The price of
gold bullion was little changed in London morning trading, ending a shortened
holiday trading session up 0.6% on the week, according to BullionVaults London
Gold Market Report. Our Hong Kong office observes that the Gold Price has gone
up during the period between Christmas and New Year in eight of the last nine
years (2004 being the exception), the Mitsui London wrote in a market note,
[rising] by just over 2% on average. Goldman Sachs forecast an average gold
price of $1,810 an ounce, Barclays forecast $2,000 and UBS forecast $2,050 for
gold for 2012 , according to Dublin-based GoldCore. Turning to the exchanges,
gold and silver trusts were trading higher. The SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD ) was
up 0.2%. The iShares Gold Trust (NYSE: IAU ) was up around 0.3%. The iShares
Silver Trust (NYSE: SLV ) was around 0.5% higher. Gold majors and the iShares
Silver Miners ETF were higher, but the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF was
down sharply. The Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDX ) was 0.7% higher.
The Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSE: GDXJ ) was down 4.2%. The
Global X Silver Miners ETF (NYSE: SIL ) was 0.7% higher. Gold mining shares were
broadly higher. Agnico-Eagle Mines (NYSE: AEM ) had lost 0.2%. Barrick Gold
(NYSE: ABX ) was up 0.8%. Goldcorp (NYSE: GG ) was 0.7% higher. Newmont Mining
(NYSE: NEM ) was up 0.8%. NovaGold Resources (AMEX: NG ) was down 0.7%. Silver
mining shares were mostly higher. Coeur dAlene Mines (NYSE: CDE ) was moving
higher, up around 0.5%. Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) was down more than 0.3%. Pan
American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS ) was up more than 0.1%. Silver Wheaton (NYSE: SLW
) was showing gains of nearly 1.1%. Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ: SSRI )
was up 0.2%. As of this writing, Andrew Burger did not hold a position in any of
the aforementioned securities. Adrian Ash of BullionVault contributed to this
report.

Top 10 Fastest-Growing Semiconductor Stocks: EZCH, CEVA, ATML, NXPI, CREE, CAVM, SLAB, MIPS, FSLR, DQ (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the top 10 fastest-growing Semiconductor stocks, based on the average
long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts. One Chinese
company (DQ) is on the list. EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ:EZCH) is the
first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 39.3%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 3 brokerage analysts. CEVA, Inc. (NASDAQ:CEVA) is the second fastest-growing
stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected
to be 29.6%. This number is based on the average estimate of 8 brokerage
analysts. Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ:ATML) is the third fastest-growing stock in
this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be
27.4%. This number is based on the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts. NXP
Semiconductors NV (NASDAQ:NXPI) is the fourth fastest-growing stock in this
segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 26.4%.
This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Cree, Inc.
(NASDAQ:CREE) is the fifth 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 7 brokerage analysts. Cavium Inc (NASDAQ:CAVM) is the
sixth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 20.9%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 8 brokerage analysts. Silicon Laboratories (NASDAQ:SLAB) is the seventh
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 20.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of
3 brokerage analysts. MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:MIPS) is the eighth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 19.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of
3 brokerage analysts. First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is the ninth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 19.1%. This number is based on the average estimate of
10 brokerage analysts. Daqo New Energy Corp. (NYSE:DQ) is the 10th
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 19.0%. This number is based on the average estimate of
3 brokerage analysts.

Top-Performing U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the latest top-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stocks.
AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA) is the best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 23. It was up 7.2% on the day. ASIAs upside potential is 130.3%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $17.44. It is trading at
33.0% of its 52-week high of $22.91, and 21.9% above its 52-week low of $6.21.
SINA Corporation (USA) (NASDAQ:SINA) is the second best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 4.1% on the day. SINAs upside potential is
88.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $105.37. It is trading
at 37.9% of its 52-week high of $147.12, and 19.1% above its 52-week low of
$46.86. Country Syl Ckng Restaurant Chain Co Ltd (NYSE:CCSC) is the third
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 3.7% on the day.
CCSCs upside potential is 61.0% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $12.12. It is trading at 28.4% of its 52-week high of $26.50, and 14.1% above
its 52-week low of $6.60. Qihoo 360 Technology Co Ltd (NYSE:QIHU) is the fourth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.6% on the day.
QIHUs upside potential is 106.4% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $34.07. It is trading at 45.6% of its 52-week high of $36.21, and 15.5%
above its 52-week low of $14.30. ZHONGPIN INC. (NASDAQ:HOGS) is the fifth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.3% on the day.
HOGSs upside potential is 85.5% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $15.92. It is trading at 40.7% of its 52-week high of $21.07, and 30.0% above
its 52-week low of $6.60. Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) is the sixth
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 2.0% on the day.
BIDUs upside potential is 56.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $183.86. It is trading at 71.0% of its 52-week high of $165.96, and 22.0%
above its 52-week low of $96.53. China Lodging Group, Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:HTHT) is
the seventh best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 1.9%
on the day. HTHTs upside potential is 59.4% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $21.82. It is trading at 55.9% of its 52-week high of $24.47,
and 14.1% above its 52-week low of $12.00. Trina Solar Limited (ADR) (NYSE:TSL)
is the eighth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up
1.5% on the day. TSLs upside potential is 74.2% based on brokerage analysts
average target price of $13.07. It is trading at 24.1% of its 52-week high of
$31.08, and 42.0% above its 52-week low of $5.28. Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd
(ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the ninth best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 23. It was up 1.1% on the day. MPELs upside potential is 62.0% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $15.37. It is trading at 58.8% of its
52-week high of $16.15, and 54.8% above its 52-week low of $6.13. 51job, Inc.
(ADR) (NASDAQ:JOBS) is the 10th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on
Dec. 23. It was up 1.0% on the day. JOBSs upside potential is 45.3% based on
brokerage analysts average target price of $64.50. It is trading at 63.6% of its
52-week high of $69.80, and 21.2% above its 52-week low of $36.62. CNOOC Limited
(ADR) (NYSE:CEO) is the 11th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
23. It was up 0.9% on the day. CEOs upside potential is 25.9% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $221.93. It is trading at 64.8% of its 52-week
high of $271.94, and 24.8% above its 52-week low of $141.27. New Oriental
Education & Tech Grp (ADR) (NYSE:EDU) is the 12th best-performing U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.8% on the day. EDUs upside potential is
46.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $35.30. It is trading
at 69.3% of its 52-week high of $34.77, and 16.8% above its 52-week low of
$20.61. China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) is the 13th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.8% on the day. CHLs upside
potential is 4.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $49.97. It
is trading at 91.9% of its 52-week high of $51.98, and 9.8% above its 52-week
low of $43.51. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the 14th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.7% on the day.
CYOUs upside potential is 83.7% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $42.88. It is trading at 44.9% of its 52-week high of $52.00, and 12.7% above
its 52-week low of $20.71. Phoenix New Media Ltd ADR (NYSE:FENG) is the 15th
best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.6% on the day.
FENGs upside potential is 94.4% based on brokerage analysts average target price
of $10.67. It is trading at 36.4% of its 52-week high of $15.09, and 30.7% above
its 52-week low of $4.20. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (ADR) (NYSE:SNP) is
the 16th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.5% on
the day. SNPs upside potential is 14.4% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $122.20. It is trading at 95.4% of its 52-week high of $111.92,
and 29.4% above its 52-week low of $82.50. Huaneng Power International, Inc.
(ADR) (NYSE:HNP) is the 17th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec.
23. It was up 0.5% on the day. HNPs upside potential is 9.1% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $23.32. It is trading at 89.3% of its 52-week
high of $23.94, and 38.3% above its 52-week low of $15.45. Ambow Education
Holding Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:AMBO) is the 18th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the day. AMBOs upside potential is 15.1%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $8.00. It is trading at
48.3% of its 52-week high of $14.40, and 52.4% above its 52-week low of $4.56.
PetroChina Company Limited (ADR) (NYSE:PTR) is the 19th best-performing
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the day. PTRs upside
potential is 23.8% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $150.67.
It is trading at 76.6% of its 52-week high of $158.83, and 9.3% above its
52-week low of $111.29. Simcere Pharmaceutical Group (ADR) (NYSE:SCR) is the
20th best-performing U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was up 0.4% on the
day. SCRs upside potential is 26.4% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $9.98. It is trading at 57.5% of its 52-week high of $13.75, and 11.0%
above its 52-week low of $7.12.

6 Companies Raising Dividends

The final weeks of the year are relatively light on the dividend front, but
that didn't stop several high-profile companies from announcing bigger
payouts. A telecom giant, a stalwart pharmaceutical retailer and a major corn
producer all added a little holiday cheer to their respective shareholders'
stockings, and they did so just in time for Christmas. Here are six companies
increasing dividends: Telecom giant AT&T (NYSE: T ) suffered a setback from its
failed attempt to acquire T-mobile, but just prior to the disappointing news the
company made a phone call to shareholders announcing a hike in its quarterly
dividend by 2.3% to 44 cents per share. The new dividend is payable on Feb. 1 to
shareholders of record as of Jan. 10. The new dividend yield, based on the Dec.
16 closing price of $28.85 (the day the dividend was announced), is 6.10%. AT&T
is the highest yielding of the 25 largest publicly traded stocks by market cap,
and the company has raised its annual dividend now for the 28 th consecutive
year. Corn Products (NYSE: CPO ) planted another dividend boost to shareholders,
raising its quarterly dividend for the second time in a year. The global
ingredient provider to the food, beverage and brewing industries raised its
quarterly payout 25% to 20 cents per share. The new dividend is payable on Jan.
25 to shareholders of record as of Dec. 30. The new dividend yield, based on the
Dec. 16 closing price of $48.78, is 1.64%. Retail pharmacy operator CVS Caremark
(NYSE: CVS ) filled a new prescription to shareholders, boosting its quarterly
payout 30% to 16.25 cents a share. The new dividend is payable Feb. 2 to
shareholders of record as of Jan. 23. The new dividend yield, based on the Dec.
20 closing price of $39.80, is 1.63%. Along with the dividend, the company also
said that in 2012 it expects to buy back the remaining $3 billion of stock
within its current buyback authorization. Diversified agricultural firm
Andersons (NASDAQ: ANDE ) is involved in the production of grain, ethanol and
plant nutrients, and last week it nourished shareholders with a 25% boost in its
quarterly dividend. The new payout of 15 cents a share will be made on Jan. 24
to shareholders of record as of Jan. 3. The new dividend yield, based on the
Dec. 16 closing price of $42.87, is 1.4%. This is the company's 61st
consecutive quarterly cash dividend since it went public in 1996. Ensign
(NASDAQ: ENSG ) provides nursing and rehabilitative care services, and last week
the company soothed shareholders with a 9% increase in its quarterly dividend to
6 cents per share. The increased payout will be issued Jan. 31 to shareholders
of record as of Dec. 31. The new dividend yield, based on the Dec. 16 closing
price of $24.55, is .98%. Ensign has been paying dividends since 2002. Regional
financial holding company Fulton Financial (NASDAQ: FULT ) raised its quarterly
dividend 20% to 6 cents a share. The new payout will be made Jan. 13 to
shareholders of record as of Jan. 2. The new dividend yield, based on the Dec.
20 closing price of $9.58, is 2.51%. Disclosure: At the time of publication, Jim
Woods held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned in this article.

Top Oversold U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the latest oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stocks. LDK Solar Co., Ltd
(ADR) (NYSE:LDK) is the most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It
was down 5.7% on the day. LDKs upside potential is -9.4% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $4.48. It is trading at 33.0% of its 52-week
high of $14.97, and 93.7% above its 52-week low of $2.55. ReneSola Ltd. (ADR)
(NYSE:SOL) is the second most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It
was down 5.6% on the day. SOLs upside potential is 71.3% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $2.86. It is trading at 12.6% of its 52-week
high of $13.25, and 15.2% above its 52-week low of $1.45. Hollysys Automation
Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI) is the third most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 23. It was down 4.2% on the day. HOLIs upside potential is 87.0%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $13.13. It is trading at
38.7% of its 52-week high of $18.15, and 54.6% above its 52-week low of $4.54.
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:STP) is the fourth most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.8% on the day. STPs upside
potential is 91.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $4.43. It
is trading at 21.3% of its 52-week high of $10.83, and 35.9% above its 52-week
low of $1.70. E-House (China) Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:EJ) is the fifth most
oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.7% on the day. EJs
upside potential is 150.5% based on brokerage analysts average target price of
$10.97. It is trading at 27.0% of its 52-week high of $16.25, and 4.0% above its
52-week low of $4.21. iSoftStone Holdings Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:ISS) is the sixth most
oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 3.6% on the day. ISSs
upside potential is 111.6% based on brokerage analysts average target price of
$17.20. It is trading at 35.9% of its 52-week high of $22.63, and 43.6% above
its 52-week low of $5.66. Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is
the seventh most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.8%
on the day. CTRPs upside potential is 91.4% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $44.30. It is trading at 45.8% of its 52-week high of $50.57,
and 3.6% above its 52-week low of $22.33. 7 DAYS GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED(ADR)
(NYSE:SVN) is the eighth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It
was down 2.4% on the day. SVNs upside potential is 113.2% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $24.03. It is trading at 47.0% of its 52-week
high of $24.00, and 3.3% above its 52-week low of $10.91. Jiayuan.com
International Ltd (NASDAQ:DATE) is the ninth most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.3% on the day. DATEs upside potential is 141.9%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $15.22. It is trading at
39.0% of its 52-week high of $16.12, and 14.4% above its 52-week low of $5.50.
CNinsure Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CISG) is the 10th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese
stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.3% on the day. CISGs upside potential is 200.3%
based on brokerage analysts average target price of $20.36. It is trading at
32.5% of its 52-week high of $20.88, and 28.4% above its 52-week low of $5.28.
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:JASO) is the 11th most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.2% on the day. JASOs upside
potential is 132.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $3.14.
It is trading at 15.8% of its 52-week high of $8.57, and 11.6% above its 52-week
low of $1.21. VanceInfo Technologies Inc.(ADR) (NYSE:VIT) is the 12th most
oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.1% on the day. VITs
upside potential is 106.4% based on brokerage analysts average target price of
$18.24. It is trading at 23.3% of its 52-week high of $37.99, and 42.8% above
its 52-week low of $6.19. Mindray Medical International Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:MR) is
the 13th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 2.0% on
the day. MRs upside potential is 22.2% based on brokerage analysts average
target price of $31.13. It is trading at 81.6% of its 52-week high of $31.21,
and 19.9% above its 52-week low of $21.25. Yingli Green Energy Hold. Co. Ltd.
(ADR) (NYSE:YGE) is the 14th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23.
It was down 2.0% on the day. YGEs upside potential is 33.8% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $5.29. It is trading at 29.1% of its 52-week
high of $13.59, and 43.6% above its 52-week low of $2.75. Home Inns & Hotels
Management Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:HMIN) is the 15th most oversold U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. HMINs upside potential is
76.1% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $47.69. It is trading
at 60.4% of its 52-week high of $44.86, and 22.6% above its 52-week low of
$22.09. Shanda Games Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:GAME) is the 16th most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. GAMEs upside
potential is 60.7% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $6.65. It
is trading at 53.8% of its 52-week high of $7.70, and 19.7% above its 52-week
low of $3.46. 21Vianet Group Inc (NASDAQ:VNET) is the 17th most oversold
U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.9% on the day. VNETs upside
potential is 90.9% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $17.89.
It is trading at 42.0% of its 52-week high of $22.33, and 12.8% above its
52-week low of $8.31. Focus Media Holding Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:FMCN) is the
18th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.8% on the
day. FMCNs upside potential is 94.8% based on brokerage analysts average target
price of $40.23. It is trading at 54.9% of its 52-week high of $37.58, and
134.9% above its 52-week low of $8.79. Perfect World Co., Ltd. (ADR)
(NASDAQ:PWRD) is the 19th most oversold U.S.-listed Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It
was down 1.6% on the day. PWRDs upside potential is 112.2% based on brokerage
analysts average target price of $24.00. It is trading at 38.9% of its 52-week
high of $29.10, and 25.7% above its 52-week low of $9.00. Spreadtrum
Communications, Inc (ADR) (NASDAQ:SPRD) is the 20th most oversold U.S.-listed
Chinese stock on Dec. 23. It was down 1.5% on the day. SPRDs upside potential is
45.8% based on brokerage analysts average target price of $30.58. It is trading
at 70.0% of its 52-week high of $29.98, and 144.2% above its 52-week low of
$8.59.

Netflix’s Reed Hastings Still Doesn’t Get It

This year certainly offers many worthy candidates for the worst CEO. They
include MF Global's Jon Corzine, the co-CEOs of Research In Motion (NASDAQ:
RIMM ), as well as the former leader at Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ), Leo
Apotheker. And of course, theres the CEO of Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ), Reed
Hastings. As a sign of the mess he has created, the stock is down about 75%
since July. Interestingly enough, he would have actually been a good candidate
for the best CEO of 2010. Keep in mind that he was the visionary who saw the
potential for streaming video and created a megabrand. But this year, Reed
looked like he was the CEO of Blockbuster. For example, he proposed the concept
of splitting the DVD-by-mail and streaming businesses. But didn't he realize
it would be expensive and create lots of customer confusion? Consider that he
wanted to call the DVD business "Qwikster." After a huge uproar, Reed was
quick to kill the idea. Then he had the interesting proposal to boost prices.
Somehow, he thought this was reasonable. But customers didn't think so.
Roughly 800,000 subscribers ditched the service in the third quarter. So
what's the solution? Well, Reed is going to show some sacrifice. For 2012,
he'll only take $1.5 million in stock options, which is down from $3 million.
Huh? I'm sure many shareholders would say: Why does he need any options? He
already owns 2.8 million shares, or 5.2% of the outstanding stock. Hell also

Overall, Not a Bad Week at All

The final numbers on U.S. third-quarter GDP showed growth was slower than
originally estimated. But with fourth quarter almost over and signs that
economic activity has picked up over the past few months, investors are looking
past that data. Now, theyre focused on another positive jobs report showing new
claims for unemployment falling yet again . And who can forget Tuesdays rally?
That 335-point surge on the Dow was borne on the backs of two distinctly
different, yet encouraging reports. First, Spain was able to once again sell
bonds at a very attractive rate (for it), essentially completing its needed
refinancings for the year. The beleaguered country was able to sell three-month
bills at 1.74%, compared to 5.11% just a month ago, and six-month bills at
2.44%, rather than the 5.227% offered in the last auction. Not to throw cold
water on this, but let's not forget these bonds extend out for only three and
six months. This isn't a long-term fix, though it does give Spain a bit of
breathing room. Second, U.S. housing starts numbers jumped to a 19-month high in
November. Issuance of permits also rose sharply. It's been said that for every
100,000 new units of housing, 250,000 jobs are created. That would be a welcome
gain for workers here. The overall housing market remains deeply troubled, which
is evident due to the revisions to home sales data since 2007 showing the crunch
was even worse than originally reported. Inventories are down, which augurs
higher prices as demand picks up. But a big backlog of yet-to-be-foreclosed
properties and those which sellers have been reluctant to list is hanging over
the market. Still, on the bright side, the housing market is in recovery mode,
however slow. With the Dow jumping 2.9% on Tuesday, and following through with a
tiny gain Wednesday and Thursday, and solid bounce (though on thin volume) on
Friday. The Dow and S&P 500 both ended the week 3.6% higher. The Dow is once
again above its 200-day moving average. Many technicians look at the 200-day
average as a signpost, and the Dow was solidly above this marker for a year
until dipping in early August. Since then it's made brief appearances above
water. The pundits are out in force, as you might expect given its the end of
the year. So, along with everyone else with an opinion, I thought you might be
amused by this little "find" of mine concerning inflation: Investors have
been asking, Will we see global inflation in 2012 or massive deflation?
Barron's , in back-to-back stories this week, has "experts" in one story
claiming we'll see "face-ripping" inflation in 2012 as government printing
presses begin operating overtime, while another duo predicts global deflation on
the backs of loan defaults, asset write-downs and a huge contraction in spending
by consumers, businesses and governments. Remember this: They can't both be
right but they could both be wrong. Heading into Decembers close, we're
getting the typical year-end slump in trading volumes, and while no one is
willing to predict a Santa Claus Rally this year, the low volumes and decent
economic news could indeed push prices at least a bit higher in the closing
trading days after Christmas.

Gold, Silver Shares Post Modest Gains, XAU Rises 0.3%

Gold and silver shares traded modestly higher Friday despite mixed action in
precious metals, as the Philadelphia Gold & Silver Index (XAU) rose 0.3% to
184.67 this afternoon. COMEX gold futures dipped$3.80 to $1,606.80 per ounce
while silver inched higher by $0.04 to $29.09 per ounce. With its advance, the
XAU returned to positive territory this week by a scant 0.7% and looked to
snap a two-week losing skid. Among gold producers, two of the top performers
were Newmont Mining (NEM) and Yamana Gold (AUY).

Gold Futures Rise 0.5% This Week, U.S. Dollar Steady

Gold futures snapped a two-week losing streak despite a fractional decline on
Friday. COMEX gold futures, per the February 2012 contract, settled lower by
$4.60, or 0.2%, at $1,606.00 per ounce.

4 Platinum/Palladium ETFs That Could Glitter in 2012

Investors looking to cash in on precious metals can look beyond the lure of
gold and silver platinum and palladium have become new objects of their
affection. Investing in "P&P" used to be as difficult as investing in any
other physical asset, such as gold or silver. But exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
have emerged as a more convenient way to gain exposure to these commodities.
Platinum and palladium ETFs have traded on European exchanges for years but are
relative newcomers to U.S. markets. Several funds were launched within the past
couple of years, so they don't bring the extra assurance of a long track
record. But to all precious metals, there is a time and a season. These twin
white metals (they're actually "sister" elements in the platinum family)
soared last year as nightmares of the 2009 supply glut gave way to a resurgence
of demand for both commodities. But the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear
disaster in Japan interrupted their comeback season. A little background:
Platinum is the upgrade to gold in jewelry, but palladium is important to
jewelry, too.

Top 10 Fastest-Growing Personal Services Stocks: EDU, ONE, XRS, LOPE, ARCL, APEI, BPI, SUMR, XUE, NFLX (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the top 10 fastest-growing Personal Services stocks, based on the
average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts. Three
Chinese companies (EDU, XRS, XUE) are on the list. New Oriental Education & Tech
Grp (ADR) (NYSE:EDU) is the first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the
market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 28.3%. This number is
based on the average estimate of 7 brokerage analysts. Higher One Holdings, Inc
(NYSE:ONE) is the second fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market.
Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 27.9%. This number is based on
the average estimate of 7 brokerage analysts. TAL Education Group (ADR)
(NYSE:XRS) is the third fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its
long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 25.9%. This number is based on the
average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts. Grand Canyon Education Inc
(NASDAQ:LOPE) is the fourth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market.
Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 23.5%. This number is based on
the average estimate of 5 brokerage analysts. Archipelago Learning, Inc.
(NASDAQ:ARCL) is the fifth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market.
Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 22.5%. This number is based on
the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts. American Public Education, Inc.
(NASDAQ:APEI) is the sixth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market.
Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 21.9%. This number is based on
the average estimate of 5 brokerage analysts. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
(NYSE:BPI) is the seventh fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market.
Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 21.7%. This number is based on
the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Summer Infant, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUMR)
is the eighth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term
annual EPS growth is expected to be 21.7%. This number is based on the average
estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Xueda Education Group (ADR) (NYSE:XUE) is the
ninth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 20.4%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 4 brokerage analysts. Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is the 10th fastest-growing
stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected
to be 20.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 12 brokerage
analysts.

U.S. New Home Sales Slightly Rose in November 2011

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau updated on the number of new homes sales in the
U.S during November 2011: new homes sales slightly rose again compared to
October. According to the recent report, during November 2011 the annual rate of
number of U.S new home sales reached 315,000 (seasonally adjusted); this figure
is 1.6 percent above the revised annual rate in October 2011 of 310,000 sales,
and it was 9.8% above the annual rate in November 2010. The median sales price
of new dwellings sold in November 2011 reached $214,100. This news demonstrates
the ongoing slow recovery of the U.S. home market, even if the growth rate is
very modest. This report might raise some light optimism in the financial
markets and help rally the American stock markets, which are currently traded
slightly up. Furthermore, this news may also help push commodities prices mainly
crude oil prices to further rise. Current gold price, short term futures
(January 2012 delivery) is traded at $1,606.40 per t oz. a $4.2 decrease or
0.26%, as of 17:54*. Nymex (WTI) crude oil price, short term futures (January
2012 delivery) is slightly rising by 0.61% to $100.14 per barrel as of 17:57*.
Euros to USD

AOL Investors Ask: How Much Longer?

AOL (NYSE: AOL ) CEO Tim Armstrong has asked investors to be patient as he
tries to turn around the struggling Internet media company. In 2012, the former
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG ) exec will have to show meaningful progress toward that
goal because some investors are growing tired of waiting. Starboard Value LP,
which The Wall Street Journal says owns 4.5% of the New York-based company'
stock is arguing that Armstrongs strategy to establish a broad lineup of
content sites, including The Huffington Post and TechCrunch is a failure. This
big investor estimates that these "display assets" are losing $500 million
before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, the newspaper said. The
article noted that Patch, a collection of about 800 local news sites, could lose
$150 million this year on a paltry $20 million in revenue. Interestingly,
Starboard doesn't call for the disposition of underperforming assets or for a
sale of AOL. Perhaps, the firm plans to seek representation on AOL's board
(the deadline to nominate directors is Feb. 25). A more likely scenario, though,
is that Starboard, which wasn't available for comment, doesn't think all
hope is lost. As Armstrong noted during the most recent earnings conference
call, AOL had a great third comparatively so third quarter. The company posted
earnings, excluding one-time items, of 16 cents, six cents better than Wall
Street expected. Advertising revenue rose 8%, even though overall sales slumped
6% to $531.7 million. On the earnings conference call, Armstrong spared no
superlative. "With our Q3 results, we now have three quarters in a row of
global display growth and two quarters in a row of global advertising revenue
growth," he said. "The trend has clearly improved after our 2010 year of
restructuring. Total revenue, which was down 27% a year ago in Q3 is down 6%
this year, the lowest rate of decline in five years." Still, Wall Street seems
to have little faith in Armstrong. It's easy to see why. AOL has lost about
$800 million since it was spun off from Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) in 2009. A slew
of high-level executives have departed. Revenue is expected to keep sliding for
the next two quarters. The average one-year price target is $17.69, about 16%
higher than where AOL recently traded. But short of a buyout or a miracle, that
price will be hard to realize. Shares have slumped more than 35% this year.
Armstrong has failed to significantly boost traffic to AOL.com. The portal
attracted about 66 million unique visitors in July, making it the Web's 35th
most-visited site, according to data from Google.

Intel Chipped By Shrinking Demand

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Intel (NASDAQ: INTC ), the world’s largest maker of semiconductors, shocked the Street in early December by announcing that its fourth-quarter revenues will miss expectations by $1 billion. That was a 7% staggering shortfall from what the company previously expected to make during the quarter. Shares shed 4% as a result. The biggest culprit, according to execs in a conference call, was the flooding this summer in Thailand , where more than 40% of the world’s computer hard drives are manufactured. Investors were not very impressed with this “dog ate my homework” kind of excuse. Is it really possible that a natural disaster in Thailand is the lone reason for lowered expectations at Intel? Or is it masking bigger problems in PC sales? I vote for a little of both. Thailand experienced severe monsoons in July, and flooding continues to plague the region. The World Bank has ranked this disaster as the world’s fourth costliest ever, and it has been described by some as the worst flooding in history — notwithstanding the flood Noah had to navigate in a floating zoo — with 13 million people affected. The floods have halted factory production to the extent that analysts expected hard drive shortages for at least the next six months, with severe damage to the operations of companies like Western Digital (NYSE: WDC ). IHS iSuppli slashed its estimates of first-quarter computer shipment growth by 28%. So how does this affect Intel? Well, the company supplies chips for the vast majority of the world’s computers. So if computers can’t be built because of the hard disk shortage, fewer chips are needed, too. That makes sense. Yet it was not long ago that Intel crushed analyst expectations and reported stellar operating results, with net income rising 17% and revenues up 29% from a year ago. Chief executive Paul Otellini credited it to stronger sales of processors for laptop computers and servers — and the company has made big strides in mobile computing, where it has lagged for years. Why the delay in reporting trouble from Thailand after so many peers already have confessed shortfalls? Intel executives blamed the efficiency of their supply chain, with orders only dropping off in recent weeks. ”The big hard-disk drive manufacturers had given their statement of supply on a customer-by-customer basis and then we saw a quick dropping off of backlog as customers aligned the purchase of microprocessors with future shipments of HDDs,” chief financial officer Stacy Smith said. However, there have been several indications that PC sales were beginning to slow down independent of the flood-spurred supply shortage. An analyst with Ticonderoga Securities said his measure of demand at 13 leading Taiwan-based manufacturers already was tracking lower before the Thai troubles came into view. He said last month represented the second weakest November on record, a touch behind 2008. Another analyst noted that consumers are hanging onto their existing computers longer and that U.S. and European markets are on the verge of contracting — a new development for markets that have expanded for decades. The fact that Intel is reporting weakness in the fourth quarter also points to possible problems beyond just supply constraints. Most industry analysts believe the tight component supply won’t likely affect computer sales until the first quarter of next year, as a large part of PC production for this quarter already has taken place. We will get more insight when Intel reports actual fourth-quarter results next month, so consider the health of the chip-maker’s shares from here on out to be a proxy for investors’ view on tech demand under the constraints of global industrial contraction. Intel is a very good company that makes important products, but it’s unlikely it can buck the tide. Jon Markman operates the investment firm Markman Capital Insights .

Readers’ Choice: Top Market Stories of 2011

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Click to Enlarge This month, InvestorPlace’s Jim Woods took a look back at the hectic year in financial and global news that was 2011, rounding up the most important headlines in his list of The Top 11 Market Stories of 2011 . After that, we decided to leave it up to you, the reader. After a few days, 3,500 people chimed in with their own opinions on what truly ruled the market in 2011. The final tally can be seen by enlarging the graphic on the right, but the top five stories included an everyone-saw-it-coming blowout, as well as a couple close calls. Bottoming out the list of the top market stories of 2011 was Operation Twist, which failed to break into double digits. It was topped by 10.) MF Global, 9.) The Arab Spring, 8.) Occupy Wall Street, 7.) Steve Jobs’ death and 6.) Osama bin Laden’s death. Continue reading as InvestorPlace takes a closer look at the readers’ top five market stories of 2011:

Analyst Actions on Chinese Stocks: ADY, April 28, 2011, EJ, FMCN, FSIN, GA, HNP, HOLI …

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tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the latest

Goldcorp's Greenstone Gateway To Gold

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gol2664 Negocioenlinea Goldcorp's Greenstone Gateway To Gold Seeking Alpha – 4 minutes ago Goldcorp Incorporated (NYSE:GG) – TSX:G, is one of the fastest growing and lowest cost producers of gold in the world. As of Q3 '11, gold cash costs for the company, on a co-product basis were …

Goldcorp's Greenstone Gateway To Gold

Goldcorps Greenstone Gateway To Gold Seeking Alpha - 4 minutes ago Goldcorp
Incorporated (NYSE:GG) - TSX:G, is one of the fastest growing and lowest cost
producers of gold in the world. As of Q3 11, gold cash costs for the company, on
a co-product basis were ...

Gold Price on Pace for 11 Straight Years of Gains

XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF

DG365FD46564GFH654FU898 GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price oscillated above the $1,600 per ounce level Friday morning.

Top 10 Fastest-Growing Leisure Products Stocks: SFLY, GLUU, BYI, EA, THQI, PII, CYOU, KID, SWHC, ATVI (Dec 23, 2011)

XCSFDHG46767FHJHJF

tdp2664 China Analyst Below are the top 10 fastest-growing Leisure Products stocks, based on the average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts. One Chinese company (CYOU) is on the list. Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY) is the first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 34.3%. This number is based on the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts. Glu Mobile Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUU) is the second fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 33.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE:BYI) is the third fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 23.1%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) is the fourth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 17.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of 9 brokerage analysts. THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) is the fifth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 16.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE:PII) is the sixth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 15.9%. This number is based on the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts. Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the seventh fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 15.5%. This number is based on the average estimate of 12 brokerage analysts. Kid Brands Inc (NYSE:KID) is the eighth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 15.5%. This number is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ:SWHC) is the ninth fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 14.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) is the 10th fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 13.6%. This number is based on the average estimate of 10 brokerage analysts.

Friday Apple Rumors: Newsstand Boosts Magazine Subscriptions

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Here is your daily Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) stock news and rumors for Friday. Apple Newsstand Is a Boon for Popular Science : It’s been difficult to judge whether tablets and e-readers will be the savior of print periodicals. Will people really be willing to drop a few bucks on electronic magazines when a Web browser is sitting right there on the iPad? Here’s a hopeful sign: Bonnier’s Popular Science magazine released digital readership numbers, and the spike following the opening of Apple’s Newsstand digital storefront in October is significant to say the least. Bonnier’s tablet software publishing Mag+ (via All Things Digital ) said in a new report that the tablet edition of Popular Science saw one-week sales increase 13% immediately following Newsstand’s opening. Better news still is that weekly sales, which have been steadily rising since February 2011, increased at a greater rate, thanks to Newsstand. These are just Popular Science ‘s numbers though, and the weekly readership is hitting above just 40,000 at this point. Print circulation is still above 1.3 million for the magazine so digital editions have a long way to go. Apple Reveals International Availability of iTunes Match and iTunes in the Cloud: Since opening its cloud services for business earlier this fall, there’s been no small amount of confusion on where Apple’s iTunes Match service is available and where it’s yet to launch. Apple posted an official statement on its website on Thursday to clarify. It said its cloud-based iTunes service iTunes Match is now available in 17 countries , and iTunes in the Cloud is available in 120 countries, but only the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. support all media (TV, film, books) and not just digital music. Apple Website Among the Most Trafficked: A new ComScore report released Thursday said Apple’s website is the 13th most-trafficked U.S. website , and one of only three retailers in the top 15. The company’s 79 million unique visitors placed it well ahead of Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ), which came in at 18th. iTunes and its numerous sub-businesses, like the App Store and iBookstore, provide the bulk of Apple’s retail traffic rather than the company’s online store for products. The two retailers ahead of Apple are eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ). As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at

3-Day Weekend Ahead, Let’s Make Money Today

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tdp2664 Penny Stock Live U.S. stock-market futures pointed to gains on Friday, with consumer spending and new-home sales among data on tap, while volumes are expected to thin out ahead of the long Christmas weekend. Investors are awaiting more economic data for Friday. Personal-income and consumer- spending, along with durable- goods-orders data, all for November, will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. At 10 a.m. Eastern, new-home sales for November are scheduled for release. Word on the Street is that all reports are expected to be positive. We had a wonderful group discussion last night reflecting on 2011 while setting goals for 2012. It was nice to hear your feedback both in class and in the survey. Here are the survey results so far with 33% of my user base responding which is above average for stuff like this. Immediate changes include the following: 1. 5 swing trade ideas per week 2. Swing trades will not become long term trades 3. One entry with a tight stop, if the stock does not perform as expected we’ll be getting out. 4. Shorter hold times of 1-5 days 5. 5-10% goal and take profit Please remember I’m only 9-months into this project and I think we’ve come a long way. In 2012 we will have a new platform that works on all phones including chat, text, email, Twitter and blog posts – when an alert is sent it goes to all 5 locations at the same time. In January of 2012 I’ll have a 10-week curriculum for new traders including assignments, video lessons and more. Also in 2012 all subscribers will get 1 DVD per month detailing everything I’ve learned about day / swing trading. The layout in 2012 will look like this: 1. All premium content will be located at Profiding 2. JasonBondPicks.com will simply be a free hub for me to advertise 3. StockMarketWatch chat room will only have the free option Moving forward swing trades will not become long term holds. However USAT and LQMT were in my portfolio under my previous guidelines so I’ll look to work out of those trades in January. Moving forward if you get an alert you can expect I’m looking to make money on it in 1-5 days or stopping out. USAT – nice pop yesterday on good volume, I think we could see this perform really nicely in January – February. I’d like to get $1.60 on this trade or better before selling. LQMT – goal is $.16 – $.24 into January as well. Again, I don’t want swings to become longs but I accumulated this bid with the intent of holding through tax selling season which is why I’ll likely hold until January.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

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tdp2664 InvestorPlace Stocks are doing what they like to do best at this time of year. Prices are drifting upward, and day-to-day volatility is quieting down as we head into the Christmas holiday. Yesterday’s 62-point gain by the Dow fits the Yuletide mood as perfectly as “snow and mistletoe and presents ’round the tree.” I’m in the holiday spirit too, so I’ve promised myself I won’t say anything today about

Gold Price on Pace for 11 Straight Years of Gains

GOLD PRICE NEWS – The gold price oscillated above the $1,600 per ounce level
Friday morning.

Friday Apple Rumors: Newsstand Boosts Magazine Subscriptions

Here is your daily Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) stock news and rumors for Friday.
Apple Newsstand Is a Boon for Popular Science : Its been difficult to judge
whether tablets and e-readers will be the savior of print periodicals. Will
people really be willing to drop a few bucks on electronic magazines when a Web
browser is sitting right there on the iPad? Heres a hopeful sign: Bonniers
Popular Science magazine released digital readership numbers, and the spike
following the opening of Apples Newsstand digital storefront in October is
significant to say the least. Bonniers tablet software publishing Mag+ (via All
Things Digital ) said in a new report that the tablet edition of Popular Science
saw one-week sales increase 13% immediately following Newsstands opening. Better
news still is that weekly sales, which have been steadily rising since February
2011, increased at a greater rate, thanks to Newsstand. These are just Popular
Science s numbers though, and the weekly readership is hitting above just 40,000
at this point. Print circulation is still above 1.3 million for the magazine so
digital editions have a long way to go. Apple Reveals International Availability
of iTunes Match and iTunes in the Cloud: Since opening its cloud services for
business earlier this fall, theres been no small amount of confusion on where
Apples iTunes Match service is available and where its yet to launch. Apple
posted an official statement on its website on Thursday to clarify. It said its
cloud-based iTunes service iTunes Match is now available in 17 countries , and
iTunes in the Cloud is available in 120 countries, but only the U.S., Canada,
Australia and the U.K. support all media (TV, film, books) and not just digital
music. Apple Website Among the Most Trafficked: A new ComScore report released
Thursday said Apples website is the 13th most-trafficked U.S. website , and one
of only three retailers in the top 15. The companys 79 million unique visitors
placed it well ahead of Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT ), which came in at 18th. iTunes and
its numerous sub-businesses, like the App Store and iBookstore, provide the bulk
of Apples retail traffic rather than the companys online store for products. The
two retailers ahead of Apple are eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY ) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN
). As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the
stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Stocks are doing what they like to do best at this time of year. Prices are
drifting upward, and day-to-day volatility is quieting down as we head into the
Christmas holiday. Yesterdays 62-point gain by the Dow fits the Yuletide mood as
perfectly as snow and mistletoe and presents round the tree. Im in the holiday
spirit too, so Ive promised myself I wont say anything today about

Top 10 Fastest-Growing Leisure Products Stocks: SFLY, GLUU, BYI, EA, THQI, PII, CYOU, KID, SWHC, ATVI (Dec 23, 2011)

Below are the top 10 fastest-growing Leisure Products stocks, based on the
average long-term earnings growth rate estimated by Wall Street analysts. One
Chinese company (CYOU) is on the list. Shutterfly, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFLY) is the
first fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual
EPS growth is expected to be 34.3%. This number is based on the average estimate
of 4 brokerage analysts. Glu Mobile Inc. (NASDAQ:GLUU) is the second
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 33.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of
2 brokerage analysts. Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE:BYI) is the third
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 23.1%. This number is based on the average estimate of
2 brokerage analysts. Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) is the fourth
fastest-growing stock in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS
growth is expected to be 17.8%. This number is based on the average estimate of
9 brokerage analysts. THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) is the fifth fastest-growing stock
in this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be
16.7%. This number is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts.
Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE:PII) is the sixth fastest-growing stock in this
segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 15.9%.
This number is based on the average estimate of 4 brokerage analysts.
Changyou.com Limited(ADR) (NASDAQ:CYOU) is the seventh fastest-growing stock in
this segment of the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be
15.5%. This number is based on the average estimate of 12 brokerage analysts.
Kid Brands Inc (NYSE:KID) is the eighth fastest-growing stock in this segment of
the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 15.5%. This number
is based on the average estimate of 2 brokerage analysts. Smith & Wesson Holding
Corporation (NASDAQ:SWHC) is the ninth fastest-growing stock in this segment of
the market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 14.7%. This number
is based on the average estimate of 3 brokerage analysts. Activision Blizzard,
Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) is the 10th fastest-growing stock in this segment of the
market. Its long-term annual EPS growth is expected to be 13.6%. This number is
based on the average estimate of 10 brokerage analysts.

Intel Chipped By Shrinking Demand

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC ), the worlds largest maker of semiconductors, shocked the
Street in early December by announcing that its fourth-quarter revenues will
miss expectations by $1 billion. That was a 7% staggering shortfall from what
the company previously expected to make during the quarter. Shares shed 4% as a
result. The biggest culprit, according to execs in a conference call, was the
flooding this summer in Thailand , where more than 40% of the worlds computer
hard drives are manufactured. Investors were not very impressed with this dog
ate my homework kind of excuse. Is it really possible that a natural disaster in
Thailand is the lone reason for lowered expectations at Intel? Or is it masking
bigger problems in PC sales? I vote for a little of both. Thailand experienced
severe monsoons in July, and flooding continues to plague the region. The World
Bank has ranked this disaster as the worlds fourth costliest ever, and it has
been described by some as the worst flooding in history notwithstanding the
flood Noah had to navigate in a floating zoo with 13 million people affected.
The floods have halted factory production to the extent that analysts expected
hard drive shortages for at least the next six months, with severe damage to the
operations of companies like Western Digital (NYSE: WDC ). IHS iSuppli slashed
its estimates of first-quarter computer shipment growth by 28%. So how does this
affect Intel? Well, the company supplies chips for the vast majority of the
worlds computers. So if computers cant be built because of the hard disk
shortage, fewer chips are needed, too. That makes sense. Yet it was not long ago
that Intel crushed analyst expectations and reported stellar operating results,
with net income rising 17% and revenues up 29% from a year ago. Chief executive
Paul Otellini credited it to stronger sales of processors for laptop computers
and servers and the company has made big strides in mobile computing, where it
has lagged for years. Why the delay in reporting trouble from Thailand after so
many peers already have confessed shortfalls? Intel executives blamed the
efficiency of their supply chain, with orders only dropping off in recent weeks.
The big hard-disk drive manufacturers had given their statement of supply on a
customer-by-customer basis and then we saw a quick dropping off of backlog as
customers aligned the purchase of microprocessors with future shipments of HDDs,
chief financial officer Stacy Smith said. However, there have been several
indications that PC sales were beginning to slow down independent of the
flood-spurred supply shortage. An analyst with Ticonderoga Securities said his
measure of demand at 13 leading Taiwan-based manufacturers already was tracking
lower before the Thai troubles came into view. He said last month represented
the second weakest November on record, a touch behind 2008. Another analyst
noted that consumers are hanging onto their existing computers longer and that
U.S. and European markets are on the verge of contracting a new development for
markets that have expanded for decades. The fact that Intel is reporting
weakness in the fourth quarter also points to possible problems beyond just
supply constraints. Most industry analysts believe the tight component supply
wont likely affect computer sales until the first quarter of next year, as a
large part of PC production for this quarter already has taken place. We will
get more insight when Intel reports actual fourth-quarter results next month, so
consider the health of the chip-makers shares from here on out to be a proxy for
investors view on tech demand under the constraints of global industrial
contraction. Intel is a very good company that makes important products, but its
unlikely it can buck the tide. Jon Markman operates the investment firm Markman
Capital Insights .

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Treasure Hunters Roadshow offers sellers' market Nevada Appeal Today is the traveling antique-and-gold-buying program's last day in Carson City. The Treasure Hunters Roadshow has another day in Carson City, ...

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Find Gold in Dividend-Linked Miners

As fiscal and economic worries continue to plague the globe, investors have
flocked to gold in spades. A variety of both institutional and retail investors
now count the precious metal among their portfolio holdings, and the SPDR Gold
Shares (NYSE: GLD ) has amassed record assets. With all this new-found investor
attention, gold prices surged to record highs throughout the year. That is,
until the bottom dropped out a few weeks ago. Now, with gold prices sitting
around $1,600 per ounce, opportunities exist for investors wanting to play the
sector. One big opportunity can be found in the firms that dig the yellow metal
out of the ground. A Big Bet on the Miners Gold mining stocks often are touted
as a way to gain additional leverage from the price of gold. Because of the
miners generally fixed production cost structure, a 1% increase in the price of
gold often will equal a greater than 1% increase in their operating income. For
example, if a mining company has a profit margin of around $200 when an ounce of
gold is trading at $1,000, a 10% increase in gold prices will result in an
operating margin increase of more than 50%. These nuances give the gold miners a
unique risk/return profile relative to physical gold prices. As gold has risen
to record levels, a variety of mining firms have been reaping record profits.
With many top-tier mining firms being able to pull gold out of the ground for
less than $500 an ounce, the remaining spread between is all profit. Now, more
firms are starting to return that profit to shareholders. The Financial Post
reported in November that dividend payments from miners are up 75% in 2011 ,
compared with a 26% increase in 2010. Analysts forecast that 2012 will see
another 26% increase in distributions. Perhaps the biggest game-changer for the
gold miners stems from the recent decision of several miners to link their
dividend policies directly to the price of gold. With some market pundits and
analysts calling for gold prices of $2,000, $3,000 and even $5,000 per ounce in
the near future, the dividend potential is enormous. However, while the
long-term reasons to be long gold (fiscal uncertainty, inflation, etc.) still
are there, many of these dividend-linked miners have fallen hard as gold prices
have tanked the thought being that dividend payouts would decrease with falling
prices. For forward-thinking investors, the opportunity to pick up some future
yield is huge. Panning For Opportunities Investors might not have to look far
for an interesting bet on golden dividends. As the world's second-largest
producer of gold, Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM ) was the first to introduce
gold-linked dividends earlier this year and plans on increasing its dividend for
every $100 rise in gold prices. Newmont's share price has been drifting lower
thanks to gold's recent price drop, along with problems at a Peruvian mine.
NEM shares now can be had for about $10 below their 52-week high and trade at a
forward P/E of just 10. Newmont currently yields around 2%, but analysts
estimate that if gold returns to the $1,850 range, shares of the miner will
yield a delicious 3.1%. Similarly, Eldorado Gold (NYSE: EGO ) has seen its share
price decimated in the wake of falling gold prices. However, like Newmont, the
firm recently has pegged its dividend to gold and has continued to make strong
moves to increase supplies. Eldorado is expected to increase its next dividend
payout by 67%. For investors looking for dividend opportunities in the "poor
mans gold, Hecla Mining (NYSE: HL ) has linked its distribution policy to the
price of silver. Dividends declared by the firm will increase or decrease by 1
cent per share for each $5 per ounce move in the average realized silver price.
Featuring both precious and industrial properties, analysts predict silver
demand will increase faster than gold. Hecla currently yields 1.5% and is about
50% below its 52-week high. Despite the recent stumble, analysts predict higher
gold prices on the horizon . That will benefit investors in miners, especially
those that have linked their dividend policies to gold prices. The battered trio
of Newmont, Eldorado and Hecla not only represent good bargains, but solid
long-term income opportunities. As of this writing, Aaron Levitt did not hold a
position in any of the aforementioned securities but is long the iShares Gold
Trust (NYSE: IAU ).

Top 10 Rebounding U.S.-Listed Chinese Stocks: AUTCF, SPRD, FMCN, LDK, XUE, HOLI, AMBO, SFUN, MPEL, FTLK (Dec 22, 2011)

Below are the top 10 rebounding U.S.-listed Chinese stocks, ranked based on %
change from 52-week lows. Stocks with very low market caps are excluded.
AutoChina International Limited (NASDAQ:AUTCF) is the 1st best rebounding stock
in this segment of the market. It has risen 237% from its 52-week low. It is now
trading at 51% of its 52-week high. Spreadtrum Communications, Inc (ADR)
(NASDAQ:SPRD) is the 2nd best rebounding stock in this segment of the market. It
has risen 146% from its 52-week low. It is now trading at 71% of its 52-week
high. Focus Media Holding Limited (ADR) (NASDAQ:FMCN) is the 3rd best rebounding
stock in this segment of the market. It has risen 128% from its 52-week low. It
is now trading at 53% of its 52-week high. LDK Solar Co., Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:LDK)
is the 4th best rebounding stock in this segment of the market. It has risen 91%
from its 52-week low. It is now trading at 33% of its 52-week high. Xueda
Education Group (ADR) (NYSE:XUE) is the 5th best rebounding stock in this
segment of the market. It has risen 83% from its 52-week low. It is now trading
at 38% of its 52-week high. Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ:HOLI)
is the 6th best rebounding stock in this segment of the market. It has risen 63%
from its 52-week low. It is now trading at 41% of its 52-week high. Ambow
Education Holding Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:AMBO) is the 7th best rebounding stock in this
segment of the market. It has risen 54% from its 52-week low. It is now trading
at 49% of its 52-week high. SouFun Holdings Limited (ADR) (NYSE:SFUN) is the 8th
best rebounding stock in this segment of the market. It has risen 51% from its
52-week low. It is now trading at 49% of its 52-week high. Melco Crown
Entertainment Ltd (ADR) (NASDAQ:MPEL) is the 9th best rebounding stock in this
segment of the market. It has risen 50% from its 52-week low. It is now trading
at 57% of its 52-week high. Funtalk China Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTLK) is the
10th best rebounding stock in this segment of the market. It has risen 50% from
its 52-week low. It is now trading at 89% of its 52-week high.

Todays Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, Nasdaq, S&P 500; Stock Market Investing News USA today

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dow2664 The up and down week continues for the marketplace. Stock futures were posting green prior to the opening bell of last session, and trends remained stronger throughout the whole of the last trading session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average , as well as the Nasdaq and the S&P 500, finished the last trading session on the positive side of break-even. Stocks were pushed higher on the positive data posting via last session’s jobs report. According to the government stats, the number of Americans completing applications for first time unemployment benefits fell lower. According to the report, only 364,000 Americans filed for first time unemployment benefits last week. This number was lower than the previous week’s data by approximately 4,000. The lower-than-expected filings represent the lowest number of unemployment filings since 2008. Since the number of Americans filing for first time unemployment benefits was expected to rise, the lower number was a significant positive surprise. Again, with trading volume being below average during the holiday season, any positively skewed report seems to have a greater overall affect on average. In addition to the positive jobs data, stocks in the U.S. absorbed positive momentum from the stronger stock outcomes in the eurozone. Primary indicators there finished their respective sessions green as well. As of end of day close in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the session higher by .51 percent at 12,169.65. The Nasdaq finished the session higher by .83 percent at 2,599.45. The S&P 500 closed out the last session higher by .83 percent at 1,254. Frank Matto

Todays Gold price per ounce spot gold price per gram; Silver price per ounce spot silver price per ounce; Gold Silver Today

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dow2664 Although trend-lines for the primary stock indices pushed into the green during the last trading session, trend-line action for gold and silver contracts was mostly negative. The dollar gained strength once again last session versus a handful of other global currencies, including the euro, and this action pressured gold and silver acquisitions. On a day when trading volume was a fraction of its average, this was enough to push gold and silver price trends into negative territory for the day. As of the end of day close, gold and silver contracts were both in the red. Contract gold for February delivery posted red by .19 percent at 1610.60 per troy ounce. Silver contract for March delivery closed out the last session lower by .69 percent at 29.05 per troy ounce. Prior to opening bell this morning, spot gold and spot silver prices were about break-even. Spot gold price per gram was posting at 51.88 and spot silver price per ounce was posting at 29.26. Gold interest was minimal last session as better-than-expected economic reports posted in the U.S. and reduced overall interest in the safe haven. This action was even more dramatic due to the lower trading volume in the marketplace right now. Camillo Zucari